Patio-perfect penne pasta with grilled eggplant

(NC)—With the summer weather upon us, outdoor entertaining is on the minds of Canadians. Whether it's hosting a party dockside at the cottage or spending the afternoon with friends and family on an urban patio, we're always looking for that easy, yet delicious recipe that will have guests exclaiming amore!

A classic Tuscan recipe from Castello di Gabbiano's estate restaurant, Penne con Melanzana (penne pasta with grilled eggplant) is a perfect pairing of penne pasta, an Italian staple, and a local summer-fresh vegetable, like eggplant.

Ingredients

1 pound eggplant
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons pine nuts
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons capers
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (or to taste)
salt and coarsely ground pepper
1/2 cup water
1 pound penne pasta
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Cut the eggplant into 1/2" slices and soak in cold water. Pat the eggplant dry, brush with olive oil and grill until nicely browned. Grilling the eggplant before sautéing adds a wonderful flavour to the dish.

In a large sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil. Cut the grilled eggplant into 1" pieces and sauté with the diced garlic, about 3 minutes.

Add the pine nuts, tomato paste, capers and chili flakes. Continue to cook about 2 minutes. Stir in the water, add salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare the penne pasta and serve with the eggplant sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.

Tip: This light, yet slightly spicy pasta is best served with a salad and a dry, medium-bodied wine like Gabbiano's Chianti.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

Brie and Sage Stuffed Chicken Breast

(NC)—A terrific healthy entertaining recipe any time of year, this recipe is also a terrific turkey alternative for Easter or festive get-togethers. Quick to prepare and easy to make! It presents beautifully too! Slice each portion on an angle so that the melted Brie can ooze deliciously out of the chicken. Your kids will love it!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
6 butterflied chicken breasts, fillets emoved*
5 oz (150 g) chilled Brie cheese
18 large, fresh sage leaves, divided
6 slices prosciutto or ham
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each pepper and salt (optional)
1/2 cup (125 mL) Heinz Tomato Ketchup
3 tbsp (45 mL) balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp (15 mL) each maple syrup and Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced

Preparation:
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Cut the cheese into 6 equal portions. Top each piece of cheese with two sage leaves and wrap with a slice of ham. Place each cheese bundle on one side of a butterflied chicken breast. Fold the chicken over to enclose the filling and secure closed with toothpicks. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

Chop the remaining sage. Stir the ketchup with the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, garlic and chopped sage until combined. Divide glaze in half. Brush one portion over the chicken.

Place the chicken on the grill and reduce the temperature to medium. Grill the chicken for 6 minutes; turn and baste with the remaining sauce. Grill for an additional 10 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of meat registers 165° F (74° C). Remove from grill, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice meat thickly and fan to serve.
*For an easy way to butterfly the chicken breast, slice into the side of a boneless, skinless chicken breast – almost but not all the way through the meat – and open up the chicken like a book.

Nutritional Information:
Per Serving: (1 breast)
338 calories,
11 g fat,
48 g protein,
10 g carbs,
0 g fibre,
1039 mg sodium
Excellent source of niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

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Healthy Harvest Spaghetti with Roasted Salmon in Sesame Oil

Ingredients

360 g fresh salmon (fillet with skin)

60 mL (1/4 cup) roasted sesame oil

60 mL (1/4 cup) sesame seeds, roasted

15 mL (1 tbsp) canola oil

15 mL (1 tbsp) tamari sauce

15 mL (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, chopped

375 g Catelli Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Spaghetti

1 yellow bell pepper, in fine strips

2 green onions, finely minced

60 mL (1/4 cup) fresh coriander, chopped

To taste salt and pepper

Instructions

• Baste salmon with 30 mL (2 tbsp) roasted sesame oil; salt and sprinkle with 30 mL (2 tbsp) roasted sesame seeds.

• Bake in oven preheated to 200°C (400°F) for 12-15 minutes. Set aside.

• In a bowl, blend together remaining sesame oil, canola oil, tamari sauce and ginger. Set aside.

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. 1 minute before end of cooking time, add yellow pepper.

• Drain pasta and pepper very well. Transfer to a serving dish.

• Top with green onions, sesame oil dressing, salmon, remaining sesame seeds and fresh coriander.

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Credit: www.newscanada.com

Vegetable Soup with Dumplings

Cream of wheat dumplings complete this wholesome soup. Build your strength with whole food comfort food.

