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Mushroom and Scallion Enchiladas

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 cups Cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1 inch diagonal pieces
  • Salt

Heat a large skillet with the oil and the butter. Add the cumin and sauté on medium heat for 15 seconds. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, scallions and salt. Continue to sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt, check for seasonings, turn off the heat and set aside.

Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 medium onion, chopped fine
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3 cups tomato sauce/passata, homemade or store bought
  • 1 cup water
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the ground cumin and paprika. Saute on medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat till the veggies are soft and translucent. Add the tomato sauce/passata and water and bring to a boil. Add some salt and sugar to taste in case the tomatoes are too tart. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes with lid on. Take the lid off and check for seasonings. Add cilantro and turn the heat off and let the sauce cool.

  • 6 to 8 small corn tortillas
  • Grated cheese, Monterey Jack, cheddar or a mixture, about 2 cups

1 8X8 oven ready pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Divide the mushroom mixture into 6 to 8 parts (depending on how many tortillas you are using)

Put a dollop of tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan and spread it around evenly.

Dip each tortilla in the tomato sauce, place the mushroom filling in the middle and top with a tablespoon of grated cheese. Roll the tortilla and place it seam side down. Repeat with the rest and top the dish with the rest of the grated cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Take the foil off and broil for a few minutes to brown the top. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Gluten Free Pasta Bake

Gluten Free Pasta Bake1

I wanted to experiment with gluten free pasta. I actually went shopping for lasagna noodles but couldn’t find the gluten free variety. The store had run out of them, due to their popularity. I instead bought some penne and planned on layering my dish like a lasagna using penne instead lasagna noodles. It turned out delicious!!

  • ½ pound gluten free penne (lasagna sheets will be great as well)

Cook 2 minutes short of package instructions. Drain and keep aside making sure
pasta doesn’t stick together.

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 yellow squash, chopped
  • 2 small zucchini, chopped
  • 1 yellow pepper, chopped
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • Salt

Heat a wide saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the squash, zucchini and pepper. Saute on medium heat until the vegetables are golden brown (careful not to overcook them). Add the tomato sauce and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Check for seasonings and keep aside.

Ricotta Filling

  • 1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup basil
  • ½ cup parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Place the garlic, basil and parsley in a food processor and process till chopped well. Place the ricotta in a medium bowl. Transfer the chopped herbs, salt and egg to the ricotta cheese. Mix well.

Layer like a lasagna starting with the vegetable mixture (divide into 3 parts). Top with half the pasta. Place half of the ricotta filling. Repeat the layering. Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Pasta Primavera with Rice Pasta

Pasta Primavera with Rice Pasta

Another gluten free, vegetarian recipe!!

  • 2 medium zucchini, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
  • 1 10 oz Cremini mushrooms, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
  • 2 medium shallots, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 2 cups homemade or store bought marinara sauce
  • ½ pound rice pasta, cooked
  • Salt
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese

Heat a large frying pan with olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and shallots. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and mix well. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Check for seasonings and top with Parmesan cheese.

Spinach Quinoa Risotto

Spinach Quinoa Risotto

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium shallot, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 3 to 4 cups baby spinach
  • ¼ cup half and half
  • ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • Salt

Heat a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic, sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add quinoa and stir for a minute. Add the white wine and stir. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the grain is tender. Stir the spinach, half and half and cheese. Check for seasoning and add salt. Serve with fish.

Minced Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

Minced Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

  • 1 pound minced chicken (thighs)
  • 1 tablespoons tamari
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch

Add the chicken to a medium bowl. Dissolve the corn starch in the rice vinegar and tamari. Add the corn starch mixture, mix well and marinate for 2 to 3 hours. Keep refrigerated.

Sauce

  • ¼ cup black bean sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

Mix the black bean and sweet chili sauce. Keep aside.

  • 2 to 3 bunches broccolini, cut the tops off and chop; cut the green stalks and chop, keep aside
  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 inch ginger, grated

Heat a wok like saucepan with the olive oil. Add the broccolini stalks, ginger and garlic. Saute on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the minced chicken and cook while separating on high heat. Add the broccolini greens and mix well. Add the black bean sauce and mix well. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Check for seasonings and serve with rice or noodles.

Indian Fish Curry

Fish Curry with Sole

This recipe is inspired by a bengali fish curry. It doesn’t have any tomatoes or yogurt as a base for the gravy. It is mostly flavored with spices including mustard seeds and onion seeds- which is one of my favorite combinations. It is quite simple and quick to make…

  • 2 pounds fish fillets, (any white fish will do)
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Marinate the fish fillets with the lemon juice, turmeric and salt.

  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 2 teaspoons kalonji (onion seeds)
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, grated
  • 2 tablespoons ginger, grated
  • 2 medium yellow onions, chopped fine
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups water, fish or chicken broth
  • Salt

Heat a non stick pan with the 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Saute the fish pieces briefly on high heat. Keep aside. Add the leftover oil from the non-stick pan to a saucepan and add the remaining coconut oil. Heat the pan and add the mustard and onion seeds on medium heat. Saute for a minute. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions, coriander powder and bay leaf. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the liquid and salt and bring to a boil. Add the fish pieces and simmer for a few minutes till the fish is cooked through but not over done. Check for seasonings and serve with rice.

Easy Citrus Chicken

Pan Seared Citrus Chicken
Here is another yummy, healthy chicken dish. This particular one  has Latin flavors. I started with marinating the chicken- I do think it is the key to amazing flavor every time. I marinated the chicken in orange juice, lime juice, agave, smoked paprika and garlic. I later made a sauce out of the left over marinade- always a good idea! To thicken the sauce, I dredged the chicken pieces in a bit of flavor before cooking. The dish came together in no time at all and it was delicious.

I served the healthy chicken breasts with citrus broccoli and some sweet potato oven fries.

  • 3 to 4 chicken breast filets, boneless, skinless and pounded thin (about ½ inch)

Marinade

  • 1 cup orange juice
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons agave
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated

Add the orange juice, lime juice, agave, salt, paprika and garlic in a small bowl and mix well. Add the marinade and chicken to a zip lock bag and marinate for 3 to 4 hours in the fridge.

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Take the chicken filets out of the marinade and dredge in flour and salt (save the marinade for later). Brown the chicken on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Take the filets out and add the marinade into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Add the chicken filets and cook on a medium flame until chicken is done (time will vary according the chicken thickness). Serve hot with pan sauce on top of the chicken.