Walnut Sauce Pasta

I took one of my favorite Patricia Wells pasta recipes and made a few changes by lightening up and adding some roma tomotoes. The garlic and walnuts together make for a heavenly sauce. Try adding a little fresh snipped parsley to give it a nice brightness.

Ingredients:

1/2 c walnuts
3/4 c half-n-half (or heavy cream)
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
3 roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 lb of whole wheat pasta (or regular)

Boil a large pot of water and add about 1/4 cup salt.

Heat a pan over medium high heat, add walnuts and toast shaking the pan frequently. Keep an eye on them as they go from toasted to burnt really quick.

Peal garlic and slice in half remove green germ and toss in food processor, add salt and pulse till finely chopped.

Add walnuts to garlic and pulse until fine crumbs.

Add half-n-half and blend for several minutes until thickened.

Cook pasta according to package. When cooked, drain pasta, reserving a little water. Return to pan, add sauce and put on over low heat, add tomatoes, and stir. Cook for 2 minutes and serve in large bowls.

Serves 2, but can be easily doubled.
11 WW PP

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Blueberry Oaty Buttermilk Pancakes

Pancake

Sunday morning means a sit down breakfast with my boys. Today I made a family favorite requested by Bram.

My mom used to make these when I was a kid and I have been ruined for all other pancakes since. I hated spending the night at friends only to awake in the morning to have their mom’s announce “I’m making pancakes.” I knew they would be those horrible from a box facsimiles and I had to eat them and pretend they were wonderful (a family rule – when you are guest you eat what is served and like it).

The original recipe is in Gourmet Pancake and Waffle book, I have made some changes to make them a little bit more healthy.

I always keep buttermilk on hand, if you don’t you can use one cup of milk with 1 TBSP lemon juice.

Ingredients:

1 c of rolled oats, uncooked (I use the multi-grain variety)
2 c buttermilk
1 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 TBSP melted butter
Blueberries 6 oz

Combine oats and buttermilk, mix and let stand 5 min.

Combine dry ingredients.

Add eggs and butter to buttermilk, stir.

Mix wet and dry ingredients until smooth, add blueberries.

Pour 1/4 cup onto hot griddle. Cook until little bubbles form in the middle, flip and cook other side.

Makes about 16.
2 WW PP

These freeze great. Cool completely and freeze with wax paper in between so they don’t stick. Reheat for 45 seconds in microwave with a damp paper towel on top.

Add best of all these are only 2 points on weight watchers per pancake.

Lemon Lavendar Cupcakes

These little cakes are amazing! Adapted from a Sunset recipe they are the perfect things when I am craving something sweet that is not chocolate.

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 c flour (I use 1/2 whole-wheat & 1/2 regular)
1 1/2 tsp dried lavender buds
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

3 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP lemon zest
1/2 c buttermilk

Icing:

1/2 cup loosely packed powdered sugar
5 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lavender buds

Preheat over to 350 and prepare 12 muffin tins (add paper, spray, whatever it is that you do to prep them).

Whisk first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Set aside

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer or food processor for 3 min until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg, lemon juice & lemon zest.

Add 1/3 flour mixture, beat until just combined.
Add 1/2 the buttermilk, beat same as above.
Add 1/3 flour mixture, beat same as above.
Add rest of buttermilk, beat same as above.
Add remaining flour, beat till combined.

Scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins – I like to use an ice cream scoop. Fill about 2/3 full.

Bake 24 – 26 min – turning 1/2 way through to ensure even baking.

When toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven.

Cool 10 min and remove and cool on wire rack.

While they cool combine all ingredients for the icing with a whisk till smooth. If too think – add a touch more lemon juice, if too thin, add a touch more powdered sugar.

Drizzle cakes with icing.

Keep in airtight container at room temp.

Serves 12.
4 WW PP

Roasted Pureed Sweet Potatoes

Instead of steaming the veggies, and losing all their nutrients, I started to roast my root veggies whole and then scope out the insides for tasty baby food.

3 sweet potatoes
Water

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse and poke several slits  in the sweet potatoes with a sharp knife.

Cook for about 30 – 45 min, or until nice and soft when squeezed. The time will really depend on the size of your potato.

Cool to room temp. Peel off the skin and plop the rest into a food processor, pulse and add water to thin to desired consistency.

Then put into ice cube trays to freeze. Once frozen toss in a zip lock bag and defrost as needed.

Toddler Food:

For toddlers you can keep the mixture on thick side and put into won ton wrappers to make veggie pasta.