Spinach, Tomato and 5 Cheese Rissotto April 8, 2008

I have to confess here…  I do not necessarily enjoy watching Sandra Lee’s cooking at the Food Network, but I do identify a lot with her philosophy of Semi-Homemade.  I love the idea to make everything from scratch, but if there are products that fit my dietary requirements and at the same time can help me along time-wise – hey why not use them?

I’ve had a box of Arborio rice in my pantry for the longest time.  I am fortunate this rice comes vaccum-packed, because if it was not, I am sure it would have spoiled by now.  Why would I leave a perfectly nice box of rice unused in the cupboard for so long???  Because there are pretty nice packaged risottos varieties that allow me to make this wonderful rice dish, without the need to dirty at least 2 pots (one for the stock and another one for the rice) or to stand in front of the stove stirring.  I know I will indeed try it someday; however, that day has not come yet.  

I used to buy the Lipton bag of Creamy Garlic Parmesan Risotto – it was superb.  When the nice parent company started tweaking with the brand and flavors, for some reason the perfect risotto bag disappeared from the supermarket aisle.   I used to have 2 bags of this at hand ALWAYS…

Enter our good ol’ friends at Target – they make the nicest boxed risotto mixes now.  They have risotto mixes with asparagus, with red pepper, with butternut squash.  But my favorite is the 4 cheese blend.  It’s a nice clean canvas for us to embellish with the flavors we’re in the mood for, making this the perfect semi-homemade meal, in my humble opinion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This time I’ll show you my version using fresh baby spinach and fresh tomatoes… 

 

SPINACH, TOMATOES AND 5 CHEESE RISOTTO

1 box Archer Farms’ 4 Cheese Risotto

2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and spun dry

15-20 grape or cherry tomatoes, washed and halved

About 2 oz of cream cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

A tiny bit of garlic salt to taste - optional

 

1. Prepare Risotto mixture according to package directions in a medium heavy bottomed pot.
2. When the risotto is about 10 minutes to be done…  add the cream cheese in little pieces to help it melt in the sauce.  Mix it together well.
3. When the cheese is mostly integrated into the sauce, add the spinach and the tomatoes.    Mix it well so the spinach wilts and the tomatoes integrate into the rice and sauce.
4. Wait a few minutes , by this time, the rice should be done according to the package direction timing.  Turn the stove off.  Add the grated parmesan or pecorino.  Cover the pot and let the rice stand for at least 10 minutes so the sauce thickens a bit.

In my opinion…  if you wait about 30 minutes after the stove is turned off, the rice will be perfectly cooked, the sauce would have thickened and it will be warm enough to be able to eat without burning your tongue and enjoy the flavors of the risotto.

I love to have this with my Cinnamon Baked Plantains or with a simple salad on the side. 

To me this is a very simple dinner I can make in a jiffy, even when I am busy doing other stuff.  Taking something store-bought and adding fresh ingredients to make it your own is my interpretation of the semi-homemade meal. 

I have a full line-up of other flavors we can play with in the future… just wait and see.

 

 

Ode to Vermont Sandwich April 8, 2008

To honor Vermont and their cheeses, I made myself this simple open faced sandwich…  I had read about this sandwich combination a long time ago, but it always stayed on my mind.

 

ODE TO VERMONT SANDWICH

2 slices of sprouted wheat bread

Pear Spread

Extra Sharp Vermont Cheddar Cheese - I used Vintage, but any kind of Vermont cheddar will do

2 slices of veggie bacon

 

1. Toast the bread - I use a toaster over, so I placed the veggie bacon slices right next to the bread to heat up a bit, while saving time and energy
2. Spread the Pear Spread onto the bread slices - go as heavy or light as you’d like
3. Layer the cheese
4. Top with the veggie bacon

 

I know the pictures are not very artistic, but the flavors were excellent - a reminder of Vermont and all their great produce.  Love it!!!

 

Croque Monsieur Sandwich April 2, 2008

I am fascinated by France - their language, their cuisine, their joie de vivre…  I wish we can learn more to enjoy the pleasure French people derive from the simple things in life.

Every since I leartned about Croque Monsieur sandwiches, I’ve been wanting to eat one…  but I knew I had to make it at home because they’re typically a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with a cheesy béchamel sauce and more melted gruyere cheese. Hmmmm.  Need I say more?

