Fresh mix of herbs over crisp veggies and tender pasta finished off with a squeeze of lemon juice, this Herb Green Bean and Pea Pasta sings Spring.

The weather has been all over the place here in Texas lately. One day it's sunny and near 80, the next we need coats and scarves. We're lucky we are not to knee-deep in snow, I guess. One thing for sure, I'm looking forward to the start of Spring. Life has been super busy for me, but I just had to share this quick, easy, fresh and delicious recipe you. Just may put you in a Springtime frame of mind. 

This Herb Green Bean and Pea Pasta is one of my springtime favorites.

What a combination of fresh green beans, peas and pasta.

Add a mix of fresh tarragon, thyme and flat leaf parsley for explosive flavor.

The fresh flavors and textures make this dish a win for any spring brunch.

It comes together in under 30 minutes, leaving you more time to spend with your guest. Don't want pasta, serve the veggies as a side dish.

Start with fresh green beans and peas, sauté, add fresh herbs and seasonings, toss with pasta, sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice and that's it.  

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Herbed Green Bean & Pea Pasta

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Celeste|TheWholeServing
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 17 mins
• Total Time: 27 mins
• Yield: 5 to 6 cups 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 12 ozs. of uncooked spaghetti pasta
• 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 lb. fresh green beans, cut into 1 to 2 inch size
• 1 lb. fresh green peas
• 2 teaspoons chopped tarragon
• 2 teaspoons chopped thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 ⅓ cup vegetable stock
• salt to taste
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• shredded parmesan cheese
• Fresh lemon

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Instructions

1. Cook pasta until all dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté 1 to 2 minutes, add garlic to the pan and continue to sauté until fragrant, about one minute.
3. Add green beans, peas, herbs and a dash of salt to skillet and continue to sauté 1 to 2 minutes, add additional oil to pan if needed.
4. Pour vegetable stock over veggies, stir and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender.
5. Toss veggies and pasta together in a large bowl, taste, add more salt as needed. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and toss once more.
6. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and additional herbs, serve while hot.

If you make this recipe or a version of it, take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving or leave a comment below. I’d love to see or hear about your version of this Herb Green Bean & Pea Pasta.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EasyHolidayEats #CollectiveBias.

Entertain stress-free and spend more time enjoying your guest this holiday season, host a make-it-yourself Crostini Appetizer Party.

Holiday gatherings will be in full swing soon, so if you are planning a party and want to keep it stress-free, how about throwing a Crostini Appetizer Party.

Instead of planning a big dinner and worrying about everything coming together at the same time, you can simply provide various toppings and spreads and let your guest make their own tasty crostini appetizers. Trust me, it is so much fun.

The key is to choose toppings of various textures and flavors from savory to sweet and I try my best to keep the sweet naturally sweet, not a lot of added sugar.

The categories for my toppings are fruits and veggies, spreads, herbs, and extra finishes like basil pesto and olive tapenade.  I like to keep it real with my toppings, however, I don't always have time to make everything, like my own fruit spread, that’s when I use Smucker’s Fruit & Honey Fruit Spread, it’s my go-to spread because it doesn't have a lot of extra sugar or ingredients I can't pronounce. It’s sweetened with honey. Warning, never feed honey to children under a year old, their little bodies can't process it so it can harm them.

I grew up using Smucker’s jams on my PB&J sandwiches but the latest addition to their line of jams, Fruit & Honey Fruit Spread is by far my favorite and it makes putting together my Crostini Appetizer Party so much easier. For this gathering I used Smucker’s Fruit & Honey Triple Berry Fruit Spread and Strawberry Jalapeno Fruit Spread.

Set up is so easy, just set out platters of your toppings and let your guest have fun mixing and matching toppings. To make it easier, have your guest bring the toppings!

Slice the veggies and fruits and place them on platters. Add herbs and the other toppings to your platters. Transfer spreads to serving bowls.

Slice and toast your bread and add the jams to the table and everything is set for fun. A stress-free Crostini Appetizer Party to share the holiday with friends.

You can find Smucker's Fruit & Honey Fruit Spread line of jams at Walmart in the bread and jelly aisle.

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Stress-Free Crostini Appetizer Party

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Celeste | TheWholeServing
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 12 mins
• Total Time: 27 mins

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 baguettes, sliced on the diagonal
• olive oil
• Smucker's Fruit & Honey Fruit Spread of your choice
• SPREADS
• basil pesto
• hummus
• goat cheese
• HERBS
• fresh basil
• fresh mint
• FRUIT & VEGGIES
• sliced apples
• sliced pears
• sliced cherry tomatoes
• sliced cucumbers
• sliced radish
• sliced grapes
• EXTRAS
• sliced cheese
• red pepper flakes
• sea salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place baguette on a shallow baking pan and brush with a olive oil.
2. Place pan in oven and toast until bread starts to brown.
3. Assemble crostini ingredients, serve and have fun!

