The first recipe (fried eggplant) is one from childhood, only it’s keto-fied. You can, however, replace what I use for breadcrumbs (pork panko) and you will achieve the same thing. It was such a treat growing up and disappeared fast.

Once you have this fried eggplant down, you can make eggplant parmesan or eggplant lasagna. I added pepperoni to the eggplant parmesan, but you can make it your own.

• Keto Fried Eggplant – The staple to several great eggplant dishes, but great alone.
• Eggplant Parmesan with Pepperoni – Surprise with the addition of pepperoni.
• Sausage Stuffed Eggplant – Just dig in and enjoy the comfort.

These Italian Eggplant Recipes are fun and not hard, although they look it. My favorite is probably the eggplant lasagna, an idea I got from a local Italian restaurant. Both of these recipes use ricotta cheese, mozzarella and who doesn’t love these ingredients, which scream comfort food.

• Eggplant Rollatini
• Eggplant Lasagna

Eggplant Soups

Now that you’ve seen some sort of traditional type eggplant recipes, here are two eggplant soup recipes. Yes, this makes 8 recipes, so consider it a bonus. I have to ask myself why haven’t I made these soups more often.

• Sausage Eggplant Soup – a soup I created after a Farmer’s Market bounty.
• Creamy Roasted Eggplant Tomato Soup – made due to another accidental Farmer’s Market haul of tomatoes, eggplant and bell pepper. Heavy cream smooths it all out.

Vegetarian Options

The Italian Sausage Eggplant Soup CAN be made without sausage. It’s good on it’s own if you want a vegetarian option.

The Creamy Tomato Eggplant Soup can be made vegan if you exchange the heavy cream with coconut milk.

Helpful Kitchen Tools for these Recipes

• Dutch oven
• Great non-stick frying pan (Hex Clad)
• Pork Panko
• Baking Dish
• Soup Crocks

The post My Favorite Low Carb Italian Eggplant Recipes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Ricotta takes on a whole new life of deliciousness creaminess when whipped in a food processor or blender, and is especially good for a quick dessert.

Ricotta cheese is very versatile, and can be sweetened either with honey, sugar or a sweetener like Swerve (erythritol) or monk fruit. Ricotta also makes a great savory appetizer dip like this I whipped ricotta with peas.

This is a dessert (or breakfast) recipe sweetened, flavored with some lemon zest and a little juice and topped with a sugar free blueberry compote. You could also use fresh fruit, but the texture of the blueberry compote complements the ricotta cheese texture.

Sugar Free Blueberry Compote

• 2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup erythritol
• Juice of half lemon
• 1 tablespoon xanthan gum gel

Simmer on low for twenty minutes. Cool. Refrigerate. The compote will thicken up in the fridge.

Cooking Notes

Xanthan Gum: I use the xanthan gum gel (made with xanthan gum and cold water). It ends up being less than 1/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum, because it’s mixed with water in a blender. However, it works just as well as a thickening agent as corn starch.

Blueberries: I use organic frozen blueberries from Costco, because the taste and sweetness is consistent.

Similar Keto Friendly Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Mini Sugar Free Cheesecake
• Low Carb Blueberry Tarts
• Salmon with Savory Blueberry Compote
• Keto Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
• Keto Blueberry Bundt Cake

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Variations

• Use Cinnamon and Swerve.
• Use this sugar free strawberry sauce.
• Use fresh fruit.
• Top with lemon curd.

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Whipped Ricotta with Blueberry Compote

Easy Dessert, Whipped Ricotta with Blueberry Compote

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword blueberries, ricotta cheese, Whipped Ricotta

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Blueberry Compote 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Equipment

• 1 food processor or blender

Ingredients

• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon sweetener of choice see notes

Blueberry Compote

• 2 cups blueberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup erythritol
• 1 tablespoon xanthan gel

Instructions

• Mix ricotta with sweetener. . You can adjust after you whip the ricotta.
• Whip in small food processor or blender, until creamy.
• Taste for desired sweetness. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Blueberry Compote

• Put ingredients together in saucepan, except the xanthan gum gel.
• Once the blueberries are simmering about 15 minutes, add xanthan gum and stir.
• Simmer for a few more minutes and turn off heat. Cool, and then chill in fridge.
• Serve whipped ricotta with blueberry compote. Serve immediately.
• You can refrigerate whipped ricotta for up to overnight, but don't add compote until right before serving.

