RECIPE: Crustless Spinach Quiche

• 8 eggs or 2 small cartons of egg beaters

• 1/2 container of low fat whipped cottage cheese or fat free ricotta (about 8 oz. total)

• 4 oz. low fat cheddar cheese, shredded

• 4 oz. Cabot chipotle cheddar cheese or pepper jack, shredded

• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped

• 1 medium yellow Spanish onion, chopped

• 1 bunch of spinach, stems removed and chopped (or 1 bag of pre-washed baby spinach, chopped); note: you can also use chard or another leafy green

• 1 Tbs. olive oil (or cooking spray)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large ceramic fluted quiche dish or glass pie dish with cooking spray.
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• Heat olive oil (or cooking spray) in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until translucent. Reduce heat to medium and add red peppers. Once peppers have softened, add chopped spinach. Sauté until spinach is completely wilted and most of the moisture has cooked off. Cool vegetables slightly.
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• In a large bowl, whisk together egg beaters, cottage cheese and shredded cheeses. Either mix the cooled vegetables into egg mixture or if vegetables are still very warm pour egg mixture over warm vegetables in bottom of quiche dish to prevent hot vegetables from cooking the eggs.
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• Place quiche in center of oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling, center is firm and top is golden brown. Cool slightly before cutting into eight wedges and serve warm.

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

3-4 large Eggplant, any variety or mixed

Marinara Sauce, about 4 cups

Basil, about 20 leaves

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, one large ball (CSA!)

Shredded Mozzarella, about 1 cup

Parmesan Cheese, about ½ cup

Olive Oil

Unbleached Flour

Italian Breadcrumbs

Salt and Pepper

Method

1. 1.      Slice Eggplant in big pieces about 1/4 inch thick. To remove bitter taste from eggplant, lie out on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with salt. Let eggplant sit for about 10-15 minutes until small beads of water begin to appear. Rinse eggplant under cold water and pat dry.
2. 2.      Prepare flour with salt and pepper for dredging. Dredge eggplant in flour lightly.
3. 3.      In cast iron pan, fry eggplant in olive oil until browned on both sides. Set aside.
4. 4.      Prepare deep baking dish by rubbing olive oil on bottom and sides of pan. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and shake pan to coat bottom and sides.
5. 5.      Place ½ of the eggplant on top of breadcrumbs to create first layer. Place about 6-8 whole basil leaves on top of eggplant. Coat generously with marinara sauce. Place about 1/3 of fresh and shredded mozzarella and ½ Parmesan cheese on top of eggplant and basil. Repeat with second ½ of eggplant, basil leaves, marinara sauce and remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
6. 6.      Place more basil on top of cheese for decoration. 1.      Bake in 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes until bubbling. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

For Marinara Sauce –

2 cans of whole peeled tomatoes, squeeze tomatoes with hands to break apart

1 can of crushed tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic, smashed

Parsley, about ½ cup chopped

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper, optional

Heat about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in large pot. Place squeezed and crushed tomatoes, garlic and ½ of parsley in pot. Season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook on low for about 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let rest for 30 minutes or more. Add remaining parsley and return to boil briefly before using or serving. Note that this recipe does not use onions and, as a result, the marinara is less sweet than most other sauces. If you desire a sweeter sauce, sauté 1 finely diced medium yellow onion in olive oil prior to adding the rest of the ingredients. Basil leaves can also be added to change flavor profile. This sauce can also be made with ground beef, veal or pork. Simply pan fry about 1 pound and a half of ground meat until browned and add to sauce with tomatoes. Sauce can freeze well in Tupperware or plastic gallon bags for up to 6 months.

Alternate:

Add other vegetables – Layer thinly sliced fresh tomatoes or zucchini with eggplant. Zucchini can be dredged in flour and prepared similar to eggplant.

Add Italian Sausage – Remove sausage from casing, break up into small pieces and fry until brown. Spread sausage on top of eggplant prior to adding marinara sauce on each layer.

