A Vegetarian Carbonara

Crispo in New York City serves a spaghetti carbonara for the record books.  But, as a non-meat eater, I've only sampled a noodle or two...never the full monty, if you will.  Meaning, a spaghetti, egg, parmesan and bacon rich bite.  My husband loves it, so I figured I'd attempt a recreation at home, vegetarian style.  

Plus we were gifted T H R E E  D O Z E N farm-fresh eggs from upstate New York.  Heavenly! This was a perfect use for those little jewels.  Thank you, Jason and Lauren!  

Of course, you could add crispy bacon or pancetta to this recipe, but it really is quite good on its own.  

Ingredients for two servings:

1 1/2C dry penne pasta, or other pasta of your choice (we used whole wheat)

1C peas

1/3C shredded parmesan + more for garnish

2 tbsp ricotta

2 eggs

kosher salt + cracked black pepper + red pepper flakes to taste

1 tsp flour (we used whole wheat)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to box directions

2. Whisk eggs, cheese, half the flour, a pinch each: kosher salt, cracked black pepper, red pepper

3. Reserve at least 1/4C pasta water before draining once the pasta is cooked

4. Drain pasta, return to pot, turn off burner

5. Add peas and egg and cheese mixture to the pasta and whisk very quickly to combine for at least one minute (do not stop whisking!) 
6. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the pasta water and whisk to combine

7. If the sauce is too thin, add another sprinkle of flour and whisk to combine

8. Top with more parmesan cheese, kosher salt + cracked black pepper + red pepper flakes to taste and serve immediately

what you'll need

cheese

eggs, cheese, spices

finished product

we prefer a thicker sauce, so we only added 

a small splash of pasta water

Essentially a one pot dinner, this recipe is a perfect dinner for one: it's quick and easy, with little cleanup.  

Have you ever made your own carbonara at home?  What is your favorite pasta?  I'd love to hear from you if you try this recipe.  Hope you enjoy...

xx,

Mrs. Wolf 

Greek At Home: How To

Greek cuisine is one my favorites. And New York City has no shortage of amazing Greek establishments. But, for health's sake, I can't exactly go out to eat every night, so it's time to get resourceful. 

I fancy myself a capable home-cook. But, some foods really should be left to the professionals. Sous vide anything? Never in my home. Whole roasted pig on a spit? Absolutely not. But, tzatziki? That I can do. And so can you! 

There are few spices I love a much as garlic. I've truly never met a dish that's too garlicky. When paired with freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh dill, this recipe is a knockout. 

Ingredients:

16oz low fat Greek yogurt (I use plain 2% Chobani or Fage)

3/4 of 1 medium hot-house cucumber, peeled and grated 

1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced 

1 lemon, juiced 

Kosher salt to taste 

Directions:

1. Empty one 16oz container of Greek yogurt into a fine mesh strainer fit over a bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours

2. Place grated cucumber into another fine mesh strainer fit over a bowl, cover the cucumber with a folded paper towel, and place a weight on it to press out excess liquid, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours

3. Periodically check on the cucumber, changing the covering and pushing on it to help release more liquid

4. After 2 hours, remove yogurt and cucumber from the refrigerator 

5. Chop dill and garlic, set aside 

6. In a large mixing bowl, combine yogurt, cucumber, garlic and dill

7. Juice a lemon over the yogurt mixture and stir to combine**

8. Taste and season with sea salt 

*By "weight" in step 2, I mean something heavy enough to press out the water, but not too heavy that the strainer goes askew and falls off the bowl.

** Need a juicing refresher? Check here for a post on my favorite way to juice a lemon. 

what you'll need

strained yogurt

grated cucumbers 

strained, grated cucumbers 

my very technical method of weighing down the cucumbers -- csa acorn squash

minced  garlic and dill

the liquid from cucumbers

cucumber, garlic and dill with the strained Greek yogurt

our finished product

serving up our tzatziki with triscuits 

salmon, tzatziki and cauliflower rice

salmon, tzatziki over mixed greens with lemon vinaigrette

We like this best with oven-roasted salmon, or as a dip with pita chips or crackers.  

A note on low-fat dairy: in this recipe, 2% yogurt produces a significantly richer taste and texture than 0%. A little milk fat goes a long way here.  With respect to fat in dairy products I choose skim milk, low fat yogurt and cottage cheese (unless the yogurt is sweetened, then opting for 0% makes sense), and full fat cheese. I don't usually waiver from this.  2% yogurt could be swapped for 0% or even full fat (though that would produce a significantly more caloric version).  

Have you ever made a yogurt based dip? Do you prefer low fat or full fat dairy? I'd love to hear from you if you try this recipe. Hope you enjoy...

xx,

The Future Mrs. Wolf

Shrimp For One

I love shrimp.  And lime.  And cilantro.  So, really what else makes sense than Cilantro Lime Shrimp for dinner?  This was dinner for one, because my fiancé had a business dinner.  

I saw a similar recipe here on skinny taste, but decided to update it a bit to my liking.

Ingredients for 1 serving:

5 oz raw peeled and deveined shrimp

juice of 1 lime*

1/3 cup sliced red onion

2 tsp olive oil (separated into 1 tsp portions)

cilantro (I used ~2tablespoons but use to your taste) 

1/4c avocado

salt and pepper to taste

*Because I like things very tart - I used 1 whole lime, but you could try it with just 1/2 lime and see if that's enough tart for you.

As the shrimp is cooking (I tented mine in tin foil with 1 tsp olive oil for 18mins on 350 and it was perfectly cooked), mix the marinate and let is stand while the shrimp cooks and then cools.

Marinade:

1 tsp olive oil

red onion

juice of 1 lime

cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Once the shrimp cools, add it to the marinade and let it sit covered in the fridge.  When you want to serve, add the avocado and toss to coat.  You could also just serve it right after you mix everything together if you don;t want to wait (I understand...hello, it's cilantro lime shrimp!) or if you don't have the time.  Also, marinating the red onion will take out some of the "bite."

Here is the finished product with a massaged kale side salad:

This kale salad really deserves her own post...check back for that!

Nutrition information per serving:

294 calories, 12 g carbohydrates, 15 g fat, 31 g protein, 5 g fiber

Do you cook for one?  What's your favorite thing to make?

xx,

The Future Mrs. Wolf