Category: Lent
Chana Saag (Chickpeas with Spinach)
| November 15, 2010 | Filled under Indian, Lent, One Pan, Quick Weeknight Meals, Vegetarian or Vegan, Winter |
Following a month of eating mostly take-out and a trip to the Foodbuzz Festival (where I ate pretty much everything in sight) I’m excited to be back in the kitchen, cooking up healthy recipes.
Choosing the first meal to cook was a difficult task: I was sick of carbs, tired of cheese (yes, it’s possible!), and had my fill of meat. Soup seemed like the perfect solution, but Shawn was sick of that. I knew I was on to something when I spotted a can of chickpeas in the back of the cabinet — starchy, but not heavy like pasta, potatoes, or rice. It didn’t take long to figure out what I wanted to do with them. This chana saag was exactly the kind of meal that I was aching for: warm, creamy chickpeas coated in a fragrant spinach sauce provided enough protein and fiber to keep me satisfied without leaving me stuffed.
I hadn’t made chana saag in years, and I had forgotten how easy it is! Start to finish, it will take you about a half hour and most of the ingredients involved are pantry staples, meaning this can be easily whipped up on a weeknight. A food processor makes pureeing the spinach sauce a breeze, but if you don’t have one it can also be made successfully in a blender.
Looking for a vegan meal? Substitute silken tofu for the yogurt! You can also leave it out entirely, but it does add a nice touch of creaminess to the sauce.
Looking for a meat-filled meal? I encourage you to give the chickpeas a try. But if you insist, you can substitute two chicken breasts for the chickpeas. Just adjust the final cooking time to ensure that it’s cooked through.
Click to continue reading and get the recipe for Chana Saag –>
Roast Steelhead with Citrus & Olives over Saffron Risotto
| November 1, 2010 | Filled under Fish and Seafood, Lent, Risotto, Shawn's Favorites, Sides, Special Occasions |
Welcome to the party! Today’s recipe is part of November’s Kitchen Play Progressive Party – a fun, new series where once a month, six bloggers are assigned a course and tasked with using a featured product to create an original recipe. This month’s sponsor isLindsay Olives and I’m serving up a delicious entrée of steelhead trout roasted with rosemary, orange, and olives over saffron risotto.
When the folks over at Lindsay asked which olives I would be interested in trying out, I was immediately drawn to their Naturals line, which are processed without artificial colors, preservatives, or other yucky stuff. These olives are pretty much as simple as you can get – the only ingredients listed on the can are olives, water, and salt! The olives themselves are meaty and buttery, with a smooth flavor that lends itself well to cooking.
I knew that I wanted to do something different with these olives than a typical tapenade and that I wanted them to be featured prominently in the entrée that I created. Since I loved the braised olives in Sally Bee’s Moroccan Chicken, I wanted to try another preparation in which the olives were served warm. I decided to keep things simple by roasting them along with a few other ingredients and serving it over risotto (my motto: when all else fails, make risotto) and I couldn’t have been happier with how this entrée turned out. Roasting the olives brought out their natural sweetness, and they paired perfectly with the fatty fish and bright citrus. This is a dish that I would happily serve to dinner guests (real or virtual) and that I look forward to making again!
Click to continue reading Roasted Steelhead with Citrus & Olives over Saffron Risotto –>
Roast Steelhead with Citrus & Olives over Saffron Risotto
2- 6 oz Steelhead Trout Filets (you can substitute Salmon)
Zest and Juice from 1 Orange
2 sprigs fresh Rosemary
1 cup Lindsay Naturals Green Ripe Olives, rinsed
Salt and Pepper
Saffron Risotto (see below)
Preheat oven to 400.
Rub the orange zest into the fish. Place the rosemary in the bottom of a cast iron pan or baking dish. Lay the trout, skin-side down, over the rosemary. Add the olives around the salmon. Pour the juice over the salmon and olives.
Roast for 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked to medium. Season with salt and pepper.
Discard rosemary and serve over saffron risotto.
Serves 2.
Saffron Risotto
4 cups Chicken Stock
2 pinches Saffron
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio Rice
1 cup white wine
Add the stock and saffron to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft and fragrant.
Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes translucent with a small white dot in the center of each grain.
Add the wine. Cook, stirring constantly, until the wine cooks off and the pan is almost dry. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Ladle in 1 cup of the chicken stock. Cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is almost absorbed. Repeat this process, adding a half cup of stock at a time, until the rice is creamy and soft.
Serves 2.
Want a chance to win $100?
For each course from the Progressive Party that you recreate at home, you’ll be entered for a chance to win. (That means up to six entries!) Pop on over the Kitchen Play for the details!
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