Asparagus and Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Last week I told you about the Mini Spinach and Cheddar Frittatas I made for the peanut's naming.  In addition to an egg dish, I wanted to include a light and summery salad.  I had a hard time thinking of what to do that wouldn't overlap with the veggies already present as a side for the bagels or in the Lentil Salad.  Until, that is, I remembered a recent post in Smitten Kitchen for an asparagus ribbon salad.  I thought this was such a cool idea - just eating raw ribbons of asparagus.  After a little more digging, I found a similar Giada De Laurentiis recipe that combined zucchini ribbons with small asparagus pieces, also in a lemon dressing, and decided to combine the two concepts.  After being told by several people that I was crazy to make a salad for 35 people that required shredding the veggies with a peeler, I bit the bullet and allotted a decent amount of time for prep of this salad the day before the party.  I am happy to report that not only did it take way less time than I expected to make my ribbons, but the ribbons also held up beautifully in zip-top bags in my fridge (without dressing!) overnight.

On the day of the party, this salad just kept disappearing!  Despite some skeptical looks when I told guests the asparagus was raw, overall I got rave reviews, including comments from people who generally don't like asparagus telling me they loved this salad.  My serving bowl wasn't quite big enough for the amount that I prepared, and we had to refill the bowl several times as people came back for seconds...and thirds :).  I hope you'll keep this in mind as a yummy side dish for your family or as a unique dish to serve to company!
 

Asparagus and Zucchini Ribbon Salad
adapted from Food Network and Smitten Kitchen

2 zucchini

1 bunch asparagus

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-2 ounces Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

Trim the ends off of the zucchini and then use a vegetable peeler to create long strips.  Next, lay each asparagus spear flat on a cutting board and, holding the woody end, use the vegetable peeler to make long strips from the base to tip (I found this easiest with a "Y" shaped peeler).  Discard the woody ends when you're done.  Use your peeler to create shavings of the cheese as well.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. 

Create the salad by layering veggies and cheese and gently tossing with some dressing about 1/3 at a time.  Serve immediately or up to 2 hours after dressing.

Do ahead: Prepare the veggie and cheese strips and store in zip-top bags overnight, mixing up the dressing and storing in a separate container.  Toss up to 2 hours before serving and add cheese at the last minute.

Simple Falafel

Falafel is not something I grew up eating, but at some point a few years back, hubby must have decided to order some and I discovered how delicious it is.  I have had it a few times since, but it never occurred to me to make it at home.  That is, until I signed the munchkin up for a cooking class this spring which had a different country theme each week.  When it came time to learn about Israel, the food of the week was falafel, served with hummus and pita bread.  The recipe had to be easy and quick in order for 2 year olds to be able to make and eat it within the 45 minute class time, and the result was delicious!  Well, the munchkin really was only interested in the pita bread, but I didn't mind finishing off her portion :).  When I got home I did a quick internet search and found a recipe that sounded just like what we made in class.

I ended up making a few changes.  The biggest was that I'm really not up for deep frying at home, so I pan fried my falafels instead.  I also left out the garlic and used dried parsley instead of fresh.  Happily, my home version was just as good as the ones from class.  The only problem is it's a little tricky to keep them from falling apart when not deep frying, but I'm totally willing to overlook that for a healthy non-meat based meal!

Simple Falafel
adapted from mideastfood.about.com

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 medium onion, cut into chunks

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon coriander

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons flour

oil for frying (canola or vegetable)

Combine all ingredients (except oil) in a food processor to create a thick paste.  Preheat a large (non-stick) pan over medium heat.  Add enough oil to just barely cover the bottom of the pan.  When the oil is hot, drop 2 tablespoon balls of the mixture into the pan and flatten slightly (I did this with a large cookie scoop).  Don't overcrowd the pan.  Gently flip when the first side is brown and crispy, approximately 5 minutes, and cook another 5 minutes on the other side.  Repeat additional batches with remaining mixture as needed.

Serve with pita, hummus, salad, yogurt/lemon/tahini sauce, or eat on their own.

Makes approximately 20 falafel patties.

Charoset, kid friendly and nut free!

Those of you who celebrate Passover know that the holiday has its benefits (matzo ball soup!) and drawbacks (how long has this seder been dragging on??).  On the plus side for me is definitely charoset - this sweet apple and walnut mixture comes near the end of the seder, and marks the beginning of the yummy dinner portion.  It must have some magic powers, because it even manages to make the plain matzo taste good!  This year I was in charge of making the charoset for a seder at my mom's house.  I immediately went to this recipe which I've made in the past with much success before I realized that 1) wine as an uncooked ingredient probably wasn't the best idea for the 3 kids under 6 at the table, and 2) my niece is allergic to nuts and therefore it was potentially dangerous to have walnuts floating around!  That led me to do a little searching, and I found this recipe for nut-free charoset, basically using pumpkin seeds as a substitute for the walnuts.  I thought that was a good idea, but then I heard a rumor that my brother really likes sunflower seeds, so I decided their nutty taste would work well, too!  I also still liked the proportions from my original epicurious recipe, so the result was a combination of a few ideas along with some improv.

FYI, the recipe as written below makes a TON of charoset - we used it for a seder for 12, another seder for 6, and still had a lot left over.  Feel free to half or quarter recipe as needed.  For those of you who don't celebrate Passover and/or have never had charoset, there is no reason why you couldn't make this as a snack for you or your kids any time - I know I have been enjoying the leftovers all week!

Charoset (kid friendly and nut free)

7 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
1 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds*
1 cup grape juice (or sweet Passover wine if you're not serving to kids, e.g., Manishewitz Extra Heavy Malaga)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Place apples in food processor and pulse until chopped to your liking (you could chop by hand to get a more consistent texture, but I don't think it's necessary or worth the extra time!).  Dump into a large bowl, wipe out food processor, and add sunflower seeds.  Pulse just to chop a little bit (some whole seeds is fine) and add to apples.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Taste and adjust any of the ingredients as you see fit.  Refrigerate until ready to use, up to a few days.  Charoset will taste better as it sits, so feel free to make ahead and plan for leftovers!

