Lemony Spinach Pesto

This is another variation on pesto that is simple and tasty.  It's jam-packed with refreshing lemon flavor and will happily grace whatever meat, pasta, sandwich, or other edible material you choose to put it on.  I would recommend something a bit more interesting than plain pasta, though, as it can get a bit monotonous (but I feel that way about most pestos, so don't take it the wrong way!)

A big fresh bunch of spinach and a lemon join forces to make this fun and zippy sauce.  Grill up some chicken and slather it on, it would be great!

Lemony Spinach Pesto

adapted from Giada's Everyday Italian

makes 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups (tightly packed) spinach leaves (about 2 ounces)

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

zest from one lemon

juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons total)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (or a bit less)

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Puree the spinach, pine nuts, zest, and lemon juice together in a food processor.  With the food processor on, stream in the olive oil just until the mixture takes on a pesto-like texture, smooth and creamy but still somewhat textured.

2.  Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste.  Use however you like, it will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two. 

Enjoy!

Pizza Rolls

This is more of a concept than a recipe, inspired by something that Giada made on her show a while ago.  You take some store-bought pizza dough, put some toppings on it, roll it up and bake it, and voila!  Pizza rolls.  It's remarkably simple, yet completely tasty and crowd-pleasing.

Today I made two - one with just marinara and cheese to please every palate, and the other was slightly more interesting, so that is the one I'm featuring here today.  You can, of course, put anything you like in it.  So long as you don't go for any toppings that are super chunky, you'll be able to roll it up into a pinwheel.  Just slice it up, put it out on a tray, and watch your guests gobble it up.

Pizza Rolls

serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. store-bought pizza dough (preferably whole wheat)

flour for your work surface

2 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4 inch slices

one 15 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or silpat liner.

2.  Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll out the pizza dough to about 12 inches around.  Distribute the mozzarella slices fairly evenly around the pizza, followed by artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes.

3.  Carefully roll up the pizza into a cylinder, tucking in the edges to seal.  It will look like a giant burrito.  Brush with olive oil and season the top lightly with salt and pepper.

4.  Place on baking sheet, seam-side down, and bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.  Cheese might leak out, and that is perfectly okay.  Let cool a few minutes, then cut into 1-inch slices with a serrated knife.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Orzo and Spinach Stuffed Peppers

I realize it's not obvious what you're looking at in the picture above. But take my word for it - it is a beautiful medley of Italian flavors. It is incredibly comforting and filled with nutrients to carry you through the rest of your day.

I had some beautiful yellow bell peppers, a bunch of spinach, and fresh mint just waiting to be used. And thanks to Giada (and a bit of tweaking of her recipe on my part), I found the perfect vehicle. This dish is somewhere between a pasta dish and a soup, yet it seems to be the familiar pot-luck staple, the stuffed pepper. Totally vegetarian and packed with unexpected flavor, however, it is anything but familiar.
The cool mint against the earthy tomato and spinach is a beautiful thing.

I chose to cut my bell peppers length-wise to maximize filling in only two peppers, but if you'd rather cut off the tops and stuff them that way, feel free. The world is your oyster. Or pepper, as the case may be.

Orzo and Spinach Stuffed Peppers

adapted from Giada's Kitchen
serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

1 (14.5 oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 bunch of spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for sprinkling
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed
salt and pepper
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
3/4 cups orzo
2 large or 3 small/medium bell peppers (red or yellow)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes and their juices, spinach, mint, cheese, oil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

3. Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add orzo and cook for 4 minutes. It will not be completely cooked yet. Drain it in a sieve, reserving the broth, and add the orzo to the large bowl with the veggies. Stir to combine. Transfer the broth to a 2-quart (or similar) baking dish.

4. Slice the peppers in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds and ribs. Lay the pepper halves (open-side up) in the baking dish and fill them with the orzo mixture. Cover the dish with foil (or a glass lid) and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the lid, sprinkle with additional cheese, and continue baking uncovered for 10 minutes. Transfer the peppers carefully to individual plates and serve.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Sun-dried Tomatoes

A well-stocked pantry is a beautiful thing. It's the blessing that makes meals like this one possible. Easy, quick, flavorful, and interesting. It's worth having those pantry staples on hand at all times so that you can later be spontaneous. A bit of a paradox, isn't it?

