A recipe – Pasta with Young Zucchini

The funny thing about pasta recipes is that it takes longer to write the recipe than to cook it!

For this recipe I have two “rules”:

1.     Food that is cut in the same shape is more esthetic. I mean, if we use penne pasta, it is better to cut the zucchini in the same way – 2 inches long, in thin strips. If we want to add some vegetables to rice, it is better to cut them to small cubes. It applies to salads, cooked food, desserts – everything. Try it!

2.     Zucchinis are so tasty raw, and they cook so fast. So to keep the zucchinis fresh and not too soft (or even mashed…), buy the small green zucchinis. I know that it is not acceptable and maybe even rude in supermarkets here, but check they are hard. Just squeeze them slightly. We do that in Israel all the time. You can’t buy fruits and vegetables just from looking at them.

Ingredients

Whole-wheat Penne or Tagliatelle pasta (amount for 2 people)

6 medium green zucchinis – thin slices

3 cloves of garlic

Freshly squeezed juice from - 1/2 lemon

A small bunch fresh basil leave

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

1.     Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta in boiling the water for 8-10 minutes or until done; drain and wash immediately with cold water (to stop the cooking process).

Meanwhile:

2.     Chop the garlic and sauté in olive oil for few seconds.

3.     Add the zucchinis and stir gently for 2 minutes. Add the lemon, salt and pepper and cook for 2 more minutes.

4.     Add the pasta to the zucchinis and then add the basil leave.

5.     Stir all together just to mix all the taste.

6.     Serve with grated Parmesan.

A recipe – Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Tuna

I found myself with dozens of boxes of pasta.

For me, going to the supermarket is a big deal. There are preparations to make: making a list, checking it again and updating the list, taking the cart, coat, bags, sneakers, and here we go.

It is a journey. 15 minutes to get there, about 90 minutes there (I never understand how it gets so long) and 15 more minutes hiking the crazy hill back home.

Though I have a list, I walk down every aisle, observing every shelf or refrigerator. I only skip the cans, soft drinks, and the pre-made food. 

And in the end, the cart is full mostly with things that never mentioned in the list, like pasta. I always have a feeling that I will run off pasta, and just in case, I get a few more. 

So, I find myself with dozens of boxes of pasta; and that means we are going to cook a lot of pasta in the following weeks…

Ingredients

Whole wheat pasta * (amount for 2 people)
1 onion - medium size

4-5 tomatoes – sliced into cubes

3 cloves of garlic

1 can of tuna in water

Freshly squeezed juice from - 1/2 lemon

Chili - a little bit (not a must)

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

* For this recipe I prefer spaghetti, but you can use any other type of pasta

Directions

1.     Chop the onion and garlic and sauté in olive oil until golden.

2.     Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta in boiling the water for 8-10 minutes or until done; drain and wash immediately with cold water (to stop the cooking process).

3.     Add the tomatoes to the onion and garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes. Cover and cook for about 5 more minutes (keep stirring every few minutes) until you get a nice sauce. 

4.     In a small bowl, mash the tuna with the lemon juice, and add to the tomatoes. Add salt, pepper and chili.

5.     Stir all together for 2 minutes.

6.     Add the pasta and mix all together, just until the pasta is hot enough (2-3 minutes, don’t over cook!), and serve.

A recipe – Beet salad

I haven’t eaten clementines for about 20 years. If you ask me why I really won’t have a good answer. I don’t like the smell, I don’t like the feeling on your hands after you eat them… but I don’t really even remember what they taste like. Maybe I would like them if I tried them, but I don’t think I will.

Beets are the same. I have no idea why I’ve disliked them all my life. I’ve never eaten them. I think in my mind I relate them to food old people eat. My grandparents used to eat Borsht, which is a soup made of beets. I still imagine it doesn’t taste good, but the color is amazing.

When I traveled to Morocco I had no choice, as they served beet salad at every meal. And since I traveled during Ramadan, I ate everything I found!

And I liked them! A lot!

Ingredients

2 red beetroots 

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 – 3 tablespoon olive oil

2 – 3 tablespoon vinegar

Juice from ½ of lemon

Bunch of fresh parsley chopped (or coriander, or half and half)

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt & pepper

Directions

1.     Rinse the beets. Place in a pot, cover with water and boil until tender.

2.     Drain the beets, and slide the skins off. Allow the beets to cool, and then cut the beets as French fries.

3.     Mix the beets in a bowl with the remaining ingredients, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

4.     Prior to serving, taste the salad and adjust the seasoning if desired.