If you haven't you should really check out the other Fruit & Honey varieties, Strawberry, Blueberry Lemon, and Concord Grape Fruit Spread, you can do that here. I've tried them all and my favorites are Triple Berry and Strawberry Jalapeno.

Which one is your favorite? 

Guess what, you can earn $1.00 off your favorite Smucker's Fruit & Honey Fruit Spread if you use the Ibotta app. Love this app, I've been using the app for a while now and I love earning money for things I'm going to buy anyway.

If you make this, I really want to see, take a picture and tag it in Instagram. Make your holiday entertaining naturally sweet, check these great recipes and entertaining ideas.

Shaved Brussels Sprout, tossed with shaved parmesan, red pepper flakes and toasted pine nuts. Serve with a bold white wine, perfect for a no-fuss, chaos-free dinner party. This quick and easy Brussels Sprout Linguine with White Wine will help you spend more time with friends during the busy holiday season.

The holidays can be filled with hectic chaos. Fighting through crowds at the malls, baking a zillion holiday cookies, breads, and deciding what gift to buy for your Secret Santa. Having dinner with friends doesn't have to be a part of that crazy chaos.

This simple and easy Brussels Sprout Linguine with White Wine makes putting together an elegant Friday night dinner with friends a breeze.

This not-so-ordinary pasta dish pairs perfectly with a bottle of Wente Chardonnay. One of my favorites, I love big and bold Chardonnays, by the way Wente Vineyards Morning Fog Chardonnay received Wine Enthusiast score of 90 Points for 2014.

Planning and prep are key for chaos-free dinner parties that you the host will also enjoy. The morning of your dinner remember to place a few bottles of your wine in the fridge before leaving for work.

This dish comes together so quickly, especially if you slice the brussels sprouts a day ahead and place them in a bowl of cold water and store them in the fridge. A spin in the salad spinner helps to remove as much of the water as possible before cooking.

The day of your dinner party, start by preparing your linguine. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.

While the water is boiling for the pasta, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, add the garlic, wine and brussels sprout.

When sprouts have softened a bit remove from heat and toss in the cheese, transfer sprouts to the bowl of pasta and add the pepper flakes.

Sprinkle on some toasted pine nuts and grated parmesan cheese before serving.

Serve with some crusty bread, a fresh shaving of parmesan, a sprinkling of toasted pint nuts and a nice glass of full-bodied Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay. A perfect way to end a busy week with a simple and elegant dinner party with friends during this busy holiday season.

Purchase a few bottles of Wente Wines on line to have on hand for easy entertaining or to give as hostess gifts during the holiday season.

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Brussels Sprout Linguine with White Wine

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Celeste | TheWholeServing
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• ½ cup pine nuts
• 1 8oz. box linguine
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoond chopped shallots
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay
• 1 pound of fresh brussels sprouts
• ⅓ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• crusty baguette

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Instructions

1. Drain and spin the sliced brussels sprout to remove the water, place in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts, when toasted, set aside.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, then scoop it out of the water and place in a big bowl.
4. While the water is boiling for the pasta, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 1 ½ minutes. Add the garlic and pinch of salt, saute until fragrant, about 30 to 40 seconds.
5. Add the wine and brussels sprouts to the pan and cook until sprouts start to soften.
6. Remove from heat and toss in the shaved parmesan.
7. Transfer sprouts to the bowl with the pasta, toss in the red pepper flakes, taste and season with more salt if needed.

If you make this recipe or a version of it, take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving or leave a comment below. I’d love to see or hear about your version of this Brussels Sprout Linguine with White Wine. I would also like to know what favorite food you like pair with your Wente Wines.

Rustic and savory Easy Mushroom Green Bean Tart. Great dish for a Black Friday brunch, perfect way to use Thanksgiving leftovers.

Thanksgiving is an amazing holiday, sharing wonderful food with friends and family who gather from near and far. Then there is Black Friday shopping, which can be fun as well as a workout, leaving everyone ready for Thanksgiving leftovers.

But instead of serving plain old leftovers I like to jazz them up a bit and Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry makes that easy.

I started using Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry many years ago to make quick and easy appetizers and mini sweet tarts, but now I use it for so much more. I like to keep a box in my freezer for making things like herbed breadsticks, popovers, pizza, and hand pies.  For our Black Friday brunch last year I used leftover green beans and Puff Pastry Sheets to make a delicious Easy Mushroom Green Bean Tart that was so quick and easy to put together, which is a requirement during the holidays.

