Filho’s Delivers Your Fill

If anyone knows me, they know I am a rather frequent visitor to a local Italian restaurant called Filho’s Cucina in Groton. It’s on my way home from the gym I work at, and what better way to replenish glycogen stores than a generous portion of carbohydrate-rich Italian food!

If you REALLY know me, you know that so far, I have not been able to venture past the gnocchi Florentine. The vast array of choices on the menu range from paninis, pasta dishes, and cold salads, yet I get stuck every time I go in; maybe because the gnocchi Florentine is unbelievably delicious. It’s a blend of potato gnocchi, fresh mozzarella cheese, sautéed garlic, spinach, cherry tomatoes and red onions, all swimming in a fresh tomato marinara sauce and high quality olive oil, served piping hot.

I’ve tried to replicate this meal at home, and while it’s not an exact match, it’s a close second and one that you can whip together in 20 minutes or less.

Not-So-Filho’s Gnocchi Florentine

1 package of gnocchi (you could also substitute whole wheat pasta for an extra dose of whole grains!)

1 Tbsp olive oil
Lots of garlic, minced (I used local garlic I bought at the Garlic Fest a while back!)
½ medium red onion, chopped
3-4 cups spinach (fresh from your garden!)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, whole
½ cup fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into bite-sized pieces
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (good quality)
1-2 jars tomato sauce (homemade, or canned from last season is even better!)

Boil the gnocchi according to the package’s directions. While the pasta is boiling, sauté garlic, onions, cherry tomatoes and spinach in 1 Tbsp of olive oil for 7-8 minutes over medium heat, or until onions become translucent and spinach begins to wilt. Add olive oil, tomato sauce, and cheese, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cooked gnocchi and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Voila! This hearty Italian dish makes the belly very happy. I’ll warn you, though, that the portion at Filho’s is quite large, and half should be saved and savored for next day’s lunch. Make sure to do this ahead of time, otherwise you run the risk of devouring every last bit and overdoing it.

Filho’s is located at 235 Main St. in Groton, MA. They’re open Tues-Sun. Get there early though, because it’s not a secret with the locals, and they’re only open until 9 P.M. on the weekends. It’s also BYOB. Check out the menu at Filho's Cucina.

(These Italians approve!!!)

Rhubarb Rocks!

Rhubarb, a tart and taste-bud-tantalizing fruit (well, technically a vegetable), is most commonly known for its role as the “pie plant”. Where did this peculiar fruit come from, and how the heck can you use it?

Rhubarb was originally found in western China, and the rhubarb root was historically used for medicinal purposes. Rhubarb now grows wild in many backyards in the US, especially in the northeast, where it thrives in the cool spring weather.

I bought two bunches of rhubarb at the farmers’ market this weekend; both had bright green and deep red stalks, which were firm and flat, and had been picked earlier that afternoon. The farmers graciously cut off the leaves (which can be poisonous if eaten!). I chopped it up and froze it until I was ready to use it on Sunday.

I cherish Barbara Kingsolver’s recipe for Rhubarb Crisp, published in “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”. I’ve used this recipe a dozen times to make crisps for parties, birthdays, and Saturday dinner desserts with my hon. Here’s how I adapted this recipe this weekend to make a mean Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp:

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

3 cups frozen strawberries, sliced
(fresh, and from your local farmer, if you can)
3 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1” pieces
1/3 cup local honey

(P.S. check out the local honey in Bisbee, AZ... made from Killer Bees! It would have tasted great in this recipe, had it not opened and spilled all over our suitcase on the way home :-( )

½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup whole oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup melted butter

Mix fruit and honey together in a 9”x13” glass pan (do not use aluminum when cooking rhubarb!). In a separate bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar, and spices. Add butter and stir. Crumble this mixture on top of the fruit and honey, and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. This sweet-tart fruit dessert can be served warm or cold.

I’ve even made it with peaches (in place of strawberries). In this case, you don’t even need the honey… it’s sweet enough! I peeled the peaches first (by boiling), but you could probably leave the skins on for an extra dose of fiber.










Pictured here (the before and after) is a version I made with frozen blueberries, strawberries, and pears (left the skin on). Use the same recipe for the crisp topping, and you’re sure to have a crowd pleaser!

