Recipe(tried): This Weeks Winners!!!

This Weeks Winners!!!

Sunday Nights Dinner

We had a long day. It started with waiting for the dishwasher repair man (and the heavy rains) and continued with the errands. By the time I got home, I was bushed. All I wanted to make was something quick. This was it:

Singapore Shrimp Stir-Fry

Recipe By : Bon Appetit, January 1999, p. 127
Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : January 1999

2 tbsp Thai oil or other flavored cooking oil
10 oz uncooked medium shrimp -- peeled/deveined
1 8 oz package mixed stir-fry vegetables -- about 3 cups
2/3 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsp ginger-flavored soy sauce -- or spicy soy sauce
1 tsp Thai red or green curry paste
green onions -- chopped

Heat oil in heavy large skillet or wok over high heat. Add shrimp and stir-fry until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to plate. Add vegetables to skillet and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, soy sauce and curry paste. Boil until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Return shrimp and any accumulated juices to skillet. Stir 30 seconds; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with green onions.

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Monday nights dinner

We had a big problem. The downstairs freezer broke. Had to use up a 10 lb turkey REAL fast! It was defrosted already. What to do? So I sprinkled it with salt and pepper and injected it with some Cajun Garlic Marinade from Chef Williams Cajun Injector and we were set. I basted it several times. Made it in the 12 qt Nesco. Served it with leftover Jambalaya Dressing (from last weeks Bourbon Chicken) and we were set.

Roast Turkey

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Tuesday Nights Dinner

Pasta night this week. Usually soup night around here but I decided to change it around this week. It isn't that cold here in NJ.

Baked Penne Pasta with Wild Mushroom Ragout
Recipe By : Cafe Alfresco, Dunedin, FL
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : January 1999

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups hot water
6 tbsp butter -- 3/4 stick
1 3/4 cups onions -- finely chopped
8 oz fresh button mushrooms -- chopped
6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms -- stemmed/sliced
2 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese -- freshly grated
1/2 cup fresh chives -- finely snipped
12 oz penne pasta
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs -- from French bread

Place porcini in small bowl. Add 2 cups hot water and let soften 20 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove porcini. Reserve liquid. Coarsely chop porcini.

Melt 3 tbsp butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add button and shiitake mushrooms and saute 5 minutes. Mix in porcini and reserved soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind in bowl. Simmer over medium-high heat 10 minutes.

Melt remaining 3 tbsp butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly untili golden, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Stir until sauce thickens and boils, about 3 minutes. Stir into mushroom mixture. Simmer 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and chives. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. (Sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Butter 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain well. Return to pot. Add mushroom sauce and toss well to coat. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

Bake casserole until heated through and light golden brown, about 25 minutes.

NOTES : From Bon Appetit, January 1999 issue, p. 28-30

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Wednesday Nights Dinner

Leftovers from the broken freezer...Bourbon Chicken (I used cornish hens) and some lowfat cheesy grits. It was really good!

I am giving the recipe for the Bourbon Chicken again even though we ate it leftover (for those who didn't get it the first time) and the recipe for the cheesy grits (It was supposed to be cheesy bacon grits but the bacon around here is made from turkey and turkey and cornish hen together would have been redundant so I eliminated it and upped the cheese a bit. I used bacon bits as a garnish to give that same flavor though.

Sara's Bourbon Pecan Roast Chicken with Jambalaya Dressing
Recipe By : Sara Horton/Bert Greene*
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00

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.

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).

Cheesy Bacon Grits
Recipe By : C'mon America, Let's Eat by Susan Powter
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00

4 1/2 cups nonfat milk
1 cup quick grits
1 1/2 tsp Molly McButter -- or Butter Buds
1 tsp Nature's Seasoning
5 egg whites -- slightly beaten
2 cups nonfat cheddar cheese -- shredded
6 slices turkey bacon slices -- cooked & crumbled
4 drops hot pepper sauce
nonstick spray

Bring milk to a boil, add grits, reduce heat to simmer. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add Molly McButter, Nature's Seasoning, and egg whites. Stir in 1-1/2 cups cheese, bacon, and hot pepper sauce. Turn into 8x8 inch baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake in 375 F oven for 45 minutes, till brown and puffy.

