Broccoli Rabe pasta with sun dried tomatoes

Chop sundried tomatoes (dried, not in oil or water) and cover with water, about a half of a cup combined.

Sun dried tomatoes before chopping

chopped sundried tomatoes soaking in water

Let sit while everything else is prepared.

Broccoli rabe, whole

Chop the broccoli rabe into 1 - 3 inch pieces

Broccoli rabe chopped

1. Boil water & add about 1 tsp salt (to salt the pasta)
2. Drain the sun dried tomato water into the pasta water for extra flavor, saving the tomatoes to cook in the oil (it is okay if a few escape into the pasta water!)
3. Add pasta & cook for 5 minutes
4. Add the broccoli rabe, return to a boil and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.
5. Mince garlic to make about 1 tablespoon
6. In a small sauce pan, heat olive oil, about 1/2 cup or more depending on your preference.
7. Before the oil is hot, add garlic and sun dried tomatoes  and lightly cook the garlic so that it does not turn brown.

Garlic and sun dried tomatoes in oil

1. Drain pasta and broccoli rate, combine with garlic oil.
2. Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese, hot pepper powder and cracked peppercorns. 

Broccoli rabe pasta with sun dried tomatoes

This goes nicely with a simple garden salad.

Ready to eat!

Looks good mom!

I can't wait to eat!

Simple salad: lettuce, radishes and tomatoes

Little lettuce cleaner! 

Ready-to-run pasta salad

Make this ahead of time, so it is ready when you are!

Pasta salad ready to eat!

You need:

• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1 box of pasta, we used whole wheat spirals
• 1 bunch of kale, ends trimmed off and chopped into ribbons
• 1 handful of baby carrots, sliced
• 1 bunch of scallions, sliced, including any greens that are not wilted

Optional toppings:

• 3 diced hard boiled eggs
• 1 diced tomato 
• 1 handful of sliced kalamata olives
• cubes or slices of cheese
• diced "honey deer" or other summer sausage treats

Hard boiled eggs, olives, smoked gouda cheese, honey deer sausage, tomatoes

1. Boil a large pot of water
2. Trim a bunch of asparagus, then cut into 2 - 4 inch pieces, separating the tips.
3. Cook the asparagus bottoms in boiling water for 2 minutes, add the tips and cook for another minute.
4. Remove the asparagus using a slotted spoon & place asparagus in a bowl of ice water to cool.
5. If needed, add more water to the pot and reheat to boiling
6. Add a teaspoon of salt
7. Add a box of pasta and cook for 4 minutes
8. To the pasta, add chopped carrots and kale, bring back to a boil and cook another 5 minutes.
9. Drain the pasta and veggies in a colander. Dump the asparagus, cold water and all, over the pasta and veggies and drain.
10. Combine the pasta and veggies with the dressing in the same pot or a large bowl.
11. Add the chopped scallions, stir to coat and refrigerate.
12. When ready to serve, add chopped olives, tomatoes and hard boiled egg. 

Pasta salad ready to serve

Dressing, about a cup:

Combine and whisk:

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 - 3 large spoonfuls of Dijon mustard
• honey to taste, squeeze the bear for about 10 seconds!

Basic corn on the cob

1. Prepare a large pot of water and bring to a boil.
2. Clean the corn and snap into halves, for the kids or anyone else who likes a smaller portion.
3. Add the corn to boiling water and boil for 8 minutes.
4. Remove corn and place on a platter to cool for several minutes before serving (to protect those tiny mouths!)

Hard boiled eggs

1. Place eggs in a pot and cover with water, about an inch over the top of the eggs
2. Heat the water to boiling
3. Remove the pot from the burner and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes
4. Drain the water and place the eggs in a bath of ice cold water
5. The eggs are ready to peel!

Sautéed spinach and rainbow chard

1. Wash the spinach and chard
2. Chop roughly

Chopped spinach and rainbow chard

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan, to coat the pan, about 3 - 4 tablespoons
2. Add 1 cup of chopped onions and cook until the onions are soft
3. Add the chopped spinach and chard, stir often until the greens are very soft, about 10 minutes. Near the end of the cooking time, add about 1/2 cup of chopped mint and stir.
4. Add a tablespoon of crushed garlic and stir for a minute.
5. Add a splash of lemon and malt vinegar to taste.
6. Season with salt and pepper.

Sautéed spinach and rainbow chard

"Leftover" pasta

Tonights meal is a combination of the leftovers:

Cook pasta of choice, according to package. Drain and put back in the pot.
To the pot add:

1. Several spoonfuls of the cashew cream sauce
2. A splash of almond milk until the mixture is creamy.
3. Leftover sautéed spinach and rainbow chard, about 1/2 cup.
4. Mix in well, turn on low heat.
5. Add a few dashes of hot smoked paprika, about 1/4 teaspoon.
6. Add a small handful of kalamata olives
7. When heated, pour into a pasta bowl. 
8. Top with diced tomatoes and serve.

Super charged mac-n-cheese

This one is for the kids!

Prepare a box of mac-n-cheese according to directions.
When mixing the powdered cheese and milk, add a large spoonful of cashew cream sauce.
Combine the sauce with the pasta.
Sprinkle 3 teaspoons of hemp seeds and stir.

Serve with a side of veggies.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Combine in a bowl:
3 stalks of Rhubarb, diced (about 1 lb)

Rhubarb chopping process

Chopped Rhubarb

1 quart of Strawberries, hulled & halved (minus the few that needed to be eaten, also about a pound)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
Stir to coat the strawberries and rhubarb
Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract

Rhubarb, strawberries, and dry mixture

In another bowl combine:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Crisp topping

Spray a 11 x 13 pan with oil
Spread the Strawberry - rhubarb mixture evenly
Distribute the topping evenly

Rhubarb - strawberry mixture before topping

Bake at 375 ºF for about 35 minutes. Turn it down to 350 ºF for another 10 minutes. Let cool before serving to protect those little mouths!

