meatless monday #1 - din din

well, hopefully you've made it through the first part of the meat-free day, and you are now on to the piéce de résistance of meals, dinner.  i have 2 recipes that are so yummy and easy, they are sure to please!  one is pasta with a cream sauce, and for those of you who don't like cream sauce, i have a pasta with a simple red sauce too.  i must say, i highly recommend the cream sauce recipe.  i have had so many thumbs up for it.  but, you'll see these recipes are easy, and fairly quick!  all you need to add is a nice green salad and a crusty loaf of bread, and it's dinnertime!




farfalle with creamy mushroom sauce
recipe says 8 servings, but i say it's more like 4-6.  but i eat a lot ;)


1 pound uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)
1 tablespoon butter
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh italian flat leaf parsley
minced fresh parsley for garnish


- cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt & fat; drain.


- melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  add the mushrooms, onion, shallots, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper; cook 12 minutes, or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally.  add wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.  remove from heat.


- add the cooked pasta, whipping cream, cheese, and 2 tablespoons parsley, tossing gently to coat.  stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.  garnish with minced fresh parsley, if desired.  serve immediately.  




ziti with abruzzese vegetable ragù
4 servings


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 pound whole grain ziti or penne or your favorite pasta shape
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, for garnish


- in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  add the onion, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic, if using.  cover and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  uncover and stir in the tomato paste, wine, and oregano.  add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper, and salt and black pepper to taste.  simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.


- in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the ziti over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes.  drain well, and transfer to a large serving bowl. add the sauce and toss gently to combine.  sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.




on the side




green salad
one thing i do every week, to help keep up my vegetable intake, is make a giant salad.  it usually lasts tim and i for about 4-5 days, and it comes in so handy.  and when i say giant, i mean giant.  we have a huge wooden salad bowl that usually overflows when it's first made.  but it's the perfect addition to any meal, and sometimes it comes in handy when i want to make a quick wrap or sandwich and i need some extra lettuce!  here is how i make mine, but feel free to use whatever salad stuff you like!  and i do try to make sure i buy organic produce whenever possible.  especially lettuce, broccoli, celery and carrots.  it does cost a bit more, but not much more, and  for me, i can tell the difference.  plus, i feel much better knowing i'm not ingesting any pesticides.


1 head organic romaine, chopped
2 heads organic red leaf lettuce, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2-3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 hothouse cucumber, sliced, and halved
1/2 head green or red cabbage, chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped


- combine everything in a large bowl, cover, refrigerate, and enjoy for the week!  (or at least a few days!)


- don't add salad dressing until you actually dish out your salad, and are ready to eat it.  that way, the vegetables will stay crisp and yummy for days in the fridge!




simple balsamic vinaigrette
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon black pepper


- in a screw top jar, combine oil, vinegar, sugar or honey, basil, mustard, and pepper.  cover and shake well.  serve immediately, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days if using fresh basil, and 1 week if using dried basil.




hopefully, you will enjoy these recipes, and like them enough to add them to your permanent arsenal!  one thing i like to do when i'm cooking is listen to old records from whatever country my meal is inspired by.  like, for this meal, i would break out my italian records from the 50's and 60's.  so much fun!  don't have any?  no problem!  just pop on some louis prima on pandora and you're good!  have fun, and buon appetito!  


peace, love & yum,
lisa