*I would use more next time; I went light because I was unsure how it would taste but would probably use closer to 1 1/2 cups

Spinach Mashed Potatoes

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for ways to eat more vegetables.  Despite my passion for wholesome cooking, my friends are often shocked to find out that integrating veggies into my family's diet does not come naturally at all!  So I'm sure the munchkin's aversion to most veggies is directly related to lack of exposure, but one thing I have been lucky with is that she happens to like spinach.  Go figure, right?  Fortunately, frozen chopped spinach is a great thing to keep in the freezer - if you buy it in a bag (instead of a box), you can use a little bit at a time, which works great for us - we often mix some frozen chopped spinach into eggs (either scrambled or omlets). I have also used frozen spinach to make pesto and these cute little dumplings. 

Recently I had the thought that spinach might make a nice addition to mashed potatoes, too.  I started experimenting, and after 2 tries I think I found a formula that works pretty well.  This is not the most gourmet recipe, and you can certainly adjust to your taste, but I think it's a great way to take an easy every day side dish and make it that much more nutritious!

Apologies for no picture...I promise to update next time I make this!

Spinach Mashed Potatoes

2 pounds yukon gold potatoes
2 cups frozen chopped spinach (measured while still frozen)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk

Cut unpeeled potatoes into approximately 1 inch chunks.  Place in a pot and cover with cold water by about 1 inch.  Place on the stove top, bring to a boil (watching for overflow!), and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. 

In the mean time, defrost the spinach and drain well (I do this by squeezing in a clean kitchen towel).  You want as little moisture left in the spinach as possible; otherwise the mashed potatoes might have a weird consistency. 

Drain cooked potatoes and place back in hot pot over very low heat.  Add spinach, salt, and butter and start to mash to combine.  Add milk a little at a time, starting with about half, mashing with each addition until you have the consistency that you like.  Try not to overmash; a little lumpiness is ok and too much mashing can make the potatoes gummy.

Serves 4

Simplest Mac & Cheese

I know, I've already posted two mac & cheese recipes on this site, but I'm still on a quest for the perfect healthy recipe.  The Mac & Cheese (with Squash!) is yummy, and I love the Broccoli Mac & Cheese, but I have to admit pre-cooking pasta and making a cheese sauce is a bit of a pain.  It's not complicated, but inevitably requires lots of time and creates lots of dishwashing!  I had tried a recipe once before which didn't call for cooking the pasta or making a cheese sauce and it was pretty disappointing (greasy instead of creamy), but when my friend who is an excellent cook passed on a similar recipe, I was intrigued enough to try again.  As it turns out, the main differences in the recipes is that the new one called for 1/4 the amount of cheddar (!) and adding a bread crumb topping.  Less cheese could certainly solve the greasiness problem, but would it be good??

The first time I tried the recipe, I listened to her advice to just throw in an entire small onion instead of measuring 1/4 cup - big mistake!  I'm not sure if she really does this, but I found the resulting dish WAY too oniony (and I love onion!).  Plus, I thought I'd throw in some broccoli, which just complicated the results even more.  I decided to give it another try with no onion or broccoli so I could get a good baseline for the basic recipe. 

The result is a dish which is really tasty, although not particularly cheesy.  I'm not a fan of cottage cheese but couldn't detect it at all, and it really couldn't have been more simple to make.  The whole family gobbled it up as a great side dish to hot dogs (well, the munchkin had it as a side dish to her hot dog bun, but let's not split hairs!).  Next time I'm going to start playing with it again, possibly adding more cheddar since there's really not that much and I don't need the recipe to be quite THAT healthy!  A happy medium of 1:1 ratio cheddar to pasta might be right, instead of double or half.  Also might add in broccoli again (since the broccoli mac and cheese is the only way the munchkin will eat broccoli).  I will keep you posted on the variations, but in the mean time if you're looking for an easy and super healthy mac & cheese recipe, definitely give this one a try, and let me know if you make any changes that work (or not)!

(apologies, no pic again this time; we have gotten really bad at remembering to get out the camera while the food still looks good!  I promise an update at some point in the future! :)

Simplest Mac & Cheese
adapted from my friend

1½ cups cottage cheese (low fat or whole)
1½ cups milk (skim, low fat, or whole) or buttermilk
1 teaspoon dried mustard or 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Pinch of cayenne
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup grated onions (optional; I left this out and didn't miss it)
1 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz), or more if you want to experiment
½ pound uncooked elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat)
2 tablespoons finely grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
¼ cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with a light coating of cooking spray or oil (this makes a very shallow mac & cheese...you could also use a smaller dish , or double the recipe in the 9x13).

In a blender or food processor, combine the cottage cheese, skim milk or buttermilk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper and puree until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the pureed mixture with onions (if using; or, if you use a food processor you can process them right in with the milk mixture and not pre-grate), cheddar cheese, and uncooked macaroni. Stir well.  Pour the mixture into the baking pan.

Combine the grated pecorino or parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs and sprinkle over the top.  Bake for about 45 minutes until the top is browned and the center is firm.

Makes 6-8 side dish servings

Spinach Leek Dip

Last week, I was lucky enough to be invited to my parents' and bother's houses for Rosh Hashanah, which meant I got two great holiday meals that I didn't have to host!  Of course, my mom and sister-in-law each asked for a different contribution.  For night one I made chocolate cheesecake which came out delicious, but I'm thinking it's not really a simple or wholesome enough creation for this blog.  For night two, I was responsible for bringing some snacks to nosch on before dinner.  I decided I'd bring a spinach dip, home-made pita chips, carrot sticks, and some grapes.  Pita chips were easy - you might recall my recipe that went along with the edamame hummus?  Well, I followed the same method but seasoned the chips simply with salt.

