italian Archives - Jackie Newgent

italian freekeh “meatballs”

by Jackie Newgent | December 28, 2015 | 4 Comments

You don’t need to give up spaghetti and meatballs when eating healthier. Simply pick a better-for-you pasta, like bean-based or whole grain noodles, and top with vegetarian “meatballs”. I’ve made these with 100% real ingredients and based them on cracked freekeh, which is a young green wheat. They’re not designed to mock meat; they have a culinary quality of their own. The texture and taste of the “meatballs” are craveable … no meat required!

make-ahead fusilli pasta bowls

by Jackie Newgent | September 22, 2015 | 2 Comments

At the end of a long day, sometimes cooking up a quick pot of pasta doesn’t seem speedy enough—and a packaged frozen entrée doesn’t sound appealing enough. That’s where this fast make-ahead fusilli pasta bowl fix comes in. It’s my go-to pasta bowl of the moment. I pair whole grain fusilli with a good-quality marinara sauce, plus some of my favorite ingredients: baby arugula, soft goat-style cashew cheese, pistachios, and lemon zest. Yum!

beet pesto cauliflower pizza with greens

by Jackie Newgent | May 4, 2015 | 2 Comments

It was such as pleasure hosting two amazing food-loving dietetic interns this spring. One of them, Lucy Song, has a terrific palate for plant-based cuisine and an eye for photography. So as part of her internship experience, I asked her to create a recipe makeover for Meatless Monday. Here’s her story behind this recipe.

spinach & artichoke flatbread pizza

by Jackie Newgent | February 8, 2015 | 2 Comments

Pizza is a food that I simply don’t think I could live without! Luckily, as long as it’s not loaded up with greasy pepperoni and sausage, it can be good for you. If you top it with vegan cheese, it may be better for you. And if you top it with plenty of vegetables, it will be extra good for you. That’s what I’ve done here with a luscious-tasting spinach-artichoke topping that was inspired by spinach-artichoke dip!

vegan spinach and hemp seed pesto

by Jackie Newgent | December 4, 2014 | 3 Comments

I like to start the day off with a great big spoonful of Hemp Hearts to help kick off my protein intake for the day. They’ve got 10 grams of protein in a 3-tablespoon serving! But I don’t stop there. I really love the cool little seeds for their taste and texture in so many recipes. Here’s my newest creation … vegan spinach and hemp seed pesto! It tastes luscious, but provides fewer calories than the original (if that’s your goal!). It’s 100% plant-based, too. But if you’re a little bit more of a traditionalist, you can just stir a little bit of grated vegan Parmesan-style cheese into the finished pesto recipe.