Heathy Italian Chopped Salad

One of the easiest ways to save money and eat healthy meals at home is to buy a rotisserie chicken. If you work long hours, but you're tired of eating out all the time, you could easily pick up a rotisserie chicken from a grocery store and use it all week. You could make your own roast chicken at home, of course, but for time sake, rotisserie is the way to go.



One of my favorite salads of all time is an italian chopped salad. Salami has held a special place in my heart ever since I was a kid. Some people are grossed out by it, but I love it.



So I decided to make one at home and try and spruce it up a bit--make it healthier. I used organic baby romaine lettuce and organic spinach, and chopped the greens up. In addition, I made my own vinaigrette with fresh basil, lemon juice, olive oil and red wine vinegar. I used part-skim mozzarella and good quality salami, free of nitrates and chemicals.



The thing with italian chopped salad is that you can pretty much throw in whatever you want, that's what makes it so great. You can obviously omit any of these ingredients and change the salad to your liking. I had to throw in some cheesy garlic bread with mine (Brett's request). But with these simple ingredients, I assure you, this will be one of the best salads you've ever had.




Ingredients: (serves 2)

2 cups chopped organic spinach
3 cups chopped organic baby romaine
1 cup chickpeas (drained)
1/2 cup julienne cut salami
1 cup chopped chicken
5-7 leaves of basil, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded light mozzarella

For the Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
juice of half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon of chopped basil
1 tablespoon fresh parmesan cheese
pinch of salt and pepper (to taste)

In a large bowl mix the greens together. Top with chickpeas, salami, chopped chicken, cheese, tomatoes, and fresh basil. In a small bowl (I prefer mason jar) whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, basil, and parmesan cheese until it emulsifies. Add salt and pepper to taste. Dress salad with vinaigrette right before serving.

Fresh Pasta

There is nothing in this world like fresh pasta.

Okay, maybe baked brie straight out of the oven, drizzled with honey. Or fresh burrata in a puddle of the most green olive oil you've ever seen. BUT THAT'S IT.

Fresh pasta is a super fun food to make with a significant other, friend, or family member. I first learned how to make fresh pasta while visiting an old neighbor of my friend, Ashley, in Italy. She was from the states but had married an Italian man and had been living in Italy. It was amazing because she actually taught us how to make the pasta without a pasta maker; we used an old broomstick, (broom removed) and a knife to cut the pasta.

The second time I made fresh pasta was during a wine tasting/cooking class at a villa in the hills of Tuscany. Sounds amazing? It was. I'll tell you about the second best day (after my wedding day) of my life some other time.

Brett and I rarely ever make fresh pasta, I'm not sure why, probably because it can be time consuming, but we really should more often. Brett's grandma actually gave us our pasta maker as a wedding gift. It's the same pasta maker that she and her late husband used to make pasta with, so it always feels extra special using it.

This is a very basic pasta recipe that I feel works best. In this recipe I used organic whole wheat flour, but you can use whichever flour you please. Finely ground pastry flour would probably work best.




Ingredients:  (serves 4-6 people)

2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 teaspoon olive oil

Place the two cups of flour in a mound on a workable surface. Make a hole in the center of the flour, big enough for 3 eggs to fit without spilling over the flour. Add the eggs, salt, and olive oil to the whole. Gently break the yolks and incorporate the flour into the liquids, adding a bit of flour at a time from the sides. Gradually the dough will take shape. Once it's all incorporated, knead the dough for roughly 10 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and pliable. If the dough is too sticky you can add more flour, if it's too dry you can add a tiny bit of water at a time. You do not want it to be sticky, however.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

After that, unwrap the dough and split it into four pieces. Using one piece at a time, gently pull it through your pasta machine until desired thickness, and put it through either the thick or thin noodle setting. You might want to cut the noodles so they're not too long. Place noodles on a floured surface and top with more flour. Repeat this until all the dough is done.

Boil water and gently add noodles, allow to boil for 3-4 minutes and drain. Serve immediately with your sauce of choice.