As for spinach dip, it turns out almost every recipe on the internet involves either a powdered soup mix (partially hydrogenated soybean oil?  disodium inosinate? I think not!) or has cheese in it and is meant to be served hot, which would have meant bothering my sister-in-law in the kitchen as she prepared a meal for 11 people.  I finally found a recipe on the Cookstr blog for Spinach-Leek Dip that looked tasty.  I was a little nervous since it had no reviews and I've never tried any of their recipes, but in the absense of a better choice I decided to give it a try!

The resulting dip was delicious, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  This is a recipe I'd really like to play with, though, potentially using frozen spinach instead of fresh (to skip the wilting step), onions instead of leeks and/or shallots (if I can't find organic leeks, onions always seem to be available! plus, I think a stronger oniony flavor would be nice), and a little less fat by replacing some of the mayo and sour cream with greek yogurt (I've seen this in other recipes as a way to reduce the fat while keeping the creaminess and tang).  If anyone out there decides to give these ideas a try, please let me know how it goes!  But overall, for a full-fat dip this one is certainly tasty and simple enough to make.

Spinach Leek Dip
adapted from Cookstr

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 6-ounce bags baby spinach
1 cup thinly sliced leeks (white part only)
1/4 cup chopped shallots
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used less because I'm scared of cayenne, but you couldn't really detect the heat to feel free to use this full amount or potentially more if you want a kick)

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. In batches, stir in the spinach, wilting each batch before adding more. Sprinkle the spinach with 1 tablespoon water, cover, and cook until the spinach is tender, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool and squeeze out excess liquid by placing in a clean kitchen towel, forming a pouch, and twisting the top so all the liquid comes out through the towel (I have a green-stained towel in my kitchen dedicated to this purpose - it is really much easier and more effective than the handful at a time squeezing approach). Chop coarsely, but don't go overboard - it's just going in the food processor later anyway :)

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the shallots and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Cool completely.

Combine the spinach, cooled vegetables, sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, and cayenne in a food processor and process until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.

Serve chilled with pita chips, tortilla chips, veggies, or anything else you can think of!

Roasted Asparagus and Smashed Potatoes

I thought that maybe I should tell you about the sides that I served with my yummy Meat Loaf - Roasted Asparagus and Smashed Potatoes.  These barely count as recipes since I have no idea what the measurements are, but here's what I do in case you're in need of some inspiration!  I love this asparagus recipe because it has very simple ingredients and takes almost no time at all, but still has interesting flavor.  And these potatoes are my favorite for at home - yukon golds are so creamy without much butter or any cream, so you can get away with using chicken stock for moisture and keep these super-healthy.

Roasted Asparagus

adapted from Epicurious

1 bunch asparagus

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 500.

Trim asparagus spears by gently bending each one and allowing them to snap at the natural point close to the end.  Place in one layer in a shallow baking pan (or baking sheet coated with foil).  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, and roll around to fully coat.

Roast for 8-10 minutes, depending on thickness of asparagus, shaking pan once in the middle of cooking.  Asparagus should be tender but not soggy when finished.  After removing from the oven, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and toss one more time to coat.  Serve immediately.

Smashed Potatoes

Yukon gold potatoes, skin on

Butter (optional)

Chicken stock

Salt & pepper

Cut potatoes into approximately 1/2-1 inch chunks, and place in an empty pot.  Cover with cold water and bring to a boil on the stove top.  When the potatoes are cooked (they can be pierced easily with a fork and start to fall apart when pierced), drain in a collander and return to the hot pot.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of butter (depending on the size of your batch) and a splash of chicken stock to get started.  Smash with a potato masher, adding additional stock as needed to get desired consistency.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Potatoes will stay hot covered in the pot for approximately 15 minutes if needed.

Kale Chips

Last summer, we joined a CSA (community supported agriculture), which meant that we became shareholders in a local farm and received a selection of fruit and vegetables weekly from May through November.  I loved having fresh organic produce, and was especially happy to be forced into finding uses for items I may have never purchased on my own.  Some of my experiments were failures (I was never quite able to make bok choy taste good!), but we discovered some new favorites in the process.  Like kale chips. 

Did you know that if you bake kale leaves that they get light and crispy and melt in your mouth??  I would have never guessed - I always think of cooked greens as soggy and bitter, but something miraculous happens when kale is cooked in the oven just lightly tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with salt - hubby and I start fighting over who gets to finish the leafy greens :)

Kale Chips
adapted from too many sources to list

1 bunch kale (any kind should work)
olive oil
sea salt

Preheat oven to 350, and cover a large baking sheet (or 2!) with foil or parchment for easy clean-up.

Remove the stems and center ribs from kale leaves and cut or tear into pieces.  Place in a large bowl and toss with a drizzle of olive oil.  Place on prepared baking sheet(s) in a single layer and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy.  The chips do not need to be turned, but I'd recommend starting to check on them after about 15 minutes to make sure they don't burn.

Zucchini Patties

In my ongoing quest to find creative ways to make veggies more interesting to the munchkin, I came across a post on Itty Bitty Bistro for Zucchini Nuggets.  They sounded very similar to the Cheddar-Broccoli Sticks that were a huge hit, so I thought I'd give them a try.  The biggest difference is that they were pan fried instead of baked.  They ended up having a very different consistency - softer and more moist, but I thought they were delicious - better than the Cheddar-Broccoli sticks in fact!   On the first try the munchkin seemed to disagree, but on the second try I remembered that she is more willing to eat new foods off a fork than with her fingers (odd, but true), and she ate a few bites this way.  It remains to be seen if these become a favorite, but even if they don't for the munchkin, these are something I will be very happy to eat!

