DS Sunday No.3

more veg than pasta - pasta primavera

Dim Sum Sunday rolls around again and this week the theme is pasta. I did break my new rule of only trying new recipes for DS Sundays as this is an old standby of mine. Pasta is something I don't eat often mostly because of my tendency to eat too much of it when I do make it. Years ago I came up with the solution of adding a 3-1 ratio of vegetables to pasta - that way I could still have generous portions all the while enjoying oodles of fresh vegetables.

More Veg than Pasta - Pasta Primavera

1/2 bag of pasta- I used gemelli (twisted fat short noodles) pasta*
olive oil
1 large garlic clove minced
1 small onion
6-7 button mushrooms (or any mushrooms sliced)
1 large carrot ribboned* with a vegetable peeler
half a head of broccoli cut into small pieces
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
1/4-1/2 cup whipping cream (Uh Huh !)
salt & pepper to taste
grated parmigiano reggiano
fresh basil for garnish (if available)

*zucchini ribbons be a great addition or strips of bright red pepper, green or yellow beans, fava beans ... fresh asparagus would be delicious and is almost in-season here - add any of these additions along with the ribbons of carrot.

* do try and find dried pasta that is imported from Italy - it's SO much better than our North American made pasta. I stock up at the Italian Market when I'm in the city.

Cook pasta al denté in well salted water reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. In a large high sided frying pan sauté onions, mushroom, garlic in olive oil until they just begin to caramelize. Add carrot ribbons and wine or broth and continue to cook until carrots begin to wilt (1-2 mins). Throw broccoli in with pasta toward the end of pasta cooking time and cook very briefly - until bright green and still a bit crunchy. Drain pasta & broccoli well and add to the pan of vegetables and broth. Add whipping cream turn heat up and stir until sauce thickens slightly. Mound in shallow bowls and top with ground pepper, parmigiano reggiano and torn basil. Yum.

And if that's not delicious enough ...I had a hankerin' for some lemon goodness. This Lemon Pudding Cake is tres easy and perfectly lemony. I LOVE lemon desserts and this is one of those magical pudding cakes which, while in the oven baking, divides in two - the top layer light-as-air lemon sponge cake with creamy, tart, lemon custard pudding underneath. Sigh. And Hey ! is that real whipped cream on top ? You betcha ! As MLou says (and I totally concur!!) - fresh whipped cream should always be an optional accompaniment - to any & every dessert.


lemon pudding cake

Lemon Pudding Cake (from the Fannie Farmer cookbook)

2 tbsps. butter
7/8ths cup of sugar (I used powdered sugar 'cause I was out of granulated)
3 eggs separated
1 cup of milk (I used 1%)
1 1/2 tbsps. of flour
the zest of one lemon
the juice of one lemon (should give 1/3 cup)
whipped sweetened cream for topping (optional of course)

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a bain marie (a larger casserole filled with hot water in the oven that the smaller casserole sits or baths in)

Beat the butter, gradually adding the sugar until incorporated. Beat in egg yolks one by one. Add the milk, flour, lemon juice & rind and beat well to mix. Don't panic the mixture will have a slightly curdled look. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks and gently fold into batter. Turn into a 1 1/2 quart casserole or baking dish and set in the bain marie. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool, serve topped with a healthy blob of whipped cream. Unbelievably good !

Hey ! where's that girl that was goin' on about no dairy, no gluten, no sugar ? Wink.

Miss D and I are off to the beach this early morning to walk with Carol and Baby Duke (who's now a full grown bull-in-a-china-shop teenage & tres handsome boy). The seagulls are singin' up a storm this morning, it's low tide, the harbour is as still as glass and it's an absolutely spectacular morning. I'm takin' my camera.