One-pot pasta -- a quick and soothing meal for these challenging times
I missed the introduction, in 2013, of this brilliant recipe -- attributed to Martha Stewart (thank you, Martha!) -- but tried it just before the Covid 19 virus put us all into quarantine. And it is, indeed, a game-- and life changer. It will be as important to my future culinary life, I suspect, as seven-minute, pressure cooker risotto.
Like seven-minute risotto, one-pan spaghetti uses much less energy to prepare than classic two-pot recipes (one for the pasta and the other for the sauce). And the taste is in a different ball park. You have to try it to believe it. I couldn't wait to create variations, using sausage; olives; onions: and herbs.
As always, I balanced the Omega-3s in this recipe by using canola instead of olive oil. An optional addition of a few anchovies, along with the spinach or kale, would boost the Omega-3s even more. Double this if you are holed up with your family, but you will need a larger pot -- a dutch oven works well.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound dried spaghetti
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved (about 1 pint)
zest of one lemon
1/8 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 bunch spinach or kale (leaves only), washed and chopped (if needed).
Black pepper
Parmesan, for serving
Directions:
Place spaghetti, tomatoes, zest, and salt in a large dry shallow pan. I used a large cast-iron skillet and broke some of the pasta so it all lay flat in the pan.
Carefully pour 1/2 quart boiling water over the ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and simmer for about 6 minutes, using tongs or some other tool to move the pasta around so it doesn't stick. Add the kale or spinach (and optional ingredients such as anchovies and/or red pepper flakes; basil or other herbs) and cook until the remaining liquid has been reduced to a sauce and the pasta is cooked through. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with Parmesan.
Yum!
On another night, when my daughter and her family were staying with me, I experimented with
1 pound spaghetti
.5 pound sausage
13 oz frozen peas
medium onion
thyme, sage, fennel -- whatever combination of spices you have and enjoy
1 quart boiling water.
This time, I sauteed the onion and sausage in a frying pan, then added them and the peas at the 6 minute mark. Really good!
A High Omega-3 Breakfast Cookie you can bake at Home
Hello Everyone -- and I hope that you're staying well -- and sane!
Friends and customers have been asking me for a high Omega-3 Breakfast Cookie recipe that they can bake at home -- and here is a good one:
It is a Carrot Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie that my grandsons and I just baked up in my kitchen. The boys were a big help and all fingers remained attached!
Ingredients:
1 cup honey
2/3 cup canola oil
2 cups grated carrots
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup ground flaxmeal
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 cups oats
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2 Combine honey and canola oil in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add carrots, eggs and mix well.
3. Mix flour; baking powder; cinnamon; nutmeg; baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix til well combined.
4. Drop large spoonfuls on a baking sheet and form into scone-like forms
5. Bake until tops are golden about 15 min.
Enjoy
A message from Susie at Susie's Smart Cookie
Dear Customers,
We hope you are staying healthy -- and sane -- during these uncertain times.
We just wanted you to know that the bakery that produces our Breakfast Cookies and Bites is located in New Hampshire and has strict health and safety standards. Lou and Lois, who run the bakery, used to be engineers with GE, and they seem to actually enjoy meeting and exceeding these standards. At this point, they do not anticipate any delays in their baking schedule.
Since you are already Susie's Smart Cookie customers, you know how satisfying and delicious our Breakfast Cookies and Bites are. As we're all trying to do our part to slow down transmission of COVID-19, please also know that you do not need to go to the grocery store to stock up on these healthy, all-natural meal replacements. They can be delivered to your door at no extra cost to you. So you and your loved ones will have a convenient and healthy grab-and-go in these -- and any-- times.
Be well,
Susie and Michele
Just had to share these three great reviews that came in over the weekend
Hello Everyone,
You've often heard me say that our Breakfast Cookies are for just about everybody!
These three reviews that came in over the weekend -- from a bicycler: nursing mom; and the mom of champion Junior X Country skier: Natalie O'Brien show just how diverse our customers really are
From the bicycler: Perfect for breakfast and more. I will carry one of these bad boys when I go for long rides on my bicycle. These are perfect for eating about 1/4 cookie per hour on a long ride. I'm too much of a geezer to go fast, but I can still go long. A bite of Susie's cookie and a swallow of water and I am good to go. Glad I found you through Road Bike Rider, Susie.
From the nursing mom: I love these cookies. They are great for anytime of the day. I also breastfeed exclusively and these are great for my milk supply. Thank you Susie!
From Natalie's mom: Fueled by her "good luck" Cranberry Orange Nut Breakfast Cookie, here is Natalie on the day before she won the State Title (Wyoming) for Juniors in Cross Country Skiing.
