Baked Freekah Risotto

01 May 2011 1 Comment

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

I just recently tried out Freekeh “free-kah”. To me it was a new product but I have read that it has been around forever originating in the Middle East. It used to be only found in Middle Eastern markets but now it is popping up in restaurants in NYC and can be found in Whole Foods. Freekeh is a roasted green wheat and can be used in place of rice, bulgur or any grains and substituted in recipes for salads, pilaf, tabbouleh, or soup. I made a baked risotto with the freekeh and it came out sooo good! I used the whole grain version (instead of the cracked) which had a really nutty flavor and texture.

Baked Freekah Risotto

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
zest of one lemon
1 medium onion
sea salt
1 1/2 cups freekeh
1 cup tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 recipe Pinenut Parmesan (below), divided or Nutritional Yeast
1 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

Pinenut Parmesan from Raw Crisp Caesar Salad Recipe

1/2 cup pinenuts
1/2 cup whole cashews or macadamia nuts
2 teaspoon good oil or fresh water
6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
pinch dried garlic granules or powder
pinch Celtic or sea salt

In a food processor or blender: Chop pinenuts and cashews into a fine meal. Drizzle in a touch of oil or water. Chop in pulses until moist and ground. Add nutritional yeast, dried garlic and salt and chop in pulses until crumbly.

 Baked Freekah Risotto

  1. Preheat oven to 400F, with a rack in the top third. Spray non-stick oil over a 8×8-inch baking dish and sprinkle with lemon zest.
  2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat combine the olive oil, onion, and a couple pinches of salt. Cook until the onions soften up and begin to become translucent, a few minutes. Add the freekah, stir until well-coated, and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the tomato sauce and the broth. Bring just to a simmer, remove from heat, and stir in about 3/4 of the Parmesan. Carefully taste a bit of the liquid, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Transfer to the baking dish, cover with foil, poke a few slits in the foil, and bake for about 55 minutes or until the grains are cooked through. Uncover and add remaining Parmesan a cook for a few for minutes.

Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Braised Greens, Raisins, and Nuts

25 Apr 2011 1 Comment

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

I love the ‘Skinny Bitch in the Kitch’ Ladies! This is such an amazing and deelish meal and beyond healthy and nutritious. Of course love that too 🙂

Great Combo! We love all things Kale. We have been eating it so many times a week lately and just can’t get enough of this super nutrient-rich green. Expect a bunch more kale recipes coming up soon, but typically we steam it and mix it with some tamari or sea salt and enjoy just like that. So good! But if you want a little something extra, check out some of my other ways to enjoy this amazing vegetable: Polenta with Black Beans, Pan-Fried Tofu & Roasted Coconut Tomato Sauce, Kale Chips, Sunshine Joy Soup, Green Goddess Pasta and of course Everyday Green Juice.

And Spaghetti Squash is always so fun. It really adds a substantial and tasty addition to any meal. I remember as a kid loving to have fun with this one. See here for an extra Simple Spaghetti Squash Recipe.

See the other Skinny Bitch Recipes I have played with and enjoyed here: ‘Chicken salad’ sandwich, Green Goddess Pasta and Vegan Summer Garden Pasta

Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Braised Greens, Raisins, and Nuts
adapted from ‘Skinny Bitch in the Kitch‘
6 servings

4 lb spaghetti squash, scrape out seeds
water
3 tablespoons refined coconut oil
3 cloves of garlic
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and minced or 2 jalapenos or other hot chiles, seeded and minced
2-3 bunches kale, chard, mustard greens, collard greens, or combo, cut into 1/2 in. strips
2 cup vegetable stock
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375
  2. Place the squash flesh down in  baking pan. Add 1/2 inch water and bake for about 1 hour, until squash is easily pierced with a fork.
  3. Heat coconut oil in a 4-6 quart stockpot over medium. Add garlic and chiles and cook for 1 min.
  4. Add the greens, stirring until they’re all in the pot. Add 1 cup or more of the stock, 1 tsp of the salt and the raisins. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, cook until greens are tender, about 10-15 min (15-20 for collard greens) (If pan gets dry before cooked, add more stock a bit at a time, 2 tablespoons as a time)
  6. Stir in the pinenuts.
  7. When the squash is done, use fork to separate the strands into a large bowl. Add olive oil and salt and toss gently.
  8. Transfer “Spaghetti” to plates and top with greens mixture. Garnish with pine nuts and serve.

