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Fusilli con Broccoli with Creamy Ricotta Sauce

Entrees, Main Dish, Pasta, Recipes, Veggies June 16, 2014 Leave a comment

When I was young, my Italian Nana would often make a recipe for me that I loved. Long strands of twisted fusilli pasta with broccoli cooked in the same pot until it was so soft it nearly fell apart when I ate it. The salted water with the broccoli and pasta would develop a lovely brothy flavor which would be ladled into the bowl with the rest and then topped with some grated Romano cheese. It was delicious and to this day I still dream of it. Here I’ve cooked the fusilli and broccoli a bit more al dente, although the broccoli still is quite tender, and I added a creamy light ricotta “sauce”. Eating this now reminds me of my Nana. As the say in Italy, Buon Appetito!

Fusilli con Broccoli with Creamy Ricotta Sauce

Author: Sweet Green Kitchen’s Jen Jones

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta – fusilli or other shape, orecchiettie is also good

1 cup Ricotta cheese

Handful of chopped Parsley or Basil

Grated Romano cheese

Grated Ricotta Salata cheese

Zest of ½ Lemon

3 cloves Garlic – chopped

Olive oil

Salt

Hot Red Pepper Flakes or Black Pepper

1 bunch of Broccoli florets, cut to bite size pieces

Directions:

Cook pasta until al dente in salted water, making sure to reserve some of the cooking liquid for the sauce. During the last 2 minutes, add the chopped Broccoli to the pot and stir around.

While the pasta cooks, in a small saucepan add the chopped garlic, a pinch of salt and olive oil to cover. Warm over low heat, to infuse the oil with garlic flavor and gently cook the garlic. – this step is optional and can be skipped if you’re not a huge fan of garlic, but I think it adds a great extra layer of flavor to the finished dish.

Also, while the pasta cooks, to a large serving bowl add Ricotta, Parsley or Basil, grated cheeses and Lemon Zest. Mix together.

Add the cooked Pasta and Broccoli to the Ricotta mixture adding in some reserved pasta liquid a little bit at a time, until the sauce is the consistency you like. Pour the infused Olive Oil and Garlic over the Pasta and top with a bit of Red Pepper flakes or ground Black Pepper, whichever you prefer. Finish with a little extra grated Cheese if you like. Serve warm and Enjoy!

Recipe Notes: I love the lemon zest in this sauce but if you’re not a fan, feel free to skip it. In it’s absence I would add a little nutmeg.

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Spanikopasorta

Entrees, Main Dish, Recipes, Veggies May 22, 2014 Comments: 2

Spanikopasorta

Author: Sweet Green Kitchen’s Jen Jones

I adapted this from the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for Spanikopita, I made quite a lot of changes; adding ricotta cheese, changing the herbs, swapping her scallions for leeks, eliminating bread crumbs and of course using a LOT less butter and olive oil, until it no longer seemed as much a spanikopita as it seemed sort of spanikopita, sort of not, so it became Spanikopasorta. Unlike a traditional spanikopita which is layered and baked as more of a casserole, this is rolled up roulade or struedel style.

I like this served with either a green salad or tomato salad, either way great for lunch or dinner served hot or at room temperature. This would also make a great party appetizer or hors d’oeuvres.

Makes 2-3 roulades/struedels

Ingredients:

2 Leeks – washed and sliced – white and tender green

2 Garlic Cloves – chopped

1-2 teaspoons Olive Oil

1-2 teaspoons Butter

1 10-ounce package Frozen Spinach – defrosted

1 cup Ricotta cheese (whole or part skim) – half of a 16 ounce container

¼ cup Parsley – flat leaf – chopped

2 Extra Large Eggs

6 ounces Feta cheese – chopped and crumbled (do not use pre-crumbled)

¼ – ½ teaspoon ground Nutmeg

Fresh Thyme – a few sprigs

Salt & Pepper

Phyllo Dough – about 20 sheets, more or less

Melted Butter – about 3 Tablespoons

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F

Heat Olive Oil and Butter in a large non stick sauté pan. Add the chopped Leeks, cook for a few minutes and then add in the chopped Garlic. Continue cooking until the Leeks are softened and browned a bit on the edges, but not completely.