Pesto, Spinach,Tomato, and Fresh Mozzarella Pasta

 After studying abroad in Italy my friend Megan and I went back to visit some friends still living there for Spring break. We stayed with a friend I had met on my University soccer team in Rome, and one night she made us a delicious Italian meal with fresh pasta, fresh mozzarella, spinach, and tomatoes. She sauteed the spinach and tomatoes with garlic and olive oil, then added a splash of cream at the very end. It was one of the best, and most simple, Italian dishes I've ever had.

 So this dish is inspired by that meal. To make it a bit healthier, I replaced the cream with fresh pesto sauce, and replaced the fresh pasta with quinoa pasta. Brown rice pasta would work as well, if you're looking for a gluten free dish. I do find that with quinoa spaghetti, the noodles tend to break apart easily, which is why brown rice pasta might work better for this dish. You can of course use fresh pasta or regular spaghetti noodles if you're not watching your gluten.

Either way, it tastes delicious. You add fresh, chopped, mozzarella at the very end, which delicately melts into the pasta noodles. This dish wouldn't be what it is without the fresh mozzarella.


 

Ingredients: (Serves two, but you could easily double the recipe)

8 oz quinoa or brown rice spaghetti noodles
1 fresh mozzarella ball, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons fresh pesto sauce
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 cups raw spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil for garnish

Cook pasta as directed. While pasta is boiling, sautee olive oil and tomatoes in a pan on medium heat. As tomatoes start to release their juices, add 2 cups of raw spinach and sautee until starting to wilt. At this point, reduce heat to low and add the minced garlic and sautee for one more minute. Drain pasta noodles (while reserving 2 tablespoons pasta water) and add to tomato and spinach pan. Add 3 tablespoons pesto sauce and chopped mozzarella. Toss and serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil.

Homemade Basil Pesto

I'm not sure there is anything better than homemade pesto. It's flavor is unreal. I mean, take a look at that color, it's bright green. I fell in love with homemade pesto when I lived in Italy. You could buy it fresh in the grocery stores, and it did not look like fresh pesto from the grocery stores here in the United States. Since then, my love affair with pesto has only grown into a full-blow obsession. I usually make a big portion of it and freeze half of it in a mason jar for later use--or ever just to keep on hand. I also prefer to toast my pine nuts even more, that is, if you buy them already toasted. Using fresh parmesan cheese and a good, full-flavored olive oil is also important. Once you have the fresh stuff, I swear you'll never go back to pre-made again.

 


Ingredients:

 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup (roughly) olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

 In a blender or food processor add basil, garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese. Slowly pour 1/2 cup of olive oil and turn on machine. Add in leftover 1/4 cup olive oil as needed, as all the ingredients are being blended into a paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use on pizza, sandwiches, or pasta.

Lasagna Soup

I made this soup after seeing it on Pinterest. Like most of my recipes, I looked around at several recipes to get the gist of what's in it. Then I came up with my own version. This soup is gluten free, however you can use whichever type of pasta you please. I happen to only have quinoa pasta in my house, so that's what I used. This soup is like a little bowl of heaven, if you love lasagna. Usually lasagna is too tomato-y for me (I'm not a huge fan of red sauce) so this soup was perfect. I threw in some fresh spinach for color and added nutrients, and with some crusty bread, this soup will not disappoint.





Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground turkey
1 box of chicken broth
1 cup quinoa pasta shells
1 cup of water
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups raw spinach
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
olive oil

chopped basil (for garnish)
ricotta (for garnish)
shredded mozzarella (for garnish)
parmesan cheese (again, garnish)


In a pot cook ground turkey with garlic, salt, and pepper, and about a tablespoon of olive oil. Once turkey is cooked, add tomato paste and remaining seasonings, then carefully add 1 cup of water and half of the box of chicken broth. Add in pasta and allow to gently boil, 6-10 minutes, stirring ever so often. Once pasta is al dente, throw in can of tomatoes, remaining chicken broth and spinach. Bring heat up just enough for the spinach to wilt. Ladle soup into bowls with ricotta (important if you really want it to taste like lasagna), mozzarella, and parmesan.

