Pasta with Barbecue Roasted Vegetables

This is a very flavourful pasta dish that takes about 5 minutes to prepare and only 10 minutes to cook.  And it really shows off the delicious summer vegetables that are now in season.  And you can pretty much use any vegetables you want to make this.  I used yellow zucchini, broccoli, and red and orange peppers, but portabello mushrooms, eggplant, cauliflower, onions, and many other vegetables would be great in this dish.  Just pick ones that will cook at about the same length of time.  Since I used Spaghettini I cut my peppers into long, thin strips; but if you were to use rigatoni or some other short pasta, it would be good to cut the vegetables into chunks instead.  By the way, I really wanted to make this with Capelletti, but of course I ended up being out of it.  I have nine kinds of pasta in my cupboard, and the kind I want never happens to be there.  So I settled on Spaghettini.  My hubby thinks I'm ridiculous for being disappointed with the thickness of my pasta, but it makes a difference to the dish, I swear!  I made my vegetables on the barbecue so I wouldn't have a hot oven on in my house, but if you want you can just roast the veggies in the oven. 

Roasted Vegetable Pasta
(2 servings)

2 cups of mixed chopped fresh vegetables (broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, etc.)
2 tbsp + 1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp of chili pepper flakes (if desired)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
200 grams of any pasta (enough for 2 people)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat the barbecue to medium.  While water and barbecue are heating chop up the vegetables and mix with the 2 tablespoons of oil, garlic, and chili pepper flakes.  Place in a barbecue-safe dish and cover with tinfoil. 
Add pasta to boiling water and cook for the recommended time.  Place the vegetables on the barbecue and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring half-way through.  Vegetables should be cooked, but not soggy.  Add about 2 tablespoons of the pasta water to the vegetables to make it a little saucier and to get the additional flavours from the pan.  Drain the pasta and stir in the additional olive oil.  Separate pasta between 2 plates and then top each plate with half of the roasted vegetables.  Generously top each serving with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Club Sandwich with a Citrus Twist

I love Club Sandwiches, especially when served with some greasy fries from a diner, but when I make them at home I like to do something a little different.  It still has the traditional taste of a Club (bacon!) as well as a tasty twist.  That twist being the addition of oranges, avocado, sprouts, and pumpkin seeds.  I also use a hearty 12 grain bread that I don't toast because I find this sandwich easier to eat without the crunchiness of toast.  But I still use lots of mayo, chicken, and, as previously mentioned, bacon!  It may seem like an odd mix of ingredients, but really, everything goes together so well.  Every bite is full of flavour.  And everything is better with avocado on it:)  It's a nice change from the usual Club Sandwich and it's healthier too.
I made home made sweet potato fries to go with my sandwich, which didn't quite turn out.  You may notice from the picture that there's a bit too much cornstarch on them, which led to them not getting very crispy.  I got the recipe from this blog, and I think they definitely would have turned out if I had dried them off before putting them in the cornstarch.  They still tasted great though, and if you are looking for a sweet potato fry recipe it's a good one to try.

It's hard to take an attractive picture of a sandwich...

Club Sandwich with a Citrus Twist

 ~ 2 Sandwiches~

6 slices Multi-Grain bread

6 slices cooked bacon

1 cooked chicken breast, sliced

1 avocado, sliced ( or mashed)

1 orange, peeled and sliced

Lettuce

Alfalfa Sprouts

2 tbsp hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Mayonnaise

Spread 2 slices of bread with mayo.  Cover each slice with lettuce, a layer of chicken, a layer of oranges, and 1 tbsp each of pepitas.  Spread 2 more slices of bread with mayonnaise and place mayo side down on top of the pepitas.  Cover the top part of the slices of bread with avocado.  Layer on 3 pieces of bacon for each sandwich and a handful of alfalfa sprouts.  Spread mayo on the last 2 slices of bread and lace mayo side down on top of the sprouts.  Slice in half and enjoy!

Pecan and Herb Crusted Trout

I am still at a loss of words for how great this turned out.  I have been trying to eat more fish lately, and with this recipe I think I could eat trout every night.  All of the flavours complimented each other so well.  I was worried that the parsley would be overpowering, but the lemon zest toned it down, and the pecans added a wonderful, subtle crunch.  It was just perfect.  And it looked very appetizing too, like something I would be served at a fine restaurant.  Even my hubby made multiple comments about how good it was!  I made my Lemon Rosemary Potatoes, green beans with parmesan cheese, and delicious yellow zucchini as sides.  I will add the recipe for the zucchini at the bottom of this post, as it went really well with the trout and can be cooked at the same time in the oven.