Meanwhile, squeeze out the water from the Spinach. Turn off the heat and add the Spinach to the pan with the Leeks and Garlic and toss around a bit.

In a medium to large bowl, add the Ricotta, chopped Parsley, Eggs, crumbled Feta cheese, Nutmeg, Thyme leaves, Salt and Pepper. Stir to combine and then add in the slightly cooled Spinach, Leeks and Garlic, stir again.

Lay out 2 sheets of Phyllo and brush all over with a little bit of melted Butter, then continue layering 2 sheets at a time with butter brushed in between until you have used 10 sheets.

To make Struedel style – Spoon either 1/3 or 1/2 of the Spinach & Cheese mixture down the center of the Phyllo stack, leaving about 1 inch at each short end without filling. Fold over the two sides and then wrap one long end over the filling and finish by folding the last end over the top and brush with a little more butter to seal. Carefully move struedel to a baking sheet.

To make Roulade style – Spoon either 1/3 or 1/2 of the Spinach & Cheese mixture to cover the whole sheet of Phyllo, leaving a border about 1 inch around. Next fold over the short ends and then begin rolling the Phyllo over the filling, finishing with a little brush of melted Butter. Carefully move to a baking sheet.

Repeat with remaining Phyllo and filling until you have 2 or 3 roulades or struedels. Whether you end up with 2 or 3 is merely a matter of personal preference, depending on your preferred ratio of filling to pastry.

Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Divide each struedel into slices 1-2 inches thick or larger pieces if you prefer. Serve hot or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

Leeks – most recipes instruct to use just the white and light green parts of the leek, but I really prefer to use almost the whole leek including the darker green. I slice through most of the leek and as I get toward the dark green less tender end, I peel away the outer layers and then continue to slice through the more tender inner layers.

Phyllo dough is sold frozen, not be confused with puff pastry. Phyllo is thin and papery. It tends to dry out quickly, so I just unroll as many sheets as I need for the moment, leaving the rest wrapped until needed.

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Tofu Summer Rolls with Miso Dipping Sauce

Entrees, Main Dish, Recipes, Side dishes, Tofu, Vegan May 14, 2014 1 Comment

Tofu Summer Rolls

Author: Sweet Green Kitchen’s Jen Jones

These summer rolls are so flavorful, light and fresh tasting, perfect for the warm days of Spring and Summer. They make a great appetizer or party hors d’oeuvres and are perfect as a light lunch or dinner served alongside a nice salad or Asian slaw.

Ingredients:

1 12-ounce package of Extra Firm Tofu – drained and pressed

1 Avocado – thinly sliced

1 Mango – thinly sliced

Fresh Mint leaves

Baby Arugula

Rice Paper a.k.a. Spring Roll Wrappers

Flaked Sea Salt (or other Salt)

Miso Marinade/Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon White Miso

1 Tablespoon lite Soy Sauce or Wheat Free Tamari (to make it gluten free)

2 Tablespoons Apple Cider or Rice Vinegar (or 1 Tablespoon of each)

2 teaspoons Honey, Agave or Maple Syrup (Agave or Maple to make it Vegan)

1/4 teaspoon (more or less to taste) Sriracha Sauce

1 Tablespoon Olive or Sesame Oil

Alternate (Miso Cashew) Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Cashew Butter (Almond or Peanut Butter would also be good)

1 Tablespoon White Miso

1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

2 teaspoons Honey or Agave Syrup

1 teaspoon lite Soy Sauce or Tamari

1 teaspoon Water

1/4 teaspoon (more or less to taste) Sriracha Sauce

A sprinkling of white or black Sesame Seeds – optional

Directions:

Starting with drained and pressed Tofu, slice the Tofu block into approximately 8 even slices and the then halve each slice lengthwise, leaving you with about 16 strips. Season lightly with salt.

