This the most rushed spinach frittata ever!  Try it but better serve it immediately. It won’t kill you, though, if you have to serve it a little later. The credits for the inspiration and basics of this recipe go to Kitchen Secrets but any deviations from the original recipe and definitely all errors or are  mine.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 5-7 shallots  or 1 dry onion chopped
• olive oil enough to thinly cover the bottom of a deep pan
• one half a kilo/1 pound frozen spinach
• salt, pepper, oregano, basil
• 10 eggs
• 1 cup ground Parmesan

How to make: Saute the onion, add the spinach and 2-3 cubes of frozen basil and saute for about 5 more minutes. If you use fresh basil add it after the spinach is sauteed. Add salt, pepper, oregano and saute 1-2 minutes more. Add well beaten eggs after you have mixed them with the Parmesan. Give them a nice and gentle stir until they are well mixed with the spinach. Let the food cook on low heat. Use a silicon spatula to check if the egg-spinach mix has firmed at the rims.  Slide the spatula a little beneath the egg-spinach mix to be sure the bottom is firm. When the bottom and sides are firm place the pan in  pre-heated broil (low heat). Place the pan on a rack in the oven just below the grill but make sure there’s some distance between the top of the pan and the grill. Cook until the top is firm. You can leave it a little longer if you prefer it crispier. But don’t overcook and don’t let it go dark brown. The one I’m showing in the photo is brown enough already.

Notes and tips: You can add more or less eggs.  Actually, I like it with even more eggs, especially when I serve it for breakfast. If you have zucchini handy, slice them in rounds and saute them before you add the spinach. They’re really yummy in this recipe.  If you want to be fancy, get special pans for frittata so you won’t have to transfer the frittata in the broil.

i always loved beets, even as a kid when most kids hated beets.

i’d never had golden beets before, so when i saw a bunch of them at work the other day, i decided to try them out.

i washed the beets thoroughly, then separated the greens from the roots. i steamed the beets, whole and skins on, for about 45 minutes. once they cooled a bit, the skins peeled right off. i served those simply sliced with some pepper and parmesan on top.

the greens i diced up and sauteed in oil for a bit. then i added some garlic powder, salt, and pepper. i also added some chopped walnuts. then right toward the end, i threw in about 1/2 cup of buttermilk i had leftover from a recipe and lowered the heat, stirring until it was evaporated enough.

served the beet roots with the greens. it feels good to eat the entire vegetable. the greens were kind of tangy and nutty which complimented the plain sweetness of the beets.

seriously love beets.

oh, the golden doesn’t seem to really taste different. but at least i won’t have to deal with freaking out when the purple beet coloring comes out the other end and i don’t remember that it’s from eating beets! haha

Hello Everyone! We hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. After eating turkey and side dishes for 2 weeks straight, we decided we needed a change. I was craving for some pasta, so K decided to make carbonara pasta. This is a simple and very delicious meal to make that does not take that many ingredients. It is cheesy and creamy…and we go overboard on bacon. Did we ever mention that we LOVE bacon? haha. Anyways, we enjoy  this dish often at home, and we hope that you enjoy it as well.

What You Need

1. spaghetti
2. 1 cup grated/shredded parmesan
3. bacon/ham/pancetta–we used bacon
4. two eggs
5. 1/2 cup-3/4 cup heavy cream
6. 1 teaspoon nutmeg
7. 1 clove garlic diced
8. 1/4 cup chopped onion

What to Do:

First, begin by boiling some pasta in salted water. This recipe makes about 2 servings of carbonara sauce. We used about a little less than 1/2 the spaghetti bag. Next, separate to egg yolks into a bowl.

Add in the cream. Depending on how much cream you put in, you will get a creamy or noncreamy pasta. If you like your carbonara kind of dry, do not put all the cream in…maybe about 1/2 cup will do. If you want creamy, put in 3/4. Stir with a fork and break up the eggs. Add in the cheese into the mixture.

Next, chop and dice the onions and garlic.

Next, get your meat and chop into small pieces. We used about 5 slices of bacon. This was a little excessive, but hey, we love bacon.

