A True Test of my Conviction and Will Power - Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Sausage or Penne with Sausage Creamy Sauce

Warren had a friend over from work tonight and requested a dish that I can not eat during the Advocare 24 day challenge. I did my best to create something for myself that would not make me feel left out. It was good but no quite the same.
Which would you prefer to have?

Penne with Sausage Creamy Sauce
½ lb. spicy Italian turkey sausage (casings removed)
½ c. diced onion
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 c. fresh diced tomatoes
½ c. heavy cream
1 lb. cooked penne
Salt and pepper to taste
6 large basil leaves

Cook the sausage on a saute pan. If the sausage is greasy, drain off grease.
Add the onions and cook until soft about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, stir it in for 1 min.  
Add diced tomatoes and heavy cream, cook until the tomatoes start wilting then add the cooked pasta.  
Stir to combine. Cook another 2-3 minute. Season to salt and pepper to taste. 
Transfer to a serving bowl. Tear the basil leaves and put on top. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan.

Spaghetti Squash to Sausage
1 small spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced 
1 small bell pepper chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped 
1/3 zucchini sliced and cut in half or quarters depending on the size
1 large tomato, chopped with seeds and juice 
1 tsp savory or thyme leaves
Fresh basil leaves
Vegetable stock

Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Put the squash, cut-side down on a baking sheet with a small amount of vegetable stock to prevent sticking. Cook until tender, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool slight then shred flesh out of the skin into a large bowl.

In a saute pan, add the onion, pepper and garlic to a skillet with a small amount of stock. Saute until the onion begins to soften. Add the zucchini and saute until tender crisp. Add the tomato, savory and thyme leaves. Cook until tomato is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat. Add a small amount of stock to saute the sausages, turning, until cooked through, about 20 minutes.Add additional stock if needed to keep from sticking.

When ready to serve, top the spaghetti squash with the sauteed vegetable mixture and serve sausages on the side.

Make Your Own Pizza Night !

I love pizza  but still try to keep it on the healthy and not totally anti - weight watchers. The pizza crust at Fig's - Todd English's restaurant in Boston and Charlestown, MA is to die for. It does take some time to let the dough rise but if you have a stand mixer or a food processor with a dough hook, it is a snap to pull together.

Fig's Pizza Dough
¼ cup whole wheat flour
3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 2/3 cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons active-dry yeast
2 teaspoons olive oil

Place the flours and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Combine the water, sugar and yeast in a small bowl and let sit for five minutes until the mixture bubbles slightly. Add the olive oil and stir. With the mixer on low, gradually add the oil-water mixture into the bowl. Knead until the dough is firm and smooth, about 5 minutes. The dough is wet and difficult to work with. Coat your work surface and hands with flour before removing the dough. It usually comes out in a few pices so gather them together and knead back into a ball using the flours on the surface.
Divide the dough into four balls, about 7½ ounces each. Line two cookie sheets with waxed paper spritzed with cooking spray. Place two balls on each sheet and cover loosely with a damp kitchen towel. Let the balls rise in a warm spot until they have doubled in bulk, about two hours.

Each ball makes a pizza that will feed 1-2 people.


Roasted Vegetables
I roasted eggplant and zucchini coated with cooking spray and seasoned with Penzey's Tuscan Sunset - a no salt Italian seasoning blend in a 450 degree oven until cooked thru about 15-20 minutes.

One roasted red pepper under the broiler until charrer on all sides, then resting in a plastic bag for about 20 minutes and finally peeled, seeded and sliced.

Carmelized onions in cooking spray.

Sauteed mushrooms also in cooking spray.


Roasted Tomato - Garlic Sauce
adapted from Cooking Light Annual Cookbook 1998

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp olive oil
13 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/2 lbs tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/4 cup water
1/2 Tbsp balsamic water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp salt free Italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 450F. Combine the tomatoes, onions, garlic and oil in a baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
Combine the tomato mixture with the remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over high heat for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a blender or food processor, cover and process until desired consistency. Adjust seasoning as needed.
1/2 cup of sauce is 1 Weight Watchers Points Plus

Now to assemble.

Waist Friendly Vegetable Soup

Since the move I got away from my blogging. It is time to start again.

Only 2 Weight Watchers PointsPlus as determined by the recipe builder. It would be 0 points if you left out the orzo.

