Pasta with Sweet Potato Cream Sauce & Vegetables

Summer might be the most fun season, but by the time fall rolls around, I’m ready and waiting with my can opener – for the puréed pumpkin and pumpkin beer, of course. The “pumpkin” idea can be conveyed in many forms – sweet potato, butternut squash, pumpkin pie spice, a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg. All convey the same sentiment = fall is awesome. This is the first of many pumpkin-y pasta dishes this season. And this one incorporates sweet potato AND beer. Boom.

Pasta with Sweet Potato Cream Sauce & Vegetables

1 sweet potato
½ pound whole wheat rotini pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 cup milk/soymilk
Dash cayenne
¼ teaspoon dried sage
Salt and pepper
1 cup flavorful beer (I used Fat Tire IPA)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
½ head broccoli
1 cup diced mushrooms
½ onion, diced

Poke sweet potato with fork and microwave for 5 minutes, or until cooked through. In a small bowl, mash potato until smooth.

In a medium size pot, boil pasta until al dente.

In a large pan, melt butter and whisk in flour. When flour has cooked for about a minute, slowly whisk in milk and continue whisking over medium low heat for 5 minutes or so, until sauce starts to thicken. Stir in mashed sweet potato until incorporated. Thin sauce with beer until it reaches desired consistency.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan heat olive oil and add in diced veggies. Cook 7-10 minutes, until cooked but still firm. Dump vegetables into the sauce and toss to coat. Serve pasta in bowls and top with vegetables and sauce. Salt and pepper as necessary.

Potato Veggie Quiche

What do you during long conference calls?

Some doodle. Some read the news. Some pay attention. Personally, I come up with new recipes to make for dinner. And so this strata/quiche recipe was born. What would have made this recipe twice and fun and exciting to make is my little mandolin. Unfortunately, she is still boxed up while I reside in this temporary housing in the heart of the “tender nob” of San Fran. Come October 15^th, I’ll happily march my way up Russian Hill to my super cute little apartment on Union St. with my cookware in tow.  But I digress…

The potato layer gets cooked briefly to soften the potatoes and get it ready for the veggie packed, eggy layer it supports.

Then it all bakes until it’s married happily in quiche form.

Potato Veggie Quiche

1 sweet potato, thinly sliced
½ russet potato, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
½ yellow onion, diced
½ head broccoli, cut into small pieces
½ cup mushrooms, sliced
½ cup corn
¼ cup grape tomatoes
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
3 eggs, whisked with ¼ cup soymilk
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Toss sliced potato slices with olive oil, rosemary and a little salt and pepper, and layer in greased pie pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender and lightly brown.

Meanwhile, cook vegetables until just tender in a skillet with olive oil. Add vegetables and cheese to potato crust and pour egg mixture on top. Bake for another 17-20 or until egg is set.

Pasta in Creamy Spinach Sauce with Roasted Tomatoes

Cleanse is now over. I liked it, and definitely will continue avoiding meat and excess sugar, and blending up veggie smoothies for breakfast – it does amazing things for your skin! Unfortunately I was out of smoothie products this morning, so I whipped up an old school bowl of oats.

Strawberry Pie Oatmeal

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
5-6 large strawberries, chopped
coconut flakes
1 spoonful peanut butter

In a microwaveable bowl, cook oats, cinnamon and 1 cup water for 2.5 minutes. Stir in/sprinkle on remaining ingredients.

I head to the eat bay to meet up with my family friend, Claire for lunch in Berkeley. La Note is quite the hotspot for brunch, so we discovered, when we were quoted a 1.5 hour wait for a table.

Worth it. Fluffy scrambled eggs with goat cheese and chives, roasted tomatoes and rosemary potatoes, and wheat toast with homemade raspberry jam.

One of my favorite porn site food blog aggregator is Tastespotting. That’s where I picked up this delicious recipe for pasta with creamy avocado spinach sauce and roasted tomatoes. This made enough pasta for lunch for everyday this week, which I’ve sectioned out into (5) Tupperware. I love streamlining my mornings…

Pasta in Creamy Spinach Sauce with Roasted Tomatoes

1 pint cherry tomatoes
olive oil
kosher salt
pinch of sugar
8 oz whole wheat spaghetti
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb baby spinach
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup basil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375.  Toss the tomatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and a pinch of sugar.  Put on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing once midway through. Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving about 1/2 cup cooking water for the sauce.

As the pasta cooks, saute the onion in 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet until softened, 5-6 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook about 30 seconds more, or until fragrant.  Add in the spinach a few handfuls at a time, waiting until the previous bunch has started to wilt before adding the second.

