Thick Pasta Fagioli

This is an interesting twist on the Italian classic, Paste e Fagiloi, adapted from a recipe by Alexandra Lenz in her estimable cookbook “Fresh Italian Cooking for the New Generation.”

While the ingredients are similar to the Italian favorite, the treatment is different in that the beans are mashed, hence thickening the soup into a stew. Additionally, it removes the objections of those among us who dislike beans. They will never detect a bean in this recipe, only finding it smooth and thick and satisfying without the hint of a bean. This soup is delicious with either chickpeas or cannellini beans, both are tasty.

Further, while the classic soup often uses chicken broth, this version can optionally use water for a vegan meal with no loss of taste. The mashed beans are miraculous.

Part of the secret is the spices. While dried spices will do, use fresh if possible.

Buon appetito!

Ingredients:

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped (or ¾ tsp. dried)

3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves removed and chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with juices

1 15.5 oz. can of chickpeas or cannellini beans, drained

5 cups water (or 4 cups broth and 1 cup water)

1 cup small whole wheat pasta (ditalini, miniature elbow, or other)

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

¼ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped

Method:

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add onion and sauté until softened and slightly browned. Add garlic and spices, salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute more.

Add the tomatoes with their juices, cook until thickened and reduced – 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the beans to the pot and mash the beans and tomato mixture well with a potato masher. Leave no recognizable beans!

Pour in the water (or water and broth) and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, reduce heat to maintain a low boil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste to ensure that pasta is cooked before serving.

Serve in individual bowls topped with the grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Lime Rickey Shrimp

Shrimp is a summertime treat and this is a quick, easy way to prepare it. Combined with lime, green onions, and cilantro or parsley, this can be a great appetizer or a satisfying meal served over a bed of rice.

Adapted from a recipe in Parade magazine, this version swaps cilantro for parsley and emphasizes reducing the lime juice sauce.  And while the original called for a bit of vodka, I have prepared it with wine or even water with good results.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 small limes

1 tsp finely grated lime peel (I used a citrus zester) – from one of the limes

Freshly ground black pepper

8-12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Juice of the two limes – approx. ¼ cup

¼ cup vodka (or other liquid)

1 cup chopped green onions

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley 

In a large bowl, combine 1 tbsp olive oil, grated lime peel, black pepper, and the shrimp. Mix well to coat shrimp thoroughly.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and green onions, cooking until soft. Remove onions from skillet and set aside.

Add lime juice and liquid (vodka, wine, or water) to skillet, increase heat, and stir until reduced by half.

Add remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil and the shrimp. Flip the shrimp and cook them on both sides until they turn bright pink. Reduce heat, stir in reserved green onions and cilantro or parsley, stir and toss.

Serve as either a tasty shrimp appetizer, as is, or a satisfying meal on a bed of rice.

Buon appetito!

Edamame and Black Bean Salad

Edamame beans are, according to Wikipedia, immature soybeans common in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cuisine. Often boiled, salted, and served in their pods, they are tender, tasty, and nutritious.

This recipe features shelled edamame beans in a salad bolstered by black beans, corn, and a fresh lemon juice/olive oil dressing. Relatively low in calories and high in fiber and nutrition, this is a healthy side for your Thanksgiving (or everyday) table.

Preparation is quick and easy. Buon appetito e' buona salute (good appetite and good health).

Ingredients

1 lb. frozen edamame beans (shelled)
1 15.5 oz. can black beans, drained
2 cups frozen petite sweet corn kernels
1 small red bell pepper chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch scallion tops, coarsely chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or marjoram or basil - your choice)

Dressing

Juice of one large lemon
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs. Dijon or brown horseradish mustard
a little salt to taste
3/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Prepare edamame according to package directions (typically cover with water, bring to boil for 3 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Set aside to drain completely.

2. Combine edamame, black beans, corn, red pepper, scallions, red onion, parsley, and oregano in a large bowl.

3. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk well then add to salad bowl.

4. Toss salad thoroughly to mix well and coat with dressing. Refrigerate until served.

Healthy, Hearty, Italian Spaghetti with Spinach, Bread Crumbs, and Roasted Garlic

Many meatless pasta recipes beckon you, but most disappoint. This one will satisfy your hunger, keep your blood sugar low, and generally promote good health. Nutritious, high in fiber, featuring spinach, garlic, cheese, whole wheat pasta and bread crumbs, a rare dish which is simultaneously healthy and delicious.