Sun-dried tomatoes have a lovely rich flavor that wraps itself around whole wheat pasta very nicely. If you don't usually keep them on hand, you might want to start right about now!

Spaghetti with Sun-dried Tomatoes
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' Everyday Pasta
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

5 oz. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
crumbled fresh goat cheese for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup starchy pasta water and drain the pasta.

2. Meanwhile, warm the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add wine and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and simmer until liquid reduces by half, about 2 minutes.

3. Add cooked pasta and parsley to the tomato mixture and toss to coat, adding enough of the reserved pasta water to moisten the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with goat cheese if using.

Enjoy!

Arugula Pesto Pasta

Arugula is a magical green. Without adding any spices to it, it tastes peppery and verdant at the same time. It makes cooking a whole lot easier, using only one ingredient to pack the same flavor punch as you might normally get from two or three. This makes it a perfect base for a pesto sauce.

I don't need to teach you the mechanics of pesto, you've seen it before (here and elsewhere). Usually it involves a combination of herbs and nuts - here there are neither, just good old arugula. The only other thing you need to know is that the food processor is your best friend. It has to be the single most used appliance in my kitchen. I couldn't live without it! Well, couldn't cook without it, anyway.

This recipe is so easy you'll want to hug me. Promise.

Arugula Pesto Pasta
adapted from Everyday Italian
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (packed) fresh baby arugula
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup EVOO
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
6 oz. whole wheat pasta of your choice

1. In a food processor, process arugula and garlic clove until finely chopped. With processor running, slowly stream in EVOO and process until well blended. Add parmesan, salt and pepper, and process just a moment longer.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the hot pot. Stir in pesto to coat the hot pasta. Serve immediately.

Peppery, simple and delicious. Another for the weeknight file. Enjoy!

Mini Pasta with Mini Chicken Meatballs

You don't have to live with a kid to want to eat kid-inspired food once in a while. And you can always add a slightly grown-up twist to it, just to make it feel slightly less kid-ish. This recipe is from Giada's latest book, and she intended for it to appeal to kids. I added a vital ingredient to make it a bit more interesting for adults - spiciness. As well as a few other tweaks.

The meal is just fun - mini pasta with mini meatballs, not to mention the mini mozzarella balls and the mini tomatoes. Before it gets too cute, I'd better give you the recipe. But first, let me just say that these meatballs are fabulous. They could definitely be featured in other venues, too - like on the ends of toothpicks as appetizers, or in a sandwich. Yum.

Mini Pasta with Mini Chicken Meatballs
adapted from Giada's Kitchen
serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 pound small pasta, such as farfalline or orecchiette
3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs (or plain bread crumbs)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tablespoon skim or low-fat milk
1/2 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan, divided
salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound ground chicken breast
2 tablespoons EVOO
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
a dozen or so cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 oz. bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), halved
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a salted pot of water to a boil, and cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain.

2. While water is coming to a boil, in a large bowl stir together bread crumbs, parsley, egg, milk, ketchup, 1/4 cup parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken and combine well.

3. Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using a melon baller or cookie scoop, scoop up approximately teaspoon sized balls of the mixture to make the meatballs. Plop them into the heated skillet, making sure not to overcrowd the pan (work in batches if necessary). Do not move them for about 2 minutes so that they get brown; then turn them over to brown the other side for another 2 minutes.

4. Add chicken broth and tomatoes to the skillet and bring to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Stir in red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tomatoes are soft and meatballs are cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.

5. After pasta is drained and while the sauce is simmering, put the pasta in a serving bowl and toss with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan, basil, and mozzarella. Add the meatball and tomato mixture and toss to combine. If there is more liquid than you would like, feel free to discard some of it. Serve hot.

The mozzarella will be gooey and melty, the meatballs will be browned and flavorful, and the sauce will be slightly spicy. A wonderful grown-up version of a kid's meal! Enjoy.

Chicken Piccata

I bought chicken breasts this week with a plan. But as the week wore on, a serious craving for chicken piccata began to set in, and the other plan was tossed aside. The piccata was just too powerful.

