Pasta with Goat Cheese and Tomatoes

Today is pretty chilly, and I really wanted something warm and filling for lunch that still felt a little summery.  This dish is perfect for both.  I made it a few times over the summer, once with my friend Diana, and I accidentally put in almost a quarter of a bottle of pizza seasoning, and believe it or not it was still amazing.  But much better to measure a little less the first time!

You need:
1 pound pasta of your choice, I used gluten free penne
2 T garlic extra virgin olive oil, or oil plus some fresh garlic, but I love the garlic oil
Several tomatoes: if plum, use six or so, beefsteak 3, campari size tomatoes at least 8 or 9, or you can mix them like I did here.
A small log of garlic and herb goat cheese, you can use plain but garlic is better
Large handful spinach, chopped
2 tsp pizza seasoning, or other italian blend you like
salt and pepper

First step is to put water on to boil for pasta and salt it heavily.  Put the oil in a saute pan large enough for a pound of pasta with room to mix, and turn to medium high.  Then chop tomatoes.

 
Put the chopped tomatoes in the hot oil, stir around and season with salt, pepper, and pizza seasoning.  Let it cook while you prep the rest of stuff, just stir once in a while.  You want the tomatoes to get soft and juicy and lovely.

 
Chop the spinach and add it to the tomatoes when there are about 5 minutes left for the pasta to cook.  Stir it in and turn it down if it is getting dry.  You want this to be saucy, not pasty.

 

Add the goat cheese in the last couple of minutes and stir around until the sauce is creamy and bubbly.  Use a slotted spoon or similar utensil to transfer the pasta to the sauce, adding some of the starchy cooking liquid into it.  Stir the pasta all around and let cook a minute or two in the sauce, then serve and enjoy.

 

The kids and I enjoyed it outside on the deck while the sun is shining.  It looks like CJ isn't enjoying anything but it is just from squinting into the sun, he ate two bowls!  I love that this recipe only takes about 12 minutes start to finish, and it tastes creamy and rich, like things I am not supposed to have :)

Quinoa "Mac and cheese"

Okay so this recipe kinda came out of a Mac and cheese craving, but also a desire to make it a bit more healthy than just opening a boxed version... And it came out great! This would be great for my gluten free friends, although it is by no means vegan!

1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups veggie broth (this is super easy and gives it soooo much more flavor)
One shallot, thinly sliced
Half cup chopped scallions
About a cup of assorted cheeses (I used a combo of soft goat cheese, Romano and sharp cheddar)
1/4 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

 Combine quinoa and broth, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. While this is simmering, sauté the shallot and scallions in olive oil. When they are tender, add the cheese, the goal is to melt the cheese smooth,so it doesn't have to be anything but cubed. Add the milk stirring often. Combine with the quinoa and serve!

Berber Omelet Tagine

8 eggs
1 medium onion, diced (red or sweet onions are best)
1 clove of garlic, minced 1 bell pepper, finely chopped (original recipe calls for green, but I used yellow and it was fine)
2 ripe tomatoes, diced and de-seeded (ok, so when I started to make this, I was out of tomatoes, so I used about half a cup of mild salsa and it worked great)
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
8-10 kalamata olives
Salt, fresh ground pepper to taste
cumin

In a large fry pan that can be covered Sauté the pepper and onion in olive oil over medium heat until tender, add the salt, ground pepper and garlic and sauté for one more minute. Add the tomatoes and 2 tbsp of water to the pan, cook until soft. Meanwhile whisk 6 of the eggs together until light and fluffy, add the last two eggs without breaking the yolks. Pour the eggs over the vegetables, move the unbroken yolks carefully away from the middle of the pan. Sprinkle the cilantro, olives and 2-3 pinches of cumin around the top of the eggs. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Black Bean and Red Onion Burgers

Since we've been talking about vegetarian proteins, I thought I would share this yummy black bean recipe.. you can serve this with some melted cheese on top, on a burger bun or just by itself (although I like to add at least some guacamole!) The recipe itself recommends a blend of mayonaise and salsa (which is good, but not my favorite)

2 cups canned black beans, rinsed
1 egg beaten
1/3 cup minced red onion (I like to saute this first, since I don't love raw onion)
1 tsp chili powder
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs (Ians makes whole wheat bread crumbs)

Mash 2/3 of the beans with a fork, stir in the onion (once it's cooled if you're sauteing it), chili powder and bread crumbs. Chill for 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours). Form into 3 (I usually get 4) patties, cook in lightly oiled frying pan until golden brown on each side. Around 5 minutes a side.