It seems my best creations come when I am crunched for time or short on ingredients. We finally made it home Saturday night, after being out of town for almost three weeks! You can just imagine how bare my kitchen was when I got home. I sent my sweet husband to the store with a small list and just told him to grab enough to get through Sunday and some basics for survival.
Well Sunday came and to my surprise (not really) my family was hungry and I had to come up with something to eat. I searched the pantry shelves, I had some whole wheat pasta and red sauce… I started boiling the pasta and not being a huge fan a red sauce I tried to come up with some alternative. I opened the fridge, knowing nothing would be there, but what to my wandering eyes should appear….. broccoli, avocados, and spinach!! Hooray for GREEN FOOD! After traveling and visiting family for a few weeks my body was ready for green overload! Hooray for my husband snagging stuff that was not on my list!
My dish turned out like this:
1 box of Whole Grain/Wheat Pasta (I used Ronzoni 13.25 oz)
1 broccoli crown
1 avocado
3 Cups chopped spinach leaves
3-4 TBSP lite italian dressing (I use Annie’s natural) any would do the trick
Cook pasta according to package directions. I used penne just because I like the shape, any shape would work. While the pasta is cooking chop broccoli into small pieces. While draining pasta, place broccoli in the bottom of the same pan used for cooking pasta. Pour pasta back into the pan on top of the broccoli. Then cover and let the warm pasta steam the broccoli. While steaming, chop spinach and place in then bottom of the serving dish. Next, pour pasta and broccoli over spinach and let the warm pasta steam spinach. Cover and let sit while cubing your avocado. Stir in avocado and italian dressing and serve warm or chilled. (I am sure you could add some black or kidney beans as well, play with it, make it your own.)
I made this dish while my husband and older two girls were out playing in the snow. I was bracing myself for the, “OH MOM-NOT THIS” battle. When I called them in for dinner, they smiled and GOBBLED it up with no complaints!! Um who are these little people… even my two year old twins ate and asked for more? UM…. am I a super hero with super powers or is it really that good to their little taste buds! I think they enjoyed the simplicity of the flavor and maybe their bodies were craving the green!
**I made it again last night and added a little more broccoli and spinach just to see if it would be received so well again…. .it worked, they ate!!
Source: WFM 1-10