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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Eggplant and Red Pepper Terrine

Eggplant and Red Pepper Terrine
This eggplant terrine is a perfect dish for summer entertainment - layers of roasted eggplant, Mozzarella cheese, red pepper and parsley, chilled in a terrine form, and covered with a gazpacho-like sauce.

Eggplant and Red Pepper Terrine Recipe

Use high-quality, soft, fresh Mozzarella (the kind packed in water in the refrigerated section of the grocery store).

Ingredients

Terrine ingredients:
  • 3 large red bell peppers (about 1 1/2 lbs)
  • 2 large, firm eggplants (about 2 1/2 lbs)
  • 2 Tbsp grapeseed or peanut oil (high smoke-point oil)
  • 1 1/2 cups loosely-packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 oz of fresh Mozzarella, cut into 1/8-in slices, about 14 slices
Raw tomato sauce:
  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 to 3 ripe tomatoes (1 1/4 lbs), each cut into 6 to 8 pieces
  • 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Method

1 Prepare the red peppers. Arrange the red peppers on a broiling pan and place them under a hot broiler so that their upper surfaces are about 1/2 inch from the heat. Broil for 15 minutes, turning occassionally, until the peppers are blistered and black on all sides. (You can alternatively blacken the peppers directly over the open flame of a gas cook-top, holding them and turning them with tongs.) Place them in a brown paper or plastic bag and close the bag. Let the peppers steam in their own residual heat inside the bag for 10 minutes. Then peel them (the skin will slide off) and remove the seeds.
Note that Trader Joe's makes an excellent bottled cooked red pepper that can be used as a shortcut to the above step.
2 Prepare the eggplants. Heat a grill or grill pan until very hot. Cut the eggplants into 1/2-inch slices and lay out flat on a large flat surface such as a baking pan. Brush the slices on both sides with the grapeseed or peanut oil, and sprinkle with salt. Cook the eggplant slices on the grill, covered, for 4 minutes on each side, until they are nicely browned and softened. If your grill does not have a lid, make a tentlike lid of aluminum foil and place it over the eggplant as it cooks.
3 Prepare the parsley. While the eggplant is grilling, soften the parsley by blanching it in boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds. Remove, cool under cold water, drain.
4 Build the terrine. Line a terrine mold (loaf pan) with plastic wrap. Arrange a layer of eggplant in the bottom of the mold and top it with about a third each of the red pepper pieces, parsley, and cheese. Repeat, beginning and ending with a layer of eggplant, until all the ingredients are used. Cover with plastic wrap and press on the wrap to compact the mixture. Refrigerate.
At this point you can make the terrine in advance and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.
5 Prepare the sauce. Place the garlic and tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth. Push the mixture through a food mill (fitted with a fine screen) over a bowl. Add the remainder of the sauce ingredients. Mix well.
To serve, pour some of the sauce on a large platter and unmold the terrine in the center. Cut it into slices and serve with the remainder of the sauce.

View original article here.

Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Bacon

Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Bacon
Cauliflower lovers unite! I'm always looking for ways to dress up my favorite white vegetable. Here's a quickie, inspired by Southern Italian flavors. A little bacon (or pancetta), some roasted pine nuts, some garlic (of course), oregano, and red pepper flakes, and your cauliflower is ready for a debutante ball. Or a midweek meal. Enjoy.

Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Bacon Recipe

  • Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 pound bacon or pancetta, cut into batons
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • 1-2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Lemon juice to taste

Method

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the cauliflower for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2 While the water is heating, toast the pine nuts in a dry sauté pan until lightly browned. Keep an eye on them, as pine nuts go from toasted to burnt quickly. Set the pine nuts aside when they are toasted.
3 Add the bacon to the pan and fry gently over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside with the pine nuts. Sauté the garlic for 1 minute on medium-high heat, then add the cauliflower, pine nuts, bacon, oregano and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Do not let the garlic burn.
4 Turn off the heat and add salt and lemon juice to taste.
Yield: Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Monday, June 13, 2011

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Oh la la. This is not your grandma's broccoli cheese casserole. Ever since Christopher Kimball challenged people to Google broccoli casserole, insisting they would be disappointed with what they found, I've been meaning to post a killer broccoli casserole. And dear readers, this is it. The ingredients? Broccoli of course, then bacon, flour, milk, cream, eggs, cheddar cheese, a little Dijon, salt, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. The tricks are to pre-cook the broccoli florets a bit so they cook up tender in the casserole, use bacon because bacon makes everything taste better, and spice it up with black pepper. Just simple freshly cracked black pepper. Use as much as you can stand; it will make your broccoli casserole sing.
Many thanks to the new love of my culinary life, Dorie Greenspan, who provided the inspiration and basic structure for this recipe with a fabulous cauliflower gratin in her cookbook Around My French Table (hint, buy this book for yourself and all your friends, it's stunning.)

