Pasta Primavera

I love this dish! It is originally from the "Cook Yourself Thin" cookbook and TV show that was on Lifetime in 2009. I bought it because there were so many recipes that I wanted to try out! I have made some changes to the dish that make it a little more filling and switched out some vegetables for ones that I like better. I have also added some chicken for extra protein. This can easily be made vegetarian by swapping the chicken stock for vegetable stock and leaving out the chicken. Just skip over the chicken steps and start right in with the asparagus!

I think this dish is pretty easy to make and doesn't require much prep time.

My picture is missing the chicken breasts, but I used 3 large chicken breasts. While starting the rest of the recipe, get a large pot of water boiling to cook the pasta. Once it is boiling and you have added the pasta, cook it about 2/3 of the way (about 6 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and the drain the pasta.

After slicing the chicken up, season with salt, pepper, and garlic and brown it up in a pan with enough olive oil to coat the pan. 

Once it is browned, add about 1/2 cup of white cooking wine. Let the wine cook out for about 4 minutes. Then, transfer to another bowl or dish. 

In the same pan, add the asparagus and 1/4 cup of chicken stock. Cover and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes so that the asparagus is still crisp. Transfer the contents of the pan into another bowl or dish. 

In the same pan (again!), heat the olive oil and then add the garlic. Brown for about 30 seconds to 1 minute over low heat. I added some red pepper flakes to make it a little spicy!

Add the pasta into the saute pan along with the rest of the chicken stock. Add the asparagus back into the pan...

Along with the spinach and peas. If you need ore liquid you can some or all of the pasta water back into the pan. The reason for using the pasta water instead of more stock or just water is that the starches in the pasta water thicken the sauce as it reduces down during cooking. 

Once the spinach, peas, and asparagus are mixed in and starting to thaw add the chicken and juices back into the saute pan. Reduce the liquid bay half, about 2-3 minutes, and add in the parmesan cheese. 

Bon Appetit!

Pasta Primavera

3-4 large chicken breasts

1/2 cup white cooking wine

salt, pepper, and garlic to season

1 lb. pasta, in any shape (penne, farfalle, or shapes that size work best)

1 bunch asparagus, tough ends cut off and remainder cut into 2-inch sections

15 oz. chicken stock

about 4 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves garlic

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen spinach or 6 oz. fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese

This recipe can serve at least four, but probably can feed 5-6 without leftovers.

*A delicious addition are sun-dried tomatoes which can be chopped and sprinkled in right at the end of cooking. I didn't have any so I didn't add them, but I wish I did because I love them!

Juice Detox Day 3

For breakfast today we had our Detox Special, for lunch we had our Beyond Detox, and for dinner we had the Dreamy Detox. Between breakfast and lunch we had to drink the whole H2O detox, which is a liter of water mixed in with a little fruit juice. So we had to make and drink five juices today! It felt like non-stop drinking!

Juice Master's Detox Special

H2O Detox

Beyond Detox

Dreamy Detox

We both felt pretty bad today. I feel like I have a really bad cold, which I think I might actually have at this point. Peter feels like his allergies are a lot worse than usual. By the end of the day we wanted to eat something so badly. I just went to bed early so that I could wake up and eat breakfast. 

I'm proud that we accomplished all three days of this juice detox though! That being said, I don't think we will ever do a detox for this long again. I feel like depriving ourselves just made us want to eat unhealthy foods even more, now that we can. We will keep juicing along with eating foods though and I think we could replace a lunch or breakfast with juices and smoothies in the future. I will definitely be taking off a few days from juices and smoothies though. The thought of drinking one right now is incredibly unappealing.

Juice Detox Day 2

Our second day also had a late start again because Peter had to work really late into the night. I had my hot water with lemon and breakfast smoothie around 10 am and Peter had his around 11:30 am. 

The Super Detox Smoothie wasn't very sweet, in fact it was a little sour. That might just be because the berries aren't in season. I didn't mind though because all of the other juice have been so sweet that I'm ready for a new flavor.