Soup:
1 cup (250ml) celery, diced
1 cup (250 ml) white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (250 ml) carrots, diced
1 cup (250 ml) potato, diced
1 cup (250 ml) sweet potato, diced
2 cups (500 ml) vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
Pinch ground nutmeg
Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 cup (250 ml) watercress, for garnish

Dumplings:
1 cup (250 ml) organic cream of wheat
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) water
1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon zest

Soup: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté celery, onion and garlic until tender. Add carrots, potato and sweet potato and sauté until translucent and tender. Add vegetable stock, bay leaf and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for five to seven minutes. Remove the bay leaf and keep the soup warm.

Dumplings: Bring the water to a boil in a medium-sized pot and slowly add cream of wheat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until liquid reduces by one-third. Add parsley and lemon zest. Reduce heat to low and stir until all liquid is absorbed. Let cool until the mixture becomes firm with a dough-like consistency. Scoop up some dough using a teaspoon. With another teaspoon, form the dough into an oval shape by scraping the dough from one teaspoon to the other.

Pour the soup into bowls, add the dumplings, garnish with watercress and serve.

Serves two to four.

Veggies with Rice Noodles

You don't have to go to a Chinese market to find bok choy -- It's now widely available at grocery stores. It belongs to the cabbage family and as such you'll know it's a wonderful source of vitamins A and C.

1 1/2 lbs (625 g) baby bok choy
2 cups (500 ml) rice noodles
1/2 cup (125 ml) black beans, cooked
2 Tbsp (30 ml) coconut butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (250 ml) carrots, julienned
1 cup (250 ml) zucchini, julienned
1 cup (250 ml) celery, julienned
1 cup (250 ml) leek (or white onion, julienned
1 cup (250 ml) bamboo shoots
2 Tbsp (30 ml) tamari
1 tsp (5 ml) ginger, minced
1 cup (250 ml) soy bean sprouts
Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp (30 ml) toasted sesame seed oil
1 tsp (5 ml) black or white sesame seeds, for garnish
1 tsp ( 5 ml) fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Blanch boy choy for three to four minutes in a pot of salted boiling water. Drain, reserving water, and immediately rinse with cold water. Place rice noodles in a large bowl then pour reserved boiled water over top. Soak for seven to ten minutes then drain, add black beans and toss thoroughly.
In a pain, heat coconut butter over medium heat and sauté garlic, julienned vegetables and bamboo shoots for two to three minutes or until tender. Stir in tamari, ginger and sprouts; season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Remove from heat then stir in sesame seed oil.
Place bok choy onto plates, arrange noodles and beans on top and then the sautéed vegetables. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro and serve.

Chicken Breast with herbs and Ricotta

8 chicken breast halves (6-8 oz. each), skinless and boneless
16 ounces of low-fat or non-fat ricotta cheese
½ cup dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs
2 tbsp drained capers
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp fresh, finely chopped basil leaves
1 tsp fresh, finely chopped oregano leaves
½ tsp hot red pepper sauce
1 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350F. Flatten each chicken breast until it is ¼ inch thick. Combine ricotta, breadcrumbs, capers, garlic, basil, oregano, pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Divide the mixture into 8 portions (about 3 tbsp each) and spread on a flattened chicken breast, keeping it about ¼ inch from the edges. Starting at one of the shorter sides, roll the chicken up. Run a toothpick through and place it seam side down in a buttered or oiled shallow casserole or baking dish. When all are in the dish, pour on the wine. Bake for 30 minutes until lightly browned. Yields 4-6 servings.

Fresh herbs can give simple foods color and flavor. They can compensate for the loss of flavor in some low-fat dishes. Many herbs can be planted in a decorative container in a bright area of your kitchen and can provide fresh clippings to add to your healthy recipes for weeks.

For more information on this and other healthy recipes visit: www.applepublishing.ca

Apple and Apricot Seasoning

(Quantities given are sufficient for average-size turkeys)

1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1 tsp Organic, cold pressed olive oil
1 organic onion, chopped
2 sticks organic celery, chopped
1 tbsp dry sherry
500 g of minced turkey meat
2 cups stale whole-wheat breadcrumbs
¼ cup chopped parley
1 tsp dried thyme leaves

Place apricots in saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer covered 5 minutes or until just tender, drain. Place in a large bowl. Heat oil in pan, add onion, celery and apple, cook 2 minutes stirring, until mincemeat changes color, drain, add to apricot mixture the remaining ingredients, mix well.

For more information on this and other healthy recipes visit: www.applepublishing.ca

Makes 10 Servings