Tag Archives: Healthy

Lemon Risotto Stuffed Swiss Chard

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Hello all! I had a delightful time doing a cooking demonstration at William-Sonoma this past Wednesday. It was a great turnout, and I really enjoyed speaking with the public. I prepared one of my favorite finger foods! Bite sized, lemon risotto stuffed swiss chard. This is a simple preparation, taking a standard risotto, stemming and blanching swiss chard leaves, rolling them up, pan sautéing them in butter, and deglazing with lemon.

Below is the recipe I have come to love! Enjoy!

Lemon Risotto Stuffed Swiss Chard  

2 cups Arborio rice

2 lemons, zested

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 sprigThyme, whole

1 shallot, minced

6-8 cups chicken stock

1 cup white wine

1 cup Currants

1/2 cup shaved pecorino

2 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley

1 stick butter

2 bunches swiss chard, cleaned

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

1) In a large pot with a lid, add 1/4 stick of butter and 1 T olive oil.

2) In a separate pot, heat your chicken stock.

3) Over medium heat, sweat your shallots and garlic, add your sprig of thyme to the pan.

4) Once your shallots are translucent, add your rice and toast it in the oil and butter.

5) Toast the rice over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

6) Add your wine, and let it cook out for about 2 minutes.

7) Add one ladle of stock to the rice. Stir to combine.

8) Once the stock is absorbed into the rice, add another ladle.

9) Continue until the rice is cooked al dente – or still having a bite to it, remove thyme stem.

10) Remove from heat, add pecorino, currants, and 1/4 stick of butter. Stir to combine.

11) Taste the rice for seasoning, adjust as needed. Cool the risotto in an even layer in a baking dish, stir in chopped parsley as cooling.

12) Clean the swiss chard, using a knife remove the leaf from the stem.

13) Blanch stemmed swiss chard leaves in boiling water for 1 minute. Shock in ice water to stop cooking.

14) Cut leaves into 4×4 in squares.

15) Spoon two tablespoons of risotto into the leave, fold the sides in, and roll to close.

16) Keep rolling until you are out of filling. Should produce around 30 each.

17) When ready to serve, melt 1/2 a stick of butter in a large sauté pan. Place each stuffed swiss chard in the pan.

18) Lightly brown on both sides, squeeze the juice of a fresh lemon into the pan to create pan sauce.

19) Serve hot, and enjoy!

Cheers!

 

Sean Patrick Gallagher

 

 

 

Frozen Yogurt Protein Bars

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In our household there are about 10 containers of protein that sit atop our fridge. (The cabinet behind them is already full of them as well). Starting the day with a protein shake is something that I’ve learned early on from schooling and Nutrition courses, but also carried on through my day to day due to my partner. It’s seemed like a never ending search to find a protein powder that I enjoy. Most of the products I’ve tried are too chalky, or have an acrid-artificial taste. When I received my shipment of Grizzly Protein from Eat the Bar (ETB), I was thrilled.

Although blending up protein powder and water or milk is a great quick way to get your protein intake in the morning, the Chef in me needs more. It’s been 100 degrees everyday this week, and really influenced this recipe. I wanted to create something that was healthy and delicious and packed full of protein that I could take on the go in the morning. What I achieved was a delicious morning treat that was not only packed full of flavor but full of protein.

ETB Frozen Yogurt Protein Bars

2 level scoops ETB Ice Cream Sandwich

1/2 cup cold coffee, (I use whats leftover from that morning)

1 T cocoa powder

2 cups nonfat greek yogurt

1) Mix the protein and cocoa powder in with the coffee, whisking until combined. Make sure there are no lumps.

2) Mix in yogurt, stir to combine.

3) Fill a piping bag, or ziplock bag with the mix. You can snip off the end of a ziplock bag to achieve the same effect.

4)Pipe the mixture into 6 popsicle molds.

5)Freeze for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, and enjoy!

You could easily add in chopped up fruit, chocolate, nuts. Anything you would like to add. These pops are great in the morning or post workout.

Eat The Bear is an American made protein powder, that focuses on providing a high quality, delicious product and a good price point. I am a big fan, and will be creating recipes including protein to promote healthy living.

ETB’s saying is “Some days you eat the bear, and some days the bear eats you.” Reminding us that we are in charge of our own lives and to ultimately take steps to better ourselves.

Take a moment to check out Eat The Bear and all their great products at ETBfit.com.

Cheers,

Sean Gallagher

 

Easy Cooking Tip #1: Roasting

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Everyone’s lives are busy. After a long day of work the last thing you want to do is spend hours cooking dinner. A good tip when grocery shopping and planning a meal is try to pick up things that can cook together. With a few helpful tips and this recipe, a home cooked meal has never been easier.

Today’s Tip: Roasting

Roasting couldn’t be any simpler. You can roast several things at once making dinner a lot quicker.  A roast doesn’t have to be a huge turkey or leg of lamb, almost anything can be roasted. This meal is an example of an easy roasted dinner.

