Pasta Alternatives: Bacon Bolognese-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes & Zucchini Spaghetti

I recently came across two ideas for traditional pasta-based dishes that have omitted the pasta for other ingredients. If pasta doesn't sit well with you, these alternatives may help you enjoy some old Italian favourites. If you're just looking for something a little different, these recipes are also a little different.

Bacon Bolognese-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Adapted from: http://cafedelites.com/
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 medium or 2 large yams/sweet potatoes
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 500 g bacon 
• 1 kg ground beef
• 398 ml of tomato sauce
• 1 T vegetable stock powder
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil, chopped

Method

Cook the bacon in a frying pan or oven at 375F until crispy. Remove from the heat and chop finely when cooled. Set the oven to 450F.

In order to bake the sweet potatoes with the prettiest results, bake them whole after cleaning them with warm water and poking a few holes in them. I sliced my very large potatoes in half in order to reduce the amount of baking time. With this method, the exposed flesh develops a skin that needs to be removed and discarded before serving.

While the potatoes are baking, sauté the onions, garlic and other vegetables in oil on medium heat until translucent. Add the ground beef and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the beef has cooked through. Add the tomato sauce, stock powder and bacon, mixing well.  Once the potatoes are baked, cut each of them in half, vertically and scoop out the potato until only half an inch lines the skin. Combine the potato in with the bolognese mixture.

Scoop the bolognese into the potato skins until filled and top with parmesan cheese. Broil on high for 5 minutes. Remove and top with chopped basil.

As tasty as they look.

Zucchini Pasta Primavera

A friend of mine recently purchased the Paderno spiral slicer (https://paderno.com) and has been raving about her re-inspired pasta dish that replaces spaghetti with zucchini noodles. Yep, the spiral slicer will give you long, spaghetti-like noodles from a zucchini. I had to give it a try. I wasn't interested in buying another appliance, but I had alternatives.

In the adjacent picture, I used the julienne slicing disc attachment on my KitchenAid food processor. I also experimented with a simple vegetable peeler and while neither tool gets the same results as the spiral slicer, it provides a viable substitute. This version is vegetarian, but my friend usually adds a few Italian sausages to her recipe. You need a good shot of protein in this dish to fill you up. I would add toasted pine nuts, or roasted chick peas if sausage doesn't work for you.

Adapted: From my head!

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 small zucchinis
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T olive oil
• handful basil, chopped
• handful cherry tomatoes, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• grated parmesan to taste

Method

Slice/grate the zucchinis using the tool of your choice. For the vegetable peeler, I left the skins on and kept the end on the zucchinis to give me something to grip while I peeled. For the julienne slicer, I also left the skin on, but cut the ends off each of the zucchinis.

Warm the olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Sauté the garlic for a minute and then add the zucchini, tossing it thoroughly to coat it with the oil.  Let the zucchini heat up for about 2 minutes. I opted not to cook it further in order to keep the texture of the zucchini somewhat al dente. Too much heat time in the pan will also extract the water from the zucchini, causing the dish to get soggy. Add the tomato and basil, tossing well and remove from heat. Season with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.

Beet & Potato Latkes

If you are one of the many who have become carb-conscious in recent years, you have reason to be. Studies comparing low fat, high carb, low calorie diets to low carb, high protein, high fat diets have shown that the low carb diet weight loss results were better, as were improvements in certain risk factors for coronary heart disease and diabetes.

Further detail can be provided here:  www.nejm.org

And here: www.nejm.org

Also here:  press.endocrine.org

Starchy vegetables are often targeted by the carb police as their glycemic index (GI), the rate at which carbs are absorbed into the blood stream, ranks high compared to other vegetables. A low GI ranges between 0-50, a medium GI ranges between 51-69 and a high GI from 70-100. Beets have a medium GI at 64, while potatoes rank higher, but the numbers provided via several studies vary considerably. I've found GI's ranging from between 58 to 111 just for russet potatoes as an example. For a sample GI index, check out this link: http://www.health.harvard.edu

Worth noting is that fiber is a form of carbohydrate which, in soluble form helps block the absorption of cholesterol. As fiber is indigestable, it can be deducted from the carb calculation of the food in question. 

Here's something else to consider: you need carbs. Carbohydrates are the body's way of providing fuel to its' cells and tissue.  About 130 grams per day is a good target to work towards.

With this in mind, I made myself a batch of beet and potato latkes yesterday. In addition to carbohydrates, potatoes cover a lot of other territory. A russet potato contains more potassium at 620 mg each than a banana, a serving of broccoli or spinach. It also provides a healthy dose of vitamins C and B6. Beets on the other hand are a good source of manganese and folate and help balance out the GI index of these latkes.

Now that we've overanalyzed these latkes, let's make and eat them.