Dreamy Detox

We made lunch at 1:30 pm. Lunch was the Dreamy Detox juice. I thought this one would be gross, but it just tasted like lemonade with ginger in it. I couldn't really even taste the celery, which is good because I hate celery. It was also much more like juice than the other juices have been. There was no avocado in it. This was much more like what we thought we would be having the entire time.

H2O Detox

We felt hungry around 4 pm and that is when we made our H2O Detox or "linner". We definitely felt hungrier today than yesterday, but never felt starving.

Beyond Detox

We made dinner around 7 pm. Peter didn't feel hungry, but I did. He started eating later in the day so I think that's why. I kept his portion in the fridge and drank mine.

As far as detox symptoms go, I felt like I was having some sinus issues last night and today. I read online that that's normal and I did have a sinus infection that I had to get antibiotics for a little under a year ago. So I was thinking that maybe my body was still getting rid of toxins from that time. Peter has felt completely normal, lucky for him! We still feel like this detox is pretty easy to do. As long as you keep yourself busy, then you don't feel hungry or think about food. I miss eating as an activity, but I don't feel like I need to eat to feel full.

Juice Detox Day 1

Reading up on our juice recipes for the next 3 days

We felt so full today! We were so surprised! We could barely fit all of the juice into the day. We had plenty of energy all day and felt pretty much the same as normal. I felt a little shaky before lunch, but I think that was because of the sugar.

Juice Master's Detox Special

The first two juices of the day were the Juice Master's Detox Special and they were very filling. It made two full glasses for each of us. We had to drink half of it and then wait until we were hungry again to drink the rest. The Detox Special was thicker than juice and much more like a smoothie than a juice. I thought it tasted really good! I was expecting to not enjoy andy of the juices, but it was actually yummy. I just had to ignore the taste of the bell pepper. The avocado made it very creamy, but didn't change the flavor.

We had our breakfast at 10 am and made lunch at 3 pm. Once, again we couldn't finish the whole juice at once. We even cut the amount of avocado in half to make it not as filling. I made my "linner" at 6:30 pm because I knew I needed to fit so much more liquid into the day, even thought I wasn't hungry. Linner is like a snack between lunch and dinner. I had to modify mine because I am allergic to pineapple. So I used an orange and 5 strawberries instead. I chose the orange because I thought it would have a lot of juice and be similar to pineapple juice and I chose the strawberries because they have many of the same vitamins and minerals as pineapple.

H2O Detox

The H2O Detox tasted like watered down juice, which is essentially what it is. It was easier to get down than the Detox Special because it wasn't as thick.

Beyond Detox

We made our last juice around 9 pm. For dinner we had the Beyond Detox juice. It was also fairly thick, because of the avocado, and sweet. We couldn't really taste the spinach.

So far it seems to us that this is definitely do-able for anyone. If you are hesitant to try this detox because you think you will be starving, then don't worry! You will be full all day, at least for day 1...

Juice Master 3 Day Detox

This month I moved back in with my parents. Tauri got a new job in Ridgecrest, which is about 3 hours away, so she had to move out there. I'm really glad to be back here because I get to save up some money and work on Les Petites Sweets with my mom. It's also really nice to have my own bathroom (my brother moved to Portland, Oregon the same day I moved back in) and a washer and dryer again.

Peter and I are focusing on getting back into working out regularly. I live really close to the gym we joined and we have the time to go so we don't have any excuses not to! So to kickstart being super healthy we are going to do a juice detox! The one we have chosen in Jason Vale's Juice Master 3 day detox. I bought his recipe book and I'm excited to start. I hope we can make it!

We went shopping today for all of the fruits and veggies that we are going to need for the next 3 days. But first, we tried out some fresh juice and a smoothie at Nekter Juice Bar.

We tried "The Cure" which is a fresh juice.

And the Berry Banana Burst smoothie.

I really liked the smoothie. It tasted like the inside of a Nutrigrain bar. And the juice was good too. It was sweet, but you could also taste the greens in it. 

I'l be back tomorrow with the results of our first day of juicing!