So here is my karma-free version for all of you…

CROQUE MONSIEUR SANDWICH

2 slices 100% whole wheat country bread

2 slices aged Swiss cheese

2 slices of soy-protein smoked ham - I buy mine frozen at NYC’s Chinatown, but you substitute with any veggie cold-cut of your preference

Dijon mustard

Bechamel Sauce, recipe follows

About ½ cup Shredded gruyere cheese

1. Using a slicing mandolin, slice the ham.  In a small skillet, brown the ham slices a bit.  This will warm them up and cook them a little.  Set aside.
2. Make the béchamel.
3. Toast bread slices.  Assemble sandwiches by spreading some Dijon mustard on the inside of the bread slices.  Place swiss cheese, ham, a bit of the shredded gruyere cheese on one side and top with the remaining slice.
4. Place sandwich in a baking sheet.  Pour a ladleful of the béchamel sauce on top of the sandwich and sprinkle additional shredded gruyere cheese.
5. Broil in oven for about 4-5 minutes until the cheese has melted and turned a bit golden brown.

Béchamel Sauce

I know this is not the traditional way a béchamel is made, but this is easy, it works and it works better for me than the traditional method.  For some reason, I always end up with a flourly taste when I do the traditional version…  OK?

1 cup plain soy milk - make sure it’s not the vanilla kind…

3 tbs cornstarch

Salt and Pepper to taste

A dash of ground nutmeg

About ½ cup gruyere cheese

1. In a medium saucepan, heat most of the soymilk. Leave a little bit of soymilk aside to mix with the cornstarch.  Add the remaining milk/cornstarch to the warmed soymilk and let it boil slowly to thicken.
2. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
3. Remove from heat and add gruyere cheese.  Set aside

Potato Boursin Casserole March 31, 2008

I was watching the Today Show the other morning and saw a piece on how to “fancy up” regular take-out food to serve it even to company…  I was intrigued.  Not because I am a take-out consumer, but I am always eager to learn how a simple twist or added ingredient can make something nicer and fancier…The one idea that struck me the most was to add Boursin cheese to KFC’s mashed potatoes.  You mix it up, put it in a casserole dish and bake it in the oven for a few minutes and voila, fancy mashed potatoes!!    I have seen this Boursin cheese in the grocery store before, but was never motivated enough to buy it.

At the Today Show demo, Hoda Kotb tried it and was amazed at the flavor… so, if Boursin cheese can do that to a tub of KFC’s mashed potatoes, what can it do to fresh baby red skinned mashed potatoes… try this one and you’ll see for yourself!!!

POTATO BOURSIN CASSEROLE

2 medium red skin potatoes, washed and cut in quarters

A  4.4oz packet of Boursin Light cheese - I used the Garlic and Fine Herbs kind

Drizzle of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2 tbs of butter

A splash of milk or buttermilk - Optional

Salt and Freshly ground Pepper to taste

Canola Oil Spray - for the casserole dish

1. In a medium saucepan, filled about ¼ of the way with salted water, boil the potatoes.  I find that if the water reaches about half way the potatoes, they cook faster than if the potatoes are fully submerged in the water.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
3. After the potatoes are done, drain most of the water and the same hot saucepan add the butter, olive oil, and milk/buttermilk if using.  Mash the potatoes to combine the ingredients.  Add the cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spray a glass casserole dish with canola oil spray and transfer the potato mixture.  Smooth out the top and then rake the top using a fork to create indentations.
5. Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the top gets browned a bit.

You can definitely eat these mashed potatoes after you mix in the cheese… but putting it in the oven for a few minutes creates a nice crunchy topping which I loved.  It all depends how much in a hurry or how hungry you are.

White Lasagna with Spinach and Almonds February 3, 2008

I am a craving girl…

It’s hard for me to go grocery shopping having a few menus in mind for the week.  Why?  Because, I go to the store and see stuff that inspires me, what looks delicious that day, but that isn’t necessarily what I will be craving to eat another day.   It’s always been like that…  ever since I was a little girl, my mom never made a fixed dinner - it was all a la carte.  Whatever you craved, that’s what you ate.  Mind you, my mom did not have junk food at home, so all the alternatives were, for the most part, healthy.  That’s how we learned to make our own food.