Right out of the oven!

My bowl is empty mom!

Hummus

Combine 1/4 cup water and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice in a bowl.

My tahini was completely separated and impossible to stir. So I poured it into a food processor and blended it for a few seconds until it was nice and creamy. Then I poured it into a container to store it in and used the same food processor bowl for the remainder of the blending.

Ingredients used

Combine 6 tablespoons of tahini and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl and mix well. I used the empty tahini container to save on dishes!

Process chickpeas, 2 teaspoons of crushed garlic (fresh would be stronger), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin until smooth. Scrape bowl to combine any chunks from the sides or bottom and process again.

While running the food processor, pour the water - lemon mixture in. Scrape the bowl and process for another minute or so. Then pour the tahini - oil mixture until smooth. Scrape the bowl again and add about 1 - 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped mint. Process until the mint is mixed in and chopped into bits.

Finished hummus

Good stuff mom!

I want more!

Serve with pita chips, fresh chunks of bread or just lick it off your fingers!

Toasty garlic bread

Best use for day (or two) old bread!

1. Slice bread into about 1 inch pieces
2. Lay on a cookie sheet
3. Spray or drizzle with olive oil
4. Sprinkle dried garlic powder over each slice, sometimes we used roasted garlic powder
5. Sprinkle with finely fresh grated Parmesan.

1. Heat the oven to broil and broil the bread for about 3 minutes, keeping a close eye to not over brown the bread

The girls say this is the best bread ever!

Pasta with cashew cream sauce and spring veggies

It's everything in the fridge!

Prepped veggies:

Quartered mushrooms, ribbons of baby kale, slivers of red peppers

Sliced onion, chopped garlic and parsley

1. Soak 2 cups of cashews (roasted and salted pieces) in water for about 3 hours.

1. Heat about 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan, until oil is hot but not smoking
2. Add sliced onion, half of a medium onion (save the other half for tomorrow), sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and starting to become translucent.
3. Add quartered mushrooms and ribbons of baby kale. Stir occasionally, for another 5 - 10 minutes until the kale is wilted.
4. Add four cloves of chopped garlic and slivers of red peppers. Turn the heat down to medium low. Add a splash of vegetable broth to keep the veggies from sticking to the pan. 

Onions, kale and mushrooms sauté 

1. Boil water for the pasta and add about 1 tsp salt to flavor the pasta
2. Cook the pasta according to the directions
3. Meanwhile, drain the cashews and add them to a blender or food processor.
4. Add vegetable broth, about a cup or more until the cashew sauce is nice and creamy.

cashew cream sauce ready to combine with the veggies

1. Add about a teaspoon of smokey paprika, and sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
2. Combine the sauce with the veggies in the frying pan. Add the chopped parsley. Stir to coat the veggies and warm the sauce. Add a tablespoon of malt vinegar. I added the sauce in portions until it was enough for the veggies and pasta and held back about a third to use for another day. 
3. When the pasta is ready, drain in a colander and combine with the veggies and sauce (if there is room in either pan, otherwise serve the pasta directly in bowls and top with the veggies and sauce)
4. If the sauce is too thick once the pasta is combined, add more broth to thin it until the consistency is a nice smooth sauce.
5. Serve in pasta bowls and top with diced fresh tomatoes and toasty garlic bread on the side.

Finished pasta, ready for little eaters

clean plate (but not face) club!

Clean plate club!

Mixed salad

Lots of colorful veggies!

1. Mixed baby greens
2. Baby arugula
3. Quartered mushrooms
4. Chopped red bell peppers
5. Quartered & halved baby heirloom tomatoes (yellow and red)
6. Peeled, quartered and sliced cucumbers
7. Chopped fresh chives
8. Drizzle your favorite dressing and enjoy!

Brussel sprouts

One of my favorites!

1. Trim the ends of the brussel sprouts, and slice in half lengthwise. Mine were super big this time, so I also quartered them.
2. Spread out on a jelly roll sheet

Before cooking

1. Drizzle with olive oil
2. Preheat the oven to 400 ºF
3. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the bottoms are brown. I usually check part way and toss them around a bit.
4. Meanwhile, combine a half cup of maple syrup with a half cup of balsamic vinaigrette in a small sauce pan. This is enough for a full stalk of sprouts, so cut it in half if you have a small container of sprouts instead of a full stalk.
5. Simmer the sauce until it reduces, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes (heat until a boil, then turn down to keep some small bubbles going but not a full boil - start timing after the heat is turned down)

Beginning of 10 minute timing

1. When the brussel sprouts are finished, scope them into a large bowl. Drizzle the sauce over top and let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes, occasionally spooning the sauce over the top. This step is crucial to soften the brussel sprouts so they melt in your mouth!
2. Serve with salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Brussel sprouts when they are finished roasting

Ready to serve!

Banana wraps

Yes, my children are eating raw kale! (I'm as shocked as you are!)

1. Tender kale leaves, stems trimmed
2. Spread sunflower seed butter, gently
3. Drizzle with local honey
4. Add banana, trim to fit
5. Roll up to make a wrap

Bottom: Kale & Sunflower seed butter, Top Left: Drizzled with honey,   Top Right: rolled with banana

She insisted on having a wrap and not just a banana! 

mmmm tasty!