Raspberry Oat Scones

January is National Hot Tea month. What better to go with a cup of tea than a warm scone?  January also being a month of resolutions to eat more healthy, I went looking for a scone recipe that had some nutritious value but still tasted great.  These scones are chock full of old-fashioned oats and fresh raspberries and get their bold flavor from ginger and lemon zest.  As far as scones go, they baked up moist with a lovely crumb.  Spread them with a smear of raspberry jam to sweeten them up, if desired.

Turkey Ragu-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

With the New Year  intention of eating healthy yet tasty foods, we tried this recipe and were blown away by how delicious it was. The portobello mushroom caps are partially cooked before getting stuffed with some lean turkey ragu which I loaded with veggies.  The stuffed mushrooms are sprinkled with a little shredded cheese and returned to the oven for just 10 minutes.  I served ours on a bed of velvety purréed spinach.  Pesto or harissa would be just as good and would save a step, but would be higher in calories.  This was a satisfying meal that was full of flavor to perk up January healthy eating.    Skinny gourmet dining at its best!  Depending on the size of your mushrooms, you may get 4-6 servings, 1 mushroom per person.  Select mushrooms that have a deeper concavity to hold the stuffing.   Hope you’ll try it!

• Servings: 4 to 6
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Adapted from Cookin Canuck. You can read the original recipe here.

For the mushrooms:

• 4-6 portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425F.  Oil the flat side of the mushrooms and set them on a baking sheet, bottom side up.  Salt and pepper the inside cavity.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until the mushrooms begin to soften.  Turn the mushrooms upside down to drain out all the moisture.  Keep warm until ready to stuff.

For the ragu:

• 1 pound of lean ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 red pepper diced
• 2 stalks of celery diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of dry red wine
• 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of dried pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of grated cheese(I used an Italian blend with added parmesan cheese)

In a large pot, heat the oil and brown the turkey with the onion, red pepper and celery, stirring often to break up the meat and keep from burning.  Add the spices, wine, garlic and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil then simmer for an hour until the ragu is nice and thick.  You can modify the ragu with other vegetables you prefer or have on hand, such as carrots instead of peppers for example.

Assembly:

Reduce oven temperature to 375F.  Divide the ragu among the mushrooms on a baking sheet.  Top each one with some of the cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Spinach Velouté (Adapted from Jacques Pépin)

• 16 onces of spinach
• water
• 3/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
• 3 tablespoons of salted butter

In a large pan, sauté the spinach in just enough water to wilt it.  Reserve the cooking water and place the spinach in a blender with the salt, pepper and butter.  Purée until a velvety consistency is achieved.  Add a little of the cooking water to thin the sauce if needed. This will make more of than you need to serve with the mushrooms.  The sauce is fantastic with eggs, chicken or fish.

You want the ragu nice and thick. Cook it down until it is of a chili-like consistency.

Not just good for you. This dish looks appetizing on the plate.

Enjoy!