So this past week, I was browsing thru some fellow blogs and there I saw it… the Cooking Light Veggie Lasagna…  I have that recipe clipped, but the photos this fellow blogger posted were amazing!!! That’s how I knew what I wanted to have for dinner that night - a spinach lasagna using white sauce.  Yumo!!!! (like Rachael Ray would say).

I improvised with the ingredients I had on hand… remember, I do not go out and but any specific ingredients for any specific recipe.  And even less when I got a craving at 7PM at night…  I was craving some serious comfort food. 

 The results were really nice - so nice in fact that I decided to make this recipe for our upcoming Yoga Center Menu.  I made a version at home that serves 2 and I also did a version that served 20.  I’ll use the proportions for the smaller version, which is probably closer to what you’ll make at home.  Here is the play-by-play (I’m into Super Bowl mode here I guess):

WHITE LASAGNA with SPINACH AND ALMONDS

 4-6 lasagna noodles - I use DeBoles NoBoil Rice lasagna noodles

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs sofrito

3-4oz cream cheese

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded Italian Cheese mix

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese - you can use Pecorino Romano also if you prefer

Sprinkle of Garlic Salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 cup frozen spinach measured frozen, defrosted and squeeze out of most the water but still wet

1/3 cup marcona salted almonds - but any almonds will work

4oz fresh mozarella cheese

1. Pre-heat over to 325 degrees F.  I do this in my toaster oven for just 2 people.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil.  Add sofrito and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add in cream cheese and whisk in together until the sofrito and cream cheese are incorporated.
4. Whisk in milk. Add in the Italian cheese mix and Parmesan. Season with the garlic salt and pepper.  The sauce should have a light creamy consistency.  Is important the sauce be more on the liquidy side because we’re using no-boil rice pasta and the “liquidy” consistency will help the pasta cook. So you might want to err on the side of a more liquidy cream sauce rather than a tight creamy sauce.

 

Now we assemble the lasagna…

1. In the bottom of a small casserole dish, spoon a few ladles of the cream sauce.  Layer lasagna noodles. Spoon more sauce. so the noodles are always touched by sauce on the top and the bottom.
2. Distribute evenly the thawed spinach in a layer.  Sprinkle a bit of garlic salt and pepper.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese if you like. Sprinkle a 1/3 of the almonds. Shred with your hands 2-3 thin slices of the fresh mozzarella. Spoon a few ladles of the sauce.
3. Place another layer of noodles and spoon some sauce over them.
4. Repeat step #2.
5. Repeat step #3.  This will be your last layer of noodles.  Place a few slices of fresh mozzarella on top.  Sprinkle the last bit of almonds you have left.

6. Cover the casserole dish and bake in oven for 30 minutes.

7. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more until cheese on top is golden brown.

8. Turn oven off and leave in there for a few minutes until lasagna cool a bit and sets. 

It seems like a lot of steps… but not really.  You know how to make a lasagna… I just wanted to show you how I layered the ingredients.  You don’t need to cook the spinach, just make the sauce and assemble.  I had it all put together and in the oven in 20 minutes. 

Believe me… this lasagna hit the spot.  My cravings were curbed… until next time.

Stuffed Mushrooms January 21, 2008

I realized last night, I made this recipe a few months ago and forgot to post it…

I love mushrooms.  I salivate when I travel to visit my sister in Indiana or to New York and go to any regular supermarket and see the wide variety of fresh mushrooms available.  Here we get mostly white button mushrooms and with luck, sometimes we can find portobellos, creminis or oysters… but they’re usually old soggy-looking, so I never buy them like that.

I learned this recipe from my other good friend, Giada De Laurentiis.    And until now, I haven’t realized my photo resembled so much the photo in the Food Network website.  I usually make this by “eye-balling” the proportion of the ingredients… so we’ll just use Giada’s proportions as a guide this time.

