Hello! Notice anything new? I'll give you a hint- look to your right. Yes! I've been awarded "top health blogger" status at Wellsphere.com! I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be receiving recognition for this humble little blog. Shall we celebrate? I don't know about you, but when I hear "celebrate" I think one thing- carbs! How about a nice big plate of pasta puttanesca?
And what the hey, since this is a blog about vegetables after all, let's load it up with veggies- ones I promise you will hardly even notice. Now, we all know the story of puttanesca, don't we? That the "ladies of the night" would leave it out in windows to attract gentleman callers? Well, this vegefied version had 3, count 'em, 3 handsome men gathered around my kitchen table in no time. That's the power of puttanesca.
Hidden Veggie Puttanesca
1 lb angel hair or spaghetti noodles
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium carrots, grated
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups baby spinach, chopped
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp italian seasoning
5 tbsp capers
1 1/2 cups oil cured olives, pitted and chopped (can substitute kalamata)
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
24 oz tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp kelp granules (optional, but gives it an oceany flavor similar to anchovies)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Fresh grated parmesan, for serving
In a medium saucepan, bring oil to medium high heat and add onion and carrots. Sautee until onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add spinach, red pepper flakes, italian seasoning, capers, olives, and garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Then add rest of ingredients and reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to instructions on package. Drain (but don't rinse! Never rinse- you want all of that lovely starchiness) and gently work sauce into pasta. Spoon into bowls or onto plates
and sprinkle with parmesan.
There's been a lot of pizza making going on in the Wilson household this year. For the first 6 months they were all soft and Digiorno-y- and that's about the biggest insult I can think of for a homemade pizza. I was being stubborn. I'd heard that in order to make a good pizza crust you must use a pizza stone- I just didn't want to believe it. And it's not that I didn't have one- I did. But it was something new to me, and I don't do "new" well. Finally, I broke down and pulled it out. I must have researched how to use that thing for an hour straight, I was so scared! But just like most things in life, this turned out to be much easier than expected, and I was able to create the pizza crust of my dreams. Now it was time to face my next challenge: a pizza that can hold a candle to the Round Table Gourmet Veggie.
The secret to the Gourmet Veg lies in Round Table's creamy garlic sauce. I tried making this with store bought garlic alfredo sauce, but that was a huge letdown (probably because store bought sauce never tastes good anyways.) I tried making it with ranch dressing, as some people on the internet had suggested, but that was a flop as well. But this? This- is magic.
I did without the zucchini and mushrooms, because this is how I always order it. I may have made peace with mushrooms and be on speaking terms with zucchini, but I still don't necessarily want them on my pizza. But of course, if it tickles your fancy, pile them on.
I used Jay's Pizza Crust recipe, which is amazing, but yields an extra large pizza. My stone is medium-sized so I cut the dough in half and stored the rest in the freezer or fridge. But you can use any dough you feel comfortable with.
Round Table Gourmet Veggie Copy Cat Recipe
Creamy Garlic Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk, warmed in microwave until lightly bubbling
3 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp italian or pizza seasoning
pinch salt
pinch pepper
pinch nutmeg
In a small saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Use a baby whisk to whisk in the flour and stir for about 2 minutes. Add milk and bring to a boil. Add garlic, italian seasoning, salt, pepper and nutmeg, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Toppings:
1/2 cup chopped baby spinach
1/4 cup shredded fontina
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup ground parmesan
Assembly:
Spread sauce evenly over entire pizza. Add spinach, then top with fontina. Add rest of veggies, then top with mozzarella, cheddar, and lastly, parmesan.
Hello, hello! Did you have a happy Mardi Gras? Did you eat lots of yummy fried foods? I did- and boy, was I paying for it today! My body was just screaming for something light, fresh, and green. This wrap had me feeling like myself again in no time, and was delicious, to boot!
Dill Spinach Hummus Wrap
For Hummus:
1 can garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp fresh dill
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp water
pinch paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
Add all ingredients except for pine nuts to food processor, streaming in olive oil as you go to help it come together. Blend well, then stir in pine nuts.
For Wrap:
1 large flour tortilla
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 green bell pepper, sliced
1/4 medium red onion, sliced
1/4 tsp seasoning of choice (I used Cajun)
pinch each of salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped lettuce
1 tbsp capers (optional)
Bring medium sized frying pan to medium high heat and swirl a little olive oil in pan to coat. Add peppers, onions, and seasonings and stir fry until softened.
Heat tortilla in microwave for 30 seconds to soften. Spread with as much hummus as you like, then layer with other ingredients, roll up like a jelly roll, cut off ends to pretty it up, and serve.
