Pasta, Sunny Side Up!

I love a quick pasta salad for lunch or a satisfying, hearty spaghetti dinner. So I thought, why not have this favorite food of mine for breakfast? One morning I went to the refrigerator to see what kind of tasty egg dish I could rustle up for breakfast. I found leftover whole grain linguine and parmesan cheese, and I was on my way. I warmed the pasta, added a touch of Smart Balance (my favorite, healthy spread), drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt, fresh cracked black pepper and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I topped the linguine with an over-easy egg; a final touch of salt, pepper, olive oil and cheese sealed the deal.

The over-easy egg yolk, mingled with the al-dente pasta, was a breakfast marriage made in heaven. A warm, buttery piece of whole grain bread and some fresh fruit got my morning off to a delicious, nutritious start!

Note: If you don't have whole grain pasta on hand, try leftover brown rice. Think of other delicious leftovers to add to this healthy breakfast: spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions...the possibilities are endless!

Soup, the Mediterranean Way

In a quest to become healthier, my husband and I adopted the Mediterranean diet as part of our lifestyle. Benefits of this forever plan include heart health, weight maintenance and longevity. The Mediterranean diet eliminates unhealthy processed foods. It’s low on red meat; instead, incorporating more chicken, fish, whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, beans and legumes. Work this principle into a soup, and you have the perfect healthy, nutritious comfort food.

So many great soups start out with a mirepoix, and this is no exception. Parmesan cheese rind makes it earthy—pesto keeps it rich—beans add bulk and fiber. Serve with whole wheat pita bread for a satisfying meal guaranteed to keep you healthy, lean and nourished.

Bean and Pesto Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup each thinly sliced carrots, chopped celery and chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 cans vegetable stock
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2-inch piece Parmesan cheese rind
2 14-oz. cans beans (cannellini, great northern, kidney, whatever you like)
1 tablespoon jarred pesto sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh chopped Italian parsley

In a large saucepan, sauté carrots, celery and onion over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until tender, adding a sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add garlic and cook another minute. Stir in stock, tomatoes, cheese rind and oregano; bring to boil. Lower heat, cover, and cook gently for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Add beans and pesto; season with salt (1-1 ½ teaspoons) and pepper to taste. Heat through. Remove cheese rind, and serve in bowls topped with fresh chopped parsley.

Keep It Real--Classic Tuna Caesar Salad

Fine restaurant quality salads don't have to be complicated. In fact, they can be some of the easiest meals you can make for your family. Keep it real, use fresh ingredients, and serve with homemade dressings and croutons. Here is my take on the classic, simple Caesar salad with tuna steaks.

Ingredients

1-inch thick tuna steaks
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Romaine lettuce, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Croutons:

1 heaping cup pumpernickel rye, cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Smart Balance
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Dressing:

1 egg yolk*
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 dash Tabasco sauce
1/2 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 teaspoon anchovy paste (or minced anchovies to taste)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For dressing, add egg yolk and garlic to small, tall bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking to thicken. Add next six ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.

For croutons, heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil and Smart Balance over medium heat in a skillet. Add cubed bread. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Stir for a couple of minutes until all cubes are coated with the oil and bread looks slightly toasted. Transfer skillet to oven, and cook until cubes are of desired crispiness; 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven, and pour onto paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.

For tuna, season 1-inch thick tuna steaks simply with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Saute in olive oil or grill for two minutes on each side. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Tuna should be rare on the inside to ensure the tenderest, juiciest, most flavorful steaks. Overcooking will result in dry tuna.

Serve tuna steaks on salad greens, tossed in dressing and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil. Add croutons and serve.

Serves 2-3. Can be easily doubled.

* Consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs involves the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, use fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells.

Linguine with Mushrooms, Chicken, and Green Peas

Pasta is the ultimate go-to meal that always satisfies. I've found that whole grain pasta is a wonderful alternative to traditional, flour pasta and does not compromise taste, unlike the whole wheat pastas of recent years that tasted like mushy sawdust. This recipe combines one of my favorite ingredients, earthy mushrooms. The wine adds a nice nuance, while the red pepper flakes spice things up.

Linguine with Mushrooms, Chicken, and Green Peas

2-2 1/2 cups diced, cooked chicken
3 tablespoons Smart Balance
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
10 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen English peas
All-purpose flour
1/2 lb. whole grain linguine
olive oil
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Cook linguine according to package directions.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon Smart Balance and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions, mushrooms, and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper, and saute until onions are tender and mushrooms begin to release their juices, about 5 - 7 minutes. Add wine, and cook until wine reduces. Add chicken stock and peas; cook for about 10 minutes until reduced a bit. Roll remaining tablespoon Smart Balance in enough all-purpose flour to coat well. Add to skillet and stir until melted. Simmer until sauce thickens a bit. Adjust seasonings.

Serve chicken mushroom sauce over linguine, and serve with crusty bread.

Balancing Act

For really great meals, think complementary flavors and textures. Elements that balance each other can take a dinner from ordinary to extra ordinary. For example, crispy, lemony Chicken Francese works beautifully well with creamy fettuccini Alfredo—the contrast between the bright, tart lemon and rich, luxurious cream provides a perfect balance in flavor and texture. Sautéed spinach with onions would be the perfect final element to this dinner. Add a touch of fresh squeezed lemon juice to echo the lemony chicken, and this perfect marriage of flavor and texture is complete.

Think complementary in other ways. If you’re serving meat with a rich sauce alongside a crispy salad, choose a bright, tangy vinaigrette instead of a creamy salad dressing for a nice balance. Pair mashed sweet potatoes with a spicy entrée to provide a perfect contrast.

Easy, Cheesy Mushroom Frittata

This morning’s breakfast was impromptu—you know how it is when you’re in a hurry. Using leftover ingredients I had in the refrigerator (diced onion, green bell pepper and fresh, chopped mushrooms), this easy, cheesy mushroom frittata provided a quick, healthy and tasty egg dish.

I sautéed the onions and bell pepper in Smart Balance over medium-low heat until tender; then I added the mushrooms. When they cooked down a bit, I added some kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper and cooked for a minute. I poured three beaten, seasoned eggs over the veggies and cooked on low to medium-low until the eggs were soft set (covering the skillet toward the end to speed up the egg cooking). After I removed from the heat, I sprinkled with grated cheese and fresh parsley.

I've made frittatas similar to this with broccoli and tomatoes. Add some garlic bread, and voila! Dinner!