The post Sweet Ricotta Dessert, Blueberry Compote (Sugar Free) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Lately I’ve making keto crepe recipes, sweet, savory, layered and stuffed. This keto crepe cannelloni might be my new favorite. There are many variations for cannelloni, and this version is meat filled.

Stuffed with ground beef and ground pork, mixed with ricotta, pecorino romano and spices, topped with tomato sauce, it tastes authentically Italian.

Almond flour replaces traditional flour and there are no breadcrumbs in the recipe, making this a perfect keto friendly Italian dinner.

You will find some cannelloni recipes that are stuffed with spinach and ricotta the same way I made this spinach crepe lasagna.

Keto crepes are very versatile and once you know how to make these, you can enjoy crepes a number of ways.

The first thing you need to do is make the keto crepes. The more I make them, the better they get and the more I learn. It’s important to have the batter thin enough so you can swirl what you need in your pan and pour the excess back into the batter.

Make a Fast Tomato Sauce

Make a fast tomato sauce with a can of San Marzano Tomatoes. Heat for 20 minutes wiht olive oil, sautèed onion or garlic (to be removed), salt, pepper. Use an immersion blender to blend to a puree. You can also use any tomato sauce of your choice.

More Low Carb Italian Recipe from Spinach Tiger

• Keto Crepe Lasagna
• Eggplant Rollatini
• Eggplant Lasagna
• Italian Meatball Soup

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Keto Crepe Cannelloni with Meat Filling

Low Carb, Keto Crepe Cannelloni with Meat Filling and Ricotta Cheese

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword crepe lasagna, keto lasagna

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Crepe Making Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 540kcal

Ingredients

• 15 ounce ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese grated
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 cup tomato sauce sugar free
• 8 keto crepes

Keto Crepe Recipe

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 eggs
• baking spray
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

• Mix the meat together with egg, pecorino cheese, salt, pepper and parsley.
• Saute ground meat, breaking it up in pan, until all meat is cooked through.
• Mix ricotta with ground meat.
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use an 9 x 9 baking dish and cut crepes to fit the dish.
• Place meat/ricotta mixture on crepe and roll up.
• Put tomato sauce on bottom of baking pan. Add each rolled stuffed crepe.
• Top with tomato sauce. You may want to add mozzarella cheese on top. That's an option. Top with foil prior to baking.
• Bake at 350 F. for 20 minutes and turn up to 400 degrees for another five minutes. You may need more time if cheese isn't melted enough if using cheese for a topping.

Keto Crepes

• Mix almond flour with salt. Set aside.
• Mix eggs with almond milk, melted butter.
• Add dry mixture. Add a few teaspoons water if you need to thin down crepes.
• Heat crepe pan. I used a 7 inch crepe pan, which made 8 crepes.
  
• Add baking spray. Hold crepe pan off the stove and add 1/4 crepe batter. Swirl around to cover pan. Put back on stove and cook for about 4 minutes on medium. Turn over for about 10 seconds.

  NOTE: Makes up to 10 crepes. If you are using a larger pan, you'll make less crepes and can cut them to fit your baking dish.
  
• Tomato sauce recipe here.

Notes

Macros are for Spinach Version. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 4 | Calories: 540kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 39g | Fiber: 2g

The post Keto Crepe Cannelloni with Meat Filling appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I think I might be a little blessed because while the Spinach Tiger loves steak, I have a crush on ground beef and never seem to run out of ground beef ideas. If you have some great ideas, leave them in the comments.

