This is quick and easy - and refreshing for the summer:
Ingredients:
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Directions:
Mix all ingredients well. Serve over greens, herbs, tomatoes and something crunchy, like jicama and kohlrabi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlrabi
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/publications/vegetabletravelers/kohlrabi.html
turnip/ cabbage in family of Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cabbage. Smaller ones are sweeter, but not as sweet as apples. Peel is very thick and hard, even after cooking.
For this salad, I cut off the sides (with some difficulty) and chopped in some slices of the kohlrabi. Tastes a lot like cabbage without any dressing, but has a good taste with this thin, light dressing.
This is a collection of some of my favorite recipes that prove that nutritious foods can be delicious! I love to experiment with and create new recipes. Here are some that are tried and true. Let me know what you think! If you have a better version, I'm game!
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Spaghetti Squash with Almond-Arugula Pesto
https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/spaghetti-squash-almond-arugula-pesto/15126/
One night, Jerry and I had spaghetti squash in a restaurant served in the shell of the squash, filled with various zucchini, yellow squash, and pattypan squash. The veggies were mixed with the 'spaghetti' and tossed with a light tomato sauce and bread crumbs of some sort. Of course Jerry said, "You should make something like this." Almost on cue, I found a recipe from February that I had set aside for spaghetti squash in which the spaghetti was tossed with almonds and an arugula-based pesto. I love arugula! So I tried combining the dishes, with the pesto on mixed squash and baby eggplant. This pesto was excellent - on this dish, as well as on chicken. And easy to make.
Here's the combined recipe, but you could make it as presented in the Washington Post, or simply toss some mixed veggies with a good tomato sauce like Rao's and spoon into the spaghetti squash without the pesto. The presentation is still very nice, especially if you're expecting company.
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup whole, roasted unsalted almonds, plus 1/4 cup , coarsely chopped, for garnish
1 small clove garlic
3 cups loosely packed arugula leaves
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup packed freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1-2 Tbsp water
2 zucchini
2 yellow squash
2 baby eggplants
olive oil sparingly to toss
2 Tbsp almond flour (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Cut the squash in 1/2 lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, discarding them or reserving them for another use. Brush the cut sides of the squash with 1 Tbsp of th oil, then place the halves, cut sides down, in a large, shallow baking dish. Add just enough water to the baking dish to reach 1/2 inch up the sides. Roast for about 45 minutes, until the squash is tender, then transfer the squash to a work surface and allow it to cool slightly, 10 minutes. Use a fork to scrape out the squash flesh, transferring it to a mixing bowl as you work. Cover loosely to keep it warm. Discard any water left in the baking dish and the spent squash halves.
3) Cut the zucchini and eggplant into 1/2 - 1 inch dice. Toss with olive oil. Combine almond flour, salt and pepper and toss. Put in oven at 350 degrees and toss occasionally until slightly brown and fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
4) For the pesto: Combine the 1/3 cup of almonds and the garlic in a food processor; puree until finely ground. Add the arugula, basil, 1/4 cup of the cheese, the lemon juice, salt, pepper and 1 Tbsp of the water. Puree; while the machine is running, add the remaining 1/4 cup of oil in a slow steady stream to form an emulsified, bright-green pesto. Add the remaining tablespoon of water if the pesto seems too thick.
5) Spoon the pesto over the cooked spaghetti and other squash and toss with tongs to coat. Garnish with the remaining cheese and chopped almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature.
It can be made ahead through step 4, keeping the ingredients separate. Before serving, heat the large squash and mixed veggies at 300, then toss with the pesto.
One night, Jerry and I had spaghetti squash in a restaurant served in the shell of the squash, filled with various zucchini, yellow squash, and pattypan squash. The veggies were mixed with the 'spaghetti' and tossed with a light tomato sauce and bread crumbs of some sort. Of course Jerry said, "You should make something like this." Almost on cue, I found a recipe from February that I had set aside for spaghetti squash in which the spaghetti was tossed with almonds and an arugula-based pesto. I love arugula! So I tried combining the dishes, with the pesto on mixed squash and baby eggplant. This pesto was excellent - on this dish, as well as on chicken. And easy to make.
Here's the combined recipe, but you could make it as presented in the Washington Post, or simply toss some mixed veggies with a good tomato sauce like Rao's and spoon into the spaghetti squash without the pesto. The presentation is still very nice, especially if you're expecting company.
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup whole, roasted unsalted almonds, plus 1/4 cup , coarsely chopped, for garnish
1 small clove garlic
3 cups loosely packed arugula leaves
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup packed freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1-2 Tbsp water
2 zucchini
2 yellow squash
2 baby eggplants
olive oil sparingly to toss
2 Tbsp almond flour (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Cut the squash in 1/2 lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, discarding them or reserving them for another use. Brush the cut sides of the squash with 1 Tbsp of th oil, then place the halves, cut sides down, in a large, shallow baking dish. Add just enough water to the baking dish to reach 1/2 inch up the sides. Roast for about 45 minutes, until the squash is tender, then transfer the squash to a work surface and allow it to cool slightly, 10 minutes. Use a fork to scrape out the squash flesh, transferring it to a mixing bowl as you work. Cover loosely to keep it warm. Discard any water left in the baking dish and the spent squash halves.
3) Cut the zucchini and eggplant into 1/2 - 1 inch dice. Toss with olive oil. Combine almond flour, salt and pepper and toss. Put in oven at 350 degrees and toss occasionally until slightly brown and fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
4) For the pesto: Combine the 1/3 cup of almonds and the garlic in a food processor; puree until finely ground. Add the arugula, basil, 1/4 cup of the cheese, the lemon juice, salt, pepper and 1 Tbsp of the water. Puree; while the machine is running, add the remaining 1/4 cup of oil in a slow steady stream to form an emulsified, bright-green pesto. Add the remaining tablespoon of water if the pesto seems too thick.
