Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – Every once in a while I look in the mirror and say, “GAAAAA! I have to drop a few pounds.” Long story short, I believe the only way, really, is to eat fewer calories than you need. And of course some exercise will ramp up your metabolism, and that means you will need more calories… but never mind that. We won’t go there.
Generally I do not believe in fad diets. However, with the ketogenic diet I don’t get hungry because of the high fat content, so my calorie intake is lower. It is also very low carb, and that works for me.
I start gaining weight if I even look at carbs. And I do love those tasty little buggers. One thing to remember – carbohydrates are broken down quickest. Protein is second. And fat takes the longest to digest. That’s why a high fat meal will stick to your ribs so long.
You may want to talk to your nutritionist about a keto eating plan because obviously, too much saturated fat is a bummer. Of course, non-meat, non-dairy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, and other oil-rich veggie foods offer many healthy keto alternatives – and another day for that story.
Remember – Carbohydrates are broken down quickest. Protein is second. And fat takes the longest to digest.
So, the other day I stumbled across a keto recipe video for hollowed-out zucchini stuffed with Italian Bolognese meat sauce. I thought, wow, what a great idea. In fact, the other day I made it for a dinner party and it was a big hit.
Now, you could make a “quick and dirty” version of meat sauce – just saute some garlic and onions, maybe mushrooms, if you like them (and they have nearly zero calories), add a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, and maybe a splash of wine and some fresh herbs.
Be sure to read the label on the jar of sauce and check the calorie and carb count. Make sure the ingredients include no added sugar and none of that devil – high fructose corn syrup. The enemy! Alternatively, you could just add some nice canned tomatoes, maybe the Cirio brand, or Cirio Passata Rustica, 100% tomatoes with absolutely nothing added.
Italian food is my favorite and Marcella Hazan is my cookbook goddess. I have heard that her recipe for Bolognese sauce is amazing. I’d been wanting to give it a try. And this dinner party was the perfect opportunity for my gluten-free guest.
I modified the recipe a bit to make it my own, mainly using a mixture of ground beef and pork, instead of all beef. Yes, this wonderful sauce does take a while. And the main thing is, after you add the tomatoes, there’s nothing to do except stir it once in a while… for 3 or 4 hours. And you spend a lot of time at home, anyway, right?
Believe me, this is really worth the time and effort. You could make a big batch. It freezes beautifully. Just stow one or two portions in each baggie, lay them flat on a cookie sheet in your freezer, and store them easily. That is, if you don’t eat it all up right away.
Marcella Hazan is my cookbook goddess. I have heard that her recipe for Bolognese sauce is amazing. I’d been wanting to give it a try. And this dinner party was the perfect opportunity for my gluten-free guest.
BOLOGNESE SAUCE – THE REAL DEAL
Gluten free and Accidentally Delicious
Using a deep pot, preferably a heavy enameled one such as Le Creuset if possible, add 6 tablespoons olive oil and 6 tablespoons good butter. (Measuring short cut: 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons.) Skip the fake, margarine-like Mexican butter (gag me) and use a brand like Kirkland (USA), President (France), Lurpak (Denmark), or Kerry Gold (Ireland). Click HERE to read about Profeco’s investigation that uncovered Mexico’s fake butter scam.
1. Gently saute 1/4 cup chopped onion until translucent. Then add 1/4 cup chopped celery and 1/4 cup chopped carrot (peeled) and continue cooking about 2 minutes. Now you have a lovely mirepoix, which is a staple in a lot of French cooking. It lends this dish a luscious, subtle flavor.
2. Add about 500 grams (a little more than a pound) of ground beef and about 300 grams (10 ounces) of ground pork, crumbled, and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook until the meat loses its raw color, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups dry white wine, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook (uncovered) until all the wine has evaporated. Stir occasionally. Be patient. It is important to evaporate all the wine.
3. After all the wine has evaporated, add 1 cup of milk and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. If this sounds weird, never mind. Just do it. Trust me. Turn heat to medium and again, reduce until all the milk has evaporated. Stir often.