Now, heat the pan and begin to saute the meat. Once the meat is half way crispy, put the onions and garlic in. Saute until the onions are translucent the meat is crispy. There was a lot of bacon fat when we fried the bacon up.  Drain away the excess bacon fat. Add in the nutmeg.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

Next, when the pasta is done, using a slotted spoon, add the pasta into the bacon pan and stir.

Add in the cheese mixture and mix. You can do this over very low heat. Avoid overheating, because this will cause curdling of the sauce.

Now transfer over to a plate, and you are done! Black pepper to taste.

ENJOY!

Just like homemade salad dressings, pesto has a million variations. We like to experiment with flavors based on what’s available at the time, and we always keep it fairly simple–nuts, a hard cheese, herbs, citrus and garlic. Pesto. At least, that’s how we do it. There’s no reason to stick with tradition when you can come up with fun twists on the original. There are a lot of good premade pestos on the market, and we’ve definitely made use of them. This time, it was worth the effort to make it. Actually, it’s always worth the effort if you have the ingredients on hand. Give it a go just one time, and you’ll see how easy and delicious it can be.

One of the favorite pestos we’ve made included mint and parsley. It was bright, light and fresh.  Really nice for the spring or summer. This pesto is deeper, with earthy undertones from the sage and walnuts rolled together with nutty browned butter.  It is an easy fix for these chilly winter nights. And a pesto doesn’t have to drape pasta at the end of the day. You could drop a bit over chicken or fish, toss it in a grilled vegetable salad, mix it into couscous or spread it over crostini. The variations are endless and so are the applications.

Walnut and Sage Pesto Brown Butter Pasta – Serves 4
1/2 pound rigatoni, cooked
1/2 bunch fresh sage leaves
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 ounces fresh parmesan
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Dash allspice
Kosher salt

1. Put garlic, walnuts and parmesan into a food processor and blend until crumbly. Add sage, lemon juice and a dash of allspice. Blend until smooth. Drizzle in olive oil until smooth, then salt to taste and set aside.

2. Drop butter into a large, deep pan over medium high heat and swirl until melted. Cook until brown, bubbly and butter emits a slightly nutty scent, approximately 3-5 minutes.

3. Add pasta and toss or stir until coated. Scrape pesto into the pan with the pasta and toss to coat. Cook until heated through, approximately 2-4 minutes. Salt to taste.

Click HERE for the printable recipe.

It’s officially here: SOUP WEATHER! Here is a silky rich soup that contains no dairy, no starch, and very little fat. Best of all, it is quick and easy to whip up on a weeknight!

Cauliflower Soup with Parmesan Crisps

For the soup:

Sauté 1 diced onion and a couple of cloves of garlic in a little olive oil.

Add a head of cauliflower, chopped, and a quart of chicken broth.

Boil gently, until the cauliflower is soft.

Puree the soup in a blender and return to the pot.

Season with salt and pepper and add a tablespoon or 2 of grated parmesan cheese.

For the crisps:

Cover a baking sheet with foil.

Spread a thin layer of shredded parmesan cheese on the foil, and bake in a 350-degree oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly

Allow to cool and break the baked cheese into shards.

To serve, place a couple of pieces of the parmesan crisps on top of each bowl soup.

Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley or scallions for a garnish and ENJOY!

Tip: Ask Santa for an immersion blender if you don’t already have one. It allows you to puree the soup right in the pot, and it is snap to clean. It will save you time, and mess.

It is one of the best kitchen gadgets EVER!

so i had half of my already-baked spaghetti squash from the other night sitting in the fridge and i was thinking about what i could do with it.

something (probably the fact that spaghetti squash looks like spaghetti) reminded me of one of my favorite ways to prepare pasta: alla carbonara. according to wikipedia, alla carbonara typically refers to pasta prepared with a sauce of raw eggs, some sort of cheese, black pepper, and some sort of ham. the sauce is poured over the hot pasta and stirred quickly to cook the eggs. it makes a really nice creamy, light sauce that sticks to the noodles.

my version tends to also include garlic powder, and i usually don’t have any ham or bacon on hand. usually, the sauce should be poured over the hot noodles right after draining. since i was using refrigerated spaghetti squash instead, i had to reheat it, so i just threw it in a pan with some olive oil and cooked it over medium heat until it was heated all the way through. actually, i used some chive olive oil i made a while back… i had a bunch of fresh chives in my garden that were going to die when the first freeze came, so i pureed them with olive oil and salt. it lends a nice mild garlic flavor.

