Recipe: Arugula-Cashew Spread

Week 2 of my class on healthy living and whole food, we're talking about getting more greens and plants into our diet.  This is a a lot like pesto but it doesn't have any cheese, and when you taste it you won't even miss it.  We also made home made hummus, with garbanzo beans that we'd soaked and cooked until tender.  This is a link to the recipe I've posted before.  

One day last summer we went to a restaurant in Irvine called Native Foods Cafe for a cooking demonstration, this recipe was one of the things they served.  They called it a crudité but it’s really more of a spread or pesto.  I’ve made it a few times and it’s excellent as a pesto on spaghetti squash or pasta or as a dip for crackers or vegetables.

 

Arugula-Cashew Spread

Ingredients:
3 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (I used Braggs)
2 cloves of garlic
6 cups of arugula or baby spinach or a combination of both
1/2 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
dash of fresh ground pepper
dash of red chili pepper (optional)
Directions:
In a food processor, pulse the cashews, nutritional yeast and garlic, so that the ingredients are mixed but the cashews are still crunchy. Empty into a medium sized bowl and set aside. In the food processor, add the olive oil and lemon juice first, then add the greens. Pulse to blend well. Mix the two together and add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Serve with vegetables, crackers, or flat bread. Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Pesto & Vegetable Stuffed Portobellas

I really like mushrooms, portobellas and baby portobellas in particular.  I found some that were larger than I normally see and I thought they would be great stuffed, and they were.  If your mushrooms are smaller, you'll be able to fill more than six mushrooms, if you have left over filling you can always use it on a sandwich or in an omelette.  I used prepared pesto, canned artichoke hearts (in water), and fresh spinach for mine.  You could use frozen spinach and artichoke hearts, you would just need to thaw and drain them.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!


6 large mushrooms, cleaned, dried, and stems set aside
2 cups spinach leaves, torn into small pieces
2 Tbsp pesto
3 artichoke hearts quartered and chopped
2 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes chopped
Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Remove the stems of the mushrooms and set aside.  Rinse the tops and dry, then bake on a baking sheet for 5 minutes.  Chop stems of mushrooms and set aside.  In a bowl add spinach, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, mushroom stems, add pesto and toss until the vegetables are lightly coated.  Remove mushrooms from oven and add filling.  Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes (until the mushrooms are tender).  Remove from oven and add a sprinkle of Parmesan and a little fresh basil, bake for 2 more minutes.  Remove from oven and serve, enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Spinach Artichoke Pasta

I was reading this blog the other day and thought hmm, why didn't I ever of that!  My family loves my spinach artichoke dip found here.  I'm always looking for stuff I can do ahead of time or in the crock pot since I never know when football practice is going to end and how much time I'll have to fix dinner.  Let me know what you think of my version.  A Votre Sante!

I lightened up mine a bit, plus made a smaller amount, here's what I did different:

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups of 2% milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 can artichoke hearts quarted
1 bag baby spinach
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 oz mozzarella
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 lb Mostaccioli (it's like Penne only not ribbed, my nana always used it, Barilla makes it)


Cook Mostaccioli according to package, al dente.  Drain and set aside, covered.
Over medium heat melt butter, add garlic.  Once browned add flour to make a roux.  Add milk, wisk until smooth, keep stirring once it's bubbly turn down to simmer and add Parmesan cheese and vegetable broth.  Minus the vegetable broth and you have an Alfredo sauce...keep going if you want more.  Add the mozzarella, artichoke hearts and 1/2 of the spinach.  Once the pasta is drained and back in its pot you can pour the mixture on top.  You can stop there if you want, otherwise get out a 9X13 pan.  Pour the pasta/sauce mixture, stir in the rest of the bag of spinach.  Top with an addition sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.   Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Spinach Frittata

I'm a big fan of breakfast for dinner.  Pancakes, omelettes, waffles, frittatas, vegetable egg bake, you name it we'll eat it for dinner.  Tonight I was short on time and only have one kid at home so I whipped up a frittata.  I'm a big fan of using whatever you have in the frig so along with the spinach and tomato I threw in a few mushrooms  and the last bit of Gorgonzola I had and viola in less than 30 minutes.  You can use just about anything you have on hand.  A Votre Sante!

3 cups spinach
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic or 1 clove chopped
1-2 roma tomatoes chopped
4-5 chopped mushrooms
3 eggs
3 egg whites
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Monterey jack)
1 Tbsp Gorgonzola
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In an oven proof pan (mine is cast iron), saute garlic and spinach in the olive oil for about 2 minutes.  Add the tomato and mushroom, saute for another minute.  Set aside.  Crack and beat eggs and egg whites, add a little bit of salt and pepper.

Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and top with cheese.

Bake for about 13-15 minutes or until the eggs are set and the cheese is bubbly.  Enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Greek style salmon

I love Mediterranean flavors and lately, I've been eating a lot of fish.  Last week I came up with this easy recipe!   I used salmon but you could use a different fish if you'd like, just adjust the cooking time.  I served it with rice and spinach salad.  Easy, tasty and healthy.  A Votre Sante!

Greek style salmon

3-4 salmon filets
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
1 can tomatoes, drained
3 oz drained kalmata olives, slice in half

Chop the onion and saute for about one minute.  Place salmon filets in pan, add tomatoes and olives.  Cook about 8 minutes, then turn over, finish cooking another 8-10 mintues or until the fish is flaky and not pink in the middle.  Serve with rice and fresh spinach. Serves 3-4.

Dressing for salad or topping for fish

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp olive oil
1-2 Tbsp fresh mint
1/2 tsp salt

Chop or tear the sprigs of mint.  Stir into yogurt along with the oil and salt.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Drizzle over spinach or serve along side the fish.  Its also great on flat bread as a dip.

Recipe of the week: Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

I make this dip for parties and its always a big hit! I mean what's not to love, cheese, artichokes, spinach? Yummm. I've made it with just Parmesan, a combination of Parmesan and feta cheese and most recently with the Parmesan and Swiss, and that's my favorite. I am not afraid of fat, but prefer to get my fat from the cheese than the mayonnaise, that's why I use the low fat mayonnaise. Try it and let me know what you think. A Votre Sante!



Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 cup low fat mayonnaise
1 can artichokes in water, drained
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Swiss cheese grated
2 cups spinach, uncooked

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and then fold in the 2 cups of spinach. Transfer to a 8X8 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with sliced baguette or crackers. Enjoy.