Recipe(tried): This Weeks Winners!!!

Saturday Nights Dinner

I saw this recipe at Caprial's site and thought it sounded intriguing. A lasagna made without pasta noodles? Could it be as tasty as a regular lasagna? Would my husband eat it? Well he did and loved it. I'll be making this for guests one of these days.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Polenta & Pesto "Lasagna"

Recipe By : www.caprials.com
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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POLENTA
6 cups vegetable stock
4 cloves garlic -- chopped
3 shallots -- chopped
2 tbsp cayenne pepper sauce -- or less
3 cups yellow cornmeal
2 tbsp unsalted butter -- * low fat is fine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
PESTO
3 cups fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
1 cup pine nuts -- or walnuts, toasted
1 cup parmesan cheese -- freshly grated
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups ricotta cheese -- **
1 cup blue cheese -- crumbled ***
1 cup parmesan cheese -- freshly grated

To prepare the polenta, butter a 9x11 inch baking pan. Heat the stock, garlic, shallots and cayenne sauce in a medium saucepan until it reaches a rolling boil. While whisking, slowly add the cornmeal in a thin stream. Cook over medium heat, stirring until very thick, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Pour into the prepared pan and set aside to cool.

To prepare pesto, put the basil, garlic, nuts, and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the bowl and, with machine running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube. Puree until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and set aside.

To make the lasagne, preheat the oven to 350 F. Run the blade of a knife around the edge of the polenta and loosen it from the pan. Gently invert the pan and remove the cooled polenta. With a long-bladed, sharp knife, cut the polenta into two equal sheets. Place one layer of the polenta in the baking pan. Spread half of the pesto sauce on the polenta. Spread about half the ricotta cheese on top of the pesto layer. Sprinkle half of the crumbled blue cheese and parmesan cheese over the ricotta. Place the other half of the polenta on top of the cheese. Cover with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the chese is melted and hot. Remove the lasagne from the oven and let cool for 3-4 minutes. Cut into portions: transfer to individual plates and serve.


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NOTES : * I used Corman's Light Butter. I find it has the best taste of the low fat alternatives.
** I used fat free ricotta and it was not noticeable.
*** I thought the original recipe had too much blue cheese. I lowered it to 1 cup. It was originally 2 cups. Blue cheese is such a strong-flavored cheese.

Other note: I made the polenta in the microwave. You take 1 part cornmeal to 3 parts liquid. Put the polenta and liquid in microwaveable container and put in microwave on HI for 3 minutes, uncovered. Take it out and whisk it to make sure there are no lumps. Place it back in the microwave, uncovered, for another 3 minutes. Take it out and let it sit. (for this recipe, I took the hot stock, put the shallots, garlic and cayenne pepper sauce in it and then put it over the polenta and continued with the recipe).

I served it with salad. Italian-type dressing.
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Sunday Nights Dinner

We went to 'nawlins in our mind Sunday night. My friend sara gave me a wonderful recipe for Bourbon Chicken that I was dying to make. I looked around for a perfect accompaniment - in Greene on Grains by Bert Greene I found the perfect thing...Jambalaya Stuffing. I changed a few of the ingredients around and this is what I came up with...

* Exported from MasterCook *

Sara's Bourbon Pecan Roast Chicken with Jambalaya Dressing

Recipe By : Sara Horton/Bert Greene*
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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Bourbon Pecan Chicken
1 whole chicken -- about 3 lb
1/2 fresh lemon
salt
freshly ground black pepper
handful dry tarragon
1 tsp rosemary
3 cloves garlic -- or more to taste
2 small onions -- peeled, or more
paprika -- for sprinkling
1/2 cup broken pecan pieces
1/2 cup bourbon
Jambalaya Dressing
1 tsp olive oil
2 sweet italian sausages -- about 1/2 lb*
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
1/4 cup green bell pepper -- diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper -- diced
1 cup tomatoes -- peel/seed/chop
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 cup homemade chicken stock -- or canned broth**
1 tbsp fresh basil -- chopped or 1 tsp dry
1/2 tsp lemon zest -- finely grated
1/4 tsp ground chili powder
pinch dried thyme
5 oz shrimp -- peeled/deveined
1/2 cup ham -- cooked/chopped***
2 1/4 cups long-grain white rice -- cooked****
salt and freshly ground black pepper -- to taste

For chicken: Heat the oven to 400 F.