Good ground beef has fat and flavor which is quite satisfying, and as long as I can get my hands on grass fed, high quality ground beef without sticker shock,  I’d rather eat ground beef than just about anything.

My crush has led to many ground beef ideas over the years, from fast and easy to slow and fussy and even recipes for a party. You could use ground turkey in these recipes, keeping in mind, you will need to add in more flavor, more fat (olive oil), and you could substitute ground lamb. Play around and always be sure to tell me if you have a great ground beef recipe.

The Fast and Easy Ground Beef Ideas

Personal Favorite

Our all time favorite dish is Ground Beef with Peas and Sauteed Onion. You can choose to add in a starch such as rice, potatoes or pasta, but we like it just like this.

Eventually, I jumped off into other ground beef stir fries, using kale or spinach and even adding in pancetta in this Italian Stir Fry

Ground Beef in Soup/Chili

• Italian Meatball Wedding Soup
• Italian Meatball Soup in Tomato Broth
• Ground Beef Five Bean Chili
• No Bean Chili

Ground Beef Ideas for Dinner

• Ground Beef Stroganoff
• Spaghetti Squash with Bolognese
• Picadillo
• Ground Beef Taco Meat
• Easy Shepherd’s Pie
• Crack Slaw with Comeback Sauce
• Easy Hamburger Steaks
• Hamburger Steaks with Wine Mushroom Sauce

Italian Dinners with Ground Beef

• Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Meatballs and Sausage
• Bolognese Sauce (Five Different Recipes)

Ground Beef Ideas for Your Next Party

Meatballs with Blueberry Pear Compote a recipe from La Cucina Italia, an Italian Magazine and it’s so delicious and a great demonstration that meatballs can travel down many roads in Italy.

Stuff it Ground Beef Ideas

Stuffed Peppers, one of the dishes we make a lot!

Feta Stuffed Lamb Meatballs with Pistachio Pesto

These are just some of my ground beef recipes. I make meatloaf, burgers, stuffed cabbage, lettuce wraps  and other  ground beef dishes, but for some reason I’ve never posted their recipes. Once I do, I’ll add them in. If you have a good ground beef link (not a tater tot type recipe), leave it in the comments.

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Ricotta Stuffed Meatballs

Ricotto stuffed meatballs, great for an entree or party dish.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 tablespoons parsley chopped finely
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese or pecorino romano
• 1 egg
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt or more
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Mix beef with 1 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons cheese, and egg.
• Mix Ricotta cheese with remaining parsley, cheese
• Season both meat mixture and cheese mixture with salt and pepper.
• Use about a tablespoon of meat mixture, Flatten and place ricotta cheese in middle. Form into meatball.
• Continue making small meatballs.
• Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

The post Ground Beef Ideas for Easy Family Dinners appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Unlike his recipe, I skipped the flour, and added mozzarella cheese. Trying both ricotta fritters with and without the mozzarella, the added cheese won out, and serves as an extra binder, adding to the texture, and making this truly low-carb.

The tomato sauce is made quickly with one large can of Marzano Plum Tomatoes, which is ready when the fritters are done. This dish takes about 30 minutes active time, but does require a lot of patience, as the fritters are fried on the lowest setting.

What are Ricotta Fritters?

Savory ricotta fritters are fried dollops of ricotta cheese, mixed with egg, nutmeg, mozzarella and fried slowly on the stove. They can be eaten as is, or placed in a bed of fresh tomato sauce. They can be a main dish, a side dish or a starter.

Tips For Ricotta Fritters

• Remove the moisture from the ricotta. This will truly make all the difference in the world. Place your ricotta in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or paper towels. Place over a bowl. Cover with paper towel or cheesecloth and press out the extra liquid using a bowl on top. It is recommended to do this for 8 hours, but I only had one hour and used paper towels and was able to make these with no problem.
• Fry on very low. I used the lowest setting on my gas stove. Each fritter took about 8 minutes on one side and six minutes on the other side. It could even take longer, so be patient.
• While the fritters are frying, make the tomato sauce.
• Put tomato sauce in a baking dish. Place ricotta cheese on top of the sauce and keep warm in the oven until serving. You want the sauce to be hot. Sprinkle parmesan or pecorino romano on top right before serving.

