Pasta Insalata Primavera

[Abbanabba]

This is one of my very favourite dishes, which shouldn't have too many naughty things in it:


500g chunky pasta (orrichette, casa recche, spirals..)
6 button mushrooms
2 spring onions (..green onions/shallots?)
1 red bell pepper - roasted and peeled
1/4 cup semi-dried tomatoes
1 cup baby english spinach leaves
1/3 cup walnuts

optional: 1/2 cup broccoli florets or fresh asparagus - lightly blanched

Sauce:

2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp cream (reduced fat if preferred)
1/4 cup good olive oil
pepper to taste


Cook pasta until tender.
While pasta is cooking, slice remaining ingredients (except walnuts) and combine in large bowl.
Place walnuts in v. hot oven and roast for 3-5 min.
Combine sauce ingredients: mix mustard and cream, then very slowly add oil to avoid seperation.
Drain pasta once done then add to salad.
Pour over sauce and add hot walnuts.

NB: to roast peppers, cut into quarters, place skin side up under a hot grill. When skins are black and blistered, place on a plate in the fridge until cool. Skins should peel off very easily.
To blanch broccoli or asparagus, cover with boiling water for 2-5 min, then submerge in cold water to prevent further cooking. Drain and use.

 

[Harpoon]

You can order (or maybe find in your local grocery store) no salt mustards.

I have one called East Shore which is a sweet and tangy mustard (not dijon, but it might be just as good) that I got from an on-line merchant:

http://www.healthyheartmarket.com/

They've got a variety of good ingredients and sauces and snackies. I ordered a bag of potato ships that were GONE in about two days. They also have microwave popcorn, it's a lot like stove popped (or campfire if you have the right tools) popcorn, no added butter flavoring or salt or any of that, just the popcorn, but it's convienient enough.


Might be able to dig up a recipe for home made fish stock somewhere. I think if you use farm raised fish the sodium counts go down. I've noticed some of the frozen fish I've found has a LOT less sodium than is generally "normal" for fish.

 

[Abbanabba]

Yeah - there's always someone there to take all the fun and flavour out of food!! heh heh heh

I'm pretty lucky I don't need to worry too much about it, but then I tend not to eat a lot of processed stuff anyway (..in fact I suspect my diet may actually be a little low in sodium..).

Anna : )

 

[Harpoon]

Your body only needs about 200mg of sodium a day.

The US Food and Drug Administration guidelines recommend no more than 2,000mg a day.

Most people (Americans anyways) consume closer to 3,500mg a day....