Olive Oil, Walnut & Garlic Spaghetti

When you want something to fix that is easy, this is a good go-to dish that is wholesome whole grain and packed with flavor that is also low in saturated fat. It makes a great side or main dish and the best part, most of us have all the ingredients in our pantry so no special trip to the market.

I start off with whole wheat or whole grain spaghetti, you can certainly substitute any type of pasta you want for this recipe; bow tie, elbow, fettuccine, etc. will all work fine.  The pasta is cooked to al dente, which is firm to the bite but not hard.  Al dente in Italian means “to the tooth”. Continue reading “Olive Oil, Walnut & Garlic Spaghetti”

Peanut Coleslaw

Many people associate coleslaw with the South but it actually comes from the Netherlands where it is known as koolsla.  Here in America it is often a staple for barbecues, a topping for pulled pork and goes well with fried chicken.

Peanut coleslaw is something I had at a barbecue restaurant, I loved it so much more than regular or traditional coleslaw.  It was crunchy, tangy and very satisfying, I looked forward to it more than I did the rest of the meal.  Of course the restaurant wouldn’t give out their recipe so I had to play around with it until I could make a copycat version of it, which after some tweaking, I preferred more than theirs. Continue reading “Peanut Coleslaw”

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ahhh pancakes!  Makes me think of weekend breakfast when I was growing up.  My mama would make up a big batch of pancakes and she had sausage or bacon to go with it.  Although pancakes come in all sorts of flavors, as do the syrups, I’ve always been partial of simple buttermilk pancakes and maple syrup.  

Pancakes go by a variety of names in America; griddlecakes, flapjacks, hotcakes and their counterparts in other countries such as crepes, blintzes and Dutch baby.  They come in all shapes and sizes, some are stacked, filled, rolled and are found throughout the world.  Some are sweet while others savory and can be served for any type of meal. Continue reading “Whole Wheat Pancakes”

Lemon & Thyme Roasted Asparagus

Growing up I was never forced to eat vegetables, in fact, for the most part they were never cooked.  My mama on occasion would cook herself green beans, cauliflower and cabbage.  Always when my papa was not around, either on a business trip or at work.  I wouldn’t try it, papa said they were nasty and the smell was nasty too. It turns out that my papa’s mama would force him to sit at the table and eat a pile of vegetables he hated which with his stubbornness usually ended in a stand off that lasted hours.  The only vegetables he would eat was succotash, green peas, corn, potatoes and green salad.  It wasn’t until I was around 30 did I try broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus.  Cooked the right way, I loved them all.

Asparagus, by far, is my favorite vegetable.  I love when spring hits and the grocery stores are full of fresh asparagus, the small pencil like size.  Although I have bought the larger ones and surprisingly, some turned out tender as the narrower ones.  When in season, asparagus is really cheap, grocery stores and farmer’s markets run some really good deals on them. Continue reading “Lemon & Thyme Roasted Asparagus”

Banana Nut Bread

What smells better than the fragrance of banana nut bread baking in the oven?  That sweet delicious aroma penetrates every room of the house.  Banana bread was created in the United States and gained popularity in the 1930s with the increasing use of baking soda and baking powder.

Banana bread is great for breakfast, brunch, dessert or just as a snack.  It is a very versatile recipe that you can add other ingredients to. I add walnuts to make banana nut bread but you could add any nut of your choosing.  You can add other ingredients such as oats, raisins, peanut butter, chocolate, etc., the possibilities are endless. Continue reading “Banana Nut Bread”

Pizza Margherita

How would you like a big slice of Italian royalty? Pizza Margherita was named after Queen Margherita of Savoy, wife of King Umberto I.  The pizza resembling the Italian flag was created for her by a chef in Naples when she visited in 1889.  Although there is some debate, saying the same pizza was created 20 plus years earlier, it was the later version that made the pizza famous.

Ironically, pizza was considered peasant food but has since evolved into a universal dish with unlimited possibilities, I guess I would have been a happy peasant because it is one of my weaknesses and I know I am not alone.

I’ve tried to make the dough all whole wheat but it was very dense and extremely hard to work with so I’ve had to cut it with bread flour to get the perfect crust.  I use a bread machine to make my dough but you can certainly do this the old fashion way and I will provide instructions for doing both further on in the recipe.   Continue reading “Pizza Margherita”