Simple Roasted Veggies

18 Feb 2010 2 Comments

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

This is one of those recipes where you can interchange almost any veggie or root vegetable and keep it delicious! When I am cooking a lot of other dishes, it is nice to make a simple veggie side that does not need a lot of attention or prep. It is not the most exciting recipe, but its simple and healthy.

Simple Roasted Veggies

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 bunch of broccoli, cut in to florets and stem peeled and chopped
1 cup baby carrots
10 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 to 4 whole sprigs rosemary
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Combine the cauliflower, broccoli, carrots,  garlic, and onion in a roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over the veggies and season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Place the rosemary around the veggies and sprinkle with the pine nuts.
  2. Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes. Using tongs toss the veggies and add more oil if they are too dry. Roast for another 15 or so minutes.
  3. Take out the rosemary and chop up the softened leaves to sprinkle to veggie with.
  4. Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy! So simple!

Fabulous Pot-Luck part 2

24 Nov 2009 10 Comments

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

After enjoying plenty of wine and Judith’s Amazing Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschettait was time to sit and enjoy the main course. I made 3 dishes for our pot-luck; a Chestnut and Mushroom Pâté en Croûte, an updated version of my Fresh Summer Bruschetta Pasta, and my go-to brussel sprout recipe. I must say, that everything turned out deelish 🙂

To see the recipe for my Fresh Summer Bruschetta Pasta click on the link. The only differences were that I used red onion instead of shallots and fresh ricotta instead of goat cheese. I also doubled this recipe which could have fed 10+ people! The fresh ricotta was an amazing addition. Mixing it with the hot, fresh pasta made the cheese melt right into it and it was soo good! Because I had doubled the recipe we had tons of leftovers! Good thing Michael really enjoys this dish 🙂

For the side dish I made my go-to brussel sprout recipe. It was inspired around my Aunt Carole and Aunt Joanne’s brussel sprouts. I am so lucky to come from an amazing family full of fabulously talented women! This dish would make a person who thought they hated brussel sprouts a true believer! They are super tasty and so good for you!

I have never written down this recipe so all my measurements are approximates.

For the other entree I made a Chestnut and Mushroom Pâté en Croûte! mmmm! I first made this a few years back when Michael and I were just dating. It is still a main concern of mine to make the most scrumptious food out there, but of course when you are dating you want to really impress! This is an exceptional entree or side dish that is so deeeeelish! Yummy filling and puff pastry, how can you really go wrong? You can play with the filling, for instance if you aren’t into mushrooms just leave them out or substitue some cauliflower or cooked potatoes. This is a luscious and playful dish, have fun with it 🙂 If you want to keep it 100% vegan use soy milk to brush on top of the pastry to get that gorgeous shine instead of an egg wash. (1 egg mixed with a tablespoon of water)

I had a little trouble cutting it, but it was still amazing!

Brussel Sprouts with toasted Pine Nuts

2 pints of brussel sprouts, cleaned and trimmed, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
onions (optional)
salt to taste

In a large pot saute the brussel sprouts with the olive oil and garlic for 5-10 minutes. They will turn bright green and gorgeous! Add in the pine nuts and salt to taste. Enjoy!

*the cooking time depends on if you like your brussel sprouts crispy or cooked through, taste as you cook to tell.

*sometimes I saute some onions beforehand and put them in with the brussel sprouts, always delicious!

*to toast the pine nuts; pour onto a baking sheet and toast in 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, being careful that they do not burn.