I like the “crisp” form of fruit desserts (as opposed to cobblers, tarts, pies, and galettes), because you can omit quite a few calories by nixing the crust, which contains way more sugar and butter than this version.

I suppose you could use other combinations of rhubarb with berries and stone fruits to concoct your own version of fruit and rhubarb crisp. Experiment and enjoy!

For more information about rhubarb, its origin, historical uses, and fun facts, visit http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/

Crazy For Couscous

In college, you'd think my typical diet may have consisted of "college-kid food" like pizza, beer, and burgers. Well, not really. For my entire senior fall semester I was hooked on this simple dish I'd make with couscous, tofu, raisins, chopped peppers and tomatoes, and sometimes walnuts. I could make this dish in one pot (I only had one!) on the tiny stove in our dorm's kitchen, in about 8 minutes. I'd dine on this meal while writing my thesis or putting the finishing touches on a case study report. Friends would laugh, but it was filling, made for easy clean up, and was relatively inexpensive.

My, have things changed.

My last encounter with couscous occurred when TC and I recently dined at the Baracka Cafe in Cambridge. This restaurant was suggested by the cooking class instructor, well-known chef and cookbook author Didi Emmons. She quoted that it's appearance from the outside (and inside, for that matter) was unassuming, but the Moroccan dishes are exquisite. Well, that was true. We got there a bit early, and the "staff" (an older woman, a helper cook, and what I'm assuming was her son) were prepping for what seemed like a crazy busy night (although we were the only ones there at that point). The son attached his iPod to the speakers, cranked the volume, and *WHAM* we were transported to Casablanca.

When the menu came and we had our chance to decipher it, TC ordered a kebab dish and I ordered the specialty, Moroccan Couscous. We both ordered a rosewater lemonade, which ended up being the most delicious lemonade I've ever tasted. Baracka Cafe's lemonade won "Boston Magazine's" Best Drink, Lemonade, in 2003.

The Moroccan Couscous came in a rustic wooden dish and the couscous was topped with assorted root vegetables, lentils, garbanzos, and fava beans. The dish was absolutely delicious. The combination of turmeric and cinnamon, nutmeg and cumin, and coriander and a bit of pepper made this dish like a non-spicy curry dish with a sweet flair.

I'd give the Baracka Cafe a "definitely go back" rating, but get there early, because the crowd swells at the door after 7. http://www.barackacafe.com/

So for the past few months, the thought of couscous has been out of my mind. But when I was preparing a recipe given to me by a person at work for an upcoming multicultural cooking class, I was reminded of this delicious dish I enjoyed at Baracka Cafe.

This sparked my interest in preparing Moroccan Couscous for myself. Lucky for me, a simple and quick recipe graced the back of the whole wheat couscous box.

The couscous I buy is Fantastic World Foods Organic Whole Wheat Couscous. This whole grain provides 6 grams of fiber for every 3/4 cup cooked product. I love couscous because it only takes about 5 minutes to cook, once the water is boiling. I also love this kind of couscous because you cannot recognize that it is a whole grain. Unlike some types of whole wheat pasta, this whole wheat couscous does not shame itself with a sticky, chewy final product. It also absorbs the cooking liquid and flavors well, so it's a great alternative to pasta in a tomato sauce-based recipe.

MOROCCAN COUSCOUS (adapted from Fantasy Foods)

1 cup couscous, uncooked + 1 1/2 cups boiling water (makes about 3 cups of cooked product)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup vegetable broth
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 zucchini, peeled and julienned
1 sweet potato, peeled and julienned
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for heat!)
dash of coriander, dash of nutmeg
golden raisins
pine nuts, toasted

Directions:
1. Prepare the couscous, according to package directions.
2. On high heat, saute garlic, onions, carrots, sweet potato, zucchini in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until 3/4 cooked.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add vegetable broth. Let mixture simmer.
4. Add spices, tomato paste, and garbanzo beans.
5. Stir in prepared couscous. Cover and remove from heat.
6. Garnish with golden raisins and toasted pine nuts.
Makes 6 generous servings.

This dish was delish, and is a close second to Baracka Cafe's original dish, but is surely supreme to the amateur status of College Couscous.

Jump on the train and join the couscous craze!

Nuts About Nut (and not so nut) Butters!

