With Forks Over Knives still heavy on my mind I prepared dinner last night. My husband is out of town so there would be no grumbling if I went meatless. But meatless...meatless...How can I do this? While I'm all about the fruits and veggies and making sure they are present nightly at the dinner table, I'm not really sure I know how to cook a balanced meal without meat.
I can cook. I can follow a recipe. But I'm not all that smooth when it comes to thinking outside the box. At least the recipe box. I decided I would give it my best shot and just look what I came up with! Isn't it pretty? So colorful! That's why I decided to call it "Rainbow Pasta".
Rainbow Pasta (Serves 4)
whole wheat linguine (1/2 package), prepared according to package directions
olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small yellow squash, diced
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
dried basil, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
light Alfredo sauce (1/2 jar)
Italian blend grated cheese
Prepare pasta in boiling water. While pasta is cooking heat olive oil in saute pan. Add garlic and onion. Saute for a few minutes. Add red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and asparagus. Sprinkle in basil, salt, and pepper to taste. Saute until tender-crisp.
Drain pasta. Add to vegetables. Gently stir in Alfredo sauce. Serve with grated cheese on top.
You really could adapt this anyway you wanted. Change up the veggies or the spices. Use a different kind of pasta. Add meat if you want meat. So simple!
P.S. My son has a dairy allergy and my daughter has Celiac disease. Instead of making three different meals each night I make adaptions to what I'm already preparing. In this case I boiled up some GF pasta in a separate pan. I set aside sauteed vegetables for Elle's pasta and then added Alfredo sauce to hers separately. For Dee, I took out a serving of combined pasta and veggies before I added the cheese sauce. A little bit of a juggling act, but absolutely doable.
1 comment:
That recipe sounds fantastic! And I need to look up on Netflix, Forks over Knives for sure! My husband will be JUST like yours I am sure! He likes meat with dinner...but he eats very little of fruits and vegetables! My kids are okay veggie eaters, so I REALLY need to find ways to incorporate more into our meals, plus, they love pastas and really could care less about meat! Rainbow Pasta sounds like something they will like. As for me, I love trying new recipes and really don't care for meat, I now eat very little dairy ( and I am seeing some good things happen because of it), and I love ALL vegetables! I am so glad you shared!
Also, I just have to say how totally awesome you are for taking your kids hiking! The summer before I got pregnant with baby #4, I started doing the same thing with my kids and we just loved it! Because of your example, I have a goal now to get back into hiking next summer for all the reasons you are doing it now! You have become this trend setter for me....I see all the things you are doing and I think to myself, "Hey! That is awesome! I want to do it too!" So thank you for that too!
As for weight loss and running, you have become a role model for me to follow! I still cannot believe you are almost at the 100 lb mark!! That is just so incredible! And you know what? You are often talked about within the Meredith family...an inspiration for us all! I hope you don't mind! ;) when you posted a picture before your half marathon, standing by your sister, Russ was like, "Wow! She looks as skinny as Camille! She looks awesome!" And it is true! You look amazing!
So, we are cheering you on, and because of your journey, it helps me to make similar goals and know that I can accomplish them too, if I can be persistent and as hard-working as you have been! Thank you for your blogs and for me, please keep blogging and being awesome!
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