Lasagna With Roasted Beets & Herb Béchamel

Posted on July 21, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

I absolutely love beets. I don’t care that they stain my fingers for days or I run the risk of ruining my concrete countertops every time I roast and peel them with reckless abandon. Especially for this lasagna. It’s rich, yet healthy; vegetarian, yet filling. Ooey, gooey goodness with garden-fresh ingredients. This can be done gluten-free, if you wish. I usually use rice lasagna noodles and double the béchemel (made from oat flour) – you definitely don’t need twice as much, but I like a little more than the recipe calls for (plus it’s easier to multiply by two than it is 1.5). NOTE: my alterations and comments are below in italics.

RECIPE: Lasagna with Roasted Beets and Herb Béchemel

6 medium-size red beets (roast, cool and peel ahead of time)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons minced shallot or onion

3 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour (I use oat flour for added fiber and to eliminate wheat)

3 cups milk (I use goat or unsweetened almond)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, tarragon and chives (definitely don’t leave out the tarragon!)

1/2 pound no-boil lasagna noodles (or rice lasagna noodles)

(1 cup) freshly grated Parmesan (do NOT use the green can!!)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the greens away from the beets, leaving about 1/4 inch of stems. Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish or lidded ovenproof casserole. Add 1/4 inch water to the dish. Cover tightly. Place in the oven and roast 40 to 45 minutes, until the beets are easily penetrated with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the dish. Cut away the ends and slip off the skins. Slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the shallot or onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and bubbling, but not browned. It should have the texture of wet sand. Whisk in the milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and has lost its raw flour taste. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Strain while hot into a large measuring cup or a medium bowl and stir in the chopped herbs and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a rectangular baking dish. Spread a spoonful of béchamel over the bottom. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spoon a thin layer of the béchamel over the noodles. Top with a layer of beets and sprinkle with Parmesan. Repeat the layers, ending with a layer of lasagna noodles topped with béchamel and Parmesan. Make sure the noodles are well coated with béchamel so they will be sure to soften during baking.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and place in the oven. Bake 45minutes, until the noodles are tender and the mixture is bubbling. Uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes until the top begins to brown. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings.

Advance preparation: You can assemble this up to a day ahead and refrigerate, or freeze for a month. The lasagna can be baked several hours ahead and reheated in a medium oven.

Nutritional information per serving: 291 calories; 11 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 17 milligrams cholesterol; 35 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 307 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 14 grams protein.

** This recipe is from Martha Rose Shulman, contributor for the NY Times; photography by Andrew Scrivani.

Frozen Pineapple Slushy

Posted on July 21, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

I just made a batch of these for a Saturday night treat.

Take one can of unsweetened pineapple and add it to the blender. Fill up the blender with ice and whiz the heck out of it until the ice is so fine that it’s the consistency of a slushy you’d get at a convenience store on a hot day. You won’t believe how incredibly delicious it is – and it doesn’t have any preservatives or weird colors that have numbers assigned to them.

This recipe happened by accident one day when I opened a can of pineapple for something and then changed my mind. I’m sure you can use fresh pineapple too, but you’ll need to add a little water and agave nectar to the the appropriate sweetness and consistency. You can also add fruits to change the color and flavor. Strawberries are a good addition. A handful of fresh mint in the blender will give you a more grown-up version and your slushy will have pretty little green flecks all throughout.

Also a great base for a nice adult cocktail, if you know what I mean.

One 20oz can + all the ice = three 12-oz glasses, or two pints.

Enjoy…but be careful of the brain freeze!

Turkey Florentine Meatballs and Marinara with Parmesan Cauliflower & Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Posted on July 21, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

A quick weeknight meal that doubles as lunch the next day. I included two sides that go well with the meatballs and are much healthier than pasta. Perfect for anyone watching their carbs.