Zucchini Patties
adapted from Itty Bitty Bistro

3 small zucchini, grated (by hand or with a food processor)
2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (I just buzzed a few slices of whole wheat bread in the food processor)
2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
canola oil

In a large bowl, combine zucchini, bread crumbs, flour, eggs, and cheese.

Preheat a pan with enough canola oil to thinly coat the bottom over medium heat.  Take a spoonful of the zucchini mixture (I used my 3 tablespoon scoop, although these would work well a little bit smaller, too) and roll into a ball.  Flatten into a patty shape and place in the hot pan, repeating until the pan is full without overcrowding.  Cook approximately 3-4 minutes on each side until golden.  Cook the rest of the mixture in batches, adding more oil as needed.

Makes 16 patties

Cheesy Burgers and Baked Potato Chips

Last week we had a bit of a heat spell in NYC - temps well into the 80's in April were a bit unexpected, and not altogether welcome given that our building has yet to turn on the air conditioning!  But it did put us in the mindset that summer is coming, which meant that when I gave hubby the option of shepherd's pie or hamburgers for dinner, he actually chose the burgers, something he is virtually never in the mood for.  I was pretty psyched about making burgers, although a bit disappointed to not have the opportunity to try out that shepherd's pie recipe!  I'm wondering if that will have to wait until the fall...

In any case, I set out to find a wholesome burger recipe that would work well with my very lean grass-fed ground beef.  I came across a recipe on the Food Network website that was originally from EatingWell.com called Inside-Out Cheeseburgers.  The seasonings looked really nice and I was intrigued by the idea of putting the cheese inside the burger.  It turns out that while it's a little more labor intensive to make the burger halves to stuff and then put together, these burgers were incredibly flavorful and stayed really juicy with the cheese inside.  Plus, I'm sure I used less cheese this way than if I had put it on top - a half cup shredded is only about 1.5 ounces divided into 4 burgers - not bad at all!

Next stop was side dish - burgers need potatoes, and I happened to have some yukon golds in my fridge that needed to be used up.  I am always trying to perfect the art of the baked potato chip/fry, and actually had some luck this time!  They came out crunchy without being greasy.  Note that I tried following the same method with sweet potatoes, but the only states I could achieve were raw, soggy, and burned - I couldn't quite get them to crisp, so please let me know if you have any suggestions!

Cheesy Burgers
adapted from Food Network

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat the broiler.  Cover a pan with foil and coat with oil spray.

Gently mix beef, worcestershire, paprika, onion powder and pepper in a large bowl, preferably with your hands, without overworking. Shape into 8 thin, 4-inch-wide patties. Mound 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each of 4 patties, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Cover each with one of the remaining patties. Crimp and seal the edges closed.

Broil the stuffed patties, about 3-4 minutes per side for medium-well (I broiled 4 minutes on the first side and 2.5 on the second).  Let the burgers stand for 5 minutes before serving with your favorite toppings (photo includes ketchup, tomato, and pickles).

Makes 4 burgers

Baked Potato Chips
adapted from Teri's Kitchen

Cooking oil spray, preferably canola
Russet or Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400° F.  Line two large baking sheets with foil. Spray lightly with oil, then use a paper towel to spread it all over the bottom and remove any excess.

Slice the potatoes to about 1/8-inch thickness - this is easiest using a mandolin or food processor.  Place on the baking sheets in one layer (you may need to do multiple batches depending on how many potatoes you are using). Spray the tops lightly with the oil. Pat off any excess with a paper towel. Bake until brown and crispy, about 15-20 minutes. (Start monitoring them after 15 minutes; some of the slices may brown more quickly than others, which which case you can take them out sooner and continue baking the others.)

Remove the chips from the pans and place on paper towels, salting immediately to taste.  Chips may be served immediately, or allowed to sit while making the remainder of the dinner.

Spanakopita

As a little background, I started this blog as a kind of personal food diary.  I've found that being a mom has made me completely incapable of staying organized or remembering much of anything without detailed documentation, which meant that keeping track of recipes was becoming a huge challenge.  So one day I decided that if I post my recipes and reactions on the internet, then I can't lose them!  Along the way it occurred to me that there might be 1 or 2 people out there who are also interested in my recipes, so I started writing to a theoretical audience, although, despite the occasional person who assures me that they do read this site, I am still somewhat convinced that I am talking to myself!  The reason I'm giving this context now is that this post is an example of how this blog is more of a food diary than tried and true recipe recommendations like some other food blogs. 

Recently, my friend Kristin at Brooklyn Forager posted a recipe for spanakopita that looked interesting.  I have not historically been a huge fan of feta, but recently it has been growing on me, and spanakopita seemed like such a wonderful way of eating spinach.  The munchkin really likes feta and I have had luck with spinach in a few recipes for her, so I even thought this could make a good dish for the whole family.  Plus, I know Kristin is a great cook and my last recipe from Brooklyn Forager was a big success so I was excited to try something else! 

The first pitfall, though, was that I couldn't find phyllo dough that meets my definition of wholesome - even after scouring 2 grocery stores and 2 health food stores, I could only find it with scary chemicals and preservatives.  But I was already committed to trying the recipe, so I figured I'd get the scary kind and if we liked the outcome I'd worry about finding something better next time.  I also wanted to try this with frozen chopped spinach instead of fresh for simplicity, so I needed to adjust the recipe somewhat.