Roasted chicken sausages with fennel, parsnips, and lentils

1 Package chicken sausages

4 Cloves garlic

1 Head fennel, cored and sliced into large pieces

1 Large parsnip, peeled and diced

½ Cup chicken stock

1 T Salt

1 t Ground black pepper

½ Lemon, zest and juice

1 T olive oil

  • Preheat your oven to 450°
  • To start, take an oven safe baking dish and drizzle 1 T of olive oil in the bottom.
  • Lubricate the entire base of the dish with the olive to prevent sticking.
  • Place your sausages, cut fennel, parsnips, and garlic in the dish.
  • Season the vegetables and sausages with 1 T of salt and 1 t ground black pepper.
  • Place in the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, turn over the sausages for even cooking and add ½ cup of chicken stock to the pan.
  • Set the timer for 15 more minutes and place back in the oven.
  • When the timer goes off, add the lemon zest and juice to the pan.
  • Serve sausages and vegetables over top the lentils and enjoy!

Lentils:

1 Cup lentils

2 Cups chicken stock

1 Pinch cayenne powder

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1 Small onion, diced

1 Roma tomato, diced

1 T olive oil

1 T Salt

1 t Ground black pepper

½ Lemon, zest and juice

To cook your lentils:

  • Add 1 T of olive oil to a saucepot with a lid.
  • Turn the heat to medium and cook your garlic and onion until tender.
  • Add your lentils and coat with the oil.
  • Add your chicken stock, cayenne powder, salt, and pepper.
  • Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
  • Once at a boil, turn the heat down and reduce to a simmer.
  • Set a timer for 15 minutes and stir your lentils.
  • After the timer goes off, come back and stir your lentils.
  • Set your timer for 15 more minutes.
  • When the time goes off, stir your lentils and taste for doneness.
  • The lentils should have texture, and be creamy on the inside.
  • If they need more time, set your timer for 5-10 minutes depending on doneness.
  • When done, add your lemon zest, juice, and diced tomatoes.
  • Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
  • Your lentils are done. Serve them with your sausages!

This meal is delicious and couldn’t be simpler. You can have this meal prepped and cooked in an hour, and because it’s in the oven the whole time you can multitask and get things done while it’s cooking.

Don’t like sausages? Try this recipe with halibut or chicken thighs!

Making dinner during the week doesn’t have to be complicated, try this dinner one night and you will be roasting all the time!

- Sincerely,

Sean Gallagher

Welcome to The Epicures Dish!

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Catering a Wedding, Summer 2009

I will be moving to New York City next month and decided that this is a fresh start and I should journal or blog this whole experience. I’ve also been contributing monthly articles to Equal4all, a wonderful blog and that has been a great experience. So with their motivation, and tons of friends and family constant persuasion, I have decided that I should share my knowledge of food and nutrition with everyone and share daily and weekly recipes and advice.

For my first blog entry I will share with you one the easiest and healthiest recipes I have! Try this recipe and you will impress friends and family and you will be surprised with how simple it really is!

Curried Cauliflower with Quinoa and Avocado

1 Bell Pepper

4 Cloves Garlic

1 Head Cauliflower

1 Jalapeno

2 Roma Tomatoes

½  Lime

3 T Red Curry Paste

¼ Cup Water

½ T Hot Pepper Flake

2 T Salt

1 T Ground Black Pepper

2 T Olive Oil

Prep:

  • Dice you bell pepper and tomatoes into large chunks about an inch length. Slice you jalapeno thinly seeds and all into rings. Smash you garlic and chop it roughly. Take your head of cauliflower and cut it into small florets.

Sauce:

  • Mix the water, red curry paste, hot pepper flake, 1 T salt, and ½ T ground block pepper.

Sauté:

  • I like to make this in a wok, but if you don’t have a wok then use a large sauté pan. Get your pan very hot and add your olive oil.  Let the oil heat up for a moment and then add you cauliflower florets. Move them around the pan and let them brown. Cook for 5 minutes and then add your jalapeno, garlic, and bell pepper. Season with 1 T of salt and ½ T ground black pepper. Let the vegetables cook for 7 minutes over high heat stirring them frequently. Then add your sauce and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes. Turn heat off and add your chopped tomatoes. Juice half the lime into the pan and stir to combine.  Serve hot over quinoa.

Quinoa

1 Cup Quinoa

2 Cups Water

½ Lime

1 T Cilantro chopped

1 t Salt

Ground Black Pepper

  • Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepot. Add your salt. When the water boils add your quinoa and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook until the grain has absorbed all the liquid and become tender. Add quinoa to a bowl and mix in black pepper, lime juice, and cilantro.

Serve your curry on a bed of quinoa, I like to serve it will some large diced avocado.

Try this recipe out! It is really delicious and very healthy for you. The only fat in the dish is from the olive oil and avocado and it is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. This dish is also vegetarian, which makes it very light and a nice change in the weekly menu.

So spice it up and try something different, you will be happy with the results!

If you have any questions about this recipe or anything at all, email me at Chef.seangallagher@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Sean Gallagher

Brooklyn Bridge, 3/10