while the squash was heating, i whisked together two eggs, salt, garlic powder, plenty of black pepper, and plenty of powdered parmesan cheese. as soon as the spaghetti squash was hot, i turned off the heat, poured over the egg mixture, and quickly stirred until the “sauce” thickened, signaling the eggs had cooked. i sprinkled some extra parmesan on top and that was it!

that’s part of why i love pasta alla carbonrara… it’s really easy, fast, and really good! even on “fake” spaghetti, like spaghetti squash

I really need to stop watching diners, drive ins and dives because I always see things on there and then want to make them…Latest case is these Arancini (Risotto Balls). I must tell you, I’ve been scared to make Risotto up till now and I would make it again and again. My Arancini aren’t as pretty as the ones on the show, but they were delicious!

Garlic Parmesan  Risotto

INGREDIENTS

• 1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth plus water to equal 2-1/2 cups
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-1/4 cups (8 ounces) arborio rice(medium grain rice)
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Cover; reduce to low and keep at a simmer.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the rice and stir for about 1 minute to coat all grains. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.  Add about 1/2-cup of the simmering broth and stir well. Stir often until the liquid is absorbed. Add another 1/2-cup of the broth and repeat the process. It should take about 30 minutes until the last of the broth is absorbed. Regulate the heat if it appears that the liquid is absorbed too fast. When the rice is done, add the Parmesan cheese and stir well to combine.

Arancini

Recipe from Food is Luv
(4 servings)
3 cups cooked mushroom risotto, cooled (I used Garlic Parmesan risotto recipe above )
12  mozzarella cubes, 1/2 inch
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
vegetable oil for frying

to serve
1/2 cup of marinara sauce
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoon of parmesan (optional)

wet your hands with water. scoop a heaping tablespoon of the risotto and roll into a 2 ” ball. Gently toss back and forth between your hands. poke a small hole in center of each ball with your finger. insert a cube of the mozzarella, add 1/2 tablespoon more risotto to close up the hole and form back into a ball.

place the flour, eggs and panko crumbs in 3 separate bowls. first, dredge a risotto ball in flour, shaking off excess. second, dip in egg, letting excess drip off. lastly, dredge in bread crumbs.

when you are ready to fry, fill large pot with about 1.5 inches of vegetable oil on medium high heat. in small batches, carefully place the risotto balls into the oil. when one side is golden brown, turn the ball so all sides are evenly browned, about 4 mins total. using a slotted spoon, let the excess oil drain and place on a wire rack, with paper towel underneath it. top with parsley and serve with a side of marinara sauce.

For dinner the other night, Momma and I had-

Acorn Squash stuffed with Kidney Bean & Veggie Quinoa. Topped with some Parmesan.

Mom loved it. Even more than I did!

Anything ’stuffed’ into a squash is amazing. I want squash every night!

To fuel me through a LONG, event-filled day with friends, I had a lovely bowl of oats-

Pumpkin Oats, topped with sliced banana, a blob of PB, cinnamon, and a splash of something new & truly amazing…

Now, I could never drink a glass of this (a little too sweet), but it is FANTASTIC on oats. Next time I will use it to make them instead of vanilla silk. The taste will be out of this world.

Today’s Schedule:

• Fix hair, get ready
• Pick up my date’s boutineer
• Meet up with group
• Go ice-skating
• Go over to friend’s house, get ready for dance
• Go over to other friends house for pictures
• Go to dinner
• Go to Winter Formal
• Night activity
• …plenty of fun!

I was curious, would any food bloggies be interested in competing against the Sam Jam in a foodie Dance Off??? If so, leave a comment letting me know and I will make it official

Have a super Saturday!