Variations on Ricotta Fritters

• Top with Pepperoni
• Serve with Pesto
• Add Veggies, such shredded zucchini
• Go sweet, adding finely chopped apples with cinnamon and sweetener such as Swerve.

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More Keto Italian from Spinach Tiger

• Keto Eggplant Lasagna
• Eggs in Purgatory (Italian Shashuka)
• Italian Sausage Balls
• Keto Sausage Crusted Three Cheese Pizza
• Ricotta Stuffed Meatballs
• Chicken Parmesan with Pepperoni

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Savory Ricotta Fritters with Quick Tomato Sauce

Savory Ricotta Fritters (No flour) with Easy Tomato Sauce

Course Appetizer and Main

Cuisine Italian

Keyword ricotta cheese, ricotta fritters

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8 fritters

Ingredients

Ricotta Fritters

• 330 grams ricotta cheese 1 1/4 cup
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1/4 cup pecorino romano or parmesan grated
• 1 small egg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• salt and pepper

Fast Tomato Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 28 ounce can San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes
• 1/4 cup white wine optional
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Getting Liquid out of Ricotta (one hour to overnight)

• Use either cheesecloth or paper towels. I used paper towels and placed under and over the ricotta cheese in mesh strainer over a bowl. I placed another bowl over the ricotta to press out liquid. I only did this for one hour, but you can do this overnight also.

Tomato Sauce

• Heat oil in medium sauce pan that will fit the tomato sauce. Add garlic cloves and cook for a minute. If garlic burns, start over.
• Crush the tomatoes with your hand, retaining the pulp and allowing all the juice and puree to go into the pan. You CAN add in some of the pulp if desired.
• Add in white wine. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 30 minutes, while making the fritters.

Ricotta Fritters

• Mix ricotta, pecorino romano, parsley, mozzarella, nutmeg, egg, salt and pepper together.
• Heat a flat frying pan (I used a griddle) with a small amount of oil. Using a spoon, place each fritter in frying pan, keeping enough space between to be able to turn them easily. Cook each side 8 minutes and six minutes after flipping. BE PATIENT. They will brown, but this takes time. Keep the heat at its lowest setting.
• Once tomato sauce is done, place both sauce and then fritters in baking pan and warm up in oven if necessary. Serve when hot.

The post Savory Ricotta Fritters with Quick Tomato Sauce appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When I posted a picture of this dish on an instagram story (that was not even a great pic) I had several comments requesting the recipe. The good news is that it’s a pretty easy dish, as long as you have some left over bolognese sauce.

I usually make more than ample bolognese because the boys LOVE it, say it’s five stars and now that they eat lunch here several times a week, I have reasons to make it.

Personal Life Update

The twins (the boys you’ve seen my videos when they were little) are now 16 years old. This year they decided to step away from public school and do a hybrid home school program. This means they have two days a week to work in the bakery along with another one of their friends, Addison. All are in same program, and on the same mountain bike team. Their hard work and exercise deserve a real lunch at least twice a week.

Sixteenth Birthday with Friends

If this is your first time here, the twins Marshall and Ryder have been cooking in my kitchen since they were two years old, the same year I launched this blog. They have eaten almost every recipe here and have grown up around food preparation, cooking and baking. You may recognize them from early videos when they were only six years old.

When we go to restaurants, they keep a rating star system, which is a lot of fun, and they are spot on with their critiques. They give this bolognese FIVE STARS! (Although they eat this with pasta).

