Appetite for Reduction (31 page)

(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF LINGUINE)

O
r maybe I should call this Broccoli con Pasta? Meat eaters are fond of saying things like, “You don’t crave broccoli the way I crave steak!” But I think the ferocity with which I devour a stalk of broccoli deserves its own two-part special on Animal Planet. I make this dish for my sister who likes very simple food: plain bagels and pretzels without salt (weirdo). She almost always orders Pasta con Broccoli when we go to Italian restaurants, while everyone else fills up on big sloppy dishes covered in red sauce. I used to raise my eyebrows at her, but somehow always end up taking a bite that turns into ten bites until she gets mad at me. What I’m saying is simple food can be the best kind, and these days a big old bowl of Pasta con Broccoli is perfect comfort food.

I make mine just a bit spicy with crushed red pepper and ground black pepper, but adjust as you see fit. Traditionally the dish is drowning in olive oil; here, we use just a bit for sautéing the garlic and then opt for veggie broth and white wine for a light sauce. And speaking of the garlic, there is a ton of it in here and I prep it two ways to get the biggest, most garlicky bang—half is minced and half is sliced.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prep all your ingredients while the water boils, because this dish comes together in no time. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook per the package directions, usually for about 10 minutes.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic, red pepper flakes, and thyme in the oil for about a minute, being careful not to burn them. Stir in the vegetable broth, wine, and salt. Add the broccoli, turn up the heat to bring it to a simmer, and cover the pan. Cook for 8 to 13 minutes, depending on how soft or firm you like your broccoli, stirring occasionally.

When the pasta is done cooking, drain and add it to the pan, using a pasta spoon to toss it around for about 3 more minutes, making sure to get everything coated. Mix in the balsamic vinegar. Serve with generous doses of black pepper. There is usually a lot of garlic left in the pan, so be sure to spoon that over your bowls of pasta.

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

T
his recipe is all about my childhood. My mom was raising three kids and working two jobs, so most of the action on our stove top came from a box. Still, it was fun to help her put away groceries, open cartons, and put together dinner. And because chopping veggies would take 15 minutes of time and energy she didn’t have, we’d dump in the box of Hamburger Helper and that was that.

Now, of course, I know better. That box is wasteful and full of nasty ingredients, and of course, meat is murder. But I still get a taste for the Helper; the comforting aroma, the meaty bites, the chewy pasta that maybe gets a little burned on the bottom of the pan. And oh yeah, that velvety processed cheese product topping!

This version is quick, tasty, healthier, and still comes together in one pot. Tempeh has a succulent bite, and although I usually cringe at the idea of granulated garlic and onion flakes, that’s what really gives this authenticity. Tiny quinoa shells are quick cooking thanks to their diminutive size, and are a nice healthy alternative to semolina pasta, but you can use whatever kind you like. You also might like that there is no cutting.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Have a lid at the ready because you’ll need to cover it at some point.

Drizzle the oil in the pan and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Tear the tempeh into bite-size pieces, adding them to the pan. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the tempeh is lightly browned. Use cooking spray as needed. In the meantime, mix the seasonings together in a mixing bowl.

Add a few tablespoons of water to the tempeh to deglaze the pan. Add the 3 cups of water and the seasoning mixture, giving a good stir to get it all mixed in. Add the pasta and cover. Bring up the heat to a boil. Once the water is boiling, you can lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring once. Remove the lid, add the peas, and cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened to your liking, usually about 3 minutes. Taste for salt and serve.

MAKES 2 CUPS, OR EIGHT ¼-CUP SERVINGS • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES • TOTALTIME: 20 MINUTES

N
utritional yeast-based “cheese” sauces are a vegan tradition. Recipes like this have been appearing in vegan cookbooks since the dawn of time (or at least the seventies). The upside, they taste like cheese! Or at least like junk food-type cheese, but it isn’t junk food at all. The downside, they are often loaded with fat! I mean loaded. One of the most famous recipes for vegan cheese sauce calls for ½ cup of margarine. This is my waaaay slimmed-down version, which has no added fat at all. It’s still a thick and luscious bright orange cheezy sauce, perfect for pastas and veggies.

¾ cup nutritional yeast
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons onion flakes
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons broth powder (I used Frontier chicken-style
broth)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

Place the nutritional yeast, flour, garlic, onion flakes, salt, turmeric, and broth powder in a bowl and mix together. Add the water and use a fork to mix and beat out any big lumps. Once relatively smooth, pour into a 2-quart saucepot. Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Once it comes to a boil, bring down the heat a slow boil. The sauce should start bubbling and thickening. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly, until it has a thick, smooth, melted cheese consistency.

Mix in the mustard and taste for salt. Serve hot or warm.

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

 

 

 

(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF PASTA)

N
o one should suffer a life without pesto, but a pesto without pine nuts or walnuts seems lifeless. So what’s a girl to do? Once again, it’s soybeans to the rescue! Edamame has just enough fat and texture to make a lighter, healthier pesto work. It also makes the pesto at once bulky and creamy. It’s a miracle, really. Oh, little soybean, what can’t you do? Here’s pesto with linguine, sautéed mushrooms for meatiness, and red onions for just a tinge of sweetness. I’m sure this pesto will be making appearances elsewhere, too. It’s not completely fat free, but it has about one-fifth the fat and calories of your average pesto plus five times the fiber. Not too shabby.

1 recipe
Edamame Pesto
(recipe follows)
8 ounces spinach linguine or other pasta
1 teaspoon olive oil
Small red onion, cut into thinly sliced half-moons
½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon salt
Extra chopped fresh basil, for garnish

Put on a pot of salted water to boil. Then prepare the pesto.

Once the pesto is ready, preheat a large pan over medium heat. At this point your pasta water should be ready, so add the linguine.