the Wholesome Kitchen

dwikey replied to your post: Almond Lemon Cookies

Pardon my ignorance—why is almond butter okay but not almonds? I’m making these tomorrow. These look to-die-for.

From what I’ve been told, whole nuts & big nut pieces are difficult for those with Crohn’s to digest - after you swallow them, they stay that size through your system and aggravate your intestines.  So, nut butters are good because they have protein, with a creamy texture.  I hope you enjoy them!

Almonds, sadly enough, are on the do not eat list that I received from my doctor, with all other whole nuts.  I didn’t use to eat them all the time before, but now that I wasn’t able to eat them at all, I started to notice their absence.  But then, I realized - I should use almond butter!  Also, I tried to make these cookies as healthy as cookies can be and left out butter.  You don’t really need the butter because the almond butter is fatty enough, but it contains good monounsaturated fats.  This recipe is also very easily made gluten-free.

ALMOND LEMON COOKIES

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

[to make gluten free: substitute a gluten-free flour for the unbleached all-purpose flour; and make sure that you use PURE vanilla extract, as others may contain gluten]

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, mix together almond butter, sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda, dough will be a little dry and may be piecey.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix in well.  Mix in vanilla.
4. Add in flour, mix well.  
5. Add in lemon zest and juice, mix in until blended throughout.
6. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable spray or line with foil and scoop dough onto sheet.  Dough will double in size.
7. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

I’ve been wanting to cook more Italian food, since it really is most my style [I think, anyway] but, I needed some inspiration.  I felt that I had to get a cookbook.  A real, solid, tangible cookbook.  I went to the bookstore in search of something to fulfill this desire, and it took a little while to find.  But when I did, I was enthralled.  I got Jamie Oliver’s cookbook Jamie’s Italy.  I love his cooking philosophy - basic, local, organic.  This risotto recipe is found in this cookbook, I’ve just changed a few things around, to suit my and my intestine’s preferences.  This recipe is also gluten free.

I know that looking at the long list of ingredients and instructions can seem intimidating at first, but it’s not as bad as it seems.  And, trust me, after you taste this when it’s all done, you will see that it’s definitely worth it.  This tastes like it’s from a fancy pants restaurant. 

ROASTED MUSHROOM RISOTTO

serves 5-6

risotto ingredients

• 2 pints stock, chicken or vegetable
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 2 cups risotto [Arborio] rice
• 2 wineglasses of dry white wine
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

mushroom ingredients

• 7 oz wild mushrooms, sliced, half in smaller sizes [I used shiitake & crimini]
• about 3 or 4 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bulb of garlic, finely chopped
• a small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked
• a small punch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 lemon

First, the risotto [use ingredient amounts from risotto ingredients]…

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat the stock on the stove in it’s own pan.  Put the olive oil and butter into a separate pan and add the onion, garlic, and celery.  Cook slowly for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables have softened.  Then, add the rice and turn up the heat.
3. Keep stirring the rice so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan, after about a minute it will look slightly translucent.  Add the wine and keep stirring.
4. Once the wine has cooked into the rice, add a ladle of hot stock with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Turn the heat down so the rice doesn’t cook to quickly on the outside.  Keep adding ladles of stock, waiting for each addition to be fully absorbed before adding the next one.  This will take around 15 minutes.  Taste the rice to check if it’s cooked.  If it’s not, keep on adding stock until it is.  If you run out of stock, you can add some boiling water.

And next, the mushrooms [use ingredients amounts from mushroom ingredients]…

1. Set an ovenproof frying pan or baking pan on the stove on medium-high heat and add a splash of olive oil.  Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for a minute or two, or until they start to get some color.  Add the salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, and another splash of olive oil and mix together.  Place the pan in the oven and roast the mushrooms for about 6 minutes, or until they become even darker in color.