 

 STUFFED MUSHROOMS

1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs - I grind ww breadsticks or leftover bread in the food processor 
1/2 cup shredded Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and Black pepper to taste

Garlic & Herb Seasoning or Italian Seasonings
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
28 large white or cremini mushrooms, stemmed

Save about 1/2 the mushroom stems

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Prepare the stuffing by mixing in a bowl the breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, seasonings, salt and pepper.  Add olive oil until the mixture is damp and holds somewhat together when you press it between your fingers.
3. Take about 1/2 the mushrooms stems you took off and chop them very finely.  Add them to the breadcrumb mix and combine.
4. Fill each mushroom cap - not too tightly because they might break.
5. Drizzle olive oil on a baking sheet, place mushroom caps on sheet and drizzle additional olive oil on top of the mushrooms.

 

6.  Bake for about 30 minutes until mushrooms are soft and the top of the filling is golden brown.

7.  Serve warm.

These are great as an appetizer or as a side dish.  I once made a “stuffed night” and served these mushrooms with my Stuffed Peppers and worked great.

Baked Pasta with 4 Cheeses December 22, 2007

This is my FAVORITE pasta dish of all time!!!!!!

 I did it last night as a Birthday present dinner for my friend Walter, who traveled with me to Spain this past Summer.  And whom I am trying to convince to apply with me to be in The Amazing Race.

If I have to ask for a Last Meal, this will be the dish I would request.  This is an adaptation from a Martha Stewart recipe, which is actually a recipe from a Providence, Rhode Island restaurant called Al Forno.  I’ve never been to Providence, but if I get to go, Al Forno is the only restuarant I need to go.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do…

 

BAKED PASTA WITH 4 CHEESES

1/2 pound whole-wheat pasta - shells, penne or rigatoni would all work well

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese - I sometimes use a pre-shredded cheese blend from the store

1/2 cup  freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided in half - half for mixture, half for topping

1/4 cup freshly grated Fontina cheese

2 tablespoons ricotta cheese

1/2 cup pureed tomatoes

10 fresh basil leaves, torn with your hands

1/4 teaspoon salt

a few grinds of freshly cracked pepper

1. Heat oven to 500 degrees. 
2. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until al dente.
3. 
4. While pasta cooks, place cream, cheeses, pureed tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil in a large bowl.
5. 
6. Drain pasta and toss together with cheese mixture in bowl.
7. Pour into a medium-sized baking dish.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup remaining Pecorino Romano on top.
8. Bake until bubbly and brown on top for about 15 minutes.
9. Turn off oven and leave in there for a few minutes for the sauce to set a bit.
10. Serve immediately afterwards while still hot.

• It’s important to watch out the measurements of the cheeses.  The right amount will melt beautifully and create the most wonderful sauce.  When I started to eye-ball the amounts, sometimes the results were not as I expected. 

• I make this recipe right in my toaster oven…    

• And the recipe doesn’t reheat very well.  It will still be tasty, but the sauce becomes a bit oily…  just so you know.  This is one of those recipes to make and eat in the moment.  Every time I do it for company, people can’t believe that came out of a home kitchen.  It’s unbelievable!!!

I served this last night with my Cinammon Vanilla Plantains and my Super Easily Dressed Green Salad.  Oh, and I also did my Garlic Parsley Breadsticks.

Buen Provecho.

Lemony Cheese Dip December 5, 2007

It’s the Holiday season, so here’s another dip for you to try at your next party.  This is my take on Giada De Laurentiis’ Crostini with Ricotta and Goat Cheese. 

I personally don’t particularly enjoy the taste of raw lemon rind in my recipes.  I find it too bitter, even without the pith.  So for this version of the dip I used lemon juice instead of lemon rind.  The lemons in Puerto Rico are quite different from the ones in the States.  The taste of “limones criollos” or criollo lemons is closer to a lime  than to a yellow lemon.  But you can add the one you prefer.

                                

 

LEMONY CHEESE DIP

4 ounce packet of cream cheese

1/2 cup of ricotta cheese

half a log of goat cheese

the juice of 1 lime or criollo lemon

salt and pepper to taste

1.  Mix all ingredients in a food processor.  DONE!! 

Enjoy with whole-wheat crostini… recipe follows.

WHOLE-WHEAT CROSTINI

1 whole wheat baguette

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Cut whole-wheat baguette in slices, on a bias.
2. Place on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toast in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.