CPK's Kung Pao Spaghetti Copycat Recipe

Peter and I love CPK's Kung Pao Spaghetti so when we found a recipe for it I had to make it. It is spicy, sweet, and delicious! The sauce is really versatile. You can add in any meats or veggies that you like. You can even make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Peter usually has it with shrimp, but I think I would like it with chicken too. 

First things first, we had to gather our ingredients.

I found this thick spaghetti to use instead of regular spaghetti because I like a hearty pasta. I think it makes it more like the one at CPK because they use thick pasta too. 

Peter, being the wonderful person that he is, chopped the garlic for me. 

It is really important to make sure that the pasta is cooked al dente because nobody likes mushy, soggy pasta. That is one thing that we really enjoy about CPK: their pasta is always al dente.

To make the sauce I mixed together the chicken broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, sherry, red chili paste, sugar, red wine vinegar, and sesame oil. The original recipe called for 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 3/4 cup soy sauce. The sauce had way too much sesame oil for our taste so to make it taste more like the one at CPK I adjusted the amounts of these ingredients below. It was also too spicy for me so I think the next time I make it I will use less of the chili paste.

The next thing to do is saute the garlic in the oil for about 30-60 seconds.

And add the sauce mixture to the pan with the garlic. If using peanuts (we didn't, but next time will) this is when you would add them.

This is where we started getting excited to eat! Bring the sauce to a boil and then let it cook for about 3-4 minutes.

When it is thickened and darker pour the sauce over the cooked pasta. If you want to add chicken, shrimp, or veggies now is the time. If not, then add the sauce about a third at a time because you might not need to use it all. 

Yum!

You can add the green onions to the cooked sauce or top your pasta with them like we did.

CPK's Kung Pao Spaghetti Copycat Recipe:
1 pound spaghetti

1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons red chili paste with garlic (I would use less, about 1 Tbsp, if you don't like spicy foods, but definitely not eliminate it all together as it would change the taste of the final product)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (can substitute for vegetable, canola, olive, whatever your favorite oil is)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup green onions, thinly sliced

Kale and Papa's Fried Rice

Today for lunch I made kale sauteed with garlic and fried rice. My fried rice recipe comes from my grandpa. This is the way he always made it for me when I was younger and still would today. 

Both recipes require garlic and lots of it! This is the portion I used in the kale.

Kale is super easy and quick to make. Ralph's has had organic kale by the bunch on sale for 99 cents all summer. That makes it a bargain vegetable that is also really healthy. Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables you can find. It scores 1000/1000 on the ANDI, which means that it is nutrient dense.

The first step is to saute about 2 cloves of garlic in a pan with oil. I like to use grapeseed because it has a neutral flavor and good for you too! Always remember to heat up your pan first, then add the oil and let it heat up before adding your product to the pan. This will ensure that the oil does not heat up before the pan does and that your food will not stick to the pan. 

I like to simply rinse and then tear or chop kale. I add it to the pan with the garlic and season with salt and pepper. I wait until the kale wilts and then add about 1/4 cup of water. Then, just cover it with a lid and let it steam for 4-5 minutes. 

This is the result!

For fried rice, I just needed a few extra ingredients.

These, along with 3 cups of cooked brown rice and 3 large cloves of garlic are all you need to make a basic fried rice. Most of the time I like to add veggies like zucchini, cabbage, or broccoli. If I was using these veggies I would saute and season them with garlic, salt, and pepper before adding them to the rice.

Today, I sauteed garlic in the grapeseed oil the same way I did with the kale and then added the egg. I let that cook until the egg was just about done and then added the rice (this is when I also add veggies). I pour about 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 1 Tbsp of sweet soy sauce for this amount of rice. You can always taste as you go to ensure you have added enough soy sauce. I use the sweet soy sauce because I think it adds some extra flavor, but you can easily omit it or use teriyaki sauce instead. This was an ingredient that I added to my grandpa's recipe. 

I let it heat up for 2-3 minutes and that's it!

My completed meal. 

