Posts from — August 2009

I came across this classic dish while reading a magazine. It’s so simple, but so delicious. Try it out tonight. The key here is quality ingredients. So please, NO CHEESE OUT OF A GREEN CAN.

3/4 pound linguine
1 cup grated pecorino cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons coarsely ground smoked or regular peppercorns
Salt

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup of the cooking water; return the pasta to the pot. Add the cheese, butter, pepper and cooking water and toss. Season with salt and serve.

Recipe is courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine, June 2009.

Try these out this Labor Day. It may be the last time you fire up the grill for the season. Though we haven’t had much heat this summer, this recipe will heat up your senses!

The three-cheese filling is a nice complement for the spicy peppers. You can also use a milder Chile, such as a cherry pepper. Shredded cheddar cheese can take the place of Parmesan, if you like.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (4 ounces) soft goat cheese
1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
16 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Spoon about 2 teaspoons cheese mixture into each pepper half. Place pepper halves, cheese side up, on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill peppers 5 minutes or until bottoms of peppers are charred and cheese mixture is lightly browned. Carefully place peppers on a serving platter. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Yield
16 servings (serving size: 2 pepper halves)

Nutritional Information
Calories: 84 Fat: 4.8g (sat 3.1g, mono 1.2g, poly 0.2g) Protein: 7.1g Carbohydrate: 3.5g
Fiber: 0.9g Cholesterol: 11mg Iron: 0.6mg Sodium: 334mg Calcium: 117mg

Jill Hough, Cooking Light, JUNE 2009

This is another recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine June 2009.

This dish features a Vietnamese-style sauce known as “nuoc cham” [noo-ahk CHAHM] that traditionally includes fish sauce, lime juice, chiles, and sugar. Your avocados should be ripe but still slightly firm so they’ll slice easily and not break apart as they grill. Leaving the skin on helps them maintain their shape-remove skin before serving, if you like.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon finely grated carrot
1 tablespoon thinly sliced Serrano Chile (about 1 Chile)
36 large shrimp (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
2 ripe unpeeled avocados, halved
2 peeled mangoes, each cut into 6 wedges
12 lime wedges
6 large Bibb lettuce leaves
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preparation:

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Reserve 3/4 cup juice mixture. Stir carrot and Chile into remaining 1/2 cup juice mixture, and set aside.
2. Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Starting at tail end, butterfly each shrimp, cutting to, but not through, backside of shrimp. Combine reserved 3/4 cup juice mixture and shrimp in a large bowl, tossing to coat; cover and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, tossing occasionally. Remove shrimp from bowl, reserving marinade.
3. Prepare grill for medium-high heat.
4. Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Cool slightly.
5. Thread 3 shrimp onto each of 12 (10-inch) skewers. Place shrimp on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill shrimp 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until done, basting frequently with cooked marinade.
6. Cut 3 avocado halves in half lengthwise; peel and dice remaining avocado half. Brush cooked marinade over mango and avocado wedges; coat with cooking spray. Arrange in a single layer on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Coat lime wedges with cooking spray; place on grill rack. Grill fruit 2 minutes on each side or until marked but not soft, basting frequently with marinade.
7. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each of 6 salad plates; top each leaf with 2 mango slices, 2 lime wedges, and 1 avocado wedge. Place 2 skewers on each plate; sprinkle evenly with diced avocado. Sprinkle with cilantro, if desired. Serve with carrot mixture.

Yield
6 servings

Nutritional Information
Calories: 324 Fat: 11.8g (sat 1.8g, mono 6.1g, poly 2.1g) Protein: 33.1g Carbohydrate: 23.7g Fiber: 5.9g Cholesterol: 230mg Iron: 4.5mg Sodium: 811mg Calcium: 109mg

Bill and Cheryl Jamison, Cooking Light, JUNE 2009

This recipe below is courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine June 2009.

The vitamin C from lemon juice aids iron absorption. Round out the meal with grilled chicken, lemony hummus, and toasted 100 percent whole-wheat pita wedges. Substitute fresh shelled fava beans for edamame, if you like. Fava beans also supply protein, fiber, and B vitamins.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked bulgur
1 cup boiling water
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
1 pound yellow and red cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
1. Combine bulgur and 1 cup boiling water in a large bowl. Cover and let stand 1 hour or until bulgur is tender.