Quinoa, Tomato, and Spinach Salad with Pesto

This salad is super easy and super flavorful. I like to make large batches of pesto and freeze them in small mason jars to keep them on hand at all times. One day I wanted a quick salad for lunch and ended up throwing cherry tomatoes, chopped spinach, quinoa, and homemade pesto in a bowl. This would be great for a picnic, or even to pack for lunch at work. Just make sure to put the pesto on the bottom of whatever container you're using, then add a layer of quinoa, tomatoes, and spinach on top, so that the spinach doesn't wilt by the time you eat. This would be even more delicious with fresh chopped mozzarella.






(serves 2-3 people)
Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups chopped spinach
2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons pesto (store bought or homemade)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

If you're not making it ahead, mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. If the salad is too dry, go ahead and add a drizzle of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Italian Wedding Soup

This soup is our new favorite. After making spaghetti and meatballs, I like to save half of the meatballs and make this Italian wedding soup the next day. I like to add a bit of lemon, to give it a little bit of tanginess. I also break up the meatballs so I can get a bit in each bite of soup. This soup can be made gluten free if you use gluten free pasta. Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan on top and this soup can make a perfect end to a cold day.

 


Ingredients:

 leftover meatballs , cut into fourths
1 box of organic chicken broth
1 can of organic diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup chopped organic carrots
1/4 cup chopped organic onions
1 cup dry whole wheat orzo pasta (or quinoa pasta)
1 tbsp chopped basil
1 tsp dry parsley
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp dry basil juice of half a lemon
2 cups organic fresh spinach
fresh parmesan cheese

Saute chopped carrots and onions on medium-low heat, until onions are translucent. Add box of chicken broth and water, garlic, dry and fresh basil, parsley, and allow to gently cook one medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add in pasta and continue to cook on medium heat until the pasta is al dente. Turn heat to low, add drained diced tomatoes, spinach, chopped meatballs, and lemon juice. Allow to cook until spinach is wilted, and serve with parmesan cheese on top.

Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Meatballs (GF)

This is one of my go-to comfort food meals, and the best part: it's super healthy. It's so delicious that my husband (the man who doesn't eat healthy foods) loves it. This could fool even the most skeptical critic. The marinara sauce covers the taste of the spaghetti squash so that it tastes exactly like pasta. One of my favorite secrets to making jarred spaghetti sauce taste better is to add a splash of red wine while heating it on the stove. Then I toss it on the spaghetti squash, throw some mozzarella cheese on top, and bake it in the oven so it's cheesy and delicious. The best part is that you can save half the meatballs for another meal later on in the week, like Italian Wedding Soup or as meat in greek gyros.


 


Ingredients:

 FOR MEATBALLS:

1 package lean ground turkey (20 oz.)
2 egg whites 2-3 cloves chopped garlic
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup finely diced white onion (I used 1 tsp. onion powder because the husband hates onions)
1 tbsp. fresh chopped basil (you can use dried if you like)
1 tsp. garlic granules
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
dash of cayenne or red pepper flakes

1 whole spaghetti squash
1 jar of organic spaghetti sauce (homemade recipe coming soon)
1/4-1/2 cup fresh cubed or grated mozzarella cheese

 Whisk egg whites and chopped garlic together in a bowl and allow to sit for 15 minutes. In another bowl add turkey, parmesan cheese, almond meal, onion, basil, garlic granules, salt, pepper, cayenne, and egg mixture. Gently mix until just incorporated (you may have to use your hands). Be careful not to over mix, you don't want the turkey to be tough after cooked. You can also add more almond meal if the mixture is too wet.

Roll turkey into 1 1/2 inch balls and set in fridge for an hour. (I do this to allow the ingredients to stick together better, though it's not necessary).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Carefully cut spaghetti squash in half, drizzle with olive oil or spray with cooking spray, place on baking sheet (cut side facing down), and bake for 30 minutes or until it's tender. Remove and allow to cool.

When the meatballs have set for an hour, cook them on medium heat in a sauté pan, turning every minute or so to ensure that all sides get brown. This should take about 15 minutes or so.

Once the meatballs are cooked through, carefully (and on low heat, to avoid splatter) add the spaghetti sauce, making sure to scrape up any turkey bits from the bottom of the pan - this will make the sauce even tastier. Then, take a fork to the spaghetti squash and scrape away the insides. The squash will start to come apart, thus looking like "spaghetti noodles".