Meanwhile heat a large non stick pan and drizzle a bit of oil (I use olive, canola or coconut oil).

Saute each piece of Tofu over a medium to high flame, adjusting temperature as needed, until golden brown on both sides. Beware of splatters when cooking.

Whilst cooking the tofu, prepare the Miso Marinade. Add the cooked Tofu to the Marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to a few hours or even overnight. Refrigerating the cooked tofu allows the texture to firm up and also gives it time to absorb the flavors of the marinade.

To make the Summer Rolls:

Fill a pie dish or other similarly sized bowl with warm water. Working one at a time, soak 1 Rice Paper wrapper in the water until it softens. Beware, if you’ve never worked with rice paper wrappers before, they are delicate and prone to tearing, but don’t worry about small tears they should still wrap up fine.

On a flat surface, like a cutting board lay out the softened Rice Paper (you can place a paper towel on top of your board if you like to help absorb a bit of extra moisture and prevent it from sticking to your board).

Begin to layer your filling – start with 2 -3 leaves of Mint placed vertically down the center of the rice paper. Next, line up 2 slices of tofu on top of the Mint, then 2 slices of Mango and 2 slices of Avocado, finishing with a small handful of Arugula and a little sprinkle of flaked Sea Salt.

Now to wrap, if you’ve ever rolled up a burrito this is very much the same. Start by folding up the ends over the filling, then , fold up one side over all the filling tucking it to make it tight, then roll the whole thing over the last end until it is completely wrapped, tucking as you go to make a nice tight roll. Using a sharp knife cut the roll in half (I like an angled cut). Now repeat.

Place the completed rolls on a platter until done and then serve with either the leftover marinade or the miso cashew dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes: These rolls take a little pre planning as you need to first cook and marinate the tofu before moving on to make the rolls, if you want to save time, you can use already baked and marinated pre-packaged tofu.

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Rainbow Chard with Melty Fresh Mozzarella and Fusilli Pasta

Entrees, Main Dish, Pasta, Recipes, Veggies April 7, 2014 Comments: 2

I found a gorgeous bunch of rainbow chard at the market the other day, with bright yellow, orange and pinkish red stems and veins of color running through the green leaves, after all the darkness and cold of winter it just felt like a lovely bunch of spring had walked into my day. The whole drive home I thought and thought about what to make with my beautiful rainbow greens and then I came up with this recipe and I’m so happy I did. A simple but perfect combination of sautéed greens, a little garlic, a little zest, fresh mozzarella warmed through with a little hit of saltiness from the sun dried tomatoes and grated pecorino. This comes together in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. I paired this with short, twisty fusilli cooked to al dente perfection, the greens and cheese twirl around the fusilli to create a deliciously complete bite with every forkful.

Rainbow Chard with Melty Fresh Mozzarella & Fusilli Pasta

Author: Sweet Green Kitchen’s Jen Jones

Ingredients:

1 pound Fusilli Pasta

1 large bunch Rainbow Chard or 2 small bunches (at least 12 large leaves)

2-3 large cloves Garlic

5-6 Sundried Tomatoes

4 ounces Fresh Mozzarella

Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

Zest of ½ – 1 whole Lemon

Olive Oil

Red Pepper Flakes – just a pinch or more to taste

Sea Salt

Directions:

Cook Pasta in salted water until al dente. BEFORE draining the cooked pasta, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water to add to the sauce.

Chop Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes. Wash Rainbow Chard and then cut into ribbons. I do this by stacking all the leaves and then folding them over lengthwise, then slicing across (a sharp knife should cut through the stack pretty easily). Cut Mozzarella into small cubes.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet (deep enough to hold the veges and pasta), add a good drizzle of Olive Oil and then toss in the chopped Garlic and season with a pinch of salt. Cook until the Garlic is just beginning to get a little color and then add in the chopped Sundried Tomatoes. Stir the Garlic and Tomatoes as they cook another minute or so.

