Ocean Perch with Mango Reduction

by Craig Nazareth

January 31, 2011

1 6oz fillet Ocean Perch

3 ripe mangoes (each about 3/4 pound)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

1 tablespoon superfine sugar, or to taste

Preparation

Peel and cut flesh from mangoes, discarding pits. In a blender or food processor purée mango with remaining ingredients until smooth. Force purée through a fine sieve into a bowl. Sauce may be made 2 days ahead and chilled.

Serve with pan seared Ocean Perch or fish of your choice.

Quick and Creamy Mac n’ Cheese

by Pampered Chef

January 28, 2011

A surprising ingredient helps create a healthier version of a family favorite.

Total time: 19 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

16 oz (450 g) uncooked medium shell pasta

1 pkg (12 oz/350 g) frozen butternut squash, thawed

1 can (12 oz or 370 mL) evaporated milk

½ tsp (2 mL) salt

1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) ground nutmeg

Additional ground nutmeg (optional)

Directions:

1. For pasta, bring salted water to a boil in covered (4-qt./3.8-L) Casserole. Cook pasta according to package directions. Carefully remove ¼ cup (50 mL) of the cooking water for later use. Drain pasta; return to Casserole and set aside.
2. For Sauce, place squash into (3-qt./2.8-L) Saucepan; gradually add milk, whisking constantly using Silicone Sauce Whisk. Cook over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes or until mixture begins to simmer. Reduce heat to medium. Add cheese; cook 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture returns to a simmer, whisking constantly. Add salt, nutmeg and reserved cooking water; stir until smooth. Add sauce to pasta; mix to coat.
3. To serve, divide pasta among serving bowls; sprinkle with additional ground nutmeg, if desired.

Cook’s Tips:

Butternut squash adds creaminess and a pleasant yellow-orange color, which makes a great substitution for some of the cheese in this classic dish. Whisking the evaporated milk with the squash breaks down the squash and blends it into the mixture.

Evaporated milk contributes richness and creaminess without adding a lot of fat.

Italian cheese blends require smaller quantities to lend assertive cheese taste. Any Italian cheese blend can be used in this recipe.

Using some of the pasta cooking water has a dual purpose: the starch in the water helps to thicken the sauce, and since it’s warm, the overall cook time is slightly reduced even further when preparing this recipe.

U.S. Nutrients per serving: Calories 500, Total Fat 14 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Carbohydrate 68 g, Protein 24 g, Sodium 520 mg, Fiber 3 g

U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: 4 ½ starch, 2 medium-fat mean (4 ½ carb)

Happy Trails Mix Cookie

by Erin Bolger

January 28, 2011

Okay, I may be projecting a little but a girl can dream, can’t she?! I created this recipe hoping that one day I will walk down an aisle and I will wear comfortable stretchy maternity pants like the majority of my friends have already done. I can picture it now riding off in the sunset with my knight in shining armor with a jumbo trail mix cookie in hand, gazing lovingly into his eyes or something like that. If by some reason my journey does not take me on this route and I end up happily single for the rest of my life, at least I still got a great cookie recipe out of it! 

Courtesy of The Happy Baker.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 24

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups quick cooking oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup 12 grain flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup almonds, roasted at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes; cooled and then broken into medium sized pieces
• 1/2 cup flax seeds
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup golden raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. With a hand mixer blend together butter, sugars, and honey until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Stir in oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well.
4. Add almonds, flax, sunflower seeds and raisins. Stir well.
5. Make dough into 2-inch balls. Place on a lined cookie sheet and flatten with fingers.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden brown. Let cool and enjoy!

Homemade Coconut Crusted Shrimp

by Craig Nazareth, prepared by Brad Townsend

January 24, 2011

Ingredients

2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cornstarch
1 large egg, beaten
2/3 cup grated fresh coconut
1 cup ice-cold soda water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tail on1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Preheat a fryer to 350 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, egg, coconut and soda water. Mix well to make a smooth batter. Season with salt. Season the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of Essence. Holding the tail of the shrimp, dip in the batter, coating completely and shaking off the excess. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

ROASTED RED PEPPER SOUP

7 PEPPERS

1 CAN OF TOMATO JUICE

½ CUP CHOPPED ONIONS

1 TSP. CHOPPED GARLIC

A LITTLE OLIVE OIL

½ CUP BASIL

½ CUP CREAM

½ CUP CRUMBLED FETA CHEESE

SALT & PEPPER

BBQ PEPPERS UNTIL BLACK ON THE OUTSIDE

PEEL AND REMOVE SEEDS

PLACE OIL IN SAUCEPAN AND ADD ONIONS AND GARLIC, ADD PEPPERS AND SAUTE FOR A FEW MINUTES ADD SALT & PEPPER AND BASIL COOK FOR 15MINS

REMOVE FROM STOVE AND PUREE

ADD CREAM AND SERVE WITH SPRINKLE OF FETA CHEESE

Antipasti Pull-Apart Pizza

by Pampered Chef

January 20, 2011

A fun twist on pizza, this appetizer features all the flavors of an antipasti platter over a crust of bite-size pieces of French bread.

