Greek Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Feta and Roasted Veggies

The first time I made this salad, it was in the middle of August, the hottest time of the year here in Vancouver. I have no idea what prompted me to make this salad and deciding to roast the vegetables in my oven instead of turning on the BBQ.

As my house heated up, roasting veggies in my oven seemed like a really bad idea. I was sweltering from the heat, questioning my sanity. All was good once I took a bite of this pasta salad; then it all seemed worth it.

If you want to make this pasta salad in the summer, I would HIGHLY recommend grilling your vegetables and the shrimp on the BBQ grill. Or even better, grill extra vegetables and shrimp for dinner and use the leftovers in this pasta salad the next day.

I have made this recipe a few times since, and used my oven to roast the vegetables once the weather cooled off. It makes a nice, light, but satisfying meal that doesn't weigh you down. The roasted vegetables really shine through with the simple Dijon vinaigrette. You can substitute chicken in lieu of shrimp but I have to say that shrimp and roasted vegetables are a winning combo!

This pasta salad tastes delicious served either warm or cold. I find that it tastes best if it is allowed to sit for an hour or so for the pasta to absorb the flavors of the vinaigrette. Make sure to keep this salad chilled in the refrigerator.

Ingredients
2 medium zucchinis, sliced into 1/8" rounds, or half moons
1 lb cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 large yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces (optional)
3 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper

1 lb wheat or gluten-free pasta (rotini, penne, or rotelle pastas all work well)
1 lb shrimp, unshelled and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 small red onion, finely diced

Dijon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Toss zucchini, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers in olive oil, salt and pepper. Broil in the oven on medium for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and slightly charred. (An even better idea is to grill your vegetables on the BBQ, especially in the Summer!)

2. Cook the pasta according to package directions until it is al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

3. Pan fry the shrimp in a tablespoon of olive oil until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Set aside. (You can also skewer the shrimp and grill it on the BBQ.)

4. Mix the ingredients for the vinaigrette: rice wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.

5. Toss the roasted veggies, pasta, shrimp, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onion with the Dijon vinaigrette. Serve warm or cold.

Source: Slightly Adapted from Allrecipes

10 Minute Cold Sesame Noodle Salad

Vancouver, or Raincouver, as it is fondly known by locals is going through a heat wave this summer. We have had sunny skies for more consecutive days than I can count and being the heat wimp that I am, I have my fingers crossed for cooler weather and some rain.

With such intense heat, the last thing on my mind is standing over a hot stove. I aim for quick meals that require little stove action which taste delicious and are quick to prepare. This recipe has become a family favorite and my husband declared this as one my of best recipes.

Thinking back on my childhood, this was one of my mom's favorite go-to meals in the summer as well: easy and delicious. Her version uses peanut butter instead of seed butter, but I would highly suggest using seed butter (that contain sesame) as it tastes much better and more friendly for those with peanut/tree nut allergies!

Ingredients
454 g spaghetti or thin egg (Chow Mein) noodles
1 large cucumber, julienned
2 medium carrots, julienned
2 stalks green onions (optional)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Sauce
1/3 cup seed butter (preferably one that contains sesame)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce, or hot pepper flakes (optional)

Directions
1. Boil water in a large pot over high heat. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions, drain and soak the noodles in cold water until it is cool to the touch. Drain again.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, mix the seed butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, black pepper, ginger and hot sauce together. Stir and simmer the sauce until it is smooth.

3. Pour the sauce over the cold noodles and toss with cucumber, carrots, green onions and cilantro (if using). Garnish with sesame seeds. This can be chilled or served at room temperature. Personally, I find this noodle salad taste the best after chilling in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Source: Adapted from Food

Sesame Noodles

The last few weeks in Vancouver have been sunny and warm. It is only early March but the sunshine is a welcomed sight and makes outdoor activities much more enjoyable. We have been taking advantage of the lovely weather by taking our little man for walks to the park.