BY THE WAY– Make sure you check out Emily’s lovely giveaway!

i’ve always loved mashed potatoes, even the instant kind. within the past year, i started making them from scratch and have never regretted it.

i start by cutting washed potatoes in fourths, then slicing them. i never peel them, partly because i like the skins and partly because i’m lazy. it works best if you can get the pieces fairly small and uniformly sized, so they all finish cooking at the same time. then i put them in a pot, fill with cold water just to cover, and bring to a boil. i usually boil it for a while with the lid on, then when they are getting fairly close, i take the lid off so some of the water evaporates.

the way i learned to tell when they’re done is that you can stick the tip of a knife into one of the chunks, lift it, and the potato should fall off instead of staying on the knife. sometimes i like them a little less done so they’re chunkier, but if you like them nice and smooth, make sure that you test a few chunks and that they all slide right off that knife.

the nice thing about letting some of the boiling liquid evaporate is that i can usually just dump the whole thing into a big bowl and mash them and the boiling liquid incorporates nicely and isn’t too much liquid. it helps hold them together and make them seem “creamy” before you even add cream.

but of course, i also add cream. this time, i added butter and sour cream. in the past i’ve added actual milk or cream, various cheeses (chevre is quite good), and so forth… but not this time. i also added some homemade garlic chive oil (essentially just pureed garlic chives in olive oil), salt, and pepper.

i also added this roasted head of garlic i had roasted before starting the potatoes. i was totally obsessed with roasting garlic for a while, but this was the first time i’d done it in a while. it’s easiest to just slice off the very top, pour a little oil over it, and wrap it in foil. i just put it straight on the oven rack at 375-400 degrees and let it cook for 30-45 minutes. you want the cloves to get nice and squishy. i probably overdid mine today by a bit, but it turned out well because the cloves were really easy to get out and they mashed easily.

so… i basically mashed that all up, tweaking things to taste. totally satisfied my mashed potato craving.

I was looking for a good side dish for pork chops one night and I came across Giada’s Herbed Polenta recipe. It looked great. When polenta is creamy, it’s like an Italian cross between grits and mashed potatoes. However, like grits and mashed potatoes, it’s havoc on the scale. So I came up with a healthier version that I can make with pork chops, pot roast or any other hearty meal I want!

HERBED POLENTA – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

6 cups water or chicken stock

2 teaspoons salt

1 ¾  cups yellow cornmeal

½  cup grated Parmesan

¾  cup fat free half and half

6 tablespoons butter spread (recommended: Smart Balance Light)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

½  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Bring the water or stock to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, up to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the cheese, milk, butter, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and pepper, and stir until the butter and cheese melt. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.

Here’s the skinny:

First, I gave the option of chicken stock. Giada’s version is vegetarian, which is great, but cooking with chicken stock gives it an extra layer of flavor. Be sure to use unsalted stock – you don’t want to add a lot of extra sodium to your dish, just flavor.

I cut down the amount of parmesan from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup. Parmesan goes a long way, but all the extra cheese doesn’t add enough flavor to account for the extra fat. I leave it out and absolutely love it as is.

By cutting out the whole milk and using fat free half and half, you save yourself a ton of fat. Half and half mimics the creamier texture of whole milk, but the fat free version leaves you feeling guiltless and satisfied.

Lastly, I swapped the butter for butter spread. Butter is insanely high in saturated fat. By using butter spread, you are getting just 1/4 the saturated fat of butter.  You also get more heart healthy fats from the different oils they use to make the spread. Your heart will thank you for this later!

Ingredients

• Grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 5 tablespoons all purpose flour
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (packed) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 6 ounces)
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

• 8 large egg whites

print a shopping list for this recipe

Recipe 117: This pasta is originally from Sicily but it’s very famous in all Italy for its strong and particular taste. I made this plate with some aubergines that i have fried for the Parmigiana and that i then leaved for this.

Ingredients for 4 people: 500gr pasta (you can use Penne or Spaghetti) – salt – onion – carrot – 300gr tomato sauce – 1kg aubergines – some basil leaves  – 150 ricotta salata (if you can’t find it abroad you can try with Parmesan and a bit of Feta cheese).

Start from the aubergines: like for the Parmigiana, you will need to take off the skin, you will cut them in little slices and you will leave them covered with a bit of salt to take off the water. After one hour you can fried them in a pan with olive oil and you will put them on absorbent paper to dry some oil.

In the time you fry the aubergine you can prepare the tomato sauce: put onion in a pan with boiling oil. When this is cooked, put the tomato sauce, salt and a carrot and leave it cook for a bit on a low fire.