Chestnut and Mushroom Pâté en Croûte
serves 4-6

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup button mushrooms, chopped
1 cup red wine
2 cups canned chestnuts, pureed
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb frozen puff pastry, defrosted
soy milk or egg wash

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat the oil in a large pot, add onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add wine and cook for 2-5 minutes until most of the liquid has reduced. Remove the pan from heat and add in the chestnuts, breadcrumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Let cool.

Roll out the pastry dough into 2 strips. The first should be around 6x12in and the other 9x12in. Place the first strip onto a baking sheet which has been sprayed with cooking spray or water. Spread the chestnut mixture over the pastry, leaving a 1cm gap around the edge. Form the mixture into a neat loaf. Brush the edges with water and lay the 2nd piece of pastry on top. Press the edges down to seal and trim. Make a few steam holes with a fork and brush with soy milk or egg wash.

Bake for 8 minutes and reduce heat to 400degrees and bake for a further 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Serve immediately and enjoy!!

Pizza Night!!!

25 Oct 2009 3 Comments

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

Who doesn’t appreciate a good pizza night? So good, quick, but healthy? Healthy is not a word that normally goes with pizza but we managed to come up with a scrumptious version that is good for you too! mmmmmm! Whole-wheat Eggplant and Pesto Pizza, just hearing the name and I am thinking how good it sounds! This was a real winner! It also helps out that I chose not to make the dough this time around. Whole foods sells whole-wheat pizza dough ready to go. That helps make this super simple, quick and very enjoyable 🙂 Let me know what you think.

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Whole-wheat Eggplant and Pesto Pizza
Serves 4

1 unbaked whole-wheat pizza dough
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4″ slices
2 cloves of Garlic
1 tomato, sliced
12-16 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into thin slices (or vegan mozzarella, like daiya)
1/3 cup pine nuts
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch basil
Celtic sea salt
1/3 cup Grated Parmigiano (or use vegan parm.)
Unbleached, all-purpose flour (for rolling out the dough, you only need a little bit)

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Coat a baking pan with olive oil or non-stick foil. Brush the sheet pan with olive oil. Place slices on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Salt and pepper them. Place in the heated oven for 10 minutes or until golden.
  2. Flour a clean surface and roll out the dough until the same size as your baking sheet. Place it on the baking sheet and let it rise for 15 minutes.
  3. Toast the pine nuts. This can easily be done in a pan in the oven for 4 minutes. Make sure to watch this so they do not burn.
  4. Sprinkle the pizza with garlic powder or fresh garlic slices and cover with mozzarella slices and eggplant. Put in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Check to make sure the dough is cooked through. The cheese should be bubbling 🙂
  5. After you place the pizza in the oven make a pesto by processing the basil, garlic cloves, toasted pine nuts and 1/3 cup olive oil in a food processor. Add in the grated Parmigiano until well combined.
  6. When the pizza is done, drizzle with pesto and let cool.
  7. Serve and enjoy! I know you will!!

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Fig Fennel Pasta

25 Aug 2009 3 Comments

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

I love love love figs! They are so sweet and quite possibly the best fruit ever! This dish has so many elements and so many flavors yet works so perfectly with the figs. This was very filling as there was so many ingredients involved. I loved the whole dish as it was so delightful! I always appreciate zucchini pasta but this was one of the best preparations I have seen so far. The summer brings us so many gorgeous vegetables and this dish really takes advantage of them. Enjoy the figs while they are still in season!

pictures aug 09 013

Fig Fennel Pasta
Recipe adapted from Living Light
Serves 4-6

4 medium zucchini
1 tablespoon sea salt

Dressing:
1 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 fresh figs, destemmed
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon ground fennel seed

Salad Ingredients:
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
8 fresh black or green figs, sliced
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into long thin strands
1 tablespoon scallions, very finely sliced
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, minced
2 teaspoon parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  1. Use a spiralizer to slice the zucchini into long noodles. Add one tablespoon salt to the zucchini noodles and toss thoroughly. Allow it to stand at room temperature for 15 – 20 minutes while preparing the dressing and vegetables.
  2. Put ingredients for dressing together in a blender and puree.
  3. Put the dressing and the remaining ingredients, except salted zucchini, in a large bowl and toss thoroughly.
  4. Gently squeeze the excess liquid from the zucchini, rinse and drain well. Pat zucchini noodles dry, and add them to the vegetables. Toss everything together gently and salt to taste. Serve chilled.