Beet and Potato Latkes

Adapted from: http://www.ourfreshkitchen.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 large russet potatoes
• 2 large beets
• 2 green onions
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• coarse salt & pepper to taste
• 1 T coconut oil
• chopped dill to serve
• sour cream to serve

Method

Prepare the vegetables by peeling and grating the potatoes and beets and finely chopping the green onions. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, beets and onions with the flour, salt and pepper. Add the eggs, mixing well until the egg covers all the ingredients. Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a pan on medium heat. Add a scoop of the mixture about a 1/4 - 1/3 cup in size to the pan and flatten it to form a patty. Cook the patty for approximately 6 minutes on each side. I opted to cook my latkes for longer than the original recipe specified, because I was experimenting with using less heat on my cast iron pan. The result was less smoke and spitting while the latkes were on the stovetop. Add a handful of chopped dill and dollops of sour cream to the latkes when serving.

References:

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu

http://www.livestrong.com

http://www.health.harvard.edu

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com

Soup & Salad: Roasted Cauliflower & Fennel Soup with a Chorizo, White Bean & Arugula Salad

It's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood, a beautiful day in the blah, blah, blah... Day one of Fall is here and I'm in a hearty soup mood to help kick off the season. I found both the soup and salad recipes online and as usual they can be adapted to suit any diet. The soup is vegan, as it uses a base of coconut milk and vegetable stock. I'm sure I've made blended soups with coconut milk before, but really enjoyed the richness it added to this particular recipe once combined with the toasted and smoky vegetables. I displayed the salad in a jar, since that's how I packed it for my lunches. Now that I've tried my first jarred salad as part of a packed lunch, I won't be going back. This storage method keeps all ingredients in good form and ready to mix when you're ready to eat.

The common thread in these recipes is the use of fennel. Tis the season for it and while not everyone loves the slight licorice taste of this root vegetable, I hope these subtle combinations will change your mind.







Roasted Cauliflower & Fennel Soup

Adapted from: http://www.forageddish.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 lb cauliflower florets
• 2 medium heads of fennel
• 1 medium white onion
• 3 cloves of garlic with skin on
• 1 T coconut oil
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil for drizzling

Method

Preheat the oven to 375F. Wash then loosely chop the fennel and cauliflower florets. Chop the onion and then slice the tips off of the top of each the garlic clove, ensuring that the skin is left on on the rest of the garlic. Place all vegetables on baking sheets and roast them in the oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until the edges of the vegetables brown a little.

In a large pot, heat the coconut oil. Place the vegetables in the pot and toss them to coat them evenly with the oil. Add the stock and coconut milk and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with a stick blender or food processor. Season with coarse salt and pepper and blend for another minute to mix in the seasoning. Drizzle each serving with a little olive oil and serve with crusty, buttered bread.


Chorizo, White Bean & Arugula Salad

Adapted From: http://www.kitchenkonfidence.com/

Serves 4

Ingredients

Four canning jars, approximately 750 ml each

Dressing

• 8 T olive oil
• 3 t sugar
• 4 t dijon mustard
• 2 t honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• kosher salt and pepper to taste

Salad

• One fennel bulb, sliced
• Half a red onion, sliced
• 1 cup of white, kidney beans (I used canned and rinsed them)
• 1/2 cup diced chorizo, salami or hearty cured meat of your choice
• 1/2 cup pistachios
• 4 cups of arugula
• Handful of dill, loosely chopped

Method

For the salad dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar and shake well. Pour a quarter of the salad dressing into the bottom of each of four jars. For the salad, divide all the ingredients into four and assemble the salad in a jar, one layer at a time in the order provided.  Ensure the jars are transported right-side-up to ensure the ingredients stay crisp and fresh. When ready to serve, invert the jar and shake to mix the ingredients with the dressing.

Pesto Isn't Just For Nuts Anymore

This may be obvious to some, but for the others, let me let you in on a little secret: Nuts can be substituted for other seeds in many of your favourite recipes...Ta-da!! I suspect this revelation was left out of the Bible because it stirred up too much controversy.

Pesto is one of those typical nut-laden favourites, but its' contents can be replaced with seeds and still return a remarkable flavour. It's also somewhat satisfying to know that there is a way to preserve your favourite herbs through the winter. I have been buying and roasting all kinds of interesting vegetables this summer in an attempt to get to them while in season. Since nothing pairs with a roasted vegetable quite like pesto, I thought I'd give the traditional recipe a little shake up.

Here's a sample of my favourite swapola:


Dill Pesto

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh chopped dill
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 t fleur de sel 

Method

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined. If the pesto needs a little more moisture, try adding lemon juice or a bit more olive oil.



Basil Pesto

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh chopped basil
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 olive oil
• 1 t fleur de sel

Method

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined. If the pesto needs a little more moisture, try adding lemon juice or a bit more olive oil.

Japanese Eggplant

Behold the Japanese eggplant! It tastes remarkably like a regular eggplant, so I really can't tell you why I would use it over the standard one. I also have no idea what inspired its' name as none of the versions I've seen really look like an egg in the first place. So why would you eat eggplant? Well, I've asked myself that very question. I don't find them all that flavourful, but they seem to come alive when roasted or grilled. This may also be because I top them with all kinds of things such as chile paste or pesto and a soft cheese once off the grill. They make a good base...kind of like an odd textured cracker.

