Mediterranean Buckwheat Quinoa Pasta.....

Every one loves a nice surprise, especially when it’s the end of the week, you are tired and feeling a little jaded - nothing is nicer than some good old fashioned kindness. So when I came home on Friday and found the super people at Dove Farm had sent me a gorgeous box of goodies to try (for free!!) I admit I happy danced round the kitchen with the cat! Dove Farm is based on the Wiltshire/Berkshire border and they have had Soil Association approval since they were founded in 1978.Their home baking flour range offers flours which are suitable for those on gluten free, wheat free, diabetic, or other special diets including vegan. The majority of Doves Farm products are also Organic, all are vegetarian and quite a few are vegan. They also have a range of Fair Trade products. What’s not to love?! Sorting through the package from Dove Farm I was delighted to find not one, but two of my favourite products, a large bag of the gluten free white plain flour and the lemon zest cookies. Both are gluten free and suitable for vegans. The next two items I was very excited to see as I have heard about both but not actually tried either of them – a buckwheat quinoa pasta and a buckwheat  pasta, again both gluten free and suitable for vegans. Winning! One act of kindness always deserves another so I am delighted to have put together some new and exciting recipes to showcase these amazing products. First up let me introduce the Quinoa Pasta……

Mediterranean Quinoa Pasta (serves 2)

• 160g of Doves Farm Organic Quinoa Pasta
• 1 jar of roasted red peppers
• 1 crushed cloves of garlic
• ½ pack of tofu infused with basil
• Pinch of salt (to taste)
• 100 ml of olive oil
• Handful of spinach (fresh or frozen)
• 1 jar of black olives, cut in half
• Sprinkle of nutritional yeast (optional)

How To –

• Put the drained peppers, garlic, salt, spinach and olive oil in a blender and blitz until smooth (sauce like!)
• Mena while cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water and in another gently fry the tofu until crispy.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain, add the sauce / tofu and stir over a gentle heat until the sauce starts to bubble.
• Pile a pasta dish high with this peppery quinoa goodness, top with the olives (as many as you like!), a sprinkle with nutritional yeast (if you want) and serve with home made garlic bread. Enjoy!