Broccoli Cheese Casserole Recipe

  • Cook time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds broccoli, stems removed (can use vegetable peeler to peel, then slice and eat like celery), large florets cut, yielding about 8 cups of broccoli florets
  • Salt for blanching water
  • 2 strips of thick-cut bacon (about 2 ounces), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 5 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons of freshly cracked black pepper (1 to 2 teaspoons if using fine ground black pepper)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 Tbsp salt for 2 quarts of water). Add the broccoli florets and boil for 3-5 minutes or until just tender enough so that a fork can easily pierce the floret, but still firm. Strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
2 While the water in step one is coming to a boil, cook the bacon pieces on medium heat in a frying pan until lightly browned, but not crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat. Set aside.
3 Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. In a bowl, whisk the eggs into the flour, then whisk in the cream and milk. Add the black pepper (more or less to taste), salt, and mustard. Mix in about a third of the cheese.
4 Place the parboiled broccoli florets in the casserole dish, sprinkling about a third of the cheese over the broccoli florets as you lay them down. Sprinkle the bacon pieces over the broccoli. Pour the egg, cream, milk, cheese mixture over the broccoli, moving the broccoli pieces a bit so that the mixture gets into all the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining cheese.
5 Bake for 25-40 minutes, or until set. Once the top has browned, you may want to tent with aluminum foil to keep from burning.
Yield: Serves 5 as a main course, 10 as a side.

Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy


If there is one true expression of Southern love on a plate, it’s homemade buttermilk biscuits and gravy. There are so many ways to make biscuits and gravy, but this one’s my favorite. The biscuits are easy to make, and the gravy is loaded with sausage.


This version of sausage gravy is a beloved Southern recipe – there are many variations to be found. Sage and nutmeg are two of the more pronounced flavors in the gravy, giving it a slightly more elevated taste than you would find in simple milk gravy. If you dislike these flavors, omit the nutmeg and use a regular pork breakfast sausage instead of the sage-flavored variety.
One of the differences you’ll find when you talk to people about how they make sausage gravy is whether or not they make a traditional roux (just drippings and flour), or they add the flour directly to the sausage after it’s browned. I’ve made it both ways; the gravy thickens up just fine when you add the flour to the browned sausage mixture.

As for the biscuits, there are countless recipes that have been handed down over the years in Southern families. Many swear that White Lily Self-Rising Flour is essential to making light fluffy biscuits. However, in my experience you can make perfectly respectable biscuits even if you can’t get your hands on that Southern staple. You can also mix up the ratio of butter and shortening, or just use one or the other, or lard, if you prefer.

In the spirit of the gracious South, please share with us your favorite way to make biscuits and gravy.

Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy Recipe

  • Cook time: 35 minutes
I recommend preparing the biscuits first (not baking them), getting the gravy started, and then baking the biscuits while the gravy is thickening up. That way you can stir the gravy frequently which is hard to do when your hands are covered with flour and dough. If you don't have self-rising flour, you can substitute using a ratio of 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, plus 1/8 teaspoon of salt, for every cup of self-rising flour.

Ingredients

Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe Ingredients:
  • 2 ½ cups self-rising flour (plus extra for flouring your surface)
  • 2 tsp sugar (Optional)
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 4 Tbsp vegetable shortening (see Baking Tips below)
  • 4 Tbsp butter (chilled)
  • 1 cup chilled buttermilk (plus 1-2 tbsp more, if needed)
  • 1 tbsp melted butter (Optional: to brush on top of biscuits after baking)
Sausage Gravy Ingredients:
  • 1 lb sage-flavored pork sausage
  • ¼ cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
  • 6 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • ½ tsp poultry seasoning
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1-2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1-2 dashes of Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, or other hot sauce
  • 1-2 tbsp butter or bacon grease (if needed)

Method

Buttermilk Biscuits
Baking Tips: 1) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back side of a knife. If you scoop the flour, it will pack into the measuring cup, yielding too much flour, 2) Instead of 4 Tbsp each of butter and shortening, feel free to use 8 Tbsp of shortening or butter, or any combination up to 8 Tbsp.

