Mint Pea Pasta

Since the mint in my backyard grew back this season, I've been eager to use it...constantly. I've made lemon mint simple syrup for drinks, added some to brighten up my first batch of fresh basil pesto, and even made mint iced tea (so perfect for this crazy hot weather).

Fresh mint in the garden.

I recently learned that mint and peas pair together beautifully, and have since been excited to experiment with a recipe that utilizes them both. I used some orecchiette, which means "little ears" in Italian, to help with scooping the peas - they essentially help prevent them from just rolling around on your plate.

It was a rainy day, but the greenery keeps me inspired...

It can be tempting to add a splash of cream or a tablespoon or two of butter to a recipe like this, but as Chef Maria Loi mentioned in her interview with me, remember your health! And always use olive oil - she argues Greek olive oil is the best, but as that may be hard to get your hands on, just use whichever good quality brand you're comfortable with!

One more thing - this is a pretty starchy dish, so I would serve this as a side along with a protein of your choice. Maybe a roasted or stuffed chicken? Mmmm...

Mint Pea Pasta

Yield: 2 servings

1 cup orecchiette

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 - 3/4 cup frozen peas

one large garlic clove, minced

1/2 small onion, minced

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint leaves

salt & pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Set enough water to boil for the pasta. Once the water comes to a boil, add 1 tsp. of salt. Add the frozen peas to cook first. Once they rise to the top, add the pasta and cook according to directions.  

Once cooked, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Then drain the pasta and peas, add a bit of olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking to itself, and set aside.

Using the same pot you used to boil on medium heat, add two tablespoons of olive oil. Once heated, add black pepper. Then, saute onions for two minutes. If you allow it to sit, it'll caramelize a bit, giving the dish a little extra sweetness. Once the onions are done, turn down the heat and add the garlic, letting it cook for just 30 seconds. Add the pasta water and let cook for 2 minutes. Finally, add the pasta and peas back into the pot, tossing to combine.  Remove from heat.

Mix in the mint leaves and half of the Parmesan cheese. Transfer to serving bowl, and top with remaining Parmesan cheese. Garnish with extra mint leaves if you have them. 

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread

So, in case you didn't notice, I like bananas.

I don't peel and just eat them very often (can't stand them when they're a little mushy, over ripe or under ripe either), but I love what they do when used in recipes.

Such recipes are perfect for people who hate the texture of bananas. For some, bananas can even evoke the image of baby food. I have some friends like that, but when I mix it in with something else - like a shake or a baked good - they don't mind it at all.

My mom recently went gluten-free, and it's really worked for her health. I've also cut down on the amount of gluten I consume, and I've noticed a difference as well. So, for this recipe I used gluten-free all-purpose flour. I also used some low-fat Greek yogurt because I was avoiding adding too much fat (like butter/oil). I added in a tablespoon of peanut butter because I was experimenting, but just know that you have to really love peanut butter for that addition. If you don't, I'd suggest leaving it out. It would taste delicious all on its own.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Yield: 1 loaf

3/4 cup mashed very ripe banana
2 1/2 tbsp plain low-fat Greek yogurt
2 1/2 tbsp unsalted peanut butter
1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted (cooled)
1 large egg
1/3 cup sugar (half granulated, half light brown)
3/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
3/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground allspice
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine banana, yogurt, peanut butter, butter, and egg. Beat with a hand mixer at medium speed. Add sugar and beat until blended.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Combine with banana-yogurt mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in nuts. Add to small greased loaf pan, and set in oven for 50-55 minutes or until done. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan.

Enjoy once cooled. Also, I'd suggest keeping it all to yourself. It's delish.

Frozen Banana Milkshake

Bananas have the texture of ice cream when frozen. Either you already know this, or your mind has just been blown.

It's the easiest, most simple thing to do - take a very ripe banana, peel it, cut it into thirds and stick into the freezer. It's the perfect way to thicken up a smoothie or delicious on its own blended with a few chopped nuts or a tablespoon of peanut butter. It's so satisfying, and definitely fulfills my need for ice cream without having to consume all that cream, sugar and fat.

Now that the weather is warming up, I decided I needed a more cooling snack to enjoy in the heat of the afternoon. Something that even my mom - who is very particular about what she eats - would be able to enjoy. So, I blended up 1 cup of non-fat milk (I used lactose-free), one whole frozen banana (roughly chopped), a tablespoon of peanut butter, and a teaspoon of sugar (as needed). It already looked delicious, but I really wanted to top it off with something to make it seem a little more decadent. Using a zester, I took a chocolate covered almond and shaved little bits of it onto the top of the shake. So. Good. It looked pretty, and tasted even better.

