Pesto pasta with white beans

First, make pesto 

Ingredients for pesto: 

2 cups packed basil

4 cloves of garlic

2 tps fresh lemon juice 

1/2 package of firm silken tofu (you can freeze the other half and use again later!) 

Instructions: 

Step 1: place all ingredients in a food processor and purée until smooth and creamy

Step 2: put in the fridge for later. 

Ingredients for pasta:

12 oz of whole grain spaghetti (or if you are like fatman, buy a GIANT package of store brand spaghetti that is on sale and will literally last for a month) 

1 cup basil pesto (see above) 

1 can of cannellini beans 

Instructions:

Step 1: mix the cooked pasta and pesto in a bowl

Step 2: add the beans and toss

Step 3: serve and enjoy! 

Penne with spicy eggplant

Ingredients:
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 large eggplant (or 2 medium ones), peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tps oregano
One can of diced tomatoes with jalapeño
2 TB red wine vinegar
1 box of penne (egg noodles also work splendidly)

Instructions:
Note: you can choose to water sauté or use oil.
Step 1: sauté onions in a large sauce pan (medium heat for approx 10 minutes)
Step 2: add eggplant, stir constantly for approx 5 minutes. (If you are water sautéing, only add water when the eggplant starts to stick to the pan.
Step 3: add garlic, oregano, can of diced tomatoes, and red wine vinegar.
Step4: cover and cook for 10 minutes
Step 5: remove from the heat add cooked pasta and mix.
Step 6: dig in!

Penne with roasted red pepper sauce

Please be aware: you need to roast the red peppers BEFORE you make this recipe ( not realize it half way through making the dish)

Servings 4 (I think it makes more like 6 though)

Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rings
1 large head of broccoli, you only need the florets
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 box of penne pasta (or if you need to improvise you can use spaghetti noodles)
1 1/2 cup roasted red pepper sauce (see below)
Basil for garnish (if you are into that kind of thing)

Ingredients for roasted red pepper sauce:
One 12 oz package of extra firm silken tofu, drained
2 large red bell peppers, roasted and seeded (roasting takes 1-2 hours)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 TB chopped dill ( you don't have to use fresh herbs)
1tps salt
"Zest of 1 lemon" (aka: uses a tablespoon of lemon juice)

How to make this recipe!
Step 1: combine all the ingredients for the roasted red pepper sauce in a blender and mix until smooth (DO NOT, under any circumstances use a hand molsifier, your kitchen ceiling will thank you). Set this mix aside in a bowl in the fridge.
Step 1.5: begin to boil water to cook your noodles, then cook noodles while doing steps 2-3
Step 2: place onion and broccoli in a large skillet, sauté for 7-8 minutes. NOTE: you can water sauté or use oil, it's up to you
Step 3: add garlic and onion to your skillet (you can season with salt if you would like).
Step 4: add pasta and red pepper sauce to the skillet mixture, stir and heat through.
Step 5: serve, (and garnish if you want to)
Step 6: get your fiancé to was all the dishes because I'm not allowed to with a cast on my hand!

Enjoy!

I'm back!

Greetings folks! I apologize for the lack of recipes over the past year, however grad school was a killer!
But I am glad to let you all know I am back, and in full force.
A few updates for you all: most of my recipes will be plant based, but I assure you, you can add meat to any of these dishes. They are extremely low in fat, high in fiber and vitamins and super good for you. ( a few extra pounds from school and my upcoming wedding made me seriously reconsider my eating and exercise habits).

The fatman (aka Andrew) is still with us and if he will eat my veggie concoctions....(meat lover that he is) well I'm sure even the most steadfast of beef loving people will find ways to use these recipes (if not, well perhaps you should re-consider your choice in blogs).

I have about a years worth of back logged recipes, but, thanks to an unfortunate sledding accident, I have wayyyyy too much time on my hands.

Enjoy!!