1 Preheat oven to 450 F. Prepare a floured surface for shaping the dough and have an ungreased baking sheet ready (lined with Silpat sheets if you have them).
2 Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Using a fork or a pastry blender cut in the shortening and butter. Work quickly, you don’t want the fats to melt – the key to fluffy biscuits is minimal handling. The mixture should be crumbly.
3 Make a well in the flour mixture, and pour in the buttermilk. Stir with a spoon and blend just until the liquid is absorbed and the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl – add 1-2 tbsp more buttermilk if the dough is dry. Do not over mix; the dough will be tacky, neither wet nor dry.
4 With lightly floured hands, turn out the dough onto a lightly-floured surface and gently fold it over on itself 2 or 3 times. Shape into a 3/4” thick round. If you use a rolling pin, be sure to flour it first to keep the dough from sticking to the pin.
5 Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits pressing straight down (avoid the temptation to twist the cutter as twisting keeps the biscuits from rising). Dip the cutter in flour between cuttings to keep the dough from sticking to the cutter. Place biscuits on the baking sheet so that they just touch (for crunchy sides, leave space in between). Reshape scrap dough and continue cutting. Remember to handle the dough as little as possible.
6 Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top. Turn the baking sheet around halfway through baking.
7 Optional: Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.

Sausage Gravy
1 Preheat a 4-quart saucepan over medium high heat (put a few drops of water in the pan – when they evaporate, you know the pan is ready). Crumble the sausage into the pan and let it brown for a minute or two, then turn down to medium heat. Continue cooking, breaking up the sausage into smaller pieces, until no pink remains. Stir in the onions and cook until they are transparent.
2 Remove sausage with a slotted spatula or spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan. If less than 3 tbsp of drippings remain, add enough butter (or bacon grease) to equal about 3 tbsp of drippings. Add the cooked sausage back to the pan on medium heat, and sprinkle the flour over the sausage. Stir in the flour and cook for about 6-8 minutes, until the mixture starts bubbling and turns slightly golden brown.
3 Stir in poultry seasoning, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and salt – cook for 1 minute to deepen the flavors. Slowly add the milk and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 15 minutes). Be patient, it will thicken!

Yield: Makes 10-12 servings

View original article here

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Sesame Cucumber Salad

Sesame Cucumber Salad
Will someone please tell me why it is 60°F and drizzly, at the end of May, here in Sacramento? For my Memorial Day BBQ, we huddled around the fireplace, while the brave ones (or those more appropriately dressed for the weather) manned the grill. I don't want to complain too loudly though, lest some of you enduring the heat wave that's sitting on much of the country send those searing temps back towards us. We'll get our share later, I can assure you. For those of you who do find yourself in stifling heat, and are looking for something cooling, I can recommend this cucumber salad, recipe courtesy of a certain tall, dark, and handsome Frenchman. (Thank you Guy!) It's actually good any time of the year; we like it for a light late night snack while watching Poirot or the Pink Panther.

Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe

  • Prep time: 7 minutes
Make sure your sesame oil is fresh and not rancid. These oils can go rancid after a few months. Do a taste test before adding to the cucumbers; if it tastes off, don't use. If you want you can sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on the cucumbers.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sized cucumbers (about 1 lb total)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

Method

1 Peel the cucumbers. Cut them into quarters, lengthwise. (If the seeds are bitter, scrape out the seeds and discard.) Cut the cucumbers again, crosswise, into 1/2-inch thick pieces.
2 Place cucumbers into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Toss with sesame oil, seasoned rice vinegar, and chili flakes.
Yield: Serves 2-3.

