Meatless Monday

Last week, I had the chance to learn how to cook a few Italian dishes from scratch. To my amazement, it wasn't as intimmidating as I thought! For this Meatless Monday, I wanted to share this recipe for

Ricotta Gnocchi with Pomodoro Sauce

Makes 5 Servings

Pomodoro Sauce

Ingredients:

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 10.5 oz containers cherry tomatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp salt

1 tbsp pepper

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp minced garlic

3 bay leaves

Basil Leaves

Instructions

In a sauce pan combine olive oil, crushed tomatoes and fresh whole cherry tomatoes over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, bay leaves, garlic and lemon juice to the sauce. Simmer 45-55 mins over medium heat stirring occasionally until fresh tomatoes have become so tender that they will easily mash. At this point, mash the tomatoes and taste sauce to see if additional salt or garlic is needed. Remove the bay leaves. dd sauce to pasta or gnocchi and garnish with torn basil and parmesan

Ricotta Gnocchi

Ingredients

• 16 oz Ricotta Cheese (only use 8oz after strained)
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Cup flour, or as needed

Instructions

  Place ricotta in a strainer, or on cheesecloth, over a bowl. Press out any liquid and place in fridge for 30 minutes. Then measure out 8oz. to use for the gnocchi.
  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  In a large bowl stir together all ingredients except the flour. Stir until evenly combined.  Mix in 1 cup of flour. Dough should be a bit tacky. Add additional flour if dough is clinging to your hands. 

Divide dough into 3 or 4 balls. Roll each ball into a 1/2 inch thick rope on a floured surface. Cut each dough rope into 1 inch pieces and place on a lightly floured dish towel or platter. Refrigerate until ready to cook.  Drop gnocchi’s in boiling water and remove with a slotted spoon when they float to the surface and are cooked (after 1-2 minutes)

Nutritional Info

Calories: 403  Fat: 18.2 g Carbohydrates: 38.6 g  Protein: 21.4 g

 

 

 

Thank God It's Thursday

Did someone say Happy Hour? A scheduled time to hit the town for reduced price drinks AND Sushi? Well, don't mind if I do! This week, head downtown to Dallas Fish Market  & enjoy their great happy hour specials.  Voted Best Seafood Restaurant in Bon Appetit, Dallas Fish Market offers a hip, classy atmosphere with a menu full of gourmet entrees in addition to an extensive list sushi options.  In addition to dining, this restaurant has a great happy hour, offering $3 wells & domestics plus $5 house wine.  On Wednesdays, they even offer 4 free pieces of sushi with every drink!

Skinny Sips

• Lavender Lemon Drop Martini- Kettle One Citrone, Chambord, Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
• Pomegranate Champagne
• Champagne or Sparkling wine
• Any red or white wine

Healthy Bites
Bar Menu:

• Salmon Crudo- Avocado, green apple, jalapeno & cilantro
• Fish Market Shrimp Cocktail

Sushi Menu

• 16 piece Sashimi Platter- Salmon, Escolar, Himichi, Tuna
• California Roll- Crab, cucumber, avocado
• Sunshine Roll- Spicy Salmon, avocado, topped with Salmon & lemon
• Dallas Roll- Spicy Tuna, Himichi, crab meat, avocado,wrapped in  cucumber, no rice

Dinner Menu:

• Market Salad- Mixed greens, caramelized onions, spiced walnuts, pear tomatoes, Gorgonzola, white balsamic
• *Order dressing on the side & omit either the Gorgonzola OR the walnuts
• Pan Roasted Striped Bass- Steamed muscles, seared shrimp, saffron braised fennel and onion, shallot rings

• Pan Seared Wild Salmon- Braised bok choy, green curry nage, and red curry foam
• "Au Poivre" Ahi Tuna- Israeli cous cous, zucchini, squash, carrots, basil and tomato vinaigrette
• 8 oz. Grass Fed Australian Beef Tenderloin

Wine Down Wednesday

Happy Wednesday! In light of the upcoming romantic holiday, I wanted to share a few healthy chocolate dessert recipes you can make for that special someone. And what pairs better with dessert than wine?  Nothing. Below are a few dessert recipes plus wine pairings to make your Valentine's Days extra sweet this year. Try these recipes tonight or next week and impress friends or your significant other!


