High Protein Pasta Dinner with Sun Dried Tomato Paste

High Protein Pasta Dinner
with Sun Dried Tomato Paste

Not every meal I make is planned out in advance or highly complicated.  Most of my meals are actually very simple combinations of foods I have on hand in my freezer or pantry all the time.  This dinner is one such example.  I had some frozen organic whole wheat pesto filled raviolis in my freezer that had been there for awhile and thought I would figure out a quick and simple weeknight dish by combining them with some sun dried tomatoes I had been wanting to use.  I love sun dried tomatoes and know that they are really good for you, but usually the process of slicing them up into thin strips or pieces is time consuming and I just didn't feel like spending a long time prepping dinner.  (I was also in the middle of making a batch of muffins for breakfast so I really needed to keep things simple).  So I decided to let my magic bullet blender do the work for me and attempt to make my very own sun dried tomato paste.

I was not planning on even writing this "recipe" up in my blog, but the result was so delicious, and so simple to throw together, that I thought it was worth sharing, especially after receiving this morning's Dr. Oz newsletter which listed both sun dried tomatoes and green peas as "surprising sources of protein."  I honestly had no idea.  I knew that they were both highly nutritious, but I didn't know that a cup of each one contains a remarkable 8g of protein! Green peas are also really high in fiber and one cup provides 100% of your daily vitamin C.

As for the sun dried tomatoes, they are truly one of nature's healthiest foods. As stated above, one cup contains 8g of protein, in addition to 7g of fiber and half of the potassium that your body needs in a day.  They are also high in iron, the B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin and niacin, as well as vitamin K. Sun dried tomatoes also contain high amounts of vitamins A and C, as well as other highly important antioxidants.  Honestly, they are amazing, and the perfect way to add some super nutrition to any pasta dish you are making.  I did use pesto filled ravioli, but this paste would be good with any type of pasta, rice, chicken or fish meal, or even as a spread on a sandwich.  I definitely plan to make it again soon and will share how I incorporate it into my next culinary adventure.  Buon appetito!

Green Beans with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Green Beans with Sun Dried Tomatoes

This is a very basic stir fry but it is a combination I had never thought to try before.  I love sun dried tomatoes but usually only used them in Italian dishes such as pizza and pasta or occasionally on a salad.  But after watching a guest doctor on the Dr. Oz show talk about sun dried tomatoes being a "new superfood" and how he loves them sauteed with olive oil and broccolette, I figured why not try them with green beans? Instead of the super salty and often high fat green bean casserole that is so popular around the holidays, this dish has all the flavor, but a boat load of nutrients as well.  The sun dried tomatoes give you the salty fix you are looking for and you could even top it with some toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds for a little crunch if you miss that as well.  Honestly of all the side dishes I prepared, this was by far the simplest, and yet my definite favorite.  And since the next big holiday is Christmas, why not give it a try for that meal?  It is certainly the right colors!