1/2  cup chopped onion

3/4 tsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped carrot
2 cups chopped tomato, divided
1 1/2 (14-ounce) cans chicken and / or vegetable broth, divided
1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1/4 cup fresh baby spinach, packed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
Coarsely ground black pepper

Spray a large pit with cooking spray. Saute onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add oregano and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in zucchini, and carrot, sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.
Place 1 cup tomato and 1/2 can broth in a food process pulse until smooth. Add tomato mixture to pan; return pan to heat. Stir in remaining 1 cup tomato and remaining 2 cans broth; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
Add pasta to the pot, cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach. Season to taste with salt, and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls or mugs; top each with 2 tsp cheese. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired.

One potato, Two potato, Three potato

While I was away last week, my mother in-law came to stay with Nick. She made them her famous corned beef dinner. Given the carnivores in my house, there were a lot more potatoes and veggies than meat leftover. Since Nick will not eat potatoes unless they are in chowder or fries, I needed to come up with some ways to use the potatoes.These three recipes were hits.

Sausage Potato and Cheese Waffles

1 link fresh sausage of your choice (about 3 ounces), casing discarded (I used bratwurst)

1 medium potato, cooked and mashed or uncooked grated and excess water squeezed out

4 Tbsp butter

1 3/4 cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack or cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp chopped fresh leaf parsley

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cook the sausage in a skillet, breaking up with a fork, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the potato and butter and simmer until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and let cool, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir in the milk and eggs until smooth. Add the sausage-potato mixture.

Cook in waffle maker, according to the manufacturer’s directions and enjoy.

Potato Rolls

5 cups bread flour

1 (1/4 ounce) package or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups water ( 105 to 115 F)

1/2 cup mashed potatoes

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups of the flour and the yeast. In small mixing bowl combine warm water, potatoes, butter, sugar and salt. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Beat with a paddle attachment for 30 seconds on low, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to high for 3 minutes. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook. Stir in remaining flour needed until the dough pulls away from sides of pan and forms a ball. Cover and let rest in a draft free area for 2 hours or until doubled in size. Punch dough down then turn it out on lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.Shape dough into 24 balls and place in prepared pan.Cover and let rise in a warm place until about doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Bake at 400°F for 16 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Open Faced Veggie, Potato and Cheese Omelet
It's open faced because I couldn't wrap the egg around all of the veggies.
3/4 cup chopped mixed vegetables*
1 small cooked potato, chopped
1/4 c baby spinach, packed

1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 oz reduced fat cheese of your choice
Coat a small skillet with cooking spray. Saute the vegetables until tender. Add the potato and saute until warmed through. Add the spinach and saute until wilted. Remove from heat. Cover with lid while cooking the egg substitute.
In am omelet pan coated with cooking spray, cook the egg substitute. Remember to gently push some of the egg towards the middle and tilt pan slightly to move more product to the edges. When just set, remove from heat and flip with a large spatula. Top with cheese and vegetable mixture. Cover with lid until cheese melts and serve.
* Any vegetables in the refrigerator are fair game. I prefer onions, peppers, mushrooms and sometimes zucchini

Artichokes with Lemon Dipping Sauce

Not only had I never cooked fresh artichokes, I had never eaten one until last night. So much for only using food that is in the house. I justified it as needing fresh fruit and vegetables.

My first step was to look at some instructional videos such as:

How to Cook an Artichoke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-sCrvQpWNo

How to Eat an Artichoke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWVAOIrWe70

I was ready to go! So besides making the garlic butter from the video I also made a creamy lemon sauce which we much preferred. There was a lot leftover which we think will be great with fried calamari later this week.

Artichokes with Lemon Sauce
2  artichokes, stems trimmed
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp fat free sour cream

2 Tbsp snipped fresh chives
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp Gulden's spicy brown mustard
1/8 tsp salt
Fill  a medium pot with 1 inch water and steamer insert. Heat to boiling on high; reduce heat to medium. Place artichokes stem side up on the rack. Cover and steam 35 minutes or until knife pierces easily through base.
Meanwhile stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, lemon juice, water, mustard, and salt. Serve artichokes with sauce.

Asparagus Spirals - Quick, Easy and Tasty!

Do you need a quick and easy appetizer or snack. Try these ...... simple and quick. I even whipped them up while at work for a holiday luncheon.

Sprinkle 1 thawed puff pastry sheet with grated parmesan, then cut lengthwise into 15 strips. Wrap each of 15 asparagus spears with a pastry strip; season with salt and pepper. Bake in a 400° oven until golden, about 20 minutes.

Serve them with your favorite aioli. I used an garden herb aioli by Cucina Viansa from the Viansa Winery & Vineyards in Sonoma, CA

Stir Fried Vegetables with Ginger, Oyster and Soy Sauces

I have a friend who is very busy working and going to school. Sometimes to a point where I think she forgets to eat given the amount of weight she has lost since starting her MBA program. So each weekend, I am trying to find some recipes that my non-meat eating friend will like so I can bring her lunch on Mondays. Here is a recent attempt.

