Kamut Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

Recently I posted a recipe for a Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing that I adapted from Once Upon a Tart: Soups, Salads, Muffins, and More by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau. I decided to adapt it further and turn it into a pasta sauce. To make this recipe you will need to make some Marinated Sun-Dried Tomatoes. As I noted before, I plan on having a batch of these on hand as a staple ingredient. They are very easy and quick to prepare and keep in the fridge for a few weeks in a covered container. They are absolutely delicious and so much better than the jarred variety. Do take care to purchase sun-dried tomatoes free of salt, sugar and other additives.

I was fortunate enough to have a few dinner guests to share this dish with. I was even told this sauce was probably the best one of my diners had ever tasted. Give it a try and you'll see how rich, luscious and thick it is.

This is also my submission to Presto Pasta nights, a popular event created by Ruth and hosted this week by Pam.

Kamut Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

454 grams / 16 ounces of kamut pasta

For the sauce:

2/3 cup of marinated sun-dried tomatoes
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of pine nuts
1 - 2 jalapeno peppers or green chilies
1/3 cup of fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup of olive oil

crumbled feta for garnishing

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot and cook until el dente or to your desired consistency - roughly 10 - 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a food processor, combine the marinated sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, pine nuts, hot peppers, parsley, sea salt, black pepper and Parmesan cheese until well blended. With the food processor still running, pour in the olive oil.

Drain the pasta, cover with sauce and crumbled feta.

Serves 4 - 6.

Other pasta dishes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you will be sure to enjoy:
Pasta and Feta Cheese Casserole
Greek Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and Paneer Cheese
Rye Pasta with a Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese

On the top of the reading stack: Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron

Audio Accompaniment: Laughing Stock by Talk Talk

Mexican-Style Kamut Berry, Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salad

Kamut is an ancient variety of wheat believed to have originated in ancient Egypt and — as the story goes — only recently cultivated again in modern times after the discovery of a few seeds in the tomb of King Tutankhamen. Compared to most wheat, kamut is richer in protein, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids, and is more generally more easily digested and tolerated by people with gluten sensitivities.

Aside from these benefits, the whole kernel or berry of kamut has a warm buttery and nutty taste that is equally appealing by itself or paired with stronger flavours, both sweet or spicy. The whole kernel or berry is also much larger than that of wheat, and has a nice chewy texture that contrasts beautifully with both delicate and crunchy foods.

This contrast is played for full and delicious effect in this Mexican-style black bean salad loaded with roasted corn, tomatoes, fresh jalapeño peppers and celery, with a lime juice, balsamic vinegar and toasted ground cumin dressing for extra kick. Whole grains, legumes and fresh vegetables makes this salad not only a colourful addition to your table, but a complete and refreshing meal by itself on a warm summer day. Look for whole kamut berries at natural food stores and in many supermarkets.

Mexican-Style Kamut Berry, Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salad

Salad:

1/2 cup dried black beans
1/2 cup whole kamut berries
3 ears fresh corn
3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch matchsticks
2 shallots, chopped
2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
1 celery stalk, diced
large handful fresh cilantro, chopped
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, peeled and diced

Dressing:

1 teaspoon ground cumin
juice of 3 limes
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

Separately rinse the kamut berries and black beans under cold running water. Place in separate bowls and cover with several inches of cold water. Add a little yogurt whey or lemon juice to each bowl, and let soak overnight at room temperature.

Drain and rinse the black beans, then place in a medium saucepan. Cover with several inches of fresh water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Drain and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the kamut berries and place in a small or medium saucepan. Cover with 1 cup of fresh water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Drain any excess liquid and set aside to cool.

While the beans and kamut are cooking, preheat an oven to 450°. Place the ears of corn in their husks on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes. Remove the husks, pare the kernels from the ears and set aside.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Toss in the ground cumin and toast, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the cumin is fragrant and has darkened a few shades. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, kamut, corn, jalapeños, shallots, green onions, celery and cilantro. Season the tomatoes with a little salt and drain for 5 minutes in a colander. Gently fold the tomatoes and avocado into the salad.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the toasted ground cumin, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, chili powder and salt. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently.

