December 28, 2008

Winter White Burger


Winter White Burger
Recipe courtesy of Every Day with Rachael Ray
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INGREDIENTS
  • 2 pounds ground turkey breast
  • 4 scallions, white parts only, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 ripe bartlett pear, cut lengthwise into 8 slices
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
  • 4 tablespoons hot pepper jelly or jalapeño jelly
  • 4 extra-large english muffins, split and toasted


DIRECTIONS

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the turkey, scallions, mustard, lemon peel and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Shape into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.
  2. In a small nonstick skillet, add the pear slices, wine, lemon juice and enough water to just cover the pear. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the pear is softened, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pear slices to a plate.
  3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium heat. Add the turkey patties and cook, turning once, for 12 minutes. Top with the cheese and pear slices, tent the pan with foil and cook until the cheese is melted, 2 minutes.
  4. Spread 1 tablespoon hot pepper jelly on each english muffin bottom; top with a patty and an english muffin top.

Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes


Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes
Recipe courtesy of smitten kitchen
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INGREDIENTS
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 pounds medium sweet potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive oil)


DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir together spices and salt.
  3. Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges.
  4. Toss wedges with oil and spices in a large roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 20 minutes.
  5. Turn wedges over with a spatula and roast until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts


Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Recipe courtesy of 28 Cooks
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INGREDIENTS
  • 16 oz brussels sprouts
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • salt/pepper to taste
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary


DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. Combine brussels sprouts, onion, garlic, and 3 tbsp olive oil.
  3. Season with salt and pepper and spread out on a greased cookie sheet. Roast 25-30 minutes until tender.
  4. Meanwhile, saute shallot in remaining olive oil over medium-high heat, until tender.
  5. Add balsamic vinegar and cook another 3 minutes.
  6. Stir in rosemary and pour over brussels sprouts.

Classic Pumpkin Pie


Classic Pumpkin Pie
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
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INGREDIENTS
  • 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
  • 1 (14 oz.) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust


DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, egg whites, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.
  2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

December 26, 2008

Bran Muffins


Bran Muffins
Adapted from 101cookbooks.com
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INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1-1/2 cups wheat bran
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 cups nonfat organic yogurt
  • 1/4 cup egg whites
  • 1/2 cup honey, preferably a light honey such as clover
  • 2 tablespoons melted Smart Balance Light
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries


DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425F degrees, racks in the middle.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, wheat bran, salt, baking soda and sugar.
  3. Beat together the yogurt, egg white, honey, and Smart Balance Light in a second larger bowl.
  4. Add the dry ingredients and fold in until everything comes together. Fold in any optional add-ins, raisins, nuts, and the like. Resist overmixing.
  5. Either grease a mini-muffin tin with butter or line the tin with small muffin papers. Fill each 3/4 full.
  6. Bake 10 -15 minutes, until muffins are golden on top and cooked through. You can also make larger muffins in a standard size muffin pan with this batter, you just need to bake them about 5 minutes longer.

Rosemary Vegetables with Lentils and Beans


Rosemary Vegetables with Lentils and Beans
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INGREDIENTS
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can green beans, drained
  • 2 handfuls dry green lentils
  • 2 handfuls frozen peas
  • 1 handful frozen corn
  • chicken broth
  • rosemary seasoning mix


DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix tomatoes, black beans, and green beans together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
  2. Add lentils and simmer covered over low heat until tender. Stir periodically. If too dry, add broth.
  3. Stir in peas and corn. Season with rosemary mix. Serve.

Chocolate Pudding Cake


Chocolate Pudding Cake
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
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INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup Splenda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup egg whites (or 2 eggs)
  • 3/4 cup light soymilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1-1/2 cups hot brewed coffee


DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, Splenda, baking powder, salt, and 2/3 cup cocoa.
  3. Stir in the milk, egg whites, vanilla, and applesauce, mixing till smooth.
  4. Pour the batter into the 9-inch round pan.
  5. Mix the 3/4 cup brown sugar with the 1/4 cup cocoa, and sprinkle this mixture over the batter.
  6. Gently drizzle the hot coffee over the uncooked batter; there's no need to mix it in.
  7. Place the pan in the preheated oven, and bake for 45 minutes, removing the cake when it appears set and is bubbly around the bottom.
  8. Let the cake cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken as it stands, and when totally cooled will be the consistency of medium-thick fudge sauce.