Thanks for sending... Please let us know how you run on Susie's Smart Cookies.
#runningonsusiesmartcookie
Fava-Bean Falafel -- made balanced in Omega-3s, of course!
- 1/2 pound dried fava beans
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin or more to taste
- 1 heaping tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)
- juice of half a lemon
- salt to taste
Directions
- Soak the dried fava beans in abundant water for 24 hours.
- Drain well and put in a cuisinart with the baking soda, chopped onion, cumin, hot pepper, flaxseed meal, parsley, cilantro and lemon juice until it has the consistency of a coarse paste (not entirely smooth).
- Let the mix sit for half an hour, then add salt to taste.
- Form small, patties about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick out of the fava bean mixture and fry them in abundant oil for about five minutes each.
- Drain on a paper towel and serve warm.
Walnut Torte -- a dessert that is naturally high Omega-3s -- and one of my favorites!
Walnut Torte is one of my favorite desserts to serve at dinner parties.
(And I'm very lucky if I have any leftovers to have with black coffee the next day!)
Ingredients:
7 eggs, separated (Omega-3 eggs, of course!)
1/2 cup finely ground breadcrumbs*
1/4 pound ground walnuts
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup sugar
Beat egg yolks. Add sugar gradually. Stir in bread crumbs and nuts. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into egg yolk mixture and add vanilla.
Bake in a 9 x 13 pan for 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees.
Topping:
1 1/2 pints whipping cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
Whip the cream until firm. Add sugar and cocoa. Spread on top of cooled torte and sprinkle with walnuts. Serves 8-10
*Omega-3 Tip
This recipe calls for bread crumbs but I experimented with using half bread crumbs and half flax seed meal with great results. I also made a gluten-free version for a friend with Celiac disease by using a combination of her gluten-free bread crumbs and flax seed meal.
The same cookbook that supplied me with the recipe for the Walnut Torte:The Napa Valley Walnut Cookbook by Michelle Turner has a simple and delicious recipe for a walnut butter that could easily come to replace peanut butter in my affections.
4 cups walnut halves
1 Tablespoon coarse salt
4 tablespoons walnut oil
Put the walnuts salt and oil into a food processor and pulse, stopping frequently, until the nuts are fully pulverized and creamy. I've store my butter in a dark jar and spread it on toast in the morning.
Short Rib Ragu -- with added Omega-3s
We do not live on Breakfast Cookies alone -- here at Susie's Smart Cookie.
Michele recently made this Short Rib Ragu for her family using a recipe from Tasty.
She boosted the Omega-3s in this recipe by using canola oil for browning the ribs and by adding 2 Tablespoons of ground flaxmeal with the liquid ingredients. No one in her family noticed the flaxmeal, so I would suggest adding 2-3 Tablespoons.She served the ragu with pasta but it would be good with polenta too! She also prepared the recipe in her slow cooker.
Ingredients for 6 servings
2 lb bone-in beef short rib, cut into 2 inch pieces (grass-fed if possible)
3 tsp salt
3 tsp ground black pepper, more to taste
1 TBS canola oil
a c yellow onion diced
1 1/2 c carrot diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS tomato paste
2 cups red wine
28 oz crushed tomato
1 c beef stock
1 TBS dijon mustard
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 c water as needed
2 lb pappardelle pasta
fresh parsley and grated Parmesan for garnish
Preparation
1. Pat ribs w paper towels to remove excess moisture, then season generously with 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp pepper.
2. Add canola in a Dutch oven or the slow cooker and heat over high heat until shimmering. Add half the ribs and sear on each side til deep brown about 7 min. Repeat with remaining ribs.
3. Discard all but 1 TBS of rendered fat. Add onion, carrot, garlic and 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Saute until softened, about 5 min.
4. Add tomato paste and saute for a few min, until dark and thickened.
5. Pour in wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape browned bits from bottom. Reduce liquid by half, about 15 min.
6. Add tomatoes, beef stock, mustard, bay leaves, thyme and flaxseed meal to the pot and stir to combine.
7 Add the ribs, making sure the meat is submerged. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Or, if using the crock pot, put on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours). Add up to 1 cup water as needed if sauce gets too thick. Skim off excess fat off the top as needed. The ribs are done when the meat pulls apart easily.
8. Discard bay leaves and thyme. Transfer ribs to a cutting board and pull out the bones and shred the meat, then return to the pot.
9. Season to taste and simmer for 15 min over low heat.
10. Cook pasta or polenta according to directions and place in shallow bowls. Scoop ragu on top and garnish with parmesan and parsley.
