Stop Blogging and Cook

DAILY POST MAY 17th:  NYC STREET FAIR ROCKS!

GLUTEN-FREE & VEGETARIAN

S H O P

GROCERY
Pasta – linguini, fusilli, orecchiette or any whole grain (whole wheat, quinoa, spelt, rice) or mung bean pasta
Pine nuts
Thyme
Kosher or sea salt
Tumeric, OPTIONAL
Butter
Reggiano cheese

GREEN MARKET
Onion
Garlic
Celery
Sweet red or green bell pepper, or both
Shitake mushrooms
Eggplant
Carrot
Spinach
Fresh basil
Cherry or grape tomatoes

T I M I N G

SERVES 2

TOTAL COOKING TIME:  30 min

1. Boil water for pasta.
2. Cook eggplant.
3. Sauté vegs & herbs.
4. Cook pasta; drain.
5. Toss pasta & vegetables; add nuts, tomatoes & cheese.

C O O K  /  P R E P A R E

INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb pasta
1/2 small eggplant, peeled & chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp thyme
4 shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, sliced thin
couple of slices of sweet red or green bell pepper or both, chopped
pinch kosher or sea salt
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 lb spinach
handful fresh basil, chopped
handful cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 c pine nuts, toasted
1/8 c Reggiano, finely grated

COOKING

1. Bring a quart of water to a rolling boil; add pasta & stir.  Boil until it is al dente.  If using mung bean pasta, steep in hot water until tender.  Drain in colander.  If pasta is to wait more than 5 min before adding to vegs, stir in 2 tsp olive oil to keep pasta from sticking together.
2. Slice eggplant into 1/2″ thick slices; brush w/olive oil; brown under broiler, turn & brown other side.  When done, chop & reserve until other vegs are done.
3. Melt butter in skillet with tight-fitting lid.  Add onion to skillet & sauté until browned & translucent; add garlic & mushrooms during last 5 min.  Sauté until lightly browned.  Remove to bowl.
4. Melt butter in skillet & saute celery, carrot & bell pepper until tender.  Mix in tumeric & salt.
5. Add eggplant & onion mixture to rest of vegetables in skillet, cover & heat through.  Toss spinach & basil until they wilt.  Off heat.  Add tomatoes, pine nuts, cheese & toss w/pasta.

S E R V E

Goes well with Krisped Kale.  The textural difference, between the vegetables and the kale, provides an interesting counterpoint.  Also good with most any soup.

W O R K P L A C E   L U N C H

If you make the full amount of vegetables but only half of the pasta for dinner, you can take the other half of the vegetables to work and toss them with mung beans that have been steeped in hot water.  It’s hard to reheat pasta without it losing significant textural quality. The individual portions of mung beans are perfect for workplace lunches, only needing hot water to cook them.