Wash the inside cavity and outside of the chicken and pat dry. Rub the cavity with the cut side of half a lemon and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Fill the cavity with the tarragon, rosemary, garlic cloves and onions. Truss and tie the chicken. Pull up the skin, press the pecan bits into the chicken breast and pull the skin back into place. Make sure not to break the skin. Pour 1/4 cup of the bourbon over the chicken and place it on its side in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, turn to the other side, add remaining bourbon, baste and roast another 20 minutes. Turn again, baste and roast for another 20 minutes Check to see if it is done. If not, cook to your liking, continue cooking but do not overcook.

For dressing: Rub a heavy skillet with the oil and saute the sausages over medium heat until golden brown on all sides, 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a plate, and cut into 1/4" thick slices. Set aside.

Discard all the grease in the pan and melt the butter in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions; cook, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a wooden spoon, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and both bell peppers; cook 3 minutes longer. Then stir in the tomatoes, sugar, stock, basil, lemon zest, chili powder, and thyme. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook 1 minute more.

Transfer the shrimp-tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the ham, sausage slices, and rice. Mix well, and season with salt and pepper.

Makes enough dressing for 6 Cornish Hens or 3 chicken.


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NOTES : * I used low fat smoked turkey sausage that I had leftover.
** I used reconstituted Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base.
*** I didn't have any ham so I didn't use anything that tasted like it.
**** I only have basmati rice in the house (I live outside of an Indian neighborhood) so that is what I used.

Other notes: I couldn't find my chili powder that is a mixture of spices so I used straight ancho chili powder. I didn't taste any noticeable difference. I also used a bit of Emeril Lagasse's Bayou Blast (I got the recipe from the 'net somewhere) to make it little more authentic.

The chicken recipe is from my friend Sara Horton in Vidalia, GA and the Jambalaya Dressing recipe is from Bert Greene's book Greene on Grains (a great book - one of my favorites).
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Monday Nights Dinner

This looks just like a souffle when it comes out of the oven. You could serve it for guests and they wouldn't know the difference. In taste or looks.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Cornmeal Mush "Tamale Pie"

Recipe By : Mexican So Fat, Low Fat, No Fat by Betty Rohde
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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FILLING
1 1/2 lb very lean ground beef
1 cup green bell pepper -- chopped
1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen onion -- chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic -- minced
1/2 cup tomato paste mixed w/1 cup water
1 11 oz can Mexicorn -- drained
1 tsp ground dried red chilies -- or red pepper flakes
CORNMEAL TOPPING
1 1/8 cups skim milk
dash salt
1 tsp fat free pourable margarine -- such as Fleischmanns
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup fat free parmesan cheese -- grated
1/3 cup fat free cheddar cheese -- shredded
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 4 oz can green chilies -- chopped & drained
2 large egg whites
salsa -- for garnish
fat free sour cream -- for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 2-1/2 quart baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray.

First prepare the filling: In a nonstick skillet, brown the ground meat, while stirring to break up lumps, until no pink is showing. If any fat has cooked out, transfer the browned meat to a colander and rinse under the hottest water available. Shake the excess water off, wash the skillet, and return the meat to the skillet. Continue to saute while adding the pepper, onion, garlic, and green chiles. Cook until the meat is completely done and the peppers and onions are crisp-tender. Combine the tomato paste with the meat mixture, the water, the corn, and the ground chiles. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish. Set aside.

