It's pretty easy cooking green...

I must've been in a green mood today.  Maybe I'm finally ready for Spring?  I'm craving bright tastes, bright colors, and warmth.  Therefore, tonight's menu consisted of: tarragon-pistachio pesto on whole-wheat pizza dough, pasta with spinach and a creamy bechamel sauce, and roasted broccoli.  Here is what was left on my plate when I stopped eating long enough to take a picture:

 

 So, let's get started, shall we?  First I made the pesto because it could easily be refrigerated while everything else was cooking.  If you want the pizza crust recipe, I think I have posted about it before...you can always email me!  For the pesto you will need:  tarragon (2 tbsp fresh or 1 tbsp dried), 1/2 cup chopped, fresh parsley, 1 clove garlic, 2 tbsp shelled pistachios, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Blend everything except the olive oil in the food processor.  Then add in the olive oil and blend some more.  Add 2 tbsp water.  Blend again.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  That's it!  That simple.  It's a great pasta sauce, a great topping for breads...yummy.

Next I worked on the spinach.  I used about 1 lb. fresh spinach.  First, wash it all, obviously.  DON'T dry it.  Put the majority (all but like 2 handfuls) in a large deep pot and cook over medium heat, with the lid on, until it all wilts down.  Then drain it and keep the liquid.  I did this by draining it in a strainer over a bowl.  I left it there for a bit to cool while I did some other prep work and then squeezed all the water out.  All the spinach (the raw and the cooked) needs to be finely chopped.  Once you've done this, put it aside.  

In the mean time, cook 1 lb. pasta.  Whatever shape you like, but not long spaghetti noodles.

The spinach gets added to a Bechamel sauce.  This really isn't difficult.  Melt 4 tbsp butter in that same large pot you cooked the spinach in.  Once the butter melts (medium heat...) add 1/4 cup of flour.  Whisk these together and keep whisking for a full minute or so, so that the flour cooks.  Add 2 cups milk.  When it begins to bubble, (about 5 min later) whisk more and add salt and pepper to taste.  Then add a sprinkle of nutmeg.  Taste.  If you don't taste any difference, add a little more.  At the most, add 1/4 tsp nutmeg.  Trust me, it'll make a difference!  Add in the reserved spinach liquid (about 1/4-1/2 cup) and whisk.  Take it off the heat.  It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, but not so thick the spoon will stand up in it.  Mix in both kinds of spinach (raw and cooked) and add in 1 lb. cooked pasta.  

Ah, the broccoli.  While all that other stuff is going on,  sort of slice 1 head or 2 of broccoli.  Keep all the florets and stems sort of nice and long.  Spread everything out on a sheet pan, add 2 tbsp oil and shuffle everything around to make sure oil gets on all the broccoli.  Roast at 425 for 10-12 minutes, then kick it up to 475 for another 5-10 until it starts to get brown and crispy around the edges.  

Ta-da!  You're all done!  What a healthy and green meal.  I hope you have someone else to wash the dishes ;)