Recipe(tried): This Weeks Winners

Here they are...

**** This Weeks Winners ****

# 1 - Low Fat Poultry Dish

A few weeks ago, I received a recipe in the mail from my good
friend Tawny in WA state. She had said that she and her hubbie
really liked this dish and she was passing it on to me. I filed
it away in my "To Make" area of the diningroom. When planning this
weeks recipes, I pulled it out and decided to make it. I served it
with roasted sweet potatoes and some pumpernickel rolls. It was
really good. I'm passing it on to the rest of you now. Enjoy.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Moroccan-Style Chicken Thighs

Recipe By : Cooking Light, Unknown Issue
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beans/Legumes/Pulses Low Fat
Poultry

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 chicken thighs -- skinned
2 tsp olive oil -- * see note
1 15 oz can chickpeas -- rinsed & drained
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (no salt pref) -- drained
2 cups zucchini -- sliced**
1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth -- low sodium variety
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
cilantro sprigs -- optional

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl; rub chicken with cumin mixture. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and saute 3 minutes on each side. Add chickpeas and tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini and broth; bring to a boil. Cvoer, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro, if desired. Makes 4 servings (serving size: 2 thighs and 1/2 cup chickpea mixture).

Nutritional analysis: 338 calories; 29% from fat; 10g fat (sat fat 2.1g), 34.9g protein; 25.9g carbo, 3.1g fiber; 113mg chol; 4.8mg Iron; 625mg sodium; 95mg calcium.

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NOTES : * The original recipe called for 1 tbsp. I cooked the chicken in 2 tsp and it worked fine. Also cut the fat.

** I did not use zucchini. I used frozen peas. Put in 1 cup of frozen peas 1/2 way through the cooking and they thawed and cooked at the same time.

I got the recipe from my friend Tawny who got it from Cooking Light Magazine.

Served with roasted sweet potatoes and pumpernickel rolls.
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# 2 - Low Fat Tex/Mex

I made a Susan Powter favorite tonight- Mexican Rice Casserole. Each time
I make this I do it a bit different. Tonight I did not have any ground
beef in the house or ground turkey, all I had were 2 chinese sausages
from the freezer so I ground them up and used them. I sauteed them with
the onions & seasonings and they really added a nice taste. I also didn't
have a 15 oz can of tomato sauce so I used 15 oz plain pasta sauce and
it was supposed to be diluted w/ 1/2 cup chicken broth. I decided to thin
it with 1/2 cup taco sauce. I also added 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp
mexican oregano. It was really good. A great one "pot" meal and low fat
to boot.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mexican Rice Casserole (adapted)

Recipe By : Susan Powter
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Meat Rice Dishes

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
nonstick spray
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup onion -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
1/2 cup celery -- chopped
1/2 cup green pepper -- chopped
2 whole Chinese-Style Sweet Sausage with Garlic -- chopped**
1 4 oz can green chiles -- chopped
1 tsp basil
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 15 oz can red beans -- drained & rinsed
1 15 oz can tomato sauce -- diluted with broth*
15 oz plain pasta sauce -- diluted*

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook rice according to package directions. Spray baking dish (8x8) and set aside.

Heat oil in nonstick pot and saute onions until soft. Add garlic, celery, green pepper, and cook a few minutes longer. Add ground beef (or ground sausage) and green chiles, and cook until meat changes color. Add basil, salt, pepper, beans and half of the tomato sauce mixture. Cook until blended together.

Spread half of the rice in a baking dish. Cover with meat mixture. Cover meat mixture with balance of rice and pour remaining tomato mixture over all. Bake in 350 F oven for 30-45 minutes. Serve.

Nutritional information:

Serving size: 12 oz
Calories: 380
Total Fat: 7.47 gm
Sat Fat: 2.62 gm

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NOTES : * I didn't have tomato sauce so I used the pasta sauce and I diluted it with 1/2 cup taco sauce instead of chicken broth. The original recipe calls for diluting the tomato sauce with 1/2 cup chicken broth. By not using the broth, I cut down on the sodium in the dish.
** Original recipe called for 3/4 lb ground beef instead of the chinese sausage that I used.
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# 3 - Quick Meal

I didn't want to spend the whole night in the kitchen so I made a quick meal
on the GF Grill. I made a salsa from Bobby Flay's Bold American Food (My favorite
cookbook) and a boxed rice mix and we had dinner within 30 minutes. It was delicious.
Here is the fish & salsa recipe in one.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Grilled Perch With Black Bean-Corn Salsa

Recipe By : RisaG/Bobby Flay
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Chiles Corn
Grilling & Bbq Low Fat

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 lb perch fillets (4 fillets)
salt and pepper
1 cup marinade (Consorzio Tropical Grill) -- or your favorite
Black Bean-Corn Salsa:
1/2 cup cooked or canned black beans -- rinsed & drained
1/2 cup roasted corn kernels -- * see notes
2 tbsp red onion -- finely diced
1/2 tbsp jalapeno pepper -- finely diced
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp basil chiffonade
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 hour before cooking, put fish in marinade. Let sit in refrigerator until ready to cook.