I love the brightness that lemon infuses into the otherwise earthy and delicate artichoke. Some people toss artichokes with Parmesan and bread crumbs to give them a crispy coating, while others chop them up and add them to Greek-style salad.  I'm a fan of mixing it in with pasta, so I decided to make it ahead for lunch this week.

I was very tempted to make this pasta with butter, but as the weather warms up, I'm reminded that summer is coming and I can't afford to eat all that--just kidding. I don't really care.

The real reason is that I recently learned chefs in southern Italy typically cook with olive oil rather than butter - it's actually too cold in northern Italy for olive trees to grow, which is why butter is used more there. Though modern cooking often breaks traditional rules to venture into new territory (which is great), I find it interesting sometimes to try things in a particular style - there has to be a good reason they stick by their olive oil!

I definitely did not regret doing so. Here's the delicious evidence/recipe:

Lemon Artichoke Pasta

Ingredients

2/3 lb. capellini pasta
12 oz. artichokes hearts, quartered
salt and black pepper to taste
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup pasta water
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
Optional: 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

Directions

Set pasta to boil. Cook according to directions (preferably al dente). Separate 1/4 cup of pasta water in a mug.  While draining pasta, run a bit of cold water over it. Add a tbsp. of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tbsp. of oil over medium heat. Sprinkle black pepper onto heated oil. Add garlic, cook for a minute until golden brown. Do not let it get any darker than that - you don't want to burnt garlic. Then, crushing oregano with your hands to wake the flavors up, add it to the pan along with the chicken stock, lemon juice, pasta water and salt as needed. Bring the liquid to a simmer and add the artichokes. Stir to infuse the artichokes with the flavors of the simmering liquid, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add pasta and stir well to combine. Serve hot as a side with a protein. Enjoy!

--

P.S. I made some Moroccan chicken to go with the pasta using this delicious Moroccan Spice Paste I found at Sur La Table. Try it if you get a chance!

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Chicken Mozzarella

Recently, I've been on a Pinterest kick. I spend time every day finding pretty things and delicious things to repin, leading to lots of fashion and food inspiration.  When I came across this picture, I knew I had to try it. Doesn't it look yummy?

For busy people, being able to toss things together and have it be both healthy and delicious can be a victory on a crazy day. (And before you think to yourself, all that cheese? Well, just count it as protein OK? And maybe don't use as much as I did... :)

What I liked about this recipe is that I just had to do some chopping and seasoning and everything went together in one big dish straight into the oven. I added some herbs because I felt that just salt & pepper wasn't enough.

Note: The original recipe didn't include specific amounts of some of the ingredients, so this dish was pretty much an experiment. Thinking back I would have used more tomatoes (the chicken breasts were large and it could have used more tomatoes for balance in taste) and salt - more generous amounts of salt. I did adjust the recipe to my taste - but I left salt to your discretion.

Enjoy with good wine & better company :)

INGREDIENTS

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

5-6 plum tomatoes, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 small onion, chopped

Small jar of artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and quartered

3-4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

Good mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded

1 1/2 cups fresh basil, chiffonade-d (it's not actually a verb)

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

1 tsp. sugar

Dried oregano

Dried basil

Garlic powder

1. Combine tomatoes, garlic, onions, artichokes, olive oil, sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper in a bowl.  Add 3-4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, more/less depending on thickness of chicken breasts, and stir (the chicken will leave liquid behind, flour will help soak it up). Sprinkle oregano, basil and garlic powder to taste.

2. Generously salt & pepper both sides of the chicken breasts, let rest for 2 minutes. Drizzle olive oil on the chicken, flipping them to cover both sides. Sprinkle with oregano, basil and garlic powder.

3. Place the veg mixture and chicken breasts in an oven-safe dish. Place in 360 degree oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until it's almost done.

4. Sprinkle mozzarella on top of chicken and set oven to broil for a couple of minutes until cheese has melted completely (at most with a slight golden brown touch). Don't let the cheese get too broiled or it becomes too tough - maybe less broiled then the picture below? :)

5. Remove dish from oven and sprinkle with basil leaves.

6. Serve with penne, angel hair, spaghetti, or whichever kind of pasta you prefer.