Wasabi Pasta Salad & More

While we were at the beach last weekend for the Quintiles Half Marathon, I got called out.  LeAnne casually (or not so casually) mentioned to our friend Ashley, that I have some ungodly amount of recipes (um, she said 75ish...oops) stored as drafts on our blog.  They had a fun time picking on me over that.  So, to redeem myself for hoarding all this time, here are a few to get your weekend going.


Wasabi Pasta Salad 

1/2 package brown rice spaghetti, cooked
1/2 c. cooked, shelled edamame (in Trader Joe's refrigerated produce section)
1/2 c. shredded carrots  (I grate my own with a grater because I prefer the texture, but you can use pre-shredded if you like)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeds removed & chopped
2 green onions, diced
3 T. seasoned rice vinegar
1 T. Trader Joe's wasabi mayonnaise

It's not completely clean (minus that 1 T. mayo), but life and eating aren't always perfect.  We think this is close enough!  Rinse cooked spaghetti with cool water.  (Note:  I cook my brown rice pasta on the low end of the time range.  If I cook it too long, it gets all mushy and falls apart.  Experiment on your own.)  Toss with rice vinegar and mayo mixture.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Serve chilled.  The dressing will thicken up after chilling.  If you prefer additional dressing, simply double the amounts of vinegar and mayo. 


The following are links to two recipes that have become staples in our home:

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes:  One evening I had no dinner plan and was trying to come up with something simple to throw on the table.  I came across these and realized I had all the ingredients in the house.  Let me say I am not a huge fan of bananas.  They are probably my least favorite fruit.  I do LOVE them in a PBO smoothie, though, and they are great running fuel for me.  I incorporate them in my diet lots anyway, because I know they are full of nutrients.  I was skeptical of banana pancakes.  Banana flavored things just do not float my boat.  But, figured I'd give these a shot anyway.  I am so glad I tried!  Delish!  These are my favorite pancakes ever, by a mile!  It's like eating dessert for breakfast (or dinner)!

I use whole wheat pastry flour (vs. regular whole wheat).  I use 1 banana instead of the two the recipe calls for, and it provides the perfect amount of sweetness, without an overpowering banana flavor.  If you love the banana flavor, use two.  I, of course, use unsweetened almond milk as my non-dairy milk of choice.  You can sub flax eggs for the eggs, though I've found them to be less fluffy.  And applesauce works well as a butter substitute.  I add a few dark chocolate chips!


Black Bean Fritters:  My neighbor friend Allison passed this recipe on to me.  If you are not a fan of the texture of black bean burgers, you may love these!  They are addictive, in a good way!

I use whole wheat pastry flour (vs. unbleached flour).  And, I make sure to keep the olive oil use for frying to a bare minimum.  Sometimes a heavy spray of olive oil spray will work.  The key is to keep the fritters small - silver dollar size.  Give them a little pat down with your spoon, but not too much.  They are supposed to be thick and chunky.  Then, leave them alone for at least 3 minutes!  Resist the urge to check on them, or they will fall apart if you try to flip too soon.  When golden brown, flip to other side for at least 3 minutes more. 

For the dipping sauce, I use plain organic greek yogurt (though I'm sure there is a non-dairy alternative that would work just fine, if that is the route you prefer).  I do NOT put the sugar in.  Tried it once with Stevia and...yuck.  The sweetness did not work for me, so I leave it out, but feel free to give it a try if you like. 


Enjoy-
dawn