Going green & clean!

KALE & PISTACHIO PESTO SPAGHETTI

Looking for healthier food intake, GOING GREEN & CLEAN is my tag line for the days ahead in my quest for getting fit again after a disasterous 2 years of un-mindful eating. (as usual - due to overload on stressful projects & emotional yo-yo).

I wanna come CLEAN in many ways.  I'm starting with FOOD INTAKE (notice-i'm not gonna use the emotion-loaded word - DIET).

So here's are some great tips on EATING PASTA WITHOUT TOO MUCH CALORIC INTAKE and veggie recipes (full with flavour from green veg, beans, herbs, nuts) to try.

Keeping Calories in Check. Remember that it’s easy to go overboard on calories when dining on pasta. One cup of cooked spaghetti has approximately 220 calories. Pile 3 or 4 cups on your dinner plate (not unheard of) are we’re talking 660 to 880 calories without any sauces or add-ins. To keep calories in check, cut down on pasta portions and bulk up with loads of veggies and herbs.

Boosting the fiber can also help make your dish more filling. Swap enriched white pasta for whole-grain varieties like whole wheat, quinoa or spelt. Add hunger-fighting protein with beans, lentils or edamame.

Be careful not to overload on cheese as it can push the envelope on calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium. A small amount of a flavorful cheese goes a long way.


Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 large bunch kale, stemmed and leaves torn (about 1 pound)
10 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons roasted salted pistachios
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, for serving
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Add the kale to the boiling water and cook, stirring, until just wilted but still bright green, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the kale to the ice water (keep the water boiling). When cool, drain well and squeeze out as much water as possible. Coarsely chop the kale.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and then drain the pasta.

While the pasta cooks, pulse the pistachios and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the kale and parsley and pulse until very finely chopped. With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add the Parmesan, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and pulse to incorporate.

Toss the pasta with the pesto, adding a few spoonfuls of the reserved cooking water if it seems dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/kale-and-pistachio-pesto-spaghetti-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

CP notes : Pistachios are pretty expensive over here and so is Kale. Kale can be found in very specialized grocery shops like B.I.G. (Ben's Independent Grocer) at Publika. A fren suggests replacing it with a similarly sounding veg called Kai-lan, a sturdy thick-leaf plant grown locally.  One day if time permits, I'm gonna try this out with cashew nuts or peanuts.