Whimsical Sun-dried Tomato Pesto with Penne

I made this dish on a day when I had less than 30 minutes to throw something together for a community potluck. The date had completely slipped my mind and there wasn’t time to run to the grocery. After racking my brain on what to make, I stepped out on my porch and my former neighbor handed me a bundle of fresh basil leaves from her garden. I told her my dilemma and she suggested I make pesto, which I had never made before. She told me how she makes hers and shockingly, I had the ingredients on hand. I ran inside and tossed everything in my blender (I didn’t own a food processor) and after taste testing, I whimsically threw in a jar of sun-dried tomatoes that I had purchased months prior, but had never gotten around to using. To my surprise, it was tasty. I mixed the pesto with some pasta and rushed over to the potluck that had already begun. A bit worried about its reception, I placed it on the table and got into line. By the time I got to my dish, the entire bowl had been devoured (which means I didn’t even get to enjoy the fruits of my own labor). Since that time, I’ve made this dish several times for other potlucks and it’s always a hit. This is a perfect summer dish, and I enjoy it with salad and bread.
Serving Size: 5-6 bellies

2 cups fresh basil leaves, chopped with stems cut off
1 cup pine nuts
3 cloves fresh garlic
either ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil and 4 oz. sundried tomatoes -or- 1 8.5-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
½ cup freshly grated parmesan (optional )
16 oz. penne pasta

• Prepared the pasta according to package instructions, cooking al dente (firm)
• Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, oil and sundried tomatoes in food processor until well blended
• Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and add the pasta, toss well to coat evenly
• For added zest, mix in the grated parmesan
• Season with salt and pepper to taste
• Voila, FEED!

Easy-To-Please Veggie Fried Rice

When I was growing up, we rarely ate out, but when we did, we went for Chinese. I can remember my mother’s giddiness at the mention of “take-out” and even more, her excitement when it was decided that we would upgrade to the Chinese buffet. What joy! Alas, her joy was not shared amongst us little ones during the wee years. For us, getting Chinese meant watching our parents devour strange exotic dishes out of white boxes or standing in line with our empty white porcelain wrinkling our noses at the funny smelling vats of “ewww” what is that? What snobs we were.

Things have changed and now I can hardly restrain my giddiness at the mention of Chinese. I’m American and Americans love Chinese food. Well, not really. We love our idealized version of Chinese food. Truth be told, most Americans, unless they have traveled to China, (which I haven’t) probably aren’t familiar with traditional Chinese cuisine, (which I am not) as most Chinese American restaurants have adapted to cater to Western taste buds (like mine). Of all the dishes I have tried over the years, fried rice is still one of my favs, I even liked it as a child. Although, it can be difficult to find a vegetarian or vegan version at a restaurant.

Fried rice is arguably one of the most popular Chinese American dishes, aside from the infamous “Sweet and Sour Chicken” and “General Tzo’s Chicken”, both American adaptations. This recipe is a simple Americanized version that is full of veggie goodness and will easily please your snobbiest critic (even my kids love it and they are total food snobs).

Serving Size: 4-5 bellies

2 cups water
1 cup jasmine rice
2 tablespoons oil (preferably sesame, but olive or vegetable will suffice)
1 sliced zuchinni
1 or 2 bell peppers (I prefer red and green)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 chopped red onion
2 cups frozen peas
¼ cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup sesame seeds
crushed red pepper
¼ cup soy sauce
other spices to taste
4 uncooked eggs or egg substitute scrambled in a bowl (optional for vegans)

• Combine water and rice in medium saucepan. Bring to boil then cover and simmer on med-low for 20 minutes.
• While rice is cooking, heat oil in a wok or large skillet on medium high. Toss in zucchini, red onion, peppers and garlic in oil over medium high for approximately 2 minutes.
• Add the frozen peas and cook and stir-fry an additional 2 minutes.
• Add green onions, sesame seeds, crushed red pepper and soy sauce and stir-fry together for 1 minute.
• Push veggies to the side of the pan leaving enough room to pour in the uncooked eggs (if needed, heat 1 tsp oil first). For approximately 1 minute fry the eggs on medium heat until fluffy, using a spatula constantly chopping and moving the egg around so as not to burn the egg.
• Remove from heat, stir the cooked eggs with the fried veggies.
• Carefully, stir in the hot cooked jasmine rice.
• Voila, FEED!