The end result was just ok, but I can't tell whether that was because I just don't like spanakopita, I screwed something up, or it was too healthy!  The flavors were nice - I could definitely detect the mint and the hint of red pepper, but there was something about the texture that just didn't excite me.  Hubby's biggest complaint was that I made it as a main course and he thought it was too light - he would have liked it better as a side, and he actually ended up using the filling on day two in an omlet, which worked really well.  So despite the fact that this is not the most enthusiastic endorsement, I wanted to document the recipe and put it out there in case any of you want to play with it and see if you can make it work for you :)

Spanakopita
adapted from Brooklyn Forager

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 small sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (this yielded very mild heat; feel free to use up to 1/4 tsp as per original recipe)
12-16 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly squeezed out in a towel
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
1 large egg white
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
4 sheets phyllo dough (whole wheat if you can find it), 13x18 inches each
Additional olive oil in mister or spray

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and pepper flakes and saute for about 2 minutes. Add spinach and sautee for a few minutes to heat through and combine with onion mixture.  Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool while prepping other ingredients.  When mixture has cooled, add dill, mint and egg white. Mix well. Fold in feta cheese and set aside.

Mist an 8x8 inch casserole dish or baking pan with olive oil. Cut or gently tear each phyllo sheet into 4 strips lengthwise. Place 3-4 strips across casserole, overlapping slightly and letting phyllo hang over both ends of dish. Place an additional 3-4 strips going in the opposite direction. Mist strips with olive oil. Continue layering until all strips are used, misting each layer.

Spoon spinach mixture into center of dish and gently spread evenly across phyllo. Fold strips over to cover all spinach. Mist lighly with olive oil.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly brown and crispy. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Makes about 4 lunch portions or 6-8 side portions

Red Wine Barley Risotto

Recently, my friend Kristin at Brooklyn Forager blogged about her Red Wine Risotto recipe, and it sounded so good it immediately went on my "to make soon" list.  When I finally had a chance to make it, I was torn - it sounded perfect as is, but, if you recall, the last time I blogged about risotto I swore off arborio rice in favor of the much more nutrient packed pearled barley.  And so, despite the box of arborio rice sitting right in my pantry, I decided healthfulness would win and reached for the barley instead!  The only other change I made was to use half an onion instead of the shallot because that was what I had on hand.

The result was really yummy, although I think the barley worked a little better in the veggie risotto recipe because the flavor of the barley is strong, so we didn't get the full effect of the red wine.  Although it did still have beautiful color, and hubby and I both thoroughly enjoyed it served with marinated flank steak (recipe to come soon!).  One thing I didn't mention the last time, though, is that barley takes a LONG time to cook!  I think it took over an hour for the risotto, but that is not all active time.  While it was cooking I managed to empty the diswasher and prep muffins (more to come on that, soon, too!), and I could have definitely done more in the kitchen had I been so motivated.  So my recommendation if you're short on time (and who isn't??) is to have some other kitchen activities planned while the risotto is cooking since really all it needs is a stir and the addition of more broth every few minutes.

Red Wine Barley Risotto
adapted from Brooklyn Forager

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup pearled barley
3/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
Salt and pepper, to taste (I used Romano, which I thought took care of saltiness, but did add several grinds of black pepper)

Bring chicken stock to a simmer on the back of the stove.

Melt butter in a small/medium pot.  Add garlic and onion and cook until fragrant.  Add barley and toss to completely coat in the butter mixture.  Let cook for a minute,  stirring constantly, and then add red wine.  Stir until wine has reduced almost completely.

Add 1/2 cup chicken stock and stir.  Stir every couple of minutes until it is almost absorbed, and repeat with remaining broth until barley is cooked through but still has a little bit of chewiness.

Stir in peas, cheese and seasoning.   Serve with additional cheese if desired.

Makes 2-3 servings

Spinach Ricotta Dumplings

One of the earliest recipes I found on Weelicious was for "Spinach Gnocch-wee", which, aside from having such a cute name, looked irresistably adorable in the picture.  I read the recipe and filed it away until my recent effort to compile links to all of the recipes I want to try, when I came across it again.  And now, with my ongoing attempts to get more vegetables and dairy into the munchkin, I realized that this recipe could be perfect.

So I set out to give them a try and found the mixture (dough?  batter?) came together really easily - you really can't beat instructions to throw all of the ingredients into the food processor.  But when it came time to make those perfect little balls I was inspired by, well, I have absolutely no idea how she did it.  I tried flouring my hands, but they were so sticky there was no way I was going to be able to make them round!  Enter plan B - take a cookie scoop (most useful kitchen tool ever!) and dump them directly into the boiling water to cook.

And the result?  Delicious - even the munchkin gobbled them up! - but not nearly as pretty as the ones in the picture.  Oh, well...not everything needs to be perfect!  Also, another change I made was to the name...I couldn't really figure out how these related to gnocchi (the shape maybe?  or soft texture?), so I decided to just call them dumplings.  But whatever you call them, these are definitely a keeper in my house!

See?  Not the most elegant, but they sure tasted good!

Spinach Ricotta Dumplings
adapted from Weelicious

10 oz box frozen chopped spinach
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2/3 cup romano cheese, plus extra for serving
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp flour

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Defrost the frozen spinach (I did this in the microwave).  Squeeze all of the water out of the spinach by dumping it in a clean kitchen towel, making a pouch, and twisting until you can't get any more liquid out (don't worry, the green comes out in the wash!).

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth and thoroughly combined

Using a cookie scoop (you could probably also use 2 spoons), take approximately 1-2 teaspoons at a time and dump directly into the boiling water.  Do not overcrowd the pot - you'll probably need to do 2-3 batches.  Cook the dumplings for about 5 minutes (the last ones in probably cooked a little less than that).  Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.  They will be very soft when they first come out but firm up a bit as they cool.

Serve sprinkled with additional romano cheese.