Prepare the cornmeal topping: In a small saucepan, heat the milk with the salt and margarine until it simmers. With a wire whisk, slowly stir in the cornmeal; continue to whisk to blend well. Cook for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the two cheeses, the egg substitute, and the drained chopped chiles.* In a separate clean, grease free glass bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold gently into the cornmeal mush. Very carefully spread the batter over the meat mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and feels done to the touch. Serve with salsa, and if desired, a dollop of fat free sour cream on each serving.

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NOTES : * I also included some defrosted chopped serrano peppers I had in the freezer. The canned chiles are too mild and add not too much flavor for me.

Also, my other changes to this recipe are:

1 - I didn't have any ground beef so I used ground up Gardenburgers and other veggie burgers I had in the freezer.
2 - I used home-ground ancho chiles for the ground red chilies.
3 - I added 1-1/2 T. mexican oregano (dried), 1/2 t. cumin and 1/2 t. garlic powder because I feel these recipes don't have enough flavoring in them for me. She removes the salt, because you retain water when you consume a lot of it, and doesn't replace it with too much seasoning. I always add some extras to any of her recipes.

I made a salad with it and that is all I served with it.
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Tuesday Nights Dinner

Aaaahhh....a thick bowl of soup.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Very Cheesy Potato Cheese Soup

Recipe By : New Recipes From Moosewood Restaurant
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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4 tbsp butter
2 cups onion -- chopped
1 lg clove garlic -- minced or pressed
2 lg potatoes -- unpeeled/chopped
1 lg carrot -- unpeeled/chopped
3 cups vegetable stock -- or water
1 tsp dried dill -- or 2 tbsp fresh
4 oz cream cheese, low fat or regular
1 1/2 cups milk -- or part cream
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese -- shredded
salt and pepper -- to taste
fresh parsley -- chopped

In a large soup pot, saute the onions and garlic in the butter until the onions are translucent. Add the potatoes and carrots and saute for 5-10 minutes longer. Add the stock or water (or 1/2 and 1/2) and dill and simmer until all the vegetables are tender.

Puree the vegetables with the cream cheese and milk in a blender, food processor or with a hand immersion blender. If pureeing in blender or processor, remove from pot, puree and then return to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheddar cheese and reheat gently.

Serve each cup or bowl garnished with chopped fresh parsley. A simple green salad is the perfect complement because opposites attract

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NOTES : When I make this again, I will add some pureed roasted poblano pepper or Anaheim pepper and probably some smokey cheese instead of the cheddar.

I used Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base reconstituted in water for some of the stock and used 1/2 of the BTB and 1/2 water.
I used Philadelphia Brand 1/3 less fat cream cheese.

This was very tasty and I will make it again.

I served it with some good thick bread slices.
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Wednesday Nights Dinner

Tonight we go vegetarian with a good tofu dish. Some people are afraid of tofu or just don't know what to do with it. I have been eating it for years. Use it in so many different ways. This is a very innovative one and very tasty too. Give it a try! You'll be surprised!

* Exported from MasterCook *

"Barbecued" Tempeh or Tofu

Recipe By : New Recipes From Moosewood Restaurant
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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1 lb tempeh or 3 cakes of extra-firm tofu -- cubed
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup onions -- finely chopped
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 green or red bell pepper -- chopped
SAUCE
2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp molasses or brown sugar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1 7 oz can tomato paste
1 cup water
4 dashes Tabasco sauce -- or other hot sauce

For tempeh: Saute the onions, garlic and spices until the onions begin to soften. Add the peppers and tempeh and continue sauteing until the peppers brighten and the tempeh browns. Transfer this mixture to a shallow baking pan.

Whisk together the sauce ingredients and pour them over the vegetable-tempeh mixture. Bake covered at 350 F for 1/2 hour and uncovered for another 1/2 hour, stirring frequently throughout.