Remove from heat and stir the Greek yogurt and avocado into the pan.  Add 2-3 tbsp of the reserved pasta water and, using an immersion blender (or a food processor), puree the mixture until smooth, adding more pasta water as needed to give it a sauce-like consistency. Stir in the basil and parmesan.  Add the noodles to the sauce, tossing well to coat.  Serve the noodles topped with a spoonful of the roasted tomatoes.

WLC: Day 4 ~ Green Smoothie & Sautéed Red Cabbage

When I almost passed out in the shower from exhaustion this morning (after 9+ hours of sleep, mind you) I decided this is ridiculous. I love coffee. Coffee loves me. There is no reason to feel terrible during this cleanse just because I skip a daily cup of coffee. So I broke out the coffee maker and brewed (1) cup of the glorious stuff. With the first sip, I felt the red draining from my eyes. When I got to work, I realized I felt amazing. So much energy, so alert, and so happy. My Project Manager said she thought I was mad or upset on Monday and Tuesday, but little did we know it was just caffeine deprivation. Now I’ll hopefully get to experience the full benefits of this cleanse without the grogginess. Coffee is a bean… it comes from nature…sounds like it meets the requirements to me.

Green smoothies are genius. You can pack in so much of the leafy green stuff into a sweetly disguised, easy-to-go-down drink that can be frozen and stored until the end of time. Kale or spinach going bad soon? Blend it up with an apple and banana, throw it in the freezer and fahgettaboutit.

This smoothie is my favorite breakfast thus far: refreshing, slightly sweet with a little body to it. The trick is to thaw it the morning you want it, so it’s more of a slushy.

Green Smoothie

Serves (2)
1 sweet apple (fuji, pink lady)
1 ripe banana
2 cups kale/spinach, chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsly
1 cup soymilk
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (optional)

Toss all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth. Freeze or drink.

Lack of protein my be a partial reason for feeling tired – though I have felt full of energy today. My main sources of protein are from nuts and the soymilk in my smoothie. Definitely not meeting the daily 46 grams recommended for women, but one cup of coffee appears to be a decent substitute.

My dinner had a strong purple theme tonight. In addition to a bowl of leftover beet soup, I had sautéed red cabbage with avocado. I’ve been reading good things about eating fermented foods – and cabbage and vinegar are a natural marriage. Thank you Rachel Ray for this tasty and easy side dish!

Sautéed Red Cabbage

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet and add onions. Cook for 2 minutes, then add in cabbage and cook for 3-5 minutes until wilted. Add in vinegar and toss to coat cabbage. Sprinkle with sugar and stir in mustard. Continue to cook another 10 minutes until soft and ready to serve, stirring occasionally. Top with sesame seeds, avocado, or feta cheese (if you’re into that kinda thing).

WLC: Day 3 ~ Kale Slaw & Updated Beet Soup

I don’t know if it’s the lack of carbs or the lack of caffeine, but I am exhausted. Walking up the stairs to my apartment this afternoon I had high aspirations of going for a walk, and later meeting friends for Taco Tuesday (to watch them eat), but by the time I got to the stop of the stairs I knew I wasn’t coming back down until tomorrow. Besides, I had to make my kale slaw to pack for lunch.

Kale Slaw

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
2 cups kale, stems removed, shredded
2 cup red cabbage, shredded
2 tablespoon diced red onion
1 large carrot, julienned
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons sunflower seeds

In a small bowl, mix olive oil, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine vegetables, then drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with seeds.

As planned, dinner was roasted garlic and beet soup with a side of sautéed zucchini and carrots. I kicked the soup up a crucial notch by stirring in about 1/2 cup corn kernels and a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar, which added a some much needed texture and bite. Half way done with the WLC… no sweat.

WLC: Day 2 ~ Roasted Garlic & Beet Soup

Today looked identical to yesterday, foodwise. And to my surprise, I wasn’t dying of hunger or deprivation at any point. Yeah, I had a headache and felt sluggish for part of the day (read: caffeine withdrawal) but otherwise, so far so good. AND I found out I have a place to live come October 15th when my sublet ends!! Seriously, that is the biggest weight off of my shoulders…like losing ten pounds without even trying  

My lunch is all packed for tomorrow: thawing orange strawberry smoothie, 1/2 banana for snack (1), roasted broccoli and spiced sweet potato soup for lunch and 3 fruity nut balls for snack (2).

