Red Pepper Linguini

Isn't pasta just a srumptious, cozy comfort food! I love spooning the noodles and all the flavors that one bowl can hold! I always loved creamy, buttery Alfredo sauces before changing our eating habits! I was so discouraged when I thought I would never again enjoy a creamy, satisfying sauce over noodles! Since then I have been proven wrong on numerous occasions and thankfully I've been proven wrong once again! 

Although I am a HUGE pasta lover I do try and limit the amount we have simply for carbohydrates. When we do have pasta though I take advantage of the golden opportunity I have sitting before me to add amazing ingredients to my dish to make it whole and healthy! If you are new to natural eating, sauces are a great way to throw in some extra veggies or healthy fats! They blend together beautifully and make you wanting leftovers the next day and the next day!

We are still continuing our alphabet journey and today just happens to be the letter "R"! I thought of this pasta to make up for the meal, but tonight I'm also whipping up some delicious raspberry chocolate drops, post to be continued! So after brainstorming how I wanted to make my sauce I decided to add some flavorful red peppers to qualify for "R" day! This was an amazing addition if I do say so myself. The pesto sauce was beautiful and had a kick to it, the peppers simply made it more pronounced, while adding some color! 

My kids LOVED this pasta, my son had thirds! I wasn't sure how it would all come together with the avocado, but it was great. A tip from seeing the leftovers, maybe just make enough for one night. The reheated leftovers weren't bad tasting, my son again just loved them, but the avocado flavor starts to come out more and more. I think the longer it stays in the fridge, the less likely it will become a good tasting leftover! Just my opinion. 

Enjoy~

Red Pepper Linguini 

1 lb whole wheat linguini

1 red bell pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 pitted avocado

3 C fresh spinach

4 garlic cloves

2 T lemon juice

1/3 C crushed tomatoes or sun dried tomatoes

2 T basil

2  Italian Seasoning

1/4 C water

 Cook Linguini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Chop red pepper into small chunks and set in a bowl off to the side. 

Combine remaining ingredients to blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth. About 2 minutes. 

There are two ways to do this. You can serve the sauce right then with the warm pasta or you can bake it. If you want to for-go the baking, add the chopped bell pepper to your blender along with the other ingredients.

If you choose to bake it (this is what we did) Combine linguini, sauce and chopped red pepper to casserole dish

Make sure you coat the pasta well. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover and bake pasta for about 18-20 minutes! 

Serve warm with salad!

Lentil Taco Pie

I really don't like the days when I look at the clock and I see it's five o' clock and I haven't even given our dinner any thought. I dislike it even worse when I look around and can't think of anything to make for a long time all the while slowly the kids are starting to complain, they are starting to beg for food, they are starting to grab my legs, and then the crying starts. Okay that is when stress levels get heightened! Well, without optimism, I'll look one more time in the very back of the cupboard and what do I see? My hidden jar of lentils, here to save the day!

I absolutely adore lentils! They are so versatile and very nutritious. Lentils are packed with protein, B vitamins, they aid in heart health, they have great fiber and regulate blood sugars and they can replenish our iron stores, so for those who don't eat a lot of red meats (me, me, me) they are wonderful!

I decided to whip up a taco pie since I found some corn tortillas, red peppers, spinach and frozen corn. I was a little worried since I didn't have taco seasoning, but I played around with other spices and I think it actually packed a little bit too much heat for my liking :) I thought of the idea since I've made lentil burritos, so it's not that different in my mind! Probably not my husband, he's a heat fanatic. My kids gobbled this meal right up...the best part...it's vegan, and gluten free and gives them a nice punch of protein! Score for mom or lentils...

Lentil Taco Pie

1 C lentils

2 C water

2 C brown or wild rice

1 red bell pepper

1 1/2 C frozen corn

1/4 C nutritional yeast

1/2 T cumin

1/2 T chili powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 C jar salsa (optional, I didn't use it)

4 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat lentils and water in sauce pan and cook until tender and water is absorbed. Meanwhile add rice and another 2 cups of water to skillet, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add vegetables, spices, and lentils to skillet and simmer another 5-10 minutes, until water is mostly absorbed and rice is tender. Place two tortillas on the bottom of baking dish and spread a layer of taco filling over. Add another layer of tortillas and top it with remaining taco filling. Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes, until blended together. Top with lettuce, tomato, avocado and salsa! Enjoy