Warm Whole Grain Pesto Salad with Toasted Walnuts
Most people don’t know that whole grain pasta takes longer to digest and doesn’t put blood sugars out of balance. For more fibre, add a bean of your choice. Chickpeas in particular go well with most Mediterranean-style dishes. Freeze any leftover Basil Pesto in small portions for use throughout the year as a quick and tasty sauce or as a spread on whole grain toast topped with fresh tomato and ground black pepper.
Whole Grain Salad
4 cups (1 L) water
2 cups (500 mL) whole grain rotini pasta
1/4 cup (60 mL) Basil Pesto (see below)
1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Basil Pesto
10 garlic cloves
1/2 cup (125 mL) onion, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup (185 mL) fresh walnuts or sunflower seeds (unroasted)
2 to 3 cups (500 to 750 mL) loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup (125 mL) nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
1/2 to 1 1/2 cups (125 to 375 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tsp (5 to 10 mL) salt, to taste
To prepare Whole Grain Salad, boil water in large saucepan and cook pasta as directed on package.
Meanwhile, make Basil Pesto by processing garlic, onion, and nuts or seeds in food processor until fine. Add basil leaves and nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese. With food processor on, slowly add enough oil to make sauce quite thick. Use immediately or store in glass jar with a little olive oil poured on top to prevent oxidization of the basil. Consume within 2 or 3 days or freeze in 1/4-cup (60 mL) portions. Makes 8 portions of pesto.
Serves 4.
source: "Full of Beans", alive #277, November 2005
Warm Whole Grain Pesto Salad with Toasted Walnuts
Directions
Sally Errey, RNCP
Sally Errey, RNCP, is an acclaimed speaker and author on optimum health through nutrition and lifestyle. She is author of Staying Alive! Cookbook for Cancer Free Living (Belissimo Books, 2004).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Waffled Chicken Quesadillas with Chipotle Pepper Sauce
These whimsical weeknight quesadillas offer a great excuse to break out the long-forgotten waffle iron. The smoky, tangy pepper sauce is the perfect sidekick for this dish, but it’s also wonderful when tossed with pasta, stuffed into sandwiches, and slathered on burgers. TIP : When assembling quesadillas, keep fillings centred 1/2 in (1.25 cm) from the edge of the tortilla so they don’t spill over. TIP : Chipotle chiles are dried, smoked jalapenos. Adobo is a slightly sweet red sauce. Put them together in a can and they become a versatile pantry staple to add deep smoky heat to sauces, dips, marinades, and soups. No waffle iron? Then make these quesadillas using this skillet method. Place 1 tortilla in skillet, preferably cast iron, and cook over medium heat until dark spots appear and bottom is crispy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn over and cook until crispy and darkened on the other side. Remove tortilla from skillet and replace with another tortilla. Cook until darkened and crispy on one side, flip, and top with stuffing ingredients. Place crispy tortilla on top, press down gently, cover pan, and cook for 1 minute, or until cheese has melted.
Ancho Tomato Baked Feta
This Mexican-Mediterranean hybrid dish gleans its tempered kick from parched ancho chilies, the dried form of poblano peppers known for their smoky quality and sweet to moderate heat. It’s a fantastic saucy, and comforting, appetizer or meal on its own. Serve with crusty bread to sop up every last bit of the red sauce, or spoon over cooked grain. Chili choices Experiment with different dried Mexican chili peppers in your dishes. Instead of ancho, other options, each with different heat levels and flavour nuances, include pasilla, guajillo, or morita. Look for them in Latin markets and some supermarkets. For leftover lovers Because the flavours in this dish only deepen with resting time, it’s a definite candidate for serving as leftovers; simply reheat in the oven or microwave. Cheezy choices If possible, compare labels and look for lower-sodium feta options. A ball of fresh mozzarella or bocconcini are great alternatives, or try a block of medium-firm tofu and substitute agave syrup in place of the honey for a vegan-friendly dish.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Dip with Pickled Jalapenos
A good option for both backyard barbecues and healthy snacking, this creamy dip benefits from a little spicy crunch, courtesy of quick-pickled peppers. If you want your dip to have a smoky edge, blend in a chipotle-flavoured salsa. Or forgo the salsa and, instead, blend in a couple tablespoons of tomato paste and a single canned chipotle chili pepper. Extras of the pickled peppers are an exciting topping for burgers, sandwiches, and tacos. TIP : When using prepared chili pepper products such as bottled salsas, examine the ingredient list for items you really don’t want or need, namely sugar and high amounts of sodium.
Grilled Chili Tofu Steaks with Quinoa
Treat yourself to a steak dinner, using tofu instead of meat. The tangy chili-spiked marinade does double-duty as a finishing sauce and transforms otherwise bland tofu into a dish that’ll sound your taste buds’ fire alarm. Bird’s eye pepper would be a good substitute for habanero if needed. Dousing the fire If you find yourself with a mouth on fire after taking a bite of a chili-infused dish, don’t try to douse it with water. Instead, reach for a glass of milk. The protein casein in dairy is known to help subdue the flame. Water won’t help nearly as much.