Snap Pea & Asparagus Salad with Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette

spring forward to spring green...

We all lost an hour today, which sucks, but it really is good news because it means that spring is just that much closer (only 12 more days!). It has been warm and sunny this weekend - it's hard to believe we had snow last week. Most of the snow has melted and I'm really hoping we are done with it for this year. I guess we will see...

For this series I'm focusing on snap peas. Little more makes me think of spring than green, green peas that is! This recipe celebrates both snap peas and green peas along with asparagus, another veggie that makes me think of spring. These vegetables are blanched and then tossed in a Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette to create a simple side salad to welcome the up-coming spring season. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 6
Salad
1 lb. Snap Peas
1 Bunch Asparagus
1 C Frozen (or fresh) Peas

Vinaigrette
1 T Dijon Mustard
1 T Fresh Lemon Juice
1 1/2 tsp. Sherry Vinegar
1 tsp. Capers, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. Caper Brine
3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 T Fresh Dill, chopped
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously.

Trim the asparagus and then cut into 2 inch pieces. Drop the snap peas, asparagus, and frozen peas into the boiling water. Blanch for 2-3 minutes. Remove to an ice bath (bowl filled with ice and water) to shock the veggies and stop their cooking. After 5 minutes, drain and pat dry.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a large bowl combine the mustard, lemon juice, and vinegar; whisk. Next, add in the capers, brine, and a pinch each salt and pepper. Whisk in the extra virgin olive oil. Stir in the dill.

Add the dried peas and asparagus to the bowl with the dressing. Toss well. Refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving. Stir and serve. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash "Pasta" Puttanesca

crave healthy comfort food...

One of my favorite comfort foods is pasta. Macaroni and cheese, baked ziti, lasagna, really anything with a noodle, I'm in! Unfortunately, pasta is super high in carbs. So, it's important to enjoy in moderation. That's pretty difficult considering my husband is Italian and nearly every meal he wants to make includes pasta. So, for this post, I'm trying something totally new - spaghetti squash.

Yep, I've never made or even had spaghetti squash before tonight. But, in the spirit of eating healthier in this new year, I thought it was time to try it out. I was quite skeptical, but have to say, pleasantly surprised. The squash, while not the same as pasta, is a pretty good substitute. I'm serving this spaghetti squash with a puttanesca sauce. To make this sauce better for you, I'm adding tuna and arugula. Both of these are not traditional ingredients in puttanesca sauce. All in all, this meal is well rounded and satisfied my comfort food craving. Next time you have one, try out this recipe. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 4
1 Spaghetti Squash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3-4 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 C Flat-Leaf Parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 C Pitted Kalamata Olives, roughly chopped
3 T Capers
1 (5 oz.) Can Tuna (in water), drained
1 T Anchovy Paste
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 (14 oz.) Can "No Salt Added" Diced Tomatoes
1 C Arugula
To Serve: Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Following the instructions on Eat Within Your Means, roast the spaghetti squash. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then squeeze the skin from the flesh and separate the strands into long "noodles". The manor in which the squash is cooked on the blog, worked really well. My "noodles" were nice and long!

While the squash is cooling, make the sauce. Heat 1-2 T extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the garlic, parsley, olives, capers, tuna, anchovy paste, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Next, wilt in the arugula and add the cooked spaghetti squash. Carefully toss together to combine, adding extra olive oil if needed. Adjust seasoning as needed (I didn't need to add any salt or pepper).

Finally, serve the "pasta" puttanesca topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy with a small side salad and bread. Here's to healthy comfort food!

Kalamata Olive Tapenade with Homemade Pita Chips

new year + new goals = new you

It's a new year and with that comes new goals, ambitions, and a vision of a better life. Many of you will have goals of exercising more (me), watching less TV (yes, me), and eating healthier (yup, you guessed it).  I like to think that I eat healthy now, but there are definitely days, weeks, and December that mess that up. So, it's a new year and I'm starting off on the right foot with this easy appetizer.

This tapenade is full of kalamata and black olives, which are very good for you. They are low in calories, contain healthy monounsaturated fat (good for your heart), and can help with pain (they contain a compound that has anti-inflammatory properties, mimicking pain killers). As with anything, moderation is key as they are high in sodium. So, try out this appetizer and only have a little! Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 6-8
Tapenade
1 C Pitted Kalamata Olives, drained
1/2 C Pitted Black Olives, drained
2 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 C Flat-leaf Parsley
1 T Anchovy Paste
2 T Capers, drained
1/2 Lemon, juiced (~2T)
1-2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pita Chips
2 Whole Wheat Pita Pockets
Cooking Spray
Kosher or Sea Salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Make the pita chips: Cut each pita pocket in half. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Separate each wedge by cutting or tearing long the "pocket" side. Each pita pocket will yield 16 pita pieces (32 pieces total). Line the pita pieces up on a large baking sheet and spray them liberally with cooking spray. Flip and spray on the other side. Sprinkle with a little salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Meanwhile, make the tapenade: Combine the olives and garlic in a food processor. Pulse 6-8 times or until roughly chopped. Add the parsley, anchovy paste, capers, and lemon juice. Pulse a few more times to combine everything well. Stir in the extra virgin olive oil, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve the tapenade with the homemade pita chips. Enjoy (in moderation of course)!