Italian rice and beans

September 5, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This is the beginning of a series I am starting called “CleanCuisine”. The emphasis being on “clean” tasting food that has zero cholesterol, very low fat and is probably the healthiest for you (and tastiest). As you eat it, you can feel it doing you good!
The special ingredient for this is the grated lemon rind over the dish, as it creates a tangy zing in the mouth and really brings it all together. Don’t skimp on the lemon rind

Makes 2 – 3 servings

1 cup brown rice
3 tbsp olive oil
3 heaped tbsp fresh Italian herbs, roughly chopped. (basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary…)
A heaped half cup of oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, sliced into strips
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 can Cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained. (I cooked my own beans and have them available in the fridge)
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 tsp balsamic vinegar (you may need more at the end)
2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
zest of 2 lemons

Start by cooking the rice according to the instructions on the packet. Just use water, not broth
When the rice is finished, keep the lid on and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
Add the herbs, tomatoes and pine nuts. When the pine nuts start to turn a golden brown, add the beans. Toss gently, trying your best to keep the beans whole.
Add the salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar and stir gently. Turn down the heat to low.
Place the spinach in one layer on top of the bean mixture. Place the hot, steaming rice over the spinach and cover for about 30 seconds until the spinach starts to wilt. Mix it all together gently and taste for seasoning. At this point you may need more salt and pepper or even balsamic.
Grate the lemon zest on top of the dish and serve. (I use a Microplane grater as it makes the lemon zest all fluffy and it goes further)

Pasta

Orzo with shitakes, caramelized onions and spinach

August 9, 2012February 8, 2016 Belinda

Serves 8 to 10 as a side dish.

Orzo works really well with Asian flavors and this recipe makes a lot. It’s a great side for a dinner party but you can easily cut it in half.
Thank you to “Fine Cooking” magazine.

Kosher salt
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
5 tbsp peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
pinch of dried red chile flakes
6 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 tbsp dry sherry
freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
10 oz fresh spinach, stemmed, washed and coarsely chopped
1lb dried orzo
4 scallions,(white and green parts) thinly sliced
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 lime, cut into small wedges

Bring a large pot of well salted water to the boil.
In a small bowl whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and 2 tbsp of the peanut oil.
Set a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. When it’s hot pour in 1&1/2 tbsp of the peanut oil and after a few seconds add the garlic, ginger and chile flakes.
Stir for 20 seconds making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. (or it will go very bitter)
Add the mushrooms and stir fry until they soften, 2 to 3 mins.
Add the sherry and cook for another 30 seconds.
Season with salt and pepper and transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Reduce the heat to medium, heat the remaining peanut oil and add the onion. Season with salt and pepper then saute, stirring often, until the onion is soft and slightly caramelized, 9 to 10 minutes.
Add the spinach, cover the pan and steam, shaking the pan occasionally until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes.
Remove and discard the garlic from the mushrooms, put the mushrooms back in the pan and toss.
Remove from the heat and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Reserve until needed.
Cook the orzo in the boiling salted water until it’s just tender, about 9 minutes.
Drain it well and put it in a large bowl.
Add the mushroom mixture, soy vinaigrette, scallions and sesame seeds and toss.
taste and season.
Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with lime wedges to squeeze over the pasta.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Braised coconut spinach with chick peas and lemon

June 10, 2012February 8, 2016 Belinda

Poured over a roasted sweet potato, this is powerhouse vegan comfort food, with loads of flavor and solid sustenance from the chick peas and sweet potato.

Serves 4 s a main dish or 6 as a side

2 tsp oil or ghee
1 small yellow onion
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped. (If they’re in oil, drain them first.
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 2 tbsp juice)
1 dried hot red pepper or a dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
15 oz can chickpeas, drained
1lb baby spinach
15 oz can coconut milk
1 tsp salt, or more, to taste
1 tsp ground ginger

To serve

Whole roasted sweet potatoes
cilantro leaves, to garnish
toasted unsweetened coconut, to garnish

Directions

Heat the oil or ghee in a large deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium high heat.
Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to brown.
Add the garlic, ginger, sun dried tomatoes, lemon zest and red pepper, if using.
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chick peas and cook ver high heat for a few minutes or until they are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the onion/garlic mixture.
Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time, this will take about 5 minutes. Stir in a handful or two and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next lot.
When all the spinach has been stirred in, pour in the coconut milk and stir in the salt, ground ginger and lemon juice.
Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chick peas are warm through.
Taste and add more salt and lemon juice if necessary.
Serve hot over roasted sweet potatoes with cilantro leaves and toasted coconut to garnish.

Note

This is thick enough on it’s own to eat with a fork, it’s not terribly soupy, but it’s saucy enough to eat over pasta, rice, brown rice, quinoa or any other grain.