Chicken piccata is a very reliable dish to order in just about any Italian restaurant, as it's pretty hard to screw up. Some places put a bread crumb batter and then pan fry it, which makes it a bit too heavy in my opinion. The perfect piccata should be gently dredged in flour (preferably whole wheat!) and then sauteed in a relatively modest amount of extra virgin olive oil and butter. Then you can make a beautiful pan sauce that is tangy, light, and buttery all at the same time. It's a beautiful thing.

We had ours with some fresh spinach sauteed in wine and garlic. It was a pretty fantastic meal, for something I threw together in about 15 minutes. Yes, I dare to toot my own culinary horn.

Chicken Piccata
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' Everyday Italian
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast, butterflied and then halved
pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
a few tablespoons of flour, for dredging
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon EVOO
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons white wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, and lightly dredge in flour, shaking off the excess.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the tablespoon of EVOO in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and sizzling, add the chicken. Cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken with tongs and set aside on a plate.

3. Add broth, wine, lemon juice and capers to the pan, whisking to incorporate the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil (if it isn't already boiling), and then add the chicken to the sauce and simmer until just cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.

4. Using tongs, transfer chicken to serving plates. Add remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet and whisk until melted and incorporated in the sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken, and garnish with parsley.

You can always count on Italian food to satisfy. This would also be great with pasta, or any roasted veggie. Enjoy!

Lemony Risotto with Peas and Prosciutto

Risotto is one of my favorite foods, both to make and to eat. Even the basic canvas that you start with is delicious, but there are endless variations. This one is only a couple of steps above the most basic risotto, and you can feel free to tweak it as you see fit. But I can vouch for the recipe as is - incredibly tangy and delicious. In fact ours was a bit *too* tangy so I've reduced the amount of lemon juice in the recipe. I took Giada's lemon risotto and turned it into a main course with the addition of a vegetable (peas) and a protein (prosciutto). It makes for a very flavorful and well-balanced, albeit admittedly carb-filled, meal.

A lot of people think risotto is hard to make. But I promise you, do it once and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. Sure, you have to devote your undivided attention for about 20 minutes, but if you don't have the patience to do that, well, are you serious? And it's not literally undivided attention - you can step away for a moment here and there. Personally, I find it therapeutic to stand over the stove and stir, watching a meal come together like magic before my eyes. Try this one out - leave out the prosciutto if you want it to be vegetarian - and let me know if you still think risotto is too difficult for a weeknight.

You're welcome.

Lemony Risotto with Peas and Prosciutto
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' "Giada's Kitchen"
serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups low-sodium chicken or veggie broth
juice of 1 medium lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, or 1/2 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 tablespoon creme fraiche or mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons roughly chopped prosciutto
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small saucepan, bring broth and about half of the lemon juice to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover.

2. In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the shallot or onion and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and remaining lemon juice and simmer until it has almost completely evaporated, about 3 more minutes.

3. Gradually add the heated broth and lemon juice to the risotto, using a ladle or 1/2 cup measure. After each addition, stir until liquid is almost completely absorbed (if you run your spoon through the pot it should take a moment for the gap to fill back in again) before adding the next 1/2 cup of liquid. Gradually add all the broth in this manner, until the risotto is creamy and tender with a slight bite to it. Add the peas with your final addition of broth. When almost completely absorbed, turn off the heat.

4. Add parmesan, creme fraiche, lemon zest, prosciutto, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir well. Serve topped with parsley.

Enjoy!

Tuscan White Bean Soup

I don't know what it is about Tuscany, but they just know how to do soup. I recently discovered this soup at a lunch spot that we visit frequently at work. Here, I am sharing with you the remarkably inexpensive, healthy, and delicious version. This soup doesn't look particularly fancy (beige, anyone?), but it's great for a cold night like tonight. And did I mention it's healthy? And delicious? And inexpensive?

The ingredients are quite probably things you already have on hand. If not, the trip to the grocery store to buy them might set you back about three dollars. The soup is hearty and filling enough that you don't really need anything else with it. I had mine with toast, but the soup alone would have been just fine.

Tuscan White Bean Soup
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' "Giada's Kitchen"
Serves 3

INGREDIENTS:




(Fresh & Easy is not a sponsor of this blog. If only.)