Caramelized Fennel and Onions

Caramelized Fennel and Onions
Fennel lovers, onion lovers, unite! And then take a shower in grated Parmesan, lemon zest, and chopped parsley. I'd like to say this is quick and easy, but it's not quick. It's long and easy, the sort of thing you can just put on the stove and give a stir every once in a while, as you cook the rest of the meal. The onions and fennel are only lightly caramelized. You could cook them longer if you wanted, or sprinkle some sugar on them to bring out more of the caramelization. But just cooking them down and lightly browning them, and then tossing them with everything else, works for me. Wonderful flavors. Would be terrific alongside grilled fish or chicken.

Caramelized Fennel and Onions Recipe

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 large onions, halved then sliced lengthwise (root to tip) in 1/4-inch thick slices
  • 2 large fennel bulbs, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • Salt
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Method

1 Heat olive oil and butter in a large, uncovered, wide pan on medium high heat. Add the sliced fennel and onions and stir to coat. Stir occasionally. After about 10 minutes, sprinkle the onions and fennel with salt. Lower the temperature to medium. You want to strike a balance between allowing the pan to get hot enough so that some caramelization (when the natural sugars in the onion and fennel start to brown) and keeping the pot from getting so hot that the onions and fennel dry out. If it becomes an issue, you can add a couple tablespoons of water to the pan to help the onions and fennel to keep from drying out too much.
2 Stir occasionally, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Note that the browned bits are the tastiest parts. Cook for another 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how much of a hurry you're in, and how caramelized you want your mixture to be. The longer you cook, the more caramelized and browned. Taste test along the way to see if the cooking has been sufficient for your taste. By the way, the onions and fennel will have plenty of flavor without having to be completely cooked down and browned all over.
3 When ready to serve, remove from heat and toss in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese, the chopped parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice if necessary.

Serve alone as a side to chicken or seafood, or on crackers or thinly sliced toasted baguette for a crostini. You can also use it as a filling for a rustic tart
.
Yield: Serves 4.

View the original article here

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Asparagus Artichoke Salad

Asparagus Artichoke Salad
Although for the most part we can get asparagus all year long, I usually only get them in the spring, when they are in season. How can you resist, when you see hundreds of them in the produce section, saluting you like bundled, upright green soldiers? "Hello m'am. Please cook me." So, we buy asparagus, and more asparagus. Here is a recipe for what to do with our long green friends, when you're tired of everything else. (Thank you Whole Foods deli section for the idea.) Grill them or roast them (grilling will taste better if you can do it), and toss them in a simple salad with marinated artichoke hearts, shallots, and grape tomatoes. Carry on...

Asparagus Artichoke Salad Recipe

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 12 minutes
Thick asparagus spears are easier than thin to roast or grill without becoming too dry or over-cooked.

Ingredients

  • 1 large shallot, sliced thin (can sub a few thin slices of red onion or some sliced spring onion)
  • 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 pounds thick asparagus, rinsed, tough ends broken off and discarded (or saved for stock)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • Salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 15-ounce jar of good quality marinated artichoke hearts, quartered or cut in half (depending on the size of the artichokes)

Method

1 Soak the sliced shallots in the lemon juice as you get ready to make the rest of the salad.
2a To roast the asparagus, preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat the asparagus spears with 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and salt them well. Lay in a single layer in a foil-lined roasting pan, and cook for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned and fork tender.
2b To grill the asparagus, prepare your charcoal or gas grill for high direct heat. Coat the asparagus with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill them until nicely charred and fork tender, between 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the asparagus from the oven or grill and cut into bite-sized pieces.
3 Put the asparagus and all the remaining ingredients into a large bowl and mix to combine. Add as much of the marinating liquid from the jarred artichokes as you like. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Yield: Serve 6-8 as a side dish.

View the original article here

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler


Several weeks ago, strawberries and rhubarb both began to show up in quantity at the store. Strawberry rhubarb pie is one of my favorite desserts on the planet. But it's a pie. And being a pie, it takes some work (if you use a homemade crust). So I set my sights on a cobbler, which is much easier to make than a pie. My father and I have now gone through three iterations of versions of strawberry rhubarb cobbler in as many weeks. The first one was too sweet and mushy (the crust based on this approach), though mom loved it. The second one's crust was dry and tasteless. This version, however, was just perfect. It's pretty tart; if you prefer a sweeter cobbler you may want to take up the sugar a notch, perhaps another 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler Recipe