Prepare roasted corn for salsa (see notes). Make salsa and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Preheat GF Grill. When hot, remove some of the marinade from the perch. Place on the grill and close. Cook for 3 minutes. Open and unplug.

Serve with Black Bean-Corn Salsa on top. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES : * If actually doing grilling outdoors, Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare corn for roasting by removing all the silk and all but one layer of husk; dip each ear in water to moisten. Arrange the corn, husks covering kernels, on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. Serve the ears whole or scrape the roasted kernels from the ears with a knife. One ear of corn will yield about 1/2 cup of kernels.

If using GF Grill (like I did), just put canned or frozen thawed kernels on a baking sheet. Put in a 350 F oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove and let cool. Add to salsa.

Black Bean-Corn Salsa recipe is from Bobby Flay's Bold American Food, Published by Warner Books, ISBN #0-446-51724-0.
Copyright 1994 by Bobby Flay & Joan Schwartz.
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# 4 - Pasta

Made my usual pasta for dinner tonight but what made it special was the
bread that I made to go with it. I saw the original recipe for this
in A Taste of the Treasure Coast, a wonderful book from a yacht club
in Stuart, FL. The original author made this with a bread mix but I
made french bread dough in the ABM and then continued the recipe, with
homemade pesto sauce. It came out terrific. I also give the recipe
for the starter so you can have sourdough bread all the time. The starter
recipe came from Reba on the ABMtalk list. It is a wonderful starter. I
like it a lot better than the one I've made before.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Reba's Sourdough Starter

Recipe By : Reba/ABMtalk List
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Sourdough

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour -- divided
1 tsp active dry yeast
2 cups hot water (between 120 & 130 degrees)
1 cup lukewarm water (bet. 100-115 degrees)

Day 1 (A.M.)
1. In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups of the flour and yeast. Make a
well in the center of the flour / yeast mixture and, whisk in the hot
water.
Continue stirring until the mixture is blended but not completely
smooth. It is not necessary to, smooth out all the lumps; they will dissolve, as
the mixture starts to ferment. Cover the, bowl with a clean towel and let
the mixture sit at room temperature. Over the next 24 hours, the mixture
will rise, be come very bubbly and then start to recede.

Days 2 and 3
2. Stir the mixture twice, once in the morning and once in the evening
to invigorate the yeast and to expel the alcohol .Towards the end of the
second day the mixture will start to thin and the surface of the starter will
be covered with lots of tiny air bubbles. By the evening of the third day a
thin layer of yellow-brown liquid may form on the surface of the
starter. It is simply the alcohol given off by the yeast cells as they feed on the
carbohydrates in the flour and multiply. Refresh the starter. By
stirring in 1 cup lukewarm (100 F) water and the remaining cup of flour. Stir until
blended, but do not worry about any small lumps.

Day 4
3. The starter is now ready to use, or it may be poured into a
sterilized
2-quart glass or ceramic covered crock or casserole, or a glass jar with
a
non-metal lid and refrigerated.Sourdough Starter Maintenance

Using and maintaining a sourdough starter is a cyclical process; you
must always replace what you remove from the crock. If well maintained, a
sourdough starter will last a life time. Each time you take a portion of
the starter for a recipe, replace that amount with equal quantities of water
and flour. For example, if you remove 1 cup of starter to make Sourdough
Country Bread, you must replace it with 1 cup of lukewarm (100 F) water and 1
cup of unbleached all-purpose flour. Whisk these ingredients into the starter
until blended, but not completely smooth. Any remaining lumps will dissolve as
the mixture ferments. Cover and leave the starter at room temperature for at
least 12 hours or overnight. The starter is now ready to be used again
or can be refrigerated.Use a 2-quart non-metal crock or bowl to store the starter. This way,
the replenishing starter ingredients can be mixed directly in the storage
container.

