Brussels Sprouts and Pistachios

09 Feb 2010 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

As much as I love my go-to brussel sprouts, I wanted to try something new. Instead of chopping up the brussel sprouts I peeled the leaves off individually. This gave them such a light a deelish texture.I really loved this dish, but then again I have never met a brussel sprout I didn’t like. 🙂 They have such an amazing nutty flavor that I love to pair with nuts. I chose pistachios this time over my usual pine nuts. Loved it! This is also an incredibly fast cooking recipe once the sprouts have been prepped.

SO Bright and Gorgeous!!

Brussels Sprouts and Pistachios

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, or other neutral oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 pound brussel sprouts, trimmed, and leaves peeled
1/2 cup shelled unsalted natural pistachios
juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper

In a non-stick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat and saute shallot for 30 seconds. Add Brussels sprout leaves and pistachios, and sauté until leaves begin to soften but are still bright green, about 3 minutes. Drizzle lemon juice over and season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Low-fat Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake

07 Feb 2010 Leave a comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , ,

This was a great side dish or snack. I also thought it came out so pretty! I love my box grater and shredding so this was a joy for me. But please be careful with your fingers, they can be easily hurt in the grater, eek! Feel free to add in different herbs,  flavorings and veggies to this. You can use the recipe as a skeleton and just add what you like.

Low-fat Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake
adapted from 101 cookbooks
serves 6-8

2 cups zucchini, unpeeled & grated
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 1/2 cups fat-free or part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
zest of one lemon
2 large eggs, well beaten
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
drizzle of olive oil

  1. Preheat oven to 325F degrees, racks the middle. Butter/oil a 7-inch springform pan (or tart pan).
  2. In a strainer, toss the shredded zucchini with the salt and let sit for ten minutes. Now aggressively squeeze and press out as much moisture as you can. Set aside.
  3. In the meantime, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, dill and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs and continue mixing until well combined. Now stir in the shredded zucchini. Fill the springform pan with the ricotta mixture and place on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for sixty minutes. If there is any moisture left on top of the cake at this point, carefully use a bit of paper towel to dab it off. Now sprinkle with the goat cheese and return to the oven for another 20 -30 minutes or until the goat cheese is melted and the cake barely jiggles in the center (it will set up more as it cools).
  4. At this point, if the cake is baked and set, but the top isn’t quite golden, zap it with the broiler (just about a minute) to get a bit more color on top. Remove from the oven and let cool five minutes, then release the cake from its pan. Cool completely, serve at room temperature.

Pretty in Pink Frozen Strawberry Dessert

03 Feb 2010 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Raw Desserts and Treats, Raw Vegan Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I love frozen desserts! It’s funny, I am craving soup to keep me warm and then I end up making some frozen deliciousness to end my meal. Good thing I have my fabulous husband and my snuggie to keep me warm 🙂

This was so delightful and I loved the color so much that I had to feature it in a special glass. I always make banana ice cream as my go to dessert (see my Banana Ice Cream Love) and decided to make strawberries the star this time around. YUM!!!!!

Pretty in Pink Frozen Strawberry Dessert
serves 2

2 cups Frozen strawberries
1 banana
5 dates, pitted
4 tablespoons agave
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
1/2 – 2/4 cup Cashews (optional)
fresh strawberries for garnish (optional)

In a Vita-mix, processor or blender combine everything except the cashews and fresh strawberries. If you are having some trouble blending add a little bit of water. Pour into a pretty glass or bowl.

If you prefer to have this a little creamier add cashews to the blender with all the other ingredients and blend away. I chose to do a half and half…. I poured out half the mixture into our bowls and then added the cashews. I poured that mixture on top of the bowls. Add fresh strawberries on top and enjoy tremendously! YUM!

Chicken and Mushrooms & Spinach Bread Pudding

01 Feb 2010 Leave a comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , ,

OH MY GOODNESS, WE HAVE A WINNER!!! This was a fabulous dinner! I had the bread pudding which was insane! And Michael Loved the chicken and the bread pudding! I would say try this one asap 🙂

This chicken was pretty simple and I am guessing that any dish with white wine, garlic and mushrooms must be good! I loved making a bread pudding a little healthier by using multi-grain bread instead of plain old sugary white bread. It was divine!

Chicken and Mushrooms
4 servings

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8-10 ounces cup white button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt and pepper
  • 6 tablespoon dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to plate and keep warm. Salt and pepper the chicken and add to skillet. Cook on both sides until cooked through and the browned. Add wine and lemon juice and continue cooking until reduced to 4 tablespoons, about 5 more minutes. Serve chicken with mushrooms, pan sauce and sprinkled parsley on top.

Spinach Bread Pudding
6 servings

  • 6 eggs2 cups low-fat milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • dash ground nutmeg
  • 1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 8 slices multi-grain bread, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (crusts discarded)

Preheat oven to 375 degree. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until combined. Stir in spinach, Monterey Jack, and bread. Pour the bread mixture into lightly sprayed or greased 13″ by 9″ glass baking dish. Bake until browned and puffed, and knife inserted in center comes out clean, 25 – 35 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving and ENJOY!

