Recipe(tried): This Weeks Winners

Here they are...

*** This Weeks Winners ***

# 1

Well, this was an absolutely fantastic idea and it was
enjoyed by all. I had some leftover cooked chicken (w/skin)
and I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit for Grilled Chicken
with Creamy Grits and Shiitake Mushroom Sauce in the R.S.V.P.
section. I took the grits and sauce and put it on top of
the cooked chicken and had a fantastic meal. Here is my
adaptation:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chicken With Grits and Shiitake Mushroom "Gravy"

Recipe By : adapted from Cafe Thirty-A in Seagrove Beach, FL
Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Mushrooms Poultry Entrees
Recipecafe

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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CHICKEN:
1 cup commercial Roasted Garlic Marinade
6 pc cooked chicken (w/skin or w/o) -- pref with
SAUCE:
1 cup beef stock or canned broth -- or reconst. bouillon
1 cup chicken stock or canned broth -- or reconst. bouillon
1/8 cup ham stock -- OR
1/8 cup water + 1 tsp. ham soup base -- OR
3 oz pancetta -- thinly sliced
8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms -- stemmed & sliced
3/4 cup low fat milk
1 tbsp fresh sage -- thinly sliced OR
1 tsp dried sage -- crumbled
CREAMY GRITS
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned broth -- or reconst. bouillon
1/2 cup low fat milk
2 tbsp butter or substitute
1/2 cup quick cooking grits

For chicken: Cover cooked chicken in commercially prepared Roasted Garlic Marinade (or something similar). Let it sit for 1/2 hour. Set aside.

For sauce: Boil both stocks* and wine in heavy medium saucepan until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Cook pancetta in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and golden, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transpfer pancetta to bowl. Add mushrooms to same skillet and saute until golden, about 4 minutes. Add stock mixture and low fat milk to skillet and simmer until reduced to sauce consistency, about 5 minutes. If it doesn't thicken enough, add a slurry of cornstarch and water (off the heat) and place back on heat and stir constantly until it thickens. Mix in pancetta and sage. Season to taste with salt and pepper (if you use reconstituted bouillon you won't need this).

Meanwhile, preheat GF Grill. When hot, place "marinating" chicken on 3 pieces at a time (unless you have largest size grill) and heat for 3-4 minutes. When hot and have some grill marks, take off grill and unplug.

For grits: Bring stock, low fat milk and butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until grits are creamy and tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve: spoon grits on plate. Place chicken atop grits. Spoon sauce over and serve.

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NOTES : * If you don't have canned stocks or homemade stocks, reconstitute bouillon like this:

For 1 cup stock you usually need 1 tsp bouillon to 1 cup water. Since the stocks will be reduced by half anyway, and flavors will be intensified, use 1/2 the amount of bouillon to water. I didn't and it was a little too salty. To make sure it isn't too salty, take 1/2 tsp bouillon to 1 cup water instead. Will work out better when reduced.

I used Better Than Bouillon Beef Base and Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base.

For the ham stock: I used 1 tsp of Goya Ham Bouillon Granules (I don't have the official name of it but it was something like this). I used 1/8 tsp to 1/8 cup water since I didn't wish to use the pancetta (and can't find any in this neck of the woods) but still want that smoky ham-like flavor.

The original recipe was from Bon Appetit, July 1999 issue, p. 26 from Cafe Thirty-A in Seagrove Beach, FL. It was called Grilled Chicken with Creamy Grits and Shiitake Mushroom Gravy.
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# 2

Another Hot & Spicy recipe. This time from Hot & Spicy &
Southeast Asian. I adapted this one in a couple of ways -
we did not have any fresh shrimp so I used a few dried
shrimp (from the Oriental market). I also did not have
any shrimp paste so I used anchovy paste and I did not
have coconut milk so I made my usual substitute of
low fat milk with a bit of coconut extract in it. Works
fine for me and a lot lower in fat. It came out pretty
spicy even though I cut out a few of the chiles. Even
non-chile-head hubby enjoyed it.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Spicy Sumatran Vegetable Stew

Recipe By : Hot & Spicy & Southeast Asian by DeWitt/Wilan/Stock
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Chiles Seafood

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 sm eggplant -- coarsely chopped
salt
6 red serrano peppers or jalapeno chiles -- stem/seed/chop
1 lg onion -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced
3 macadamia nuts -- or cashews
2/3 tsp shrimp paste -- or anchovy paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup cooked tiny shrimp -- or
1/2 cup dried baby shrimp -- reconstituted
1/2 cup bamboo shoots -- thinly sliced
1/2 cup green beans -- fresh chopped
1 red bell pepper (or yellow or orange) -- stem/seed/chop
2 zucchini squash -- chopped
6 lg cabbage leaves -- chopped *
2 cups chicken broth
1 tomato -- coarsely chopped
1 stalk lemongrass (just bottom white part) -- cut in 3 pc.
2 lime leaves -- or 1 bay leaf
1 cup coconut milk** -- or 1% milk w/extract
salt and sugar -- to taste

Sprinkle the eggplant with salt, and let it sit for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the moisture, rinse the eggplant, and roll it up in paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.