The spinach is easy. Use a bag of frozen cut leaf spinach from your grocery store. No work, ready to go.

The pasta, likewise, is no effort – just purchase the whole wheat variety.

Now the bread crumbs are a different story. If you purchase prepared bread crumbs, they will not be high fiber. But as an accent to this dish, the overall effect will still be good. However if you’ve got a few minutes, it’s very easy to make fresh, high fiber bread crumbs at home.

In the end, no matter your choices, this is a wonderful Italian dish promoting great nutrition and is, by the way, very tasty!

Bread Crumbs

Of course you can buy prepared bread crumbs, even seasoned with Italian herbs, but you will find them disappointing. Instead, try this.

2 slices of multi-grain bread

Heat oven to 300F. Place bread slices on a cookie tray in the oven and allow to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and place in a food processor. Blend until reduced to crumbs. You are done – high fiber, fresh bread crumbs.

 Pasta dish

½ cup extra virgin olive oil, in halves

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and diced

1 cup bread crumbs

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

Dash of Italian seasoning

1 lb. cut leaf spinach

8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti

Salt to taste

Fresh ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Start a large pot of water to boil. Add salt.

Meanwhile, warm half of the olive oil (1/4 cup) in a large, deep skillet and cook the garlic till slightly browned. Add  bread crumbs, pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. Cook until bread crumbs begin to brown. Remove to a separate bowl.

Add remaining olive oil to the skillet (1/4 cup) and cook spinach until wilted. Stir in bread crumb/garlic mixture from the reserved bowl, mix well and continue to reduce.

As soon as the pasta water boils, add pasta and cook till al dente, 6-7 minutes. Capture a half cup of the pasta water, then drain in a colander. Place pasta in the skillet, combine well with spinach mixture and a bit of the pasta water. Warm up the burner and cook till well combined. Test and adjust seasonings as desired.

Serve hot, topped with freshly grated Parmesan.

Buon appetito!

Hearty Mushroom Orzotto

A dear friend recently asked if I had ever made orzotto. Not only had I not, I had never heard of it. She supplied me with a link to a Mario Batali recipe for same – looked interesting. So we prepared it one night, with liberties as usual. I hereby testify that it is a wonderfully delicious, nutritious, healthy, satisfying, rib-sticking, and forgiving recipe. I can only say “Thank you Suzanne!"

Orzotto is an Italian dish similar to risotto but made with pearled barley rather than rice. The word is a mash-up of orzo (barley) and risotto. Orzotto comes from the mountains northeast of Venice, the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.

To those concerned with health (and who isn’t), the glycemic index of pearled barley (25) is much lower than short-grain rice (69) typically used in risotto.  According to Harvard Health:

Glycemic index and glycemic load offer information about how foods affect blood sugar and insulin. The lower a food’s glycemic index or glycemic load, the less it affects blood sugar and insulin levels. Foods with a high glycemic index, like white bread, are rapidly digested and cause substantial fluctuations in blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index, like whole oats, are digested more slowly, prompting a more gradual rise in blood sugar.

High glycemic index foods (e.g., french fries, candy bars, baked potatoes) contribute to obesity and type 2 diabetes. So we like the health effects of orzotto much better than risotto.

So here is my Mushroom Orzotto with apologies to Mr. Batali.

Ingredients:

1 cup pearled barley

1 quart low sodium, low fat chicken broth

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

½  teaspoon fresh minced thyme (or ¼ tsp dry will suffice)

1 pound portobello mushrooms, sliced ¼” thick

1 clove garlic thinly sliced

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter (or substitute additional olive oil)

¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Method:

1. Cook the pearled barley in a pan of salted, boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile heat the chicken broth in the microwave or another saucepan. Keep warm.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the thyme, mushrooms, and garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until mushrooms are softened. (Note – I covered the pan for a few moments to accelerate the process, but then uncovered to evaporate the accumulated moisture).
4. Add the barley and stir well. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 1 cup of warm broth and stir until most of the stock is absorbed. Continue this process until all of the broth is incorporated. The result in about 25 minutes should be a creamy sauce.
5. Add the butter and cheese and blend into mixture. (We don't use butter so added another tablespoon of olive oil instead).

Test seasoning and serve. Buon appetito!  

Note on mushrooms.

Mario’s recipe used shitake. I used portobello. You could use porcini. This is a fun and forgiving recipe to play with. The only word of advice is that the mushrooms be well cleaned so the orzotto is not gritty.