Now, let’s put it all together…

1. Remove the risotto from the heat and add the Parmesan and parsley leaves, stir well.  Add in the smaller chopped mushroom pieces [about half of the mushrooms, garlic, & herbs] and lemon juice, mix well.  Serve risotto with leftover mushrooms, garlic, & herbs mix on top. 

Enjoy!

Last weekend I was visiting some of my family up in Long Beach and we had brunch at a place called Bake n Broil.  I had never been there before and little did I know that I was going to be in for a treat.  I was IN LOVE with their blueberry pancakes that I ordered.  I don’t know what it was about them, but they were incredible.  [anyone who’s in the area should go check this place out]  These amazing pancakes were haunting me and I wanted them in my life again, but I couldn’t very well drive up from San Diego just to go get pancakes.  So, I decided to recreate them myself.  

BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

makes 8 - 10 pancakes

• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 oz. blueberries

[to make gluten-free: substitute a gluten-free flour for the unbleached all-purpose flour]

1. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Beat in buttermilk and oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. Add egg mixture to try ingredients.  Stir the mixture until blended, will be slightly lumpy. 
4. Lightly fold in blueberries.
5. Pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto griddle or skillet on medium-low heat. 
6. After about 1 1/2 minutes, your pancakes should be ready to flip over.  You can tell if you see little bubbles forming, then popping in the batter.  It should be easy to slide your spatula under the pancake, it shouldn’t stick.
7. In another 1 1/2 minutes flip again.  Then in 1 1/2 minutes, flip one more time.  In 1 1/2 minutes, take your pancakes off of the griddle or skillet and onto a plate and serve.  Top with extra blueberries if you wish.

Enjoy!

Fish is one of my favorite things to order at a restaurant, mainly because it intimidates me to cook it at home.  In the few times I’ve tried to cook it before, it turned out alright, but nothing special.  There was just something about how those fancy restaurants could pair a fish with the right sauce that I couldn’t quite seem to get the hang of.  But, I finally think that I’ve found something that works and is simple to put together - the best of both worlds. 

Also, salmon is high on the list of nutritious foods, containing heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and plenty of vitamin D - which helps to boost immunity.  I paired the salmon with mashed potatoes and green beans a la my dad’s famous recipe.  Both the salmon and green beans in this recipe are gluten free.

DIJON GARLIC HERB SALMON

• 2 wild salmon filets [if frozen, thaw]
• 1 1/2 tablespoon basil leaves, minced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

[for those gluten free: double check to make sure that the red wine vinegar you use is gluten free, some, including flavored vinegar, may contain gluten]

1. Mince basil leaves and crush or mince garlic cloves.  In bowl mix together basil, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard.
2. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and place on heated grill.  [I used my panini press / grill, but an outdoor grill or cast iron grill pan will also do the job well]  
3. Cook the salmon for 5 minutes on one side.  Turn the filet over and cook the other side for 4-5 minutes, spooning on half of the Dijon sauce.  
4. Turn the filets over and cook 1 minute, spooning the rest of the sauce on top. 
5. Turn once again and let the cook the fish for one last minute. [If you’re using a panin press / grill like me, for the last step after you have the sauce on both sides, you can just close the top down, so both sides can cook at once.]  The fish should have a total cooking time of 9-10 minutes per inch, adjust the time if necessary for your filet size.

PARMESAN GREEN BEANS

• 1 bunch green beans
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Pour olive oil and white wine into pan and place onto stove top on medium heat.
2. When pan has warmed up, add in green beans, Parmesan, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. Mix around to evenly coat green beans with all ingredients.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, reduce heat and put lid on pan and simmer until all liquid is gone and green beans are cooked.

Enjoy!

This dip has always been a favorite of mine because it combines some of my favorite vegetables with garlic and Parmesan cheese, and I love most things that have garlic and Parmesan cheese.  While standard spinach dip is a staple at many potlucks and other gatherings, this dip is a healthier / more Crohn’s friendly version.  It’s a great warm snack, which can be harder to come by for those with Crohn’s, and makes a good amount of dip, making it perfect to keep for leftovers or serve when you have people over.  This recipe is also gluten free.

