GREEN GODDESS STYLE PASTA..all the goodenss of Greens!!!! Great for Spring and Summer meals RECIPE

 THIS IS AN EASY, AND VERY HEALTHY RECIPE AND EASILY FEEDS  4 USING JUST 1 POUND OF RAW PASTA.
USE WHATEVER GREENS YOU HAVE IN SEASON, AND WHICH EVER VARIETY OF PASTA YOU PREFER.


1 pound fresh asparagus, trim 2 inches off the stems and cut on diagonal
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic smashed and minced 
cracked black pepper and red pepper flakes
sea salt*
2 ripe avocados pitted, peeled and chopped
6 scallions finely sliced
2 cups fresh spinach/kale/any greens well washed
1 cup snow peas or sugar snap peas or 1 cup defrosted frozen peas/broad beans/fava beans
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup basil leaves or 1/4 cup minced fresh rosemary
 1/4 cup shaved or grated Parmesan or other cheese of choice
 1 pound dry pasta of choice.

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the asparagus, until just blanched...add to a large warm mixing bowl.
Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente stage, in boiling salted water, drain and reserve 1 cup cooking liquor.
Add the vegetables and herbs to the asparagus and toss in the hot cooked pasta and 1/2 cup cooking liquor.
Add cracked black pepper &/or red chili flakes.
Mix well and sprinkle with grated cheese, adding sea salt to taste.
Add more cooking liquor as needed.
Check seasonings.
Serve at once on warmed plates.

* in place of sea salt use fresh lemon juice..if using tough greens like collard, cook these well before adding to the mixing bowl

 Vegan Variation: use Vegan pasta and nutritional yeast in place of cheese.

CALDO VERDE SOUP; Vegetable Saute with rice; Baked carrots in orange juice; WHOLEWHEAT AND FENNEL SEED BREAD; EGGPLANT PASTA BAKE; pumpkin and red pepper soup; SWEET POTATO AND RICE BAKE; vegetable and cheese jalousie..PHOTOS OF PREP FOR TOMORROW'S DELIVERIES

CALDO VERDE, KALE, CHICKPEAS AND POTATO SOUP

VEGETABLE SAUTE FOR THE RICE

CARROTS AND ONIONS COOKED IN FRESH ORANGE JUICE WITH BITS OF PEEL ADDED, THEN BAKED

COOKED SLOWLY AND ADDED CARAWAY SEEDS BEFORE BAKING

EGGPLANT PASTA BAKE

PUMPKIN AND RED BELL PEPPER SOUP

THE BAKED CARROTS

VEGETABLE MIX WITH THE COOKED RICE ADDED, MORE SAUCE TO BE ADDED THEN BAKED

9INCHES ACROSS THE VEGETABLE AND CHEESE JALOUSIE cut into slices and enjoy at room temp

THIS IS  A PERFECT MENU FOR TODAY'S HIGH DAYTIME TEMPS ( MID 80F'S) AND COOLER EVENINGS (50F'S).
I have just got back from Palm Springs, there it was 91f!

Cooking in a Lemon Grove, On Location, Venice CA..healthy Vegetarian Menu; Nut loaf with tomato sauce and dry ratatouille; Rice Gratin with vegetables (a natural Gluten Free lasagna); also baking large yellow potatoes to stuff

The vegetable base for the rice gratin, carrots, Lima Beans, Bell Pepper, onion and garlic

Fresh tomatoes and onion the base for the "dry" ratatouille

The "dry" ratatouille with fresh basil leaves

Layers of sauteed vegetables, cooked jasmine rice and topped with grated cheese, will be baked at client's home who will also add some more marinara sauce

Nut loaves baked with a thick marinara sauce and slathered with the dry ratatouille..this is great either cold or room temp and makes great sub. sandwiches on French bread.

Great SPRING/SUMMER weather and we are still in Feb!
Beating the heat with tasty dishes using fresh vegetables & nuts.

Hello from Venice CA

Italian Style Vegetable stew, with beets; African Style, Spicy Peanut, Black Eyed Pea and Kale stew with couscous; Tomato and Carrot Soup; Eggplant in the style of Parmesan; ..Photos of Prep and How to SLAKE info

Fresh Spring fingerling potatoes, eggplants, bell peppers,  zucchini, jumbo carrots (each one weighs over 16ozs and they are very sweet), celery, Parsley, Red  Skinned Sweet Potatoes, Baby Beets

Red skinned Sweet Potatoes, these are not as sweet as garnet yams and go perfectly with the black eyed peas and kale stew

The Italian vegetable stew, will also come with a pot of baby beets cooked in this sauce, and be topped with cooked potato gnocchi at client's home, here I have added some fresh basil leaves from my garden

The cooked black eyed pea, turmeric, kale and sweet potato stew to be served with steamed couscous at client's home

Baby beets cooked in the Italian Vegetable stew sauce

The Italian Vegetable stew ready for overnight SLAKING ( SEE BELOW IN DESCRIPTION)

The African Style spicy stew with sauce added now also ready for overnight slaking

Blended carrot and tomato soup

Previous 2 the eggplant in the style of  a la Parmesan..this one is low fat and gluten free

Whole Wheat, Golden Raisin-Cinnamon bread dough

Steamed couscous also air drying for the Black Eyed Pea Stew

The secret to the best flavored soups and stews is TIME.

Time to allow the flavors to mature and develop over night

In Yorkshire, England this is known as SLAKING, this is also described in more detail, in my first recipe book, "Recipes for Success", ONLY  on www.amazon/kindle.com

It is very important with any  cooked foods that they are treated with respect and handled properly again please refer to my book for more info.

Once the dishes have cooled down, place in sealed containers and store overnight in the fridge or a very cold cellar.


The next day bring the dishes to boiling  point and simmer for 15-20 mins before serving, you WILL notice the difference this simple trick makes to any dish.

Eat better and enjoy your  own made food MORE.

We are having a nice cool down, after the heatwaves of the past few weeks, but it IS going to get hot again this week, I am glad I featured stews on this menu before more heat came in.

Topanga Beach, Malibu..private beach homes and beach

Asparagus and butternut stuffed bell peppers; Lentil pate; Carrot cake Cupcakes with cream cheese and walnuts, cranberries; Apple topped gingerbread cakes..the Crazy Feb. Heatwave is finally broken now we have warm rain showers and I can go back to real baking without overheating my house

Fresh asparagus and butternut squash poached in apple juice, for the stuffed peppers

Rice, and veggies topped bell peppers

Treating boiled peeled potatoes as pasta, by simmering with fresh veggies in a Marinara sauce, this is wonderful and naturally Gluten-free.

Baked Gingerbread cakes with apples

Carrot cake with cream cheese, walnuts and dried cranberry cupcakes (Trying to keep the flavors without adding too much fat and sugar, so the frosting ingredients are baked in)

Marinara sauce topped stuffed peppers to be baked at client's home

Cooked lentil pate..this contains beaten eggs, garlic, onion, celery, red wine,  and herbs and is processed then baked for 40 mins..great with pita breads

Today the weather is  fantastic, almost 30 degrees cooler than yesterday's maddening 98F in the shade.
We are having some very nice warm showers, coming in from the ocean, very big drops that seem to be falling slowly and steadily.
We really do need more rain.
Here are some dishes that are really tasty and yet healthy & somewhat light..perfect for any weather.
Also I am glad to see that I can go back to baking now, that the air/kitchen, is cooler.