CEIMB: Cobb Salad

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly is from by Gabi from The Feast Within. The recipe can be found on the Food Network Website. It was easy to put together, and I substituted a few things I had on hand for the vegetables on top. Instead of avocado and watercress, I used celery, shredded carrots, and red cabbage. The star of this salad, however, is the dressing. It is really delicious. I would definitely use it again when making a salad. Another good one from Ellie.

Pasta with Pesto, Potatoes, and Green Beans

I was browsing through my copy of Everyday Food: Great Food Fast when I came across this recipe. It combines pasta, potatoes, and great beans, then tosses them with basil pesto. I had all of the ingredients on hand, and it was super simple to put together. I had some fresh green beans that I picked from my garden today, and they were so tender. This is the first time that I have planted them, and I don't know if I can go back to store bought. I had never tried pasta and potatoes together (I don't know why, starch mixed with starch, sounds like something I would love), but they really go well together. The pasta was al dente and the potatoes I used were really creamy. I would definitely recommend this recipe. I added some fresh mozzarella and some crushed red pepper to perk it up a bit, and it tasted great.


Pasta with Pesto, Potatoes, and Green Beans
Serves 4

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (I used about 4 medium-sized red potatoes)
  
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 8 ounces short tubular pasta like cavatappi, penne, or rotini
  
• 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved
• 1/2 cup basil pesto (I used Buitoni brand pesto)
• fresh mozzarella, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• crushed red pepper (optional)
  

Directions

1. Peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes; place in a large pot of water; bring to a boil.
2. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 8 ounces short tubular pasta; return to a boil; cook 2 minutes.
3. Add 8 ounces trimmed and halved green beans. Return to a boil; cook until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes.
4. Drain; toss with 1/2 cup pesto; season with salt and crushed pepper. Stir in mozzarella and serve warm or at room temperature.

CEiMB: Shrimp Roll

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly is from MacDuff of Lonely Sidecar. MacDuff chose for us to make a web-based recipe, Lobster or Shrimp Rolls, by Ellie Krieger. This is a healthier version of the standard Lobster Roll. The recipe stated that you could use shrimp in place of the lobster. I happened to have some cooked shrimp on hand, so I went with that option. This recipe is a lighter version of the traditional roll because it substitutes some of the mayonnaise with non-fat Greek yogurt. I used a fat-free version from FAGE Yogurt. Other than that, the recipe is pretty standard, there is lemon and scallions, but I also added some fresh dill and fresh parsley. I thought the Shrimp Roll tasted pretty good. The yogurt didn't seem to take away from the flavor too much, and I definitely think that the addition of the fresh herbs really helped brighten up the flavor as well. If I made this again, I would probably use lobster. I think what was missing for me was the sweetness that the lobster would have added to the mix. The shrimp isn't as sweet as lobster, and the lobster would have added a nice balance to the tanginess of the lemon juice and the yogurt.

CEiMB: Breakfast Cookies

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly is from Natalie of What's For Supper? She chose for us to bake a web-based recipe, Breakfast Cookies, by Ellie Krieger. These cookies have a bit of everything in them, oats, cereal, dried fruit, and nuts. I took some liberties with the recipe and made quite a few substitutions. Instead of bran flakes I used Kashi's Oat Flakes with Wild Blueberry Clusters. To go with the cereal, I used dried wild blueberries instead of the raisins called for in the original recipe. I didn't have any walnuts on hand, but I did have almonds, so I used them because I love the combination of blueberries and almonds.

These cookies smelled great while they were baking, and had a great cake-like texture to them. I think it's because the recipe only has a small amount of butter in it, instead, the recipe called for canola oil. They tasted great. The blueberries went really well with the almonds, and the cereal added a nice crunch. I can't wait to eat more tomorrow morning!