Cooking for Beginners: REMIX!

Normally, Monday is the longest, most dreaded day of the week – but not anymore! As a great way to end the day, members of the Cooking for Beginners: REMIX miniclub and I gathered for a night of Italian food. The aroma of balsamic vinegar (that unfortunately spilled in my bag) and fresh basil filled the room as we began the first course: Bruschetta. Rather than following a recipe, we did this one by taste. Accompanied by sparkling cider, it was a great lead-in to the next dish.

The main course was spaghetti with summer squash and peppers. This is one of my favorite recipes because it’s sauceless – all of the flavor comes from the walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, and veggies. Of course, as with any vegetable dish, we had a lot of chopping to do. I attempted to show the group the wonders of the magic bullet – infomercial style. Unfortunately, making breadcrumbs is not its specialty.

As we were sautéing the bell peppers, Ryan decided that champagne would be appropriate – we all watched a bit fearfully as he took a chef’s knife to use the technique of sabrage. Shortly after, we mixed the pasta, veggies, and breadcrumb mixture, and enjoyed the meal. Awesome people, fun night, Italian food – what could be better than that?

Try the recipe yourself!

Spaghetti with Summer Squash and Peppers

Serves 4

1 cup croutons (or day-old bread)

Non-stick cooking spray (can use olive oil)

4 cloves, thinly sliced

1 ½ T finely chopped walnuts

¼ chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 t garlic salt

1 small yellow squash, sliced

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 cup shredded carrot

2 red bell peppers, julienned

1 yellow or orange bell pepper, julienned

½ t freshly ground pepper

½ lb spaghetti

1)   Process croutons to make fine crumbs. Alternatively, mash in bag

2)   Spray a large non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and sauté garlic until lightly brown, about 1 minute

3)   Add bread crumbs and cook until lightly brown, about 3 minutes

4)   Transfer to bowl and mix in walnuts, parsley and, ½ t salt

5)   Spray frying pan with cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook squash, zucchini, and carrots until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plate and keep warm

6)   Add bell peppers to pan and sauté for 2 minutes

7)   Stir in remaining salt and pepper

8)   Return squash mixture to pan and mix, transfer to bowl and keep warm

9)   Fill a large pot ¾ full with water and bring to boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 10-12 minutes. Drain thoroughly

10) In a warmed shallow serving bowl, combine spaghetti, vegetables, and breadcrumb mixture. Toss to mix. Serve immediately

Adapted from the New Mayo Clinic Cookbook

Calories: 353 (less if you substitute olive oil for cooking spray)

Protein: 11 g

Carbohydrate: 56 g

Fiber: 11 g

Healthy and Delicious!