Recipe(tried): This Weeks Winners

Here they are..This Weeks Winners

# 1

Vegetarian but SPICY. This one came from Hot & Spicy
& Mexican - one of my favorite books (and the other
books from the same series). It could have been spicier.
I didn't use the whole amount of chile paste because I
thought it was going to be too spicy for non-chile-head
hubby but we had to add extra at the table so next time
I use the whole amount.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Explosive Tofu-Veggie Stir-Fry

Recipe By : Hot & Spicy & Meatless
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Chiles Soy
Stir-Fries

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 oz regular tofu -- drain/cut 1/2" cubes
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp red chile paste -- from Asian markets*
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp peanut oil
4 tbsp safflower oil
3 cups mushrooms -- stemmed & sliced
1 tbsp fresh ginger -- peeled & minced
2 cloves garlic -- minced
2 tbsp serrano chile -- minced**
1/2 cup red bell pepper -- sliced
1/2 cup scallions -- sliced
freshly cooked rice

Place a double layer of paper towels in a colander. Place the tofu cubes on the towels to drain for at least 25 minutes. Combine the vegetable stock and cornstarch in a bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved. WHisk in the chile paste, brown sugar, soy sauce and peanut oil. Set the mixture aside.

Heat two tablespoons of the safflower oil in a wok (or large pan) over high heat. Add the tofu and stir-fry until it is light brown. Remove the tofu from the wok and place on a plate, using a slotted spoon. Put the rest of the safflower oil in the wok. and continue to heat on high. Add the mushrooms first, and stir-fry for about 5 minutes. Next, add the rest of the ingredients, including the tofu, and stir-fry for about another minute. Last, stir the broth-cornstarch mixture into the wok and bring to a boil. Divide the rice onto plates and top with tofu-vegetable stir-fry.

Heat Scale: Medium

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

NOTES : * I only used 1/2 the amount of chile paste for non-Chile-Head hubby but we both found it needed the extra so we added it at the table.

** Original recipe called for jalapeno peppers but I didn't have any in the house so I used a serrano pepper and I seeded it and minced it finely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# 2

Another oriental night around here. This was a terrific
and easy dinner to make - healthy, low fat but not low
sodium. I didn't have miso so I used chinese soybean paste
which is close enough and I used steak fish, which I find
cook better on the GF Grill. I adapted this recipe from
A Spoonful of Ginger by Nina Simonds. It is one of my
favorites of the newer cookbooks I have.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Grilled Miso Fish Fillets (GF Grill Adaptation)

Recipe By : A Spoonful of Ginger by Nina Simonds
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Fish & Seafood Marinades, Salsa & Sauces

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 lb halibut steaks -- about 1" thick
Miso Marinade:
1/2 cup sweet white miso (shiro miso)
1/3 cup sweetened rice wine (mirin)
1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger -- minced
2 tbsp scallion greens -- minced

Rinse the fish steaks under cold water and drain thoroughly in a colander. Cut the steaks into six pieces and place in a bowl.

Add the Miso Marinade to the fish steaks and toss lightly to coat the entire surface of the fish .Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Let the halibut marinate for at least 1 hour, or for several hours.

Prepare a medium-hot fire for grilling and place the grill about 3 inches above the coals. Remove the fish from the marinade, spreading the marinade on with your hands so there is a light coating. Arrange the fish steaks on the grill and cook about 5-6 minutes on each side, or until the flesh is opaque all the way through. Alternatively, you may broil the fish about 7-9 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes when proded with a knife. The miso glaze should bubble and brown at the edges. Remove and serve with steamed rice and stir-fried or steamed vegetables.

For GF Grill: Preheat grill. Take fish out of marinade. When grill is hot, put fish on. Fish is done at 5 minutes. Unplug machine. Fish should be done.

Risa's notes: I used shark steaks for this and also a chinese soybean paste since I didn't have any miso. It was wonderful anyway.

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

I served it with white rice (with some sesame oil sprinkled
on top) and some sauteed cole slaw mix that I added some
julienned red pepper, scallion and garlic to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# 3

Hot out and didn't feel like cooking (who does lately)
so a main dish salad is the way to go. This one's from
The Best of Food & Wine 1985 Collection. From a restaurant
called Auntie Yuan's.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Auntie Yuan's Ma La Chicken

Recipe By : The Best of Food & Wine, 1985 Collection
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Chicken &Turkey Salads

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 whole chicken -- 3 lbs
1 lg cucumber
1/4 cup szechuan peppercorns
1/2 carrot -- cut in 3x1/8" strips
3 ribs celery -- cut in 3x1/8" strips
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce -- preferably dark
1 tbsp oriental sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp chinese hot chili oil
1/2 tsp vinegar -- *see note
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp freshly ground white peppercorns
4 scallions (green part only) -- cut in 3x1/8" strips
1 tbsp garlic -- minced

Place the whole chicken in a pot just large enough to hold it with water to cover by 1". Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until cooked through and no longer pink near the bone, 30-35 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and let stand until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the carcass, discarding the skin and bones. Tear the meat into 1/4" to 1/2" thick shreds. Cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, peel the cucumber and halve it lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut into 3x1/8" julienne strips; drain on paper towels.

