Tag: Recipes

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Beet & Black Rice Risotto

Another one of my twisted classics, this beet and black rice risotto will deliver the same satisfying, creamy comfort of a traditional risotto with some major health upgrades. Believe me, my genetics (and last name) make me a ‘rizzotto’ expert.

Let me drop some knowledge on you. Beets are packed with vitamins A, B (1, 2 and 6) and C–take that common cold! They also contain phytonutrients, naturally occurring chemical compounds with demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification properties. Stemming from this burgundy root vegetable (pun intended) are its greens, which boast a higher concentration of iron than spinach.  They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus and sodium. Not to be neglected are the mighty nutritional characteristics of black rice (which actually turns purple when cooked). By eating 10 spoonfuls of cooked black rice, you are ingesting as many anthocyanins (a potent antioxidant) as one spoonful of the well-known superfood, blueberries.

Now that you know how good the two main ingredients are for you, let me tell you how to make it! Bonus: this can be made vegan simply by omitting the optional goat’s milk gouda.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 cup black rice (I use Forbidden Rice)
  • 1 quart vegetable stock
  • 1 bunch beet greens, stemmed and washed
  • 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2/3 cup arborio rice
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 3 large beets (~1 lb) roasted, skinned and diced (Note: advance prep time needed!)
  • Salt & pepper
  • 2 tbs finely chopped Italian basil
  • OPTIONAL:1/2 cup goat’s milk Gouda cheese, grated

How to make it:*

  1. Before tackling steps 3-8, wrap your beets in foil and roast in an oven pre-heated to 350°F for 45 min-1 hour. When you can stick a fork in and pull it out with ease, they’re done. Immediately remove them from the foil and dunk them in cold water.  Use a spoon to pull the skin away, dice them up and set aside.
  2. Additionally, you’ll need to pre-cook the black rice. To do so combine with 2 cups water in a saucepan, add salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Remove from the heat and let sit for 10-15 min.
  3. Now, onto the main attraction. Bring vegetable stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Season with salt & pepper and reduce heat to low.
  4. Take your washed beet greens (you could also use swiss chard), stack them up and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch strips. Set aside.
  5. In a large saucepan–I use my Le Creuset 5 qt. dutch oven–heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion begins to soften (~3 min) and add the arborio rice and garlic. Cook until the grains of rice begin to crackle (~3 min).
  6. Here comes the labor of love part. Add in the wine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the wine has almost evaporated, stir in a ladle of the simmering stock (enough to just cover the rice). Cook, stirring continuously, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladle of the stock and continue adding and stirring like this when the rice is almost dry for 10-15 min.
  7. Add in the greens, the diced beets and black rice and continue adding more stock, stirring often, for another 10 minutes. If all goes as it’s supposed to you’ll know because the arborio rice will be chewy but not hard in the middle–not soft like steamed rice. If it is still hard in the middle, continue adding stock and stirring for another 5 minutes or so. Add salt to taste.
  8. When the rice is properly cooked, add a generous amount of pepper, stir in another 1/2 cup of stock, the goat Gouda (again, optional) and the basil. Remove from heat. If the risotto isn’t creamy, add a little more stock, stir for another 5 min and serve.

*Disclaimer: this, like all risottos, is a labor of love. Definitely allocate at least an hour to make this from start to finish–and that doesn’t include the prep step of roasting the beets.

Adapted from Martha Rose Shulman’s “Black Rice and Arborio Risotto With Beets and Beet Greens” featured in NYT on Sept. 4, 2012.

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Don’t ya like Bran Muffins?

I love muffins. We all do. On the contrary, not many of us love bran muffins, but we should. Here’s why: bran–the outer layer of grains like oats, wheat and rice–is made of insoluble dietary fiber. Bran is good for your GI tract, is a pro-biotic food (meaning it has natural antibacterial fighting properties), and helps in combating heart disease. I feel fairly confident that I’ve found a way to make bran muffins mo’ than nutritious, and dare I say delicious. Not only that, but I’ve made them low-fat by substituting a ripe banana for oil, nutrient-rich by using whole wheat flour and almond meal in lieu of refined white flour, and dairy-free by trading out buttermilk/yogurt for almond milk. Eating is believing, so enjoy!

