The other day I went grocery shopping with the intention of buying solely healthy foods, and I did just that. In fact, I even went home and rummaged through every drawer, cupboard and pantry, and threw out all the junk food that populated every nook and cranny of my kitchen.
One of the healthy items that I bought was an organic head of cauliflower - something that I've never bought, let alone cooked before. I scoured the internet for an easy-to-make, healthy, yet still yummy recipe, and came across this one on Epicurious - my go-to website/app for recipes.
Whole-Wheat Linguine with Cauliflower, Pancetta & Parmesan
(This recipe yields four servings, according to Epicurious, but I'd say there's even more than that in a bowl this big! Especially if you're watching your weight - or trying to, anyway. I also tweaked the recipe to suit my dietary likes/dislikes.)
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup bread crumbs
-1/4 cup (+ 1 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
-1 large head of cauliflower, cut into 1 inch wide florets
-1/4 lb sliced pancetta, chopped
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes (you can adjust this based on how much spice you can handle)
-1 cup (1 can) reduced-sodium chicken broth
-3/4 lb whole-wheat linguine
-1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus additional for serving
-1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Directions:
1) Stir together bread crumbs and 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl until combined well. Transfer to a 12-inch heavy skillet (aka a deep/wide pan) and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp and golden. This should take about 5 minutes. Return to bowl.
2) Heat remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil in the pan over moderately high heat until
hot (but not smoking), then sauté cauliflower, stirring occasionally,
until browned well, about 8-10 minutes.
3) Add pancetta and sauté, stirring frequently, until it begins to
crisp, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté,
stirring, for about 1 minute. Add broth, then reduce heat and simmer, partially
covered, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and sauce is
slightly reduced. (Epicurious indicates to allow the sauce to simmer for about 7 minutes, but I allowed it to simmer until I was finished making my pasta.)
4) While the sauce is simmering, cook the linguine in a pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until al dente, then drain in a colander.
5) Stir your desired amount of Parmesan cheese into sauce and simmer 1 minute. (I loooove cheese, so I used quite a bit.)
6) Toss pasta with the cauliflower mixture and parsley in a large bowl, then sprinkle with the bread crumbs set aside from earlier. Serve with additional cheese.
Although it tasted pretty phenomenal, I didn't snap a photo of it to share with you, because I found that a photo wouldn't do it justice. It may not be the prettiest dish you could make, but it's easy, healthy, filling, and delicious!
Happy cooking!
A Healthy Dinner Made Easy
It's Always Breakfast Time at Easy Restaurant!
Despite its location, Easy Restaurant, 1645 Queen Street West @ Roncesvalles, is not overrun by the ever-present hipsters that have taken over Queen West. An eclectic mix of people can be seen dining in the classic, cozy diner atmosphere. Small, orange booths line the west wall, while small, wooden tables-for-two line the east. Posters of old action movies hang on the walls, include one of Peter Fonda's famous "Easy Rider," which displays an obvious theme that encompasses the name of the restaurant.
The menu offers a wide array of breakfast food, ranging from more typical breakfast meals (eggs, bacon, etc.) to delicious, and often more lunchy sandwiches (offered on spelt bread - naturally leavened, organic & yeast free), as well as Easy's signature breakfast dish, Huevos Divorciados (2 sunny eggs on a corn tortilla with spicy green & red salsa, re-fried black beans with side guacamole, ancho jam, toasted baguette - with salad or homefries - $12.50).
Out of all the places I've had brunch at in Toronto, Easy has to be one of my favourites. I went on a Sunday afternoon, around 3 p.m., and the place was more or less empty. I liked it like that though, because the service was great and speedy.
After a long deliberation over the amazing choices on the quite extensive menu, I decided, because it was lunch time, I was more in the mood for one of the many sandwich options on the menu. I went for the BBQ Chipotle Chicken on Spelt Toast, which was absolutely mouthwatering, to say the least.
For $11.95, this sandwich comes with sliced avocado, fresh tomato, lettuce with chipotle chicken breast on spelt toast, and chipotle mayonnaise (on the side) - with salad or homefries. I chose to go with the homefries, which were perfectly seasoned, a bit crispy, and truly delectable.
To drink, I had the Classic Smoothie (Easy has three other smoothies to choose from). It was incredibly refreshing and fruity, with strawberries, bananas and OJ.
Overall, I highly recommend Easy Restaurant for breakfast, lunch or brunch. It's open every day from 9-5 p.m., with free wifi from Monday-Friday!
Party Size: 2
Price Range: $10-25/person
Visit Again?: Can't wait
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
