Recipe(tried): This Weeks Winners

Saturday Nights Dinner

* Exported from MasterCook *

Pasta Tutto Giardino

Recipe By : Moosewood Restaurant Cooks At Home
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 cups onion -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced or pressed
1 medium carrot -- diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red or green bell pepper -- diced
3 cups mushrooms -- sliced
1 med zucchini or yellow squash -- diced
1 tbsp fresh basil -- or 1tsp dried
1 tbsp fresh marjoram -- or 1 tsp dried
1 pinch oregano
salt and pepper -- to taste
2/3 cup white wine
ROUX
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk -- whole or 2%*
1 lb broad noodles or shells, zito or orecchiet
1 cup tomatoes -- diced
1/2 cup green peas -- fresh or frozen
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
parmesan cheese -- grated

In a nonreactive saucepan, saute the onions, garlic, and carrots in the olive oil. Stir occasionally. When the onions are translucent, add the peppers, mushrooms, zucchini or yellow squash, basil, marjoram, oregano and salt and pepper, and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the wine, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.

While the vegetables are cooking, bring a large covered pot of water to a rapid boil.

To make the roux, melt the butter in a small saucepan or skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens. Cover and set the roux aside.

When the pasta water boils, stir in the pasta, and cover until the water returns to a boil. Uncover the pot and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.

While the pasta cooks, stir the tomatoes and peas into the simmer vegetables, cook for about 2 minutes, and then stir in the roux. Adjust the seasonings. For a little more tang, add the lemon juice.

Drain the cooked pasta and place it in a warmed serving bowl. Ladle the sauce on the pasta and serve with grated parmesan cheese. Makes 4-6 servings. 6.3 grams protein and 5.4 grams of fat per serving.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES : * I used skim and it came out really great.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday nights Dinner

Unbelievable fantastic dish. Try it:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Roasted Chicken with Oregano Bruschetta Stuffing

Recipe By : Tribeca Cookbook
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
THE STUFFING:
2 medium loaves of French Bread or Italian Bread -- cut in chunks
2 egg
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup fresh oregano leaves or 1 tbsp dried
1 cup parsley leaves or 1 tbsp dried
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup parmesan cheese -- grated
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
THE CHICKEN
4 2 lb roasting chickens
2 heads garlic
2 lemons -- halved
1 bunch fresh oregano or 4 tbsp dried
4 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper

The stuffing can be made and baked one day in advance and then stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature and then reheat the casserole in a 300 F oven for 10 minutes. Place it in the oven as you remove the roasted chickens; that way, the timing should be perfect. To make the stuffing: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Break the bread into pieces and toast them on a baking sheeet until they are dry and slightly brown. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on. Butter the inside of a large casserole dish and set it aside. Combine the eggs and chicken broth in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Set aside. Place the fresh oregano (or dried oregano and parsley), garlic, and parmesan cheese in the bowl of a food processor. Chop and combine them, using a pulse action. Then add the olive oil while the food processor is running. Add this mixture to the egg and chicken stock mixture. Season with salt and pepper and toss in the bread. Spoon the stuffing into the prepared casserole dish and bake for 1 hour, until the top is brown and crusty.

To roast the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Rinse the chickens and pat them dry with paper towels. Place half a head of garlic, half a lemon, and one-fourth of the oregano inside each chicken. Rub the outside of each chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle each one with salt and pepper. Place the chickens in a large roasting pan and roast for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let the chickens cool for 5 minutes. Carve them and serve immediately with the piping hot stuffing. Yield: 8 servings.



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES : Taken from The Tribeca Cookbook by Mary Cleaver, Joy Simmen Hamburger, and Mimi Shanley Taft, published by Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA c. 1994. Please not that this recipe has been provided with permission of and courtesy of the copyright holders. The FOOD NETWORK (where I got the recipe) has not created this recipe and has not tested it in their test kitchen.

Risa's notes: There are only 2 things I would change in this recipe

1) I would season the chickens with something other than salt, pepper and olive oil. Next time I make this I will probably add some basil or oregano or rosemary under the skin for more flavor.

2) I would use 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 melted butter in the stuffing for more flavor.
Otherwise, this was soooo wonderful. I am going to make it again and again and again... TRY IT.

I made this tonight and it was terrific. I am making it for guests next time. So yummy. I served it with sauteed green beans with sliced onions and garlic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday Nights Dinner

A quick meal when you are exhausted (plus I got bad news today and I wasn't in the mood to cook), so just whip up the sauce and mix in the hot noodles. Let it sit for awhile until it comes to room temperature and then serve...