Kale x 3

Artichoke, Kale & Ricotta Pie

serves 4 to 6

Olive oil
4 eggs, beaten
8 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces Parmesan, grated
1 cup canned artichokes, chopped
1 bunch (3 to 4 large stalks) nero cavola kale, rib removed and leaves roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan lightly with olive oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan. Roughly chop the artichokes and thinly slice the kale leaves and add to the cheese and egg mixture. Season lightly with salt and generously with black pepper Stir until combined.

Pour contents of bowl into the greased cake pan and drizzle with olive oil. Cook until custard is set, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire wrack for 5 to 10 minutes and serve.

 

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Kale Salad with Apricots, Avocado, and Parmesan

Serves one

6-8 ounces of kale (Tuscan or dino kale are particularly fantastic)
6-8 dried apricots
1/3 or so cup cooked beans (I love Good Mother Stallard beans, but also try cannellini or pinto beans)
1/4 or so cup almonds
8-10 flakes of Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 avocado
salt and pepper

Fold a piece of kale in half lengthwise and use your fingers to tear out the tough inner stem. Repeat with the other leaves of kale (you can save the stems to use in stir-fries, sauces, or soups). Tear all the leaves into bite-sized pieces and put them in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Cut the apricots into little bits and add them to the bowl with the kale, along with the beans, the almonds, and the cheese. Whisk together the oil and vinegar (or shake it in a small canning jar). Pour the vinaigrette and a healthy pinch of salt over the salad and use your fingers to toss and rub everything together. Transfer the salad to a bowl or a lunch container (if eating later).

Just before eating, slice the avocado into cubes and spoon them over the salad. This salad will keep for about 24 hours, preferably refrigerated.

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Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing

serves 6 to 8

2 large bunches curly or lacinato kale, about 2 pounds
2 red bell peppers, cleaned and cut into fine strips
1 large carrot, peeled
3/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts, divided
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

Fold each leaf of kale in half lengthwise and slice out the center rib. Discard ribs. Roll a stack of the leaves up and slice in half lengthwise, then crosswise into very fine ribbons. You will have 10 to 12 cups of finely chopped kale in the end. Wash and rinse thoroughly in a salad spinner.

Toss the kale with the sliced bell peppers. Slice the carrot very thin, either by creating curls with a peeler, or by running the halved carrot lengthwise down a mandoline. Toss with the kale, red pepper, and 1/2 cup of the peanuts.

In a chopper or small food processor, briefly puree the remaining 1/4 cup peanuts, oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper flakes. Pulse it just a few times; the peanuts should be partially pureed, but with some nibs and nubs still left in the dressing. (The texture difference between the whole peanuts, ground peanuts, and pureed peanuts in the sauce is one of the things that makes this slaw so wonderful.)

Toss the dressing with the slaw and let it sit for at least a few minutes before serving.

Zucchini Pizza

Zucchini Pizza

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 25 mins

Level: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 whole Zucchini

• 1 whole Large Egg

• 1 cup Low-fat Mozzarella Cheese, Divided

• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder

• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper

• 3 Tablespoons Pizza Sauce

• Basil, For Garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Wash and grate zucchini using a cheese grater. Add to a bowl and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Drain excess water using a cheese cloth, or a colander using the back of a spoon to press out water.

Add zucchini, egg, half of the mozzarella, garlic powder and black pepper back into the bowl. Mix everything to combined.

Lay out a piece of parchment paper on a pizza stone, and spread zucchini mixture into a circle using a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, add on your pizza sauce and the remaining cheese. Return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes.

Garnish with basil. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Spinach and Mushroom White Lasagna

SPINACH AND MUSHROOM WHITE LASAGNE

Filling

1 lb. Fresh Mozzarella

1 lb. Whole Milk Ricotta

1 cup shredded Parmesan

1 tbsp. Lemon zest

2 tsp. Sage

1 tsp. Rosemary

Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper

Béchamel & Assembly

¼ cup Unsalted Butter

¼ cup All-Purpose Flour

5+ cups Half and Half

1/8 tsp. Nutmeg

1 Bay Leaf

Salt, Pepper

1 lb. Lasagna Noodles

¾ cups Parmesan

3 bunches Spinach

3 lbs. Assorted Mushrooms

1.      Cook vegetables, season well. Set aside

2.      Mix cheese, herbs, lemon zest in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and red pepper. Place in refrigerator.