Coming home from these walks, we are all famished and want something delicious for dinner. Since the weather has been so nice lately, I keep thinking about the peanut noodles I grew up eating on warm summer evenings.

I looked up a recipe for peanut noodles and substituted the peanut butter with seed butter (my little man is allergic to peanuts and almonds). It was gobbled up by everyone and clearly this recipe will be on my regular recipe rotation.

Delicious hot, warm or cold.

Ingredients
240 g (8 ounces) spaghetti or linguini
1 stalk green onion,sliced
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp ginger, minced
1/2 cup seed butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup hot water
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp white sugar
1 cucumber, julienned (optional)
3 tsp vegetable oil, divided
3 eggs, divided (optional)

Directions
1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Rinse under cold water.

2. In a small saute pan over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Beat an egg in a small bowl. Pour the beaten egg into the saute pan. Allow the egg to set and fold into thirds and cut into thin ribbons. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

3. In a small saucepan, cook sesame oil and green onions on low heat until the green onions sizzle.

4. Add in ginger and cook for a minute or two.

5. Stir in seed butter, soy sauce, water, vinegar, sugar and mix until smooth and incorporated. Remove from heat.

5. Pour the sauce into the pot of pasta. Toss until combined. Add the sesame noodles to each bowl, top with julienned cucumbers and egg strips. Serve with sriracha sauce.

Great for satisfying those hungry appetites!

Source: Slightly adapted from Allrecipes

Vegetarian Pasta Salad

We went to the library yesterday afternoon to return some DVDs we had borrowed. As we were walking past the Newly Acquired section (where they showcase all newly acquired books and DVDs), a book caught my eye.

The book that caught my attention is called "201 Organic Baby and Toddler Meals". While my little man played in the kids area, I quickly flipped through the book. This book is full of delicious recipes geared towards babies and toddlers but all of them sounded delicious for grown-ups as well.

The recipes were so enticing that I stopped by a grocery store on my way home to pick up some bell peppers and milk.

I picked this recipe as I love cold pasta salads, especially ones loaded with colorful vegetables. This recipe came together quickly after a light amount of chopping and is even more delicious the next day. I was happy with how this recipe turned out and this recipe has earned a spot on my regular recipe rotation.

Sidenote: For those of you who read my post on my $150 grocery challenge, you would be interested to know that I spent $16.99 on produce, milk and miscellaneous grocery on Day 2. Milk apparently costs $9.24 every week for our family of 3! Wowzers!! This means that I have only $72.86 remaining for my grocery, entertainment and dining out budget to last for the remainder of the month (with 28 days to go)! I think that I might be in a bit of trouble!


Ingredients
500 g dried pasta (shells, rotini or mini farfalle pasta)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
4 tsp dried Italian seasoning or dried dill
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 medium green bell pepper, diced small
1 medium red bell pepper, diced small
1 medium sized head of broccoli, stems diced and cut into small florets
1 medium carrot, diced small
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. Drain pasta and immerse cooked pasta in a container of cold water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder together, salt and pepper. Set aside.

4. Combine pasta, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, broccoli, carrot and dressing together.

This pasta salad tastes even better the next day.

Source: Slightly adapted from 201 Organic Baby and Toddler Meals

Taiwanese Meat Sauce (Chinese Spaghetti)

I bought a Costco sized pack of ground pork which needed to be used up. Initially, I had intended to make wontons with it but life got in the way.

I searched the Internet for some recipes and most of the pork recipes seem to be more complicated than I had time for, or needed ingredients that I did not have on hand.

Then I stumbled across a Taiwanese Meat Sauce recipe. It was just the recipe I was looking for: quick to prepare plus I had all of the ingredients on hand. It was a tasty meal that we'll sure to make again.

Ingredients
454 g fresh or dried noodles (I used spaghetti) or rice
3/4 cup reserved shitake mushroom liquid or vegetable broth
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp light (regular) soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cooking oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 lb lean ground pork
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
120 g dried shitake mushrooms*

Cornstarch Slurry
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup cold water

*Note: If you do not have shitake mushrooms, you can use fresh portabello, cremini or white button mushrooms.