Serve at room temperature or cold. Serves 6 to 8.

Other summer salads you may enjoy:
Mexican-style Potato Salad With Avocado and Jalapeño
Cannellini Bean and Grape Tomato Salad with Lemon Dressing and Rosemary-Garlic Infused Olive Oil
Cauliflower & Olive Salad
Chickpea, Olive and Feta Cheese Salad
Creamy Coleslaw

On the top of the reading stack: Penguin Classics Village Of Stepanchikovo by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Audio Accompaniment: Chirping birds and traffic

Fresh Kamut Flour and Tibetan Campa

One of my favorite food events is Tried and Tasted, started by lovely Zlamushka. Due to time constraints, she has passed the reigns onto Lakshmi of Kitchen Chronicles.

Every month a blog is featured and cooks are encouraged to cook something from the archives and post about it. The founder of the event is the featured blog for this month. There are so many of Zu's recipes that I wished to try, but I finally settled on this Tibetan recipe, as Tibetan cuisine is something I have never experimented with, and I was completely smitten by the idea of using freshly ground flour. Instead of whole wheat berries, I used kamut berries and soaked them overnight, but otherwise I essentially followed the recipe that you can find here. Certainly a unique treat that can be served with a variety of vegetable dishes. I included these delightful little balls with an Indian chili. I am thinking these would be lovely baked in the oven for a short while and they were even better after a chill in the fridge. The flour can be sprinkled on a variety of dishes for some extra crunch as Zlamushka suggests.

Fresh Kamut Flour and Tibetan Campa

To make the fresh flour:

1 cup of whole wheat berries or kamut berries, soaked overnight and then air dried

For the Tibetan campa:

black tea
sea salt
ghee or oil

Begin by making the flour. Dry roast the kamut in a heavy pan over medium heat for roughly 5 minutes, until it darkens a few shades, stirring occasionally. Be sure not to overcook.

Let cool for a bit and then grind to your desired consistency in a coffee grinder.

Combine the flour with a splash of black tea and oil and sea salt. You will want a firm dough, so gradually add the tea and oil. Roll into balls and serve with your favorite vegetable dish or bean dish. I served mine with a spicy chili.

On the top of the reading stack: Short stories by Dostoyevsky

Audio Accompaniment: The ceiling fan in my office

Staple Corner: Kamut Porridge and Chopped Dates

It's no secret these days that whole grains are essential to a proper and well-balanced diet, but it's important not to get pulled in by the whole grains marketing of commercially packaged foods like breads, granolas, cereals and snacks — as I've noted before, the quality and processing of grains in mass production methods negates most of their benefits.

Fortunately, making a top quality whole grain breakfast porridge is almost as fast and easy as toasting a bagel or pouring a bowl of boxed cereal, and a lot tastier and more economical. Oat or wheat porridges are most common in this part of the world, but almost any grain can be made into porridge, including rice, quinoa, millet and rye.

One of my favourite grains for breakfast porridge is kamut, an ancient type of wheat believed to have originated in ancient Egypt and only recently cultivated again in modern times after the discovery of a few seeds in the tomb of King Tutankhamen. Rolled kamut flakes can now be found in most health food stores. Compared to most wheat, kamut is richer in protein, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins and vitamin E, and unsaturated fatty acids, and is more easily digestible and generally tolerated by people with gluten sensitivities.

Kamut porridge is a great way to start the day with a high energy food, and its natural nutty flavour is very appealing even by itself. Like any grain porridge, it goes well with any kind of nut, seed or fruit, but I find that the flavour of kamut goes especially nicely with the sweetness of dried dates, which also provides your breakfast with a great source of fibre and potassium.

Kamut porridge and chopped dates

1 cup rolled kamut flakes
2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
dash of vanilla
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped

Soak kamut flakes in water overnight in a small saucepan. In the morning, stir in the salt and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed.

Stir in the vanilla and chopped dates. As always, whole grains should always be eaten with good fatty dairy products to provide the catalyst for mineral absorption, so serve with a pat of butter or a dollop of cream, and a little brown sugar or maple syrup if desired. Serves two.