As I was preparing this meal today, the same question that I’ve pondered many times, came back to me. Why do we serve (garlic) bread with a pasta meal? It makes no sense! Pasta and bread are both starches so why do we eat them together?
After a lot of research on this subject, I now think I have the answer. When the first wave of Italian immigrants arrived in America from Southern Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they couldn’t get good quality olive oil, the right produce or arborio rice, but were instead able to afford ample quantities of cheese and meat. They pioneered a culture of ‘abbondanza’ (meaning in abundance), building on traditional recipes and creating new ones; always sure to use as much of a good ingredient as possible. The result … a hearty, delicious cuisine that has never seen the light of day in the land that inspired it. ‘Italian garlic bread’, as found in North American restaurants and grocery stores, does not exist in real Italian cuisine. It is an Italian-American creation that nobody in Italy would recognize.
Ok, so now I have the answer and you’ve probably noticed, I made Garlic Knots to go with our pasta!
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Veggie Shrimp Pasta w/ Garlic Knots
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Ingredients
Veggie Shrimp Pasta
- 2 cups (190 gm) dry pasta such as penne or bows
- 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
- 1 zucchini, julienned
- 1 medium red pepper, diced
- 8 large mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp EACH dried thyme, oregano, garlic & onion powder & pepper
- 300 gm Wild, large raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 284 ml cream of mushroom soup
- 3/4 cup milk
- 60 gm shredded, Parmesan cheese, DIVIDED
Ingredients
Veggie Shrimp Pasta
- 2 cups (190 gm) dry pasta such as penne or bows
- 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
- 1 zucchini, julienned
- 1 medium red pepper, diced
- 8 large mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp EACH dried thyme, oregano, garlic & onion powder & pepper
- 300 gm Wild, large raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 284 ml cream of mushroom soup
- 3/4 cup milk
- 60 gm shredded, Parmesan cheese, DIVIDED
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Garlic Knots
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder & salt; whisk well. Add yogurt, mixing with a fork until incorporated. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough about 15 times. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces & roll into strips about 9-inches long. Tie each strip into a 'knot-like' ball; place on baking sheet. Bake about 18 minutes or until golden then allow to cool 5 minutes.
In a saucepan, melt butter, add garlic & cook until golden about 2 minutes. Brush the knots with the garlic butter & sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Veggie Shrimp Pasta
In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until tender but firm; drain & set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, peppers & mushrooms; cook for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, spices & shrimp; stirring for another 3 minutes or until shrimp is opaque.
In pasta pot, place soup & milk; when hot add half of the Parmesan cheese, pasta & shrimp/veg mixture. If necessary, cook a few more minutes just to make sure everything is hot. Sprinkle with remaining cheese before serving.
Ricing vegetables has been around for as long as I remember. Maybe not to the degree that is happening today. I recall a utensil my mother had that resembled a large garlic press. It was called a potato ricer and to my knowledge was only used for potatoes to change the texture.
As time has passed, this idea has evolved into so much more. Cauliflower ‘rice’ came on the scene as a popular grain-free alternative to rice. As with many food trends, the ‘riced’ craze has continued using other veggies like sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, onions and peas.
The grocery stores have jumped on the bandwagon with fresh and frozen products and in a variety of plain and flavored versions.
Making your own riced vegetables is even easier than in days gone by. Just trim, chop and pulse your veggies in a food processor. Cook with a quick steam or saute and flavor with some fresh herbs and spices. Of course, you can always change it up with other chopped veggies, nuts or a sprinkle of cheese.
Riced cauliflower can be used on its own, fried, in baked casseroles or as I’m using it today, in a pizza crust. A different texture than traditional pizza crust but loaded with flavor. Its sort of firm, chewy and soft all at the same time. I wasn’t sure how well we would like this pizza but it tasted just great with the addition of some homemade bread sticks.
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Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Ground Beef & Olives
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Votes: 2
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
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Instructions
Cauliflower Crust
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Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 14-inch pizza with parchment paper. Process cauliflower. In a bowl, combine all crust ingredients. Pat mixture onto pizza pan & press to form pizza crust. Bake 15-20 minutes; remove from oven.