Bolognese

You can read all about bolognese at any of my several posts. My most recent post will round up all the various bolognese recipes I’ve made, and they are all great. Make anyone of them, but I’ve listed here a simple bolognese recipe. You can make double and freeze the rest if you like.

Spaghetti Squash

I like to use spaghetti squash instead of pasta for bolognese and that led to this delicious Italian casserole with ricotta cheese. Mix it all up, but save some bolognese and dollops of ricotta for the top.

What I Love About Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

This is Italian comfort food without too many carbs. It’s gluten free, keto friendly and delicious. It’s also good left over, makes a great post workout lunch. It’s versatile. You can use any kind of ground meat you desire, and put your own spin on it. You might not want to take the three house to make bolognese sauce (although you should), and you could use a quick stir-fried ground beef with carrot, celery, onion.

More Italian Dishes Using Spaghetti Squash

• Mushroom, Sausage Spaghetti Squash Casserole
• Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Italian Sausage
• Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp, Tomatoes
• How to Make Spaghetti Squash

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Spaghetti Squash Bolognese with Ricotta

Low Carb Friendly Italian Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Casserole

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Bolognese 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked spaghetti squash (medium sized)
• 3 cups bolognese
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs

Bolognese Sauce

• 2 carrots finely diced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup San Marzano Tomatoes (canned)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

Bolognese Sauce

• Saute finely diced carrot, onion, in a tablespoon of butter and oil until softened, in pot. You can cook bolognese in this pot or once all ingredients are added, put in crock pot.
• Crumble ground beef into pan, stirring frequently until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
• Once meat is cooked, add milk. Add nutmeg.
• Once milk in incorporated and cooked down, add wine.
• Cook for ten more minutes to cook alcohol off, then add 1 cup canned San Marzano tomatoes. Mix through.
• Cook in crock pot for three hours or on top of stove. You can add a little water if bolognese gets dry. If you've used fatty meat like chuck, you might want to scoop off the extra oil.
• Make Spaghetti Squash
  
• Mix spaghetti squash with 1 cup of ricotta cheese. Save 1/2 cup to dollop.
• Mix with 2 cups bolognese. Save one cup to add to top.
• Add remaining bolognese and ricotta cheese to over top of casserole.
• Bake until heated through about 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
  
• Once out of oven, top with herbs.
• Serve with Parmesan or Pecorino Romano.

Notes

Regarding Bolognese, you CAN use your own meatsauce.

The post Spaghetti Squash Bolognese with Ricotta appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

You may remember when I posted keto fried eggplant here which is the foundation of this recipe.

Use Pork Panko for the Breading

I use what is keto life is called Pork Panko, which you can buy already made, or easily enough, you can make yourself.

Pork panko is simply pork skins crushed into faux bread crumbs. All you need to do to make your own is buy your favorite pork skins and put them in a food processor. You can store them in a jar in your pantry.

Cooking Tips for Making Keto Fried Eggplant

I  discovered that using a non-stick frying pan with NO oil makes crispier eggplant. I  use the copper chef frying pan that requires no oil or butter.

Quick Tomato Sauce

You can easily use a can of quality San Marzano Tomatoes, which, within about 20 minutes will yield a perfectly good SUGAR FREE, NO NONSENSE Tomato Sauce.

The Filling: Ricotta Cheese for Keto Eggplant Lasagna

I love ricotta cheese, but because it can be a bit bland, I will add a few tablespoons or more of pecorino romano cheese to the mix, with a little nutmeg, parsley, salt and pepper.

Sweat the Eggplant

First make decision as to how many layers you want to make your keto eggplant lasagna. You can decide thick or thinner slices. I also peel the eggplant with a potato peeler to remove the skin. Then After slicing crosswise, I lay on paper towels and salt well. After about an hour, the eggplant will sweat, or release moisture. This helps the eggplant fry better.

Building Keto Eggplant Lasagna

This is the fun part. My ratio is 3 2 1. This means three layers of eggplant, two layers of ricotta cheese and one layer of mozzarella, which all layers have a thin layer of tomato sauce. This is then baked for about 20-30 minutes. Rest for ten minutes.

