Spinach and Whole Wheat Pasta Salad 14 July 08

A very simple summer pasta salad. Make ahead of time and let marinate in the fridge for a couple hours before serving.

Spinach and Whole Wheat Pasta Salad

1 tsp ground basil or chopped fresh basil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 ounces crumbled Bleu or Gorgonzola cheese (Feta also works well here)
2 cups spinach, coarsely chopped
chopped red bell pepper
1 box whole wheat pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Add red pepper, walnuts, red onion and spinach to drained pasta.
Combine basil, red pepper flakes, pepper, salt, garlic, vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl and whisk together.
Pour over pasta mixture. Cover and refrigerate.

 

Chickpeas and Spinach 13 May 08

My friend Ben loves a certain Chinese dish called Aromatic Chicken from a particular restaurant near where he went to college.  I don’t really know what Aromatic Chicken is, but I understand his nostalgia for food from a particular time in his life. Food is ever so tied to emotion. I could call this dish, my own Aromatic Chicken.  This dish reminds me of the Farmers Market in Madison where I went to college. Cold and rainy Saturday mornings were always made better when I could bundle up and wander the market drinking fresh coffee. Those type of days always made me want to take fresh tomatoes and spinach home with me to make this dish. The smell of this cooking still takes me back to that time.

Garam Masala can sometimes be hard to find, but I’ve had good luck at places that sell lots of bulk items. It’s a touch on the expensive side but you don’t need much. This is a great side dish, main meal, snack, breakfast. Whatever makes you happy. I usually make it in a double batch because it doesn’t stick around long.

Indian Chickpeas and Spinach

3 TB olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped tomatoes
3 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 garam masala
1/4 tsp. turmeric
15 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed
1 tsp. salt
1-10 ounce package of frozen spinach*

1. Saute onions until slightly browned, stir in tomatoes, coriander, cumin, garam masala and turmeric.
2. Lower heat and cook for about three minutes.
3. Add chickpeas and spinach

*I prefer fresh spinach in mine. For the spinach I will usually just throw in any amount that I have on hand. I left the 10 ounce package in the recipe as a reference for how much to use.