I wanted to make something quick and easy with nice, fresh ingredients. I wandered the grocery store half awake after work and a couple vegetables and some ground buffalo caught my eye. So, I cooked each in the laziest way I knew and came up with something that was quite tasty. Here you go:
Ingredients:
- Buffalo Pasta
- Ancient Harvest quinoa and corn shell pasta
- Whole Foods 365 brand Italian Herb pasta sauce
- Lean ground buffalo
- Roasted red pepper
- Onion (1/2)
- Black pepper
- Garlic salt
- Paprika
- Garlic (~1/4 bulb)
- Stir Fry Salad
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
- Onion (1/2)
- Baby Spinach (medium sized package)
- Pine Nuts
- Garlic (lots - ~3/4 bulb)
- Olive oil
- Black Pepper
- Sea Salt
- Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Bay Leaf
- Raw Can Sugar
- Honey
Procedure:
Buffalo Pasta:
I caramelized some onions in olive oil, then added the ground beef, garlic, and seasoning. Once that was well browned, I added the jar of sauce and about half a roasted red pepper. The pasta was cooked per the box instructions, which takes maybe 10 minutes after the water boils. Then the two met in a bowl and lived happily ever after.
Stir Fry Salad:
Or vegetable stir fry, whatever you want to call it. I just caramelized some onions in olive oil, then added the squashes, pine nuts, and some seasoning. That cooked on medium heat until everything was getting soft, then I added the roasted red pepper. I turned the heat up, added a couple tablespoons of apple cider, and piled the garlic on top. I let that steam for a minute before mixing it in because I added too much and couldn't have mixed it without throwing it out of the shallow pan. After that mixed in, I added a bunch of garlic and some black pepper. After the salad went on a plate I drizzled on some of the balsamic vinegar reduction I always keep around.
Balsamic Vinegar Reduction:
I should make a post just for this. It is super easy and is great on everything - salads, sandwiches, quinoa pilaf, etc, etc. All you do is put about half a cup to a cup of balsamic vinegar in a very small sauce pot with a bay leaf or two. Heat that until it starts simmering then lower the heat. Add some raw cane or brown sugar and a little honey. Let it slowly cook for a while, simmering or not quite simmering. It is ready when it is starting to get viscous and will stick to a fork. Adding more sugar and honey makes it set up faster and require less reduction - I've let it simmer for anywhere between 15 minutes and an hour. Longer with less sugar is better, but even the quick stuff is nice. Take the bay leaf out when you're done and put it in the vessel of your choice. I use a little 4oz squeeze bottle I got at REI that's supposed to be for denatured alcohol for camp stoves. Those are also good for olive oil or anything else you want to drizzle in a controlled way. This sauce is very flavorful, a little goes a long way. I make this about once a month and always have it in the fridge.
You can do this with soy sauce too, but I don't use a bay leaf. That makes a real nice sauce for stir fries or other asian dishes. Reductions like this also take on other flavors very well - you can squeeze citrus juice into either and get great results. Adding a few drops of sesame oil to the soy sauce one gives it a denser, stronger flavor and gives it a great smell.
Resulting Deliciousness:
This took maybe half an hour and ended up tasting great. It made a lot too - 4 people easily could have eaten this. I used the leftovers for lunch for several days. The spinach wasn't top notch and got a little slimy after it was in the fridge, but other than that, this was a great meal