The dip is lemony and delicious.  It would work great in a sandwich… however, I did not have the chance to try it because it was gone in a flash.

Sweet Red Bell Pepper Dip December 3, 2007

This is the first dip I learned to make that was not just a mix of stuff I had bought.  I have to thank my friend Aniette for giving me the recipe 10 years ago.  This has become a staple dip in my parties… even my friend Ana Yolanda requested me to bring it to all her parties too.

When I first tried this dip, it was served with a chunk of cream cheese and the dip drizzled over it.  With a spreader, you would get a bit of cheese with some pepper dip on top of a chip and enjoy.  The thing is that the dip, as good as it is, will not look very appetizing after a while.  So after many tries later, I came up with a fool proof way to retain the flavor and integrity of the mixture, while still making it look appetizing no matter what.  This is the version right here.

 

SWEET RED BELL PEPPER DIP

1 red bell pepper, cut in pieces

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 8oz. pack of cream cheese

1. Place bell pepper, sugar and vinegar in a blender.  It might seem there’s little liquid to blend, but it will.  Believe me.
2. Transfer the blended mixture to a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil - watch it, because it could boil over.

 

1. Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes.
2. Let it cool a bit.
3. Place cream cheese and most of the pepper mixture in a food processor.  Blend until smooth.  It will turn a nice shade of pink.  If the pink is too pale, keep adding pepper mixture.  Just watch out that the mix is still creamy and does not become too runny.

 

Enjoy with Wheat Thins or Ritz Chips. 

 You could also enjoy this dip without mixing the cream cheese.  It makes a great addition to a sandwich.  If you’re too lazy or the market is out of red bell peppers, my friend Ana’s mom does it with jarred red bell peppers.  If using those, you can omit the boiling part.

Stuffed Bell Peppers December 3, 2007

This has become one of my signature dishes.  I saw a recipe in a vegetarian cooking book and, because I never follow a recipe to a “T”, over time I developed my very own version.  My sister, who is not vegetarian, called me from Indiana to ask me for the recipe once.  That’s the impression it made on her.

 This recipe works with any color of bell peppers - green, red, yellow or orange.  They all taste great.  Buy the ones cheaper at the supermarket that day.  I cut the pepper in half, so each pepper yields 2 servings.  But I guess your servings will depend on the amount of hunger and how voracious are your guests.

 This recipe makes great use of leftover rice.  It’s hard for me to give you exact measurements for ingredients, because I always make this recipe out of leftovers… and the last few times, I have done it for 30 people - so the recent amounts are not applicable for a home dinner.  So bear with me on this one… I’ll try to give you my best estimates.

 

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

3 bell peppers, washed well, cut in half lengthwise from top to bottom

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 small carrots, shredded

2 tomatoes, diced or 8 oz. chopped tomatoes in glass jar (Viter or Pomi brands work well) 

1 cup of cooked whole grain rice

1/3 cup slivered almonds

4 oz cream cheese

2 oz goat cheese

2 tablespoons scallions or green onions

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley

3/4 cup shredded cheese - cheddar or Italian cheese blend

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Wash peppers and cut them from top to bottom, so each pepper half has a bit of pepper stem, which looks nice as presentation.  Clean out all the seeds and white ribs inside with a pairing knife.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 
3. In a saute pan over medium heat, heat a small amount of oil and saute onions for a few minutes, add garlic, add carrots.  Saute until softened.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add tomatoes. If adding fresh, saute until the tomatoes exude most of their liquid.  This will provide moisture to the mixture.
5. Add rice to mixture. Remove from heat.
6. Add almonds and cream and goat cheeses. Add scallions and parsley.
7. Fill the pepper halves with the rice mixture.  Top with shredded cheese.
8. Bake in oven for 30-45 minutes, until peppers are cooked and cheese on top is golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and rest for 10-15 minutes.

 If you rather prepare this recipe without cheese, it tastes great just the same.  You could also use rice cream cheese and rice or soy shredded cheese for the topping.  This way you will not feel as if you’re depriving yourself of anything.

You can definitely include in the rice mixture any vegetable of your choice.  Just like this is a recipe for leftover rice, it’s also great for leftover vegetables and cheese.  I once made this with a leftover cheese dip from a party. 