What I didn't know about eggplants is that they are a fruit and are loaded with all sorts of goodies. For instance, eggplants have fiber, iron, potassium, folate, manganese and calcium in them. Good news! So if you are interested in getting loaded up with vitamins and minerals, consider this odd little number and try the following recipes.

Grilled Eggplant topped with Yoghurt and Dill

It is as easy as it sounds.

I tried slicing two Japanese eggplants both horizontally and vertically and had more success with the horizontal slices. I brushed each slice with a little olive oil and roasted them on a grill plate in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 400F. Half way through, I flipped each slice to get an even grill on both sides.

The sauce is just a cup of 2% yoghurt with some chopped dill, salt and pepper in it. I seasoned the eggplant slices with salt and pepper once out of the oven and then topped some of them with the yoghurt sauce.


Roasted Cauliflower with Walnuts, Gruyere and Eggplant on a Bed of Spinach

I reserved most of the horizontal slices of eggplant for this salad. I used half a head of cauliflower,
brushing each bite-size piece with some olive oil and roasting them in the oven on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes at 450F. Once roasted, I built each serving individually arranging a handful of spinach on each plate, followed by a few walnut pieces, some cubed Gruyere, a handful of the cauliflower and the eggplant. I used about a half cup each of cubed Gruyere, walnuts and eggplant to make four servings. Each of the salads was topped off with a drizzle of olive oil and some quality salt and cracked pepper.

Pan Fried Halibut with Grilled Halloumi & Vegetable Salad

Hats off to Chatelaine magazine for their ongoing efforts to bring simple and delicious recipes to their readers consistently. I get a little giddy at the thought of each month's issue and try as many recipes as I can with solid results. I recently tried a grilled vegetable and halloumi salad from the magazine's June issue.  I've seen halloumi, a Mediterranean, semi-hard, unripened and brined cheese at a few grocers and figured it was time to try cooking with it. This recipe allowed the opportunity to do just that and offered another take on salad that is refreshing and loaded with ingredients that give you a full meal out of your salad. I paired the original serving with halibut fillets and used the leftover salad for lunches.

We are fortunate enough to have access to some decent not-so-domestic fish in Alberta, thanks to the miracles of modern-day logistics and market demands. Miracles are expensive however, so when buying fillets of fresh fish from your neighbourhood market, make it count!

Grilled Halloumi and Vegetable Salad

Adapted From: http://www.chatelaine.com

Ingredients

• 4 small zucchinis cut diagonally into 1/2" pieces
• 250g package of halloumi cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 T olive oil
• 540 ml can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 T chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 T chopped dill
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

If using a barbecue, preheat the barbecue to medium. If your barbecue is out of commission for the season like mine, get yourself a grill plate and make good use out of it. Just make sure to place one of your oven racks on the top level of your oven and preheat it to 500-550F. Brush the surface of the plate/barbecue with olive oil. Whisk 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside. Place the zucchini pieces on the grill for 3 minutes each side. Remove the zucchini and add the halloumi pieces, grilling for one minute on each side. I recommend testing your halloumi grilling time by grilling one piece first for a minute each side and then sampling it. If overdone, it will be very rubbery and will require less time.  Place a few of the zucchini and halloumi pieces on to a plate and add the chick peas, herbs and toss with the oil and lemon, salt and pepper.

Halibut with White Wine and Shallot Sauce

From: http://www.canadianliving.com

Ingredients

• 350 g (two fillets) of skinless halibut
• 1 t butter
• 1 t extra virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 t kosher flaked salt

Method

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Fry the halibut in the pan, turning once until the fish flakes easily when tested; about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm by tenting the halibut with aluminum foil. Add the wine and minced shallot to the pan on medium-high heat and allow to until the sauce is reduced to about 2 tablespoons; about 2 minutes. Place each of the halibut fillets on plates and drizzle the reduction over top.

Potato Salad Anyone?

I have not one, but TWO potato salad recipes for those of you looking for variations on the beloved classic. Say what you will about potatoes, but I dig 'em and hope you'll curb your low carb, low glycemic index diet in order to give these recipes a try.

Adapted From: Canadian House & Home (May 2014 p.132)

#1: Potato and Artichoke Salad

• 2 lbs potatoes sliced in half 
• 2 cups of canned artichokes drained of their oil/water
• 2 T dill, finely chopped
• 2 cups parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 T white wine vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain potatoes and cool with cold water for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper until combined. Toss in the potatoes, artichokes, dill and parsley, ensuring all ingredients are coated well.

#2: Cucumber and Potato Salad

From: http://www.chatelaine.com/

Ingredients

• 750g fingerling potatoes sliced into 1/4" rounds
• 3 mini cucumbers sliced into 1/4" rounds
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 T white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 T chopped dill

Method

Boil the potato rounds in a large pot of water until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain potatoes and cool with cold water for about 5 minutes.

Rub the cucumber slices with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let stand until water begins to seep out of the cucumbers, about 10 minutes. Place cucumbers into a strainer to allow the liquid to drain.

Whisk oil, vinegar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Add the dill, potatoes and cucumbers into the bowl and toss well.