3.      Melt butter in large saucepan. Add flour and stir until slightly thickened. 2-3 minutes.

4.      Increase heat. Slowly whisk in half and half to prevent lumps. Add nutmeg and bay leaf.

5.      Reduce heat to low and cook until milkshake consistency. Béchamel should coat the end of a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

6.      Cook lasagna noodles to al dente. Approximately 8-9 minutes.

7.      Assemble in lasagna pan beginning with layer of béchamel and lasagna noodles. Make 3 layers and top with remaining béchamel and parmesan cheese.

8.      Bake in oven at 375­­^o for 45 minutes. Remove foil and broil. If freezing, let lasagna return to room temperature before cooking.

Alternate:

Use Lamb, Spinach & Mushrooms; Kale and Mushrooms; Sausage & Broccoli Rabe; Squash or any combination or vegetables for the filling.

Use thinly slices strips of Zucchini instead of Lasagna Noodles.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Chicken Saltimbocca - This is a variation on a traditional Saltimbocca. Usually saltimbocca is relatively dry, but the chicken in this recipe is cooked in a delicious sauce that is then perfect for dipping bread.

Ingredients

2-3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, pounded thin or filleted

1 bunch of Spinach

1 lb Portabella or Crimini Mushrooms, sliced

1 small Onion, sliced

Chopped Parsley

3 cloves of Garlic, sliced

¼ lb of Prosciutto or Speck

¼ lb Provolone Cheese

1 cup or more Dry White Wine

1 can Chicken or Vegetable Stock

Flour for dredging

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

Method

1.      Sauté Mushrooms with salt and pepper. Remove Mushrooms and sauté Spinach in same pan. Use some butter for more flavor. Set cooked vegetables aside

2.      Prepare Flour with Salt and Pepper for dredging. Dredge Chicken in Flour. Chicken may be cut up into smaller pieces if desired.

3.      In deep ovenproof pan, fry Chicken in Olive Oil until brown on both sides but not cooked through. Remove Chicken from pan.

4.      Add Olive Oil to pan. Sauté Garlic and Onions until soft.

5.      Add White Wine and let boil about 2 minutes. Add can of stock. Season with salt and pepper.  Boil for another 2 minutes.

6.      Place Chicken back in pan. Layer Spinach on top of Chicken. Layer Mushrooms on top of Spinach.

7.      Layer Prosciutto, then Provolone on top of Mushrooms.

8.      Place cover on top of pan and pan in oven at 350 degrees. Cook for about 15 minutes.

9.      Remove lid, sprinkle chopped Parsley, return to oven and let Cheese brown slightly.

10.  Remove from oven. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Serve.

Potato Pie

Ingredients

Potatoes – About 3 lbs, any variety or assorted varieties

4 Large Eggs

Parmesan Cheese – About 1 cup

Mozzarella Cheese

Sweet or Hot Soppressata or other cured meat such as Prosciutto, Capicola, Pancetta or Bacon

Parsley

Milk

Butter

Salt and Pepper

Breadcrumbs

Olive Oil

Method

1.      Boil diced potatoes in large pot of salted water. You may skin the before or skin them with a knife after they are boiled. While potatoes are warm, put through potato ricer or mash with a fork.

2.      Scramble eggs in separate bowl and add to potato mixture once potatoes are relatively cool.

3.       Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garlic powder and Paprika if desired.

4.      Diced Mozzarella cheese into small cubes. Slice or diced dried sausage into small pieces. Chop parsley. Add all three to potato mixture.

5.      Warm about 1 cup of milk and a ¼ cup butter together. Slowly add potato mixture, stirring gently. Reserve a bit to pour on top before going into the over.

6.      Grease deep over pan with olive oil and spread breadcrumbs over bottom of pan. Add potato mixture to span and spread evenly.

7.      Pour remaining milk and butter. Top with more butter, parmesan cheese or breadcrumbs if desired.

8.      Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes before. Place under broiler until top is brown. 

Alternate:

Add sliced Fennel to Garlic and Onions when sautéing.

Use different types of leafy green vegetables instead of Spinach – Kale, Swiss Chard, etc.

Use Veal instead of Chicken