2. Cook edamame in boiling water 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Add edamame, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients to bulgur; toss well. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 208 Fat: 10.5g (sat 1.3g,mono 6.7g,poly 1.2g) Protein: 6.3g Carbohydrate: 25.4g Fiber: 7.1g Cholesterol: 0.0mg Iron: 2.2mg Sodium: 332mg
Calcium: 59mg

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

2 tablespoons Flour
3 tablespoons Sugar
2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa
1 large egg
2 tablespoons Milk
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 tablespoons Chocolate Chips
Small splash of Vanilla Extract

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract and mix again. Put the mug in the microwave and cook on high for 2 minutes. The cake may rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed!  Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

A friend of mine has passed this recipe along to me.  It sounds absolutely wonderful…enjoy!

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Lg white onions-sliced thin
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless Chicken breast-diced
1 Lg carrot finely shreadded
4 Lg cloves garlic-minced
1 jalapeno pepper-with seeds-minced
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme or oregano or 1tsp dried
8 cups fat-free natural ckn broth
1 can (15oz) Black beans-drained and rinsed
6 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
1 Lg Tomato-finely diced
salt & pepper to taste
grated parmesan cheese
lemon wedges

Heat oil in large stockpot over med. heat. Add onions, stirring occasionally for 10min.
Add chicken, stir occasionally until chicken is cooked through and onions are lightly browned.
Add carrot,garlic,jalapeno and thyme/oregano and cook another 2 min.
Stir in chicken broth and increase to high heat, bring to boil.
Add beans, spinach, bring back to boil and then turn off heat.
Add salt/pepper to taste.
Sprinkle each bowl/serving w/1Tbsp. parmesan cheese and enjoy w/squirt of lemon!

This is another one of my favorite soup recipes. I saw Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network) make this a few years ago and knew that it would be awesome. So I made it for my parents and it was a huge success. I tried variations of this recipe as well, but none of them were as good as this recipe. Follow this recipe exactly, down to the endive or escarole and I promise you will not be disappointed. This soup with warm your soul!

1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground pork
Freshly ground black pepper
Soup:
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound curly endive, coarsely chopped (1 pound of escarole would be a good substitution)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
To make the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese, beef and pork. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and curly endive and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the curly endive is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk the eggs and cheese in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Finish soup with parmesan cheese if desired.

This is by far my favorite soup ever. When I was watching Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa), make this on the Food Network, I knew I had to make this, STAT! And I did…and it was delicious. This recipe does involve more time than most soups, but if you follow the direction below, you should not have any problems at all. Wild mushrooms make this dish. They are much easier to find in the grocery store now. But if you are unable to find them, you can substitute baby portabello and white button mushrooms. Serve with a loaf of crusty sour dough bread and you will be in heaven. Enjoy!

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

With the summer coming to an unfortunate close, my taste buds are craving warm, comforting soup.  Who doesn’t enjoying a bowl of soulful goodness?  Soup can be so versatile to your mood or taste buds.  Whether it is a bowl of spicy chili during a football game or a creamy bowl of chicken dumping soup on a rainy day, soup can soothe your mood and your cravings.  My next few posts are going to be a variety of soups of which I’ve made or have been given recipes for.  Some are my favorite soups are those of Giada De Laurentiis and Ina Garten (Food Network).

Wow! I was just watching Tyler Florence and saw this awesome recipe for chicken soup. Sounds amazing. I’m going to try it tonight. You should too and let’s compare notes.

For the soup:
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 large carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 bay leaf
4 fresh thyme sprigs
3 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
5 parsley stems, plus 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
4 black peppercorns
Kosher salt
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

For the meatballs:
1 medium onion, diced
Olive oil
6 links organic chicken-apple sausage meat (or any chicken sausage)
1 egg
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 handful fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 pounds frozen cheese tortellini, store bought
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:
Set a large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, half the garlic, carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, and thyme and gently saute until fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, add parsley stems, black peppercorns and salt, to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer while you work on meatballs and tortellini.

For the meatballs:
Caramelize the diced onion in a saute pan with a little olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, egg, onion, thyme, parsley, and cheese to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they all come together. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil until just smoking. Use a small ice cream scoop to drop meatballs onto skillet. Cook, turning, until golden brown.
Drop tortellini straight from freezer into soup. Cook until they float. Once meatballs are browned, add to pot of chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Give soup a final seasoning and serve in shallow bowls with a small shower of Parmesan, olive oil, and parsley.