Gluten Free · Grains · Meat

Sweet Italian sausage with white beans and chard over pumpkin polenta

November 13, 2011February 8, 2016 Belinda1 Comment

This is divine!!! Serves 2 but can easily be doubled.

1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
1 large bunch of Swiss chard, kale or spinach or any other leafy green vegetable of your choice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz sweet Italian sausage pushed out of their skins, or the sausage meat
1 cup drained, rinsed canellini beans
1 cup canned pumpkin puree, or even better, homemade roasted and mashed butternut squash
1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
a good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 oz grated Pecorino Romano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until softened.
Meanwhile, prepare the Swiss chard. Cut off the thick stems and slice the leaves into 1″ ribbons. Rinse in a colander and set aside.
Add the garlic and crumbled sausage meat to the onions. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Cook till the sausage meat has turned from pink to light brown, add the white beans. Cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant. Add the Swiss chard(or spinach etc) with the water still clinging to it. Stir to combine then cover the pan and raise the heat to medium high. Let the greens wilt down while you prepare the polenta. Stir occasionally.
Whisk together the water/chicken broth and pumpkin puree in a medium saucepan. Season generously with salt and add the nutmeg. Place the cornmeal in a small bowl and pour a little of the pumpkin mixture over it, stir well (this will make it easier to incorporate the cornmeal into the heated pumpkin mixture, without clumping)
Bring the remaining mixture in the saucepan to a boil. Whisk in the wet cornmeal until smooth, then reduce heat to medium high and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes.
When the polenta has thickened (if you draw the spoon across the bottom of the pan the line should remain visible for a short time) stir in the grated cheese and turn off the heat. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
Taste the sausage and bean mixture and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Divide the hot polenta between two plates and top with the sausage, white beans and chard.

Do-ahead · Egg based · Gluten Free · Grains

Provencal gratin of spinach and zucchini

August 23, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

Provence (my most favorite part of the world) is known for it’s terracotta (baked earth) flower pots, urns, tiles and even cooking dishes. A “Tian”is a type of earthenware gratin dish which also gives it’s name to the food cooked in it.
They are generally vegetable oriented; and often rice grown in the Camargue (the marsh land of Provence) is added to the dish to make it more substantial.
This is an easy dish to double.

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients
1 1/2lbs fresh spinach, washed
3 good sized zucchini, grated
4 oz short or medium grained rice
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 extra large whole eggs
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 tsps salt
freshly ground black pepper
good pinch grated nutmeg

Assembly and Presentation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Oil a fairly large earthenware oven dish with a bit of olive oil.
In a saute pan cook the chopped onions and garlic until soft. Season with salt and pepper and add the grated zucchini and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the zucchini is wilted.

Blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Squeeze out the excess liquid and chop the spinach.
Put the rice in a pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 12 minutes. Drain.
Beat the eggs and gradually stir in the milk. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the zucchini, spinach. rice and parmesan.

Pour into the gratin dish and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot .

Gluten Free · Grains

Leek, spinach and dill weed pilaf

August 21, 2011February 8, 2016 Belinda

I serve this with the “Mediterranean Fish Dish” and countless other dishes, as the leeks give such a wonderful flavor through the rice. A lot of people don’t like leeks, but you won’t even know what they are by the time you’ve finished the dish!

Serves 4

4 good sized leeks, rinsed and chopped lengthways, then across in 1/2 inch slices.
Butter
8 oz washed baby spinach
1 good tbsp dried dill weed.
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup long grain rice

Saute the leeks in a good knob of butter and add the dill weed. When they are soft, add the rice and stir, coating well with the leeks and butter, season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth and spinach, bring to the boil, stir well and turn down to low. Cover and cook with the lid on following the cooking time on your rice packet. (Usually 20 minutes)
When ready, give a stir and serve.

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Nuts · Vegetable-related

Basil cheese loaf

July 14, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4 oz Roquefort cheese, at room temperature
1 cup spinach leaves, loosely packed, rinsed and dried
3/4 cup Italian parsley, loosely packed, washed and dried
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup slivered sun dried tomatoes, patted dry

Combine the cream cheese and Roquefort in a bowl and mix until smooth. Set aside.

Combine the spinach, parsley, basil and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle the oil through the feed tube; continue processing till smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the walnuts and parmesan and mix thoroughly.

Line a 5 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving extra wrap hanging over the sides.

Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture even;y over the bottom of the loaf pan. next, spread half the pesto mixture and arrange a layer of sun dried tomatoes on top.
Repeat with cheese, pesto and tomato layers.
Finish with the remaining 1/3 of the cheese mixture.
Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

To serve, allow the loaf to come just to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Invert it onto a platter and provide a cheese slicing knife. Have a basket of wheat crackers or bread nearby.