Directions
1. In a big bowl, soak the dried shitake mushrooms with just enough hot water to cover. Place a plate over the bowl and allow the mushrooms to soak for 30 minutes. Reserve liquid. Wash the mushroom under running water, squeeze dry and dice.

2. Boil water in a large pot and cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain.

3. Combine 3/4 cup of reserved shitake liquid, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, vinegar, five spice powder and brown sugar in a bowl. Set aside.

4. In a large pan over medium-high heat, add oil.

5. Stir in the onion and cook until it is translucent.

6. Stir in the ground pork and cook until it is no longer pink.

7. Create a space in the middle of the pan to cook the garlic. Stir fry until it is fragrant.

8. Add in the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft.

9. Pour in the liquid mixture, stir and bring the contents to a simmer.

10. In a small bowl, mix corn starch and cold water. Create a well in the middle of the mixture and add the corn starch slurry. Bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot over noodles or rice.

Source: Slightly adapted from Steamy Kitchen

Baked Spaghetti Squash (Free of Top Allergens)

If you had a Valentine's dinner like mine, you are likely wanting something light and healthy right about now. We celebrated Valentine's Day with a nice homemade meal. Since the arrival of our little man, I have taken over Valentine's Day dinner duties. This year our menu included surf and turf (steak and lobster claw), stuffed mushrooms with bacon, mashed potatoes with bacon and cheese, and blanched asparagus. I calculated the cost of our Valentine's dinner and it came out to about $11 per person. It is seriously way better than going to some fancy restaurant and forking out $110 per person (and that doesn't even include the babysitter). :)

Anyhow, back to spaghetti squash.

This is something that will be a nice change from the decadence that is Valentine's Day for some of us. The spaghetti squash is baked whole and you scoop out the seeds after it has been cooked. Super simple and easy. Not to mention a healthy alternative to pasta. Once you ladle a delicious sauce over the spaghetti squash, you will forget you are eating something healthy.

Spaghetti squash with 3 Ingredient Creamy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
1-1/2 lb spaghetti squash, washed

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Bake for 45 minutes until the squash can be easily pierced with a knife.

3. Cut off the stem and allow the steam to escape before splitting the spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. With a fork, scrape out the flesh (spaghetti strands). Serve with pasta sauce or toss in a pan warmed with olive oil and garlic.

Source: Steamy Kitchen

3 Ingredient Creamy Tomato Sauce

Parenting a toddler can be great fun; everything is novel to these little ones and for the most part, my little man is easy to please. Meal time can be a little tricky as the meal I have worked slaved over can be rejected with a simple phrase "ALL DONE!"

I wrote that phrase in caps because that is the intensity my little man uses. This is to imply that he does not want the offending food. We try our best to dissemble the offending food into bits he would eat. If all else fails, we take him out of his chair and try feeding him again later.

When my little man loves my meals, he would happily scarf down everything infront of him. Not only that, but he would also ask for more. At this moment in our lives, carrots are part of the offending category but pasta has always been a winner. Seriously, what kid does not like pasta?

In order to get my little man to eat his carrots, I decided to steam the carrots and add the carrot puree to the pasta sauce. Once the cream cheese has been added, you can barely taste the carrots. This pasta is a win win for both of us; the little man gets his pasta and I feel better knowing he ate some carrots for dinner. And yes, he asked for more pasta in case you were wondering.

Best of all, this meal comes together in 10 minutes and allows you to have more fun in your day with your loved ones.

Ingredients
480 ml (16 oz) jar of pasta sauce
4 cups of carrots, cooked (boiled or steamed)
120 g (4 oz) cream cheese

Directions
1. Puree pasta sauce and cooked carrots together using a hand blender or traditional blender.

2. Pour the mixture into a pot and simmer on medium high until bubbly.

3. Once the mixture is bubbling, stir in the cream cheese until it melts through. Serve over pasta.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom

Easy One Pot Mushroom Spinach Pasta (Free of Top Allergens)

I love one-pot meals. These one-pot meals are a life saver for those hectic days with my active toddler.