MEATBALL INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey (I use ground turkey breast)
1 box frozen spinach (defrost on counter or microwave, depending on time)
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/4 cups milk (cow, goat or unsweetened almond all work fine)
3/4 cup oats
1 egg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
a little olive oil

MEATBALL DIRECTIONS
Before you assemble the meatballs, make sure to wring the liquid out of the defrosted spinach or you’ll have a giant soupy mess. In a small bowl, add milk to the oats and set aside. In a large bowl, add the spinach, onion, garlic, egg, grated cheese to the turkey. Now add the oat mixture to the turkey and mix well with your very clean hands. Roll into balls (golfball size) and place on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, flipping meatballs after 10 minutes. Makes 12-15. Serve with marinara (recipe below).

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MARINARA INGREDIENTS
olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
dash of honey
1/2 cup fresh basil
salt and pepper, to taste

MARINARA DIRECTIONS
Over medium heat, heat oil in a large pot until hot. Add onion and garlic, saute for a few minutes until the onions begin to appear translucent. Stir in the tomatoes, dried herbs, honey, salt and pepper. Lower the heat and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally. Just before you turn off the heat, stir in fresh basil.

To serve, spoon sauce on the bottom of plate, top with meatballs and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
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The florentine meatballs go great with these two sides:

ROASTED PARMESAN CAULIFLOWER
Toss a head of cauliflower florets with 2 TBSP olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt in a large bowl. Spread in 1 layer in a 9×12 glass baking dish and roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown, approximately 30-40 minutes, give or take a few. Sometimes I cover with foil for the first 20 minutes so it can steam a little and then uncover it for the last 20 so it can brown. Try it and figure out the way you like best or how your oven cooks. Grate or sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

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ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH
Cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds, just like you would do any winter squash or pumpkin. Drizzle the inside with olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Put the halves flesh side down on a sheet pan and roast for 35 – 45 minutes, depending on size of the squash. Let cool enough to handle, then flip the squash over and scrape out the cooked strands with a fork. You can serve with more marinara and parm, or simply on the side of the meatballs, if you wish.

Mochi Churros y Chocolate

Posted on July 20, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

If you’ve never had a churro, you’re missing out. This cinnamon sugar-coated deep fried ‘donut’ is usually sold by street vendors and eaten for breakfast in Spain and Latin America. Here in the states, they are eaten more often as a snack or dessert and typically found at county fairs and…Costco. Wow, they sure are delicious – but have absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever. A gluttonous delight of deep fried white flour rolled in sugar and dipped in hot chocolate.

This one was a challenge to make healthy. But I thought maybe Mochi had some potential to transform this dessert. Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made from cooked whole grain brown rice that is pounded into paste and molded into a shape. Don’t let the words ‘rice cake’ turn you off. It’s not the dry, crusty wheel of nothingness that people choke down when they’re dieting. Mochi, when baked, comes out of the oven brown and crispy on the outside and chewy in the center.

Mochi Churros is one of those recipes that I thought was a great original idea. Nope. It had been done and was blasted all over the internet. Since this is more of an assembly process than a recipe, there isn’t a whole lot of variance in approach. But the chocolate sauce is an original recipe and can be used for just about anything. In fact, I have a hard time not just eating it with a spoon. All-in-all, this traditional treat is now void of all of its unhealthy qualities and is now packed full of whole-grains and flavor, is sweetened with natural, low-glycemic sugars and there’s even protein and anti-oxidants in the dipping sauce. Plus, it’s gluten and dairy-free. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Mochi Churros

1 pkg of Mochi (can be found at any health food store in the refrigerated section)
1 TB coconut oil (melted)
coconut sugar (or raw sugar or maple sugar – whatever granulated sugar you like)
cinnamon

Mix equal parts sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Cut the mochi in strips about the size of your pinky and bake at 425 for 10-12 min until they puff. When they come out of the oven, brush or toss in a little melted coconut oil so the sugar and cinnamon mixture will stick when you toss it in a in a paper bag or storage container with a lid.