1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon EVOO
1 large shallot, chopped
2 sage leaves, roughly chopped
1 (15 oz.) can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken or veggie broth
1/4 cup skim milk
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a heavy, medium-sized pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter and EVOO over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes.

2. Add sage, beans, and garlic, and stir. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Cook at a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes, until garlic is tender.

3. Remove from heat, and puree soup (in batches in a food processor, or with a stick blender). Stir in milk, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat gently if necessary, and serve.

Enjoy!

Chicken Scaloppine with Saffron Cream Sauce

Growing up, Sunday Lunch was a phrase deserving of those capital letters. I suppose it was an English tradition to have the "main meal" at lunch time, particularly on Sundays. I can't say I keep up this tradition on a regular basis, but more often than not I do try to cook something nice for lunch on Sundays. Mostly because I actually have time for more than a 30-minute meal.

Today my mother-in-law came over for lunch, so I wanted to make something tasty and comforting, but with a touch of elegance. I turned to Giada for the main attraction, her Chicken Scaloppine with Saffron Cream Sauce. I made sage polenta and steamed sugar snap peas to go alongside, and a simple affogatto (ice cream with hot coffee and chocolate shavings) for dessert.

Overall it was definitely a success, and I think the chicken brought a certain amount of sophistication to an otherwise homey dish. I tweaked Giada's recipe only slightly, by pounding the chicken first to make it extra thin so it would cook quickly, and adjusting a few other minor things. But it's definitely one to put in the "keeper" pile.

It's no pot roast or whole roast chicken, but for me, it is definitely worthy of the Sunday Lunch title.

Chicken Scaloppine with Saffron Cream Sauce
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' "Giada's Kitchen"
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons EVOO
1 pound of chicken breast cutlets, pounded thin between two sheets of wax paper
ground sea salt
fresh ground pepper
2 shallots, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Warm EVOO in a large skillet over high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and add to the hot oil. Cook until golden and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

2. Reduce heat to medium, and add shallots and garlic to the pan. Cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until wine is almost evaporated.

3. Add chicken broth and saffron threads to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, or until broth is reduced by half. Add cream, a pinch of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Simmer for 1 minute to blend the flavors. Pour sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Absolutely delicious. My mother-in-law, Virginia, assured me that this is a good dish to impress a mother-in-law with, and I figure she should know!

Enjoy!

Baked Gnocchi

I have to give the disclaimer right away that this is not a low-calorie meal. I never claimed to be helping anyone with their new year's resolutions. This meal is, however, filled with complex carbs (good thing), protein (good thing) and iron (also a good thing). So you might be able to justify the calories and the fat with the above. I did adjust the recipe to make it far less fattening than the original, but I wasn't about to remove all the tastiness. Anyway, it's delicious and comforting. And that's what counts.

It's like a grown-up mac and cheese, only instead of macaroni we're talking about gnocchi - delightful little pillows of potato that are so underrated that someone should be arrested. Luckily we have Giada De Laurentiis to help introduce them to us in an extremely approachable way. If you choose to make the gnocchi from scratch, be my guest. (Mark Bittman has a great-sounding recipe in his How to Cook Everything Vegetarian book). I bought my gnocchi at the store.

Also, if you don't like goat cheese (!) you might substitute some other flavorful cheese, such as aged white cheddar or maybe even smoked mozzarella.

Baked Gnocchi
Adapted from Everyday Pasta by Giada de Laurentiis
serves 4

INGREDIENTS:











1 package potato gnocchi
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups skim or low fat milk
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken (or veggie) broth
1/8 cup all purpose flour (I used whole wheat as usual)
pinch of salt
freshly ground pepper
pinch of grated nutmeg
5 ounces baby spinach
1 1/2 ounces fresh goat cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place gnocchi in a lightly greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish and set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together cream, milk, broth, and flour over medium heat. Continue whisking until the sauce is simmering and thickened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg, and stir to combine. Add spinach and toss to coat in the cream. Pour the cream and spinach mixture over the gnocchi evenly, spreading the spinach out to cover all the potato dumplings.

4. Crumble goat cheese over the spinach. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake until the top is golden in places, about 30 minutes.

The result is gooey, rich and amazing. And the spinach helps to offset the creaminess so you can actually tell yourself you're eating something with nutrients in it. (Although that was the only part my husband didn't like....)

Enjoy!