Stir Fried Vegetables with Ginger, Oyster and Soy Sauces
14 ounces mixed vegetables, chopped (I used carrots, onions, peppers, green beans, snow peas, bok choy and bean sprouts because that was leftover in my refrigerator)
3 Tbsp walnut oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/2 Tbsp thinly sliced ginger
4 scallions, finely shredded
2 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 pinches of sugar
juice of 1 lime
salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl combine the oyster sauce and the soy sauce. set aside.

Put the oil and the ginger into a large pan or wok for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the vegetables longest cooking ones first. For me it was the carrots, onions and peppers. After about 1 minute the green beans ; in one more minute the snow peas and bok choy; one more minute the bean sprouts. Add the soy sauce mixture. Toss until well coated. Sprinkle with the juice of the lime. Stir-fry for a further minute and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.
For my two meat lovers, I added some leftover steak which was reheat in the microwave.

Haddock and Farm Fresh Spinach

This is the last week of the farm share.

but it did include spinach! There is nothing better than farm fresh spinach lightly sauteed in a bit of butter!

The grocery story had haddock fillets on sale so I sprinkled the fish with a little Old Bay Seasoning and some lemon pepper and broiled until just flaky.

Dinner with Friends .... Lamb, Asparagus with Prosciutto Chips, Rice Pilaf with Carrots and Rosemary Tomato Parmesan Bread

A while ago I placed an order with Omaha Steaks and 2.5 boneless seasoned leg of lamb for an absurdly inexpensive price. With Warren traveling as much as he has, I was reluctant to cook it because Nick and I would be eat lamb all week. With friends coming over for dinner tonight, it seemed like the perfect time. I still get to play with making all of the sides.

For appetizers we had Mini Crab Cakes with Three Dipping Sauces along with 
Cucumber Rounds with Herbed Tuna Filling 

1 6-ounce cans tuna in water, well drained
1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1 Tbsp dried shallots

3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 English hothouse cucumber
Flake tuna into a medium bowl. Mix all ingredients except cucumbers. Seaso to taste with salt ad freshly ground pepper.
Cut the cucumber into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Using melon baller, scoop out some seeds in center of each round, being careful not too scoop through bottom. Spoon tuna onto cucumber rounds.
Debi & Mike brought Mike's infamous stuffed mushrooms 

Napa Cabbage Salad with Apples and Caraway Seeds                
1 tsp caraway seeds

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar 

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 medium napa cabbage cored and cut into bite-size pieces
2 apples, cored and thinly sliced (1 red and 1 green)
In a small skillet, toast the caraway seeds until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes; remove from skillet and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, and oil until dressing is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, apples, and caraway seeds. Add dressing to taste, and toss to combine. Serve. Asparagus With Prosciutto Chips
1 1/2  ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lay the prosciutto on a baking sheet. Bake until crisped, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool. 
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness. Pat dry. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Transfer to a bowl. 

Toss the asparagus with the oil, salt, and pepper and toss. Break the prosciutto into pieces and sprinkle on top.

Rice Pilaf with Carrots and Fresh Basil
1 1/2 Tbsp butter

1 c finely chopped onions
1 c very small carrot cubes (about 1/4 inch pieces)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 c long grain white rice
1 small rosemary sprig
2 1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c chopped green onions
1/4 c chopped fresh basil
Melt butter in heavy pot. Add onions, carrots and garlic. Sauté until carrots are slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Sir in rice and rosemary sprigs. Add broth; bring to boil. Add rice.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is tender and broth is absorbed, about 16-18 minutes. Mix in green onions and 1/4 c basil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with additional chopped basil., if desired

Rosemary Tomato Parmesan Bread  

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, snipped 

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons yeast
1 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto Mix

Add all ingredients except tomatoes to bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Use white bread setting. Add the tomatoes after the first knead or when the beeper goes off for the fruit and nut setting.

Dessert was also supplied by Debi & Mike. Extra warm chocolaty brownies topped with Dulce le Leche ice cream. Yum!

Roasted Radishes ???? - My Interest was peaked.

I was flipping thru a Food & Wine magazine this morning and saw a recipe for Roasted Radishes. Since I was making roasted cauliflower for dinner anyways, I had to try it. The original recipe was more complicated and had them served on a bed of sauteed radish greens. I had some in a bag in the fridge so I significantly simplified the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 500F.
Gently toss radishes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
Place in a roasting pan that allows ample room or they will steam.
Roast for about 20 minutes or until they can be pierced with a fork.

