Dining, Recipes

Recipe: Gluten Free Garlicky Anchovy Penne Pasta

Anchovies. It’s a fish that doesn’t garner much affection. I suspect most people just can’t handle the strong flavor and/or odors that arise from preserving and curing the fish. It’s the basis of fish sauce found in most Asian markets–which depending on your tastes, will either be fantastically savory or revoltingly pungent. It’s also used widely in other condiments such as Worcestershire sauce and Caesar dressing. In Filipino cuisine, it is used for some bagoong (shrimp or fish paste) recipes as well as prepared fried or dried. The saltier the better!

In Western preparations, I’ve mostly encountered anchovies used very sparingly as pizza topping or salad dressing. But I’ve found anchovies most irresistible in a Sicilian pasta recipe.

I was all set to boil some mozzarella gnocchi last night when I realized that the gooey cheese paste that resulted just wasn’t easily workable. So much for a low/no carb attempt! My fallback plan was a box of gluten free penne sitting in my pantry for such an emergency. Warning: lots of garlic ahead!

20160517_GF Garlic Anchovy Penne

  • 6oz (168g), dry weight penne rigate (Ronzoni Gluten Free brand)
  • 3.50 oz, Marinated Anchovy fillets In Garlic (FruitsdeMer brand)
  • 3 oz(s), Garlic, raw, minced or pressed
  • 6 Tbsp, Salted Butter
  • 2 tbsp, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp, Spices, garlic powder
  • 1 dash, Spices, pepper, black
  • 0.25 tsp, Spices, pepper, red or cayenne

Melt butter slowly over low heat in a chef pan or wok, taking care not burn the solids. Meanwhile, mince or press garlic and add to the melted butter, reserving some fresh garlic for topping. Add olive oil to mix, slowly cook the garlic for about 20 minutes until aromatic. Again, take care not to burn the garlic.

Add anchovies to garlic butter sauce and mash the fillets until it becomes a puree. Season with garlic powder, cracked black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Continue to stir, taking care not to burn the sauce.

Meanwhile, cook penne pasta according to package instructions, in salted boiling water, about 9 minutes for al dente. Drain pasta and toss with anchovy sauce. Best garnished with fresh garlic, grated parmesan, chopped basil, and/or chopped parsley.

Yields about 17.5 oz of pasta, serves 2, but it’s soooo good you might not want to share!

MFP Recipe Calculator estimate per 8.75oz serving:
873 Calories
83g Carbs
54g Fat
14g Protein
1g Sugar
4g Fiber

Dining, Recipes

Recipe: Bacon Broc Cheese Egg Bake

I really needed to do something with a bag of frozen broccoli cuts (not the tasty florets kind) stashed away in my freezer. Here’s a protein-packed and Primal-friendly breakfast and snack that I made with those cuts, courtesy of SkinnyTaste by way of MyFitnessPal’s blog.

I originally projected 8 whole eggs for this recipe, but realized I didn’t have enough egg mix to fill all 12 cups to the brim. (This was before I realized that the mix would rise as it cooked.) I didn’t whip the mix enough to let air in so I anticipated that there would be very little rise.

Egg Bakes Pour egg mix into non-stick pan

Hint: the horseradish cheddar that I used in this modified recipe really gives the egg muffins some bite! Were I to change anything to this current recipe, I would probably add more bacon!

  • 9 egg, Jumbo Eggs Grade A*
  • 4 pan fried slice, Thick Cut Bacon – Naturally Hickory Smoked
  • 4 oz, Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • 1.50 oz, Horseradish Cheddar Cheese
  • 1.50 oz, Cheese, gruyere
  • 1 container (348 gs ea.), Broccoli Cuts Frozen
  • 1 tbsp (9.7g), Spices, Garlic Powder
  • 0.25 tsp, Sea Salt
  • 0.50 tsp, ground, Spices, pepper, black
  • stick of butter for greasing pan

Broil or bake the bacon slices in a pre-heated oven at 350F.  (Or you can pan-fry the bacon.) Drain/blot grease and crumble bacon after cooking. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook frozen broccoli per package instructions. Drain excess moisture, season with salt and pepper, and set aside to cool.

Prep a non-stick 12-muffin or cupcake tin by greasing each cup with butter.

Crack eggs into a mixing bowl. Shred the cheese and add to egg mixture. Slowly add broccoli cuts (make sure the broccoli is cooled so it doesn’t cook the egg mix), season with garlic powder and gently mix all ingredients until thoroughly incorporated. Ladle egg mix into muffin tin. Garnish the tops with crumbled bacon.

Bake @ 350F for 20-25 minutes. Best eaten when warm and gooey-cheesy in the middle. Dress with a little sriracha or salsa.

Some of my muffins overflowed their cups during baking, but it was an easy task to scoop them back into each mold. I likely didn’t need to grease the tin due to the non-stick surface; the eggs all popped out of their molds with very little effort.

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container.

MFP Recipe Calculator estimate per serving:
175 Calories
2g Carbs
12g Fat
12g Protein
1g Sugar
1g Fiber

Ye Olde Garden

Hummer ready

Was rewarded by a visit from a hummingbird earlier this week, who honed in on the Bright Eyes salvia in the front garden bed. So pleased to know that the wildlife hasn’t been deterred from visiting the loud and noisy construction in my neighborhood. I snapped some pics of bee-, bird-, and butterfly -friendly bloomers.

20160419_SummerJewelRedSalvia 20160419_VariegatedButterflyWeed 20160421_SugarMoonRose 20160419_HotLipsSalvia