Makes approximately 6 servings

Salmon Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

I am always trying to eat more salmon, so when I saw canned wild Alaskan salmon at Trader Joe's, I bought a few cans to give it a try.  Problem was I wasn't quite sure what to do with it.  In the back of my mind, I thought I'd heard of salmon cakes, something I'd assumed would be similar to a crab cake.  But when I started searching for recipes, I wasn't having a lot of luck finding one that got good reviews, was simple to make, used canned salmon, and wasn't fried.  I thought those were reasonable criteria but I guess I was asking a lot!

I finally came across a recipe in Eating Well called Easy Salmon Cakes that got 3.7 stars out of 5.  Not quite the raving endorsement I'd hoped for, but they seemed to meet the other criteria.  Unfortunately, the comments muddied the waters quite a bit - it sounded like most of the people who rated them highly made some significant changes, so I wasn't going to be able to just follow the recipe.  Plus, these "easy" cakes were not so easy at all!  They called for sauteeing veggies, making breadcrumbs, and both sauteeing AND baking the salmon cakes.  So after reading the comments and trying to figure out what the general themes were, I made some adjustments to both the ingredients and the process and gave them a try.  Major changes were to cut down on the amount of breadcrumbs, add carrots for more moisture and flavor, keep the veggies raw, and just bake in the oven instead of sauteeing first.  Somehow I managed to get lucky on my first try and they came out great!

The website recommends serving them with Creamy Dill Sauce, which sounds good.  But I still had some Lemon Yogurt Sauce in my fridge from when I made Garbanzo Burgers, so I just added a spoonful of mayo and some chopped fresh dill and it worked great!  (Update: since this post, I have made a variation of the creamy dill sauce sauce a number of times, so I've added my version below!)

Salmon Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

adapted from Eating Well

1 small onion, cut into chunks

1 stalk celery, cut into chunks
1/2 cup carrots, cut into chunks
12 ounces (2 small cans) canned wild salmon (skinless and boneless), drained well
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 + 1/4 cups plain breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch of salt

Lemon Dill Sauce
1/4 cup plain yogurt (I have had success with both whole and 1%)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon (or a good squeeze) of lemon
1 teaspoon dried dill (1 tablespoon fresh would also be great if you have some on hand)

Preheat the oven to 450.  Cover a baking sheet with foil and generously spray with oil.

Place veggies in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped.  Pour into a mixing bowl and add salmon, egg, mustard, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, and ground pepper.  You may need to break up the salmon with a fork, and then mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Put 1/4 cup breadcrumbs in a small bowl and mix in a pinch of salt.  Use the side of your hand to score the salmon mixture into 8 equal portions (cakes will have about 1/4 cup of mixture each).  Form cakes by shaping with your hands, carefully coating with breadcrumbs, and placing on prepared baking sheet.  They will be a little prone to falling apart at this stage, so just gently place on the breadcrumbs and turn over, trying to keep them together as best as possible, and push them back together if a piece breaks off (I have actually found it's easier to make a ball from the mixture, roll it in the breadcrumbs, and then flatten into a patty on the baking sheet!).   

Generously spray the tops of the salmon cakes with oil.  Bake for 10-12 minutes (or until bottoms are golden brown), flip cakes, and bake for another 5 minutes to brown the other side.  While the salmon cakes are cooking, whisk together ingredients for dipping sauce.  Serve with a side salad or vegetable, or as a starter to a larger meal.

Do ahead: Prepare salmon mixture earlier in the day (while your kids nap, are in school, etc.!) and store covered in the fridge until you are ready to make your salmon cakes.
Serves 4

Vegetable Barley Risotto

Do you remember my Vegetable Risotto recipe?  The one that I told you was delicious and healthy, with the exception that white rice has limited nutritional value?  And then I said that I was going to make it with barley instead?  Well, as you've probably figured out by now, I did it!  I finally got around to getting some pearled barley and found the time to stir a pot of risotto at the end of a very busy weekend. 

All I did was replace the arborio rice with pearled barley and kept everything else about the recipe the same.  The cooking time was a little longer, but otherwise the method works.  And the result was worth the time - this variation is delicious!   I do have to admit, if you are expecting a replica of traditional risotto, this is not it - the barley has a much stronger flavor and chewier texture, but you do still get the creaminess and all of the other flavors in the original.  And the health difference is amazing.  I usually focus more on ingredient lists than nutrition labels, but in this case the nutrient difference is so obvious:  for a 160 calorie serving (1/4 cup dry), arborio rice has no fiber and 3 grams of protein, whereas pearled barley has 8 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein!  Just think of all of the other nutrients not captured on the label that remain with the grain when all of the healthy parts aren't stripped away.

So I am convinced - with apologies to the traditional Italian cuisine that I love so dearly, barley risotto is the way of the future in my home!

Double Broccoli Quinoa

In the world of grains, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a winner.  It is easy to cook (similar to rice but faster), has the nutritional benefits of being a whole grain, and is even a complete protein (most grains are missing a couple of the essential amino acids, which means that while they are good protein sources, you need to ensure you are eating foods with complementary amino acids to get everything you need.  For example, rice and beans are a perfect combination because the beans include amino acids that rice lacks).  Sadly, a few years back I tried making it a few times and just couldn't get excited about the taste - I found it to be boring and a little bitter.  Well, that was before I realized that you can toss it with pesto (in this case, broccoli almond)!  I just came across this recipe for Double Broccoli Quinoa on 101 Cookbooks, and it is delicious.  Remember I told you that hubby declared our recent Avocado Lentil Salad to be one of his favorites?  Well, this quinoa dish may have topped that. 

What's even more exciting than this recipe just being wholesome and delicious (as if that's not enough!) is that after years of thinking that no meal is complete without a piece of meat, I am finding that vegetarian meals can be totally satisfying.  We ate this topped with slivered almonds and feta cheese with some toasted bread on the side, and it was a great dinner.  The original recipe recommends avocado as another topping, and I think that would taste great, too!  Feel free to be creative with this one...you could probably even add some dried fruit if you want to make it more like a salad.  We enjoyed it warm for dinner, and I just had it cold for lunch, so it's also versatile from a temperature perspective.  Let me know if you come up with any other ideas that work well, as I'm sure I'll be making this again many times!

