Snow Day Special: Comfort Food to Keep You Warm, Healthy & Happy

Well, we're all snowed in with no place to go. What a perfect day to spend time in the kitchen cooking some of my favorite comfort food.

Today's Menu:
Collard Green Caesar Salad
Baked Ziti with Turkey Ragout
Triple Chocolate Brownies

This menu has all of my favorite tastes & textures: creamy, savory Ziti, crunchy, salty Caesar salad and rich intensely chocolatey Brownies. By interpreting these classics into recipes using healthy, quality ingredients, we have a meal that not only satisfies every taste and craving but is lighter and healthier than the originals.


Baked Ziti with Turkey Ragout
Serves 4-6

This baked ziti is everything you want when you're inside on a cold, snowy day. The turkey provides a hearty, meaty texture that compliments the creaminess of the ricotta cheese and the melted mozzarella. The low fat cheese, whole wheat pasta and lean ground turkey creates a dish that is high in flavor without being as heavy as traditional ziti.

Ingredients:
1 box whole wheat penne
2 Tablespoons olive oil
24 oz. low fat ricotta cheese
1 egg
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 lb. ground white meat turkey
1 link Italian turkey sausage (removed from its casing)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
½ cup chopped yellow onion
4 cups “Two Step Tomato Sauce” *recipe posted in previous article
1½ cups shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated aged Parmesan cheese
1 disposable aluminum lasagna baking pan

Preparation:
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
1. In a large saucepan, boil salted water for pasta. Once water is boiling, add penne and cook until just cooked through (about 5-7minutes). In a large bowl, combine ricotta, egg, and parsley. Season with salt & pepper. Drain pasta, drizzle with olive oil and combine with cheese mixture.

2. Prepare ragout: Heat pan over medium high heat. Add oil. Once oil begins to shimmer, add onion and sweat until soft. Add ground turkey, sausage, garlic powder & chili flakes. Brown ground meat and separate any large chunks of sausage. Add ½ cup tomato sauce. Season with salt. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until ragout is thick and majority of liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until cooled to room temperature. Once mixture has cooled, combine with penne & cheese mixture.

3. Set all ingredients out on the counter in an assembly line. Spoon 1 ladle of sauce on bottom of baking pan. Add one layer of pasta/turkey/ricotta mixture then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Repeat layers until you reach the top of the pan. Sprinkle entire top with parmesan cheese and bake for 25 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

4. Let stand 10 minutes and serve either alone or with additional sauce on the side. This dish freezes well, so whatever you don’t finish; freeze in a tightly sealed container for a rainy day.

*NOTE: To make vegetarian, substitute 1 package frozen chopped spinach for turkey. Defrost spinach and squeeze as much water out as possible. Sautee with chopped onion, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Add to cheese mixture.

*TO FREEZE: This dish may be prepared ahead of time and frozen BEFORE baking. Wrap securely with aluminum foil and then securely with plastic wrap several times before putting into freezer. Defrost 2 hrs. before baking.


Collard Green Caesar Salad with Chick Pea Croutons
Makes 4-6 servings

While your ziti is in the oven, it's time to make the Caesar salad. Inspired by one of my favorite Caesars, the Kale Caesar from Il Buco, this recipe uses raw collard greens, a wonderful anti-oxidant full of nutrients. Instead of an oil based dressing, I use silken tofu to create a wonderful garlicky Caesar dressing that tastes incredible and coats the collards beautifully.

Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh Collard Greens
15 oz. can Chick Peas
¼ lb. Aged Parmesan Regiano
Dressing Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
1 ½ Tablespoon Anchovy Paste
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 teaspoon White Miso
12 oz. Silken Tofu (*may also use “Light” Silken Tofu)


Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 325°F

1. Drain chick peas and rinse. Pat dry with paper towels and spread onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until crispy, crunchy and golden, about 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven, toss with salt & pepper.

2. Remove stalks from collard greens and tear into bite size pieces. Rinse and dry. Set aside.

3. Combine all dressing ingredients in blender. Process until smooth. Add fresh pepper and adjust seasonings to taste.

4. Toss collard greens with dressing until all leaves are fully coated. Using a vegetable peeler, shave strips of Parmesan into salad. Sprinkle with chick peas and serve.


Triple Chocolate Brownies
makes 2 dozen brownies

Growing up in my house growing there was only one answer to an incurable sweet tooth...my mom's chocolate brownies. Made from scratch and using the finest quality ingredients my mom would create a brownie that was rich like fudge with a chewy center and crispy crust. I use this recipe when I want to recreate that warm, chocolately goodness. Making something from scratch may take a few minutes longer, but the results are profoundly better.

Ingredients:
6 oz. fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:
Pre- heat oven to 350 °F.
1. In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt the bittersweet chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate with the butter, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat, and let the mixture cool until it is lukewarm.

2. Stir in the sugar and the vanilla and add the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the salt and the flour, stirring until the mixture is just combined, and stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Pour the batter into a well-buttered and floured 13- by 9-inch baking pan, smooth the top, and bake the mixture in the middle of oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a rack and cut it into 24 bars.