Pre-Cooked Bread Pudding

Spicy Vegan Gumbo

31 Jan 2010 4 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , ,

I have made a ton of soups lately (its BRRRRRR outside!!) and was in the mood for some more heartier fare. This did the trick 🙂 So hearty, spicy, nutritious AND delicious! YUM! This is a definite pleaser! This also freezes well, just in case you don’t need all 8 servings right away 😉 You can also substitute or add other veggies & greens to your liking.

Spicy Vegan Gumbo
Serves 8

4 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1  green bell pepper, seeded, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes (if you can find fire roasted, go with that)
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
1 package (16 ounces) chopped frozen okra
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups uncooked long-grain brown rice

  1. Combine the celery, carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor and pulse chop (do not purée).
  2. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the celery mixture and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the vegetable broth, tomatoes (with juice), beans, spinach, cabbage, okra, parsley, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, salt, black pepper, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
  3. While soup in simmering prepare rice. When the rice is almost done stir in with gumbo and simmer 10 minutes more all together.
  4. Enjoy!

Slow Cooked Corn Polenta and Chiles

26 Jan 2010 6 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

WE LOVE POLENTA! We love grits! Whatever you want to call it, it is deelish and one of my fave comfort foods ever! It is so simple to prepare but even simpler to eat 🙂

Sometimes when I know I have a lot of cooking to do, I love to use the slow cooker so that I can prepare one part of the meal beforehand and it is ready when I am done cooking the rest. Ahh so simple!

Pre-cooked Polenta

Soft Polenta Yummyness

Set Polenta

Polenta Square

Slow cooked Corn Polenta and Chiles

3 cups water (or milk/ or non-dairy milk)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup shredded montery jack cheese (or non-dairy cheese)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or non-dairy cheese)
1 can diced mild green chiles

  1. In a large saucepan or flame-proof slow cooker liner over medium heat bring water, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper to a boil.  Add polenta, whisking to prevent lumps. Continue whisking until mixture begins to thicken and bubbles, about 5 minutes. Add corn, Jack and Parmesan cheeses and chiles and mix well. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware if you are using a saucepan.
  2. Cover and cook on Low for 2-3 hours. It will then be a soft (deelish) polenta. If you want it to set transfer to a 8×8 glass pan and place in the fridge for a half hour or so.
  3. Serve and enjoy either way!
LOVE POLENTA!3 cups skim milk (water or soy milk)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup coarsley yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1 cup corn kernals
1 cup shredded montery jack cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 can diced mild green chiles

1. in a large saucepa over medium heat, bring milk, garli, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste to a boil. Gradually add polenta, in a steady stream, whisking to remove all lumps. Continue whisking until mixture begins to thicken and bubbles like lava, about 5 minutes. Add corn, Jack and Parmesan cheeses and chiles and mix well. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
2. Cover and cook on Low for 2 hours, until mixture is firm and just beginning to brown around the edges.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

24 Jan 2010 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , ,

I have been craving and cooking so many soups lately because of these bitter cold wintery days! This one will be sure to warm you up but I love that it is also super low in fat! Michael and our friend Jesse were both pleasantly surprised and happy to find out how yummy low-fat soups can be. Enjoy this one! Yum!!

Broccoli Cheese Soup
6 servings

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 potato, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 28-32 ounces vegetable broth
  • 2 bunches of broccoli, stems (peeled and chopped) and florets (chopped)
  • 1 – 2 cups shredded fat-free or reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup fat-free or reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until the onion and celery soften, 5 – 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring continuously for 2 minutes.
  2. Add broth and broccoli;  bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
  3. Use an immersion blender or pour into a blender and puree soup. If you want leave it a little chunky, but I preferred a smooth puree. If you used a standing blender, pour the puree back into the pot.
  4. Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

Vegan Creme of Artichoke and Mushroom Soup with Pesto

21 Jan 2010 3 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

This soup was sooo good! Thanks Bryanna! It was super easy and super deelish! I love artichokes and the taste that lingers in your mouth after you have eaten them. This soup is just divine and super creamy and Vegan! Yum! Highly recommend! Bryanna also listed the nutrition stats, which is always helpful!

Plus I just found out this is the coldest winter in NYC since 1977. No wonder I am craving soups lately!