Double Broccoli Quinoa
adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1 cup dried quinoa
2 cups broth (or water)

5 cups raw broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets and stems

Pesto
2-3 medium garlic cloves
2/3 cup toasted almonds
1/3 cup grated romano cheese
2 big pinches of salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approx. 1/2 large lemon)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup (or less) broth

Toppings (optional)
Feta or goat cheese, avocado, toasted slivered almonds, extra pesto

Cook the quinoa according to package directions, using broth or water.

Lightly steam the broccoli by bringing 3/4 cup water to a simmer in a medium pot and adding the broccoli, leaving it in there covered for 2-3 minutes.  I needed to stir a couple of times to get the raw edge off of the whole batch.  Transfer to a strainer and run under cold water to stop the cooking.

Make pesto by pureeing 2 cups of the cooked broccoli with garlic, almonds, romano, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor.  Drizzle in olive oil and then add additional broth until smooth.

Toss the quinoa and remaining broccoli with about half of the pesto*, adding more if necessary.  Top with any toppings you are using.

Makes about 4 servings.

* You could, of course, just make less pesto, but having some extra in my fridge to toss with pasta later this week is pretty exciting!

Mac & Cheese (with Squash!)

It should be clear by now that Kraft Mac & Cheese, as yummy as it might be, is not something I'd consider cooking for my family (sodium tripoly-phosphate? yellow 5 AND 6?).  I have made the Annie's Organic Whole Wheat Shells & White Cheddar, and while I feel ok about the ingredient list, it just doesn't taste all that good.  So that led me to a quest for a home-made version that's not too unhealthy or hard to make. 

I started with this one from Smitten Kitchen, which had the appeal of not requiring me to boil the pasta OR make a cheese sauce first!  Unfortunately, it was too good to be true...the dish came out more like pasta with some melted cheese on it, and was greasy instead of creamy.  Even Deb at Smitten Kitchen later posted another mac & cheese recipe after deciding this super-easy one wasn't up to her standards!  I considered giving that one a try, but making croutons for the topping sounded a bit ambitious (remember, my cooking is SIMPLY wholesome!) and a pound and a half of cheese plus a stick of butter for a pound of pasta seemed a bit excessive.

So I went back to Ellie Krieger, the queen of lightening up traditional favorites.  A few years back I made her mac & cheese recipe for my in-laws, but couldn't really remember if I liked it.  Time to try again!  Well, I am very happy with the results.  This recipe is way more wholesome - there is only roughly a half pound of cheese for a pound of pasta, a ratio I think is much more reasonable, and she managed to include a vegetable for some added nutrients.  Plus, it is actually really tasty!  Let me be clear - this is not the ooey gooey mac & cheese with the buttery crust that you would get in a restaurant.  But if you are looking for a healthier version, this one is very enjoyable.  The squash actually helps create a creamy consistency and adds a little sweetness, which is balanced by the mustard and cayenne.  It tasted good right out of the oven, and then again on day 2 reheated in the microwave, so it's also a nice dish to have in the fridge.

Mac & Cheese (with Squash!)
adapted from Food Network

Non-stick spray
1 pound whole wheat pasta (elbow, or I used spirals because I couldn't find whole wheat elbows)
2 10-ounce packages frozen pureed winter squash
2 cups 1 percent milk
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, shredded, reserving 1/2 cup for topping
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (this is the original amount, which does not add a ton of heat, so feel free to add more if you prefer a good amount of spice)
2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons grated parmesan or romano cheese, divided
2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender but firm (subtract about 2 minutes from the cooking time on the box).  Drain in a colander when cooked.

Meanwhile, place frozen squash on a microwave-safe plate, cut slits in plastic, and microwave 4-6 minutes until completely thawed.  This is also a good time to shred the cheese if you bought blocks, collect the rest of the ingredients, and start making the topping (combine bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons parmesan/romano, and oil in a small bowl).

Once the pasta is in the colander and the squash is thawed, add squash and milk to the empty pot.  Cook over medium-low heat, whisking a few times,  until mixture is smooth and almost simmering.  (Finish making the topping while it cooks if you haven't already).  Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese (except the 1/2 cup reserved cheddar and 2 tablespoons of parmesan/romano), salt, mustard and cayenne pepper.  Add the pasta and stir to combine.  Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.

Sprinkle the reserved half cup of cheddar over the mac & cheese, followed by the bread crumb mixture.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and broil for 3 minutes or until the top is crisp and nicely browned.

Serves 8 as a side dish or lunch portion

Avocado Lentil Salad

As I've already mentioned, I really like Michael Pollan's philosophy on food and eating, and have been trying to make changes in my life to "eat food, not too much, mostly plants."  The "eat food" part I'm in good shape with, as you can probably tell by my blog!  But "not too much", well, that's a bit of a struggle.  Most of the first year of the munchkin's life was spent nursing and pushing a stroller around Manhattan, which basically meant I could eat as much as I wanted and STILL lose the babyweight!  Unfortunately that's starting to catch up with me, so I've had to set some guidelines for myself - 3 meals a day + 2 small snacks, no eating the munchkin's leftovers (a tough one since I feed her such yummy food!), no seconds, and a very small dessert (e.g., a few bites of good dark chocolate).  It's been a week, and so far so good!

