Braised Pork Ragu

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork shoulder roast, cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken stock

Directions

1. Season pork with the rosemary, thyme, pepper, and salt. Heat oil in a large large Dutch over over medium-high heat. Sear pork in the hot oil until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir onion and carrot into pot; cook until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Pour in the wine; stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the tomatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer; cook until meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Serves 6.

Gourmet Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth, divided
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a saucepan, warm the broth over low heat.
2. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.
3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.

Sauteed Garlic Asparagus

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup and 1 teaspoon butter or margarine
• 1-1/2 bunches fresh asparagus
• 4-1/2 cloves garlic, chopped

Directions

1. Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. If you like your asparagus well done, reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes. Serves 6.

Have A Blessed Sunday My Friends,

Phil

If the Risotto and the Asparagus sounded good, they work just as well with this Vegetarian Ragu that you might like to try. Leafy greens, canned tomatoes with chile peppers, and cannellini beans simmer together to make a savory, Italian-inspired vegetable stew.

Bean and Kale Ragu

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 (15 ounce) cans canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and kale. Cook and stir until the onions become transparent and the kale wilts and reduces in volume, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir the tomatoes and green chiles, garlic, water, bay leaves, cumin, and onion powder into the kale mixture. Simmer the vegetable mixture until the kale is soft, about 1 hour. Stir in the cannellini beans and continue simmering until beans are heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir in the oregano and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.

Have A Great Day My Friends,

Phil

Healthified Cashew Chicken and Broccoli

Ingredients

2

teaspoons canola oil

1

lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

1

teaspoon finely chopped gingerroot

2

cups fresh broccoli florets

1

cup Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

1/8

teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2

cups Green Giant® frozen sugar snap peas (from 24-oz bag)

3

tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2

teaspoons rice vinegar

1

tablespoon cornstarch

1

teaspoon sugar

2

medium green onions, sliced (2 tablespoons)

3

cups hot cooked brown rice

1/4

cup salted roasted cashew halves and pieces

Preparation

1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and gingerroot; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.
2. Add broccoli, 1/2 cup of the broth and the pepper flakes. Cover; cook over medium heat 2 minutes, stirring once. Add peas; cook 2 to 4 minutes longer, stirring once, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. In small bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup broth, the soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch and sugar; stir into chicken mixture. Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Serve over rice; sprinkle with cashews. Serves 4

(1 Serving (1 cup chicken mixture and 3/4 cup rice)) Contains: Calories 44, Total Fat 11g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g), Cholesterol 70mg, Sodium 660mg, Total Carbohydrate 51g, Dietary Fiber 8g, Sugars 6g.

Sweet, tender carrots get a kick from minced fresh chiles in this simple side dish of no-cook slaw.

Hello Everyone,

For today's Vegetarian Dish, we have this classic Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (spaghetti with garlic and olive oil), where green garlic replaces the traditional pungent cloves and lends a more delicate garlic flavor to your meal. Top it off with some Homemade Garlic Bread.

Spaghetti with Green Garlic and Olive Oil

Ingredients

Kosher salt
2 T bs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz. green garlic, green parts cut into 3-inch julienne strands, white parts thinly sliced
6 oz. thin spaghetti
2 T bs. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Bring 3 quarts of well-salted water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan over low heat. Add the green garlic and 2 big pinches of salt; stir to coat. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted and softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Boil the spaghetti until just al dente, about 1 minute less than package timing. Set aside about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.

Return the sauté pan to low heat. Add the spaghetti and 1/4 cup of the cooking water; toss well. Add the Parmigiano and 2 Tbs. of the water; toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding the remaining water if the pasta seems dry. Serve in heated pasta bowls, sprinkled with additional Parmigiano. Serves 2.

Making a compound butter with sautéed instead of raw garlic helps mellow the flavor, while baking the bread in a paper bag helps crisp up the crust. You can also adjust the amount of garlic to suit your tolerance: 1 clove for mild or up to 4 for high potency.

Garlic Bread

Ingredients

2 Tbs. fruity olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely minced or puréed (about 3 tsp.)
3/4 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 lb. cold unsalted butter, in small dice or thin slices
1-lb. loaf Italian bread (preferably a thin-crusted style)

Preparation

Heat the oven to 400°F.

In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, sizzling gently for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. The garlic should soften and become fragrant but not brown. Put the butter in a small bowl and pour the oil and garlic over it. Blend until smooth enough to spread evenly.

Make diagonal slices in the bread at 3/4-inch intervals, stopping short of the bottom crust. Slather some of the garlic butter into each cut. Slip the loaf back into the paper bag that it came in (or use a torn paper grocery bag; avoid those with printing or plastic on them). Wet the entire bag with a spray bottle or a very fast pass under the faucet. Pop the package into the oven and bake until it smells of popcorn and the crust is crisp, 10-15 minutes. Makes One Loaf, 8-10 slices.

Hint: For herbed garlic bread, I often add 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or 2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme, oregano, chives, or basil to the butter along with the garlic.

Have A Marvelous Monday My Friends,

Phil

Good Monday Morning Phil!!

Now this sounds good! Will have to try that one.

Thanks for all the healthy recipes!!

Sara