Easy Gourmet Dinners

Pasta with Fresh Spinach and Chevre

Anyone who knows me, or reads my blogs, knows that I dearly love goat cheese.

I like aged goat cheese, and goat cheese smothered in ash or dried fruit or olives or whatever.

I really like the soft goat cheese that melts into a sauce in the blink of an eye.

Toss in a little spinach, a few mushrooms, throw the whole thing at some pasta and the result is this simple, healthy side dish.

Pasta with Fresh Spinach and Chevre

1 medium onion           145gr, 5.1oz
1 clove garlic            4gr, .15oz
4oz (125gr) mushrooms           125gr, 4.4oz
1 tbs olive oil           13.5gr, .48oz
6oz (180gr) fresh spinach           170gr, 6oz
2/3 box chevre (goat cheese) (3oz, 90gr) Chavrie in the U.S., Chevraux in Europe      90gr, 3.2oz
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce           8gr, .28oz
2 tbs Greek yogurt           37.5gr, 1.3oz
1 cup bite-size pasta         90gr, 3.2oz whole wheat penne

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
While pasta cooks: Wash spinach (if necessary) and roughly chop. Clean mushrooms. Chop onions and mushrooms. Mince garlic. Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms and sauté for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Add spinach and stir-fry until spinach is just wilted, 1 - 2 minutes. Add goat cheese and stir until it melts. Stir in soy sauce and yogurt. Toss with pasta and serve immediately.

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Entire recipe / per serving, serves 2
Calories:    745 / 372.5
Total Carbohydrates:    90 / 45
   Dietary Fiber:    14 / 7
Total Fat:    30 / 15
Saturated Fat:    12 / 6
Cholesterol:    62 / 31
Protein:    34 / 17
Calcium:    438 / 219
Sodium:    921 / 460.5

I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it.  I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.

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For more recipes check out my internet cook book:  Easy Gourmet Dinners

Potato Salad with Mushrooms, Chevre and Basil

Most people think of mustard and mayonnaise when they think of potato salad.

Or maybe oil and vinegar with a bit of tarragon (French potato salad).

Or maybe even bacon and dill pickles (hot German potato salad)

Not many people think of goat cheese.

Which, in my humble opinion, is a real shame as this is the best potato salad of the summer season.

Warm, crisp, sautéed potatoes, mushrooms and garlic enveloped in creamy, melted soft goat cheese; finished with lots of fresh basil and chives.... What's not to like?

Serve with anything hot off the barbecue.

It's not the most photogenic potato salad, but trust me, the taste more than makes up for the looks.

Potato Salad with Mushrooms, Chevre and Basil

2 - 3 potatoes, depending on size           300gr, 10.6oz
3oz (90gr) mushrooms           84gr, 3oz
2 cloves garlic           6gr, .2oz
1/3 container soft goat cheese (chevre) my 'brand' is Chevraux, I think in the U.S. it's Chavrie; it comes in a square-ish cardboard or plastic container, 5.5oz (150gr).           60gr, 2.2oz
handful fresh basil leaves - about 3 tbs
2 tbs fresh chives, snipped
2 tbs olive oil           27gr, .96oz

Slice potatoes into quarters the long way and then 1/2" (1.25cm) thick slices. Trim and slice mushrooms. Mince garlic. Heat 1 tbs oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic and sauté until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside. Do not cover. Add remaining tbs oil and potatoes to skillet. Toss a bit to coat potatoes with oil, then cover and let cook about 10 minutes. Uncover, stir and let sauté, turning occasionally. You want them nice and brown. If they start getting too brown before you are ready to finish just turn the heat to low and keep warm in the skillet. When ready to finish add potatoes to mushrooms and garlic. Add chevre and toss to coat - the cheese will melt a bit from the heat of the potatoes. Snip basil and chives with scissors and add, stirring to combine. Serve.

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Entire Recipe / per serving  
Calories:    591 / 295
Total Carbohydrates:    59 / 29.5
   Dietary Fiber:    8 / 4
Total Fat:    34 / 17
Saturated Fat:    8 / 4
Cholesterol:    36 / 18
Protein:    13 / 6.5
Calcium:    138 / 69
Sodium:    238 / 119

I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it.  I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.

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For more recipes check out my internet cook book:  Easy Gourmet Dinners

I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it. I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.

My information comes from my own digital, computerized scale and the USDA Nutrient Data Library: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

Ricotta Risotto and Risotto al Salto

Risotto doesn't have to be decadent.

I make it often.  It's a great way to use up small leftover bits of whatever.

It doesn't have to be decadent.... But this one is.

It's based on a recipe from the cook book 'Risotto'. This is a very white, very creamy, very rich risotto. As always, the end result should be almost soup-like, not stiff when you take it off heat. (It thickens quickly.)  Add the spinach at the end so that it just wilts. Use any leftover in Risotto de Salto. 

Ricotta Risotto

2/3 cup Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)      112gr, 4oz
1/3 cup dry, white wine           75gr, 2.6oz
2 1/8 cups chicken stock           500gr, 17.6oz
2 shallots           45gr, 1.6oz
1 tsp butter           5gr, .17oz
1 tsp olive oil           4.5gr, .15oz
1/3 - 1/2 cup spinach           30gr, 1oz
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta           90gr, 3.2oz
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated           33gr, 1.2oz

Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat. Slice the spinach into strips. Peel and chop shallots. In medium saucepan heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add rice and sauté stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until rice has white center. Add white wine and stir. When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/2 cup of stock, stir. When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/2 cup and continue adding 1/2 cup at a time and stirring. Reserve 1/4 cup to add at the end. Taste the rice. They should be just 'al dente' - slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked. You can add a bit of water at this point if needed but you shouldn't have to. Add the rest of the stock, the spinach and both cheese. Stir vigorously over heat to combine well and wilt the spinach. Spoon into a bowl and serve.

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Entire Recipe / per serving
Calories:    912 / 456
Total Carbohydrates:    106 / 53
   Dietary Fiber:    5 / 2.5
Total Fat:    32 / 16
Saturated Fat:    16 / 8
Cholesterol:    101 / 50.5
Protein:    40 / 20
Calcium:    634 / 317
Sodium:    1452 / 726

I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it.  I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.

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Ever wonder what to do with leftover risotto?  Other than stand in the fridge and eat it?

This is the traditional Milanese dish using leftover risotto. The risotto used should be simple, without chunks of meat or vegetables. I used 1/4 of the Ricotta Risotto, which was creamier than normal and required the longer cooking times to get 'dry' enough to turn. If you have 2 cups risotto use 2 eggs, a 10" (25cm) skillet and twice the oil and butter.

Risotto al Salto

1 cup leftover risotto, room temperature   1/4th of the Ricotta Risotto
1 egg           65gr, 2.3oz
2 tsp olive oil           9gr, .32oz
2 tsp butter           9.5gr, .34oz

Remove risotto from fridge and let warm to room temperature. (If you didn't take it out early enough, spread it on a plate to warm up a bit - or micro-wave it) Lightly whisk egg in a medium bowl. Add risotto and mix. Heat 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp butter in 8" (20cm) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the risotto to the center of the pan and spread it out with the back of the spoon. Sauté 10 - 20 minutes, until it holds together and the top starts to look dry. You should be able to carefully lift up the edge with a spatula. Once you can, take a peak to see how brown it is. It should be a nice medium-dark brown before turning. I turned it using 2 plates: slide it onto one plate, put the other on top. Flip it over and slide it back into the skillet, to which you have add the remaining butter and oil, uncooked side down. Cook an additional 5 - 10 minutes, until browned. Remove, cut into quarters and serve.

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Entire Recipe / per serving
Calories:    468 / 234
Total Carbohydrates:    57 / 28.5
   Dietary Fiber:    1 / .5
Total Fat:    31 / 15.5
Saturated Fat:    12 / 6
Cholesterol:    320 / 160
Protein:    15 / 7.5
Calcium:    194 / 97
Sodium:    510 / 255

I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it.  I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.

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For more recipes check out my internet cook book:  Easy Gourmet Dinners

Pasta with Wild Mushroom Sauce

I didn't like mushrooms as a child.

They only appeared in canned form; either on their own or as little rubber cubes in Cream of Mushroom Soup.

I have an aversion to food that bounces back when you bite it.

I justified my careful picking them off of pizzas and out of everything else by the thought that, surely something with so little taste could have no health benefits.

I was wrong on both counts.

Real, fresh mushrooms are full of flavor and chock-a-block with vitamins and minerals.  They stimulate the immune system and have chemicals shown to reduce the risk of both breast and prostate cancer.

Now I like them....  I even make my own Cream of Mushroom soup!

Pasta with Wild Mushroom Sauce

3/4 cup uncooked pasta           68gr, 2.4oz whole wheat penne
1 tbs olive oil           13.5gr, .48oz
1 1/2 cup finely chopped wild mushrooms           100gr, 3.5oz
1 onion           110gr, 3.9oz
2 garlic cloves, minced           8gr, .28oz
1/2 tsp paprika
1/3 cup beef stock           75gr, 2.6oz
1 tbs tomato paste           15gr, .53oz

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
Finely chop onion, garlic and mushrooms. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add paprika and sauté briefly. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and sauté until everything is well-cooked, another 7 - 8 minutes. Add stock and tomato paste, stir well. Simmer, uncovered until sauce is thickened. Add drained pasta, toss well to combine and serve.

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Entire Recipe / per serving
Calories:   442 / 221
Total Carbohydrates:    64 /32
   Dietary Fiber:    8 / 4
Total Fat:   16 / 8
Saturated Fat:   3 / 1.5
Cholesterol:    0 / 0
Protein:    14 / 7
Calcium:   78 / 39
Sodium:    372 / 186

Glycemic Index:  low

I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it.  I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.

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For more recipes check out my internet cook book:  Easy Gourmet Dinners.

Orzo Florentine: easy, healthy, delicious

Looking for an easy side dish for a small dinner party?

The pasta can be cooked and the dish assembled ahead of time, then baked just before serving making this perfect for entertaining.

Or just a relaxed evening. 

Florentine, or 'cooked in the style of Florence', means that there is spinach in the dish. Here the spinach is combined with cooked pasta and shredded cheese and baked until bubbly.

I but frozen leaf spinach in 2 lb bags.  It's frozen in squares of 2oz each so grabbing a 'serving' is easy.

Orzo Florentine

8oz (250gr) frozen spinach           225gr, 8oz
1/3 cup orzo                56gr, 2oz
2 shallots              60gr, 2.1oz
2 tsp butter              9.5gr, .34oz
2/3 cup plus 2 tbs chicken stock            175gr, 5.3oz
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 cup (1oz, 30gr) grated Parmesan           25gr, .89oz
1/4 cup (1oz, 30gr) shredded cheese           30gr, 1oz

Finely chop shallots. In small saucepan over medium heat sauté shallots in butter for 5 minutes. Add orzo and sauté 1 minute. Add stock and herbs, cover and simmer until done, 15 - 20 minutes. All stock will be absorbed. Thaw spinach and squeeze out excess moisture. When orzo is done add the spinach and shredded cheese. Stir well to combine. Pour into a lightly oiled glass baking dish, just large enough to hold it. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake at 375F (190C) until it starts to brown; about 15 minutes. Remove and serve directly from baking dish.

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Entire Recipe / per serving
Calories:   598 / 299
Total Carbohydrates:    65 /32.5
   Dietary Fiber:    8 / 4
Total Fat:   25 / 12.5
Saturated Fat:   14 / 7
Cholesterol:    70 / 35
Protein:    33 / 16.5
Calcium:   746 / 373
Sodium:    958 / 479

Glycemic Index:  low

I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it.  I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.

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For more recipes check out my internet cook book:  Easy Gourmet Dinners.