The "mostly plants" part is a bit of a challenge, too.  Grains and potatoes are easy, but eating vegetables and legumes is not something that comes naturally to me, and I've had to work very hard over the last few years to even remember to include vegetables in my meal planning (thank you hubby for the reminders!).  But I'm even more committed now, which means I'm always on the lookout for hardy meals that don't include meat.  Lentils are really high in protein and fiber, so they make a great meat replacement.  I've already shared my lentil soup recipe, but another way I've found to enjoy lentils is as a salad.  I first tried this recipe from Food Network, which came out delicious (I will share my modifications another time!). 

It turns out Weelicious has a couple of lentil salads, too - one of them includes avocado, which sounded really yummy to me, so I decided to give it a try.  The main change I made was to add pistachios because there were nuts in the Food Network recipe, and I really liked the combination.  The result?  Big hit, especially with hubby who called it one of his favorites!  The creaminess of the avocado with the lemony dressing really worked well, and what a great way to eat so many healthy foods!

The only thing I struggle with is how to eat this as a main course - I served it with a green salad (using the other half of a lemon to make a quick vinaigrette) and some grainy bread, but I'd love to hear any other suggestions you might have!

Avocado Lentil Salad
adapted from Weelicious

1 1/2 cups cooked lentils (this was the amount in an 8 ounce package of pre-coooked black beluga lentils from Trader Joe's)
1 avocado, cut into 1/2 inch squares (this is most easily done if you cut the avocado while still in the skin, and then scoop out with a spoon)
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Place all ingredients in a bowl and gently toss to combine.  Serve!

Makes 2-4 servings, depending on what you're serving it with and if my hubby is present

Cheddar-Broccoli Sticks

My little munchkin is not a particularly adventurous eater.  She eats well when you put something she likes in front of her, but is very skeptical of new foods and, predictably, has been slow to warm up to vegetables.  So far the only veggie she eats enthusiastically is sweet potato, and even that took some persistence!  But one thing she does like is cheese, so when a friend recommended these cheesy broccoli bites, I thought it was worth a try.  It's from a website called Wholesome Baby Food, which sounds like it would be right up my alley!

As it turns out, these sounded like they would taste better than they do.  I imagined gooey cheesy nuggets with bits of broccoli in them, but the cheese is almost hard to detect because there is so much bread.  Instead, they are kind of stiff and don't have a ton of flavor.  That being said, the munchkin actually ate a few bites of them today, so if she likes them I am happy to make them as they are a great source of both veggies and dairy!  Hubby and I also enjoyed them as a side dish with our salmon, so while not the best thing I've ever made, they will certainly not go to waste!

Cheddar-Broccoli Sticks
adapted from Wholesome Baby Food

1 16-oz package frozen broccoli, cooked, drained, and very finely chopped (I used a food processor)
1 cup bread crumbs (seasoned, or if unseasoned, you may want to add salt and pepper and any other spices you like - I used plain breadcrumbs which probably contributed to the lack of flavor!)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 large eggs

Heat oven to 375.  Cover a baking sheet with foil (to facilitate clean-up) and spray with non-stick spray.

Combine all ingredients and mix well.   Shape mixture into whatever shape you like (I made mine roughly the size and shape of mozzarella sticks) and place on baking tray.  Spray tops with oil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning them over halfway through.
 
So far we have had success reheating from the fridge, but I also put some in the freezer, so I will update if there are any issues reheating from frozen.
 
I was able to make 24 sticks.

Vegetable Risotto

Some of you may be under the impression that risotto is unhealthy and way too hard to make at home.  Well, I'm here to dispel both of those myths.  Ellie Krieger came up with this recipe for vegetable risotto that is both healthy AND easy to make at home.  I won't lie, risotto is a bit labor intensive - it's not the type of dish that you put on the stove and come back later to find ready to serve.  But if you're going to be in the kitchen making something else anyway, it's just a matter of regular stirring to make creamy, delicious risotto.  There is absolutely nothing complicated or difficult.  But what's so amazing about this recipe is that it turns out that despite what restaurants may have you believe, you really don't need tons of cream, butter, or cheese to make risotto seem incredibly indulgent!  This recipe has a drop of olive oil and less than a tablespoon of cheese per serving, and is packed full of veggies.  And if that's not enough, it is impressive enough to serve to company - I just made it for New Year's Eve dinner and got rave reviews!

Here is the recipe with my modifications - let me know what you think!

Vegetable Risotto
adapted from Food Network

6 cups low-sodium, low fat chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice*
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 pound package frozen asparagus cuts
3 lightly packed cups baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan.  Once it starts to simmer you can cover and turn off heat.

Heat the oil in larger saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5-10 minutes.  Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute until it starts to look translucent. Add the wine and simmer, stirring regularly, until absorbed, about 1 minute.  Add 3/4 cup of the hot broth, the salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper and simmer, stirring regularly, until broth is absorbed.  Continue simmering and adding hot broth about 3/4 cup at a time.  Stir well each time you add more broth, and regularly after that until it is absorbed.  I found that sometimes it helps to actually let it sit and bubble for a minute in between stirring to let the broth cook into the rice.  You're ready to add more broth when the rice still looks runny and creamy, but not much bubbling occurs when you let it sit for a minute.  Once you've added about 2/3 of the broth, start tasting the rice for done-ness.  It should be al dente - not crunchy, but with a little bite.

Add the frozen asparagus and peas and stir to combine.  Then add in the baby spinach and cook, stirring regularly, until the spinach is wilted and the frozen veggies are hot.  Stir in the cheese.  Add more broth as needed if the risotto gets too thick.  Serve with additional cheese on top if desired.

Serves 6 as a main course, and 8-10 as a side dish

*Note - Risotto is traditionally made with arborio rice, which is a white rice.  After touting the healthfulness of this recipe, the one caveat is that refined grain is still not the best choice for every day!  After doing some digging, I found some recommendations for substituting pearl barley in risotto recipes (e.g., here).  Check here for my reviews on this healthier alternative!