11. Enjoy!
Gingerbread -- Probably the only recipe for Gingerbread you'll ever need!
A very Happy New Year to you from Susie and her gang
Happy New Year to you -- one of our valued customers. We hope it is a good year for you, a year, as they're saying, of perfect vision!
We've gotten emails over the holidays from customers who have successfully lost weight using our Breakfast Cookies but this email, from a very active customer -- Randy Birch -- who wonders if the cookies have helped him avoid knee surgery, we just had to share:
... the cessation of OA (osteoarthritis) in my right hip and knee could be due to my daily consumption of one of your smart cookies? Previously, I had an annual steroid injection in Oct for past two years to allow me to pheasant hunt w/o pain. No injection this year and I haven't had any pain despite kiteboarding about 30 times since August.
In a follow-up email, he says: A cookie a day keeps the knee surgery away.
Now, we have no way of knowing if the Breakfast Cookies, with their two grams of Omega-3s, have actually helped this snow-kiting customer, but then again, they couldn't hurt! We do know that the Breakfast Cookies are very effective at boosting the Omega-3s in our tissues and that higher levels Omega-3s help with many inflammatory conditions, including arthritis
BTW, this customer, pictured below with his surf kite, always orders Cocoa, which is Susie's favorite too! (And her grandsons' as well!)
A Happy, Healthy New Year to you all -- whether you are surf kiting or surfing the internet!
Warm wishes, Susie and Michele
Order Susie's Smart Cookies by December 16th to guarantee Xmas delivery. Sale ends 12/31.
Looking for a gift for the friend or loved one who has everything -- but time!
Send a box of Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies to get them through the busy holiday season.
Satisfying and delicious, Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies are a great breakfast to go -- or anytime snack. Plus, they have the added benefit of portion control -- and can actually help us to lose excess pounds or maintain a healthy weight.
And did we mention how convenient they are? Throw one in your purse or backpack and you'll know that you have a healthy, nutritious snack on hand that will take you through whatever the day brings. And we hope that includes at least some sledding and snow!
Happy Holidays to all of you from Susie's Smart Cookie, and please use the Discount Code Holidays2019 to take 10% off your entire order. Shipping, as always, is free.
Cheers,
Susie and Michele
Give your Loved Ones the Gift of Health, Deliciousness, and Convenience -- and take 10% off your entire order.
Looking for a gift for the friend or loved one who has everything -- but time!
Send a box of Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies to get them through the busy holiday season.
Satisfying and delicious, Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies are a great breakfast to go -- or anytime snack. Plus, they have the added benefit of portion control -- and can actually help us to lose excess pounds or maintain a healthy weight.
And did we mention how convenient they are? Throw one in your purse or backpack and you'll know that you have a healthy, nutritious snack on hand that will take you through whatever the day brings. And we hope that includes at least some sledding and snow!
Happy Holidays to all of you from Susie's Smart Cookie, and please use the Discount Code Holidays2019 to take 10% off your entire order
Cheers,
Susie and Michele
It's so easy to make your Thanksgiving high in Omega-3s!
There are so many ways to make a turkey dinner high in Omega-3s (and balanced in Omega-3s and Omega-6s), I hardly know where to begin.
The first is to use canola oil for all your sauteing and cooking, including patting on the turkey, along with salt and pepper and whatever other spices you use, before roasting. (And I mean here conventional -- not high-heat -- canola oil since high-heat canola has been selected to have fewer Omega-3s) This is a great first step. No one will ever know, but you can be sure that you are making an important long-term contribution to your family's health! By the way, you can find both non-. GMO and GMO conventional canola oil. I look for expeller-pressed, non GMO canola.
A second way is to add ground flaxmeal to stuffings and gravies. I replace a quarter to a fifth of the flour that I use to make gravy with ground flaxseed and no one is any the wiser. I also add a tablespoon of flaxseed meal for every cup or so of stuffing.
A third way is to use grass-fed butter wherever you use butter (mashed potatoes; steamed beans or peas, etc). There are local varieties of grass-fed butter, but I usually choose Kerry butter because Ireland has green grass all year round so I can be sure that that is what a cow is eating.
A fourth way is to use Omega-3 eggs in your pies, etc.
All of these add up to a meal that is every bit as delicious as anything you've made before but isn't as heavy -- and it doesn't have the long-term health consequences of a diet rich in Omega-6s (those essential fats that compete with Omega-3s for positions in cell membranes).
Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you.
I, for one, am so grateful to you -- our special customers!
Susie