Archive for heart healthy recipes
Meatless Monday Recipe for Whole Wheat Penne with Mushroom Ragu
Posted by: | CommentsHappy New Year and welcome back to the Planet Forward blog once again. As we greet 2012 many are making resolutions to lead healthier, greener and sustainable lifestyles – an admirable goal. At Planet Forward, we are trying to help you keep your resolutions with a series of healthy Meatless Monday recipes that we share with our readers every Monday. What is Meatless Monday? It’s when people pledge to give up meat one day a week, which is not only good for you physically, but it also provides environmental benefits by reducing meat consumption in favour of plant based foods.
Tonight for dinner we are making a quick, easy, delicious Italian dish: whole wheat penne with mushroom ragu, otherwise known as penne con la salsa di funghi. This recipe comes by way of Mary Ann Esposito, star of PBS’s Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito. Watch the youtube video below. Let’s get cooking.
Image Credit: ciaoitalia.com
Ingredients:
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth
• Salt to taste
• Grinding black pepper
• 16 oz. package penne
Directions:
1. Heat butter and oil in a casserole over medium high heat.
2. Mince the garlic, parsley and thyme together and add to the butter mixture. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they exude their liquid and the pan looks dry.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and add the broth. Cover and cook over simmering heat for about 20 minutes.
4. Uncover the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve over cooked penne.
This recipe for whole wheat penne with mushroom ragu will dress one pound of penne, so it will serve four people. This dish is incredibly quick to make so dinner will be ready in minutes. We changed the chicken broth in the original recipe for vegetable broth; you can even purchase veterinarian chick broth. Know that you can use canned plum tomatoes; simply store the leftover tomatoes in an airtight container in the fridge. When trying to make your meals a little bit healthier, simple swap outs have the biggest impact; in this recipe use low-sodium vegetable broth. It’s best when you control the amount of salt in your cooking, which is also a heart healthy move, so try to use unsalted butter as this recipe suggest whenever you can. Using a whole wheat pasta also makes the dish healthier as it adds fiber, you can use whole grain or spelt or any other fibrous pasta. Complete this offering with a green salad dressed with either oil and balsamic vinegar or a light Italian dressing.
The best part of this meal is that you know every ingredient in it. Enjoy!
If you want to learn more about the sustainable Meatless Monday movement, please visit meatlessmonday.com.
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Meatless Monday with Barley and Porcini Risotto
Posted by: | CommentsHappy Meatless Monday! Do you enjoy risotto? Have you made it every way conceivable and are looking for something new and exciting? If so try this Barley and Porcini “Risotto”. This recipe comes courtesy of PBS’ Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito. This is “not a true risotto, but a great substitute!”
Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups finely chopped leeks
• 2/3 pound (11 ounces) pearled barley
• 1/2 cup diced reconstituted porcini mushrooms (or 1 cup diced button mushrooms)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups hot vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions:
In a two quart heavy duty pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Stir in the leeks and cook them until they wilt. Stir in the barley and cook to coat the barley in the oil; do not let it brown. Stir in the mushrooms and cook 1 minute. Add the wine and stir to allow most of it to evaporate. Start adding the broth a ladleful at a time and allow the barley to absorb the liquid before adding more. Cook until the barley is tender. Off the heat, stir in the butter and cheese. Add the parsley and serve hot.
Meatless Monday with Spaghetti Frittata
Posted by: | CommentsIs that bowl of extra pasta you boiled, taking up room in the fridge? If so, here is an unusual Meatless Monday dish that will use up those leftovers. If you don’t have any plain cooked pasta ready, just boil some. For those that don’t know what a frittata is, it’s an Italian version of an omelet (minus the stress inducing flip over). This is a quick and easy dish that comes from the kitchens of Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine. This may sound unappealing but Martha rarely steers us wrong.
Ingredients:
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups plain cooked spaghetti
• 1/2 cup shredded Jarlsberg cheese
• 1/4 cup thawed frozen peas
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
Directions:
Heat over to broiler. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper. Mix in plain cooked spaghetti, shredded Jarlsberg cheese and thawed frozen peas. In a small (7-to 8-inch) broiler-proof nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-low heat. Pour in spaghetti mixture; cook until top is almost set, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to broiler, placing pan 4 inches from heat source; cook until set, about 1 minute.
