Pasta in Olive oil with mixed Herbs and Veggies

These past few weeks I have been eating pasta in the events I have attended, when I visited my folks,  and when I went out for a meal. I am getting tired of the red and white sauce, so I have decided to use the Olive oil as a base for my pasta. I can’t exactly figure out what kind of taste would I like to have in this recipe. My goal is for it to be a vegan dish or at the very least, make it meatless. But since I like my cheese, and since I am not really a vegan, I came out with this idea. For those who are carnivorous and if meat is a necessity in your plate, you can actually partner this pasta dish with your full-on meat dish, like Baby back ribs, Lamb chops, Fried chicken, etc.

INGREDIENTS:

1 White onion, sliced

6 cloves of Garlic, sliced

1 Celery stalk and leaves, minced

8 pieces of Green olives, sliced

1 ½ cup of Basil leaves, minced

2 small cans of Button mushroom ( You can use Whole or pieces and stems)

Extra virgin Olive oil

3 Medium sized Tomatoes

1 Medium sized shredded Carrot

Italian seasoning

Chili flakes

Salt

Pepper

Tomatoes

Pasta of your choice

Mushroom

Whote Onion and Celery

Basil

Garlic and shredded Carrots

Chili Flakes

Olives

PROCEDURE:

- Cook your pasta according to the package, drain and set aside

- In a pan  saute the following in Olive oil, with continuous stirring (follow the order), having 1-3 minute interval

- Onions, Tomatoes, Mushroom, Celery, Garlic, Green olives

( make sure that your pan is not too dry. Drizzle small amount of olive oil every now and then to make it moisten)

- Mix in the cooked Pasta

- In very low heat, pour in the shredded carrots

- Sprinkle the basil leaves, stir for 1 minute

- Put chili flakes, Italian seasoning, Salt and Pepper to taste

Saute all the ingredients except for basil leaves and seasonings

Add the Basil Leaves

Add the Pasta

Plate it and enjoy!

Stir-fry Bean Sprouts (Vegan dish)

 Bean sprouts (Mung Bean)  is said to be a good source of Folate, which is good for your Red blood cells. It is low in fat, so if you are watching your weight this is good to include in your diet. This recipe is highly suggested for people who are on the go but prefer not to eat processed food. It takes 10-15  minutes or even less if you are a pro at slicing the other ingredients. Some people prefer it as a filling for their vegan fried spring rolls, others would like to partner it with steamed white rice, as a side dish to your protein or to simply eat it as it is.  

INGREDIENTS:

- Approximately 1-2 cups of Bean sprouts

- 1 medium sized red Onion sliced

- 3 pieces of Garlic, sliced

-Half a stalk of sliced Celery (include the leaves)

- 1 small/medium sized Carrots, grated

-3 pieces of small sized tomatoes, sliced

- Olive Oil

-Salt

Garlic and Onion

Tomatoes

Celery stalk and leaves

Bean Sprouts

Carrot

Olive Oil

PROCEDURE:

- Heat 5 Teaspoons of Olive oil in a pan/wok

- In low heat, Saute Tomatoes, Onions, Celery (stalk and leaves), Garlic

* Give at least 20 seconds interval in between each ingredient before you drop the next, in this case you are allowing each of them to be caramelized and the flavor to come out.

- Mix in the Bean sprouts, Stir well

- Put the grated Carrots. I put it last because I want it to be a bit crispy and half cooked.

- Put Salt to taste. 

- Serve and Enjoy!

Suggestion: You can also use this as a filling to your Spring Rolls.

Serves: 1-2

Preparation and Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

Squash it up! (Easy to cook vegan squash dish)

Running out of squash recipe ideas?  Want to be healthy but still enjoy your food? Are you a vegan and you want to prepare an easy dish? Are you trying to lose weight and looking for a low calorie content but has a good source of carbohydrates?  If your answer is YES to all those questions, you have to read further for you to be able to learn this over the top easy squash recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
-Half medium sized Yellow Squash (diced into cubes)
-2 pieces red Onion (medium size)
-3 pieces of Garlic
-Stalk of celery (with a bit of leaves)
-Parsley (for garnish)
-Olive oil
-Salt
-Soy sauce
-Pepper
-1/2 cup of Water

PREPARATION:
- Boil your diced squash for 3-5 minutes. Squash are usually hard to cook, we boil it for easier cooking.

- Put in a strainer and set aside

- In a pan heat some oil just enough to cover the pan

- Saute Onions, Celery, Garlic ( follow the order)

- Mix in the boiled squash, then simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until you reached the desired consistency of the squash.

- Put 1/2 cup of water and bring to boil

- Mix 2-3 teaspoons of Soy sauce

- Pinch of Salt and Pepper

- Mix it properly and simmer for another 2 minutes

-Garnish with parsley

- Serve and enjoy!

Serving Suggestion: For some people they usually eat this with Steamed white rice. For non-vegans, they usually eat this as a side dish together with some grilled chicken or meat of your choice. Can also be eaten alone for daily dose of nutrients.

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Health Benefits: There are several Vitamins and nutrients that you can get from Yellow Squash. It is rich in Beta-carotene and Lutein which is perfect for your eyes. If you want to lower the intake of your Carbohydrates, the yellow squash has a lower calorie content. It is also a good source of Fiber, which is good for digestion.

PRAWN AND TUNA PASTA IN OLIVE OIL

For seafood lovers, I think this is another go-to recipe that you might like. Also for those who don't like eating meat and trying to be a bit healthy, you can try to make this and let your love ones enjoy as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1.      Onion (chopped)

2.      Garlic (chopped)

3.      Tomato (chopped)

4.      Celery- sliced

5.      Mushroom (remove the syrup)

6.      Olive oil

7.      Prawns (shelled/unshelled)

8.      Tuna (flakes/chunks in oil)

9.      Italian dressing

10.  Salt

11.  Pepper

12.  Fresh basil leaves (minced)

13.  Pasta of your choice

14.  Cheese (optional)

15.  Shredded carrots

PROCEDURE:

1.      Cook your pasta according to package instructions

2.      In another pan, heat the pan. Once heated, drizzle some olive oil that is good enough to keep the pan wet

3.      Saute the onions and tomato until they caramelized a bit, but not too brown

4.      Pour in the mushroom and let it be coated with the oil

5.      Drop the celery and garlic, mixed in all the ingredients, but keep mixing so that it will not burn and it will just be caramelized and well coated

6.      Put in the prawns. Keep mixing until it turns purely orange

7.      Pour in the tuna

8.      Pour in the shredded carrots, simmer for a minute in a very low heat

9.      Put salt, pepper and Italian seasoning according to taste

10.  Pour in the fresh basil leaves

11.  Toss in your pasta, drizzle more olive oil if needed

12.  Serve with your choice of grated cheese and enjoy