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TIP OF THE DAY: Recipes For Leftover Pasta

April 21, 2013 at 8:06 am · Filed under Pasta-Pizza, Recipes, Tip Of The Day

We made one box too many of pasta last night, thinking our guests would eat as much as we did. Now, what to do with all that leftover pasta?

If it hasn’t been sauced, there’s got lots of flexibility. Whether you have long form pasta (fettuccini, spaghetti, etc.) or short forms (elbows, penne, rigatoni, etc.), you can turn it into a completely different dish.

  • Buttered noodles. Season with garlic and/or fresh parsley and serve them as a side or a bed for grilled meats, fish, or stew.
  • Casserole. Casseroles are a catch-all for all types of ingredients. Toss the pasta in with whatever else you have in the fridge.
  • Cold sesame noodles. There’s no reason you have to use spaghetti in an Italian-style recipe. Thai peanut sauce, traditionally served with spaghetti, tastes equally delicious on bowties, wagon wheels and other short cuts.
  • Frittata. Combine the pasta with eggs, veggies and some cheese for a breakfast, lunch or light dinner dish. Here’s a recipe.
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    Leftover pasta is a delicious addition to soup.
    Photo courtesy House Foods.

     


    A spaghetti frittata. Photo courtesy
    HonestFare.com.

    		 
  • Green salad. Mix short cuts in with the greens, and trim long cuts into shorter bites.
  • Pasta cole slaw. Mix cut-up long form pasta with shredded cabbage and your favorite cole slaw dressing.
  • Pasta salad. Cut long pasta into bit-size pieces as needed. Mix the pasta with your favorite veggies and a delicious vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar or Dijon mustard (how to make vinaigrette). Fresh herbs add the magic. Here’s are recipes for an easy pasta salad with tomatoes and spinach, and a Caprese pasta salad with mozzarella.
  • Soup. Long cut or sort cut pasta works well in any soup or broth.
  • Tuna-pasta salad. Pasta stretches that can of tuna very nicely. Here’s a southwestern-style tuna pasta salad recipe.
  • Sauce switch. Serve the pasta with a completely different sauce—a white sauce like clam sauce if you originally served a tomato sauce, or a vegetable purée—they’re all delicious atop pasta, and pumpkin purée is a nice touch any time of the year.
  • Stir-fry. Toss the pasta into the pan or wok with the veggies and protein. If you’re using long cut pasta, trim it into manageable strands.
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    WHAT IF THE PASTA IS ALREADY SAUCED?

    Instead of simply reheating and serving, look for way to enhance the dish. For example:

  • Top with grilled, sautéed or steamed bell peppers, eggplant, mushrooms and/or onions.
  • Stir in sautéed spinach or chard.
  • Add capers, olives and optional anchovies.
  • Add a protein: crumbled bacon, diced chicken, prosciutto or ham, sliced sausage, etc.
  • Switch up the heat with minced chiles, hot sauce or salsa.
  • Use a non-traditional cheese, like crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese; or add diced mozzarella cubes.

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    Do you have a favorite use for leftover pasta? Let us know.
     
    SEE ALL THE TYPES OF PASTA IN OUR DELICIOUS PASTA GLOSSARY.

      

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    EARTH MONTH: Choosing Sustainable Sushi

    April 20, 2013 at 4:45 pm · Filed under Fish-Seafood-Caviar, Food Holidays

    It’s Earth Month, leading up to Earth Day on April 22nd. We try to live a sustainable life, and sushi is our favorite food. So we took note when these tips arrived from Genji Sushi’s corporate chef, Takao Iinuma:

    To determine the most sustainable sushi choices, Chef Iinuma advises, it helps to remember four “S” words: small, shellfish, seasonal and silver:

  • Small fish. Small fish are lower on the food chain, so there are usually more of them. They also don’t live as long, so they replenish their own stocks more quickly. Arctic char (iwana), salmon and striped bass (suzuki) are better choices than tuna and yellowtail.
  • Shellfish. Mollusks like clams, oysters and scallops actually filter water and make the environment cleaner. Thus, farming them doesn’t carry the environmental impact that other types of aquaculture (farmed fish) can have.
    		•   

    California roll with a yellow Asian spice garnish. Photo courtesy Genji Sushi.
     

