Lean, Cream and Green Pasta

I have always been a big lover of vegetables, including the green ones, even as a child. However, I have not been able to get into the green juices that are all the rage these days, and prefer to stick to taking in my greens the good old fashion way: chewing them. Earlier this week, I had one of my cravings for greens, and had some time to spare, so I wandered through the gigantic grocery stores that exist in the south, playing on my Cooking Light app along the way, and ended up creating a pasta dish with plenty of greens and fresh herbs (grown by yours truly), and some prosciutto for that extra bang.

Lean, Cream and Green Pasta 

Recipe inspired by Cooking Light, but invented by yours truly 

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition: 387 calories; 9 grams fat; 54 grams carbs; 18 grams protein

Ingredients: 

• 12 ounces spinach fettuccine
• 1 bunch broccolini
• 1 bunch fresh spinach
• 4 green onion pencils
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3/4 cup fat free ricotta cheese
• 4 tablespoons shredded pecorino-romano cheese
• Salt and Pepper
• 4 ounces prosciutto (FYI: if you happen to have the person at the deli tell you "I'm bad at math and science" when you ask for 4 ounces, it's easily converted to 0.25 pounds. Great American school systems strike again....sorry for the tangent)

Step 1: Roughly chop spinach and green onions. Finely chop thyme, dill, and rosemary.

Step 2: Start cooking pasta and steam broccolini. Saute garlic, two tablespoons olive oil, and one teaspoon of salt and pepper for about four minutes then add herbs and stir constantly for about two to three minutes to meld together flavors. Add spinach and cover with a lid, stirring occasionally. Once spinach has wilted, remove from heat and keep warm.

Step 3: As your pasta continues to cook, place ricotta cheese and pecorino-romano cheese in a food processor. Chop the prosciutto. 

Prosciutto: this was so hard for me and the little scavenger, er Annabelle, to resist eating

Step 4: Once your pasta has finished cooking, put 3/4 cup of the pasta water into the food processor with the two cheeses, and blend until smooth. 

Step 5: Toss sauce into pasta and mix in spinach and herb mixture. Separate out six servings of pasta and top each with prosciutto and a few broccolinis. 

Ta Da!
 (please note the almost finished Abita Pecan beer to get in the spirit of fall)

This dish was easy to make (chopping, boiling, and food processing) and provides a nutrient rich dinner, and tricks non-green eaters (ahem Jason) into eating greens! 

xoxo

*K

Guilt free eggs benedict for brunch!

Eggs Benedict, and all variations thereof, is one of my favorite brunch dishes, next to steak and eggs. However, it can be very high in fat (hence delicious). I found a Cooking Light recipe that gives the same scrumptious-ness without all of the fat! This recipe substitutes sabayon for Hollandaise, which eliminates the high fat content, without losing the creamy delicious taste of the Hollandaise. This recipe is quite easy to make (I made the entire thing in less than 30 minutes), but will totally wow guests for brunch :)

Spinach Benedict with Thyme Sabayon on a Bagel 

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Nutrition: 242 calories; 12 grams of fat Makes 4 servings (1 benedict each) or 2 servings with 2 eggs 

Sauce: 

• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 1 tablespoon dry white wine (I used chardonnay)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (squeeze the juice from half of a lemon)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Other Ingredients: 

1 Bagel (or English Muffin)

16 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon butter

4 eggs

Preparation: 

1. To prepare sauce, combine 1 egg, 2 tablespoons fat-free milk, 1 tablespoon dry white wine, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme in a sauce pan. Cook at medium-high heat until thick (about 9 minutes), stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, stirring with a whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Keep warm.

1. 2. Saute minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of butter; then add spinach, and cook until wilted (about 4 minutes).
2. 
   
3. 3. Toast bagel/English muffin. Keep warm.
4. 
   
5. 4. Add water to a large skillet, filling two-thirds full. Bring to a simmer. Add vinegar. Break each egg into a custard cup (or a soup ladle), and pour gently into pan. Cook 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove eggs from pan using a slotted spoon.
6.  
7. 5. Top each bagel (English muffin) with half with spinach, 2 eggs and sabayon. Garnish with salt and pepper and a sprig of fresh thyme. Serve immediately.

I hope you enjoy this guilt free delight at your next brunch gathering!

xoxo

*K