  • Prep time: 40 minutes
  • Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

Fruit mixture
  • 4 1/2 cups rhubarb stalks cut into 1-inch pieces (Trim outside stringy layer of large rhubarb stalks; make sure to trim away any and discard of the leaves which are poisonous; trim ends.)
  • 1 1/2 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons of quick cooking tapioca
  • 1 teaspoon of grated orange peel
Cobbler crust
  • 2 Tbsp white sugar
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F.
strawberry-rhubarb-cobb-1.jpg strawberry-rhubarb-cobb-2.jpg
1 In a bowl, mix the rhubarb and the strawberries with the sugar, tapioca, and orange zest. Let sit to macerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
2 In a medium bowl, combine 2 Tablespoons of sugar, the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter in with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk and egg until just moistened.
strawberry-rhubarb-cobb-3.jpg
3 Pour fruit into a 2-quart casserole dish. Drop the batter on the fruit. Bake in a 350°F oven for 35 minutes until cobbler crust is golden brown.
Serve with whipped cream (optional).

Yield: Serves 6. 

View the original article here

Friday, June 10, 2011

Chicken Florentine Pesto Pasta

Chicken Florentine Pesto Pasta
Dear chicken Florentine. I like you. I like your spinach and your cream sauce. But honestly? I don't love you. You're missing a little pizzaz. So, I would like to introduce you to my friend pesto pasta. You kinda need that punch from the pesto's garlic, basil, and Parm. Now we have the makings of love. Go forth and multiply.

Chicken Florentine Pesto Pasta Recipe

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
We've used fresh spinach in this recipe, but you could easily use frozen. Just defrost and drain.

Ingredients

  • 12-16 ounces dried short pasta (bowties, penne, gemelli, etc)
  • 4 chicken breast cutlets (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total)
  • Salt
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped, about 1 cup
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup white wine or stock
  • 8-16 ounces of fresh spinach*, washed, long stems removed and chopped
  • Black pepper
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 1/4 cup (or more) pesto
*To wash spinach, fill up a clean sink basin with cold water and let the spinach soak in the water. Move it around a bit to loosen any dirt. Fresh spinach is usually pretty dirty, so you may need to do a couple of soakings. Remove the spinach and shake off excess water. Lay the spinach leaves down on a clean towel and pat dry.

Method

1 Bring a large pot of salted water (add enough salt so that the water tastes salty) to a boil. Add the dried pasta and cook until al dente.
2 While preparing the pasta, cook the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and brown the chicken breasts on both sides over medium-high heat. They don't need to be cooked all the way through, just browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
3 Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the onions cook, slice the chicken into strips. Put any pieces that are cooked all the way through in one pile, and put the ones that still need a little cooking in another pile.
4 When the onions are just beginning to brown, add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the white wine or stock and boil vigorously until the liquid is reduced by half.
5 Add the spinach and the undercooked pieces of chicken to the pan. Using tongs, turn them over to coat them with the juices in the pan. Continue to cook, turning and stirring often, until the spinach is wilted and the chicken cooked through, about 2 minutes.
6 Turn off the heat and add some black pepper, the pile of cooked chicken pieces and the pesto. Stir to combine. Drain the pasta put it in a large bowl. Add the cream to the saute pan and stir well to combine. Add the contents of the pan to the bowl with the pasta and mix well. Serve at once.

Yield: Serves 6-8.

Grandma's Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy | Sugar-Free


Recipe:
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, pressed
6 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1 (8 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
1 cup dry sherry
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Cooking:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and saute until fragrant. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, then fry them in the skillet just until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the pork chops to a baking pan or Dutch oven. Pour the mushrooms into the skillet with the pork drippings and garlic, and stir in the sherry and beef broth, scraping any bits of pork that are stuck to the pan. Bring to a boil, then pour over the pork chops in the baking pan. Cover with a lid, or aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, then remove the lid or foil, and continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Remove the chops from the pan to a serving platter, and place the dish on the stove over medium heat. Stir together the cornstarch and water. When the juices in the pan come to a boil, slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Spoon sauce over the chops, and serve.  