Ingredients:

2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil, divided

2 pkg (11 oz each) refrigerated French bread dough (see Cook’s Tip)

1 jar (12 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and patted dry (about 1 ¼ cups/300 mL)

1 medium red bell pepper

½ cup (125 mL) pitted ripe olives

2 garlic cloves, pressed

¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

¼ tsp (1 mL) coarsely ground black pepper

2 oz (60 g) Parmesan cheese, divided

Chopped fresh parsley

(optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush Large Round Stone with Handles with 1 tsp (5mL) of the oil. Place one package of the dough onto Large Grooved Cutting Board. Using a sawing motion, cut dough in half lengthwise with Color Coated Bread Knife; slice each dough half crosswise into 16 half moons for a total of 32 half moons. Repeat with remaining dough. Arrange dough over baking stone, leaving a ½ -in. (1 cm) border around edge and spacing ½ in. (1 cm) apart; brush with remaining oil. Bake 14-16 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, for antipasti, coarsely chop artichokes with Food Chopper. Dice mozzarella cheese into ½ -in. (1-cm) cubes and dice bell pepper with Santoku Knife. Slice olives with Egg Slicer Plus. Combine artichokes, mozzarella cheese, bell pepper, olives, garlic pressed with Garlic Press, salt and black pepper in Stainless (4-qt./4-L) Mixing Bowl; mix well.
3. Remove baking stone from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Using Rotary Grater, grate half of the Parmesan cheese over crust; top with antipasti. Bake 5-7 minutes or until mozzarella cheese is melted. Remove from oven; grate remaining Parmesan cheese over top and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

 

Cook’s Tip:

If desired, 2 pkg (13.8 oz or 283 g each) refrigerated pizza crust can be substituted for the refrigerated French bread dough.

Yield: 16 servings

U.S. Nutrients per serving: Calories 160, Total Fat 6g, Saturated Fat 2.5g, Cholesterol 10mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 8 g, Sodium 490 g, Fiber 1 g

Winter Grilling Tips

by Diva Q

January 19, 2011

Use a @Thermapen all year round to know the temperature of your food.

Make sure to clean all of the snow off of the lids of your grills before your start.

Use tried and true easy recipes for winter grilling. This is not the time to be planning out a 10 course meal.

If you are looking you are not cooking .. seriously keep the lid closed people as much as you can.

Before using a gas grill in winter double check the hoses for any cracks.

Cleaning up in winter is a bit more challenging wipe up your drips immediately. Hard frozen fat is harder to clean.

Use recipes that call for just a single flip… Less maintenance of the food = happier winter grilling.

You will go through more charcoal in winter. Use a good quality lump charcoal with low moisture level.

Get to know your grill and how to use the grill with indirect heat.You can grill larger cuts of meat in the winter.

Keep a safe path to your grills. Shovel out before you start. Nothing worse than cooking & dropping dinner in snow.

Food takes longer to cook in the winter & grills can take longer to warm up. Give yourself extra time for dinner.

It gets dark a lot earlier in winter invest in a grill light, outdoor patio lantern or other light source.

Try to put your grill in an area that is screened away from wind as much as possible.Wind is your biggest enemy.

Always check your propane tank before you start and have a backup.

Food cools down a lot faster in winter (duh) have a warmed ready to go platter to bring food in quickly

Plastic is much more brittle in winter. Take it easy on those tools and knobs.

Diva Q’s Diablo Sauce

by Diva Q

January 19, 2011

Ingredients 

¼             cup          finely minced onions

2              tbsp         extra virgin olive oil

2              tbsp         minced garlic

1              can           beef consommé

2              tbsp         Worcestershire sauce

¼             cup         Siriacha sauce

2              tbsp         corn starch

¼             cup         water                   

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

In a small pot on medium heat sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until onions are just tender.  Whisk in the consommé, Worcestershire and Siriacha sauces. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a rolling boil.  In a small bowl mix the corn starch with the water. Add the corn starch slurry to the sauce whisking quickly so that no lumps form. Boil sauce until thickened. Remove from heat. Serve with cuts of beef.

Angela Self’s Fave Recipes

Pecan Pie Bars

  

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups chopped pecans

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Cut in one cup of butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over a 10×15 pan and press in firmly.

Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, corn syrup, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 tbsp butter and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans. 

Spread the filling over the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until set. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into bars.

** I made these in a 9×13 pan and easily divided each ingredient into 2/3 (with the exception of the eggs where I still used 3)

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Turkey Lasagna 

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed (or substitute lean ground turkey) 

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt 

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound lasagna noodles

15 ounces ricotta cheese

3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup grated parmesan plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the turkey and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain. 

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Recipe from Ina Garten 

Barefoot Contessa Family Style

www.foodnetwork.com

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter, melted

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tbsp hot water

2 2/3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 package chocolate chips

Directions

Combine melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and hot water. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to butter and sugar mix.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop from a small spoon onto a an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Makes about four dozen cookies.

Recipe from Hershey’s Chipits package

Tanya Prokomenko’s Fave Recipe

Chicken with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Syrup

2-3 tbsp olive oil

10 cloves garlic, minced

11 oz goat cheese

½ cup plus 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

14 fresh basil leaves, julienned

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 tbsp butter


Preheat oven to 400.

Heat small sauté pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and minced garlic. Sauté until golden brown. Remove from heat; place garlic and remaining olive oil in a mixing bowl. Add goat cheese, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and basil to garlic; mash with fork.

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to sauté pan, cook chicken 4-5 minutes each side until golden brown. Remove from heat – place chicken in a casserole dish and spread generously with goat cheese. Place in oven for about 5 minutes. Place sauté pan back on heat, add ½ cup balsamic vinegar and reduce sauce for about 1 min. turn heat off. Add 1 tbsp butter.

Pour reduction over chicken and plate. Serves 4.