Put the water for the pasta and cut the aubergine in little pieces and some basil leaves too.  Put the pasta in the water and when the tomato sauce is ready add half of the aubergine and half or the basil to the sauce to let it take the aubergine taste.

When the pasta is ready, drain it and add the sauce. Now you just miss to put the ricotta salata (or parmesan and some shave Feta cheese) and decorate the plate with the rest of the basil and the aubergines.

Buon appetito!

PS. Mamy ho un po’ cambiato la tua ricetta perche’ l’aggiunta della ricotta normale mi suona un po’ strana, percio’ ho optato per gli ingredienti classici. Comuque buona, peccato che le melanzane erano un po’ risicate e che qui non vendano la ricotta salata… pero’ in una ricetta ho letto di sostituirla con un po’ di Feta, ma non aveva lo stesso forte sapore, anche se vicino.

How many ways can you use up a jar of “insert ingredient here”?  There are a few tricks to the way we cook, and we’ve been revealing our methods for a while.  Well, here’s one that always, always, always gets us thinking of new recipes.  It’s called the “use it or lose it” method.  If we’ve bought something for one purpose, and it’s still hanging around in the fridge or pantry, we will use it up to avoid tossing it.  It’s a preparation permutation, if you will.  That’s why you’re seeing a third sun dried tomato recipe around these here parts.  First it was a dip, then there was a burger, and now we present la pasta!

There were thoughts of processing the tomatoes down into a sauce, but somewhere along the way, we decided to keep everything in its whole form.  Each bite has a little something different–meaty mushroom, salty tomato, earthy broccoli, crunchy pine nuts.  Cooking the vegetables in the sun dried tomato oil itself added a permeating layer of flavor as well that brings everything together.  If you have any rich, infused olive oil leftover from jarred veggies, save it.  Use it anywhere you’d use olive oil and you won’t be sorry.  We still have a few tomatoes left in our jar.  Any suggestions for a final recipe before we put this tomato run to bed?

Sun Dried Tomato and Broccoli Pasta – Serves 4
1/2 pound spaghetti
8 sun dried tomato halves, chopped
2 teaspoons sun dried tomato oil (from the jar)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound broccoli florets
2 portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 cup fresh parmesan, shaved
Kosher salt

1. Set a large pot of water to boil. Add a sprinkling of salt. Once boiling, add pasta and cook 7-9 minutes or until al dente.

2. As pasta cooks, add sundried tomato oil and garlic to a wide pan over medium heat. Once they begin to sizzle, add mushrooms and broccoli. Toss to coat and cook 4-6 minutes.

3. Once pasta is done, drain and add directly to the pan with the vegetables. Add wine and pine nuts, tossing to coat. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and mix in cheese. If desired, salt to taste.

Click HERE for the printable recipe.

I am a huge lasagna fan, if you couldn’t tell by now. I love the flavors of it, so anything that mimics the flavors or takes the concept and creates something new out of it, I want to try. It’s one of the ultimates of comfort foods. However, comfort food, especially lasagna, tends to be hard on the diet, but I’m Italian and I can’t give up my lasagna! Then, when I saw Giada make her lasagna rolls, my mouth started to water. However, my jeans felt tighter just watching her make it. I came up with a recipe that gets the same great meal without all the fat.

LASAGNA ROLLS – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter spread (recommend Smart Balance Light)

4 teaspoons white whole wheat flour

1 ¼  cups fat free half and half

¼  teaspoon salt

1/8  teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna:

1 (15-ounce) container fat free ricotta cheese

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

½  cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped

¼ cup egg substitute

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

12 uncooked whole wheat lasagna noodles

2 cups marinara sauce

1 cup shredded reduced fat mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

DIRECTIONS

To make the sauce: Melt the butter spread in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Whisk in the half and half. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, ½  cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg substitute, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter spray a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the béchamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Here’s the skinny:

First, as always, I use a butter spread instead of butter. Since it is a different consistency than butter, you don’t need to cook the roux that long. The recipe called for 3 minutes, but just 1 minute will be more than enough.

Also, I used white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. All purpose flour is a refined grain, which is just empty carbs and calories. White whole wheat flour is a complex carb, but is made to taste like regular flour. This way, you get the health benefits without changing the taste.