To the Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes, add in about a third of the chopped Rainbow Chard, starting with the chopped stems and some leaves, after a minute or two once the Chard has wilted down a bit, add in another third and stir, adding in the remaining Chard once the last bit has wilted some. Season with a little more salt. Cook the Chard for a few minutes, stirring as you go, until it has wilted but still has it’s vibrant color.

Stir in about 2 – 3 Tablespoons of Grated Romano cheese and then the Lemon Zest and Red Pepper Flakes. At this point you can pour in some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to start creating a bit of a sauce (note, you may not need to use all the reserved liquid, add a little at a time and more as needed).

Next pour in the cooked Pasta and then the chopped Mozzarella, plus another drizzle of Olive Oil, stir to combine and until the Mozzarella begins to melt into the chard and pasta. Add more liquid if necessary and top with a little more grated Romano if you like.

Serve with extra grated cheese at the table. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes: If you can’t find Rainbow Chard, substitute with Swiss Chard or Beet Greens. Spinach would also be fine, except you’ll need a lot more as it wilts down quite a bit more than chard does.

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Lentil “Meatballs”

Beans, Entrees, Main Dish, Pasta, Recipes March 31, 2014 1 Comment

Lentil Meatballs

Author: Sweet Green Kitchen’s Jen Jones

Adapted from: Sara Forte’s “The Sprouted Kitchen”

Meat free, gluten free, but full on flavor! These tasty lentil meatballs are the perfect prescription for any vegetarian missing that classic childhood favorite “spaghetti and meatballs”. But these little bites are so yummy even meat eaters won’t miss the meat. These are in regular rotation at chez Jones.

Ingredients:

1 can black lentils – about 2 cups (*see recipe note below)

2 eggs

¾ cup ricotta cheese (I use part skim)

¼ cup freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese (Locatelli is the best)

2 cloves garlic – crushed

1 shallot – finely chopped

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

A few sprigs of fresh thyme

1 ½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

Lemon zest – from about ½ – 1 whole lemon

1 Tablespoon olive oil (I use extra virgin always)

1 cup cooked quinoa (use leftover or cook ¼ cup dry with ½ cup water in advance)

Directions:

Drain and rinse the lentils and place in a medium size bowl. Mash the lentils with the back of a fork or potato masher, but don’t completely pulverize, you want to still have some intact lentils.

Add to the lentils all remaining ingredients except the quinoa. Mix well to combine and then add in the quinoa and mix through.

To help keep the mix from falling apart, place in the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes. You could also mix this up in the morning and then have it all ready to go at dinner time or even mix it all up the night before.

While chilling…Preheat oven to 400 F. And if you plan to serve with spaghetti, start boiling your water and/or prepping the rest of your meal.

After your mix has chilled, line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper or brush the pan with olive oil if you don’t have any parchment on hand.

Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and start forming balls, about 1 inch in diameter. I use my smallest spring loaded ice cream scoop to form the balls, place them on the pan and then press any loose ends together with my fingers once they’re all on the pan. This recipe makes about 28-32 balls. These don’t need a lot of space on the pan, so I pack them in pretty tight but don’t let them touch.

Bake for 15 minutes at 400 F, until the bottoms begin to brown and then carefully turn and bake another 10 minutes.

Serve atop spaghetti with your favorite tomato sauce, I like them with a spicy tomato sauce, but marinara is tasty too. Or if you’d like to skip the pasta, they’re also great atop sautéed greens, like swiss chard. You could even squish them between some Italian bread with tomato sauce for a yummy vegetarian meatball sub. A little extra grated Romano cheese over the top completes it. Enjoy!

Recipe notes: don’t be dismayed if you feel like this makes too many, cooled leftovers freeze great for a quick meal in the future, just defrost and reheat. You could also serve these as party hors d’oeuvres with a little pesto dipping sauce.

*Also a note about lentils, I use black lentils also known as French lentils here, they are a bit firmer and hold up better than brown or green lentils when mashed and I like that slightly al dente bite they lend to these meatballs. If you can’t find them canned, you could easily cook up a batch of dried, lentils are the one bean that cooks up quickly without any need for overnight soaking.

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