AMY’S BANANA BRAN MUFFINS:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups wheat bran
  • 1 1/2 cups currants
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup unsweetened chocolate or vanilla almond milk
  • 1 tbs orange zest
  • 1/2 cup Demerara sugar (or pure cane sugar)
  • 1 (very ripe) banana
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup almond meal
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup shredded (unsweetened) coconut – optional

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease lightly with oil (I use the spray kind).
  2. Spread the wheat bran on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 6-8 minutes, being careful not to let it burn!
  3. Let the bran do it’s thing while simultaneously heating the currants with 3/4 cup of the water for 10 minutes, or until the water is mostly absorbed. Puree the raisins with the remaining 1/4 cup of water in a food processor or blender until semi-smooth (I like to keep some whole or semi-whole currants in there for texture).
  4. Mix together the toasted bran and almond milk. Add in the currant puree, orange zest and Demerara sugar. Stir in the mushy banana and two eggs.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold into the wet ingredients and stir until everything comes together. Mix in the coconut (you could also add walnuts, pecans, or even chocolate chips here!)
  6. Spoon the batter into the muffin pan, mounding the batter in each one.
  7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins feel firm in the center.
  8. Let cool for 10-15 minutes then remove from the pan.

Enjoy immediately or freeze for up to 3 months. They are grrrreat for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea and some fresh fruit. Bon appetit!

P.S. Just in case you didn’t quite catch the reference insinuated by the title: http://muffinfilms.com/psst.html. Psst!

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Lebanese Cabbage Wraps

Lebanese Cabbage Wraps

I’m a huge fan of Lebanese dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) with lamb, so when I was trying to think of a new recipe to put my healthy spin on these were a no-brainer. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with eating the delicious lamb version of these babies. That said, on those nights when I get back late from a double session at my studio–e.g. tonight my ass got handed to me in a power yoga class, immediately followed by my first pilates class in over a year–I like to have something healthy ready to go in my fridge so I don’t just punish a jar of peanut butter or eat a whole bag of TJ’s Dark Chocolate Honey Mints.

My version of dolmas are made with cabbage leaves instead of grape leaves and ground turkey meat instead of lamb. Cabbage is rich in vitamins K, C and B6, as well as folate. It also contains large amounts of glutamine, an amino acid that has anti-inflammatory properties—key for athletes and those with joint issues. 90% lean ground turkey delivers 30g of protein at only 150 calories for a 3.5oz serving. The best part? Infused with yummy turmeric, ginger and all spice, they taste really freaking good. Scout’s honor!

Here’s what you need:

  • 1/2 cup bulgur
  • 1 large head Savoy cabbage
  • 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups finely chopped white onion
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp all spice
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 12 oz ground turkey
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tbs grated lemon zest (divided)
  • 2 tbs lemon juice

Here’s how you do it:

  1. Prepare the bulgur according to package instructions and set aside in a large bowl.
  2. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  3. Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Trim the bottom of your cabbage and separate the leaves. Place the 12 largest leaves in the boiling water, cover and reduce to medium heat. Cook the leaves until they soften (about 8 minutes) then remove from water and set aside to cool. Keep the remaining cabbage leaves uncooked.
  4. While the cabbage is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add your onion and shallot and sauté for 5 minutes. Add your garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add your salt, pepper, turmeric, ginger, all spice and cinnamon and cook for another 2-3 minutes to combine and infuse the flavors.
  5. Transfer the onion mixture to your bowl of bulgur and let stand until cool enough to handle. Add the lightly beaten egg, parsley, 1 tbs lemon zest and ground turkey. Give the mixture a good knead until it all comes together, well blended.
  6. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with some of the uncooked cabbage leaves. Take the cooked cabbage leaves and place about a 1/3 cup of the filing at the root end of each leaf. Fold in the sides and roll it up like a burrito. Lay the rolls seam side down in the pan.
  7. Combine the lemon juice, remaining lemon zest, chicken broth and white wine. Pour the mixture over your cabbage rolls. Cover the pan tightly with tin foil.
  8. Bake the rolls for 40 minutes, or until the thicker veins of the cabbage leaves are very tender.
  9. Plate and enjoy!