5) Spoon the pesto over the cooked spaghetti and other squash and toss with tongs to coat. Garnish with the remaining cheese and chopped almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature.
It can be made ahead through step 4, keeping the ingredients separate. Before serving, heat the large squash and mixed veggies at 300, then toss with the pesto.
Double Chocolate Pudding
https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/double-chocolate-pudding/14688/
Part of Jerry's birthday and father's day celebration, this pudding was quick and easy. It's relatively healthy for a good chocolate dessert. I made it with vanilla almond milk, El Ceibo cocoa powder from Bolivia, and Hatfield's Double Dark Semi-Sweet Chips (both from Whole Foods). It was a little on the thin side, so I'll try using more arrowroot starch/flour next time; I substituted this for the corn starch. Remember to leave at least 3 hours for it to set, although it wasn't too shabby right out of the pot!
Some of the chips didn't melt completely, but I kind of liked that consistency. I particularly liked the lack of a 'skin' on top, that I remember from 'out of the box' puddings from years ago.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably not Dutch-process
2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch (or arrowroot starch/flour)
2 cups cold low-fat milk (1%) or almond milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 oz dark chocolate (60-70% cacao) finely chopped, plus optional chocolate shavings, for garnish
1/4 tsp salt
Whipped cream for serving (optional)
Directions:
1) Whisk together the sugar, cocoa and cornstarch in a medium saucepan (off the heat). Gradually add the milk, whisking until smooth.
2) Place over medium heat; cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble at the edges, about 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to low; cook, whisking frequently for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
3) Add the vanilla extract and the dark chocolate, stirring until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the salt.
4) Transfer to a serving bowl, individual dessert bowls or ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap an refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.
5) Serve as is, or garnished with a small dollop of whipped cream and sprinkling of chocolate shavings, if desired, or with mint.
Part of Jerry's birthday and father's day celebration, this pudding was quick and easy. It's relatively healthy for a good chocolate dessert. I made it with vanilla almond milk, El Ceibo cocoa powder from Bolivia, and Hatfield's Double Dark Semi-Sweet Chips (both from Whole Foods). It was a little on the thin side, so I'll try using more arrowroot starch/flour next time; I substituted this for the corn starch. Remember to leave at least 3 hours for it to set, although it wasn't too shabby right out of the pot!
Some of the chips didn't melt completely, but I kind of liked that consistency. I particularly liked the lack of a 'skin' on top, that I remember from 'out of the box' puddings from years ago.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably not Dutch-process
2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch (or arrowroot starch/flour)
2 cups cold low-fat milk (1%) or almond milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 oz dark chocolate (60-70% cacao) finely chopped, plus optional chocolate shavings, for garnish
1/4 tsp salt
Whipped cream for serving (optional)
Directions:
1) Whisk together the sugar, cocoa and cornstarch in a medium saucepan (off the heat). Gradually add the milk, whisking until smooth.
2) Place over medium heat; cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble at the edges, about 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to low; cook, whisking frequently for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
3) Add the vanilla extract and the dark chocolate, stirring until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the salt.
4) Transfer to a serving bowl, individual dessert bowls or ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap an refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.
5) Serve as is, or garnished with a small dollop of whipped cream and sprinkling of chocolate shavings, if desired, or with mint.
Double Chocolate Pancakes with Raspberry Sauce
https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/double-chocolate-pancakes-raspberry-sauce/15125/
This was part of Father's Day brunch for 2016. Just a starter to the rest of the day -- a stop at the Dupont Circle farmer's market for soup, a stroll over to Nat Geo for the Greece exhibit (finally learned that those wavy looking hairdos were actually helmets with animal's horns arranged in that pattern), and the highlight, Amsterdam Falafel and fries.
The pancakes were on the dry side and were probably trying to be too healthy - could use more chocolate chips. But the basic idea was good - using minimal sugar and unsweetened cocoa for a sort of chocolate taste. Definitely increase the chips, maybe chop them (as recommended) to distribute them better.
The berry sauce on the other hand was quick and very worthwhile. I had 'aged' berries - that had been in the freezer for a long time, but the sauce came out excellent. So it was mixed berries instead of just raspberries, including some additional cherries, with a quick squeeze of lemon to improve the taste.
Tasted good on the pancakes, but even better on cantaloupe and raspberries the next day. Would make a pretty fruit serving for company. It's relatively thick like a compote, so a bit more water would create more of a sauce. Would likely also be good in plain yogurt.
This was part of Father's Day brunch for 2016. Just a starter to the rest of the day -- a stop at the Dupont Circle farmer's market for soup, a stroll over to Nat Geo for the Greece exhibit (finally learned that those wavy looking hairdos were actually helmets with animal's horns arranged in that pattern), and the highlight, Amsterdam Falafel and fries.
The pancakes were on the dry side and were probably trying to be too healthy - could use more chocolate chips. But the basic idea was good - using minimal sugar and unsweetened cocoa for a sort of chocolate taste. Definitely increase the chips, maybe chop them (as recommended) to distribute them better.
The berry sauce on the other hand was quick and very worthwhile. I had 'aged' berries - that had been in the freezer for a long time, but the sauce came out excellent. So it was mixed berries instead of just raspberries, including some additional cherries, with a quick squeeze of lemon to improve the taste.
Tasted good on the pancakes, but even better on cantaloupe and raspberries the next day. Would make a pretty fruit serving for company. It's relatively thick like a compote, so a bit more water would create more of a sauce. Would likely also be good in plain yogurt.
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