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Six Servings

My family loves all types of noodles, Asian and Italian, so I‘m always looking for new ideas. This dish is also terrific with leftover roasted chicken. The fresh arugula tossed into the hot pasta at the last minute makes this dish special and is a great way to get my son to eat more vegetables.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

¾ to 1 teaspoon crushed dried chili flakes

3 pounds cherry tomatoes, rinsed and cut in half

12 leaves or about 2/3 cup large fresh basil leaves, rinsed, drained, and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound whole wheat penne pasta

5 cups arugula, rinsed, spun dry, and coarsely cut into bite-size pieces

1 ½ pounds roasted chicken meat

1/3  cup good-quality store bought pesto

1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons virgin olive oil

½ cup  grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet until hot. Add the garlic and chili flakes and sauté for 5 seconds until fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook over high heat until the tomatoes are beginning to thicken, about 15-20 minutes. Gently break up the tomatoes and stir while they are cooking. Add the basil, salt, and pepper and cook gently for a few minutes.

2 ..Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts of salted water in a large pot to a boil. Add the penne and cook about 10-12 minutes until al dente. (See package instructions.) Drain in a colander.

3. Add the arugula to tomatoes, stir, and cover. Let them cook for a few minutes, then add the cooked penne and toss together. Scoop the pasta into a big salad or serving bowl. Arrange the chicken on top. Quickly mix the pesto with the vinegar and olive oil and pour over the top. Sprinkle with the freshly grated cheese and serve immediately.

© Copyright Nina Simonds 2009

Six servings

“Sambal” is a common term used by Asian cooks referring to either a fresh or cooked relish, a curry, or a sauce. Inevitably, it contains chili peppers and is quite spicy.

2 ½  tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 medium red onions, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoons dried chili flakes (optional)
1 ½ 12-ounce jars good quality Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
2 pounds assorted frozen vegetables such as string beans, cauliflower, and peas, defrosted or roughly 8 cups
Juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 .Heat a Dutch oven or large casserole with the olive oil over medium-low and heat until very hot. Add the chopped onion and chili flakes (if using), stir for a minute, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce, ¾ cup water, cover, and heat until boiling. Add the defrosted vegetables, cover, and let simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and have absorbed the flavor of the sauce. Serve with roasted chicken, simple raita, and steamed jasmine or bamati rice. Serve.

Copyright Nina Simonds

Six Servings

Ground turkey is a terrific, lean substitute for beef in some dishes. Add other shredded vegetables for more variety and fiber.  Stuff  the pan-seared burgers into toasted, whole wheat pita rounds and serve with roasted vegetables for a filling meal.

1 ½  pounds ground turkey
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 small onion, minced
1 cup fresh shredded carrots
2 ½  tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
six 6-inch pita whole wheat loaves, split open to form pockets

1.  In a mixing bowl, mix together the ground meat, ketchup, soy sauce, chili flakes, onion and carrots. Form into six 3/4-inch-thick patties. Burgers may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead covered and chilled.
2. Mix 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil with the minced garlic. Brush the inside and
out side of the pita bread with the garlic oil.
3. Heat a frying pan or skillet until hot, add the olive oil and swirl around the pan.
Heat until hot. Pan-fry the burgers about 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
4. While the burgers are frying, lightly toast the whole wheat pita bread in a toaster,
on a grill, or over a flame until lightly toasted.
5. Stuff the turkey burgers in the toasted pita buns and serve with the Roasted Vegetable Fries.

Six to Eight Servings

Star anise, with its pungent licoricey flavor, is a wonderful complement to
beef and red wine, and adds another dimension of flavor to this dish. Use it
carefully as it can easily overpower. You may serve this dish over a crisp-cooked
green vegetable or slices of  fennel with steamed rice.  

2 pounds beef stewing meat such as chuck or bottom round, trimmed of fat and gristle
½ cup  all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife or cleaver
6 small onions, weighing about 1 pound, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
1 ½  whole stars anise, smashed lightly with the flat side of a cleaver
1 cup rice wine or sake
1  cup red wine
½ cup unsalted chicken broth
1pound  baby carrots, or large carrots, peeled and cut into half, lengthwise, then cut into 1 ½-inch lengths

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the meat into 1 ½-inch cubes. On a plate or in a paper bag, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. Coat the meat with the seasoned flour, either by rolling the pieces on a plate or dropping into the bag and shaking. Lightly squeeze the meat pieces to adhere the flour to the surface. Discard the excess flour. 

2. Heat a 4-quart casserole or a Dutch oven, add 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil, and heat until very hot. Add a batch of the beef and brown on all sides, over medium-high heat. Remove with a slotted spoon. Heat the remaining oil, and continue frying the remaining beef. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the garlic, onions, and star anise. Fry briefly over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice wine, red wine, and chicken broth and stir to mix together. Add the beef cubes, carrots, salt, and pepper, and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover tightly and place in the middle shelf of the preheated oven. Bake about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, or until the beef and vegetables are very tender. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary, and skim any impurities from the surface. Serve with steamed rice or crusty bread.

You can make this with just one or two vegetables.  You don’t need all three.  I know it is unconventional to add a bit of flour into the sauce raw, but I got the idea from a fondue recipe that does the same.  Not needing to make a bechamel saves a lot of time.

Serves 8-10
3 cups chopped greens (callalloo, chard, kale, spinach)
3 cups broccoli – florets and spears chopped
1 small butternut squash– peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (sweet  potato is a good sub here)
16 ounces whole grain elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 rounded cups grated cheddar – (10 oz)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups low fat cottage cheese
1 cup milk (skim is fine)
1 minced clove of garlic
salt and pepper

Get two pots of water boiling, one should be 1/3 full of water, the other 2/3 full.  Both should be salted.  Get all of your ingredients prepped.  Add the callalloo and broccoli into the pot that is 1/3 full of water. Pour through a colander after 5 minutes.  In the other pot, add the sweet potatoes.  After 3 minutes add the macaroni and cook until the macaroni is done – about 6 more minutes.
Strain through a colander but do NOT rinse.  Put back into the empty pot and add the butter and stir well.  Add the milk, garlic and cottage cheese and stir well.  Add the cheeses, add the greens, heat it up a bit over medium heat stirring and season with salt and pepper. 
Serve!