This recipe comes together quickly (under 30 minutes) but it tastes like you have been slaving away at the stove for hours. The active prep time for the pasta is only about 5 to 10 minutes depending on your knife skills. The pasta is infused with a rich mushroom flavor and it tastes even better the next day. My husband kept telling me how much he loves this pasta; I figure this is a good sign that this one-pot pasta has his stamp of approval.

Ingredients
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1-1/2 lb (680g) button or cremini mushrooms, sliced thick*
11 oz (312g) baby spinach, washed and dried
4 cups cold water, vegetable broth or chicken broth
454 g spaghetti pasta (gluten-free or regular pasta)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

* If you use less than 1-1/2 lb of mushroom, increase water or broth by 1/2 cup.

Directions
1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil.

2. Cook and stir in onions. Saute until it is translucent.

3. Turn the heat down to medium. Add in mushrooms and sweat the mushrooms until it is soft and tender.

Look at all the delicious juice for the pasta to soak in!

4. Pour in 4 cups of water, spaghetti and thyme.

5. Bring contents to a boil and stir the pasta. Turn the heat down to medium, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked through. Stir the pasta occasionally. Once the pasta is cooked through, remove from heat and stir in the spinach.

6. Season with salt and pepper.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom 

Variation: Add 1/4 block of cream cheese to step 5, before stirring in the spinach.

One Pot Pasta: Spinach and Artichoke Fettuccine

One pot pasta is your answer to a crazy night where you have 5 minutes to prep dinner. I am serious when I say it literally takes 5 minutes to prepare the ingredients, throw it all in a pot and turn it to a boil. If you have a few seconds here and there, stir the pasta a little. Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes. How easy is that?

I love this spinach and artichoke fettuccine because it has the same great taste as the spinach and artichoke dips. The pasta was al-dente, the sauce was creamy and cheesy and it was loaded with flavor. This is a recipe everyone should have in their back pocket for those crazy nights. You are welcome.

Ingredients
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 (14 oz or 415 ml) can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 cups of chicken broth (I used Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base)
2 tbsp olive oil
12 oz fettuccine
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Freshly cracked pepper to taste
5.5 oz fresh spinach (about 161 g)
1-1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Place mushrooms, artichoke hearts, garlic, onion, chicken broth, olive oil, fettuccine, oregano, thyme and black pepper in a large pot.

2. Turn the stove to high heat and bring to a boil. Stirring frequently.

3. When it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the pasta is al-dente and most of the liquid is absorbed.

4. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and spinach.

5. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Source: Slightly adapted from Budget Bytes 

TIP

• Vegetarian version: substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth

20 Minute Meatball Stroganoff

There is no denying that I love quick dinners that require little effort. That is why I stock my freezer with frozen meatballs. I use frozen meatballs in spaghetti and meatballs, meatball sliders, as an appetizer or in my version of a meatball stroganoff.

My meatball stroganoff is not an authentic beef stroganoff recipe. But it is hearty, delicious and ready in under 20 minutes.

So on a night when you are ready to call for takeout, give this recipe a try. My husband and little man ate this up in no time!

Ingredients
20 meatballs (roughly 5 meatballs per person)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 mushrooms, sliced
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup frozen peas
340 g egg noodles, broad noodles or bow tie pasta (you can also serve with mashed potatoes or rice)

Directions
1. Microwave the meatballs (if frozen) according to package directions. You can serve the meatball whole or quarter it if you have little ones.

2. In a large pot, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain; do not rinse.

3. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in another large pot and saute the garlic until it is fragrant (30 seconds to 1 minute).

4. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft. Remove and set aside.

5. Saute the meatballs for a few minutes until the meatballs are lightly seared.

6. Pour in the cream of mushroom soup, frozen peas and sauteed mushrooms. Stir and simmer on medium for 10 minutes.

7. Serve over egg noodles or carb of your choice.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom