Lentil Meatballs with Lemon Pesto

Sorry to have left for so long.  I was on a trip for a week or so and then I wasn’t feeling all to great, so I took a little break from cooking.  But I’m happy to be back!  This recipe originated from the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook [which is truly fabulous and recommended].  The great thing about their recipes is that they are simple, with natural ingredients, for a clean dish.  As I was looking through the book, this recipe caught my eye, mainly because I almost never cook with lentils.  I was excited to learn how to use them, because I really had no clue.  Thankfully, it turned out to be much easier than I had anticipated, and delicious too!  I decided to pair these with gnocchi [which I found pre-made in the fresh pasta aisle at the store], but would also be good with pasta, rice, etc.  This recipe is easily made gluten free and is vegetarian.

LENTIL MEATBALLS WITH LEMON PESTO

meatballs

• 1 cup lentils
• 2 cups water
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup ricotta
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• a few pinches thyme
• sea salt and ground pepper to taste
• 2/3 cup bread crumbs

lemon pesto

• 2 cloves garlic
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup fresh basil / spinach leaves
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• sea salt and ground pepper to taste

[to make gluten free: use gluten free bread crumbs instead of standard bread crumbs]

1. Put lentils and water into a pot on medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until lentils are tender, about 15 - 20 minutes.  Add water if liquid has evaporated and the lentils haven’t finished cooking yet.  Drain and let cool.
2. Put lentils into a food processor or blender and pulse until they turn into a chunky puree.  Pour into a mixing bowl and add eggs, olive oil, ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper.  Mix until completely combined, then add bread crumbs.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Roll the lentil mixture into balls and place on foil-covered baking sheet.  Bake until the outside turns golden brown, or 15-20 minutes, turning them over half way through. 
5. For the pesto, add garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, basil, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and Parmesan and blend together.  Add more olive oil as needed to smooth the sauce.  You can also add water to make it more of a sauce-like consistency.

Enjoy!

Chicken Stuffed with Ricotta, Spinach & Basil

This recipe is kind of like an all in one, you have some meat, dairy, vegetables and a little touch of carbohydrates.  It also features one of my favorite vegetables - spinach.  Besides tasting great, spinach is full of antioxidants, and a good source of vitamins A, B₆, C, E and K, as well as folic acid, potassium, calcium, and iron.  It’s also fairly easy to make, kind of a few steps, then throw in the oven kind of thing.  I came across this recipe on For the Love of Cooking, and switched a couple of things around.  This recipe is very easily made gluten free - details below.

CHICKEN STUFFED WITH RICOTTA, SPINACH & BASIL

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
• 1 handful of spinach, rinsed and chopped
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, rinsed and chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
• Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

[for those gluten free: substitute gluten free bread crumbs for regular bread crumbs]

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix together ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, basil, garlic, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper in a medium bowl.
3. Clean the chicken, then slice lengthwise without cutting all the way through.  Fill the opening with ricotta mixture.  Season each size of the chicken with salt and pepper, then coat with bread crumbs.  [If your chicken is falling apart, you can use toothpicks to hold it together]
4. Heat olive oil in a large oven proof skillet on medium heat.  When the pan is hot, place chicken in and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. 
5. Place the skillet into the oven for 20 -25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

Enjoy!

Fettuccine with Asparagus, Parmesan & Bacon

Let’s face it, plain old spaghetti can get kind of boring after a while.  But, it really isn’t all that hard to make an interesting sauce from scratch, and it will seem like a giant breath of fresh air.  This recipe is one that I found in an old Cooking Light magazine [from May 2006], but tweaked a little bit to fit my needs a little better.  It has become a favorite and fairly common occurrence around here.  This recipe has plenty of vegetables [asparagus, tomatoes, onion] with just a little bit of yummy extras [read: bacon].  This recipe is very nearly gluten free - see below for details. 

FETTUCCINE WITH ASPARAGUS, PARMESAN & BACON

serves 4

• 1 package [9 ounces] refrigerated fettuccine
• 3 cups [about 1 pound] sliced asparagus
• 4 - 6 bacon slices
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large [or 2 small] tomato, diced
• 3 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

[to make gluten free: use a gluten free pasta instead of regular fettuccine, also some chicken or vegetable broths contain gluten, check the labels]

1. Place asparagus and water to cover into a medium pan.  Turn onto high heat and bring to a boil.  Let cook until asparagus reaches desired consistency.  Also, start the pasta to cook while making the sauce.
2. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Take out of pan to cool, then crumble into small pieces.  Pour out remaining bacon grease. 
3. Add olive oil, onion and garlic to the pan used to cook the bacon.  Saute onions until soft and slightly brown, about 4 minutes.  
4. Add tomato(es) and cook 2 minutes.  Then add broth, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil.  Stir in salt and pepper as you wish. 
5. Drain asparagus from water and put in a large mixing or serving bowl.  Pour in tomato mixture [including the juice that will form], lemon juice, bacon, Parmesan, and pasta.  Mix together and top with extra Parmesan if you wish.

Enjoy!

Lemon Parmesan Red Snapper

I tend to eat a lot of chicken, but after a while, it can get a little boring.  So, to spice up what I would usually eat, I decided to take on the challenge of red snapper.  Red snapper is a mild white fish, similar to halibut or cod.  Because it’s a mild fish, it goes well with many different flavors, but one of the things that I think always goes well with fish is lemon.  This recipe is naturally gluten free. 

