Pasta, Veggies and Lemon Yogurt Sauce

This recipe has been making the rounds on cooking blogs. I read about it on The Gingered Whisk.



With the CSA, we tend to get a lot of Zucchini, and I am always looking for new things to do with it. This is a fairly healthy cream sauce that goes well with the sauteed vegetables.

Ingreients

8oz pasta
1 zucchini sliced (others have cut it up into ribbons. I cut it into half moons. Either way you want the slices to be kinda thin)
1 cup small tomatoes cut in half or quarters (I had pearl tomatoes which are about the size of cherry ones)
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup thick, plain yogurt (greek is best)
1/4 cup grated parm cheese
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (optional)

Cook pasta in salted water and then drain
sautee the zucchini in a pan with the olive oil until just softened
add garlic for a few minutes
add tomatoes and cook until soft
add thyme right at the end

in a bowl combine yogurt, cheese, salt, pepper and lemon zest
toss pasta, veggies and sauce and serve

Curried pumpkin black bean soup

Curried pumpkin black bean soup
Originally uploaded by kel h

Curried Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup(ish)

(so, when I cook and not bake, I am not the best at measuring. this is my best guess as to what is in this)

Definately in the soup
-1 can pumpkin puree
-1 can black beans (not drained)
-4 cloves garlic minced
-1 bay leaf
-1 individual container greek yogurt (I have a bunch left over from trader joes, so it is going in everything until we use it up)
-1 large white potatoe cubed (this would also be good with a sweet potato but I was too tired to cut one up)

Other stuff that i am mostly guessing at the measurements for
1/2 cup vermouth
2 cups veggie broth
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 onion chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried thyme
1 or 2 cups egg noodles

Here is what I did

Heat the oil in the pot and cook up the onions, garlic and bay leaf until they brown (maybe toss in a pinch of salt)
then add the pumpkin, vermouth, broth and potatoes
bring to a simmer
Then add the yogurt and spices and stir well to incorporate
Then add the black beans and noodles and cook until the noodles and potatoes are soft

YUM!

mushroom and eggplant strogonoff

mushroom and eggplant strogonoff
Originally uploaded by kel h

1 medium eggplant cubed
1-1/2 pounds mushrooms, cut into thick slices 1/3-1/2 inch
2 individual containers greek yogurt
4 cloves crushed garlic (or to taste)
1 tablespoon paprika or to taste
1 tsp nutmeg (or to taste)
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup dry vermouth

In a cup, mix balsamic vinegar and white wine for sauteeing. Add crushed garlic to this mixture, and use this to saute eggplant until it is nice and soft (15-20 minutes at medium, and saute heat).

Add mushrooms to mixture and sautee until they release their juices. Then add yogurt, paprika, nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper to taste, and cook 5-6 minutes until sauce has thickened and veggies are heated through. Add additional water if sauce is too thick, and do not overcook.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Makes plenty for 4-6 hungry people. Recipe can be halved.