Place the chiles, onion, garlic, nuts, shrimp paste, salt and coriander to the blender, add a little water, and puree until the mixture is smooth.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet, add the chile-spice puree, and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add the shrimp, and then the bamboo shoots, green beans, red bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant and cabbage leaves, a handful at a time.

Pour in the broth, cover, and simmer gently for about 10 minutes to partially cook the vegetables.

Add the chopped tomato. Put the lemongrass and lime leaves or bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth, then add to the stew. Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for an additional 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove the packet of lemongrass and lime leaves or bay leaf and discard. Adjust the sugar and salt and serve.

Risa's notes: Even though this recipe said that it was mild, it was mild for a chile-head. For a regular person, it might be quite spicy. So cut the amount of chiles a bit for those who cannot deal with the heat and put a lot of white rice on the side along with a cool side dish such as a raita or some sour cream or yogurt. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Serving Ideas : white rice or noodles

NOTES : * I did not have cabbage in the house. All I had was the already shredded cabbage cole slaw mix so I used about 2 nice handfuls of the cole slaw mix and added it to the bowl of vegetables.

** I did nto have coconut milk so I made my usual substitute. I take an equal amount of 1% milk or skim milk and I add about 1/2-1 tsp of coconut extract to it. I use it the same way as the coconut milk is used and it is far lower in fat.
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# 3

Considering the heat in the Northeast (and everywhere else),
I decided to adapt this recipe to the crockpot. This is
from The Best of Gourmet (Featuring the Flavors of Italy),
but the recipe is far from Italian. Hmmm...

* Exported from MasterCook *

Black Bean Ancho Chile (For Crockpot)

Recipe By : The Best of Gourmet
Serving Size : 3 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beans/Legumes/Pulses Chiles
Chilis & Stews

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 16 oz can black beans -- rinsed & drained
1 med onion -- chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
3 2/3 cups water
1 1/2 oz dried ancho chiles (about 2-3) -- stem/seed/tear
1 14 oz can tomatoes including juice -- puree coarsely
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 orange bell pepper (or red) -- chopped
1/2 tsp dried mexican oregano -- crumbled
1/8 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) -- or to taste
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
avocado salsa -- or your favorite
sour cream -- as garnish

In a hot pan over medium heat, saute onions and garlic until onions are soft. When soft, add cumin. Saute a few minutes. Add canned beans. Saute for a couple of minutes. Set aside.

In small pan on medium heat, slightly char the ancho pieces. When you start to smell their fragrance, remove them and put them in a blender with the water. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

Into the crockpot, onion-bean mixture, pureed chiles, and the rest of the ingredients except the salsa, cilantro and lime juice. Cook on LOW 8-9 hours. At 7 hrs, add lime juice. Cook for another hour or so until it tastes right TO YOU.

To serve: put chili over white rice or grits, garnish with salsa and sour cream. Maybe some chopped cilantro too.

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NOTES : Notes: I adapted this from The Best of Gourmet (Featuring the Flavors of Italy), p. 167. The original recipe called for cooking the dried beans with the onions and garlic. I quickened it by using the canned beans.

Also, I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and I used orange bell pepper instead of red. I also put some ground coriander seed in the chile instead of some of the cilantro.
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# 4

Burgers are not just burgers when you add a great sauce.
I adapted this recipe from Born to Grill by Cheryl Alters Jamison
and Bill Jamison. I did it on the GF Grill and it only
too 5 minutes instead of 5 minutes per side. Too hot to go
out and too hot to put on the oven. GF Grill is the
perfect solution for weather like this.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Ruedi's Caribbean Curry Burger (adapted)

Recipe By : Born to Grill by Cheryl Alters Jamison & Bill Jamison
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beef Entrees Grilling & Bbq

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Ruedi's Curry Sauce (adapted):
3/4 cup low fat mayonnaise
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
6 tbsp chutney (mango, mint, coriander)
1 tbsp curry powder -- + 1 tsp
Burgers:
2 1/4 lb freshly ground chuck
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 kaiser rolls or other large rolls -- split
6 red onion slices
Caribbean hot sauce -- your favorite

Prepare the curry sauce, mixing together the ingredients in a medium bowl. (The sauce can be prepared several days ahead and refrigerated.)

Preheat the GF Grill.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, salt and pepper. Gently form the mixture into six patties about 1/2 to 3/4" thick. The patties should hold together firmly, but don't compact them or handle them any longer than necessary.

When the GF Grill is ready, place the burgers on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes. Then turn the burgers over and cook for 2 minutes (for medium rare). If you like them even more well done, cook a little longer.

Meanwhile, heat the buns in the toaster-oven. When burgers are ready, put one on each bun. Place on plate and serve along side some cole slaw and some corn-on-the-cob. Pass the onion slices and the hot sauce.

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