My Cousin Chad’s Pasta

When I was last in my hometown, one of my two lovely cousins cooked a couple of vegetarian dishes. Let me point out that no one else in my family is a vegetarian and that my cousin is just 21. I think that will emphasise to you just how kind it was that he went to all the effort for me.

One night while everyone else was dispersed, Chad made me pesto pasta. It was so nice to sit with him and chat and eat food that he’d cooked especially for me. I immediately requested the recipe for the blog. And if you need any work done on websites, do use Chad’s excellent services.

Thanks for being such a great cousin, Chad!

Ingredients:
1 box of farfalle pasta (about 450 g)
water
1 clove garlic
1 tsp butter
1 jar traditional pesto (about 180 g)
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (about 240 g)
parmesan, to taste
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Instructions:
1. Boil the pasta in the water. This will take about 12 minutes. Strain the pasta, then put it back in the sauce pan.
2. Mince the garlic and add it, the butter, and the pesto to the pasta. Chop the tomatoes and add them.
3. Season with parmesan and red pepper flakes to taste. Stir everything together.

Vegetable and Coconut Stir-Fry

The other night, I wanted to use up a variety of odds and ends before embarking on shopping for some new recipes. So I made a vegetable and coconut stir-fry. M and I ate it from bowls while sitting in a cuddly fashion on the couch, and we had another bread and butter pudding afterwards. Plus I made so much that I had leftovers for lunch the next day.

Basically, I stir-fried red onion, tender-stem broccoli, pak choi, red chilli, and haricot together. Then I added fresh rice noodles and stir-fried some more. After that, I poured in a tin of light coconut milk, and I seasoned it all with leftover red pesto. It sounds odd, combining coconut milk, which we associate with Thailand, with Italian pesto, but it actually worked together. Curry paste or black bean sauce would have worked just as well. So this is a simple, healthy, quick meal to make that can be varied according to taste and according to what you've got around.

Ingredients:
about 400 g of mixed vegetables (onions, spinach or pak choi, broccoli, and cubes of squash are good choices)
oil
300 g fresh rice noodles
1 tin light coconut milk
3-4 Tbs pesto (or curry paste, or 1-2 Tbs black bean sauce)

Instructions:

1. Chop the vegetables into cubes or dice them, as appropriate.
2. Heat the oil and add the veg. Stir fry for 5-10 minutes, depending on what type of veg you're using.
3. Add the noodles and stir fry for another 5 minutes.
4. Pour in the coconut milk and let the whole thing cook for another 5 or so minutes, until the milk has warmed.
5. Add the sauce and stir well.
6. Serve.

A Soothing Meal - Butternut Squash and Pesto Penne

My stomach hasn't been feeling well lately, probably due to stress at work. So I haven't felt much like cooking or eating. But I was feeling weak, and so last night I wanted to make a proper meal.

I had a butternt squash in the fridge. I'd planned to roast it with agave nectar and cream, but that didn't seem like a wise move under the circumstances. So I baked it for about 10 minutes at 200 C to soften it, and then M, who often serves as my sous chef extraordinaire, peeled and chopped it into 1 cm pieces. Then I put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, M chopped an onion, and I carmelised it in a pan with olive oil and agave. I love using agave for cooking; it's not as sweet as sugar or honey, and it has a lower GI index, for those who are concerned about such things.

I put the dried whole-wheat penne in with it for a couple of minutes, so it would pick up some of the sweet, oniony flavour. I poured boiling water over it and let the penne boil for 10 minutes, until it was nicely al dente.

I drained the penne and onion, added two containers of chopped tomatoes, warmed it all up. I added the squash, some yogurt, and a couple of heaping tablespoons of red pesto.

And dinner was served. It soothed my stomach and filled us both up.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
1 onion
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp agave (or honey or sugar)
2 servings of pasta (see the bag/box for the right amount -- I often make double to amount so M and I both have leftovers for lunch the next day; also, whole-wheat is healthier and tastier)
400-800 grams chopped tomatoes, or 1-2 tins (depending how tomatoey you like it)
3 Tbs Greek-style yogurt
2-3 Tbs red pesto

Instructions
1. Chop and peel the squash (or bake it first to soften it, then chop and peel it).
2. Roast the squash pieces for 15 min at 200 C.
3. Chop the onion.
4. Carmelise the onion in olive oil and agave.
5. Add the pasta to the pan and coat it with the onion and oil, and let it toast for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Add boiling water and boil for 10-12 minutes, until al dente.
7. Drain.
8. Add the tomatoes and warm.
9. Add the yogurt, pesto, and squash pieces.
10. Mix well and warm.
11. Serve and enjoy.