SPINACH, ARTICHOKE, PARMESAN DIP

makes about 3 cups

• 10-oz bag baby spinach OR 1 bunch loose leaf spinach
• 14-oz can artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 4 medium garlic cloves
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise with olive oil
• 1/2 cup light sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

[for those gluten free: double check to make sure that the mayonnaise and sour cream you use is gluten free as some may contain gluten]

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Chop spinach, drain and chop artichoke hearts, dice onion, and mince garlic.
3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together, leaving a little Parmesan aside to sprinkle on top.
4. Coat a casserole dish with vegetable spray.  Scoop dip into dish and sprinkle leftover Parmesan on top. 
5. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until bubbly.  Serve with bread pieces, like Irish soda bread, or tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

It’s a cold, rainy St Patrick’s Day for me, as I’m sure it is for a lot of you.  And as is true for most cold weather, I have a giant urge to bake something.  After spending the whole morning and a good part of the day at the St Patrick’s Day parade downtown and festivities afterwards [all in the rain and wind] it helps to ward off the cold weather by baking up some warm, fresh Irish soda bread.  I’m keeping my recipe pretty traditional - no extra ingredients such as fruit, nuts or sugar - wouldn’t want to upset my ancestors on their own day.  This recipe can very easily be made gluten free - details below.

IRISH SODA BREAD

makes 1 round loaf [8-10 slices]

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups low fat buttermilk

[to make gluten free: substitute gluten free flour for unbleached all-purpose flour]

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
3. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup of the buttermilk.  Mix together with a fork.  Gradually add remaining buttermilk until a soft dough is formed, dough will be a bit flaky.
4. Knead the dough on lightly floured surface for 1 minute.  Form into a slightly flattened circle and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  
5. Use a knife to mark a large X across the top of the dough.  Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Enjoy!

Eggs are excellent because they are so versatile, perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner, when paired with the right ingredients.  This recipe would work great for almost any meal, and could also work well with a couple different additions, ie. a cheese, or substitutions, ie. spinach instead of lettuce.  This can also be very easily made gluten free - details below.

FRIED EGG & MUSHROOM SANDWICH

makes 1 sandwich

• 1 egg
• 3 crimini mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• handful of baby lettuce leaves
• 1 large slice sourdough bread
• salt & pepper to taste

[to make gluten free: use a gluten free bread instead of sourdough]

1. Cut slice of bread in half and toast.
2. Rinse off lettuce leaves.
3. Slice mushrooms and add to nonstick skillet with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Turn stove on medium to medium-low heat and cook for 5-7 minutes or until mushrooms have gained a darker color.  
4. Take toast out of toaster, place lettuce on piece of toast, and the mushrooms on the lettuce.
5. In the pan you used to cook the mushrooms, fry one egg to your liking - I cooked mine over easy. 
6. Add egg to the top of the sandwich and top with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

While looking around at zucchini bread recipes, I noticed that while most of them had little to no butter, almost all had a large amount of oil.  I put together what I liked from about 6 different recipes and came up with this one, which I think turned out tasting really yummy.  And, zucchini bread is yet another way to get in a serving of vegetables, but in a way that might work better for you.  This recipe can be made either gluten free or vegan as well - details below.

If you made the stuffed zucchini from my last post, then you should have just the perfect amount of zucchini left over to make this zucchini bread.  The two recipes are usually good to make together, mainly for this reason.

ZUCCHINI BREAD

Makes one loaf or four mini loaves.

• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini [about 2 small zucchini]
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

[to make gluten free: use a gluten free flour instead of unbleached all-purpose flour; and make sure that you use PURE vanilla extract, as others may contain gluten]

[to make vegan: eliminate eggs, but replace with extra applesauce or other similar ingredient to make up for the absence]

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat loaf pan with vegetable spray.
2. Grate / shred zucchini.  If using left over zucchini from stuffed zucchini recipe and pieces are too small to grate, you can chop into small pieces.
3. In large bowl combine applesauce, eggs, zucchini, and vanilla and mix well. 
4. Add baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well. 
5. Add brown sugar and sugar and mix well. 
6. Stir in flour and mix.
7. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  If using mini loaf pans, bake for 30 - 40 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

This side dish is one that I love because it brings together fresh vegetables with some bread crumbs and a little bit of cheese.  I know that the fresh vegetables can be daunting to some of you with Crohn’s, but because they are baked and mixed with other ingredients, I urge you to give this recipe a try. When it comes to raw vegetables, I personally don’t do well with more than a small side salad, but this dish I do well with and really enjoy.  This recipe can be made gluten free or vegan - details below.

Also, for those of you worried about all of those zucchini bits going to waste that you scrape out of the middle, not to worry!  The next recipe I will post up will be a companion to this one - zucchini bread.  So save up all of the zucchini insides and check back soon.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI

makes about 4 - 6 servings, depending on size of zucchini

• 4 medium zucchini
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 4 medium cloves minced garlic [2 teaspoons]
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

[to make gluten free: use bread crumbs made from gluten free bread instead of standard bread crumbs]

[to make vegan: use soy cheese or other cheese alternative instead of Parmesan]

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Trim ends of zucchini and cut lengthwise and in half, so you have four pieces of each zucchini.  Scoop out the center of each zucchini piece, but leave an edge on each side to hold in the filling.
3. Coat a baking sheet with vegetable spray or tin foil and place zucchini on tray.  Drizzle half of allotted olive oil over zucchini pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Dice tomatoes and onion.  Combine tomatoes, onion, Parmesan, bread crumbs, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a bowl and mix together.  Spoon into zucchini pieces.  Drizzle remaining olive oil over top.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until mixture in the middle is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Let’s face it, fast food isn’t healthy for anyone.  It really isn’t healthy for those of us with Crohn’s, with all of that fried, greasy, overly processed food.  But still, there’s something about it that calls my name every once in a while.  So, in order to stop myself from going to get real fast food, here is a healthier alternative that is still delicious.  This recipe can also be made gluten free - details below.

BAKED CHICKEN TENDERS

makes about 4 servings

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts [2 large]
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning [if you don’t have it, you can substitute a seasoning of your choice you have on hand]
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk

[to make gluten free: substitute gluten free flour for the unbleached all-purpose flour, and use bread crumbs made from gluten free bread instead of standard bread crumbs]

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut each chicken breast into 1 inch strips.
3. In a shallow bowl mix together the flour, bread crumbs, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
4. In another shallow bowl whisk together the egg and nonfat milk.
5. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray.  Dip chicken strips in egg mixture, coat with bread crumb mixture, then place on baking sheet. 
6. Bake about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer pink inside.

ZESTY RED PEPPER SAUCE

• 2 fresh red bell peppers OR 1 14-oz. jar roasted red peppers; depending on your tolerance of raw vegetables
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

[for those gluten free: make sure that you purchase cider or apple cider vinegar, not apple cider FLAVORED vinegar, as flavored vinegar is NOT gluten free; some tomato pastes may have gluten, depending on the brand - check the ingredients on the can]

1. If using fresh bell peppers, slice into smaller pieces and remove seeds.  If using jar of roasted peppers, drain liquid.
2. Combine all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Enjoy!

One of the hardest things for me to find is a snack that works for Crohn’s.  Most prepackaged snacks have at least one ingredient that I shouldn’t be eating, while I don’t want to take a huge amount of time to make something homemade every time I want a snack.  The great thing about both this guacamole and tortilla chip recipe is that you can make a bunch of it and have some to keep around for a little bit.  The guacamole is both gluten free and vegan and the tortilla chips are vegan and could easily be made gluten free - details below.

