Recipes

Yogurt Panna Cotta with Blueberry Sauce ♥

3/4 cups skim milk*

1/2 cup heavy cream*

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4- 1/3 cups honey (or sugar)

2 cups plain Greek yogurt (I used non fat)

*I used both skim milk and heavy cream because that's what I had on hand, you can use all skim milk (a total of 1 1/4 cups, 2% milk, or whole milk)

Directions ~

1.  Place 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl and sprinkle the packet of gelatin on top.  Set aside while the gelatin becomes moist.

2.  In a saucepan, warm the remaining 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup of cream until simmering, but not a full boil. 

3.  Add vanilla and 1/4 cup of honey, stir and (carefully) taste.  If you would like, add a bit more honey. (I used 1/3 cup total)

4.  Add the bowl of gelatin, and whisk until the gelatin has fully dissolved into the hot milk mixture.

5.  Remove pan from heat, and stir in 2 cups greek yogurt.  Stir until fully combined.

6.  Pour final mixture into small glasses, bowls, or ramekins.  Place in refrigerator for 3-4 hours.  The panna cotta will keep well for 2 days.  (Make sure they are covered, and that there are no strong odors in your refrigerator to absorb) 

*If you are making the blueberry sauce (as shown), I added a bit of blueberry sauce into the bottom of each glass, and let it set a bit before adding the panna cotta.  When you pour in the panna cotta, pour very gently and slowly at first, to not displace the sauce too much.  Fill your glasses or dishes about 3/4 full with panna cotta, then put in the refrigerator to set.  Top with a little additional blueberry sauce and fresh blueberries before serving (or anytime after the panna cotta has set). 

Blueberry Sauce

*This is what I used, but there are about a thousand different ways to dress panna cotta.  Feel free to experiment. 

1/2 cup good quality blueberry jam (I like Trader Joe's store brand)

3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if using fresh, add about 1 Tablespoon water)

Warm jam and blueberries in a small sauce pan.  Mix until fully combined and hot.  Allow to cool slightly before using.  

Compliments of: Glorious Treats

  

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Asparagus Ravioli with Fresh Herb Salad ♥

Ingredients

Ravioli Pasta

2 eggs worth of semolina pasta dough

1/3 cup egg wash (1 beaten egg + water)

Ravioli Filling

3 inch diameter bundle of asparagus

1/3 cup of spinach, chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 cup of ricotta cheese

1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup of leek, chopped

salt, pepper

1-2 tbs olive oil

Sauce

3 cups of pureed tomatoes (optional)

6 leaves of fresh basil, chopped

3 cloves garlic

3 tbs of olive oil

salt, pepper to taste

Toppings

½ cup pine nuts

1 ½ cup spinach leaves

Filling

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Sautee garlic and leek until garlic turns slightly brown.  Add spinach. Cook until spinach is limp.

In a pot of boiling water, blanch the asparagus for 1-2 minutes (until flexible but crisp). Remove from water and drain.

Toss the chopped asparagus and the sauteed mixture into a food processor and blend. Mix in parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and ricotta.

Sauce

Heat olive oil in saucepan at medium heat. Sautee the garlic in the oil until roasted brown, then crush. Add the tomato puree and simmer. Salt and pepper to taste. In the last 5 minutes of simmering, add basil.

Pasta

Roll out pasta to machine thickness 6. Cut into rectangular sheets (6"x4" is a good size). Place spoonfuls of filling onto a sheet (2 or 3), leaving room to cut ravioli shapes. You should leave about an inch pasta border around each glob of filling. Wipe egg wash in between the globs, then lay a second sheet on top, sealing the filling. Cut into ravioli with a knife or lasagna cutting tool. Experiment with the shapes -- they can be circles or squares. I prefer 2" x 4" rectangles.

Cook ravioli for 3 minutes in boiling water. They should float to the top when finished.

It's best to serve them immediately to your guests, as they cool quickly. Scoop them out of the water with a slotted spoon, toss them on a plate. Slather the sauce, add a sprinkle of cheese, pine nuts, and spinach, and serve!

Words of Warning

There are two things that can go wrong in preparation that should be avoided.

• dry & hard-to-assemble pasta: This happens if you wait too long between the rolling and assembly phases. If you don't assemble immediately after rolling the dough, store sheets between parchment and cover the stack with a moist towel.
• holes or tears due to stuck ravioli: Once a ravioli is assembled, generously dust it with wheat flour. and place them individually on a plate or wax paper.

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Fava Bean Soup ♥

 

The Soup (Serves 3)

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 celery rib, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 850g (4 cups) fresh tomatoes, diced
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp dried savory (or thyme)
• 2 cups water
• 30 kalamata olives, chopped
• 350g fresh fava beans
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

The Croutons

• 2 thick slices of crusty whole grain bread (I used kamut)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Sprinkle salt and pepper

To Garnish

• 25-30g freshly grated parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In large saucepan, cook onions, celery and garlic over medium heat until fragrant and the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and savory and continue cooking for 5-8 minutes then add water, kalamata olives and fava beans.
3. Bring to the boil then lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until fava beans are tender but still have a nice bite to them.
4. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a medium non stick pan over medium heat. Cut the slices of bread into one inch cubes and add them to the pan. Cook until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side.
5. Remove soup from heat and stir in chopped parsley and rosemary.
6. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with croutons and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
7. Serve immediately.

Compliments of: TheHealthyFoodie


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Homemade Spelt Fettucine & Healthy Alfredo Sauce ♥

For pasta (Serves 3)

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 3 eggs , at room temperature
• 1 pinch salt
• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For Sauce

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• ½ cup 0% fat plain Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup unsweetened soy milk
• 80g fresh parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 tsp cornstarch (to prevent curdling)

INSTRUCTIONS

For Pasta

1. Sift the flour and salt.
2. Beat the eggs with the oil.
3. Add flour to a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Stir in the eggs and oil with a spoon.
4. Finish mixing with hands and then knead on a lightly floured surface. Knead until the mixture “comes together”.
5. Flatten dough and shape into a “rectangle”. Cover in cling wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
6. Roll in a rectangular shape with a pasta press or rolling pin, as thin as you possibly can.
7. Cut out the edges to make a nice, clean rectangle, dust with a tiny little bit of flour to prevent sticking and fold rectangle in 2 and in 2 again.
8. Using a sharp chef knife, cut your pasta into thin strips then use your fingers to gently unfold and separate them.
9. Cook in ample quantity of salted boiling water until pasta is tender but still has a bit of a bite to it, about 4-5 minutes.

For Sauce

1. Add all the ingredients to your food processor and process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
2. When pasta is cooked, transfer it to a large non stick pan and pour sauce over it.
3. Heat over low-medium heat until sauce starts to thicken and adhere to pasta, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer to serving plates and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and fresh parsley, if desired.

Compliments of: Food.com