I usually eat two or three in a sitting. They are so full of fiber and protein that I always feel stuffed after eating a few. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that they keep well. I’d say they’re good in the fridge for up to a week.
Hope you like them!

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Pesce alla Puttanesca

For those of you who have met me, you know I am as blonde-haired and blue-eyed as they come. Consequently, when people first learn my last name, Rizzotto, their immediate reaction is something along the lines, skerr?! Looks can be deceiving folks. I’ve made it my life’s mission to prove my Italian heritage by cooking classic dishes from the homeland with my own healthy and modern twist. Trust, you won’t be a skeptic after your try out this recipe. One might say, the proof is in the puttanesca.

 

Pesce alla Puttanesca

Ingredients:

  • 4 4-oz Tilapia fillets
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 6 cloves of garlic, crushed or sliced thin
  • 1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
  • 1 cup pitted black olives
  • 1 cup can pitted green olives
  • 2 tbs nonpareil capers
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsely
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbs fresh lemon zest
  • 1/2 fresh lemon, juiced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425° F. In a large nonstick, oven-safe saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes, or until golden brown and aromatic. Add tomatoes, crushing and breaking them into small chunks with your hands (all good Italian cooks bring love to their food by getting hands-on). Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add capers, olives (halved), parsley, chili powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes.
  2. Season both sides of your fish with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay the fillets on top of your vegetables and transfer the saucepan to pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes.
  3. Remove pan from the oven and distribute the fillets on four plates. Add lemon zest and juice to the veggies and give the mixture a good stir to combine. Spoon generous amounts of the sauce over your fish and serve with a slice of lemon.

To round out this meal, I suggest making a nice green salad and getting some fresh ciabatta. After all, no Italian meal is complete without some carbs. Buon appetito!

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Healthy Obsession: Chia Pudding

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or perhaps rural Kentucky, you’ve heard the buzz around chia seeds. Yes, these are the same chia seeds popularized in the ’80s by Chia Pets (“watch them grow!”), now apparently the latest tool of Obama’s electoral campaign…but I digress.

These ancient Aztec nuggets have been given a new lease on life and a substantial share of the health food industry due to their impressive nutritional checklist: Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, protein, dietary fiber, antioxidants and the highest concentration of skin-perfecting Omega-3s found in any whole food. Like all A-list health foods these days, chia seeds are raw, gluten-free, kosher, and vegan. Tree-huggers worldwide, rejoice!

I am always skeptical of ‘superfoods’ that make lofty promises–e.g. açaí berries–but after trying these out in a number of recipes from homemade energy bars and smoothies to oatmeal and most recently PUDDING, I’m a believer. Plus, bonus (!!), anything with a few tablespoons of chia seeds in them make you feel full and satisfied. One reason for this is their fiber content (5g per tablespoon). The other reason is these little guys plump up in liquids, acting as a thickener and replacing the need for gelatin in the following recipe.

So, back to PUDDING. I recently made a really yummy batch of chia seed pudding and had to share. Life is about moderation and every now and again I’m sure as hell going to splurge on a red velvet cupcake or chocolate lava cake, but, come on now, who doesn’t love a guilt-free dessert? This recipe is so simple, so tasty and super healthy to boot.

Spiced Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

  • 2 cups of unsweetened vanilla coconut-almond milk
  • 1/2 cup of chia seeds
  • 1/3 cup of agave syrup
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp chile powder (if you like more kick like me, double)

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a tupperware then pour the wet ingredients on top, whisking vigorously. Cover and place in the refrigerator. Et voilà, 6-8 hours later your dessert is ready! The consistency is a little funky–think some combination of bubble tea tapioca balls and passion fruit seeds–but don’t knock it ’til you try it. Now go and enjoy your delicious, chocolate-y creation knowing it’s nutritious and delicious.

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I’ve also made a vanilla version of this recipe, which I may or may not have eaten for breakfast this morning. Shh, don’t tell! Just remove the cocoa and chile powder and replace those flavors with the pulp of one vanilla bean.