Pecan and Herb Crusted Rainbow Trout
1 1/2 pounds rainbow trout fillets, skin on
3 tbsp crushed pecans
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Rinse the fillets and pat dry with paper towel; place skin side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grate the rind from the lemon.  Mix the lemon rind with the remaining ingredients and then coat the trout fillets with it, rubbing it in so it sticks.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

Before the baking...

Yellow Zucchini

Slice a whole yellow zucchini (summer squash) into thick slices.  Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of diced onions.  Place in the centre of a piece of foil and fold it around the zucchini to make a packet.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  The zucchini should still be firm, not mushy.

Cabbage and Ramen Noodle Salad

When I first got this recipe from my sister-in-law I was a bit skeptical.  Mr. Noodles in a salad?  Seemed a bit iffy.  But she assured me it was good, and I'm happy to say that she was right.  It's crunchy and flavourful and brings something different to the 'coleslaw table'.  I love the taste of the sesame seeds with the cabbage, it makes it a great side dish for some sesame chicken or shrimp satay.  So try it, you won't be disappointed:)

Cabbage and Ramen Noodle Salad

Approximately 4 cups of shredded cabbage
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1 pkg. Mr. Noodles
3 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
pepper, to taste

Toast the sesame seeds and almonds in a pan over medium heat, just until they begin to turn golden.  Crush the noodles and mix with the cabbage, onions, nuts, and seeds.  Mix the vinegar, oil, sugar, pepper, and half of the contents of the Mr. Noodles' seasoning package.  Pour over the salad.  Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Jalapeno Cheese Wontons

Sometimes I order Chinese food simply because I am craving cheese wontons.  They are so delicious.  I love the crunchy outside and that wonderful creamy centre.  Mmmm.  But every time I have had them I've always thought it would be so easy (and cheaper!) to make them on my own.  Then I could eat as many as I wanted!!  (I just ate 8)  And I finally did it, but I wanted a bit more spice in mine, so I added jalapenos.  Because cream cheese and jalapenos just go together.  These were really easy to make, and you only need a few ingredients.  And they were definitely just as good as the restaurant ones! 

Jalapeno Cheese Wontons

1/2 cup cream cheese
1 jalapeno pepper
1 green onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Wonton wrappers (12-15)
Chinese red sauce for dipping, if desired
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Heat oil in a pot or deep-fryer to 350 degrees.  Finely dice the jalapeno and mince the onion then add to the cream cheese along with the garlic powder.  Add a few jalapeno seeds for extra heat if desired.  Mix well.  Drop a teaspoonful into the centre of each wonton wrapper.  Wet the outside edge of the wonton wrappers with water and then pinch the four corners together in the middle, closing in the sides as well.  Make sure there is a good seal.  Cook a few of the wontons at a time in the oil until they turn brown and crispy.  Let dry on a paper towel.  Serve with Chinese red sauce to dip.  Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash with Clam Sauce

This is another one of my childhood favourites.  I loved it when my mom would make this for dinner, and when she had her restaurant it was a popular menu item.  It's flavourful, healthy, and just simply delicious.  I don't make it very often, but every now and then a spaghetti squash catches my eye at the grocery store and I just crave this dish.  And my hubby doesn't eat it (he doesn't like spaghetti or squash, so the thought of a spaghetti squash doesn't whet his appetite) which means I can have it all to myself:)  And I ate it all in 2 days!  Unfortunately when I made it this time I had forgotten to buy fresh parsley, so it is lacking in the colour department.  Dried parsley just isn't the same.

Since there aren't many carbs in this "pasta" I figured I could double up on the garlic bread:)

Spaghetti Squash with Clams

1 whole spaghetti squash
2 tbsp butter
1 carrot, finely diced
2 small onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 can of baby clams
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 375F.  Pierce spaghetti squash all over with a fork.  Bake (whole) in the oven for about 1 hour (or until cooked), turning over half way through.  Let cool slightly, then cut in half and scoop out seeds.  Use a fork to take out the cooked squash, it will turn into 'spaghetti' strands as you scoop it. 
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large pan over med-high heat.  Add carrots and onion, stir fry until partly cooked then add the garlic.  Cook for about 1 minute more before adding broth. Simmer until carrots are fully cooked.  Add in the parsley, squash, and clams.  Heat through and then serve with Parmesan cheese and cracked pepper.