Sunday, May 25, 2014

Turkey Zucchini Sliders (aka Jerusalem Burgers)

Adapted from The Jerusalem Cookbook

Ingredients

Burgers
1 lb ground turkey
1 large zucchini, coarsely grated (scant 2 cups)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 large egg
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
6 tbsp sunflower oil, for searing

Sour cream and Sumac Sauce
scant ½ cup sour cream
scant ⅔ cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1½ tsp olive oil
1 tbsp sumac
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground pepper

Instructions
Combine the ingredient for the sour cream sauce in a small bowl. Stir well. Refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs except the sunflower oil.
Mix with your hands and then shape into 18 burgers (sliders).
Pour sunflower oil in a large frying pan. Heat over medium heat until hot, then sear the meatballs in batches on all sides. Cook each batch for about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Transfer the seared meatballs to a baking sheet lined with waxed paper, tin foil, or a silicone pad. Place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until cooked through.
Serve warm or at room temperature, with sauce spooned over on on the side.

Note: Yummy served in pita with sliced tomatoes and spring mix lettuce, though obviously not at Passover!

Cole Slaw (KFC Style)

Adapted from TopSecretRecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/2 c milk
3 T lemon juice
2 T white vinegar
1/2 c mayo
1/3 c granulated sugar
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
8 cups (1 head) cabbage, shredded (food processor makes this really easy)
1/4 c carrot, shredded

Directions:

Mix first three ingredients in a large bowl; let stand 5+ minutes. 
Add next 4 ingredients and mix well. 
Add shredded cabbage and carrot, mix, and refrigerate at least two hours.

Makes 6-8 cups

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Double Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the sugar and butter together in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat for a few more minutes. Add the vanilla.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and add to the mixing bowl. Mix with a fork as much as possible, then flour your hands and add the chocolate chips. Shape the dough into a ball and then into an oblong shape.

Place dough on parchment-lined baking sheet and shape until it's the length of the sheet and approximately 3 inches wide. Flatten slightly and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool about 10 minutes. Slice diagonally, into 1/2-inch (or wider) slices and return to the baking sheet. Bake again until the cookies lightly brown, about 20 minutes.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Gluten-Free Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup warm milk
4 tablespoons soft butter
3 large eggs
3 cups brown rice flour blend (see below)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons instant yeast

Directions:
Place ingredients in large (2 lb+) bread machine in order directed and select Dough setting (1 1/2 hours).
Spray bread loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Stir dough/batter in bread pan and spoon batter into pan.
Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray (to prevent dough from overflowing as it rises, and to prevent plastic wrap from sticking to dough). Let rise about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Remove plastic wrap and bake bread for 35 minutes.


Brown rice flour blend:
6 cups (32 ounces) brown rice flour
2 cups (10 3/4 ounces) potato starch
1 cup (4 ounces) tapioca flour or tapioca starch
Whisk together and store in airtight container at room temperature.

Cinnamon bread variation:
In a small bowl, mix 1/3 c brown sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Spoon batter into loaf pan in layers and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over each layer.

Herbed bread variation:
When placing ingredients in bread machine, add the following before adding the sugar (etc.)
1 tsp dried sage leaves
1 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 T dried parsley

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Luscious Vegetable Curry

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
One onion diced
One green bell pepper seeded cored and diced 1/4 inch
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 cups chopped canned Italian tomatoes, drained
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons mango chutney
4 carrots halved lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Idaho potatoes, 8 ounces each, peeled and diced one half inch
One cauliflower trimmed and cut into small florets
2 tablespoons honey
One cinnamon stick
One can chickpeas rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons currants
Salt and pepper to taste
Quarter cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish
Cooked white rice

Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over low heat; add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent - about 10 minutes.
2. Sprinkle with the curry powder and cook, stirring, for the flavor to mellow. about one minute.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, broth, chutney, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, honey, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Stir the chickpeas, currants, salt, and pepper, then cook for five minutes longer.
5. Just before serving, remove the cinnamon stick and stir in parsley. Serve in shallow bowls over rice.

Serves eight. Per serving, without the rice: 290 cal, 49 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, 8 g fat, no cholesterol.