Greek Gnocchi


Greek Gnocchi
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INGREDIENTS
  • 1 lb. whole wheat gnocchi (DeLallo brand)
  • 1 can quartered artichoke hearts in brine, drained
  • 6 large black olives, pitted and quartered
  • 3 roma tomatoes, pulp removed and chopped
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • olive oil spray
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • chives


DIRECTIONS

  1. Boil gnocchi according to box instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, spray a small skillet with olive oil over medium heat and saute shallots until soft and caramelized. Add garlic and continue to stir.
  3. Toss shallot mixture with drained gnocchi. Arrange artichokes, olives, and tomatoes on top. Spray with olive oil and drizzle with vinegar. Snip chives over top with kitchen shears.
  4. Serve warm or cold.

December 21, 2008

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti


Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com
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INGREDIENTS
  • 1/4 cup light olive oil
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 1/2 cups pistachio nuts


DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in the eggs. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture. Mix in cranberries and nuts by hand.
  3. Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12x2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.
  4. Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
  5. Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry; cool.

Mocha Meringues


Mocha Meringues
Recipe courtesy of butter sugar flour
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INGREDIENTS
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 180g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornflour (I used potato starch.)
  • ½ teaspoon white vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used unsweetened.)
  • 3 teaspoons ground coffee (I used instant coffee granules.)


DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. While continuously whisking, add the sugar one tablespoon at a time until stiff and satiny shiny. Whisk in the vanilla, cornflour, white vinegar, cocoa powder and two teaspoons of the coffee until combined.
  3. Using a piping bag and a 1cm plain nozzle, pipe 60 small blobs onto the prepared trays around 2.5cm in diameter and 4cm apart. (I used a ziploc bag.)
  4. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and with the door slightly ajar, allow the meringues to cool completely.

Kahlua Fudge Brownies


Kahlua Fudge Brownies
Adapted from Cooking Light
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INGREDIENTS
  • 1.5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
  • 2 tablespoons Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Glaze:
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur)


DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. To prepare brownies, coat bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pan); set aside.
  3. Combine 1.5 ounces chocolate and 4 1/2 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until chocolate almost melts. Stir until completely melted.
  4. Stir in 1 cup sugar and next 6 ingredients (1 cup sugar through egg).
  5. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk.
  6. Add chocolate mixture; stir just until moist. Spread into prepared pan.
  7. Bake at 350° for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
  8. To prepare glaze, combine 2 tablespoons sugar, water, nectar, and 2 teaspoons butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 40 seconds or until sugar dissolves, stirring once. Add 1 ounce chocolate and 1 teaspoon liqueur, stirring until chocolate melts.
  9. Spread over brownies; cool 20 minutes or until glaze is set.

Banana Gingerbread


Banana Gingerbread
Adapted from Baking Bites
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INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • pinch freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup banana, mashed (about 2 large)
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup light plain soymilk
  • 1/4 cup applesauce


DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, banana, molasses, honey, soymilk and applesauce.
  4. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
  5. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
  6. Bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. (I used my Baker's Edge pan and baked for 20 minutes.)
  7. Makes 1 loaf, 8-10 slices.

Caramelized Tofu


Caramelized Tofu
Recipe courtesy of 101cookbooks.com
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INGREDIENTS
  • 7 - 8 ounces extra-firm tofu cut into thin 1-inch segments
  • a couple pinches of fine-grain sea salt
  • a couple splashes of olive or peanut oil
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (I used sliced almonds.)
  • 3 tablespoons fine-grain natural cane sugar or brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, washed and cut into 1/8-inch wide ribbons


DIRECTIONS

  1. Cook the tofu strips in large hot skillet (or pot) with a bit of salt and a splash of oil. Saute until slightly golden, about 4 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and pecans, and cook for another minute. Stir in sugar. Cook for another couple of minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Scrape the tofu out onto a plate and set aside while you cook the brussels sprouts.
  4. In the same pan (no need to wash), add a touch more oil, another pinch of salt, and dial the heat up to medium-high.
  5. When the pan is nice and hot stir in the shredded brussels sprouts. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring a couple times (but not too often) until you get some golden bits, and the rest of the sprouts are bright and delicious.
  6. Add tofu back and allow to warm through. Serve immediately.

Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes


Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes
Adapted from Cooking Light
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INGREDIENTS
  • 3.4 ounces white whole wheat flour (about 3/4 cup)
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 5 teaspoons instant espresso powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup fat-free organic plain yogurt
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup egg substitute
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 (2.6-ounce) bar dark (71% cocoa) chocolate (such as Valrhona Le Noir Amer), finely chopped


DIRECTIONS

  1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Place yogurt in a large bowl. Add granulated and brown sugars, beating until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating until well blended. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture; fold in chocolate. Divide batter evenly among 10 (4-ounce) ramekins; arrange ramekins on a jelly-roll pan. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days. (I skipped this step.)
  3. Preheat oven to 350°.
  4. Let ramekins stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Uncover and bake at 350° for 21 minutes or until cakes are puffy and slightly crusty on top.
  5. Serve immediately.

Stuffed Acorn Squash


Stuffed Acorn Squash
Adapted from Karina's Kitchen
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INGREDIENTS
  • 3 medium-sized acorn squashes
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium sweet or red onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 2 cups Baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 small green or red bell pepper, seeded, cored, diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • A dash of spicy curry, red pepper, or other spice, to taste
  • 1-15oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1-2 teaspoons dried Italian Herbs, to taste- basil, oregano, marjoram, sage, thyme
  • Splash of balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon agave nectar- or molasses
  • 1/4 cup good ketchup- Muir Glen is good
  • 1/2 cup of broth- such as Better Than Bouillon- Organic Beef- make and set aside
  • Chopped parsley, as needed


DIRECTIONS

  1. Crank the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Slice the acorn squash in half, lengthwise. Clean out the seeds. Place the halves skin side down in a broiler or roasting pan. [If any of the squash is really tippy- you can slice a thin piece off the bottom to make it sit still.]
  3. Pour water into the pan- you'll need a good inch or two (this helps keep the squash from scorching/sticking to the pan). Prick the hollow of the squash with a fork to make a few tiny holes. Drizzle the squash with olive oil, and some pure maple syrup until it collects in the hollow. Don't be stingy with the maple syrup- you'll use it later. Season with sea salt.
  4. Place the pan into the preheated oven.
  5. Roast the squash until it is fork tender-but not totally soft; you'll be baking it again.
  6. Meanwhile...
  7. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the onion and garlic; stir for a minute or two.
  8. Add the ground turkey, mushrooms, pepper and tomatoes; season with spices and herbs and stir. Brown the meat a good bit.
  9. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, the agave nectar, and ketchup; stir; keep it on a low simmer and don't over-cook it. Take it off the heat as soon as the pinkness leaves the meat.
  10. Toss in some fresh chopped parsley.
  11. Remove the squash halves from the oven. Let them cool a bit in the pan. When they have cooled enough to handle, pour off the syrupy liquid (captured in the hollow) into a large measuring cup. Set aside.
  12. Lower the heat in the oven to 350 degrees F.
  13. Stuff each squash with the beef-mushroom filling.
  14. Add the broth you made earlier to the maple syrup-olive oil mixture and mix well. Pour a little over the filling of each squash.
  15. If the water has totally evaporated from the pan, add more- just an inch or two. Bake the squash for 25 to 30 minutes (or a bit longer if the ingredients have cooled), until piping hot- and the squash is tender.

Triple Ginger Cookies


Triple Ginger Cookies
Recipe courtesy of Baking Obsession
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INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups (9 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 8 tbsp (1 stick; ¼-lb) unsalted butter, melted and just warm
  • ¼ cup unsulfured mild or full-flavored molasses (I used organic blackstrap)
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup (2.3 oz) firmly packed brown sugar or light muscovado sugar
  • 2 tbsp finely minced or grated fresh ginger root
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup (4 oz) finely chopped crystallized ginger (1/4-inch dice)
  • About ½ cup Demerara or turbinado sugar for rolling


DIRECTIONS

  1. Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  3. Combine the warm butter, molasses, both sugars, fresh ginger, and the egg in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and chopped candied ginger and stir until incorporated. The dough will be soft.
  4. Form the dough into 1-inch balls (1/2 oz of dough for each). Roll the balls in the Demerara sugar and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake, in batches (form the rest of the balls while the first batch is baking ), for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they puff up and crack on the surface and then begin to deflate in the oven. For chewier cookies, remove them from the oven when at least half or more of the cookies have begun to deflate; for crunchier edges with chewy centers, bake a minute or so longer.
  5. Slide the parchment sheets of cookies onto cooling racks or use an offset spatula to transfer the cookies, and cool completely. Stored in an airtight container, gingersnaps keep for several days.

    The baking method is slightly adapted from Alice Medrich’s.

