Rice Pasta Salad with Raw Tomato, Walnuts and Raw Garlic

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Fresh raw tomato, walnuts and raw garlic mixed with hot pasta creates a perfect late summer dish.

I used to make this dish once a week. It fell out of my repertoire a few years back. When these lovely tomatoes showed up in my weekly fruit and veggie delivery box, I was reminded of this recipe.

If it wasn't already apparent, I love to photograph food. I had a great time working on this pasta salad. Maybe it's my back-to-school attitude, or the changing light now that Fall is around the corner, but something shifted when I was shooting this week.

I've become more confident in what I'm shooting, how I'm shooting it and what is ultimately ending up on this site as final images. It has freed me from worrying whether or not I got the shot because I now know that I need to trust that when I download the photos to the computer, the right images will be there.

This version of Non-Reactive Pan was launched the first week in September of 2011. I had 468 visitors that month. Right now, I'm averaging 1500 visitors a month. It has been a good year. I'm excited to see what this next year will bring and so happy to have found my groove while shooting, cooking and of course eating.

Thanks for visiting!

Rice Pasta with Raw Tomato, Walnuts and Garlic

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 to 2 cups tomatoes, cut into chunks
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup walnuts
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Red pepper flakes to taste

PREPARATION

  1. Place olive oil, tomatoes, roasted peppers, garlic, walnuts, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
  2. Prepare enough pasta for two people, drain and pour into the bowl.
  3. Mix well, let the mixture sit for five minutes, to help soften the tomatoes and mellow the garlic flavor.

Cook’s Notes: Quinoa, barley or couscous works well with this recipe, instead of pasta.

Juice...Grapefruit, Avocado, Beet, Watermelon...The List Goes On

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Hello and welcome to another juice recipe. I'm no longer on my juice cleanse, but I loved the juices I made so much, that I decided to continue making them.

This week's juice has a few ingredients I haven't included in previous juices: watermelon and grapefruit. Wow! The watermelon is just the right sweetness to offset the earthiness of the beets. The grapefruit's sour tartness tastes just right against the smooth, bright flavor of the avocado. Topped off with fresh coconut water, this juice is my favorite so far.

It's a lot thinner than the other juices I've made, not in a bad way, but in a really refreshing way. I thought I liked the juice to be more of a pureed salad, but now really want more of a liquid texture. Now that I'm making juice on a more regular basis I'm learning that I need to trust my instincts when it comes to flavor mixing. Juice after juice, I've been really pleased with all of my combinations.

Raw Beet, Avocado, Nectarine, Strawberry, Watermelon, Grapefruit Juice

Ingredients

  • 1/2 avocado, skin removed, cut into chunks
  • 1 small nectarine, pit removed, sliced
  • 1 grapefruit, skin removed, cuts into chunks
  • 4 small strawberries, sliced
  • 1 beet, skin removed, sliced
  • 3 small pieces watermelon, cubed
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • Ice cubes

Method:

  1. Put all the ingredients in a blender or drink mixer with a good blade.
  2. Pulse on high until everything is chopped up.
  3. If you want the juice to be thinner, add more coconut or regular water to the mix.