RISOTTO WITH SPINACH AND SHRIMPS

As mentioned in previous postings, Easter is all about lamb in our home except for Good Friday, a day of strict fasting and abstinence from all meat.  Sometimes the simplest recipes are the very best.  Like this one, which has become a favorite of ours.  Trust me, this dish is brilliant, speedy, and ideal when the day calls for a meatless dish.

Ingredients:


1 1/2 uncooked large shrimps, peeled and deveined
5 cups of vegetable broth or water
6 tablespoons of olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 cup of Arborio or Carnaroli Brown rice
1 lb. fresh spinach leaves or 1 (10 oz. package)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and black pepper

Preparation:

In large pan, over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons olive oil.  Sauté shallots until softened. Add the rice and sauté for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of broth, stirring often until broth is almost completely absorbed. Continue adding broth until all the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender. 

In another skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté garlic until aromatic and softened. Add shrimp and cook until just done. Do not overcook. Remove shrimps to a plate. In the same skillet, add spinach tossing until spinach is wilted.  Adjust for salt and pepper.  Toss all ingredients until heated through and creamy.   Serve immediately.

https://casa-giardino.blogspot.com/2012/10/minestrone-with-beans-rice-and-cabbage.html

https://news.yahoo.com/italian-rice-puts-pasta-shade-during-pandemic-015431958.html

COLOR YOU DIET

 

A colorful, balanced diet is associated with good health.

Vegetables from our garden

So what does color have to do with diet anyway?   According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, deeply colored vegetables -- whether green, yellow, orange, or red -- and dark leafy greens offer the most protective health benefits against cancer and other diseases. 








The more brightly colored the vegetable, the more protective the health benefits, thanks to a rich assortment of plant compounds called phytochemicals.

 

Fruits should also be an important part of our overall healthy eating plan.  Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, said that “to maximize the benefit, you actually want a variety” of fruits. He advises “eating the rainbow,” since different colors signal different types of antioxidants and nutrients.

I challenge myself daily to keep my dishes colorful.

Fried peppers

Spinach and brown rice

Sauteed mushrooms

Cream of squash soup

Zucchini, potatoes and eggplant casserole









 

 

 

 

 

MEATLESS MONDAY: Spinach and Brown Rice - Spinaci e Riso Integrale

There is a movement out there to have people go meatless one day of the week – The movement is known as Meatless Monday.  The movement’s goal is to have people change their eating habits incrementally.  I am not a vegetarian and I still like and enjoy eating meat but I think we consume way too much.

Why Monday? I think it’s the perfect day to go meatless. We all indulge on weekends and Monday is the perfect day to eat vegetables to cleanse our bodies and purge toxins from our system.  I, personally, do not have to change my eating habits as I have been eating well since childhood.

Fresh spinach

Spinach and Brown Rice

Ingredients
2 bunches of fresh spinach (2 - 8 oz. frozen spinach)
1 cup brown rice
2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Parmigiano Reggiano shaved

Preparation
Wash spinach thoroughly.  Wash the rice well and place it in a pot with cold water (2 cups of water for every cup of rice) add salt.  Bring it to a boil, then cover the pot and simmer slowly for 45/50 minutes.  In a pan, add the oil and garlic.  Cook garlic until golden, add the washed spinach, salt, pepper and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.  When the rice is cooked add to the spinach and mix well.  Simmer for few minutes and serve with an abundance of shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

Spinach and Brown Rice with Parmigiano Reggiano
Spinaci e Riso Integrale

Images: ©2010 - La Casa e Il Giardino -picasaweb

Let's Take the "MEAT" Out of Meatballs - Part II

Vegetarian Balls (Polpette di Vegetali)

Vegetarian Balls

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb. potatoes

½ lb. chopped spinach

1 carrot

1 cup fresh peas (if not availabe use frozen peas)

1 finely chopped onion

2 eggs

½ cup parmiggiano reggiano

One or two tablespoons of milk

2 tablespoons of chopped basil

2 teaspoons of paprika

3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 cup of vegetable oil for frying

Sauce (see below)

Preparation

Wash the potatoes and boil them for about 25 minutes. Once cooled, remove skin and rice them. Boil the carrot until soft. Cook washed spinach in its own water. Boil peas for about 10 minutes. In a pan add the extra –virgin olive oil, saute’ onion, add cooked spinach, carrot and peas, salt and pepper. Mix together and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Incorporate the potato puree, the cooked vegetables, cheese and eggs and milk. Mix well together and form into balls the size of a peach.

In a pan, add 1 cup vegetable oil. When hot, saute’ the vegetable balls few at a time. Remove into a plate with paper towel.

On a platter place the sauce, add the vegetable balls and sprinkle the balls with paprika and serve.

Sauce

6 fresh tomatoes or 2 cups chopped canned tomatoes

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove sliced garlic

Basil sprig

Parsley sprig

Salt and pepper

In a saucepan,add oil, saute’ garlic until golden, add tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt and pepper

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Images: ©2010 - picasaweb