Whenever I used to see the word "butter", my dietitian side cringes. Butter evokes ideas of yellowy, creamy fat that should be used quite sparingly (some RDs and cardiologists would say not at all); however, my foodster side lavishly rejoices over the idea of freshly churned, cool butter on a thick slab of homemade, warm, crusty whole wheat bread. The word "butter" is a culinary term used to describe other spreads, including peanut butter, almond butter, pumpkin butter, and apple butter (both of the sweet butters can be found locally, and both are absolutely delish!)

Let's take a moment to discuss nut butters. Nut butters, while still high in total fat, can be used to supplement one's diet as a vegetarian source of protein, and a wonderful dose of healthy fats. There is a variety of nut butters available, including:

peanut butter (probably the most popular)

almond butter

cashew butter

macadamia butter

"sun" butter

The nutrition information provided for most nut butters is based on 2 Tablespoons, which, for most people, is a typical serving. When deciphering the Nutrition Facts label on a typical jar of natural nut butter, one may see 190 calories, 16 grams of total fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 5 mg (milligrams) of sodium, and 8 grams of protein. Nuts like peanuts, almonds, and cashews are rich in monounsaturated fats (one of the healthy fats) and contain about 7.5 grams per serving. Healthy fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, when eaten in moderation and part of an overall healthful diet may promote healthy lipid profiles. Monounsaturated fats have been shown to lower LDL, or "bad" cholesterol. So, you may ask, what about polyunsaturated fats? Polyunsaturated fats are easier to come by in the diet, as they are found in corn oil, soybean oil, and should supplement a diet high in monounsaturated fats. Keep in mind, though, that gram for gram, nut butters are high in calories. The key to maximizing the benefits of nut butters but not overdoing it is to limit your calories from fat to 35-35% of total calories, mostly coming from the mono- and poly-unsaturated fats. Limit your saturated fat to less than 7% of total calories, and eliminate all trans fats. Keep in mind, though, calorically-speaking, fat is fat and still delivers double the calories per gram than carbohydrates or protein do (9 calories per gram vs. 4 calories per gram, respectively). So, do so in moderation.

A product that I recently discovered is something called "Sun" butter. This jar of spread is made strictly from sunflower seeds. This "nutty" butter could pass as peanut butter's second cousin, and is peanut-free, tree-nut free, and dairy/egg/gluten-free! I've "officially" taste tested this product with the toughest audience (young children), and it passes as a "peanut butter" imposter with flying colors! It's great to use for a child with a peanut allergy who just wants a PB&J. Sun Butter can be found at local health food stores (and even some chain grocery stores). The official Sun Butter website has announced that its product is produced in a facility that does not handle peanuts.

My favorite non-peanut nut butter is Trader Joe's Crunchy, Unsalted Almond Butter. Ingredient list: Dry, roasted almonds. No salt or added sugar gives this nut butter a clean, uninterrupted, rich flavor. I love to eat it on Trader Joe's whole wheat English muffins or homemade whole wheat bread for an elegant alternative to the age-old PB&J.

This raises a good point. Buying nut butters comes with many, equally important decisions. Which kind? Creamy or chunky? Salt or no salt? Organic or not?Here's your quick and dirty guide for nut butter buying.

1. Any of the nut butters are good choices. Peanut butter is usually the most affordable, but almond butter is a wonderful treat with a rich flavor and a welcomed change to a PB&J. I've never tried macadamia or cashew butter, but can imagine both are rich and flavorful.

2. Creamy or chunky? Answer: It's really a personal preference. No significant nutritional difference.

3. Salt or no salt? Answer: Whenever possible, go for "no salt added". If the amount of salt added per serving is less than 140 milligrams, it's still considered a "low sodium" food. If you can really taste the difference, they go with the salted version. Otherwise, always buy the no salt added option.

4. Organic or not? A jar of Trader Joe's organic, crunchy, no salt added peanut butter goes for $2.99. Take out the organic part, and you can get a jar for $1.99. Either way, since it is a "natural" product, the oil separates and you'll have to put some elbow grease into mixing the oil back in. Once mixed, keep refrigerated. Again, the organic debate is one of personal preference.

My other nut butter passion? Whole Foods Freshly Ground Peanut Butter. Any time you can find freshly ground peanuts (kind of like freshly-ground coffee), the flavor and quality is just better.

Share your "nutty" nut butter stories, recipes, thoughts or ideas!