Sei Colore Pasta

For my birthday, my brother Grant and his partner gave me a beautiful basket filled with all kinds of Italian gourmet delights. Included in the basket of was a bag of six color pasta. Of course I couldn’t wait to use it.

The pasta added such depth and heartiness to the dish. It was fabulous!

For this recipe, I sauteed garlic in olive oil with marinated red peppers and onions, seasoning, fresh basil and Italian parsley. I included red pepper flakes for heat, mixed in al dente pasta and finished it with some fresh baby spinach. 

We enjoyed this meal with a rich Pinot Noir.

Kashi Organic Autumn Wheat Cereal with Soy Milk

I had this for breakfast. When I was a kid my parents went through a phase were they’d buy fat free milk. It was blue. I tried it on my cereal—and hated it. God bless them for caring. I’m not a big milk drinker. The ubiquity of the ‘Got milk?’ campaign belies the fact that milk is not particularly good for you. The bovine growth hormones and antibiotics given to cows is certainly bad for the cows, and I can’t imagine it’s good for us either. Back to my point: TJ’s soy milk is pretty tasty. Not as rich and creamy as cow milk, but I prefer it that way. This cereal is also sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice. The wheat is organic, too. I recommend you try it on your kids. :—)

Spinach Salad

I found that when you add fresh berries, lightly roasted nuts and shallots to a simple spinach salad, it really gives the dish a delicious complex flavor. Change out the nuts and berries for variety.

Super easy, super tasty, super satisfying!

Strawberries

 

Fresh strawberries are always a good snack to have around. We spend a little extra for organic. Which such porous skin, strawberries can readily absorb pesticides that washing can’t remove. Our thinking is we spend more on good ingredients and just eat less food. A word of warning, if you’re going to chop them on a wooden cutting board arrange the remnants artistically so it will leave a red heart-shaped stain.

Annie Chun’s Vegan Miso Soup

I haven’t tried her soups yet, but Michael seems to like them.  He says they’re good in a pinch for a quick lunch or snack. The noodles are packed in an air-tight package which keeps them moist—unlike the dry noodles you find in most instant soups. As a bonus, the bowl is made of an Earth-friendly, biodegradable material. Hats off to Annie Chun.

Cucumber Salad

Easy peasy. Sliced cucumbers, red onion, white vinegar, teaspoon of sugar and salt to taste.

Veggie Sandwich

This sandwich is one of our favorite dishes. It’s quite easy to prepare involving only a small amount of preparation.

The red bell peppers are lightly marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, s&p and then roasted in a toaster oven. 

Add tomatoes, avocado, onions and peperonchini or pickles on warm focaccia bread. I add basil for that little extra special flavor.

Enjoy this meal with a Pinot Noir or a hearty Chardonnay.