Light and Healthy
Italian Cooking And Living, September 2007
“Just because food tastes good doesn’t mean it isn’t good for you. Try these scrumptious recipes that are as delicious as they are healthy.”
Trout with Red Wine
4 trout, about 5 to 6 ounces each
1 cup of red wine
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1 red bell pepper, seeds and inner white ribbing removed, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Clean and rinse the trout under cold water. In a large, deep skillet combine the wine with 1 cup of water. Add the oregano and simmer over low heat until warm. Add the peppers and garlic and mix to combine. Add the trout to the pot and cook, covered, until cooked through. Drain the fish, reserving about a ¼ cup of the wine sauce. Transfer the trout to a serving platter and drizzle with the reserved wine sauce.
Potato and Green Apple Antipasta
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
1 teaspoon anise seeds
salt
1 bunch basil
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large green apple
1 tablespoon capers, packed in salt
1 teaspoon parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
freshly ground pepper
Carefully wash the potatoes and place them in a pot with the anise. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Season with salt and cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and can be pierced with a fork.
Meanwhile, in a food processor combine the basil and the olive and puree until smooth. Cut the apple into small pieces. In a bowl, combine the apples, capers, parsley, and lemon juice and set aside.
Drain the potatoes and set them aside to cool. Cut the potatoes into small pieces, combine them with the pureed basil and season with pepper. Combine the potato and apple mixtures and serve immediately. Serves 4
Orecchiette with Chickpeas
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts only, diced
4 medium tomatoes, chopped, 1⁄3 cup reserved for garnish
1 151⁄2-ounce can chickpeas, drained
sea salt
6 cups vegetable broth
1 pound orecchiette
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
In a deep, nonstick skillet over medium heat, combine the garlic, scallions and tomatoes. Cook until a thick sauce forms. Add the chickpeas, season with salt and cook for 1 minute. Set aside.
In a large pot, bring the vegetable broth and 6 cups of water to a boil. Add salt and the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1⁄4 cup of the broth. Add the pasta and the reserved broth to the skillet. Toss well to coat. Cook in the sauce for 1 minute, allowing the flavors to combine. Drizzle with the olive oil and top with the reserved chopped tomatoes. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Spaghetti with Caviar and Asparagus
The following two recipes are from A Passion for Caviar, written by Susie Boeckmann and Natalie Rebeiz- Nielsen.
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
1 1/2 pounds spaghetti
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 pound asparagus spears, sliced
pepper
1 pound smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup Sevruga caviar
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, adding a teaspoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of salt. Cook the spaghetti until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Heat the butter, heavy cream, and asparagus in a nonstick saucepan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat. Stir in the salmon and cook for 6-7 minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander. Tip it into a bowl and add the sauce. Toss lightly. Top with caviar and serve at once, preferably with a few slices of rough country bread. Serves 2.
Wine-poached Pears and Gorgonzola Mousse
A drizzle of honey lends sweetness to the pungent stuffing for these wine-poached pears.
For the pears:
4 ripe pears
1 bottle Barolo or other dry red wine
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup sugar
1 strip lemon zest
8 black peppercorns
For the stuffing:
1 pound gorgonzola, rind removed, crumbled
1 cup shelled walnut halves, coarsely chopped, plus 8 whole walnuts
1/2 cup honey
Make the pears: Peel the pears, cut them in half, and core them. Combine the remaining ingredients in a 3-quart pot; bring to a boil over medium heat. Drop in the pears; cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
Remove the pears to a plate with a slotted spoon; reduce the Barolo syrup to a thick glaze, about 45 minutes over medium-low heat.
Meanwhile, make the stuffing: Beat the gorgonzola and chopped walnuts until the gorgonzola is creamy. To serve, spoon the warm Barolo syrup onto each of 8 plates. Top with the pears.
Spoon one-eighth of the gorgonzola cream into the cavity of each pear. Top with a walnut half. Drizzle with the honey, and serve. Serves 8