* Exported from MasterCook *

Thai-Style Noodles with Garlic-Peanut Sauce

Recipe By : Garlic, Garlic, Garlic by Linda & Fred Griffith
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 lb buckwheat noodles -- * see note
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
3 plump cloves garlic -- smashed & minced
1 tbsp chinese chili paste
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk -- ** see note
3 tbsp fresh gingerroot -- minced
1 tbsp fresh lemongrass -- minced
3 limes, -- juiced
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
2 tbsp dark sesame oil
1 cup bean sprouts (optional)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro -- minced

Cook noodles according to package directions. When done, drain thoroughly and refresh with cold water. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine tamarind paste and boiling water. Stir until paste is dissolved. Add peanut butter and stir vigorously until mixture is smooth. Stir in garlic and chili paste. Blend in coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Add noodles and bean sprouts, if using, to peanut sauce. Blend gently but thoroughly. Just before serving, stir in cilantro. Serev at room temperature.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Suggested Wine: Riesling

NOTES : * I used regular spaghetti but if you can't get Soba noodles (buckwheat noodles) then try fettucine or some type of wide noodle.
** I didn't have coconut milk so I used nonfat milk and added a little coconut extract.

*** I used soy butter instead of peanut butter. My son is allergic to peanuts and even the oil on his skin from our fingers makes him break out so no peanut anything in this house.

I also did not use the bean sprouts. Instead I sliced up some scallion and some chinese sausage. I browned the sausage and added it in after everthing was cooked and mixed.

After blending the tamarind paste and the boiling water, put through a sieve so that any little pits from the tamarind are removed. I, then, placed it in the food processor and added the other ingredients. Pureed it and then put it back in the big bowl.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday Nights Dinner

Another tuesday night and it's soup on the menu again. I decided that every Tuesday will be soup night during the winter. I love thick lentil soup and the canned variety is just too salty. This fit the bill:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Creamy Lentil Soup

Recipe By : Garlic, Garlic, Garlic by Linda & Fred Griffith
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 tbsp olive oil
1 jumbo Spanish Onion -- finely chopped
4 plump cloves garlic -- smashed & minced
2 lg carrots -- finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups green or brown lentils -- picked over & rinsed
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock -- plus more if needed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup dry sherry
2 tbsp fresh chives -- minced

Heat oil in a heavy 4-or-5 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, increase heat and cook, stirring often, until golden, 8-12 minutes. Be careful not to burn. Stir in garlc and carrots. Cook until garlic has softened, 2-4 minutes. Add thyme, bay leaf, lentils and stock. Cover and cook over high heat until liquid is bubbling. Reduce heat and simmer briskly until lentils begin to fall apart, 1-1 3/4 hours.

Discard bay leaf. Working in batches, puree soup in a food processor or food mill (or use an immersion blender right in the pot like I did). Transfer puree to a clean saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in sherry and heat until simmering. While this should be a very thick soup, you may wish to thin it a little with some reserved stock.

Ladle into heated soup bowls and garnish with fresh chives.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
According to the book, this is the wine suggested:
Suggested Wine: Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti (Italy:Piedmont)
Serving Ideas : a dollop of sour cream, some croutons
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday Nights Dinner was not a Winner. It will not be posted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday Nights Dinner

* Exported from MasterCook *

Grilled Lemongrass Catfish with
Hoisin-Ginger Sauce

Recipe By : Lemon Grass Restaurant, Sacramento, CA
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
For Marinade:
4 farm-raised catfish fillets
2 tbsp vegetable oil -- or lemongrass oil
1 tbsp fresh lemongrass -- minced*
Hoisin-Ginger Sauce:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp yellow onion -- finely minced
1 clove garlic -- finely minced
1 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar**
1/4 tsp ground chili paste
For Garnish:
green onions -- sliced
peanuts -- roasted

Place catfish in a shallow pan and sprinkle with oil and lemongrass or lemon zest. Set aside.

To make the sauce: heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add hoisin sauce, water, vinegar and chili paste, if using. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until a creamy consistency. If sauce is too thick, add more water. Set aside.

Prepare a grill or preheat the broiler.

Place fillets on an oiled grill rack or broiler pan rack. Grill or broil fillets about 4 inches from the heat source for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork***. Place fillets on serving plates and spoon a little of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with green onions and peanuts and serve.



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES :
* if you don't have lemongrass and can't get your hands on any, use lemon zest.
** if you can't get rice wine vinegar, use white vinegar.
*** I found after cooking it for the amount called for that it needed a couple of extra minutes in the pan. I had to microwave it for 1:30 afterwards for it to flake. Depending on how hot your stove gets, that is how fast it will cook.

Nationally recognized Vietnamese restauranteur and chef Mai Pham opened her first Lemon Grass Restaurant in Sacremento in 1988. Since then, her award-winning restaurant has expanded to include three additional locations. According to The Sacramento Bee "Her fish dishes exude extraordinary flavor and freshness" and the Grilled Lemongrass Catfish with Hoisin-Ginger Sauce is no exception. This is according to the booklet "CATFISH - An All American Recipe and Restaurant Guide" that I got from The Catfish Institute.

I served this with white basmati rice that I cooked in the microwave (15 min on HI) and some sauteed spinach with garlic and ginger.


RisaG