Three Vegetable Penne with Tarragon-Basil Pesto

Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt the water and add pasta to cook to al dente or, with a bite to it. Cut asparagus spears into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Cut zucchini into matchstick shapes. Cut haricots verts or green beans into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Add vegetables to pasta after penne has been cooking about 5 minutes. Cook veggies and pasta together 2 minutes.

While pasta cooks, toast pine nuts in a small pan until golden, then cool. Place nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, cheese and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until thick sauce forms.

Scrape pesto into large, shallow serving dish. Add a ladle of hot, starchy pasta water to the pesto. Drain penne and veggies and add immediately to pesto. Toss to coat pasta and vegetables evenly. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with extra grated cheese to pass at table.
Cooking Time: 7 minutes/ Prep Time: 15 minutes
Level: Easy/Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne pasta
• Salt
• 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends
• 1 small zucchini
• 1/4 pound, haricots verts (thin green beans) trimmed of stem ends
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup basil, 20 leaves
• 1/2 cup tarragon leaves from 10 to 12 stems
• Handful flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more to pass at table
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it

Traditional Greek Salad

Ingredients

7oz/200g Greek feta cheese
½ head of iceberg lettuce or 1 lettuce
Such as romaine or escarole, shredded
or sliced
4 tomatoes, cut into fourths
½ cucumber, sliced
12 Greek balck olives, pitted
2 tbps chopped fresh herbs, such as
Oregano, flat-leaf parsley, mint, or basil

 

 

For the dressing

6 tbps extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbps fresh lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper

Make the dressing by whisking together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper, in a small bowl. Set aside. Cut the feta cheese into cubes about 1 inch/2.5 cm square. Put the lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber in a salad bowl. Scatter over the cheese and toss together.
Just before serving, whisk the dressing, pour over the salad greens, and toss together. Scatter over the olives and chopped herbs and serve.

Author: Beverly Le Blanc

Cutting Down Fat for Healthy Diets

No one who has more than a passing interest I their health can be unaware of the problems associated with a diet that contains too much fat. A high level of oil consumption is implicated in obesity and all that in tails coronary disease, diabetes, and even cancer. The message that we should all cut down on our diets is reinforced every time we go shopping, and it is almost impossible to walk around a supermarket without being beset on all sides by labels proclaiming low-fat this, reduced-fat that, and no-fat the other.

Cutting down the amount of fat in our diets is, of course, an effective way to lose weight, simply because it will reduce the amount of calories we consume, as well as reducing the likelihood that we will contract a serious disease. However, before we cut fat out of our lives completely, it is important to remember that we all need to include a certain amount of fat in our daily intake of food if our bodies are to function properly. Essential fatty acids are needed to built cell membranes and for other vital bodily functions. Our brain tissue, nerve sheaths, and bone marrow need fat, for example, and we all need fat to protect our vital organs, such as our liver, kidneys, and heart.

Nutritionists suggest that we should aim to cut our intake of fat 27-30 percent of our total daily calorie intake. If your average diet totals 2,000 calories, this will mean eating no more than approximately 2 ¾ ounces of fat a day. Bear in mind that most people consume about 40 percent of their daily calories in the form of fat. Remember, however that if you are being treated for any medical condition, you must discuss this with your doctor the changes you propose making in your diet before you begin a new regimen.

When you are thinking of reducing your intake of fat, it is important to know that fats can be broadly divided into saturated and unsaturated fat. Saturated fats are those that are solid at room temperature, and they are found normally in animal products, like butter and cheese, high-fat meats (sausages, pate, a fatty bacon), cakes, chocolate, potato chips, cookies, coconut, and hydrogenated (hardened) vegetable or fish oils. Unsaturated fats are healthier, but they are still fats. Your target should be a reduction to 8 percent of your daily calories in the form of saturated fats, with the remainder in unsaturated fats. These are usually liquid at room temperature and come from vegetable sources, like olive oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and corn oil. Remember though, that oil is another name for liquid fat. Using oil instead of margarine or butter to fry onions or garlic will do nothing to reduce your overall intake of fat.

Author: Kathryn Hawkins

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