Instead of whole milk, I substituted fat free half and half. It has the same consistency, but without all the fat. One serving of whole milk has a quarter of your daily allowance of saturated fat. You are saving yourself a lot with this swap.

I use fat free ricotta instead of the whole milk ricotta. You are mixing it with spinach, prosciutto and spices, wrapping it in pasta, smothering it in cheese and two sauces. You are never going to know its fat free ricotta in there.

Speaking of cheese, I cut the parmesan by 1/4 cup. A little bit of parmesan goes a long way and, even though it isn’t a fattening cheese, a cup of it isn’t exactly heart-healthy.

As always, I used egg substitute instead of an egg. You are using the egg as a binder, and egg substitute has all the qualities you need for binding things together. Why waste your fat and cholesterol allowance on a binder that you’re not going to taste anyways?

Whole wheat pasta is the way to go here. Like the flour, regular pasta is an empty carb. It’s like eating a spoonful of white sugar. Whole wheat pasta gives you long lasting energy as well. It makes a world of difference.

When it came to the mozzarella cheese, I decided to go with reduced fat cheese, not fat free. Fat free mozzarella doesn’t melt easily, but reduced fat mozzarella does. You will wind up with a cheesy lasagna roll without all the fat.

Lastly, Giada calls for the pan to be buttered, but I use a butter spray. The fat in a butter cooking spray is negligible. As a rule of thumb, I never butter or grease a pan with anything but a cooking spray. It’s empty fat and calories that don’t make a huge difference in taste.

Enjoy!

At least I think that’s what the recipe called it.  I kept the name but altered the recipe a fair bit.  The idea of it was basically summery flavours in the depths of winter but these days that’s not so odd I guess!  Who knows what you call it in the summer!  It made a delicious dinner anyway and only took about 30 minutes to make.  It even kept warm very well as dinner was delayed by another 30 minutes.  I had everything ready by 8pm then kept the pasta covered with a tea towel in a warm oven and reheated the sauce and put it together when everyone was there. 

Serves 4-6

4 chicken breasts either whole or in strips*
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
~200g baby plum tomatoes, halved
200g soft cheese
~400ml creme fraiche
1 tbsp grated hard cheese/parmesan
~6 fresh basil leaves, shredded
2 salad tomatoes, sliced
pasta to serve

- Heat a little oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken until just browned. 
- Get your pasta going. 
- Push the chicken to one side and add the garlic, fry in the space for a minute then stir through the chicken. 
- Add the halved tomatoes and cook for one minute. 
- Add the soft cheese, creme fraiche, hard cheese and parmesan. 
- Stir until combined.  If it seems a little thick add a little water from the pasta. 
- Grill the tomato slices until just starting to blacken in places. 
- Serve on top of pasta garnishing with the sliced tomatoes.

Of soup and love, the first is best.  Who came up with this? (The Spaniards ) Why is this true?  I mean, aren’t soup and love the same thing? Soup is warm and comforting just like love.  And love can be smooth and silky or chunky and hearty like soup. Soup is always there for you as is love (there are many forms of love) but what kind of soup do you choose?  Chicken noodle, minestrone or gazpacho?  Of course you choose something cozy and heartening…there are not many of us that like cold soup!

To some, eating cold soup can be “refreshing”…to me, it’s like eating liquid salad.  It’s nasty.  I would rather have nothing at all than have cold soup and the same goes for my love life. I would easily go without than settle for defective love. Call me a hopeless romantic or cock-eyed optimist, but I want the whole package. I don’t want uncooked vegetables suspended in a wishy-washy, unstable tomato broth.  I want a full-bodied, savory, intense, passionate equal in a bowl.  Is this too much to ask?

I believe in love- true, deep, passionate love.  But, when it comes to matters of the heart, I’ve learned my lesson: he, who once burns his mouth, always blows (on) the soup (and I have been deceived and burned plenty).  I think you have to try many different soups before you can find one that you adore, respect and want to devour over and over again.

In honor of love and soup, try my Minestrone.  Chunky and comforting, this soup is like love to me, lots of texture and zing and you never know what the next bite will hold.  Enjoy this with tons of good Parmesan, a loaf of crusty bread and an acidic bottle of wine like a Rioja, Chianti or Valpolicella.