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Keto Eggplant Lasagna

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword eggplant lasagna, keto eggplant

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants Medium to large size
• 2 tablespoons salt for sweating eggplant
• 4 eggs beaten
• 2 cups pork panko can substitute almond flour
• 1 1/2 cup pecorino romano grated and divided
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 cups tomato sauce recipe here

Pork Panko

• 4 cups quality pork skins.

Fast Tomato Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves fresh garlic can use garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder optional
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cans San Marzano Whole Tomatoes

Instructions

• Slice off skin. Slice eggplant medium thick about a 3/4 inch or half inch.
• Sweat the eggplant. Lay out on cloth or paper towels and salt heavily on both sides. Use more cloth or paper towels to absorb the liquid.
• Beat 2 eggs. Use more as needed. You may need four eggs.
• Add salt and pepper into eggs.
• Mix pork panko with cheese. I like to use 1/2 cup cheese to 1 cup pork panko, but you can decide for yourself. Keep in mind that pecorino is salty, but I think that adds flavor. You CAN skip the pecorino, if you want to or replace with parmesan.
• Dip into egg, then breadcrumbs and fry eggplant over medium heat NO OIL. until golden brown on each side. Drain on paper towels.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Put tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish. You can use your own sauce, or make the fast sauce below.
• Layer eggplant with tomato sauce and ricotta cheese. You can do three layers of eggplant with two layers of ricotta cheese or two layers of eggplant with one layer of ricotta cheese. It's up to you. I like three layers.
• Top with Tomato Sauce and mozzarella
• Bake until cheese is completely melted and slightly golden brown. Allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Make Homemade Pork Panko

• Take high quality pork skins and place in food processor. They will process quickly and are a good substitution for breadcrumbs.

Fast Tomato Sauce

• Use two large can of San Marzano Tomatoes. Squeeze with hands and use all of the tomato except the very ends of tomato.
• Put small amount of olive oil in sauce pan. Add a garlic cube, some onion powder, salt and pepper. Once garlic is golden (if burned, throw out start over), add tomatoes. Cook on medium low heat, while making the eggplant. this sauce can be ready in as little as twenty minutes.
• You will probably have some sauce left over, which you can freeze for future.

The post Keto Eggplant Lasagna appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Last Saturday, I was the Nolensville farmer’s market where you can find me featuring our keto baked goods. I and purchased the biggest, most beautiful rainbow swiss chard.

You could replace the swiss chard with kale if you like. Olive oil, garlic and sausage make greens oh so tasty.

Swiss chard is considered a nutritional powerhouse, an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, as well as a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber. Swiss chard does contain oxolates and may not be the be the best choice for those concerned with kidney stones.

If this is a concern, kale would be a better choice and will also work well in this recipe. We have a lot of kale recipes here, so you know we love our kale. I wouldn’t use spinach for this recipe, as it doesn’t have the heft and texture this recipe needs.

The Process

Use loose Italian sausage, mild or hot, and crumble into a hot pan that has been oiled first. Use a wooden spoon and continue stirring to get every sausage crumble fully cooked. Drain and set aside. Clean out pan and use to sautè greens in olive oil and garlic.

Olive oil, garlic and salt are always a great start to greens. The crumbled Italian sausage adds fat, protein and ton of flavor. I generally fry a few cloves of garlic in the oil and then remove, before adding my greens. I don’t sautè the greens in the sausage oil, because the olive oil really adds the flavor I’m looking for. Once softened, add sausage back in, stir up, add dollops of ricotta cheese (which is an option) and bake for ten minutes. Finish off with grated parmesan or Pecorino Romano. If you want heat, sprinkle soe red chili flakes to taste. Enjoy. This is a delicious supper and is great left over.