Place the squash noodles in a baking dish, and top with the meatballs and spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (maybe even more parmesan and basil!) and bake at 400 until cheese is melted.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza (GF)

I decided to try making cauliflower crust pizza a few weeks ago and loved it. This time around, I added my own spin to the recipe I had followed. To my surprise, my husband even liked it. Don't get me wrong, it definitely doesn't make an exact substitute for regular, yeasty and yummy pizza crust. But it's a great low carb and gluten free alternative if you're watching your waist line. For the pizza toppings, I made two completely different flavors. One pizza had pesto sauce, mozzarella, fresh sliced tomatoes, and basil. The other had olive oil, mozzarella, onions, spinach, and I drizzled it with truffle oil right out of the oven. I actually preferred the taste of the pesto and tomato pizza with the cauliflower crust, which is surprising because I LOVE truffle oil. Nonetheless, both pizzas were delicious and I will be making this pizza crust WAY more often.



Ingredients for crust:

1/2 a head of cauliflower, chopped
2 egg whites
1 clove of minced garlic (or 1 tsp garlic granules)
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup almond meal
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper

 In a pot steam the 1/2 head of chopped cauliflower until it's soft. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher until it reaches "riced" consistency (the cauliflower will look like white rice). Carefully put the rices cauliflower in a thin towel or cheese cloth, and wrap up, twisting and squeezing out excess water. Squeeze hard, you want the cauliflower to be dry.

Once cooled, add in clove of chopped garlic, egg whites, parmesan, almond meal, basil, salt, and pepper. (You can add in any seasonings you like, oregano, cayenne, etc). If the 'dough' is too sticky, you can add more almond meal or parmesan, but it should be fairly wet so that you can mold it into crust. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if you have pizza stone, place in oven as it's heating to ensure that it's nice and hot when the dough is ready to bake.

 On a piece of WELL greased (or  sprayed with cooking spray) parchment paper, mold the 'dough' into 5-6 inch rounds and place onto baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake about 20-30 minutes, or until the crust is starting to brown around the edges. It will look burned, but the outside needs to get dark for the inner part of the pizzas to be crunchy. Remove from oven and cover with pizza toppings. Return to oven until cheese is melted and enjoy.

Spaghetti with Pesto, Broccoli, and Arugula (GF)

This recipe is as simple as it is healthy. I used quinoa pasta for some protein, some homemade pesto (though you can use store bought), steamed broccoli, and tossed in some fresh arugula (but you could use spinach or steamed kale. It's healthy, and you don't have to compromise on flavor one bit.



 Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups broccoli
2 cups arugula
4 oz. spaghetti (quinoa pasta or brown rice pasta)
3-4 tablespoons pesto (depending on your taste)
1-2 tablespoons reserved pasta water
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot cook the pasta according to box directions. Meanwhile, in a pot on the stove steam the broccoli with water until tender. Drain the pasta (but save 1-2 tablespoons of water), add the pesto and mix. Add in the steamed broccoli, fresh arugula and mix again. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Gnocchi a la Parisienne

This past week my friend Megan and I decided to make Gnocchi a la Parisienne. It's basically a gnocchi version of macaroni and cheese, or a gnocchi casserole. We decided to make our ramekins healthier than Brett's and add sauteed kale and mushrooms, with a drizzle of truffle oil on top just for kicks. To accompany our gnocchi we wrapped chicken in prosciutto and ate it on a bed of arugula. Fancey shmancy dinner indeed!

Ingredients:

1 bag of gnocchi

2 cups milk

3/4 cup shredded Italian blend of cheeses (mozzarella, parmesan, and asiago)

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon butter

2 slices chopped prosciutto

sauteed vegetables of choice

salt and pepper to taste

First sautee chopped prosciutto and vegetables until prosciutto is crispy and vegetables are cooked. Remove from pan and set aside. In a separate pot bring 4-5 cups of water to boil.

While you're doing that, add the butter to a sautee pan (same one that you used for prosciutto and veggies) on low heat. Add the flour and whisk repeatedly for about 2 minutes. Then pour in the milk slowly, continuously whisking. Turn up the heat a bit until the milk starts to thicken, then lower to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese to the pan and whisk again until thick.