For tofu: Saute the vegetables and spices. Whisk together the sauce ingredients. Combine the sauteed vegetables and the sauce and pour over the tofu cubes in a shallow baking pan. Bake as directed for tempeh, stirring very gently to avoid breaking the tofu cubes.

Serve on rice with a side dish of cole slaw or greens. Or pack it into a pita bread to make a sandwich.

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Thursday Nights Dinner

Tonight was pasta with red sauce but instead of opening a jar of sauce I decided to make this really good marinara sauce and serve it with breadsticks. Boy was it good!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Pasta with A Special Marinara Sauce

Recipe By : Garlic, Garlic, Garlic by Linda & Fred Griffith
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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1 lb dried pasta -- such as penne
THE SAUCE
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 plump cloves garlic -- smashed & minced
1/2 lg onion -- minced
1/2 lg carrot -- scraped & shredded
1 14 oz can italian plum tomatoes -- crushed w/juice
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 dashes cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper -- to taste
1/4 tsp baking soda

While making sauce put up a large pasta pot with water in it. Boil the water. When boiling, add the salt and cook the pasta until al dente( for penne, it is usually 9 minutes.) Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil and the butter in a large, heavy nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, onions and carrots, and saute, stirring often, until carrots are soft, 4-6 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, chiles and cayenne. Bring sauce to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt, pepper and baking soda. Blend thoroughly and serve.

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NOTES : I made 1/3 of the recipe, or close to it. The original recipe made 2 quarts. I just needed some for the pasta tonight.

I also pureed the sauce afterwards because my husband doesn't like chunky sauces. I still saw chunks of onion after pureeing it. I like that.

I served this with breadsticks (we use Boboli Garlic Breadsticks).
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Friday Nights Dinner

I was in the mood for chinese but didn't feel like ordering out. So.....Kung Pao Chicken fit the bill. I served it with some white basmati rice that I cooked with some lemongrass seasoning and a little salt. Hmmm.......

* Exported from MasterCook *

Kung Pao Chicken

Recipe By : Garlic, Garlic, Garlic by Linda & Fred Griffith
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 whole chicken breasts, boned & skinned -- split, cut in 1" pc.
3 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp rice wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp chinese black vinegar -- or red wine vinegar
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 1/2 cups peanut oil -- or canola oil
1/4 cup peanuts -- roasted*
1 medium red bell pepper -- cut in 1/2" pc.
5 small dried chilies
3 plump cloves garlic -- smashed & minced
1 1/2" slice gingerroot -- peeled & minced
1/4 cup scallions -- minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Place diced chicken in a medium-size bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp cornstarch and toss to coat evenly. Then sprinkle with 1 tbsp rice wine and blend again. Let stand 5 minutes.

In a small dish, blend together remaining 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp rice wine. Reserve. In another bowl, blend together soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil.

Heat 1 cup peanut oil in a wok until very hot. Add half of chicken and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until chicken turns white. Using a chinese strainer, transfer chicken to a large mixing bowl. Adding oil if needed, fry remaining chicken. When second batch is ready, transfer it to mixing bowl. Add peanuts and bell peppers to chicken.

Discard all but 1 tbsp oil and heat wok until hot. Stir-fry chiles in hot oil until they smoke, about 30 seconds. Add garlic and ginger, stir for another 30 seconds. Quickly add soy sauce mixture, followed by chicken mixture. Toss over high heat untiil bell peppers begin to soften, 2-3 minutes.

Quickly whisk together rice wine and cornstarch mixture again, then add to chicken. Cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with scallions and cilantro and serve.

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Serving Ideas : white rice, chinese vegetables

NOTES : * I used pine nuts because I don't cook with peanuts. My son is highly allergic to peanuts and we use no peanut products in our house. Also, I used canola oil instead of peanut oil.

I also had a fresh poblano pepper so I chopped it up and added when I added the garlic and ginger.

I served little condiments along with the meal, Ginger Crisp (a korean pickled ginger I buy at the oriental supermarket nearby) and sambal (a hot chile paste from Indonesia).