A fresh, unique stand alone summer salad; a playful take on fattoush.
Lately, I have been trying to make the conscious effort of being more mindful and present. Living life, when I can, more in the moment. Taking a few minutes on my morning walk to focus on my surroundings. I try to focus on how the air feels, how the ground feels, the sounds that I hear... things that I am hoping will help to "ground" me.
One thing that I am NOT great with is patience. I am quite patient with others, but not with myself. I expect to grasp everything on the first try and miraculously become an expert. Fueled by today's world of instant gratification, cultivating the virtue of patience is more important than ever - and harder than ever. But it's a key to both success both at work and at home. Becoming more patient can help to avoid angry (I would call them frustrated) outbursts, process adversity better and make wiser and more considered decisions (although I think I have the over-thinking part down).
Some tips that I've come across and am trying to adopt are:
Reframing the situation using humour, or by looking at the big picture (trying to stop that anxiety-driven panic reflex).
Shift focus by practising empathy and gratitude (trying to cultivate this).
Practice mindfulness (trying to practice this as well, although it's harder than you would think).
That sounded extremely yogi-like, and is kind of a shock as I read what I'm typing - but it's true. I have given into the lastest little craze of being more mindful. But I'm hoping that I will get some benefit from it. We shall see.
Moving on to what I cooked up this week...
This is a flavorful spring pasta bowl, accented with tender morsels of fava beans, roasted tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers. The pasta bowl starts with gorgeously roasted cherry tomatoes, drizzled in olive oil and paired with fava beans tossed with za'atar spices, fresh cucumbers and pasta. It’s a fresh, unique stand alone summer salad; a playful take on fattoush.
For those of you who have never heard of za'atar; it's a spice mixture that includes the herb (za'atar is an herb), along with a combination of dried oregano, thyme, toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac and salt.
The taste can be best described as a mixture of tangy, herbal, nutty, or toasty.
Once you get your hands on it, you will find yourself sprinkling it on every and anything you can.
Also in this gorgeous bowl is my favorite pasta in the whole world. Chickpea pasta has got to be the best thing since - sliced bread?
Is the low carb faze behind us enough that we can talk about putting pasta in salad again? I know a lot of people still cringe at the idea. To be fair though, the first time I had it, I also cringed.
BUT this will change your mind. I guarantee it.
PASTA SALAD WITH ROASTED TOMATOES AND ZA'ATAR-MARINATED FAVA BEANS
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
TOMATOES
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp sea salt
ZA'ATAR-MARINATED FAVA BEANS
3 cups fava beans
2 Tbsp za'atar
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
THE REST
1 lb fusilli
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt & black pepper to taste
1 English cucumber, sliced thinly on a diagonal
INSTRUCTIONS
For the tomatoes, preheat the oven to 250°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, add tomatoes, honey and salt. Toss lightly. Place on baking sheet and roast for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together all the bean ingredients. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain once cooked (about 7-8 mins). Add the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
To serve, divide the beans, pasta and cucumbers among 4 bowls. Garnish with tomatoes and additional za'atar. Alternatively, you can toss everything together in a large bowl.
Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
Serve and enjoy!
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