This is just the starting point.  Let me know what other version you can come up with.  OK?

Sweet Potato Flan November 26, 2007

This is a recipe to dissipate any myths that good desserts can only be made with eggs.  This is an egg-less flan full of flavor and smooth texture.

 I use the sweet potato with an orange-colored flesh, which are also called yams.  In Spanish, or at least in Puerto Rico, we call these “batata mameya”.  I included some pictures for reassurance.  These, I find, are tad less sweet than the white sweet potato. 

            

SWEET POTATO FLAN

1 medium sweet potato, baked - about 1 cup of baked flesh

1 carton evaporated milk

1 can condensed milk

1 pack of cream cheese - you can use 1/3 less fat version

2 tablespoons vanilla extract or vanilla powder

3 tablespoons cornstarch

strip of lemon rind or grated lemon zest

3/4 cup brown sugar - for caramel

1. Bake the sweet potato in a 400 degree oven for 30-45 minutes.  I encourage you to do this ahead of time.  Just cut the ends of the potato, pierce it with a fork all around and bake.
2. After baking, remove the flesh from the skin and mash it well with a fork.
3. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. 
4. Place brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Mix a bit of water and  carmelize about 10 -12 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, mix in a blender or food processor the baked sweet potato flesh, milks, cream cheese, vanilla and cornstarch.  You’ll also mix in the grated lemon zest, if using.  If using a piece of lemon rind, don’t put it in yet.  If you feel the blender is too full, just mix the milks first.  Take some out, blend the sweet potato with the remaining milks and then put it all together.  It will fit.
6. Drizzle the caramel in a glass dish and twirl making sure you cover the whole bottom of the dish with caramel.  Careful if using a metal baking dish… the caramel is hot and heats the metal FAST.
7. Pour flan mixture on top of the caramel.
8. Drop in the piece of lemon peel.
9. Place baking dish in a water bath. 
10. Bake in oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  You’ll know it’s done when the top is browned and a knife or wooden skewer comes out clean.
11. Take out of the water bath and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
12. When ready to serve… Release over a dish  so the caramel side is on top.

If you rather make a traditional vanilla flan, just omit the sweet potato and only use 2 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

Cheese Rice Burritos with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa November 17, 2007

This is a recipe I have been meaning to make for a loooooong time.  It is an adaptation of two different recipes from the Food Network.  I had never had tomatillos before, but I always wondered how they tasted.  I was so surprised at the amount of flavor this salsa gives to this dish.

Before you say anything else… I know I need some help with the plating and the pictures - for them to have more appetite appeal… so for this one, forgive me and just use them as an educational guide for how the dish is prepared and assembled.  OK?  The flavors are there, I promise to practice my picture-taking techniques.

 Cheese Rice Burritos with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

6 whole-wheat flour tortillas

1 1/2 cups julienned or shredded zucchini

1 medium diced onion

1 minced clove of garlic

1 cup cooked whole-grain rice

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 cup sour cream

Salt and Pepper to taste

olive oil

1 tomato, thinly sliced

1 cup shredded lettuce

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa - recipe follows

1. Warm tortillas over a warm skillet
2. While tortillas are warming, heat a pot with some olive oil.  Add zucchini and onion and sautee until tender.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. 
4. Stir in rice, cheese, and cook for 1 few minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Fill in warm tortillas with rice mixture.  Spoon a few table spoons of the Roasted Tomatillo Salsa.  Top with lettuce and tomato.  Roll up the burrito and serve with additional salsa and sour cream.

 

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

1 pound tomatillos, husked

1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered

4 garlic cloves

salt and pepper

olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

1. Pre-heat oven to 400degrees F.
2.  On a baking tray, place tomatillos, onion and garlic.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes.
3. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices from the bottom of the tray to a food processor.  Add the lemon juice and pulse the mixture until well combined, but still chunky.

As you can notice, I do not like spicy foods.  But you can add as much spice to this recipe as you’d like.  Add jalapenos to the tomatillo salsa and even mix in some chile sauce to the rice mixture… go crazy if you’d like.

I would also accompany this recipe with a nice chunky guacamole… recipe follows. 

Buen Provecho!!!!

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese November 17, 2007

In the next few posts, I will share with you the Thanksgiving Menu I have chosen for this year.

