Quinoa Spaghetti with Asparagus (Gluten Free Pasta)

Since I gave birth to Aria 13 months ago, I've been determined to shed the weight I had gained during pregnancy. It took 9 months to gain the weight, so I knew it was going to take quite some time, perhaps even longer to lose it all. Part of my strategy has been to eat vegetarian 2 to 3 times a week. As you can imagine, this has made my husband Lulu (who is a vegetarian) very, very happy. “Halfway there,” he says.

One of my favorite dishes to make on veggie days is gluten-free quinoa pasta. The pasta is awesome. It has a different texture, but I really enjoy it. For this dish, I sauteed tomato-flavored quinoa spaghetti in garlicky baby asparagus spears and added sunflower seeds as the main source of protein. I’ll be eating this dish even after I reach my target weight, but I’ll be sure to throw in some meatballs or chicken breast (and of course, I’ll share the recipe). Sorry, Lulu!

Roasted Butternut Squash Tortellini Recipe

Butternut squash is called "courge musquée" in French. I roasted one today, blended half of it for baby Aria and used the rest for the pasta sauce.

I sautéed tortellini pasta with leeks and paired it with the butternut squash. It's fall season and it's time to roast some veggies!

Mushroom Lasagna Recipe

I just found out September was National Mushroom Month, so to celebrate the occasion, I made one of our family's favorites: vegetarian mushroom lasagna. I used cremini mushrooms, which have the right size and texture for lasagna. Onions and tomato sauce also play an important role in the dish, as of course does the cheesy white sauce. I included soy chorizo to provide some protein and a little kick to the meal. If you’re not a vegetarian, you could of course substitute ground meat in its place.

The layers of the lasagna can be a little soft, so I topped it with a Parmesan and bread mixture. I find this dish to be comfort food at its best: rich, flavorful and bold while still being familiar. Definitely worth the effort!

Thai Curry Cheddar Cheese Sauce Recipe

A few months ago, I met with my friend Steve from the Milk Pail Market in Mountain view. He's better known to locals as the cheese expert. On that day, I tasted a wide variety of cheeses. Some of them made me reminiscent of my childhood in France, while others were intriguing and unusual. In particular, there was a vibrant yellow cheese I had never seen before. It's called Thai Curry Cheddar cheese. Since Steve knew that I love mixing cultures and flavors, he thought I'd like it.

Of course, like most cheddars, this cheese could be enjoyed with sliced apples and a crusty bread as a snack. But I wanted to really play up the fusion of cultures represented in the cheese, so I used the cheddar to create a Thai-inspired béchamel sauce that would pair wonderfully with any pasta. Good thing Steve gave me some of his new ravioli to bring home!

Instead of using good ol' nutmeg for the white sauce, I flavored it with melted Thai Curry Cheddar cheese, turmeric, ground coriander, ground fennel, freshly grated ginger, ground fenugreek, a touch of cumin and a fresh bay leaf. The result is an aromatic taste with the richness from the cheese. It was a great addition to sautéed ravioli.

If you're not lucky enough to live down the street from a great grocer like Steve, you should enter our Full Circle giveaway. We're going to pick one lucky winner this week to get a free box of organic farm fresh produce delivered to your home. To enter, just type your name into the box below. The winner can choose any size box. The largest Full Circle offers is Harvest, which is $42 in CA, $45 in WA/ID, and $56 in AK (shipping not included outside of Anchorage).

Beet Lasagna Recipe

If you've been following the meals I've been cooking for my family recently, you've probably noticed the abundance of beets in the dishes. I try my best to make a wide variety of dishes, even though they all revolve around the same ingredient. So this recipe is made with --you guessed it-- beets and beet greens! I sautéed the greens with onions, fresh thyme, tomato paste and a bit of vegetable broth. The taste is very similar to collard greens. Of course, you could always replace the beet greens with collard greens or kale.

To ensure the beet greens were well appreciated, I utilized them in layers of lasagna. The key is to add generous amounts of béchamel sauce and cheese. Prepared this way, all the beet greens and beets were used up and I bet no one even really noticed I had served such large portions of greens!