Lemon Basil Pesto & Raw Zucchini Pasta

14 Jun 2009 5 Comments

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

pasta 3I love Zucchini Pasta! I feel so decadent eating it, yet all I am having is delicious sauce and a whole zucchini. So if you are ever looking for that perfect “guilt free” meal, here you go! We love Pesto in my house and here is a new take on my usual.

Lemon Basil Pesto & Raw Zucchini Pasta

3-4 servings

2 cups packed fresh basil
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼- ½ cup raw pine nuts
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon zest
2 heaping tablespoons nutritional yeast
¾-1 teaspoons sea salt
4 medium zucchini
either sun-dried tomatoes or grape tomatoes

1. In a food processor combine the garlic, basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and oil and process until smooth. Add pine nuts and nutritional yeast and process.

2. If you are using non-organic zucchini peel them, if not just go ahead and spiralize all the zucchini or use a vegetable peeler. Use paper towels to blot the zucchini in order to remove some of the moisture.

3. Plate the zucchini pasta and pesto with tomatoes and serve.pasta 2pasta 1

Green Goddess Pasta

02 Jun 2009 1 Comment

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

I love making delicious comfort food that is also super healthy! There was such a great smell to this dish, I knew the flavors would rock! Michael confirmed this as well since he was the one eating it! I love all things Kale so it was so great to add this to the pasta for that healthy, tasty punch. Plus Broccoli, olive oil and garlic; such a good combo! The pasta I used is so fun and colorful, anyone would love it!

pastaGreen Goddess Pasta

Adapted from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch

serves 6

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons refined coconut oil
6 tablespoons vegan or organic dairy butter (I prefer to use organic butter rather than vegan because of all the processed ingredients, but you could probably substitute oil instead to keep this vegan, or use vegan butter of course 🙂 )
3 quarts water
about 6 teaspoons fine sea salt
12 ouces whole wheat or brown rice elbow macaroni (I used Eden Organic Vegetable Shells Golden Amber Durum Wheat Pasta)
2 zucchinis, halved lengthwise ad cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 broccoli crown, cut into bite-sized florets (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 bunch (about 4 ounces) kale, cut into 1/2 inch long strips
1 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup pine nuts

Preparation

  1. In a 1 quart saucepan over low heat, combine the garlic and coconut oil ad cook, swirling occasional, until the garlic is fragrant and starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
  2. Remove from the heat, add the butter,  swirling until it melts and set aside.
  3. In a -6 quart stockpot over high heat, combine the water with about 1 1/2 tablespoons salt. Bring the water to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until about 1 minute shy of being done.
  4. Stir in the zucchini, broccoli, and kale. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the pasta is cooked , about 1 minute.
  5. Drain the pasta mixture, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.
  6. Return the mixture to the pot and stir in the garlic butter, pepper, 3 tablespoons f the pine nuts, and the remainging  teaspoon of salt, garlic and onion pepper.
  7. Transfer the pasta to plates or a platter, garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon of pine nuts and serve

Raw Eggplant Pizzas and BBQ Chicken with Collard Greens and Crushed Sweet Potato

18 May 2009 1 Comment

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

So not only do I have the best husband but he is also so supportive of all my experimenting in the kitchen and my raw food diet. Only a few short weeks ago he bought me the best dehydrator ever, the Excalibur!!! We have been having so much fun! We dehydrated 2 different kind of mangoes, bananas, kiwis, pineapple, apples and strawberries. I even made fruit roll ups, sweet potato chips (BBQ and regular!) and kale chips (my favorite!!) last week, so Delicious and fun! So here is my first attempt at dinner in the Excalibur and it was super yummy!