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 209 | Total Fat: 8.1g | Cholesterol: 59mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database
Grandma's Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy
Servings Per Recipe: 6

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 209

Total Fat: 8.1gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 674mgTotal Carbs: 10.7g    Dietary Fiber: 0.9gProtein: 19.2g V

View the original article here

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Healthy Main Dish Recipes: Barley Mushroom Risotto


Ingredients:
5 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
1 cup pearl barley
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley






Cooking:
Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and saute for 5 minutes. Add the barley, thyme, bay leaf and 2 cups of the hot broth. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low, and simmer until most of the broth is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Pour in remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring and allowing it to become absorbed before adding more. This process takes about 50 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Saute mushrooms in the hot oil until tender. Add garlic, and cook for about 3 more minutes. Stir in the barley mixture and parsley. Remove bay leaf, and serve.  

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 196 | Total Fat: 5.4g | Cholesterol: 10mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 196
Total Fat: 5.4gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 971mgTotal Carbs: 31.8g    Dietary Fiber: 6.3gProtein: 7g

View the original article here

Crispy Chicken Skin Tacos with Habanero Salsa

Crispy Chicken Skin Tacos with Habanero Salsa
Yes, we are evil.

These tacos are evil. And the fact that we are telling you about them, and that you might get the crazy idea to make them too, means that we are definitely up to no good. Except that these tacos, made with crispy fried chicken skin as the star ingredient, are really really good. And if they weren't, we certainly wouldn't risk ridicule and disdain by sharing them. But they are worth it, my friends. Truly they are. We even made them twice. First with leftover chicken skins from a recipe, then again with chicken we bought just for the skins because not surprisingly our grocer doesn't sell straight chicken skins.
How did these tacos come about? Leftovers and odds and ends. Hank and I were refining a recipe for Colombian chicken soup (great recipe by the way), and we had leftover chicken skins, and leftover habanero sauce. Hank can not resist frying leftover fat (pork fat, turkey skins, chicken skins, even pie dough) to snack on. (He's more evil than I.) Lunch time was beckoning and the soup needed at least another hour to cook. So into some tortillas the fixings went, and an epiphany was born.
crispy-chicken-skin-tacos-b.jpg
Some of you reading this will think, "oh, mmm, chicken skin, my favorite part of fried chicken" and will have no trouble imagining how incredibly good crispy fried chicken skin could be in a taco. Some of you reading this may have the opposite reaction and may want to leave this site, vowing never to return. For those of you in the second camp, before we lose you forever, I ask you, do you like bacon? Because if you do, think of fried chicken skin as "chicken bacon". They're just tasty fried, fatty, salty bits.

Warning. Something this good can't possibly be good for you to eat every day. So don't. It's a treat. Enjoy!

Crispy Chicken Skin Tacos with Habanero Salsa Recipe

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • Skin from a whole chicken or 5 chicken breasts or leg/thighs*
  • Salt
  • 1-2 habanero chiles, seeds removed and chopped
  • 4 green onions, white and light green parts only
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 Roma or other plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 small head of iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced, sprinkled with cider vinegar and salt
  • 1 avocado, seeded, peeled, and chopped
  • More chopped cilantro and green onion for garnish
  • 4 or more corn or flour tortillas (use corn tortillas if cooking gluten-free)
*Pulling the skin off of chicken can be a little slippery, especially off of chicken legs. Get it started with your fingers, then grip the skin with a paper towel and pull.

Method

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1 Lay the chicken skin, fat side down, in a non-stick pan set over medium-low heat. Slowly crisp the skins, letting the fat render. Press them down with a wooden spoon if air pockets develop. Cook them for 5-8 minutes before flipping them over. Once you have turned the chicken skins over, salt them.
2 While the skins are cooking, put the habaneros, green onions, cilantro, tomatoes, and lemon juice into a food processor. Add a pinch of salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Set aside in a small bowl.
3 When the chicken skins are browned and crispy, remove them to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess fat. Then place them on a cutting board and cut them into strips.
4 Pour off all but a thin sheen of chicken fat from the pan (do not discard down a drain or you may clog your drain). Heat the tortillas in the pan over medium-high heat, turning now and then, until they air pockets develop and the tortillas soften.
5 Assemble the tacos. Place lettuce, chopped avocado, crispy chicken skin, habanero salsa, and more cilantro or green onion on the heated tortillas. Fold and eat.

Yield: Makes about 4 tacos.
crispy-chicken-skin-tacos-c.jpg


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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Egg-Free Recipes: Creamy Jalapeno


Ingredients:
2 whole fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded, deveined and minced
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro






Cooking:
Place minced jalapenos, sour cream, ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour, or overnight, before serving.  

