Upon waking up yesterday morning, I had decided to give up carbs and coffee in an attempt to quickly shed some pounds for my sister’s upcoming wedding.
Aside from the fact that I have a biscuit hanging out of my mouth as I type this post, one can easily see from the picture above that by late afternoon yesterday my determination had quickly waned.
You see, yesterday I picked up my co-op share from Urban Acres and it was just bursting with all kinds of yummy things. Specifically, a bunch of organic greens: Dandelion, Turnip, and Spinach.
Yesterday was also “clean out the fridge, pantry, and freezer day”. While rooting around the deep freezer, I came across a container of fresh Sweet Potato pasta I had purchased from Jimmy’s Food Store on Bryan off Fitzhugh in Dallas.
I got to thinking…Pasta. Shallots. Greens. Spice. Four things that I love dearly. Have you tried Rattlesnake Oil from Texas Olive Ranch before? It has cracked pepper and Chipotle peppers! Delicious.
I’m no quitter. Except for when it comes to carbs. I love me some carbs, especially spicy ones tossed with greens, caramelized shallots, and olive oil with a shot of balsamic vinegar. I used Pomegranate Balsamic, but just like with any of my recipes, you can substitute plain. (I just really, really recommend Texas Olive Ranch as you can see from my collection in the background. Everyone has their splurges, right?)
This recipe is very quick to come together, making it perfect for weeknight meals.
SPICY NOODLES WITH GREENS AND SHALLOT
Serves 8 as a side or 4 as a main with VERY generous servings
Ingredients
16 oz. noodles of choice (fresh if possible!)
1 cup shallot, sliced thin (about 4 -5 bulbs)
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 bunch Dandelion greens
1 bunch Turnip greens
1 medium bunch spinach (or 3 cups baby spinach)
1/2 cup Rattlesnake Olive Oil (or 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes) plus 3 T. for sautéing veggies
1/4 cup Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar (or 1/4 cup Balsamic)
1/3 cup water or vegetable broth
Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions:
2. Meanwhile, carefully rinse your greens to ensure all gritty dirt is removed from leaves. Pat dry and slice into thin ribbons. Set aside. Slice shallots and prepare your sauté pan.
3. In a large sauté pan, heat 3 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots to pan and sauté approximately 3 minutes until softened.
4. Add vinegar to pan and cook about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently until slightly reduced and shallots are very soft. If shallots start to stick, splash in some water or veggie broth.
5. Add sliced greens to sauté pan, along with minced garlic and water or veggie broth. Cook approx. 3 minutes longer, until greens are wilted and a vibrant green.
6. Once noodles are cooked, drain and empty into a large serving dish. Add cooked greens and shallots to bowl, along with 1/2 cup olive oil. Using tongs, gently toss to combine.
This dish would be lovely with some toasted walnuts or some Parmesan cheese. Vegans could also use some nutritional yeast as this dish as written is vegan friendly.
Real quick – back to my talk of carb-cutting and coffee elimination. IF you regularly consume 1/2 a pot of coffee a day (like me), do not try to create, cook, and photograph two blog posts at once while making sandwiches for your young-uns. You run the risk of angering the boiling pasta gods, nearly getting your starchy pasta water splashed into your Mango Jam. See photo below:
Now, if you’ll excuse me….I’m off to pour another cup of coffee.
recipes from the birdcage. 