Option: add 1/8 cup chopped green onion, or 1/8 cups chopped parsley (or cilantro).

Serving size: 10 ounces
Calories: 281
Total fat: 2.62 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.914 grams

NOTES : I didn't use the turkey bacon (I was serving it with cornish hens). I also used whipped up Just Whites for the egg whites (didn't have enough eggs in the house). I used habanero sauce for the hot pepper sauce (about 3 drops) and I also used only 1/2 of the Nature's Seasoning and I used 1/2 tsp Emeril's Bayou Blast (but you could use any type of cajun seasoning blend you have). I also used 1/4 tsp coarse salt.

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Thursday Nights Dinner

I'm always trying to get my husband to eat better, always trying new ways with healthier ingredients. So when I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and it was by a cookbook author who I already had one book by, I knew it would be good.

Spicy Tofu Burritos
Recipe By : Bon Appetit, January 1999, p. 129
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Vegetarian Days

4 8 inch fat free flour tortillas
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion -- chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
12 oz firm tofu -- crumbled, about 2 c.
1 cup red bell pepper -- chopped
1 1/2 tbsp jalapeno chile pepper -- seeded/minced
1 clove garlic -- minced
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese -- grated
1 cup romaine lettuce -- thinly sliced/packed
6 tbsp fresh cilantro -- chopped
4 lime wedges

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wrap tortillas in foil. Place in oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and turmeric; stir 30 seconds. Add tofu, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic and saute until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add hceese and stir until melted, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon tofu mixture down center of each tortilla, dividing tofu equally. Top with lettuce and cilantro. Squeeze juice from lime wedges over. Wrap tortilla around filling and serve.

OTES : Article called "Soy Story" by Marie Simmons.

I used really large tortillas and only made 3 to feed 2 people and it was too much. Next time I am making one each. I'll cut this recipe a little too.

I also don't like my burritos without baking them and melting the cheese. So I placed the folded burritos in 2 small-ish baking dishes, covered them with some tomato sauce (straight from the can) that I seasoned with some ancho chilie powder and some chipotle chile powder and then baked them at 350 F for 10 minutes to make sure the cheese was melted.

Per serving, 310 calories, 14g total fat.

I served it with some saffron rice that I made in the microwave (pour 2 cups of chicken broth that you put some saffron threads in into a micro container with 1 cup basmati rice in it. Cook on HI for 13-15 minutes depending on your microwave wattage). Fluff with a fork when it is cooked and all the water is absorbed.

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Friday Nights Dinner

Went shopping at Costco after hubby came home from work. Didn't feel like really cooking so I made turkey burgers and put some frozen fries in the oven. Hubby said "good burger", so there you have it.

All-American Burger
Recipe By : C'Mon America, Let's Eat by Susan Powter
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00

1/4 lb extra-lean ground turkey
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Nature's Seasoning -- or pepper
1 tsp fresh parsley -- chopped
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 low fat or nonfat hamburger bun -- * see note

Combine turkey, onion powder, garlic powder, Nature's Seasonings and parsley. Form into a patty the same size as the bun. Heat skillet sprayed with nonstick spray. Place patty in the pan and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Pour broth into pan and cook until broth is almost gone. Place on bun and garnish with lettuce, tomato, pickle, nonfat mayo and Dijon mustard if desired. Serve with fries (or oven baked fries for lower fat option.)

Serving Ideas : Garnish with sliced tomato & onion

NOTES : The recipe is for one. I used a pounds worth of ground turkey, so I just multiplied the other ingredients by 4 and made the burgers. They came out juicy and delicious.

* I used an english muffin.

Serving size: 8-1/2 oz, calories 269, 3.65 grams fat, 1.44 grams saturated fat.

ENJOY. RISAG