Peanut Butter Veggie Pasta Salad

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe challenge sponsored by PeanutButterLovers.com and am eligible to win prizes. I was not additionally compensated for my time.

When I think of peanuts and peanut butter, a lot of things pop into my mind – and I’m not just talking about it’s protein and heart-healthy unsaturated fat content –although, admittedly, I do think of that, too. 

My first dog, Chip comes to mind – the sweetest Black Lab/German Shepherd mix – who’s favorite food just so happened to be peanut butter.

I think of summer days spent hiking with my dad and the trail mix we would pack for our uphill journey. (He still teases me about the time I asked, “Are we there yeeeeet?” literally five minutes in to a two hour hike.)

I think of early morning trips to the mountains in both Alberta and California with friends to go skiing or snowboarding. I’d usually pack a homemade peanut butter sandwich for the day ahead.

Peanut butter reminds me of college – those fun days in San Luis Obispo – and my go-to recipe, a Peanut Butter Stir-fry.

I also get a smile on my face when I think of my mom and her love of peanut butter sandwiches dipped in chocolate milk.

It's fun to think about the memories formed by certain foods throughout our lives –  whether it's at the dinner table, the hiking trail, or the snowy mountain. 

This recipe reflects my current love of peanut butter in savory dishes. It's a recipe I'd like to pack for a picnic – so I may do just that. 

Peanut Butter Veggie Pasta Salad

Packed with veggies, plant-protein, and whole grains, this is a perfectly balanced meal by itself! It’s a good one to keep on hand throughout the week for a go-to healthy lunch or dinner when you don’t have time or feel like cooking.

makes 4 heaping 1 cup servings

Ingredients:

1.5 cups dry whole wheat fusilli pasta

1 heaping cup small broccoli florets

1 heaping cup small cauliflower florets

1 cup asparagus spears, cut into 1" pieces

1/2 cup carrots,  julianned

2 tablespoons scallions

1 tablespoon cilantro

Sauce:

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon wasabi powder (optional)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1.     Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions -- about 11 minutes for fusilli. Strain, and set aside to cool.

2.     Bring another large pot of water to the boil and add cauliflower florets, cook for 2 minutes, then add broccoli florets and asparagus to the pot with the cauliflower. Cook all veggies for 1 minute longer.

3.     Strain vegetables and add to a large bowl of ice water to stop them cooking and keep their colors bright. Strain and set aside.

4.     In a medium sized microwave safe bowl add peanut butter and water and cook for about 30 seconds until soft. Whisk until smooth. Then add the soy sauce, wasabi powder, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.

5.     In a large serving bowl, add pasta, cooked vegetables, carrots, scallions, and cilantro. Pour about half of the sauce over the mixture and toss. Add more sauce to your desired consistency. (Adding more as the salad sits and ingredients soak up sauce.)

6.     Enjoy!

Veggie Heavy Sweet Potato Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

We got this really great pot for Christmas – not last Christmas, but the one before that – and ever since then, I've been wanting to make a Shepherd’s Pie. Trust me when I say that this pot is just begging to cook a Shepherd's Pie. 

I’m embarrassed to say that it’s taken me this long.

Since we decided not to do anything too elaborate for Valentine’s Day this year, I decided I wanted to (yes, finally) make a Shepherd’s Pie. 

Since this dinner was over a year in the making, I knew I had to make it good.

I decided to use lamb, a protein that feels special enough for celebratory dinners like this one, but also holds up so well in comforting, hearty dishes. And because a 3 ounce serving of lamb provides nearly five times the amount of the omega-3 fatty acid, ALA compared to the same serving of beef, incorporating lamb in our Valentine’s Day dinner, or such a heart-focused meal, felt appropriate. 

I added a carrots, celery, and peas, and then topped the lamb stew with one of my favorite vegetables, sweet potatoes. The result made me wonder why I didn’t make this sooner.

Veggie Heavy Sweet Potato Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Packed with tons of veggies and made with lamb, this easy stew is special enough to make for a celebratory dinner, yet is comforting enough to make any night of the week.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 carrots, sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 pound ground lamb

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon thyme

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

½ cup low sodium vegetable broth

1 cup frozen peas

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.     Fill a large pot with water and add the sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

3.     Meanwhile, in a oven-safe pot, such as a Dutch oven, saute onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil until softened.

4.     Add lamb, breaking apart until cooked through, about 7-8 minutes.

5.     Add tomato paste, oregano, thyme, and flour. Stir until mixture thickens, about 1 minute.

6.     Add broth and peas. Allow to simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

7.     Drain the water from the sweet potatoes, and mashed the potatoes until smooth and fluffy. Stir in two tablespoons of butter.

8.     Top the lamb, vegetable mixture with sweet potatoes. Bake for 20 minutes, and then broil at the end of baking time for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: While Lisa and I are consulting dietitians with the Tri-Lamb Group, we are sharing this recipe simply because we want to!

