Healthy Food Recipes

Risotto is a creamy delicacy made with white rice. If you like to stir, you’ll like preparing this dish.

Ingredients :

·         2 to 2.5 15-oz. cans chicken broth

·         4 tbsp. butter

·         2 tbsp. vegetable oil

·         2 tbsp. minced onion

·         1.5 c. white rice, uncooked

·         2/3. grated Parmesan cheese

How To Make :

·         Heat broth until simmering.

·         In a heavy saucepan, heat 2 tbsp. butter with the oil.

·         Saute onion in butter and oil until golden.

·         Add rice and stir until well coated saute rice briefly, then add ½ c. of the simmering broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until rice absorbs liquid.

·         Then add another ½ c. broth. Continue cooking and stirring, adding another ½ c. broth each time rice dries out. (This will take about 30 minutes. When finished, rice will be creamy and tender, yet firm.)

·         When rice is almost done, add grated cheese and remaining butter. If needed, season with a little salt. Serve immediately.

·      Pass more grated Parmesan cheese at the table.

These creamy noodles originated in the city of Siena, which still has the look of the Middle Ages. The green noodles are the “hay,” and the white noodles are the “straw.” For a tasty variation, sauté 1 c. thinly sliced cooked ham with the peas and mushrooms and serve the finished dish as a main course.

Ingredients :

·         4 oz. thin spinach noodles, uncooked

·         4 oz. fettucini noodles, uncooked

·         3 tbsp. butter

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         1/2 c. canned tiny peas, drained

·         1/4 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

·         3/4 c. whipping cream

·         1/2 tsp. salt

·         pepper to taste

·         1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

How To Make :

·         Cook noodles in boiling salted water until they are al dente. Drainand toss with half the butter. Cover and set aside.

·         Melt remaining butter in a large  saucepan. Sauté garlic until golden. Spoon out garlic and discard.

·         In the same butter, sauté peas and mushrooms over low heat for 5 minutes. At the same time, heat cream in a small pan. (Do not boil.)

·         Add noodles, cream, salt, and pepper to vegetables in the large saucepan. With the pan still over low heat, toss vigorously with along handled spoon and fork.

·     Remove from heat and quickly stir in cheese. Serve on warm plates. Pass more grated Parmesan cheese at the table.

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Serves 4

As with any pasta dish, this one is quite filling and can be eaten as a meal in itself. For Pasta Cinese, you will make a sauce and meatballs that can be used in other dishes or served alone as a side dish.

Ingredients :

Sauce ingredients:

·         1 12-oz. can tomato paste

·          3 c. water 1 tsp. basil

·         1 tsp. oregano

·         1 large bay leaf

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         1 medium-sized onion, chopped

·         1 tsp. salt dash of pepper

·         2 or 3 Italian sausage links (optional)

Meatball ingredients:

·         1/2 lb. lean ground beef

·         1/2 c. cracker or bread crumbs

·         1 egg pinch of oregano pinch of basil

·         salt to taste pepper to taste 1 clove garlic, minced 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 tbsp. grated Romano or

·         Parmesan cheese vegetable oil for frying

Pasta ingredients:

·         8 oz. mostaccioli or rigatoni noodles, uncooked

·         1 qt. sauce

·         25 to 30 small meatballs

·         1 or 2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

·         1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese dash of grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

How To Make :

Sauce :

·         Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Cover and simmer over low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.* (If sauce becomes too thick and begins to stick to the sides of the pot, add a little water.)

·         Remove the lid about 15 minutes before serving so that the sauce can thicken. (Sauce should be heavy and smooth.)

Meatball :

·         Put all ingredients except oil in a large bowl and mix well. (Many cooks use their hands for mixing meatballs.)

·         Roll about 1 tbsp. meat between the palms of your hands to make meatballs that are 3/4 inch in diameter. 

·         In a frying pan, brown meatballs in about ¥ inch of oil. Drain. (Or place meatballs in a shallow pan and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes.)

Pasta :

      ·         Boil noodles according to directions on package and drain.

·         Preheat the oven to 350°F.

·         In a square 8 _ 8-inch baking dish or cake pan, layer ingredients in the following order: a small amount of sauce on the bottom; then noodles, meatballs ,and egg slices; then another layer of sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese. (Save some sauce to pour over each portion after baking.)

·         Sprinkle with Romano or Parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling and heated through.

·         When done, remove Chinese Pasta from the oven and let cool slightly before cutting into squares for serving. Pour remaining sauce over each serving.