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HEALTHY KITCHEN
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Dairy-Free Penne Bake You’ll love this mock ricotta, made from macadamia nuts, for its rich, creamy texture. The recipe comes together quickly and will soon be a family favorite. Serves 6 12 ounces whole-grain penne Pinch of salt 2 cups raw macadamia nuts ½ cup macadamia nut milk or other dairy-free nut milk Juice of ½ lemon ½ teaspoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 pound ground chicken 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs 3 cups prepared marinara sauce 2 cups almond milk grated cheese, or another nondairy grated cheese product, divided
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Oil a 9x13-inch baking dish. 2. Bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add penne and a hefty pinch of salt. Cook until just tender, 8–10 minutes. Drain, and set aside. 3. Place nuts in a high-speed or “bullet”style blender. Pulse until finely ground. Gradually add nut milk, a few table‑ spoons at a time; pulse until blended. Keep adding milk and mixing until it resembles the texture of ricotta. You may not need all the milk. Add lemon juice and garlic powder; mix well. 4. Add oil to a large skillet. Brown chicken with Italian herbs, and add marinara sauce. Bring to a low simmer. Add pasta and stir well. 5. Layer half the pasta in the bottom of the dish. Top with all the ricotta and half the grated cheese. Layer with remaining pasta. Top with remaining cheese. Bake 20–30 minutes, until heated through. PER SERVING: 806 CAL; 34G PROTEIN; 57G FAT; 46G CARB (13G SUGARS); 746MG SODIUM; 7G FIBER
Creamy Dreamy Spinach Lasagna This indulgent dish is ideal for company or to celebrate a milestone. For a less rich, but still delicious, version, leave the cream out. Serves 6 1 (16-ounce) container low-fat cottage cheese 1 egg 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided ¼ sweet onion, finely diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups baby spinach leaves 16 ounces cremini mushrooms; washed, diced
54 Spring 2017 / Optimum Wellness
LY PERFECT D E R A P PRE PASTA
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eapolitans lay claim to the term al dente, literally translated “to the tooth” or “to the bite.” The pasta should be “neither limp nor raw, and the idea [is?] that its ‘soul’ (the innermost core) is still firm,” writes pasta expert Kantha Shelke. She suggests testing pasta as much as 3–4 minutes before it’s done, because cooking times vary by the pasta ingredients; semolina flour takes longer, while wheat pasta calls for a shorter cooking time. Vincenzo Agnesi, an engineer at Paolo Agnesi & Sons (Italy’s oldest pasta company) in 1958 developed a remarkably easy method of cooking pasta that requires little attention and seems to work every time (translated from Italian from Pasta and Noodles: A Global History).
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 1 cup whipping cream (optional) 2 tablespoons rice flour 2 cups 2% milk Pinch of nutmeg Salt and pepper, to taste 2 cups skim-milk mozzarella; grated and divided 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided 1 box no-cook dried lasagna noodles
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly oil a 9x13inch ceramic baking dish. 2. Place cottage cheese and egg in a blend‑ er; puree until smooth. Scoop into a bowl, and set aside. 3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet; add onions and sauté over medium heat, until soft. Add garlic and spinach a handful at a time. Cook until wilted; remove from pan. 4. Raise heat to high, and add mushrooms. Brown evenly, and add sun-dried toma‑ toes; cook until fragrant. Add spinach back to pan, stir well, and add cream. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Add cottage cheese mixture to the pan. Stir well, and remove from heat. 5. Heat remaining oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat; add flour and stir with a whisk for 6–10 min‑ utes, until lightly toasted. Gradually add a little milk at a time, whisking well. Stir until thickened; let edges bubble, but do not boil. Add nutmeg, one-quarter of both cheeses, salt and pepper, and stir
1. Bring to a boil in a large pot about 1 litre (1 quart) of fresh, cold water per 100 grams (3½ ounces) of dried pasta and 1½ tablespoons salt. When water is rapidly boiling, add all of the pasta at once and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon or long fork. 2. Cover the pot to bring the mixture back to a rolling boil as quickly as possible. When it starts to boil, open the pan and allow the water to boil rapidly for 2 minutes only. 3. Turn off the heat and stir well. Spread a thick cloth over the saucepan, place the lid over the cloth, and allow it to stand for the cooking time specific on the package of pasta. 4. Drain the pasta just long enough that it is dripping wet.
well. Pour this mixture into spinach, and combine. It may be a little stringy. 6. Place a single layer of noodles, edge to edge, in bottom of pan to cover. Spoon out one-third of spinach mixture over noodles; top with onethird of the mozzarella. Repeat with a layer of noodles, spinach, cheese and a last noodle layer. 7. Top with remaining spinach and chees‑ es. Bake 30–40 minutes, until noodles are soft and sauce is bubbly. PER SERVING: 395 CAL; 26G PROTEIN; 19G FAT; 30G CARB (7G SUGARS); 475MG SODIUM; 2G FIBER
Salami, Kale and Olive Orecchiette Little earlobe pastas, called orecchiette, are the perfect collection vessels to capture the bold flavors of this fast and easy pasta dish. Serves 4 Pinch of salt 8 ounces orecchiette or small shells pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large shallot, diced 1 (3-inch) chunk of salami; coated in peppercorns, diced 18 cured green olives; pitted, coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon dried oregano Hefty pinch of crushed red pepper flakes 4 cups baby kale leaves 4 tablespoons of prepared black garlic aioli (or 3 tablespoons mayonnaise with 1 minced garlic clove, ½ teaspoon black pepper and juice from one half lemon) 1 cup reserved pasta water
NUTRITIONAL VALUES CALCULATED AT NUTRITIONDATA.SELF.COM