What's for Dinner? Whole Grain Veggie Fussili with Turkey Sausage.

This is one of my favourite pasta dishes. My mother-in-law originally gave me this recipe but I've substituted a few ingredients to make it a bit more holistic. It definitly is a heavy meal so I suggest you have a big green salad with it to help digest and so you feel less guilty.

It's delicious and I'm sure you won't mind the cheat. Bon appetit!

Whole Grain Veggie Fussili with Turkey Sausage

1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
5 Spicy turkey sausage, crumbled (the real stuff with no fillers. I like http://www.butcherbynature.com/)
1 small Red onion
2 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Bay leaves
1 tbsp Fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tbsp Fresh rosemary, finely chopped
pinch Crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup Dry red wine
1 can Whole tomatoes
1/2 cup Heavy cream
1 cup Freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 pound Whole grain veggie fussili

1) Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until fat is rendered and the juice has evaporated. (8 to 10 minutes)

2) Add onion, garlic, sage, rosemary, bay leaves and crushed pepper flakes and cook, stirring occaionally, until onion is golden brown. (20 minutes)

3) Drain off all but 2 tbsp pf fat from skillet. Turn heat to high, add wine and boil until it evaporates. (3 to 5 minutes)

4) Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens. (30 to 40 minutes). Remove bay leaves.

5) Add cream and half the cheese to sauce and stir together. Taste. Season if necessary with salt and pepper.

6) In the meantime cook pasta. Drain pasta, put back in skillet and toss with sauce. Serve and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Serves 4.

Eden Organic Food Company [Review and Recipe] : Kamut & Quinoa Twisted Pair pasta

I was delighted when I found out Eden Organic Food Company was sending me a box of their Kamut & Quinoa Twisted Pair pasta. They even included a bunch of recipes to try. I went with the Twisted Pair Gemelli with Spinach & Tomatoes because my son, Jackson, loves spinach and because I already had a can of their Eden Organic Diced Tomatoes.

 My country table (a.k.a. my pantry) is filled with Eden Organic Pastas. It is the number one pasta I serve to my family and am always recommending their products to my clients.

 

Twisted Pair Gemelli with Spinach & Tomatoes

Ingredients

12 ounces Eden Organic Kamut & Quinoa Twisted Pair® Gemelli, 1 package
2 Tablespoons Eden Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Eden Sea Salt, or to taste
2 cups spinach, packed and chopped
1/2 cup any Eden Organic Diced Tomatoes, drained, reserving 1 cup tomato cooking liquid

Directions

Cook pasta as package directs. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the garlic and onion for 4 to 5 minutes. 

Add the crushed red pepper, salt, spinach and tomatoes. Sauté 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato cooking liquid. 

Drain the pasta and add to the skillet. Season with black pepper and add extra salt if desired.
Toss the pasta and vegetables until heated through.

Serve and enjoy!

Why I liked the Kamut & Quinoa Twisted Pair pasta:

1) Packed with Whole Grain goodness

Whole grains are excellent foods which are rich in complex carbohydrates, protein, fiber and essential nutrients. Here are some of the many benefits of whole grains.

1)    Weight Loss – Whole grains are Complex Carbohydrates; Complex Carbohydrates keep you satisfied for a longer period of time than simple carbohydrates thus making you eat less. Complex Carbohydrates also don’t have the same insulin effect as simple carbs do. Simple carbs release excess insulin which your body stores as fat.

2)    Beautiful skin and beautiful mood– Whole grains are high in B Vitamins. B Vitamins are known to help kick depression and give you glowing skin.

3)    Elimination – Whole grains contain a large amount of fiber. Your body needs fiber to move waste out of the intestines and into the toilet where it belongs.

4) Improve Bodily Functions – Whole grains help your body metabolize protein, release energy from muscles, protect your cells, keep your bowel movements regular, provide heart health and help relax your nervous system.

2) Kid friendly As you can see from the picture below my son really enjoyed his bowl of pasta. Only a few twisted gemelli's made it on the kitchen floor.

3) Kamut and Quinoa are two of my very favourite ancient grains

Kamut -   High energy grain, allergy-friendly grain and easily digested. 

Quinoa -   Known as “the mother of all grains”, quinoa is gluten-free (therefore easily digested) is a natural complete protein (this means that it has 8 essential amino acids). It is rich in magnesium, iron, calcium potassium, phosphorous and copper. Quinoa helps prevent cataracts, heart disease, gallstones, type 2 diabetes and childhood asthma.

 4) It's Wholesome, Organic and gentle to the Environment! As you know I am very conscious of what I put on my plate and especially on Jackson's plate. His developing system does not need to be overloaded with refined flour, sugar, sodium, preservatives, GMOs, pesticides and other nasty toxins.  Eden Organic Food Company delivers organic, non-GMO, GEO free, BPA-free, environmentally friendly, nutrient-dense, high-quality and delicious food for the whole family. Their products will continue to be a staple in my home for years to come.

To learn more about Eden Foods visit their website and subscribe to their eNewsletter to stay up to date on special offers . Don't forget to try one of their 981 recipes!