Chocolate Sauce

1 TBSP coconut oil
1 TBSP raw honey
2 TBSP dark cocoa powder
1 TBSP nonfat greek yogurt
1 TBSP almond milk

Combine the coconut oil and raw honey in a small bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds until it’s melted together. Stir in the cocoa powder until smooth. Once combined, stir in the greek yogurt. Slowly add almond milk to thin out the mixture to the perfect consistency. Because you’re using cocoa powder instead of melting chocolate solids, adding liquid will not cause the sauce to seize up. It’s very easy and completely forgiving. Adjust the amount of cocoa and sweetness to your liking. This recipe makes approximately 1/2 cup of sauce. Enjoy!

It might take a few times to decide how well-done or chewy you like the mochi, and how sweet or tart you like the chocolate sauce.

All Kale Caesar!

Posted on July 19, 2013 by eatlessvelveeta

This has to be one of my all-time favorite salads. I first ate it at Vinaigrette in Santa Fe. This restaurant happens to be a client, so actually I was doing a little ‘market research.’ The owner, Erin Wade, has basically nailed the concept of eating healthy and enjoying food at the same time. I love everything about her restaurant –and all of her salads are to die for. If you ever find yourself in Santa Fe, don’t miss out on the chance to eat there.

Okay, onto the salad. Raw kale is my absolute go-to superfood and a fantastic ingredient that many people claim to hate. I eat it all the time, but mostly when I feel like crap. If I’ve missed a few workouts, ate more ice cream than I should have, or after a long road trip where I haven’t had the chance to cook or eat anything but snacks for days. Well, throw out everything negative you’ve ever thought about kale and try this salad. It’s an eggless version and dairy is optional. As a classic caesar, it’s not suitable for vegetarians because there are anchovies in the dressing. Yes, there are anchovies. (I’m always shocked at how many people who cringe over the thought of eating anchovies, yet love caesar salads as long as there aren’t anchovies on top. I have news for you – there are always anchovies in the dressing.)

RECIPE: All Kale Caesar Salad
They key here is the dressing should be blow your doors down salty and acidic, because the lemon and the salt actually cook the kale – in the same way it would cook seafood in a ceviche. That’s what keeps the kale from being a rough as you would imagine it would be to chew. The amount of anchovies is really your call. The recipe calls for 6 to 8 anchovies, but put more if you like – I do! Plus they are high in vitamin D.

For the dressing:

juice of 1.5 lemons (or 2)
at least 8 anchovy fillets depending on size and their oil (a whole can will do)
splash (2 TB) of champagne or white wine vinegar
almost but not quite one TB of regular (creamy not grainy) dijon mustard
1 small shallot or half a big one (rough chop)
1/2 cup olive oil (start with that and add more if needed)
1 TB of water
salt and pepper to taste (sea and freshly cracked, if you have it)

Put everything in the blender to emulsify. Like any salad dressing, adjust to your taste. But remember the blow your doors down intensity, so don’t imagine drizzling this on baby spinach when you make your adjustments.

For the salad

head of kale
macadamia nuts
freshly grated parmesan or parmigiano-reggiano (NOT the stuff in the green can)

Finely chop the leafy part of green curly kale (pull the leaves off the stem, but don’t worry about the veins, those are fine. What’s more important is that you chop the leaves fairly fine because kale is so intense, so more like a fine coleslaw size, like an 1/8th to a 1/4 inch slices. I usually do something like a chiffonade (stack the leaves, roll it up as best you can and slice it like you would do to basil).

Assemble
Toss the kale with your preferred amount of dressing – start on the conservative side and add more as needed. Add a good amount of chopped macadamia nuts and a generous handful of grated parmesan (optional – I skip this if I’m having an extra clean, non-dairy week, but it’s not nearly as good without it). You can also toss in some more rough chopped anchovy if it doesn’t seem like the flavor is coming through enough for your taste. And a little extra freshly cracked pepper never hurt anyone. This is a really bold, but really delicious and balanced salad. Not to mention how insanely good it is for you.

Add ons
To make this a complete meal, serve it with grilled chicken, sliced pork tenderloin, grilled shrimp, salmon, sliced filet or other lean cut of beef – whatever floats your boat. I always cook a bunch of chicken breasts on Sunday afternoon so I have protein to add to salads all week long.