Pasta and Grains

Delicious recipes using whole-grains, such as rice, farro, wheat, couscous and quinoa–to increase the nutritional value of a healthy meal.

Roast Turks Turban Squash and Duck Bacon Risotto

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Roasted Turks Squash and Duck Bacon Risotto garnished with Lemon Balm.
Roasted Turk Turban Squash and Duck Bacon Risotto garnished with Lemon Balm.

It’s initially confusing when the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share includes a turks turban squash. It’s mostly used as decoration in Fall displays surrounded by fiery golden-hued leaves. The winter green outer skin is mottled with warm colors of the season. Its shape is the namesake, for this squash resembles a scarf wrapped around a person’s head. Momentarily forgetting that the CSA doesn’t provide objects for interior design, the turks turban squash is placed on a kitchen counter as decoration. A couple days later, I remember “this decoration” is an edible vegetable. Read more →

Toasted Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

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Toasted Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
Toasted Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

There’s a large bag of raw pumpkin seeds in the freezer. Normally, they would’ve been used as toppings for cakes or muffins. They remain in the freezer, because my body feels unbalanced after consuming large quantities. I discovered this reaction when a Tomatillo Gazpacho with Pumpkin Seed Pesto was made. It was so good. I felt the discomfort of my body was worth the pain, for a few more bowls were enjoyed the following days. By the third day, I realized the side effects were not normal. It’s been known for a while large quantities of pumpkin seeds make me feel uneasy, but that pumpkin seed pesto was heavenly savory. After that dish was made the pumpkin seeds sat in my freezer, barely touched. Read more →

Peanut Sauce with Udon Wheat Noodles, Vegetables and Shrimp

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Udon Noodles with Vegetables and Peanut Sauce
Udon Noodles with Vegetables and Peanut Sauce

Depending on how many Spring Shrimp Rolls are made, the amount of peanut sauce prepared could initially seem excessive. It was to me, and that sauce is too delicious to forget and let spoil in the back of the refrigerator. Taking a mental inventory of what’s in the kitchen, I remembered the wheat noodles left over from an incredible Asian soup made a few months ago. In the freezer, was a bag of frozen, precooked shrimp. The CSA share provided plenty of squash and carrots. However, broccoli, carrots, bok choy, bell peppers, water spinach, napa cabbage, baby corn, mushrooms (dried and/or fresh), daikon, snow peas, sugar snap peas, peas, cauliflower, celery, onions, scallions, garlic, ginger, parsnips, radishes, broccoli rabe, edamame, leeks, asparagus, bamboo shoots, and sweet potato all are delicious options to include. Was there a vegetable left out? Let me know, especially if it’s a vegetable not commonly sold in the United States. Read more →

Butternut Ravioli with Shrimp and Ginger Sauce

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Shrimp and Ginger Sauce

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Butternut Ravioli with Shrimp and Ginger Sauce
Butternut Ravioli with Shrimp and Ginger Sauce

It was an auspicious Saturday. The MTA had passengers transferring between local and express train lines because of repairs. Once in Brooklyn, I was relieved to finally be en route home. Then, the conductor played the last trick. The train was skipping a few stops, including my destination. I had to walk down a few flights of stairs to board another train. As the next train came to a stop, a striking man would notice me wearing a yellow halter dress. “Beautiful,” he thought. I took a seat in a separate car, unaware of his interest. Peering into the window, I saw the same man that had observe me a few minutes prior. At our destination, we exited onto the platform at the same time. Similar to a screenplay and cliché as it may seem, we saw each other at the same time. It’s one of those moments when other people move in a slow blur. “I’m going to love this man,” I thought. We slowly walked up the stairs, but our distance from each other was a few feet. I would frequently turn around to meet his intense stare. He’ll later joke with friends and family about his initial thoughts of me, “Hold on, baby… I’m coming.” Once outside, he gently tapped my shoulder to politely say, “Excuse me…” We walked through a park to talk about life. Then, he placed a right hand to his chest to say, “My heart… you’re different… my heart feels warm.” Read more →

Blackberry Wheat Muffins

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Blackberry Wheat Muffins
Blackberry Wheat Muffins

Wheat flour is the new experimental ingredient in the kitchen. It has a bit of a heartier and earthier taste. It’s unusually made with a rich sweetener, such as molasses or maple syrup; to tame it’s coarseness. Since this blog has started, the purchase of white flour is more frequent. Ordinarily, I should try to reduce the amount of baked recipes, but the thought of experimenting with other types of grainier flours was intriguing. Then, quickly baked goods could be part of a healthy breakfast on a weekday morning. Read more →