In a small dry skillet, toast the peppercorns over high heat until they begin to smoke. Remove from the heat and grind to a powder in a coffee mill, blender or food processor.

In a bowl, combine the carrot, celery and cucumber. Toss with the salt and mound in the center of a serving dish. Arrange the shredded chicken over the vegetables.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, hot oil, vinegar, sugar and white pepper. Pour over the chicken.

Garnish the chicken with the scallion greens. Pass the ground szechuan peppercorns and minced garlic separately.

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

NOTES : * I used chinese rice vinegar. I thought it would give the dish a more authentic flavor. If you don't have that, then use whatever you do have - apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar would be fine.

Risa's notes: I made this more like an entree than a salad. I made some brown rice, mounded it on each plate, put the chicken and vegetable mixture over the rice and garnished with scallions, garlic and some of the szechuan peppercorns.

While the chicken was hot, I poured some of the dressing over it and let it steep in it. When I was ready to eat, I took the chicken with dressing, added it to the vegetables, mixed them together and then added more of the dressing. Served it by putting the chicken mixture over the rice and then whatever dressing was left was poured over the whole concoction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# 4

Another vegetarian meal, southwestern-style and very light
and yummy. Instead of making tostadas, I made enchiladas
with the mixture. Hubby doesn't like tostadas - can't
really figure out how to eat it. So I adapted it, added
a couple of my own touches and made it my own.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Enchiladas with Chipotle Sour Cream

Recipe By : adapted from Vegetarian Times, July 1999, p. 45
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Chiles Vegetarian Days

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
CHIPOTLE SOUR CREAM:
1 cup sour cream -- regular or nonfat
2 tsp canned chipotle chiles with adobo sauce
1/4 tsp salt
ENCHILADAS:
8 10 inch flour tortillas
2 med onions -- thinly sliced
2 med red, yellow or green bell peppers -- cut in thin strips
2 med zucchini -- cut in thin strips
1 serrano chile -- cut in thin strips
2 tbsp canned chipotle chiles with adobo sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded
salsa -- for garnish
lime wedges -- for garnish
cilantro -- chopped

For sour cream: In small bowl, combine ingredients. Cover and refrigerate. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wrap tortillas in tin foil and heat in oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine onions, bell peppers, zucchini, chiles, chipotles, salt, pepper and mix until well blended. In large skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add vegetables in batches and cook, stirring often and adding more oil if necessary, until tender. Add lime juice and mix well.

Fill each tortilla with 1/8 of the mixture, 1/8 of the cheese and wrap egg roll style. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes just to melt the cheese.

Serve with rice, salsa and lime wedges on the side. Put a dollop of the chipotle sour cream on top of the enchiladas, sprinkle chopped cilantro around the plate and serve.

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

NOTES : Vegetarian Times made this as Fajitas and they served the pepper mixture on top of the tortillas and passed the salsa and lime wedges at the table, allowing each diner to assemble his or her own fajitas.

Nutritional information (w/o cheese): Per fajita plus 1 tbsp chipotle sour cream: 289 calories, 7g protein, 11g total fat (3g sat fat)., 42g carbo, 6mg chol, 544mg sodium and 4g fiber.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# 5

Indian night tonight. Vegetarian again. Very tasty.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Indian Chickpea Stew

Recipe By : Vegetarian Times, July 1999, p. 34
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beans/Legumes/Pulses Squash
Stews

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 med red bell pepper -- diced
1 med yellow bell pepper -- diced
1/2 med head cauliflower -- cut in sm. florets
1 med zucchini -- halved lengthwise
-- thinly sliced crosswise
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 sm jalapeno chile pepper -- seeded & minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger -- minced
1 28 oz can pureed tomatoes in juice
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp fresh cilantro -- chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano -- chopped
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
2 cups cooked chickpeas -- rinsed & drained

In large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and cauliflower and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 6-7minutes. Transfer to bowl. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in same skillet. Add zucchini and cook, stirring often, until beginning brown to soften, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with peppers.

In same skillet, stir in cumin and mustard seeds. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until seeds are aromatic and begin to pop, about 1 minute.

Add jalapeno and ginger and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and turmeric and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro, oregano, garam masala and salt. Add chickpeas and cooked vegetables and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutritional information per serving: 187 calories, 8g protein, 7g total fat (1g sat fat), 27g carbo, 0 chol, 589mg sodium and 6g fiber.

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