And don’t forget what Spaniards say…”Of soup and love, the first is best.”   I don’t believe it for a second…but you judge for yourself…

Mangia!

Nina

Minestrone

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, with leaves, chopped
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28-ounce tin of crushed tomatoes
• 1 large can small white beans (I like goya brand)
• 5 cups beef or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup flat parsley, finely chopped
• 2 zucchini, unpeeled and cut into little cubes
• 1/2 cup ditalini (little tiny macaroni)
• Loads of really good parmesan
• Great wine like a Rioja or Valpolicella
• Crusty loaf of bread

Saute the onion and celery in the oil over low heat til wilted, toss in the garlic and stir for a minute, then put in cut-up tomatoes and cook down over medium heat for about 10 minutes to concentrate flavors. Stir in the beef stock, reserved tomato juice, and beans and bring to a boil. Add half the parsley, lower heat, and cook for about 30 minutes.

Add  zucchini, and pasta and cook at a gentle boil until the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

When ready to serve, stir in the rest of the parsley, maybe sprinkle in some more minced garlic. Season to taste and grate in some black pepper. Ladle into bowls and pass the Parmesan.  While you are at it, pass the wine and bread…

M. Nina Piccini is the owner of Dinner Bella, Personal Chef Service, in Rochester, NY.

website: http://www.dinnerbella.com

This is an exciting recipe I discovered while viewing a recent cooking demo on www.therenegadehealthshow.com . (I highly recommend this site.)

We all know how expensive commercial brands of veggie cheese are, so I couldn’t wait to try this recipe.  I made it last night to serve on tofu stuffed shells, and it was great.  You can make a larger batch to keep on hand. It’s simple and stores well in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

5 large Brazil nuts, rough chopped

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

sea salt to taste (I found that 1/2 tsp. works well)

Grind the nuts.  Add sea salt and nutritional yeast, and grind again.  Done!

Is that easy, or what?

I rarely have salads for dinner.  With dinner, yes, but for dinner, not so much.

It’s not necessarily that I want something heartier (although, that is the case sometimes) or more (true other times too), but I guess I just like variety or not having the whole meal in one plate/bowl.  I know it doesn’t make sense…

But sometimes, not often enough, I want salad for dinner.  And strangely enough it happens in the winter.  When I am usually wanting warm, cheesy things.  I want something light and bright that reminds me of summer.

And then that happens, this salad is perfect.

The only “cooking” this salad requires is toasting pinenuts.  And while that doesn’t really qualify as much, unless you are watching them closely, there is a chance you may have to make a second batch.  Not that they burn EASILY or anything…

The rest comes from the store:  spinach, peas, pesto, parmesan.  Yes, you can make the pesto, but its December, so I bought it.  And yes, fresh peas are even better, but its December, so I went with frozen.

I also added chicken, to up the protein and make it work as a meal.  And I didn’t even cook that – just used the rotisserie kind from the store and shredded up a bit.  But of course, it works great with chicken you make – fresh or leftovers.

But I don’t know why I am that surprised about a salad that uses pesto for dressing … just to keep it “light” and all!

Spinach Pea Pesto Salad

Thanks to these gals who made it for me the first time, as a side to an amazing dinner, so there was no chicken.

And there will be no amounts here, as I figure you can alter that as you wish, depending on if this is for 1 or 11 – main dish or side. One thing though, I go heavy on the peas, but maybe it’s just because I like them!

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In a small heavy-bottomed skillet, toast the pinenuts until golden brown – be careful through, as they burn easily.

In the meantime, if using frozen peas, defrost – I use a strainer and cool running water.  Once defrosted, I don’t cook them – they don’t need it and they can be overcooked in a snap.

After that, just assemble.  Combine spinach, peas, pinenuts and chicken in a large bowl.  Add pesto, a small bit at a time (so you don’t get too much), and toss.  If it tastes a bit rich or too thick, add a bit of lemon juice or vinegar for the acid, and toss again.

Top with a bit of freshly grated parmesan.

Ditch the Hamburger Helper and eat REAL food. It’s okay to cheat and use a jar of organic marinara since there are so many yummy ones on the market now. This is a quick meal that’s perfect for hungry families.

