Thursday, March 25, 2010

Whole Grain Spaghetti with Fresh Vegetables


INGREDIENTS

1 box(es) BARILLA Whole Grain Spaghetti
2 tablespoon(s) extra virgin olive oil
1 clove(s) garlic
1 cup(s) white onion, finely chopped
2 cup(s) zucchini, diced small
2 cup(s) yellow squash, diced small
1 bunch(es) asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup(s) yellow bell pepper, julienne
3 cup(s) cherry tomatoes, halved
to taste salt
to taste freshly ground black pepper
4 leaf(ves) fresh basil, torn

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

BRING a large pot of water to a boil.
HEAT olive oil in a large skillet. Using the side of a knife, gently press and peel the garlic.
ADD onion and saute for 5 minuts, until translucent. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes until slightly brown.
ADD bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash and asparagus and saute until heated but not completely cooked.
ADD tomatoes, season with salt and pepper; sauté for 2 additional minutes. Remove garlic clove and discard.
COOK Barilla Whole Grain Spaghetti according to the package directions.
DRAIN pasta and add to the skillet. Toss with vegetables and add fresh basil before serving.

Whole Grain Medium Shells with a Winter Squash and Walnut Ragu

INGREDIENTS

1 box(es) BARILLA® Whole Grain Medium Shells
3 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 whole acorn squash, diced
1/2 whole butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 cup(s) water
1 whole zucchini, diced
1 whole yellow squash, diced
1/4 cup(s) walnuts
1/4 cup(s) Pecorino cheese, grated
to taste salt
to taste freshly ground black pepper

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil.
SAUTÉ garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet until garlic turns slightly yellow.
ADD acorn and butternut squash; sauté for 1 minute.
ADD water and simmer for 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Set mixture aside.
SAUTÉ diced zucchini and yellow squash with remaining olive oil in the same skillet; season with salt and pepper. Add the blended squash mixture to the skillet and combine.
TOAST walnuts in a small non-stick skillet until golden brown; remove and roughly chop.
COOK Barilla® Whole Grain Medium Shells according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
POUR cooking water into the sauce and stir well. Add pasta to the skillet and toss well.
TOP with chopped nuts and grated cheese before serving.

Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti with Zucchini and Parmesan


INGREDIENTS

1 box(es) BARILLA® Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti
4 small zucchini, diced
to taste sea salt
2 tablespoon(s) extra virgin olive oil
1 clove(s) garlic, chopped
2 cup(s) cherry tomatoes
4 leaf(ves) fresh basil, cut into strips
1/2 cup(s) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

BRING a large pot of water to a boil.
SEASON zucchini with sea salt.
COOK pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, HEAT olive oil in medium skillet, add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
ADD zucchini to the skillet and saute for 2 minutes.
ADD cherry tomatoes and sauté until skins are slightly blistered and the tomatoes are heated through, about 2 minutes.
DRAIN pasta, add to skillet and toss with basil and cheese.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Oven-Dried Sweet Potato Chips

Colorful, crisp sweet potato chips create a flavorful and low-fat substitute for the more familiar fried white potato chips. Serves 4.

Ingredient List

* 1 tsp. fine-grained sea salt
* 1 tsp. chili powder
* 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
* 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
* 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne
* 1 lb. sweet potatoes, scrubbed and peeled, if desired
* 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250F.
2. Combine salt and spices in mixing bowl.
3. Slice sweet potatoes paper-thin and toss lightly with oil. Toss potatoes with spice mixture until evenly coated. Arrange potatoes on wire grates sprayed with nonstick vegetable spray or on baking sheets fitted with parchment paper.
4. Bake for 2 hours, then turn off oven and let potatoes dry for 2 more hours or overnight. Alternately, dehydrate sweet potato slices in dehydrator according to manufacturer’s directions.

Nutritional Information

Per serving: Calories: 110, Protein: 1g, Total fat: 3g, Saturated fat: g, Carbs: 18g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 590mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 7g

Oven-Dried Sweet Potato Chips - Vegetarian Times Issue: December 1, 2002 p.45

Baked French Fries

Better than fast-food fries, this healthy homemade version has lots of flavor with a minimum of fat. As a welcome bonus, the skins can be left on the potatoes for extra crispness. 4 Servings.

Ingredient List

* 2 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed (leave peels on if preferred)
* 2 tsp. melted butter or olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut slices into fry-shaped sticks.
3. Pour melted butter or oil into medium bowl. Add potato sticks and toss to coat. Spread on baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, then turn potatoes and bake until crisp, about 30 minutes. While still warm, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Nutritional Information

Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 128, Protein: 2g, Total fat: 2g, Saturated fat: 1g, Carbs: 26g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 29mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugars: g

Baked French Fries - Vegetarian Times Issue: February 1, 1998 p.58

Colorful Oven Fries


Oven-fried sweet potatoes can be tricky because the potatoes’ high moisture content makes it difficult for them to “fry,” and their ample sugar causes them to burn easily. Okinawan sweet potatoes work well here because of their dry texture, but a dusting of potato starch helps keep all varieties crisp. Serves 6.

Ingredient List
  • 2 lb. assorted sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick sticks
  • 1 Tbs. canola oil
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, optional
  • 2 Tbs. potato starch
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Set 1 oven rack in top position and 1 rack in bottom position.
  2. Toss together sweet potatoes, oil, salt, pepper, and cinnamon, if using. Sprinkle with potato starch; toss mixture once more to coat well. Arrange in single layer on prepared baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes.
  3. Turn potatoes with spatula, and rotate baking sheets. Bake 12 minutes more, or until golden brown.
Nutritional Information
Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 121, Protein: 2g, Total fat: 3g, Saturated fat: 1g, Carbs: 24g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 226mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 7g

Colorful Oven Fries - Vegetarian Times Issue

Garlicky Oven Fries

Presoaking potato slices in hot water helps remove excess starch so they brown and crisp like oil-cooked fries.



Ingredient List
  • 1 1/2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick wedges
  • 2 tsp. canola oil
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
Directions
  1. Place oven rack in lowest position, and preheat oven to 475°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Soak potatoes in bowl of hot water 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and return to dry bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, heat canola oil, olive oil, and garlic in saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook garlic 2 minutes, or until it begins to brown. Transfer garlic to small bowl with slotted spoon.
  3. Pour oil over potatoes, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden on bottom. Turn, and bake 10 minutes more, or until golden and crisp.
  4. Meanwhile, stir parsley into reserved garlic; sprinkle over fries. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Nutritional Information

Per SERVING: Calories: 167, Protein: 3g, Total fat: 4.5g, Saturated fat: 0.5g, Carbs: 29g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 298mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 5g

Garlicky Oven Fries