Quick Dinner: Lemon Ricotta Arugula Pasta

It sure has been a while since I've posted a new recipe! That doesn't mean it's been quiet around here. I've been enjoying the summer and, along with it, quick, simple summer recipes. I love this few-ingredient dish, with whole grain pasta, with fresh summer flavors and minimal effort...perfect for lunch or dinner on your busiest of days. Scale this recipe up or down whether you're cooking for 1 or many.

The Nutrition Rundown: At under 400 calories per serving, this fiber-rich, creamy-textured whole grain pasta dish won't leave you overly full like other rich pasta dishes. Adding in bunches of arugula (feel free to add more veggies, too!) boosts fiber and vitamin content, leaving you satisfied and nourished without the usual post-pasta food coma.

 Lemon Ricotta Arugula Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients

8oz whole grain pasta 

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta

1 Lemon, juice and zest

Pinch of salt and pepper

Red pepper flakes (optional)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups fresh arugula

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta, lemon juice and zest, spices, and olive oil until combined. Add arugula and toss to coat. 
3. Drain cooked pasta. Toss into arugula mixture. Serve warm or chilled. 

Blueberry Lemon Scones

Blueberries are finally in season! And here they shine in yummy scones. Using seasonal fruit in baked goods adds natural sweetness, so you can cut back quite a bit on the sugar without compromising flavor. 

The Nutrition Rundown: A scone from a standard coffee shop may run as high as 500 calories. This perfectly-portioned, whole grain version gets flavor from fresh fruit instead of refined sugar.

Blueberry Lemon Scones

Makes ~10 scones

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

3 Tbs sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

5 Tablespoons chilled butter

1 cup blueberries

6oz plain yogurt

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 egg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. In large bowl (or bowl of standing mixer) whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut butter into dry ingredients. Mix with whisk attachment or with electric mixer until butter is about pea-sized.  
3. In separate bowl, mix together yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and egg. Stir into dry ingredients until just combined. 
4. Flour work surface, and knead dough (it will be difficult to knead). Pat into circle ~1/2 inch thick. Cut into ~10 triangles. 
5. Transfer scones to baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool on wire rack. 

Fresh Pick of the Week: Kohlrabi

This root vegetable with edible leaves is at the beginning of its season, which runs from summer until early fall. After removing the tough outer skin, the edible root can be consumed raw or cooked, and is crisp and refreshing! Try it sliced with dip, chopped into slaw, or roasted (see below!). Kohlrabi root is rich in fiber, potassium, and B6. And don't forget about those greens! Get a hefty dose of vitamin K (important for blood and bone health) from the greens, which you can use like you would would kale, chard, or spinach.

Need more convincing? Try this simply Roasted Kohlrabi and Fennel. Eat it as is, or toss it, like I did, with greens, apple slices, and toasted almonds to make a hearty salad.

Roasted Kohlrabi and Fennel

Ingredients
1 kohlrabi root
1 fennel root
2 Tbs safflower oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Using vegetable peeler, remove outer skin of kohlrabi. Slice into crescents and set aside on large, rimmed baking sheet. 
3. Remove top of fennel. Slice fennel bulb into quarters, and cut out tough inner core. Slice fennel into 1/2" pieces and place on baking sheet with kohlrabi. 
4. Toss vegetables in oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking, until vegetable edges are golden brown and soft to bite. Serve warm, or toss into salad. 

Cauliflower "Mac" & Cheese with Truffle Oil

 I love reinventing classic comfort foods into healthier alternatives. This vegetable-rich take on Mac & Cheese leaves out the refined, white pasta in favor of complex-carbs, higher fiber content, and more vitamins. Because of its white color and relatively neutral flavor, cauliflower is a great alternative for starchier dishes. Cauliflower "Mac" & Cheese (and who ever complained about truffle oil?) is a great main dish or could serve more guests as a side. I served it as a Meatless Monday dinner entree, alongside some fresh whole grain bread.

The Nutrition Rundown: Replacing low-nutrient, refined white pasta with cauliflower gives this dish tasty, heart-disease reducing benefits. Bulking up the creamy sauce with white bean puree helps cut back on saturated fat (another heart-health hooray!). The beans also add protein and soluble fiber, which make it a more filling and complete meal.