1 Cup diced red onion
1 lb ground beef
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 TB Italian seasoning (salt free)
13 oz can spinach drained OR frozen spinach
1 jar marinara sauce (26 oz)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/2 Cup mozzarella cheese

1 lb cork screw or penne pasta cooked al dente and drained (Tinkyada makes a fab, firm gluten-free pasta)

In your largest skillet or chef’s pan, brown ground beef and drain. Add onion, mushrooms, and dry seasoning. Saute until onions are soft, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and marinara. Heat to bubbling, about 7 minutes, to let flavors combine. Toss in pasta and mozzarella until fully incorporated. Simmer 3 more minutes to season pasta. Topp with paremsan and serve.

Great with a green salad or a fresh fruit dessert.

Sub mushrooms or veggie crumble for a hearty vegetarian meal!

My most recent post was for a polenta dish that was topped with an arugula salad.  Well, I had a bit of arugula leftover and very quickly started brainstorming ways I could use it.  I really love arugula and have only started seeking it out in the past couple of years.  First, some quick information about arugula.  It is an annual plant and the leaves are usually what are eaten (although apparently the fruit is edible).  The leaves are characterized by their peppery taste and they are rich in vitamin C and potassium.

What a chose to make with my leftover arugula was an arugula pesto based off of how I usually make basil pesto.  I then took my arugula pesto and combined it with pasta and roasted cherry tomatoes for a quick and satisfying Sunday night dinner.

I was thrilled to share this dish with two of my favorite people:  my boyfriend, Chris and my cousin (and Loyola University freshman), Grace.

Arugula Pesto Pasta with Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon almonds, toasted (or any other toasted nut you like—pine nuts are pretty standard or you could use shelled walnuts)

2 cups arugula leaves, tightly packed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, to taste

1-2 tablespoons goat cheese (optional)

1 pint cherry tomatoes

3/4 pound pasta of choice

First, start cooking your pasta (according to package) and reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water.

Arugula Pesto:

Toast the almonds in a skillet until fragrant.  Place garlic cloves in a food processor, turn on and run until garlic is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl.  Stop the machine, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the almonds.  Turn on the machine and process until they are finely ground.  Scrape down the bowl again and add the arugula and salt.  Pulse until the arugula is finely chopped.  Turn on the machine and run while you slowly drizzle in the olive oil from the top.  Stop the machine and make sure you scrape down the sides one more time before adding the Parmesan and running the machine until the cheese is well incorporated.

Roasted Tomatoes:

Preheat the oven to 400°F

Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Roast until the tomatoes collapse, about 15 minutes.

When the pasta is cooked, add as much of the pesto as you would like, the goat cheese (optional), and the roasted tomatoes.  Add the reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time just to thin things out a little bit.  Add as much as you would like.

Bolognese

Zutaten: 4 Personen
Olivenöl
1 rote Zwiebel, geschält & fein gehackt
2 Knoblauchzehen, geschält & fein gehackt
3 Lorbeerblätter
1 frischer Rosmarinzweig
500 g Hackfleisch
1,6 kg Dosentomaten
Meersalz
frisch gemahlener schwarzer Pfeffer
Parmesan am Stück, zum Reiben

Einen Schuss Olivenöl in den Topf geben und die Zwiebeln mit dem Knoblauch etwas 10 Minuten sanft darin dünsten, bis sie weich sind und etwas Farbe abgenommen haben. Die Lorbeerblätter, den Rosmarinzweig, das Hackfleisch und die Tomaten hinzufügen. Gründlich umrühren, zum Kochen bringen und anschliessend bei niedriger Hitze im verschlossenen Topf 2 Stunden sanft köcheln lassen. Sollte die Sauce ansetzen, giessen Sie gleich einen Schuß heisses Wasser dazu und rühren gründlich um. Zuletzt kräftig mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen und mit einer Zange die Lorbeerblätter und den Rosmarin rausnehmen und wegwerfen. Mit einem ordentlichen Schuss Olivenöl abrunden, nochmals abschmecken und servieren. Darauf gehört unbedingt frisch geriebener Parmesan, und zwar reichlich!
Das Reiben am besten den Gästen überlassen.