Candied Ginger


Candied Ginger
Recipe courtesy of David Lebovitz

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 pound (500g) fresh ginger, peeled
  • 4 cups (800g) sugar, plus additional sugar for coating the ginger slices, if desired
  • 4 cups (1l) water
  • pinch of salt


DIRECTIONS

  1. Slice the ginger as thinly as possible. It can't be too thin, so use a sharp knife.
  2. Put the ginger slices in a non-reactive pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let ginger simmer for ten minutes. Drain, and repeat one more time.
  3. Mix the sugar and water in the pot, along with a pinch of salt and the ginger slices, and cook until the temperature reaches 225F (106C.)
  4. Remove from heat and let stand for at least an hour, although I often let it sit overnight. Or if you want to coat the slices with sugar, drain very well while the ginger is hot, so the syrup will drain away better.
  5. Store ginger slices in its syrup, or toss the drained slices in granulated sugar. Shake off excess sugar, and spread the ginger slices on a cooling rack overnight, until they're somewhat dry. The sugar can be reused in a batter or ice cream base, or for another purpose.

Quinoa Vegetable Paella


Quinoa Vegetable Paella
Recipe courtesy of Fatfree Vegan Kitchen

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed
  • 2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • dash cayenne
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 14-ounce can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 3/4 - 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed and cut into quarters


DIRECTIONS

  1. Put the quinoa into a large bowl. Cover with water and stir well to wash the grain. Pour off the water and then repeat the washing process. You may also put the quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly.
  2. Sauté onion and garlic in a deep non-stick skillet with a little water until soft. Add the quinoa and saffron and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.
  3. Add paprika, cumin, cayenne, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and 2 3/4 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, and cook covered for 15 minutes.
  4. After 15 minutes, check to see if more broth is needed. If it looks dry, add the remaining vegetable broth. Place the zucchini on top of the quinoa and re-cover. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until quinoa is done.
  5. Remove the cover, stir in the peas, and cook uncovered until peas are warm and all liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
  6. Arrange the artichoke hearts on the top and serve. Add salt at the table, if necessary.

December 7, 2008

Fat-Free Blueberry Scones


Fat-Free Blueberry Scones
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INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • zest of one lemon
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1-1/4 cup nonfat organic milk
  • extra virgin olive oil cooking spray (optional)
  • coarse sugar


DIRECTIONS

  1. Whisk the flours, baking powder, salt, sugar, and zest together in a large bowl.
  2. Mix in blueberries and form a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
  3. Pour the milk and lemon juice in the well.
  4. Work in the dry ingredients from the edges, careful not to overmix.
  5. If dough is too sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time.
  6. Form dough into a round about 1-1/2 inches thick.
  7. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place the scone circle in the freezer.
  8. When oven reaches temperature, remove the scones, cut into 8 triangles, separate, spray with olive oil, and sprinkle with sugar.
  9. Bake the scones for 14 minutes. Then place under the broiler on high for approximately 1 minute, watching carefully. This will brown the tops and burst the blueberries, providing for a more buttery flavor.
  10. Remove, cool slightly, and eat!

Lowfat Applesauce Brownies


Lowfat Applesauce Brownies
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INGREDIENTS
  • 10 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup Splenda
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons flax meal, soaked in 1/3 cup hot water
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk
  • 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
  • 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)


DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix together the applesauce, sugars, cocoa powder, salt, flax mixture, and soymilk.
  2. Add vanilla extract, flour, and add-ins.
  3. Mix until just uniform.
  4. Pour into a greased 8-inch square pan.
  5. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes until center is firm.

Balsamic Salmon


Balsamic Salmon
Recipe from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
  • 6 (5 ounce) salmon fillets
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon white wine
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano


DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Coat a small saucepan with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook and stir garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Mix in white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
    Arrange salmon fillets on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush fillets with balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with oregano.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes, or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Brush fillets with remaining glaze, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to transfer fillets to serving platter, leaving the skin behind on the foil.

Cranberry Orange Muffins


Cranberry Orange Muffins
Adapted from The Food Librarian
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INGREDIENTS
  • 1-1/4 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1 Tablespoon orange zest
  • 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 1/3 cup fat-free plain organic yogurt
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened soymilk
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup Smart Balance Light


DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
  2. Add the egg substitute, yogurt, soymilk, applesauce, berries, and zest. Mix gently until just combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. Cut in the Smart Balance Light until clumpy.
  5. Pour batter into 12 muffin tins and top with crumble mixture.
  6. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.