Gemelli with Yellow Squash, Peas, and Basil, from Amy

Gemelli with Yellow Squash, Peas, and Basil (I have no idea where this came from. A friend made it at dinner club a couple of weeks ago.)

*coarse salt and ground pepper
*8 oz gemelli or other short pasta
*3 medium yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
*1 pkg frozen peas
*4 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
*1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
*1/2 c grated parm
*1/2 c torn fresh basil leaves

1. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than al dente. Add squash and peas. Cook until squash is tender-crisp. Reserve 1/2 c pasta water, drain and return to pot.

2. To mixture in pot--add butter, lemon juice, 1/4 c parm, and 1/4 c pasta water. Season w/ salt and pepper, and toss to combine. If needed, add enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats the pasta. Stir in basil, and sprinkle w/remaining parm.

Grilled Veggie Pasta, from Kris

Recipe for grilled veggie pasta:

-spend Saturday morning at the farmers market and get a shitload of fresh veggies that your family loves (today, ours are beets, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, red onions, asparagus).
-slice and marinate veggies with some olive oil, salt, pepper
-grill over medium hot grill in veggie basket until they are done.
-cook and drain 1 pound penne pasta per package instructions
-Mix grilled veggies with pasta, top with parmesan cheese and dressing (recipe to follow).

Serve hot or cold.

Dressing for pasta:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1/4 tsp lemon zest
- salt and pepper to taste

In small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and lemon zest and turn off heat. Allow garlic and lemon to cook and infuse into warm oil (about 3 - 4 minutes). Add lemon juice and whisk until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over pasta and mix well. This pasta is one of my favorites to make in the summer. It's totally refreshing on a hot summer day. Even if it is served warm! The lemon just wakes up the senses.... I might go try to steal some lemons from my neighbors tree.

Veggie Stir-Fry, an idea from Amy

I'm doing a veggie stir-fry tonight since I have a ton of veggies in the fridge I need to use. I'm going to just slice carrots, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, cook, coat in hoisin sauce, add baby corn from a can, serve with rice. I might have some left over tri-tip in the freezer that I'll throw in for protein purposes!

Suggested by Allison - White Bean and Pasta Soup with Greens

White Bean and Pasta Soup with Greens
by Deborah Madison: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
amended slightly

2 cups dry cannellini, navy beans, or a mixture
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped rosemary
1 onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
5 garlic cloves, sliced
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned, with their juices
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dried small pasta
1 bunch chard, spinach, mustard greens, or kale sauteed in olive oil with a tough of garlic and red pepper flakes

Soak the beans overnight, or I cover well with water, boil them about ten minutes and then let them sit at least an hour.

Heat the oil with the rosemary in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and parsley and cook a few minutes more. Drain the beans and add them to the pot along with the tomatoes and 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, until the beans have begun to soften, about an hour. Add salt and pepper and continue cooking until the beans are nice and tender, about another half hour. Just before serving, add the greens to the soup.

Cook the pasta, then drain. Portion some of it into the soup bowls and ladle soup over top. If you want, grate a little parmesan over top.

note: This makes more than our family can eat in one sitting unless we have guests. I make the whole thing and put the pasta we didn't use into the leftover soup for later.

Spinach and Olive Pie, from Allison

Spinach and Olive Pie

1 prepared pie crust
1 10-oz package fresh spinach (really all sorts of greens work here), finely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pitted olives
1/2 cup grated swiss cheese
2 beaten eggs
salt and pepper

Start the pie crust according to "open pie" directions. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Wash the greens if they haven't been washed, but dont' dry them. Heat the oil in a wide skillet over fairly high heat. Saute the onion with the garlic, bay leaves, and pepper flakes until the onion begine to color a little, about 4 minutes. Add the greens and cook until tender, 8-12 minutes, turning them as they cook. If there's a lot of moisture when they're done, press it out with the back of a spoon. Mix this with the olives and cheese and put it in the pie crust. Beat the eggs and pour over top. Cook until the pie looks done (eggs are set, etc).

Summer Strata, an idea from Heather

I made something called summer strata.... it's kind of like a casserole with caramelized onions to line the bottom of the dish and then you make little rows of tomato, zucchini, & summer squash and sprinkle it all with fresh parmesan and thyme and stick it in the oven.

Dressed Up Cous Cous, an idea from Carolyn

I had cous cous from a $2 mix made by Near East. It is soooo good. It was just five minutes in the microwave in a covered casserole: water, seasoning mix, and added peas, broccoli, and raisins. Then I pulled it out of the microwave, added the cous cous and (again, my addition) cut up tofu, and let it sit with lid on for five more minutes. Voila, dinner.

Carrots and Asparagus, and idea from Amy

I steamed some asparagus and baby carrots and did butter, lemon, and tarragon over them.

White Pizza Dip, from Sarah

In a baking dish or casserole, combine...

1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Savory Herb & Garlic

2/3 cup chopped spinach (I use fresh baby spinach chopped in the food processor)

1 egg

8 oz. sour cream (you can use light)

8 oz. ricotta cheese (you can use part-skim)

2 oz. shredded mozzerella (again, part-skim is fine)

2 oz. shredded cheese for tacos, or Mexican cheese, or just cheddar works fine

2 dashes worchestershire sauce

Top with another 2 oz. of mozzerella

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. You can brown the topping cheese under the broiler if you like after that (when I do it, it always gets too hard to pierce with a chip, though).

Beware doubling the recipe - it comes out a little too thin. I think one and a half eggs might be the trick.

This is usually a big hit.

Spinach salad from Sue

Here's a great spinach salad idea (one of the only salads I'll eat):

Put grape tomato halves in the salad and drizzle w/ Italian dressing (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, basil and a little salt). Sprinkle pine nuts over salad. Surround plate w/ little toast squares smeared w/ goat cheese and topped w/ a drop of honey.

Veggie enchiladas from Laura

The veggie enchiladas are super easy. I got the recipe from my sister's ex-boyfriend's mother, and I think that she got it on the back of package of cheese!

Veggie Enchiladas

15 0z can of Black Beans
1 cup of frozen corn (the baby sweet corn, I hate the big yellow ones)
8 oz shredded Cheddar Cheese
20 oz. Enchilada Sauce
1 cup of homemade salsa (Just tomato, hot pepper and cilantro with a little oil etc...)
12 tortillas

Combine the beans, corn, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and all of the salsa. Spoon a generous amount into each tortilla and roll up.. Place seam down in a 9"x13" baking pan. Cover with enchilada sauce. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top until it gets bubbly.