For the main course, I will prepare a Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese.  This mac and cheese packs a lot of nutritional punch and color from the butternut squash in the cheese sauce.  You can substitute the squash for regular pumpkin.  I works just the same.

 

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Steamed pumpkin or butternut squash - about 1 pound
1 pound whole-wheat elbow macaroni or other tubular pasta
2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
4 ounces Blend of melting cheeses - Mozzarella, Asiago, Fontina, etc.
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Steam the butternut squash or pumpkin in a pot with just an inch of water.  Season with salt.  When it is cooked, puree in a food procesor.
3. Bring a large pot to a boil for the pasta.
4. Meanwhile, start building the cheese sauce.  In a pot under medium heat, mix together the milk, blend and melt the cheeses, mix the mustard, and pureed butternut squash.  Season with salt and pepper.  Make sure the pot is big enough to accomodate the sauce and the pasta when it’s cooked.
5. Add the macaroni to boling water seasoned with salt and cook until tender but firm.
6. Drain cooked pasta and transfer to the pot with the cheese sauce.  Mix well together.
7. Transfer to a buttered baking dish.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and some of the leftover Melting Cheese blend all over the top.
8.  Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.  Everything is already cooked, you’re just heating everything together and browining the cheese on top.

This recipe is delicious.  The mustard gives it a different and grown-up taste.   You can also roast the butternut squash, which gives it a more robust flavor.

 

I did this recipe a few weeks ago at our Yoga Center and my friend Kathleen reviewed it in her blog.

Hope you like it too.  Tell me all about it if you try it.

Eggplant Parmesan November 13, 2007

I love to invite friends over to dinner. This gives me the opportunity to try out new recipes. Conventional knowledge would tell you not to try new recipes on guests… experiment on your own first and then share with others. Well, you know what, I don’t agree.

This is an eggplant recipe that I created by mixing and matching elements of several other recipes I have seen and tasted and I even experimented something I had never tried before and actually turned out really good. I wanted to do Eggplant in my latest dinner party because my best friend Ana Yolanda is an eggplant FAN. I made enough so she would have left overs… a testament to the quality of the results and a shame for her, but her husband ate ALL of the leftovers.

Don’t worry Ana, I’ll make it again JUST FOR YOU!!!

EGGPLANT PARMESAN
serves about 8

3-4 medium eggplants**, unpeeled, sliced in about 1/2 inch-thick slices
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups of seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese plus more for sprinkling in between eggplant layers
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup marinara sauce

fresh mozzarella cheese for the topping

**I learned that you should try to get as light an eggplant as you can find to ensure they have the least amount of seeds and minimize any bitterness

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Dunk the eggplant slices in the buttermilk for like half a minute. This will give the eggplant slices something sticky so the breadcrumbs stick.
3. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.  Coat the eggplant slices with the breadcrumbs. Set aside for a few minutes to let the coating stick a bit.
4. Heat a very thin layer of olive oil in a skillet. (Note: you’ll need a good amount of oil, because the eggplants will soak it. But you need to add a little bit with each batch so the eggplants brown.  If not, they’ll just boil and become limp.)  Fry the eggplant slices in batches.  Set aside and drain on paper towels.
5. In a bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, half-and-half, most of the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
6. In a large glass pyrex, spoon a bit of sauce at the bottom, place a shingled layer of fried eggplants, smear the ricotta mixture all over, spoon a bit more marinara sauce, place a second layer of fried eggplants, spoon the last of the marinara sauce and top it all off with the remaining Parmesan cheese.  Finish off with the slices of fresh mozzarella cheese.
7. Place the pyrex in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese on top is browned and sauce bubbly.
8. Let it rest for a little while because it can burn if you eat it right away. Serve warm.

Instead of marinara sauce, I made a marinated tomatoes sauce.  Simple, mix together all these ingredients and let the flavors marry while the eggplants are frying - Crushed Tomatoes (try for them to be in a jar and not a can - you know, less additives), Olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh basil and minced fresh garlic. 

I served this with spinach fetuchinni and sweet plantains.  I will share these recipes in following posts.  Oh, and with the roasted garlic breadsticks.   But you can mix and match as you’d like.

Buon Appetito.