Brown Rice Spaghetti with Chickpeas, Spinach, and Arugula Pesto

We've been getting lots of fresh spinach in our CSA box lately - not baby spinach leaves but larger leaves (Bloomsdale spinach) which I thought would be great in a pasta dish. I decided to put it together with some arugula pesto, canned chickpeas, and brown rice spaghetti (whole wheat or regular spaghetti would also work) and the combination ended up being so good that I felt compelled to share it. You can use any leftover arugula pesto as a sandwich topping, bruschetta spread, or  to add more flavor to a vegetable soup (like a pistou). This is a great recipe for a weeknight or a casual Friday evening. I like it because its a great balance of healthy fats, greens, protein, and whole grains (while still getting your pasta fix!).

Brown Rice Spaghetti with Chickpeas, Spinach, and Arugula Pesto

Serves 2 

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

2 c. arugula, packed

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 c. toasted pine nuts (you could also use walnuts or almonds)

1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 t. kosher salt

Black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch spinach, chopped (I prefer the big spinach leaves here chopped up, but you can also use baby spinach)

6 oz. brown rice spaghetti

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Heat a pot of water to a boil for the pasta and add a large pinch of salt. Meanwhile, prepare the arugula pesto by placing the arugula, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor. Start to run the processor, then gradually add in the olive oil (approximately 1/3 c. or until the mixture starts to loosen). Remove the mixture from the processor and stir in the cheese, salt, and some freshly ground black pepper. Add the pasta to the water and prepare the spinach and rinse the chickpeas while it's cooking. In the last minute of cooking time, add the spinach to the pasta pot, cook for a minute, then reserve about 1/2 c. of the pasta water and drain the pasta and spinach. Return to the pot, add the chickpeas and some of the pesto and a little bit of the reserved pasta water and stir. Add more of the pesto and pasta water until it reaches the amount of sauce that you'd like. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I found that it needed a bit more salt at the end).

Whole Wheat Strawberry Coconut Almond Scones

I'm back and apologize for the roughly month-long hiatus in posts - between work, a vacation to Northern Italy, and other things I have quite a long backlog of recipes that I haven't gotten around to putting on the site! I figured I'd start out with something that I made this morning. Here in Northern California, strawberries are at their peak right now, which means they are not only delicious but also much more affordable than other times of the year. I decided to incorporate them in one of my mother's favorite things - scones. Believe it or not, this is actually my first attempt at baking scones from scratch, and I found them to be quite easy. I made my version a little healthier by using a combination of whole wheat pastry flour and regular whole wheat flour (the pastry flour is lighter and generally better for baking) as well as some yogurt to keep them moist. I thought that shredded coconut and almonds would complement the strawberries nicely, but feel free to use other ingredients that you might have on hand instead - dried fruit, other nuts, dried ginger, etc. I also went with more of a free form disc-shaped scone instead of the kind you cut, as this scone recipe creates a more moist dough (and a wonderfully moist scone!).

Whole Wheat Strawberry Coconut Almond Scones
Makes about 6 large scones

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30-35 minutes

1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. regular whole wheat flour
1/2 c. rolled oats
1 T. baking powder
3 T. cane sugar
1/2 t. fine grain sea salt
5 T. cold butter, diced into small pieces (about 1/4'')
6 oz. plain lowfat yogurt
1/2 c. lowfat milk
1 c. strawberries, thinly sliced
1/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 c. slivered almonds, plus more for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the two flours, oats, baking powder, cane sugar, and salt with a wooden spoon. Add the butter to the bowl, and using your hands, stir it into the flour mixture, breaking the butter up with your fingertips (takes a minute or two). It's ok if you still have some clumps - this is actually good for creating a nice flaky scone. Add the strawberries, coconut, and almonds and stir to combine. Add the milk and yogurt and stir with a wooden spoon until it starts to comes together, then use your hands to bring it all together. Gathering roughly 1/6 of the dough in your hand at a time (it will be a little sticky), form it into a disc shape and then place on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, then top each scone with a few more slivered almonds. Transfer to the oven and bake for approximately 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes, then if you'd like, slice lengthwise with a serrated knife and top with a little more butter. Enjoy!