Raw Eggplant Pizzas/Bruchetta eggplant pizza

  • 1 large eggpant  sliced 1/4″ thick (I did not peal it, but think I should have)
  • 1/2 cup nut cheese*
  • tomato slices 1/4″ thick
  • oregano and paprika

Spread tablespoon of cheese on each eggplant slice and then top with the tomato slices. Sprinkle oregano and paprika on top.
Place them in the dehydrator for 10 hours on until dry (most likely 8-10 hours), but still pliable.

* For the cheese I used the Pignoli “Ricotta” from the Zucchini-and-Green-Zebra-Tomato Lasagna with Basil-Pistachio Pesto Recipe from Pure Food and Wine

  • 2 cups raw pignoli nuts, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional; available in health food stores)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons filtered water

Place the pignoli nuts, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times, until thoroughly combined, Gradually add the water and process until the texture becomes fluffy, like ricotta

BBQ Chicken with Collard Greens and Crushed Sweet Potatobbq chicken

This recipe is adapted from the The Hearst Corporation’s Cafe57 off the The Daily Green website. This was pretty much the worst written recipe I have ever seen so I had to rewrite it for you! haha  I liked the take on a healthy southern recipe. It is great comfort food without all the grease and dairy! Enjoy!

SERVINGS
6-8

INGREDIENTS
6-4 ounce pieces of chicken breast
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup molasses
2 bunches collard greens, washed and rough chopped
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup nonfat milk (I used plain soymilk instead)
1 tablespoon honey (I used around 4-5 tablespoons)
Salt and pepper

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. In a 4 quart saucepot, saute half of the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add the cayenne, chili powder (I used crushed red pepper instead), ketchup, red wine vinegar and molasses and whisk to incorporate. Simmer for 10 minutes and cool. (by accident I dumped the entire crushed red pepper jar into the pot! I am not one to measure exact, unless baking. So I added much more of everything so it was not too overwhelming, but it was still a SPICY BBQ Sauce!)
  3. Boil the diced sweet potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes and return to pan. Pour the non-fat milk/soymilk into the pan and mash the potatoes, but keep some texture. Add the honey and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Lay the chicken pieces on a baking sheet in a flat layer. Brush with the BBQ sauce on both sides and place in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20-25 minutes or until done.
  5. While the chicken is baking, saute the remaining onion and garlic in a 12″ pan for 2-3 minutes. Add the collard greens and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the white wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. I also added a little lemon juice.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

23 Apr 2009 1 Comment

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

This pesto is so great and has so many uses! I used this for a different chicken recipe and had so much left over that I was able to freeze it for future use. I made Michael simple grilled chicken with the pesto and for me fabulous zucchini noodles with the pesto. Although this was not a totally raw meal for me, it is a great transitional meal. If you have never seen, made, or tried zucchini noodles it is a must! You can use a really inexpensive tool called the Spiralizeror just use your vegetable peeler and make strips for more of a linguine. I use these noodles all the time to mix it up and have fun with my food. You can use raw sauces for a totally raw meal or marinara, etc. for more of a comfort food or transitional meal.

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Zucchini Noodles with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

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Grilled Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Spinach with Lemon Juice and Olive Oil

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

quick and simple, this should take 20 minutes
recipe yield 2.5 cups

4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use vegan parm.)
salt to taste

  1. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and cover with warm water for 5 minutes, or until tender.
  2. In a food processor or blender combine sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, garlic, pine nuts and onion; process until well blended.
  3. Add vinegar, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and red wine, and process.
  4. Stir in olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
  5. Season with salt to taste.
  6. Enjoy!

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