Vegan Creme of Artichoke and Mushroom Soup with Pesto
adapted from Vegan Feast Kitchen
Servings: 4

2 tablespoon vegan margarine or olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh crimini or white mushrooms, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons white unbleached flour
6 cups lite soy milk or other nondairy milk
2 tablespoons No-Chicken Bouillon/Soup Base
2/ 14 oz. cans artichokes hearts in water, well-drained and chopped
(OR use two 9 oz. pckgs. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained and chopped)
2 tablespoons non-dairy basil pesto (I made my own but you can just use a packaged brand )
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  1. Melt the vegan margarine or heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the mushrooms and shallot and stir-cook over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in flour and stir-cook for 1 minute.
  3. Vigorously stir in the nondairy milk and bouillon and let it come to a boil, stirring. Cook 1 minute, stirring consistently.
  4. Add the artichokes, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
  5. Either use an immersion blender to puree the soup or Carefully pour into a blender and puree there.
  6. If you are using an external blender pour back into the pot.
  7. Add the pesto and stir to combine.
  8. Serve and Enjoy immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 285.1 calories; 27% calories from fat; 9.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 3578.0mg sodium; 1272.9mg potassium; 44.1g carbohydrates; 12.9g fiber; 14.5g sugar; 31.2g net carbs; 22.3g protein; 5.6 points.

Check out the steam coming off the top of the soup!

Grapefruit and Endive Salad

19 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Raw Vegan Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Another day, another salad! There are so many fun veggies and fruits out there that the combinations are endless! I really love this one but I also really love grapefruits so it was perfect for me. If you are not serving this right away, or have leftovers, keep the dressing and grapefruit separate from the greens. This will give you a couple of days to finish the salad.

I love that gorgeous Winter Citrus! Take advantage of it while you can 🙂

Grapefruit and Endive Salad

2 medium grapefruit
2 heads Belgian endive
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons capers
1/2 teaspoon agave
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound mixed baby greens or mixed salad greens

  1. Over a bowl, peel grapefruit and cut sections. Place sections on a plate and squeeze the remaining juice out of the membrane and into the bowl.
  2. Cut endives lengthwise into strips.
  3. Add salad greens, grapefruit sections, and endive to dressing in bowl.
  4. In a serving bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, mustard, capers, agave, salt, and 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice. Add the olive oil while whisking the mixture together.
  5. Either reserve the rest of the grapefruit juice, or drink immediatley like I do!

Wild Mushroom Lasagna

18 Jan 2010 2 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , ,

Yum! Wild Mushroom Lasagna! Is this not the most perfect, comforting food for a Sunday? This wasn’t just any Sunday, it was the day after the big blizzard in NYC and I had no intention of leaving the house at all 🙂 Although there is still a bunch of cheese in this recipe, I tried to tone down the amounts I used and made it a little more low-fat than the original recipe. But this is definitely a deelish and uplifting meal.  I love mushrooms and especially that decadent porcini taste. Plus of course, this meal also feeds a crowd, at least 8-10 people! So invite some friends over and Enjoy 🙂

Sorry, this is not the best side picture, but at least you get some idea.

Wild Mushroom Lasagna
Adapted from recipe in Gourmet

For mushroom filling

  • 3 cups water
  • 2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 cup)
  • 2 pounds fresh white mushrooms
  • 2 large zucchini, diced
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 tablespoons Sherry or White Wine
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For sauce

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups low-fat milk
  • 1 cup of heavy cream
  • 4 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • eighteen 7- by 3 1/2-inch sheets dry no-boil lasagna (about 1 pound)
  • 1/2 pound freshly grated mozzarella (about 2 cups)
  • 1 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (about 1/2 cup)

Make filling:
In a small saucepan bring water to a boil and remove pan from heat. Stir in porcini. Soak porcini 20 minutes. Lift out porcini, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid. In a sieve rinse porcini to remove any grit and pat dry. Chop porcini and transfer to a large bowl. Simmer reserved soaking liquid until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Pour liquid through a sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into bowl with porcini.

Quarter white mushrooms and in a food processor pulse in 3 batches until finely chopped. In a 12-inch heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon butter over moderate heat and cook one-third white mushrooms with 2 tablespoons Sherry, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and they begin to brown. Add mushroom mixture to porcini. Cook remaining mushrooms in 2 batches in butter with remaining Sherry in same manner and add to porcini mixture. In skillet cook zucchini in 1 tablespoon butter until tender and stir into porcini mixture. In skillet cook onion in remaining tablespoon butter, stirring, until softened. Stir in garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir onion into mushroom mixture until combined. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Make sauce:
In a 3-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes and whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, and simmer, whisking the whole time for 3 more minutes. Stir in Parmesan, mustard, and salt. Remove pan from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce to room temperature before proceeding.

Preheat oven to 375°F and spray or butter a 13 x 9-inch (3-quart) baking dish.

Assemble lasagna:
Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in baking dish and cover with 3 pasta sheets, making sure they don’t touch each other. Spread one-third filling over pasta sheets in dish and top with 3 more pasta sheets, gently pressing down layers to remove air pockets. Top pasta sheets with one-third mozzarella. Continue layering in same manner with sauce, pasta sheets, filling, and mozzarella, ending with mozzarella (dish will be filled to rim). Spread remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with Parmesan. On a foil-lined large baking sheet bake lasagna in middle of oven until bubbling and golden, about 45 minutes. Let lasagna stand 20 minutes. Lasagna may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring lasagna to room temperature and reheat before serving.

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