Kale Sauteed with Garlic:

1 bunch kale, chopped

1 Tbsp oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper 

Add the garlic to a heated saute pan with oil. Cook for about 1 minute and then add the kale. Season with salt and pepper. Let the kale wilt then add the water and cover. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes. You may need to add water to the pan about halfway through. If you see the kale browning, move it around in the pan and add 1-2 Tbsp water.

Papa's Fried Rice:

3 cups cooked white or brown rice

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp oil

1 egg

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp sweet soy sauce or teriyaki sauce (optional)

Heat the saute pan, add the oil and then the egg. Cook the egg through to your liking. Add the garlic and let cook for about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir. Add the soy sauce and sweet soy sauce or teriyaki sauce. Let it heat through. Enjoy! Your can also season the rice with pepper, onion powder, garlic powder (if you don't have fresh garlic, that's the way Papa always does it), hot sauce, crushed red pepper, or whatever you like before adding the soy sauce. 

Ramen or Something Like It

For lunch today my boyfriend, Peter, and I took a trip to the grocery store to find something to eat. We came home with the ingredients to make an easy version of one of Peter's favorite meals: ramen.

Traditionally, ramen is made with pork broth but the store we went to didn't have any so we made do with chicken broth. If you're making it at home you can use whatever broth you want. This dish is also very easy to make into a vegetarian meal by using vegetable broth. I only eat fish and chicken so it worked out well for me to use chicken broth!

I started by making a dashi with 1 cup of broth, 1 cup of soy sauce, 5 cloves of minced garlic, the white parts of two green onions sliced, and 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper. If you want to make it more or less spicy, you can add as much or as little crushed red pepper as you want. 

I browned the pork loin while the dashi was reducing. 

After letting the dashi reduce by half, I braised the pork loin for about 10 minutes. 

I added the remaining dashi to the rest of the chicken broth, 4 cups of water, and 1 tbsp of sweet soy sauce. If you don't want to use sweet soy sauce or can't find it you can omit it or substitute with sugar. Cook the soup for about 20 minutes, tasting and adding seasoning or more water if you need to.

While the soup is cooking boil 2-4 hardboiled eggs. I didn't want any so Peter made 2 for himself.

We couldn't find any ramen noodles so we bought yakisoba and udon noodles. I really like udon noodles, but Peter wanted egg noodles so he chose the yakisoba. Ramen noodles would have been the best option for this recipe, but we both agreed that the udon noodles were the next best choice. 

In the last 2 minutes of cooking the soup we cooked the noodles according to the directions on the package and added the eggs and the bamboo shoots to the soup and let it finish cooking.

My finished bowl of noodle soup.

Ramen soup is garnished with meats, veggies, and eggs. Ramen is usually served with pork belly, but we found pork loin on sale so that is what we used. Peter sliced his pork, green onions, and hardboiled eggs to top off his bowl of noodles.

Peter's finished bowl of noodle soup.

Ramen on a budget:

32 oz. chicken/beef/pork/vegetable broth
1 cup soy sauce
5 cloves of garlic, minced
about 4 green onions
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper
2-4 hardboiled eggs
pork loin or pork belly
4 cups water
1 Tbsp sweet soy sauce (optional)
bamboo shoots and/or bean sprouts
ramen noodles

Add 1 cup of broth, 1 cup of soy sauce, garlic, the white parts of 2 green onions, and crushed red pepper to a small saucepan and let reduce by half, about 15 minutes. This is your dashi. While the dashi is reducing brown the pork. When the dashi is reduced, add enough dashi to the pan with the pork to come up the pork about halfway. Cover with a lid and braise for 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through. After 10 minutes the dashi should be almost or completely reduced.
Add the remaining dashi from the saucepan to the rest of the chicken broth, 4 cups of water, and 1 Tbsp sweet soy sauce. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, tasting and adding seasoning or more water if you need to. Add the hardboiled eggs and bamboo shoots in during the last 2 minutes of cooking. If using bean sprouts you can add them now or into your bowl depending on if you like them soft or crunchy. 
Cook your noodles according to the package then place them in your bowl. Top with soup and garnish with pork, eggs and veggies.
Makes about 3-4 servings.