Pizza Toppings
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In a skillet, crumble fry beef & mushrooms with spices until cooked. Drain & cool slightly. Carefully 'spread' cauliflower crust with tomato sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese, meat mixture, red peppers & sliced olives. Sprinkle with grated parmigano-reggiano & bake an additional 7-10 minutes, until cheese melted. Remove from oven & allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
MENU
WILD MUSHROOM & GOUDA QUICHE — SHRIMP & VEGETABLE QUICHE
FRESH SPINACH SALAD — FRUIT KABOBS & HONEY YOGURT
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Summer Picnic Menu #2
Quiche is great whether it is served hot or cold making it a nice picnic meal.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Ingredients
Wild Mushroom & Gouda Quiche
- 1-9" 'deep dish' pastry shell, thawed
- 2 Tbsp margarine
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 454 grams wild mushroom 'blend' (enoki, crimini, oyster, portobello, button)
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 cups broccoli florets,
- 1/3 cup red pepper
- 2 Tbsp bacon bits
- 100 grams Gouda cheese (smoked or plain), shredded
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to your preference)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Shrimp & Vegetable Quiche
- 1-9" 'deep dish' pastry shell, thawed
- 340 grams frozen shrimp, cooked & thawed
- 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
- 3/4 cup red pepper, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 40 grams Italian cheese blend, shredded
- 70 grams cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp fresh basil 'paste'
- 1/2 tsp EACH dry mustard, dill weed, garlic powder, & onion powder
- 1 tsp vegetable salt OR regular if you prefer
Fruit Kabobs with Honey Yogurt Dip
Ingredients
Wild Mushroom & Gouda Quiche
- 1-9" 'deep dish' pastry shell, thawed
- 2 Tbsp margarine
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 454 grams wild mushroom 'blend' (enoki, crimini, oyster, portobello, button)
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 cups broccoli florets,
- 1/3 cup red pepper
- 2 Tbsp bacon bits
- 100 grams Gouda cheese (smoked or plain), shredded
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to your preference)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Shrimp & Vegetable Quiche
- 1-9" 'deep dish' pastry shell, thawed
- 340 grams frozen shrimp, cooked & thawed
- 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
- 3/4 cup red pepper, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 40 grams Italian cheese blend, shredded
- 70 grams cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp fresh basil 'paste'
- 1/2 tsp EACH dry mustard, dill weed, garlic powder, & onion powder
- 1 tsp vegetable salt OR regular if you prefer
Fruit Kabobs with Honey Yogurt Dip
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Wild Mushroom & Gouda Quiche
Preheat oven to 350 F. Slice green onion & mushrooms. Saute in margarine; add garlic, stirring often. Allow to cook for 5 minutes uncovered so moisture will evaporate. Cut broccoli into florets; add to pan along with red pepper & bacon bits. Cook another 6 minutes; remove from heat. Whisk together eggs, milk & seasonings.
Sprinkle 1/2 of the Gouda cheese in quiche shell. Top with vegetable mixture; then remaining Gouda. Gently pour seasoned egg/milk mixture over all. Bake about 40 minutes or until quiche tests done. Since quiche is made with milk instead of cream (to lighten up on the calories) it tales a bit longer to bake.
Shrimp & Vegetable Quiche
Preheat oven to 350 F. Microwave vegetables ONLY, for a few minutes to soften SLIGHTLY; lay on paper towel along with thawed shrimp to take up some of the moisture. Whisk together eggs, milk & seasonings.
Sprinkle Italian cheese blend over bottom of quiche shell. Top with shrimp, vegetables & cheddar cheese. Gently pour seasoned egg/milk mixture over all. Bake on middle rack for 50-60 minutes or until just 'set'. Cover crust with foil, if necessary, to prevent over browning.
Fresh Spinach Salad
In a large salad bowl, combine salad ingredients. Toss with salad dressing just before serving time or let each person put their own on at the picnic.
Fresh Fruit Kabobs with Honey Yogurt
In a small bowl, combine yogurt & honey (cinnamon if using). Prepare fresh fruit of choice, cutting into bite size cubes. Thread onto 8" wooden skewers. Place in serving container along with sealed container of honey-yogurt dip.
Recipe Notes
- If you prefer, quiche can be made individually for easy serving.
