lemon dill pasta salad

An un-Italian flavored pasta salad?

Pasta salad with no olives?

A veggie-heavy pasta salad?

Pasta salad not dripping in oil?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

My intention for this dish was to put a twist on the classic Italian veggie pasta salad everyone grew up eating.  I seem to have a think for lemon + dill right now, so I figured I would go with it.

I wanted to create a lighter dish packed with flavor and loaded with fresh vegetables.  Something that makes you come back for 2nd’s+ 3rd’s.  A dish that is great for a crowd, or to pack for your lunch all week.

To make the sauce thick + creamy I used avocado alongside extra virgin olive oil.  Avocado in dressing is my new favorite trick.  So much creaminess + chock-full of healthy fats. 

It’s Friday.

You’ve had a long week.

So let’s get right down to business.

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Lemon Dill Pasta Salad

serves 6-8

• 8oz pasta of choice
• 3.5 cups broccoli, chopped
• 2 cups asparagus, ends trimmed + chopped
• 1.5 cups zucchini, sliced + chopped in half
• 1 large red/orange/yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup red onion, minced
• 1/2 cup sunflower/pepita/hemp seeds

Lemon Dill Dressing [use ~3/4 of the dressing]

• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2.5 teaspoons garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt + more to top
• 1/2 cup dill, loosely packed
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup/honey
• black pepper

1. Chop + prep all ingredients.  Also get a large pot of water boiling for the pasta and a pot of boiling water set up to steam the vegetables.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, then rinse with cold water until chilled.  [I used GF quinoa veggie curls – new favorite!]
3. While the pasta is cooking, steam the broccoli + asparagus for 3 minutes, then add in the zucchini for 2 more minutes.  Be careful not to over-steam the veggies.  You want them crunchy.
4. Remove and rinse with cold water, then place in a large bowl filled with water and ice [ice bath] until chilled.
5. Drain the water very well and combine with the pasta, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and seeds.  I used a mix of 5T sunflower seeds and 3T hemp seeds.
6. In a blender/magic bullet/food processor/etc. add all of the dressing ingredients and process until smooth.  Scrape the sides of the container if necessary.
7. Adjust the salt/pepper/lemon if desired.  I added a hefty amount of pepper.
8. Starting with 3/4 of the dressing, combine it with the pasta + veggies until well coated.  Add more if desired.  I reserved the rest and stored it in the fridge.
9. Taste and add more salt + pepper.  I added about 1/4-1/2t more salt and a lot more pepper.  Adjust to your liking.
10. Chill in the fridge before serving and store in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days.

notes:  If you don’t like dill, you can definitely sub another herb like basil.  You will most likely need to adjust the amount.

You can add your favorite protein to make this a full meal, or serve it as a side dish.  I pressed a block of tofu, cubed it, then tossed it with lemon juice, a little oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  No cooking needed, I just threw it right in!  Also delicious with feta and/or goat cheese on top.

Enjoy the weekend!

Ashley

p.s.  Hi from Kenna and all 3 of her bones…silly dog.

sweet potato egg boat

I love sweet potatoes.

I love eggs.

I love eggs on top of sweet potatoes.

And now I love eggs in sweet potatoes.

This is inspired by the lovely ladies over at Spoon Fork Bacon and their recipe for Baked Egg Boats.

One of my all time favorite lunches is baking a sweet potato then topping it with roasted mushrooms, sunny side up eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper.  It’s a little sweet, mostly savory, and incredibly filling.

I guess I’ve been on quite the potato kick lately.  Not sure why that is but I’m just going with it.  The skin becomes nice + crispy after being baked for over an hour and the potato is extra creamy.

The secret ingredient in this recipe may be a bit surprising.  I find that when adding milk or cream to eggs they can become a bit runny and not cook all the way through.  Instead, I decided to add cream cheese and loved the silky texture it created.

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Sweet Potato Egg Boats

yields 2 large potatoes, inspired by Baked Egg Boats

• 2 large sweet potatoes [about 7-8” long and 3-4” diameter]
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup baby portabellas, diced
• 2 Tablespoons chives, finely diced
• 2 Tablespoons cream cheese, room temp
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 400* and wash your potatoes.
2. Place on a pan [or right on the rack] in the middle of your oven for 35-40min, until about about 2/3 of the way cooked through.  Do not prick with a fork.
3. Whisk together the egg + cream cheese until smooth then whisk in the mushrooms, chives, salt, and pepper.
4. Remove from the oven and carefully carve out a bowl in the potato using a knife to make the cut and a spoon to scrape.  Try to make sure the hole you carve out is the about the same width from end to end.  Scoop slightly deeper on the thinner end.  This will help ensure the egg cooks evenly and doesn’t overflow.  Start about 1” from each end.  Remove about 3/4c of potato from each.  Reserve and/or cook the excess potato if you like.
5. Place potatoes on a baking sheet, sprinkle the carved potato with a pinch of salt, then pour in half of the egg mixture to each.
6. Bake for another 25-32min until the egg is set. 
7. Broil on the top rack for 1-3min until golden brown.

notes:  If your potato is smaller than the specified size above, adjust cook time if necessary.  You also may need more potatoes to fill with the mixture.  It’s best to carve out the potato with a spoon, not a fork, so the egg mixture doesn’t seep into the bottom half of the potato.  You can find typically chives in the herb section of your store.

I’m off today [Tuesday] to photograph something other than food.  Can’t wait to share!  Check my photo blog for a new update and more coming soon.

Ashley