LEMON PARMESAN RED SNAPPER

• 1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillet
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• paprika to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Cut fish into serving sizes.  Pour extra virgin olive oil into pan and add fish, dipping both sides into olive oil.  Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and bake for 5 minutes.
3. Flip fillets, sprinkle lemon juice, white wine, Parmesan, paprika, and the rest of the salt and pepper on top.  
4. Bake another 5-6 minutes or until fish easily flakes throughout.

Enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan

I’m not a vegetarian, but sometimes, I just don’t feel like eating meat.  Even though this dish doesn’t have any meat in it, it’s still very hearty and filling.  It would do very well as a main dish, or as a side.  Because eggplant is a mild vegetable, it’s pretty easy to tolerate, especially when cooked.  This recipe involves making your own tomato sauce, but isn’t necessary if you don’t wish to [but I recommend it].  This dish is super close to being gluten free and is from Jaime’s Italy.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

• 3 medium or 2 large eggplants
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 14oz cans of plum tomatoes
• sea salt & fresh black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• fresh oregano, to top, chopped

[to make gluten free: substitute gluten free breadcrumbs for regular bread crumbs]

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Heat up grill.
3. Put olive oil into a large pan on medium heat and add onion, garlic, dried oregano and cook for 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft.  Break up the tomatoes and add them to the pan.  Put a lid on the pan and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. While the sauce is simmering, grill the eggplants on both sides until slightly charred. 
5. When tomato sauce is cooked down, season it with salt, pepper, wine vinegar and basil.  Puree the sauce if you want a smoother consistency.
6. Coat an oven safe dish with olive oil spray.  First add a layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of Parmesan, and finally a layer of eggplant.  Repeat until your dish is full, or you run out or ingredients.  Top with a layer of tomato sauce, then Parmesan.  If you want, you can add an extra layer on top, consisting of breadcrumbs mixed with olive oil and oregano.
7. Put in oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is crispy and the juices are bubbly.

Enjoy!

Grilled Dijon Garlic Herb Salmon with Parmesan Green Beans

Fish is one of my favorite things to order at a restaurant, mainly because it intimidates me to cook it at home.  In the few times I’ve tried to cook it before, it turned out alright, but nothing special.  There was just something about how those fancy restaurants could pair a fish with the right sauce that I couldn’t quite seem to get the hang of.  But, I finally think that I’ve found something that works and is simple to put together - the best of both worlds. 

Also, salmon is high on the list of nutritious foods, containing heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and plenty of vitamin D - which helps to boost immunity.  I paired the salmon with mashed potatoes and green beans a la my dad’s famous recipe.  Both the salmon and green beans in this recipe are gluten free.

DIJON GARLIC HERB SALMON

• 2 wild salmon filets [if frozen, thaw]
• 1 1/2 tablespoon basil leaves, minced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

[for those gluten free: double check to make sure that the red wine vinegar you use is gluten free, some, including flavored vinegar, may contain gluten]

1. Mince basil leaves and crush or mince garlic cloves.  In bowl mix together basil, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard.
2. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and place on heated grill.  [I used my panini press / grill, but an outdoor grill or cast iron grill pan will also do the job well]  
3. Cook the salmon for 5 minutes on one side.  Turn the filet over and cook the other side for 4-5 minutes, spooning on half of the Dijon sauce.  
4. Turn the filets over and cook 1 minute, spooning the rest of the sauce on top. 
5. Turn once again and let the cook the fish for one last minute. [If you’re using a panin press / grill like me, for the last step after you have the sauce on both sides, you can just close the top down, so both sides can cook at once.]  The fish should have a total cooking time of 9-10 minutes per inch, adjust the time if necessary for your filet size.

PARMESAN GREEN BEANS

• 1 bunch green beans
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Pour olive oil and white wine into pan and place onto stove top on medium heat.
2. When pan has warmed up, add in green beans, Parmesan, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. Mix around to evenly coat green beans with all ingredients.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, reduce heat and put lid on pan and simmer until all liquid is gone and green beans are cooked.

Enjoy!

Spinach, Aritchoke, Parmesan Dip

This dip has always been a favorite of mine because it combines some of my favorite vegetables with garlic and Parmesan cheese, and I love most things that have garlic and Parmesan cheese.  While standard spinach dip is a staple at many potlucks and other gatherings, this dip is a healthier / more Crohn’s friendly version.  It’s a great warm snack, which can be harder to come by for those with Crohn’s, and makes a good amount of dip, making it perfect to keep for leftovers or serve when you have people over.  This recipe is also gluten free.

SPINACH, ARTICHOKE, PARMESAN DIP

makes about 3 cups

• 10-oz bag baby spinach OR 1 bunch loose leaf spinach
• 14-oz can artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 4 medium garlic cloves
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise with olive oil
• 1/2 cup light sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

[for those gluten free: double check to make sure that the mayonnaise and sour cream you use is gluten free as some may contain gluten]

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Chop spinach, drain and chop artichoke hearts, dice onion, and mince garlic.
3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together, leaving a little Parmesan aside to sprinkle on top.
4. Coat a casserole dish with vegetable spray.  Scoop dip into dish and sprinkle leftover Parmesan on top. 
5. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until bubbly.  Serve with bread pieces, like Irish soda bread, or tortilla chips.

Enjoy!