Vegan Carrot Cake Energy Bites

The fastest way to my heart on Valentine’s Day (or pretty much any day) is with chocolate and flowers carrot cake and cream cheese.

For the most part, I think it’s pretty common for people’s preferences to go through phases whether it’s with fashion, music, or food. But, my loyalty to carrot cake is unwavering.

My closest friends and family all know that it’s my favorite dessert; they know my favorite recipe for making it at home, which restaurant I think serves the best slice, and that for me, the cream cheese frosting can literally make or break it.  

But, I usually reserve carrot cake for only special events. I like to have slice on my birthday and Valentine’s Day; I don’t want carrot cake to lose its special spark.

But, when I started whipping up a batch of these Dark Chocolate Date Bons Bons the other day, the thought came to me that I could satisfy my unwavering love of carrot cake more often without all that added sugar and butter.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still happily enjoy a slice of carrot cake now and then, but these are such a nice treat to have on an otherwise ordinary Wednesday simply because I feel like it.

Vegan Carrot Cake Energy Bites

Loaded with the goodness of whole grains, fiber, omega 3s, these little bites are a dessert-worthy way to do your body so much good.

Makes 12 bites

Ingredients:

1 medium carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)

1 cup oats

¼ cup hempseeds

4 Medjool pitted dates,  chopped and soaked in water*

1/3 cup walnuts

1/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

2 tablespoons maple syrup

½ teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

*If your dates are somewhat firm, you may need to soak them in water for about 10 minutes to rehydrate them. After the 10 minutes is up, discard the excess water.

Directions:

1.     Combine all ingredients in a food processer and pulse until ingredients are combined.

2.     Form the dough in 12 golf-ball sized balls and refrigerate for at least one hour before eating.

3.     Store the rest in an airtight container in the fridge.

{Recipe Redux} Roasted Carrot Harissa Spread

I have been known, on occasion, to eat salsa straight from the jar with a spoon.  Hot sauce on eggs? Yes!  Spicy zhug on falafel? Of course.  Pasta Arrabiata? The spicier, the better.

So when I saw this month’s Recipe Redux challenge—spicy, smoky foods—I was happy.  Spicy may be on-trend in food this year, but it’s always been a winner in my kitchen.  Red chile flakes make an appearance in almost every recipe.  I like their subtle heat better than the sometimes harsh bite of black pepper.

I made this Roasted Carrot Harissa Spread for a party and served it as part of a crostini bar with several other dips and homemade ricotta.  It’s sweet and slightly smoky from the deeply roasted carrots, spicy from the dried chilies, and rich and creamy simply from a little olive oil and a good blender.  It will keep in the refrigerator for several days—if you can prevent yourself from eating it with a spoon.

If you've never heard of harissa, it is a spicy Middle Eastern and North African condiment made from blending chile peppers with toasted spices and olive oil, and I use it often in cooking.  It is sometimes blended with tomatoes to make a sauce, but I blended it with roasted carrots to make a thick and creamy dip or spread.  It's so delicious, you'd never guess it's a healthy and fiber-filled source of beta carotene! 

While I originally made the harissa as a dip, since then I’ve eaten it for breakfast lunch and dinner.  Here are a few ideas:

I eat an open-faced egg sandwich for breakfast almost every morning.  Spread the carrot harissa on toast and top with a fried egg.  You did it—vegetables for breakfast! And you didn’t even notice. 

You know how much we love avocado toast!  For lunch, spice up your avocado toast by spreading the harissa on toast and topping with slices of avocado and a dollop of ricotta cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

For dinner, stir the harissa into hot whole wheat pasta with some fresh arugula and top with fresh goat cheese.

If you make the harissa, we’d love to hear from you! What’s your favorite way to use it?

Roasted Carrot Harissa Spread

This recipe was adapted from this one from Food52.

3 dried ancho chile peppers

1 dried ancho chile pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

¼ teaspoon black caraway seeds

6 large carrots

Sea salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for drizzling

Zest of one lemon

Juice of half a lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the chilies in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them stand for 30 minutes, until softened.

Place the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and black caraway seeds in a small pan.  Heat the pan over medium heat and toast the spices for a few minutes, until you can smell them roasting.  Take them off the heat and let them cool.  Grind them in a spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle. 

Place the carrots on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season with sea salt and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over carrots. Toss to coat evenly.  Roast the carrots for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the carrots are browned and very tender.

Drain the water from chilies, reserving water.  Remove the stem from the chilies and then place the chilies in the bowl of a food processor (if you don’t want the harissa as spicy, remove some of the seeds).

Add the carrots to the food processor, along with the toasted spices, another tablespoon olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Process the mixture until it is very smooth, using a little of the chile water to loosen the paste, if necessary.  It should have a very thick consistency.

Taste and adjust salt, lemon and olive oil, as needed.  Transfer harissa to a container with an airtight lid, cover top surface with a drizzle of olive oil and let mixture sit at least one hour and up to 24 (in refrigerator) before using.  The harissa will keep for 3 – 4 days, covered, in the refrigerator.

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