Strawberry Gelato (from "Recipes for Health")

Here is a lovely sweet treat that's good for you. Use frozen strawberries or fresh ones--it won't be long, maybe another month in our area, before local berries start coming in.

This is from the NY Times Health pages, and it avoids cream by substituting lowfat milk. Or you can use whole milk.

Recipe: Strawberry Gelato
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 1-pound bag frozen strawberries; or 1 pound ripe, sweet strawberries, hulled

1/2 cup sugar, preferably organic fair-trade sugar

1/4 cup water

2 cups milk (2 percent or whole)

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Place a 1-quart container and one smaller container — for any extra gelato — in the freezer. Combine the strawberries, sugar and water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the strawberries thaw and become very soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, and transfer half the mixture to a blender. Since the mixture is hot, just cover the top of the blender jar with a dish towel pulled down tight. Blend until smooth, and then add half the milk. Blend again until smooth. Repeat with the remaining strawberries and milk. Transfer to a bowl, and chill in the refrigerator.

2. Stir in the lemon juice and salt, and transfer to the container of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Scrape into the chilled container, and return to the freezer for at least two hours before serving. If frozen solid, allow to soften in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Spinach Omelet

Recipe: Spinach Omelet

(Serves 1)

Ingredients:

4 ounces baby spinach, or 1/2 pound bunch spinach, stemmed and cleaned in two rinses of water Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large or extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons low-fat milk
1 tablespoon chopped chives (optional)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions:

1. Wash the spinach but don’t dry. Heat a large frying pan over high heat, and wilt the spinach in the water left on the leaves after washing. Remove from the heat, rinse briefly with cold water and squeeze dry. Chop medium-fine, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. Break two eggs into a bowl, and beat with a fork or a whisk until frothy. Whisk in the milk, chives (if using), and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Heat an 8-inch nonstick omelet pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil feels hot as you hold your hand above it, pour in the eggs, scraping every last bit into the pan. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it with one hand while lifting up the edges of the omelet with a spatula in your other hand. Let the eggs run underneath and set in several thin layers during the first few minutes of cooking. As soon as the eggs are set on the bottom and barely runny on top, sprinkle the Parmesan and then the spinach down the middle of the eggs. Jerk the pan quickly away from you then back toward you so that the omelet folds over onto itself.

If you don’t like your omelet runny in the middle, jerk the pan again so that the omelet folds over once more. Cook for about a minute longer until heated through, shaking the pan gently.
Tilt the pan and roll out onto a plate. Serve hot.

This can be good at breakfast, lunch or dinner, depending on what you serve with it.

From the NY Times health pages.