Wine and Chocolate:
Since chocolates have different flavors (some bitter, acidic, or fruity) look for wines that match: fruity, intense wines like Zinfandels or rich red blends. Carbernet Sauvignon works has a sharp hint of tannin that can taste harsh and astringent when you pair it with chocolate, (especially if the chocolate is quite sweet).  Merlot, on the other hand, tends to have softer, rounder tannins under its cocoa and mocha layers; offering a better partner to chocolate.

Tips for pairing:
• The chocolate shouldn't be sweeter than the wine
• The darker the chocolate, the more likely it will be to taste good with red wine (partly because chocolate with a higher percentage of cacao has less sugar).
• The darker chocolates, with deep-roasted flavors, pair well with wines with dark, toasty notes themselves.
• Port-style and sweet late-harvest reds tend to be the best matches for chocolate desserts



Fallen Chocolate Cake with Cherry Red Wine Sauce

*Suggested Wine Pairing:  
Ruby Port Wine

• When it comes to rich, decadent chocolate desserts—don’t try to pair them with a table wine.  Instead, pour a sweet dessert wine. Ruby port, which is sweet and full of berry flavors but is also firm and powerful, is a classic match for chocolate.

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup kosher red wine
• 1 pound frozen pitted unsweetened cherries

Cake:

• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• Dash of salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 large egg whites

Preparation

1. To prepare sauce, combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 2 cups (about 30 minutes). Chill.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. To prepare cake, place pistachios in a food processor; process until finely ground. Sprinkle ground pistachios over bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.
4. Combine 1 cup sugar and water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate and salt, stirring until chocolate melts. Add cocoa, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in extracts.
5. Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out nearly clean. Cool to room temperature; run a knife around outside edge. Serve with sauce.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 262  Fat: 6.6g  Saturated fat: 2.3g   Protein: 5.5g    Carbohydrate: 46.2g   

Vanilla Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Mulled Wine Sauce
*Suggested Wine Pairing:

Ingredients 

• 1 cup cabernet sauvignon or other dry red wine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 sachet Mulling Spice Blend
• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
• 1/2 cup light-colored corn syrup
• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation

1. 1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes. Discard sachet. Add cocoa and corn syrup, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Simmer 2 minutes; remove from heat. Add chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts. Cool to  room temperature.
2. Serve over 1/2 cup lowfat vanilla ice cream   

Nutritional Information

(*Does not include ice cream)

Amount per serving: 2 tablespoons

• Calories: 80       Fat: 1.1g     Saturated fat: 0.6g       Protein: 0.7g    Carbohydrate: 16.8g       

Chocolate-Frangelico Fondue
*Suggested Wine Pairing:
 Champagne or Sparkling Wine

• Italian sparkling wine is lightly sweet with appealing raspberry fruit notes, and goes great with chocolate of all types. Plus, what pairs better with strawberries than champagne?

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup fat-free milk
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons Frangelico (hazelnut-flavored liqueur)
• 4 cups (1-inch) cubed angel food cake
• 2 cups quartered small strawberries

Preparation

1. 1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until smooth, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar and syrup. Cook 10 minutes or until mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Stir in liqueur. Pour into a fondue pot. Keep warm over low flame. Serve with cake and strawberries.

Nutritional Information

Yield: Serves 8

Serving size: 1/2 cup cake, 1/4 cup strawberries, and about 3 1/2 tablespoons fondue

• Calories: 319      Fat: 9.4g        Saturated fat: 5.8g    Protein: 3.9g   Carbohydrate: 57.5g

 

Bourbon-Caramel Truffles

*Suggested Wine Pairing:
Zinfandel or Syrah

• For dark, bittersweet chocolate, pair with a rich, darker wine.  Milk chocolate pairs better with lighter wines like Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. Tip: the wine should be at least as sweet, if not a touch sweeter, than the chocolate you are serving it with

Ingredients

 

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons evaporated whole milk
• 1 tablespoon golden cane syrup (such as Lyle's Golden Syrup)
• Dash of salt
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 3/4 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

Preparation

1. 1. Combine brown sugar, milk, cane syrup, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Stir in bourbon and vanilla extract. Add chocolates; let stand 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Pour into a shallow dish; cover and chill 4 hours. Heat a tablespoon measure with hot water; pat dry. Scoop chocolate mixture with spoon; dip in cocoa. Roll into balls. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving: 1 truffle

• Calories: 60   Fat: 2.7g       Saturated fat: 1.6g        Protein: 0.8g         Carbohydrate: 8g