Lamb and Chicken Couscous

From Rebecca Hertzman

Ingredients
1 pound stewing lamb or beef
One chicken cut up
To chopped onions
One can chickpeas drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt-and-pepper to taste
Quarter teaspoon ground ginger
Quarter cup or more raisins
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
Two tomatoes cut up (optional)
Ground cayenne pepper
Ground Paprika
Three or four sliced carrots

Directions
Put all ingredients except chicken, raisins, chickpeas, paprika, and cayenne in pot and cover with water
Bring to a boil and simmer slowly for one and a half hours
Add chicken and bring to boil, cook until chicken is really done, about 45 minutes
And raisins and chickpeas for the last five minutes
Remove some liquid and add a dash of pep Rica and about a quarter teaspoon of cayenne
Make couscous according to package during the last 5 minutes or so
Served with "hot sauce "to taste

Chicken Baked in Coconut Curry Sauce

Ingredients
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon red curry paste
4 6-ounce skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly cut, about 2 cups
One cup thinly sliced yellow squash, about two small
1 cup 1/4 inch thick red bell pepper strips
1/2 cup diagonally cut green onions
4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges or lime juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 425.
Combine first four ingredients in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk.
Place chicken breast halves between two sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap; pound each piece to an even thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over both sides of chicken.
Tear off four sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil into 16 X 12-inch sizes
Fold each sheet of aluminum foil in half crosswise. Open foil; layer 1/2 cup zucchini, 1/4 cup squash, 1/4 cup bell pepper, 2 tablespoons green onions, and one chicken breast half on each sheet of aluminum foil. Spoon 3 tablespoons of coconut milk mixture over each serving. Fold foil over chicken and vegetables; tightly seal edges.
Place packets on a baking sheet. Bake at 425F for 30 minutes.* Remove from oven; let stand five minutes. Place on plates. Unfold packets carefully, and sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon cilantro. Garnish with lime wedges. Serve immediately.

*Original recipe said 22 min. When made with larger chicken breasts, they were underdone. Either pound the chicken thinner, or cook the packets longer.

Yield: four servings.
278 cal; 8.4 g fat; 41.7 g protein; 8.4 g carbohydrates; 2.3 g fiber; 99 mg cholesterol; 2.8 mg iron; 523 mg sodium; 57 mg calcium

Grasshopper Ice Cream

(for hand-held soccer ball ice cream maker)

4 tablespoons crème de menthe
8 Oreos, 1/2 cup
1 quart cream or fat free half-and-half
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup sugar +2 tablespoons
Ice and 3/4 cup rocksalt

Place ice and rock salt into ice cream maker
Makes other ingredients and placed into food container of ice cream maker
Seal well. Shake can 15 minutes then mix ice cream with wooden spoon. Empty water from ice, add more ice and 1/3 cup salt. Close and shake 5 to 10 more minutes.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Forgotten Cookies aka Chocolate Chip Meringues

Adapted from recipes by Emeril Lagasse and Rebecca Hertzman

Ingredients

2 large egg whites, at room temperature (3 Tbsp egg white)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup superfine granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
{ EITHER 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
{ OR 1.5 cup semisweet chocolate chips (if not using nuts)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In the small bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy (should be about 5 minutes). Add the cream of tartar and beat until fluffy but not at all dry. (Be careful not to over beat.)

Add the sugar gradually, about 3 tablespoons at a time. When 1/2 of the sugar has been added, add the vanilla extract.

Continue beating and adding remaining sugar in batches, until all of the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is very shiny and tight.

Gently fold in the chocolate chips (and chopped nuts).

Working one teaspoon at a time, push a teaspoonful of meringue from the tip of 1 teaspoon with the back of another teaspoon onto the lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch of space between cookies.

Place baking sheets in the preheated oven and turn the oven off. Leave the cookies (undisturbed) in the oven for at least 2 hours and up to overnight, or until cookies are crisp and dry.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Per cookie: Calories: 44; Total Fat: 2.5 grams; Saturated Fat:0.5 grams; Protein: 1 gram; Total carbohydrates: 5 grams; Sugar: 5 grams; Fiber: 0 grams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Sodium: 3 milligrams