Notes: You can substitute pork Italian sausage with turkey Italian Sausage. You can use mustard greens, Swiss chard, kale or any green that has heft (not spinach). You could even use broccoli rabe.

This is a dish that is so easy, so good, we will make this every few weeks. It reheats beautifully.

Similar Dishes from Spinach Tiger

• Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
• How to Sautè Swiss Chard Italian Style
• Italian Ground Beef Kale Stir Fry
• Swiss Chard Nectarine Salad
• Melted Kale
• Easy Collard Greens
• Low Carb Italian Sausage Recipe with Spaghetti Squash

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Italian Sausage and Greens Stir Fry

Crumbled Italian Sausage with Greens Stir Fry for an Easy Healthy Low Carb Dinner

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Italian sausage, swiss chard

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Swiss Chard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons Pecorino or Parmesan freshly grated
• 1 pound Loose Italian Sausage
• 4 ounces ricotta cheese

Instructions

• Trim the tips of the swiss chard. Discard.
• Rinse, dry, and chop swiss chard. Cut the stems into a small dice. Cut the leaves larger, as they will reduce in size.
• Heat frying pan prior to adding oil.
• Add oil and turn to medium heat.
• Add garlic cloves and sautè until golden. Remove and discard. Do not over brown.
• Add chard leaves and stem to pan and sautè until softened.
• Add Parmesan or Pecorino and toss.
• Season with red chili flakes to taste, and add salt and pepper.
• Remove greens to a bowl in order to cook sausage in same pan.
• You may need to add a tablespoon of oil to pan. Crumble sausage and cook until cooked through.
• Add greens back in and mix with sausage.
• Add dollops of ricotta cheese and bake in oven for 10 minutes.
• Sprinkled Pecorino Romano or parmesan.

The post Italian Sausage and Greens Stir Fry with Ricotta appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The way the Golden Girls turned to cheesecake, Aunt Rita turned to stuffed shells. She was a modern Italian woman, who prepared food like you might imagine an old nana in Italy. She took her time to get her recipe right and drew on her intuition instead of any recipe.

She knew exactly how much ricotta cheese needed to go into each shell and she never rushed the dish. Many friends were recipients of a dish of shells and it was one of the things people talked about with joy at her wake and funeral. The stuffed shells were more than a pasta dish; they were an offering of comfort and love. 

Why are stuffed shells better than lasagna for a crowd?

We all love lasagna and it’s often the first dish we want to make when we are taking something to a party or delivering a meal. Reconsider why shells might be a better choice. Instead of worrying about cutting lasagna and having it stay intact, people can simply help themselves to stuffed shells taking as little or as many. Some may only want to sample one or two.

When I brought this big dish of stuffed shells to a gathering, not only did they love it, I heard a lot about how delicious the sauce was.  

When I  set out to make a dish of stuffed shells a few weeks back, I  thought it was would be easier than it was. After all, I’m an expert at manicotti and lasagna. I quickly learned a few things of what to do and what not do as I  figured out how to stuff pasta shells properly.

The first thing you need for a good stuffed shells recipe is good marinara sauce. I shared my grandmother’s simple, tomato sauce here and I do hope you make your own sauce, especially when you see how easy it is. 

Ingredients for Stuffed Shells Recipe

• Pasta Shells
• Tomato Sauce
• Ricotta Cheese
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Pecorino Romano Cheese
• Parsley
• Salt, Pepper
• Nutmeg

What kind of cheese do you use for stuffed Shells Recipe?

There are three kinds of cheese used in this recipe. Ricotta cheese is the main cheese and I like the Polly O brand best as I don’t have to worry about it having too much liquid. You can place the ricotta on cheesecloth over a colander for about an hour to get rid of any extra liquid. I add in mozzarella and pecorino. I like the Pecorino Romano, a sheep’s cheese, for its tang and saltiness.

How to Stuff Pasta Shells: Use a Pastry Bag

Drain and cool shells before stuffing. I have found a pastry bag with an extra large circle piping tip works well for stuffing the shells.