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 67 | Total Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 12mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database
Servings Per Recipe: 16
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 67
Total Fat: 6gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 138mgTotal Carbs: 2.6g    Dietary Fiber: 0.1gProtein: 1g
 
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High-Fiber Recipes: Garbanzos with Fennel


 Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dry garbanzo beans
10 cups vegetable stock
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 pounds tomatoes, chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 pounds fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed and chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh shelled green peas



Cooking:
Place the garbanzo beans in a pot with enough water to cover, and soak 8 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse. In a large pot, stir together the soaked beans and vegetable stock. Mix in 2 cloves minced garlic and the red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes, or until beans are tender. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the remaining garlic, tomatoes, and basil in the skillet, and cook 2 minutes, or just until the basil is wilted. Remove from heat, and set aside. Mix the fennel and onions into the pot with the garbanzo beans. Season with salt. Continue cooking 15 minutes. Mix in the tomatoes, basil, and peas, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until peas are tender. Serve hot.  

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 309 | Total Fat: 5.2g | Cholesterol: 0mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 309

Total Fat: 5.2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 755mgTotal Carbs: 55.2g    Dietary Fiber: 16gProtein: 15.2g

View the original article here

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Healthy Salads: Winter Fruit Salad

 Recipe:
1 1/3 cups quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
2 kumquats - seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Bosc pear - peeled, cored and chopped
1 cucumber - peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup trimmed and coarsely chopped watercress

 Cooking:
In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat stirring often, until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and cool completely. In a small bowl, combine the kumquats, cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Allow to steep for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, pear and cucumber. Add the dressing and toss well. Add the watercress and toss again and serve.  

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 250 | Total Fat: 11.5g | Cholesterol: 0mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient

Database
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 250
Total Fat: 11.5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 168mgTotal Carbs: 32.1g    Dietary Fiber: 4.5gProtein: 6g


View the original article here

Grilled Tri-Tip Steak with Bell Pepper Salsa



Tri-tip roasts are popular here in California; it's a flavorful cut, perfect for barbecuing and grilling. Triangular in shape, it is also called sirloin tip, culotte steak, triangle steak, and Santa Maria-style. The tri-tip cut is rather lean and can get tough if over-cooked. So, don't trim the fat before cooking (it will be needed to keep the steak tender), and use a meat thermometer and stop the cooking at 130°F. This cut can be hard to find outside of California, though I understand that both Costco and Sam's Club carry it. You can also use this recipe with a flank steak.
Why the bell pepper salsa? Well, we were out of tomatoes and chiles, but we happened to have bell peppers, green onions, and chile flakes, and you know what? It was great. Perfect with the steak.

Grilled Tri-Tip Steak with Bell Pepper Salsa Recipe

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
If you don't have a grill, you can prepare the tri-tip by browning it in a hot cast iron pan on the stove top, then placing it a 325°F oven until the internal temperature of the steak/roast reaches 130°F.

Ingredients

Marinade
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • A couple of turns of freshly ground black pepper
  • A sprinkling of salt
Steak
  • 1 2-pound tri-tip steak or roast
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Salsa
  • 1 large green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped (if you don't have green, probably any color will do)
  • 6 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbsp chopped parsley, basil, or arugula
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
  • 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