Cauliflower “Mac” and Cheese with Truffle Oil

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons cooking oil, divided (I used coconut oil)

1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 15 oz can white kidney beans (no salt added), drained and rinsed

4 cloves garlic

1 cup shredded cheese (I used ½ extra-sharp, grass-fed cheddar and ½ Gruyere)

¼ cup milk (I used 2%)

¼ cup crème fraiche (you can substitute sour cream or plain yogurt)

½ onion, diced

¼ cup fresh oregano, chopped

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1-2 Tablespoons truffle oil (optional)

Salt and pepper

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using ~2 teaspoons of cooking oil, grease 9x13” baking dish.
2. Fill large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Add cauliflower and cook until tender,  ~5 minutes. Drain and set aside cauliflower and pan for later use. (You could also steam the cauliflower or use frozen and steam in microwave).
3. In food processor, make sauce by combining white beans, garlic, cheese, crème fraiche, milk, salt and pepper. Pulse until creamy and set aside.
4.  Preheat remaining cooking oil to large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent. Add cauliflower and toss to combine. Cook ~2-3 minutes until cauliflower begins to brown. Add sauce and herbs and stir to combine. Turn off heat, and add truffle oil if using as well as additional salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Bake for ~20-25 minutes, until top is golden brown. Remove from oven, and allow to cool slightly and set for ~5 minutes before serving warm. 

All-Natural No-Bake Brownies

When shopping at the supermarket, "all-natural" doesn't necessarily mean healthy. But these brownies are fudgy, delicious, and full of truly natural and healthful ingredients. Packed with nuts and fruit, they taste good enough for dessert, and will nourish you well enough to be a balanced breakfast. You can whip up a batch in about 10 minutes, plus a little extra time for chilling, so no excuses not to indulge in these chocolaty treats!

The Nutrition Rundown: Bananas and dates replace the usual refined sugar and add potassium, an important electrolyte, which blunts the rise of blood pressure when you have too much salt and helps regulate the body's fluid status. Nuts and fruit will give you lasting energy instead of the typical post-pastry crash.

All-Natural No-Bake Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Makes 20 Brownies

Ingredients for Brownies
10 oz pecans
1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ripe bananas
1 cup dates

Directions for Brownies

1. Pulse pecans, coconut, and coco powder in food processor until it resembles coarse meal. Add bananas and dates and continue to pulse until well combines (you may need to remove lid and stir ingredients occasionally). 
2. Press brownie mix into 9x13" pan. 

Ingredients for Frosting

1/4 cup organic, natural peanut butter

2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1 Tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions for Frosting

1. Blend all ingredients in food processor until well combined. 
2. Using rubber spatula, cover brownies in peanut butter topping. 
3. Cover and chill brownies in refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 1 week. 

Gluten Free Beet Muffins

Beet muffins may sound weird, but shredded beets add color and flavor to these tasty gluten free goodies. I used almonds and oats as the gluten free "flour" base. With orange, spices, and creme fraiche topping, they are reminiscent of carrot cake but without too much added sugar and instead packed with tons of nutrients. 

The Nutrition Rundown: Oats and almonds replace refined flour, adding soluble fiber, healthy fat, and protein. Beets give the muffins betacyanins, pigments that have been shown to act as powerful cancer-fighting agents. 

Beet Muffins

with Orange Crème Fraiche Topping

(Gluten Free)

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients for muffins

3 beets, cleaned, peeled, rough chopped

1 cup almonds, toasted

½ cup rolled oats (labeled “gluten free”)

2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger (or ½ tsp ground ginger)

¼ cup dark brown sugar

3 eggs

½ lemon, zest and juice

Directions for muffins

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using butter or oil, grease 12 muffin tin or prepare with parchment liners and set aside.
2. Pulse beets in food processor until shredded.  Remove beets and set aside in small bowl.
3. In food processor, pulse almonds and oats until coarse meal. Add baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger and pulse to combine.
4. Place dry mixture in medium mixing bowl. Whisk in brown sugar. Create a well in center of mixture and add eggs. Whisk eggs into dry mixture. Add beets and lemon and fold to combine.
5.  Pour batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake for ~15 minutes, until set in center. Remove from pan and cool on wire racks. Muffins without topping may be served warm or room temperature, and can be stored in enclosed container at room temperature.  

Ingredients for Topping

1/3 cup crème fraiche

2 oz goat cheese

Zest of 1/2 orange (plus additional as desired)

1 1/2 Tablespoons honey

Directions for Topping

1. Combine all ingredients with electric mixer (or whisk together thoroughly).
2. Place topping in piping bag (or sealable plastic bag with corner cut). Pipe onto top of muffins.
3. Garnish with additional orange zest if desired. Store in refrigerator.  Allow to chill at least one hour before serving. 