4. After all the milk has evaporated, add 4 cups of tomatoes. I like Cirio brand, imported from Italy. In the States, I prefer San Marzano tomatoes, which are grown on volcanic soil in Italy – and worth the price. When the sauce starts to simmer, reduce heat to the slightest, occasional bubble. Cook uncovered at least 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Stir occasionally. Taste to see if more salt is needed.
And voila! There it is. (P.S. “Voila” is a French word, often misspelled “wah-lah.” Please. Don’t torture me.)
Suffice it to say, this sauce is wonderful on pasta, ravioli, or tortellini. If you’re low-carb obsessed like me – or gluten-free – then spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or eggplant will really satisfy.
Incidentally, there is no garlic in this recipe. While I am a garlic-holic, I decided to eschew the garlic, following Marcella’s lead. Trust me, it’s delicious.
To make the zucchini boats, slice 5 very firm medium sized zucchinis in half long ways. With a melon baller, scoop out the insides, leaving about 1/4 inch shell. (Save the scooped out zucchini.)
ZUCCHINI BOATS STUFFED WITH BOLOGNESE SAUCE
Gluten free and Accidentally Delicious
I made the Bolognese sauce the day before. To make the zucchini boats, slice 5 very firm medium sized zucchinis in half long ways. With a melon baller, scoop out the insides, leaving about 1/4 inch shell. (Save the scooped out zucchini.) Fill the zucchini shells with meat sauce, cover with cheese (Parmegiano-Reggiano is fantastic), and place on an oiled baking dish or cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 30 minutes or 400 F (200 C) 15-20 minutes. Per portion – 1 or 2 zucchini halves.
Ok, so now, whaddaya do with the rest of the zucchini?
Back in the day, the Allstate Cafe in New York made the best zucchini-parsley soup, and I’ve been trying to reproduce it for years. This one comes pretty darn close.
AJ’S ZUCCHINI-LEEK-PARSLEY SOUP
Gluten Free and Accidentally Delicious
Back in the day, I was a devotee of a neighborhood joint on West 72nd Street in New York, the Allstate Cafe. It was a great, fun spot with terrific food and occasional sightings of Mel Brooks, John Kennedy, Jr. and Mick Jagger. John Heard was a regular who lived in the hood. Kevin Bacon even tended bar there before he was “discovered.” The Allstate made the best zucchini-parsley soup and I’ve been trying to reproduce it for years. This one comes pretty darn close.
With all this wonderful, left-over scooped-out zucchini, first melt about a tablespoon of butter and an equal amount of olive oil. Add about 1/2 cup chopped leeks (be sure to rinse well to remove all sand) and 1 or 2 cloves of minced garlic. Gently saute until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add the zucchini, about 2 cups of chicken broth, a sprinkle of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and about 1/3 cup chopped parsley. Simmer about 5 minutes until the zucchini is soft – they will be done pretty quickly.
Now, puree the soup. I prefer a blender or food processor because a hand blender is too slow for me. If you use a blender, fill it only about 1/3 of the way so you don’t get splattered with hot soup. Now you will have a beautiful, creamy pale green soup. For added richness, add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream or sour cream to each serving. This soup is gluten free. If you skip the cream and butter, it is non-dairy. Either way, it’s ACCIDENTALLY DELICIOUS.
P.S. If you really want to impress, you can easily make some homemade croutons for the soup. Ok, ok, so now you’re in carb-and-gluten land. Que sera sera. You can always do this for friends and family.
Cube some nice bread. Dry is ok, if not better. In a pan put about 1 tablespoon of butter, olive oil, or a combination. Heat the butter or oil, add the cubes, and brown the croutons, stirring often until golden on a few sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. These croutons are delicious plain. Option: add garlic, garlic powder and or Parmesan cheese. These are really good on soup, salad, and Caesar salad.
Buen provecho!
Copyright 2021 by Andrea A. Jupina. All rights reserved.
Andrea Jupina lives in Puerto Vallarta full time. She loves to cook and play her flute. She plays at the Vallarta Botanical Garden every Friday afternoon at lunchtime, from 12-2 pm.