GUACAMOLE

• 2 ripe Hass avocados
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 medium Roma tomato
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• 2 medium cloves garlic [1 teaspoon]
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. Scoop out avocado halves into a bowl.
2. Add lemon juice and mash the avocados until you reach desired texture.
3. Dice tomato, onion, and chop cilantro and add to bowl.  Also add garlic, salt and pepper and mix well.

TORTILLA CHIPS

• 8 flour tortillas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

[to make gluten free: substitute gluten free tortilla for flour tortillas]

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut each tortilla into chip sized triangles or strips.
3. Cover baking sheet with tin foil or vegetable spray.  Place tortilla pieces on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. 
4. Mix together spices in small bowl and sprinkle over tortilla pieces. 
5. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until crisp.

Enjoy!

It is a beautiful weekend in San Diego, and I feel like summer is already here.  I know this is just wishful thinking, and I can’t put away all of my cold weather clothes yet (what I do have of them), but a girl can dream.  Because this weather is so lovely, I wanted to make something that had the feel of warm days.  I found these lovely fresh berries at a market near me, but if you can’t find them near you yet, you can also substitute in equal amounts of another fresh fruit.  I have adapted this recipe from Carrie Murphy and made it Crohn’s friendly.  Also, for those interested, this recipe can be easily changed to be either gluten free or vegan - details down below.

BERRY PATCH OATMEAL MUFFINS:

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 5 medium strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup of applesauce
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of nonfat milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

[to make gluten free: substitute a gluten free flour for unbleached all-purpose flour and make sure that you use PURE vanilla extract, as others may contain gluten]

[to make vegan: substitute almond or soy milk for nonfat milk and leave out the egg; you may want to add a little extra applesauce or banana to make up for the absence]

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix together oatmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in large bowl.
3. Mash banana until it reaches a creamy consistency.  Put in medium sized bowl and add blueberries, strawberries, applesauce, egg, milk, and vanilla extract.  Mix together well.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well.  The batter will be a bit lumpy.
5. Lightly cover muffin pan with non-stick spray and add batter into tin.  Bake for 20 - 22 minutes or until a stick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Enjoy!

Pasta is without a doubt my favorite food.  There are so many different ways to prepare it that the possibilities are truly endless.  One of my favorite base sauces is pesto, and the best part is that it’s healthy too.  I added in mushrooms and tomatoes to the sauce, but if those aren’t your style, most vegetables or meat would go well with this pesto as well.  This recipe will make enough for about four servings. 

PESTO

makes about 4 servings

• 2 cups fresh baby spinach or basil leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 medium cloves minced garlic [1 tablespoon]
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4+ cup olive oil
• 10 oz spaghetti

[to make gluten-free: use a gluten-free pasta instead of regular spaghetti]

[to make vegan: use a soy cheese or other cheese substitute instead of Parmesan]

Combine spinach/basil, Parmesan, garlic and salt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, or leaves are in small pieces.  Add olive oil and blend another 1 - 2 minutes, until pesto reaches desired consistency.  If you desire a more saucy pesto, you can add more olive oil, but add by small amounts because a little olive oil goes a long way. 

Start cooking your pasta.  I used spaghetti because I had it on hand, but you can use whatever pasta you wish.

MUSHROOMS & TOMATOES:

• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 2 cups Crimini mushrooms [any mushrooms will work]
• 1/4 cup white wine [variety is up to you, the drier the better]
• 1 medium clove minced garlic
• pepper to taste

Slice mushrooms and cube tomatoes into desired sizes.  Add all ingredients to skillet and turn on medium heat.  Cook until most of the wine boils down, about 5-7 minutes.  There will still be some liquid left in the pan with the vegetables. 

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

Combine pasta, pesto, and vegetables with sauce in a big bowl and mix together.  Top with Parmesan if you wish.  Enjoy!