Fresh Pick of the Week: Spring Onions

Yes, friends! That's SPRING in the title. These mild onions started popping up last week at my local farmer's market. In most parts of the country, spring onions are available starting around April/May and extending into early summer (here in Southern California, we benefit from longer-than-usual produce seasons). Spring onions have a similar flavor to green onions or scallions but are actually a different variety. In fact, spring onions are early-harvested (aka young) white/red onions, which is why their bulbs can be white or red. Since they have a similar flavor to green onions, they can be used interchangeably in recipes. Try them sauteed into next stir fry, cooked or raw on salad, as a pizza topping, or mixed into soups. Or check out my next recipe using quick-fry spring onions!

Beet Gratin

Beets and their greens combine with rich cheese in this NY Times-inspired dish. This recipe could easily be used as a template for other vegetable gratins, which make decadent, vegetarian main dishes. 

The Nutrition Rundown: Beets and their greens are full of vitamins and minerals, including folate, a critical B vitamin helping to reduce risk of heart disease and to prevent birth defects for women of child-bearing age. This dish is also packed with filling-fiber. 

Beet Gratin

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 bunches of beets (red or golden) and their greens

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Gruyere and semi-hard Toma)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Clean and dice beets. Toss beets in 2 Tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Reduce heat of oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Clean and slice greens. Preheat 1 Tbs olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic with salt and pepper for 1-2 minutes. Add greens with their rinsing liquid. Cover with lid and cook ~3-5 minutes to steam greens. Turn off heat an allow to cool. 
3. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Pour in beets and greens and stir to combine.
4. Grease 9x13" baking pan and pour in beet mixture. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for ~25 minutes until set. Place under broiler additional 2-3 minutes to brown cheese. Serve warm. 

Chipotle Tomatillo Guacamole

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! This smokey, spicy guacamole is the perfect addition to your Super Bowl spread. The tomatillo gives this dip a citrusy crunch, while chipotle chilis add smokey flavor. The chilis in adobo add sodium to this dip, so don't add any additional salt--with all the flavor of the chilis and sauce, you won't need it! Serve with whole grain tortilla chips (check the ingredients label for "whole corn") and some veggies for dipping.

The Nutrition Rundown: Avocados are full of healthy, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats and vitamins that make them an anti-inflammatory food. Because of all this healthy fat, they are high in calories; using tomatillos and chili peppers in this guacamole cuts back on the calories per dip for any calorie-conscious Super Bowl party goers!

Chipotle Tomatillo Guacamole

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 large avocado (or 2 small)

1 can (7oz) Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (found in the Mexican grocery aisle) 

2 Tomatillos

Black pepper

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. Remove skin and pit of avocado(s). Dice into medium bowl. 
2. Take chilis from can. There will be sauce on the chilis, but you may discard the excess sauce. Chop chilis and place in bowl with avocado. Remove skins of tomatillo, dice into bowl. 
3. Add pepper and lime juice. Garnish with cilantro if using and serve! 

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Chickpeas, Cherries and Feta

I often cook with a lot of herbs and spices. Tonight, I opted to keep the flavors simple, allowing the natural flavors of the vegetables and fruit to shine through. The unorthodox addition of cherries was inspired by a recent online publication I did on Cooking with Fruit for Verily Magazine. I served this tasty vegetarian dish as our main fare, accompanied by some baked sweet potato "fries." Going meatless a few meals (or days) each week helps reduce risk of heart disease, expands your palate, and helps the environment. 

The Nutrition Rundown: Brussels sprouts and chickpeas together will give you lasting energy from complex carbohydrates. This dish is also packed with vitamins and lots of filling fiber. 

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Chickpeas, Cherries and Feta

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 large onion, sliced 

4 cups Brussels Sprouts, rinsed & drained (not dried), ends removed (cut large ones in half)

4 cloves garlic, smashed

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3 Tablespoons dried, unsweetened cherries

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (or 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1 ounce feta, crumbled

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Prepare vegetables. Add oil to large, heavy skillet. Preheat on medium heat. 
2. Add onions, dash of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes or until onions are translucent and fragrant. 
3. Add garlic, Brussels sprouts with their remaining rinsing liquid, and another dash of salt and pepper. Cover and cook about 5 minutes. Remove lid, stir, and add cherries and chickpeas. Add additional 1/4 cup water to cover bottom of pan if Brussels sprouts or onions are browning too quickly. Cover again and cook another 10 minutes, removing lid periodically to stir. 
4. Remove lid. Stir in lemon juice. Cook additional 2-5 minutes. Brussels sprouts should be browning and soft to bite. 
5. Sprinkle feta over the top of dish before serving.