grilled-tritip-salsa-1.jpg grilled-tritip-salsa-2.jpg
1 Prepare the marinade in a large bowl, stirring together all of the marinade ingredients. Place steak in the bowl and coat on all sides with the marinade. Let the steak sit in the marinade and come to room temperature while you prepare the grill. (No need to marinate the steak more than 20 minutes or so.)
2 Prepare the grill for direct high heat. If you are using charcoal, use approximately 5 pounds of coals. Bank the coals so that more of them are on one side than the other, so that you have a high heat zone and a lower heat zone.
3 When the grill is ready and hot, remove the meat from the marinade and dry it all around with paper towels. Sprinkle all sides of the tri-tip generously with both salt and freshly ground black pepper.
grilled-tritip-salsa-3.jpg grilled-tritip-salsa-4.jpg
4 Place the tri-tip on the grill, on the hot direct heat side. Leave the cover off and watch carefully for flare-ups. As the meat browns, any fat will melt and drip on to the coals causing flare-ups. These are okay, as long as they don't get out of control. Keep moving the tri-tip around the grill away from the flames if they get too high. After one side of the meat is browned (about 5 minutes) use tongs to flip it on to the other side. When it is browned all around, move the tri-tip to the lower heat side of the grill. Cover the grill and close the vents enough so that you maintain about 300-325°F temperature in the grill. (If you are using a charcoal grill, you can place a meat thermometer through the vents to measure the heat.) If you are using a gas grill, turn off one of the burners and move the meat over that burner for indirect heating.
grilled-tritip-salsa-5.jpg grilled-tritip-salsa-6.jpg
5 Cook the tri-tip until a meat thermometer reads 130°F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat (15-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat). Remove the tri-tip from the grill. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
6 Prepare the salsa by combining all of the salsa ingredients into a small bowl.
grilled-tritip-salsa-7.jpg
7 Cut the tri-tip in 1/4-inch slices against the grain. Serve with the salsa.
Yield: Serves 6.

View the original article here.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Diabetic Recipes: Lentil Rice and Veggie Bake

 Ingredients :

1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh tomato, chopped
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped carrots
1/3 cup chopped zucchini
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cuminsalt and pepper to taste


Cooking :
Place the rice and 1 cup water in a pot, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes. Place lentils in a pot with the remaining 1 1/2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Cook 15 minutes, or until tender. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and stir in the onion and garlic. Mix in tomato, celery, carrots, zucchini, and 1/2 the tomato sauce. Season with 1/2 the basil, 1/2 the oregano, 1/2 the cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender. In a casserole dish, mix the rice, lentils, and vegetables. Top with remaining tomato sauce, and sprinkle with remaining basil, oregano, and cumin. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly.  

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 187 | Total Fat: 1.5g | Cholesterol: 0mg

Database
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 187
Total Fat: 1.5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 279mgTotal Carbs: 35.1g    Dietary Fiber: 8.1gProtein: 9.7g


View the original article here

Sunday, June 5, 2011

How to Make Caramel Apples

 One way to enjoy the delicious flavors of apples and caramel while also enjoying a fun activity is to make some caramel apples. Caramel apples are simply apples on a stick, dipped in caramel. They are easy and fun to make, and delicious to eat. Get a few of your friends together, and with some adult help and supervision and have a great time making and eating caramel apples.

There are two ways to coat your apples in caramel. You can make your own caramel sauce, which is a bit more complex. Your other option is to melt caramels in water in the microwave. To melt the caramels in a microwave, you will need approximately 14 ounces of caramels and melt with 2 tablespoons milk or water in a microwave safe bowl for a minute or until melted.

To make your own caramel sauce you will need the following:
Recipe :
8 firm apples
8 popsicle sticks
1.5 cups brown sugar
1.5 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons milk or water
.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
chopped nuts, sprinkles, chocolate chips, or other topping (optional)

Cooking:
Start by carefully washing and drying your apples. Remove the stems, and push the popsicle stick into the top of the apple where the stem used to be.

Next make your caramel. Place all of the ingredients, excepting the vanilla extract, in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. As your caramel sauce is cooking, boil water, which you will put in a second container, which you will use to keep the caramel warm after it is finished cooking so you can dip your apples. Stir your caramel sauce, until it reaches 236 degrees Fahrenheit. Once your caramel sauce is cooked to the appropriate temperature, remove your pot, and your second container with hot water from the heat source. Put the pot of caramel into the boiling water, then stir in the vanilla extract.

Once you have made your caramel sauce it is time to coat your apples in the caramel. Take your apple by the popsicle stick and dip it into the liquid caramel. Tilt the pot and roll the apple as necessary to fully coat the apple. You will have to work pretty quickly, since the caramel tends to harden fairly quickly. If you want to dip you apples in the nuts or sprinkles, have them waiting in a bowl, and dip your caramel coated apple into the chopped nuts or sprinkles immediately after coating the apple in caramel sauce. Once you apple is coated, put the apple on a foil covered cookie sheet. After all of your apples are dipped in caramel and placed on the tray, put the tray in the refrigerator to cool for a bit.

Once the caramel has cooled, and solidified on the apples remove from the refrigerator and enjoy.
 
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