Maintain the starter by stirring it at least once a week. This
invigorates the yeast and expels some of the alcohol. If you do not use the starter
every two weeks or so, refresh it by removing 1 cup of the starter (give
it to a friend or discard it), and adding 1 cup of lukewarm (100 ) water
and 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour. Whisk until blended. Cover and
leave the starter at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight before
returning to the refrigerator. If you plan to be away or know that you will not
use the starter frequently, freeze it in a sterilized, airtight freezer
container. Thaw the starter two days before you plan to bake with it,
transferring it to a sterilized 2-quart non-metal storage container.
Refresh the starter with 1 cup each of water and flour. Cover and leave it at
room temperature for 12 hours or overnight before using. It's a good idea to
freeze the starter in two containers; you can keep the second one frozen
indefinitely to serve as a backup should anything happen to the thawed
starter. Should the starter become overly sour, discard all but 1 cup
and refresh it with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of flour, leaving it at room
temperature for 12 hours or overnight. Every month or so, remove the
sourdough from its storage container and sterilize the container with
boiling water. Yield: Approx 4 cups.

PREPARATION: l0 minutes.

Allow at least 4 days for the starter to ferment before using SOURDOUGH STARTER. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Exported from MasterCook *

RisaG's Sourdough French Bread

Recipe By : RisaG
Serving Size : 20 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Ethnic Breads Sourdough

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup sourdough starter
1 1/8 cups lukewarm water (between 100-115 degrees)
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp active dry yeast
Cornmeal
Flour
Filling:
1/2 cup pesto sauce (or more)
Topping:
1 egg white beaten with 1 tbsp water

Place all ingredients in machine according to manufacturer directions. Dough Cycle.

When dough is done, form dough into a ball and put in a greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a draft-free place and let rise for 30 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll out each half on lightly floured board to a rectangle of 14"x7". Spread half of the pesto mixture on each rectangle, bringing the filling to within 1/2" of the outside edges. Starting with the 14" side, roll up like a jelly roll. Pinch the seam edge together firmly to seal, fold ends under and pinch closed. Place bread rolls, seam side down, on greased cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. With a sharp knife, make three or four shallow diagonal slashes on top of each roll. Cover rolls with a towel and let stand in a warm place about 30 minutes, until partially risen. Brush top of rolls with egg white mixture. Place shallow pan of water in bottom of oven. When water is heated, place loaves in oven and bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes, until loaves are well browned. Remove from cookie sheet and let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

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NOTES : Original bread dough recipe from Bread Machine Magic, called French Bread Extraordinaire. Original recipe for pesto filled french bread from A Taste of the Treasure Coast, a very special cookbook by members and friends of The Yacht & Country Club of Stuart, FL., p. 64.
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# 5 - Another Way To Prepare Chicken

These recipes I got from the Feb 2000 issue of Bon Appetit. I changed both
just a bit. I used non-fat half-and-half to replace the whipping cream in the
spinach recipe and non-fat ricotta cheese. Plus I used dried reconstitued
sun-dried tomatoes for the ones preserved in oil in the chicken dish. The
breading wasn't as tomatoey because of it but it was still really good.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chicken Breasts with Sun-Dried Tomato & Garlic Crust

Recipe By : Bon Appetit, February 2000, p. 86
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Poultry Tomatoes

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs from French Bread
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes -- drained
3 1/2 tbsp reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes -- * see note
2 lg clove garlic
4 12 oz chicken breast halves with skin & bone -- ** see note

Combine the breadcrumbs, sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tbsp oil reserved from tomatoes and garlic in food processor. Using on/off pulses, process until tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1-1/2 tbsp of reserved oil from tomatoes in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until skin is crisp and golden, about 5 minutes.

Transfer chicken, skin side up, to heavy rimmed baking dish. Spoon breadcrumb mixture atop chicken, dividing equally and pressing to adhere. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.***

Place chicken on plates and serve.

Risa's note: I served it with the Spinach, Basil & Ricotta Puree that they show with the chicken. It was a perfect accompaniment.

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NOTES : * I used the dried kind of sun-dried tomatoes so I didn't have the oil from the oil-packed kind. I used 2 tbsp of olive oil instead.

** I used boneless skinless chicken breast halves and cut the cooking time in half.

*** As stated in **, I used boneless chicken breast halves and it only took 15 minutes for the chicken to be cooked through. So if you use boneless it should cook this quickly for you. * Exported from MasterCook *

Spinach, Basil & Ricotta Puree

Recipe By : Bon Appetit, February 2000, p. 86
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cheese Greens
Low Fat

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 10 oz pkg fresh spinach leaves
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese -- * see note
2 tbsp unsalted butter -- 3/4 stick
1 clove garlic -- minced
1/4 cup whipping cream -- ** see note

Bring 2 cups water to boil in a large pot. Add spinach leaves and stir until tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Drain well. Squeeze out excess water. Transfer spinach to processor. Add basil and ricotta to spinach. Blend until smooth. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, about 3 minutes. Add spinach mixture and cream. Stir until mixture is just heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

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NOTES : * I used fat-free ricotta cheese. The store near me makes their own brand version and it is quite good.

** I used Land O'Lakes Fat-Free Half-and-Half. It works really well in most recipes.