I made this today and loved it! I'm not sure it still qualifies as "healthy" when you return to the pan for multiple servings though:). Recipe found on "Damn Declicious" blog. PS...I only had about 1/2 cup of quinoa on hand so used orzo for the other half and it was still delish. ONE PAN MEXICAN QUINOA Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes Total Time 35 minutes Yield 4 servings Wonderfully light, healthy and nutritious. And it's so easy to make - even the quinoa is cooked right in the pan! INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapenos, minced 1 cup quinoa 1 cup vegetable broth 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 cup corn kernels 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced Juice of 1 lime 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves INSTRUCTIONS Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro. Serve immediately. This post was edited by funnygirl on Fri, Apr 11, 14 at 16:24

I am definitely copying and pasting many of these recipes and ideas! I love pasta and really get tired of eating meat all the time. I have a few, but am loving having more meatless pasta dishes to try! Broccoli Linguini 1 lb linguini 3 oz olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 lg bunch broccoli, finely chopped including 1-2" of stems 3/4 c chopped walnuts 1/2c pitted black olives, sliced 3 oz parmesan or romano cheese, grated Salt to taste Pepper, freshly ground Cook linguini according to package directions until "al dente", drain. Heat olive oil in large skillet and sauté garlic until golden. Add broccoli, walnuts and olives, cook and stir over medium heat until very hot. Season to taste with salt and pepper Pour over hot linguini, sprinkle parmesan over top and serve immediately (From Daytons Marketplace) This is something I came up with by trying to duplicate a pasta dish I used to love at TGI Fridays back in the 90's when their food was good! LOL [](http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=10&imgid=169963870) Mediterranean Pasta Marinara: 3T olive oil 1/4 c chopped onion 3 cloves fresh chopped garlic ½ tsp salt ½ tsp sugar ¼ tsp pepper 1 T dried basil 1 28\-oz can tomato puree 1/4 c dry red wine Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. 1lb cavatappi, cooked 1 oz olive oil 8 oz sliced mushrooms 1 tomato cut in large dice ½ each red and green pepper cut in large dice 12 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, quartered ½ c sliced black olives 1 tsp dried basil Pinch salt & pepper 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped fine 4 oz mozzarella, shredded 1/3 c grated parmesan Saute mushrooms in oil, add remaining ingredients (except cheeses) and bring to simmer. Place hot cooked pasta in large serving dish, sprinkle with mozzarella, pour hot sauce over all and sprinkle with parmesan. Serve. And this one is different, but quite good, too! Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese Courtesy Giada DeLaurentis 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 onions, thinly sliced 2 bunches Swiss chard, trimmed and chopped (about 14 cups) 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices 1/4 cup dry white wine 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes Salt and pepper 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino cheese 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the chard and saute until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, wine, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down and the chard is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season the chard mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the spaghetti. Add the spaghetti to the chard mixture and toss to combine. Transfer the pasta to serving bowls. Sprinkle the olives, cheese, and pine nuts and serve. Linda

These are three of my all time favourite pasta dishes. The Penne is served at our favourite Italian restaurant and is remarkably good for being so simple. Gina's Lemon Scampi is often on our menu. So easy and fast but oh so good! The Puttanesca is for nights I'm feeling naughty. I usually serve it with chicken or veal Parmesan. Penne Calabrese 2 pound Italian sausage -- Sliced In 1/4 Inch PiECES 4 cups plum tomatoes -- Peeled And crushed 1 sweet red pepper -- sliced 1 sweet yellow pepper -- sliced 1 jalapeno -- sliced thinly 1 1/2 pound penne olive oil Grated Parmesan Combine all ingredients except olive oil and penne. Cook over low heat for 2 - 3 hours. Cook the penne and drain, toss with the olive oil. Toss penne with the sauce and serve with gated Parmesan. Lemon Linguine With Scampi (Gina) Vegetable oil 1 TBSP kosher salt plus 1/2 teaspoons 3/4 lb linguine 3 TBSP unsalted butter 2 1/2 TBSP good olive oil 1 1/2 TBSP minced garlic (4 cloves) 1 lb large shrimp (about 16 shrimp) -- peeled 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves 1/2 lemon -- zest grated 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) 1/4 lemon -- thinly sliced in half-rounds 1/8 tsp hot red pepper flakes Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve. Pasta Puttanesca 1 pound spaghetti or linguine 2 Cans best grade Italian plum tomatoes 1/4 cup best quality olive oil 1 teaspoon oregano 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste) 1/2 cup black olives, Sliced 1/4 cup capers, drained 4 garlic cloves, minced 8 anchovy fillets , chopped coarsely (or less) 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped Drain the tomatoes and cut in half. Combine the tomatoes and olive oil in a skillet and bring to a boil. Keep the sauce at a boil and add all remaining ingredients except pasta, stirring as you add. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has reached a consistency you like. Meanwhile bring 4 quarts salted water to the boil. Cook pasta until tender but still firm. Drain and toss with sauce. Serve immediately with fresh grated parmesan.

More good stuff. Thank you everyone. Blizlady, Not sure what the origins of this salad is but my beloved Mom made it for as far back as I can remember; I think my my Grandmother made it too. This is a very basic recipe that highlights the freshness of the ingredients. You may be disappointed to learn that it doesn't call for mayo, but I urge you to give it a try. The flavors are fresh and bright. It is not Christmas Eve without it and everyone looks forward to it. The measurements are only a guess, it really is done to taste. Mom's Shrimp Salad 3-4 lbs jumbo boiled shrimp*, cut into 4 pieces crosswise. 4-5 stalks celery, sliced about 1/4" thick (on a slight bias). Cut the wider part of the stalk into two pieces lengthwise before slicing. 2-3 garlic cloves, minced (I used a garlic press) Juice of 1 - 1 1/2 lemons Good quality extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt Toss shrimp, celery, garlic together. Add lemon juice and drizzle a few tablespoons olive oil. Lightly salt,toss. Serve chilled or room temp. *I buy the 4lb bags of shrimo at Costco, the ones that are by the fresh fish and sometimes sold at the kiosk. They are already deveined and cleaned; one only has to defrost (I defrost them in cool water) and remove the shells. To a pot of water I add lemon slices, pepper corns, bayleaf, and any other herb or spice I feel like including (coriander is good too). Once at a boil, I add some salt. Add shrimp and wait until pot returns to a boil. Check for doneness every so often. Once done, drain in colander and rinse with cold water. To trim shrimp, remove the 'beard' (its the overcooked flap of overcooked shrimp where the head was), and pull off the strips that looked ragged along each side of the slit. The cats are treated to these scraps. Sue