Meanwhile add the pre-made gnocchi to the pot of water, boil for 2-3 minutes, drain, and add to the pan of cheese-milk mixture.

Add prosciutto and veggies to pan as well and transfer to ramekins (or small baking dish if you don't have ramekins).

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and put in oven on 450 for just a few minutes until they are browned on top. Watch these closely!

Once they are browned, remove them from the oven and drizzle truffle oil on top. Voila!

Pizza with Truffle Oil

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to make pizza from scratch, rather than using the trader joe's pre-packed dough. Instead I used Tyler Florence's recipe and it wasn't bad. It made about two thick-crusted pizzas, and I decided to make Garlic Balls with the leftover dough...mmmm. On one of the pizza's I did half pepperoni (for my picky boyfriend Brett) and half potato truffle pizza. The second pizza was covered with sauteed onions, truffle oil, and arugula.

Surprisingly, the potato pizza was more of a hit with my guests than the other. I tried potato pizza for my first time while I was living in Florence. There was a little store by my school that sold it by the slice. It's amazingly delicious. Next time I'll have to make an entire potato pizza, rather than just half, and maybe I'll force Brett to eat it :)

Potato Pizza Ingredients:

prepared pizza dough

1 yukon gold potato

shredded mozzarella cheese

shredded fontina cheese (optional)

olive oil

truffle oil

Turn the oven to 450 degrees and place an empty pizza pan in it to heat up. Meanwhile,

roll out the pizza dough, and then finely slice the potato VERY thin. When the pan has been in the oven to heat, remove from oven, place dough on top and quickly brush dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with a dash of salt, pepper, and garlic granules. Quickly add a layer of the cheese, then a layer of potato slices (kind of fanned out). Drizzle with olive oil and throw it in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Once the pizza is ready, remove it from the oven and lightly drizzle with truffle oil if you have it.

Onion and Truffle Oil Pizza Ingredients:

Prepared pizza dough

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

shredded mozzarella cheese

shredded parmesean cheese

olive oil

truffle oil

arugula

In a saute pan on medium low heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil, onions, and mushrooms and allow them to carmelize. Stir the onions frequently until they are translucent, then take onions and mushrooms off the heat. Turn oven to 450 degrees and place an empty pizza pan in it to heat it up. Roll out the pizza dough and when the pan is heated, quickly place it on the pan and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and garlic granules. Add a layer of sauteed onions and mushrooms, then top with a generous layer of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with the parmesean cheese, then throw in the oven to bake for 12-15 minutes. Once the pizza is ready, remove from the oven and add a layer of arugula on top. Drizzle with truffle oil and voila!

Garlic Balls:

prepared pizza dough

freshly chopped garlic

olive oil

salt

Roll out the dough into 1 1/2 inch thick balls. Place on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Add the chopped garlic and mix, so that each ball is covered in olive oil. Bake in a 450 degree oven until golden brown. Once removed from oven, toss in the remaining olive oil from the sheet pan and serve.

Five Cheese Penne

Italian food is my absolute favorite food in the world. That's probably why I gained so much weight when I lived in Italy-I just can't get enough. So I'm constantly on the lookout for new pasta recipes, because there are SO many and SO many different options. I came across this Barefoot Contessa recipe a while back, but I decided to change it and make it my own. I made it for my 24th birthday and my family loved it, so I decided to make it again. It's definitely not figure-friendly, but it's worth it.

Five Cheese Penne Pasta

Serves 6

Sea Salt

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

3 cups fresh spinach

1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese

1/4 cup parmesean cheese

2 tablespoons ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese

1 pound penne pasta (you can use gluten free pasta too)

2 tablespoons olive oil,

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

Turn on oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, combine all the cheeses (except the ricotta) in a bowl and set aside. In a saute pan add the olive oil, tomatoes, and spinach and cook on medium low heat until just wilted. Add the garlic once the spinach has wilted and let cook for a minute or two, but be sure not to let it burn, then add the cream and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and turn off heat.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain, and put back into the large pot. Add the tomato and spinach cream mixture and 3/4 of the pre-shredded cheese that was set aside (reserve 1/4 of the cheese to go on top of the pasta). Mix the cheese in the pasta until incorporated, then add to a baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Top the pasta with freshly chopped basil and voila!