Since I got done with dinner and tv watching so early tonight (managed to sneak in 2 episodes of Parenthood, obviously) I jumped on making dinner for the next two nights. Roasted garlic and beet soup! This leaves the door open for a social outing tomorrow without running the risk of not having time to stick to my menu.

The recipe instructs you to throw whole beets into the oven and roast them for an hour. Not necessary. Once peeled, diced and boiled for 7-10 minutes, they only need to roast for about 20. I just made the base of the final product – it will need some additional blending and additions tomorrow… As well as better pictures!

*Side note: a decent substitute for the post-work glass of wine = a couple hot cups of green tea

Roasted Garlic & Beet Soup

3 medium beets, peeled, diced
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 leek, thinly sliced (white and light green parts)
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tsp fresh)
1 bay leaf (I left this out – used herbs de provence)
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400. Boil beets in medium sized pot until firm but just starting to get tender, about 10 minutes. Toss beets and garlic cloves in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 20-25 minutes, until beets are tender. Remove and let cool slightly.

In the medium pot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sliced leeks. Cook for 6-8 minutes, before adding thyme, salt and pepper. Add beets, garlic and water, then bring to a boil, before letting simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a blender. Blend until very smooth. Stir in lemon juice and season to taste.

Whole Living Cleanse–Day 1

The past few months of transient living, penny pinching and the stress of a new job (that provides many pizza lunches) can make one lose their grasp on healthy eating. Foods I used to balk at, I have been snacking on without thinking twice. It has come time to break that cycle. The word “cleanse” typically has negative or unrealistic, even unhealthy connotation. I did some research to find a week long, extremely healthy – yet manageable - eating plan. The winner: Whole Living Cleanse. It is actually a 4 week cleanse, and I chose “week 1” as my guide.

The gist is to only eat fruits, vegetables, herbs and nuts. I used my Google calendar to map out my meals and snacks for this week to help plan my grocery list and when to cook. I’m even cutting out alcohol and coffee (!) I don’t remember the last morning I didn’t have a cup of coffee… Oh, I guess in Africa. And you know how much fun I had there.

Breakfast: smoothies! You make one batch which makes 3 servings, divided into jars and reserved in the freezer.

Strawberry Orange D-Lite

2 oranges, peeled
1 sweet apple (fuji or pink lady), cored and diced
6 strawberries, hulled
1” ginger
1/2 cup water

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Divide into 3 jars and freeze until ready to drink.

The best part about this cleanse is that it’s got me cooking again. It has calmed me down and made my little sublet feel homier.

Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
dash cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
salt and pepper
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 small yams, peeled and diced
1 ripe sweet pear, diced (or apple)
3 cups of water

In a large pot, sauté the onions and garlic until tender. Stir in ginger and spices until fragrant, then add carrots, sweet potatoes and pear. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Let cool briefly and working in batches, transfer to blender and blend until smooth. Blend 2/3 of the soup and mix in with remaining chunks. Top with toasted seeds or parsley.

Luckily, this cleanse accounts for snacking. I’m not trying to starve for 5 days. (I’d probably get fired and lose friends). These little fruity nut balls are delicious and will save the day – or at least the hours from 1 to 7 this week.

Fruity Nut Balls

2 cups of dried fruit (prunes, craisins, dates)
2 cups mixed nuts (roasted and salted)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1/2 banana
1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes

Combine dried fruit, nuts and cinnamon in a food processor (or chopped up and mashed with a knife, in my case). I mixed half of the mixture with a banana and coconut, the other half I left as is. Roll the mixture into small balls by hand and roll in sesame seeds. Chill in refrigerator until ready to eat. (The banana ones are my fav)

After 3-4 episodes of Parenthood (obsessed!!) I busted out the vegetables and got crackin’ on dinner. The tahini sauce was loosely based on the Whole Living recipe with a myriad of random additions that I will try to recount.

Steamed Vegetables in Tahini Sauce

1/2 head broccoli
1 squash, sliced
2 handfuls spinach
1/2 cup sliced cabbage
1/4 cup sliced red onions
1 tablespoon chopped roasted almonds

1/2 cup tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2” fresh ground ginger
2 dashes hot sauce
dash cayenne
salt and pepper
1/4-1/3 cup water – stir to thin sauce

In a small pot, steam broccoli for 3 minutes until bright green. Remove and add to large bowl. Add squash to pot and steam until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to large bowl, with spinach, cabbage, and red onions.

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for tahini sauce and adjust taste as necessary. Toss sauce in vegetables and top with chopped almonds.