There is NO EGG in this ricotta mixture. Taste before filling to make sure it has flavor.

It’s easier to fill all shells first before placing on tomato sauce.

Some ideas for stuffed Shells

• Add fresh Pesto spooned over shells before serving.
• Add fresh chopped spinach to ricotta filling.

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Stuffed Shells Recipe

Authentic Stuffed Shells Recipe with Tips for Stuffing Pasta Shells

Course Entree, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Stuffed Shells

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Tomato Sauce 2 hours hours

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 12 ounces Large Pasta Shells
• 1 cup Shredded mozzarella
• 3 cups Tomato sauce recipe here
• Parmesan or Pecorino Romano for serving

Ricotta Filling

• 16 ounces Ricotta Cheese
• 1/2 cup flat Italian parsley chopped
• 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
• 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• dash freshly ground nutmeg

Instructions

Ricotta Filling

• Mix together all ingredients and refrigerate until needed.
• Make shells according to instructions minus one minute. Use plenty of water in pot. Add salt to water before putting shells in. Drain immediately. Allow to cool before filling.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. (190 C.)
• If you don't have a pastry bag, use a plastic baggie (food safe) and cut a hole in tip. Do not over-fill. You should be able to close the shell. If using pastry bag, only fill it half-way. You can also spoon in your ricotta cheese, using a small spoon.
• Once all the shells are filled, layer tomato sauce on a baking dish. Place each filled shell in pan. Cover with more sauce.
• Add mozzarella cheese.
• Cover completely with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until all cheese is melted. You can take off the foil and bake for another five minutes, but I cover with foil to keep the edges of shells from burning.
• Serve with parmesan cheese or pecorino romano.

Notes

Use sauce as needed. You may have some left over.

The post Stuffed Shells Recipe and How to Stuff Pasta Shells appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Ricotta Peas Pesto Appetizer is easy to put together and such a pretty presentation. I was inspired to make this when served a very similar starter while vacationing in Florida. All six of us loved it. Ricotta blanketed with pea pesto made with fresh mint (or tarragon), lemon zest, and olive oil makes the best appetizer.

We love to invite people over for dinner, but if I think it’s going to be too much of an ordeal, I’ll hesitate. This summer we’ve had company for several dinners and this starter is one of the ways I keep it simple, while throwing a few steaks on the grill.

Charcuterie plates can be a little heavy or too expensive to put together. I usually get one or two nice cheeses (sometimes from the small discard pile at Whole Foods), spice up my own olives with orange peel, olive oil and chili flakes, and whip up this ricotta appetizer. I did

All you need is a small food processor, or a pestle and mortar and you can make ricotta peas pesto appetizer in five minutes.

Ricotta Peas Pesto Appetizer Ingredients

• Ricotta Cheese
• Frozen Peas
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Fresh Mint or Tarragon
• Lemon Juice
• Lemon Zest
• Salt, Pepper

Are Peas Low Carb?

Yes, they are 8 net carbs per 1/2 cup, making appetizer low-carb friendly, as the whole recipe calls for 1/2 cup.

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Ricotta Peas Pesto Appetizer

Ricotta cheese blanketed with a pea pesto made with mint, lemon.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword appetizer, mint, peas, ricotta cheese

Servings 12 servings

Equipment

• Food processor or super blender

Ingredients

Pea Pesto Over Ricotta

• 1/2 cup frozen peas defrosted
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon zest and juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash black pepper
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint see notes

Instructions

• Peas Pesto
• Chop your herbs to be added at the end. Set aside.
• Put peas, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon in food processor blender, and blend until mixture forms a mash (not a puree).
• Add in herbs, salt and pepper.
• Serve over ricotta cheese.

Notes

You can use tarragon instead of mint, but use sparingly. You could also use parsley, basil or lemon thyme. Taste as you add.

The post Ricotta Peas Pesto Appetizer appeared first on Spinach Tiger.