  • Seasonal fish. In Japan, seasonal foods are celebrated and enjoyed when they are at their peak. Not only does food that is in season taste better, but it naturally controls the supply because the seafood is not removed from its environment at the wrong time. A good way to eat seasonally is to eat locally, since what is being caught in your area is what is in season where you live. Check out what’s in season at SeafoodWatch.org.
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    Like mackerel? Enjoy lots of it: It’s
    sustainable. Photo courtesy Catalina
    Offshore Products.    		  
  • Silver fish. Many silver-skinned fish are also small fish—anchovies and sardines, for example—so they have two things in their favor. Mackerel (saba), Pacific saury (sanma) and Spanish mackerel (sawara) are examples of larger silver-skinned fish that are plentiful, healthy and delicious.
     
    And don’t overlook all the wonderful vegetable sushi, masago and tobiko (smelt roe and flying fish roe). (By the way, “sushi” means vinegared rice, not “raw fish.” So foods other than fish can be made into sushi.)
     
    HOW TO IDENTIFY SUSTAINABLE SUSHI

    There are numerous factors that the experts consider when they determine the sustainability of a fish species, such as where the fish lives (and the health of that environment), the supply of wild stocks, how the fish was caught, etc.

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    The best bet is to buy your fish from a responsible source, and ask questions at the fish market and the sushi bar.

    And, start by looking for a rating from a reputable foundation such as the Marine Stewardship Council or the Blue Ocean Institute.

    If you haven’t been to a Genji sushi bar, they are located in 158 Whole Foods Market locations in 18 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in the U.K.
     
     
    FIND ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUSHI IN OUR SUSHI GLOSSARY.

      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Tofu Scramble Recipe Instead Of Scrambled Eggs

    April 20, 2013 at 8:46 am · Filed under NutriNibbles-Organic-Health, Recipes, Tip Of The Day, Vegan

    Recently at the breakfast bar at our Whole Foods Market, we had a delicious tofu scramble that was just as satisfying as scrambled eggs—but so much more healthful. So in the name of reduced cholesterol and sustainability of the planet,* we’ve switched. Try it, you’ll like it!

    Tofu is made in different firmnesses that suit different recipes—from silky smooth tofu for puddings and mouse to extra firm tofu that keeps its shape in stir frys. Scrambled tofu works best with a medium firmness.

    As with omelets and scrambled eggs, you can customize scrambled tofu with your favorite flavors and vegetables. Cumin, curry and tumeric are a popular seasoning mix. Consider garlic, onion powder, and pretty much anything from the spice rack. Any fresh herbs work: Basil, cilantro, dill and/or parsley are our favorites.

    You can add as many or as few veggies as you like. Bean sprouts, carrots, mushrooms, onions/green onions, snow peas, spinach, cherry tomatoes or any favorites work. And of course, many people welcome breakfast meats or their vegetarian equivalents.

    		  


    Scrambled tofu: Yummy! Photo © Bigio | Dreamstime.
     
    The yellow color of the tofu comes from the addition of nutritional yeast and turmeric. The nutritional yeast doesn’t impact the flavor; so if you don’t have any, just enjoy your scramble a bit less yellow.

    RECIPE: TOFU SCRAMBLE

    Ingredients For 2 Servings

  • 1 block (14 ounces) medium firm tofu, drained, pressed and patted dry
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
  • 2 tablespoons oil (use some sesame oil for an Asian flavor)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin or curry
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onions (scallions)
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    Turn your tofu scramble into a breakfast
    burrito. Photo courtesy OhMyVeggies.com.    		   Preparation

    1. SLICE the tofu into one inch cubes and crumble lightly with a fork or your fingers.

    2. SAUTÉ onion, pepper and tofu in oil in a skillet for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onion and pepper soften. Add the remaining ingredients.

    3. REDUCE heat to medium and cook 5-7 more minutes as needed, until tofu is hot. Stir frequently; add more oil as needed.

     

    VARIATIONS

    Add your favorite ingredients to customize your tofu scramble. Some ideas for starters:

  • Breakfast Burrito: Wrap the scramble in a tortilla and serve it with a side of salsa, hot sauce and fat-free plain Greek yogurt or fat-free sour cream. Also see the Mexican tofu scramble, below.
  • Cheese Tofu Scramble: Add your favorite shredded cheese, or some grated Parmesan.
  • Mexican Tofu Scramble: Season with cumin, paprika, turmeric and fresh cilantro. Add bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes. Top with salsa and fat-free plain Greek yogurt or fat-free sour cream.
  • Primavera Tofu Scramble: Make a colorful scramble with red bell pepper, sliced cherry or grape tomatoes, broccoli florets, shredded carrots and fresh dill and basil.
     
    *The methane from animal manure—including chickens—is the number one contributor to greenhouse gas and the erosion of the ozone layer.

      

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