After rolling out a Puff Pastry Sheet, place it on a parchment lined baking pan and fold over the edges as seen below. Using a fork, poke hole in the bottom of the crust before baking.

While the crust is baking, saute the onions and mushrooms over medium high heat.

Toss in the green beans or you can use broccoli.

Arrange the mushrooms and green beans over the crust, top with cheese and bake in the oven once more until cheese starts to melt. I was lucky enough to find a peppered Romano cheese.

When the cheese has melted, get ready to dig in and enjoy.

This Easy Mushroom Green Bean Tart is perfect with a side of salad. Using Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets helps to make holiday entertaining easy.

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Black Friday Brunch-Easy Mushroom Green Bean Tart

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Celeste | TheWholeServing
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheet
• olive oil
• half of a medium onion chopped
• 8 oz. package of whole crimini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 to 8 ounces of green beans
• ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a shallow 8.5 x 11.5 baking pan with parchment paper.
3. Roll out the pastry sheet and place in the parchment lines baking pan, folding over the sides. Poke holes in the crust with a fork and brush with olive oil. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until crust starts to brown. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 350.
4. While crust is baking, saute onions until translucent, about one minute. Add the mushrooms, garlic and thyme to the pan and continue to saute 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Remove pan from heat and toss the green beans with the mushrooms.
6. Spread 3 tablespoons of cheese over the crust.
7. Arrange mushrooms and green beans over the cheese, be sure to drain any liquid from mushroom mixture.
8. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the mushrooms and green beans.
9. Place in oven and heat until cheese starts to melt. When cheese has melted, remove from oven and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of thyme leaves over the tart.
10. Allow to cool slightly, slice and serve with a salad.

Black Friday brunch is now a tradition for my family and a great way to use those Thanksgiving leftovers. This Easy Mushroom Green Bean Tart is one of my favorites, I hope after giving it a try it will become one of your favorites.

What are some ways you like to use Puff Pastry Sheets?  For more great ideas visit the Pepperidge Farm® website, you may be surprised at the many creative ways to use Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets to help make holiday entertaining easier.

Kale & Farro Stuffed Peppers-Packed full of nutritious farro filled with protein and fiber. Perfect weeknight dinner with a large green salad.

What do you do when you have peppers to use and you don't want to have another stir fry dish?

Stuff them!

I had some peppers in the fridge that needed to be used but I didn't want to make another stir fry dish, so I decided it was time to have stuffed peppers. It had been years since I had eaten stuffed peppers, and back then I was still eating meat, so I always filled them with ground beef. 

Now as a meatless eater I had to decide what stuffing to use.  Quinoa or couscous would be nice but I decided to use farro because it's a bit heartier with a meaty bite and it's oh-so-delicious and filling. 

Sautéed mushrooms onions and garlic seasoned with oregano and thyme, add chopped kale mixed with the farro and you have the perfect stuffing.To be perfectly honest with you the farro stuffing almost didn't make in to the peppers, it's just that good all by itself. Melt some mozzarella cheese on top and you’ll have the most delectable, delicious dish, perfect with a big salad.

Who says you have to have meat filling to make delicious and tasty stuffed peppers? Whole grains are great to use for replacing meat fillings, they’re loaded with protein and fiber.

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Kale & Farro Stuffed Peppers

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5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Celeste | TheWholeServing
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 ½ cups uncooked farro
• 4 assorted bell peppers and a drizzle of olive oil
• 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
• ½ medium onion chopped
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups chopped kale
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees for roasting peppers.
2. Rinse the farro with cold water, add 4 cups of water and farro to a large stock pot, cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce heat, cover and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until tender and chewy. Drain any remaining water from farro.
4. Wash peppers, slice vertically, remove the seeds and membrane.
5. Place on a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake peppers 20 minutes or until peppers have softened a bit
6. While farro and peppers are cooking heat 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions to the skillet and sauté about one minute, minute, add the mushrooms and continue to sauté two more minutes. Onions should be translucent and mushrooms will be softened.
7. Add in the garlic, oregano, thyme and a dash of salt and black pepper, cook for a minute or two more.
8. Toss in the kale, stir to mix and transfer everything to a large bowl.
9. Add drained farro to the kale mixture, taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
10. Fill pepper halves with the farro mixture, top with the mozzarella cheese, place in oven for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
11. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly before serving.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: ½ stuffed pepper
• Calories: 182
• Sugar: 2.2
• Sodium: 140.8
• Fat: 3.1
• Carbohydrates: 32.6
• Fiber: 5.3
• Protein: 7.5
• Cholesterol: 0

If you make this recipe or a version of it, take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving or leave a comment below. I’d love to see or hear about your version of this Kale & Farro Stuffed Peppers.