They were amazingly good. I only made a few so we could try them. I got one. Warren ate the rest.

Ratatouille - And I do not mean the adorable mouse!

I have tried a variety of different ratatouille recipes and this one by far is the best. The variations are limited only by your imagination. Depending on what was in the refrigerator, I have added zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms. Today we stuck with the basic recipe. Serve it as a main dish or a side on it's own. I like to serve it over a little bit of pasta.

 

Baked Ratatouille with Cheese Custard
adapted from Gourmet September 1995
For ratatouille
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds eggplant (about 1 large), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium onions, chopped fine
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
3 bell peppers (assorted colors), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound tomatoes, seeded and chopped fine, or a 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped fine
1 cup canned chick-peas, rinsed and drained  
2/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
2/3 cup packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped
freshly ground black pepper to taste
For cheese custard
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup freshly Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
3 large egg yolks
Make ratatouille:
In a skillet heat 1 tablespoons oil and cook half of eggplant, stirring frequently, until golden and tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer cooked eggplant to a 2- to 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Cook remaining eggplant in 1 tablespoons oil in same manner and add to dish.
In the skillet cook onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the remaining tablespoon oil stirring, until onions are softened. Add the bell peppers and cook stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in remaining ratatouille ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Season mixture with salt and additional pepper and spoon evenly over eggplant.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Make cheese custard:
In a saucepan melt the butter over low heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes and whisk in milk in a stream and salt and pepper to taste. Bring sauce to boil, whisking constantly, and simmer, whisking, 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and remove pan from heat. In a heatproof bowl whisk yolks together and whisk in about one fourth of sauce. Whisk yolk mixture into remaining sauce. Spoon custard over ratatouille. Ratatouille may be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered.
Bake ratatouille in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until custard is lightly browned. Cool ratatouille 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4 to 6 as a main course or 8 as a side dish.

Cajun Talapia with Broiled Tomatoes & Herbed Corn

Back from vacation and way too many unhealthy meals. Getting back on the wagon with Tilapia and veggies.

Cajun Broiled Tilapia

1 lb fresh tilapia fillets

1 bell pepper, sliced into rings

1 medium onion, cut into rings

Roasted Garlic Oil

1 tbs lemon juice

Old Bay Seasoning

4 plum tomatoes, quartered

Cooking spray

Salt & Freshly ground pepper

Very lightly coat the fish with the garlic oil. Season the fish with lemon juice and Old Bay Seasoning.

Spray broiling pan with non-stick cooking spray and place fish on pan.Top with onion and bell pepper rings. Place tomatoes quarters on baking sheet. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Broil, until fish is flaky, about five to seven minutes for thin fillets.

Herbed Corn

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

2 Tbsp butter

1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

2 Tbsp cup chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in a saucepan, then remove from heat and stir in lemon juice,black pepper, and cayenne.

Add corn to butter mixture and heat until cooked through. Toss with parsley.

Place corn on plates. Top with fish and garnish with roasted tomatoes.

Served with Beringer Founders Estate 2008 Chardonnay 

HINT: I made corn on the cob for the kids last night and used the leftover kernels for the corn tonight. Quick and easy. It took me less than 30 minutes to make the entire meal. look out Rachel Ray!

Veggie Stir Fry

Thanks to the farm share and my friend Judy who not only gave me vegetables from her garden but delivered them to me at Shriners, I had vegetable stir fry for dinner. needless to say Nick would not come near it with a 10 foot pole but that just means more for me!

Very unlike me I did not measure any of  the veggies. It was sort of a dump combination looking at what I had more of and what would go bad quickest. I used a combination of eggplant, zucchini, onion, red bell pepper, okra, baby bok choy, carrot, yellow beans, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, pea tendrils, beet greens and a previously steamed sweet potato. I started the stir fry with 1/2 Tbsp Ming Tsai's Curry Ginger Oil and added a little vegetable stock when the pan was looking dry. I finished it with a sauce made of 1 part soy sauce, 1 part oyster sauce and 1/2 part chile-garlic sauce.

Vegetarian Tapas for Dinner

Still using up those veggies from the farm share this week. Until my share last year I never had fresh edamame. Yummy! Well this was the week for fresh edamame.

Edamame with Garlic & Chile

1 bunch of fresh edamame
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoons oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Cooking spray

1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoons ginger, peeled and minced 

1 garlic clove, minced
Cook edamame in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and red-pepper flakes in a small bowl. Heat wok coated with cooking spray over high heat. Add vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds, then add edamame and stir-fry until pods are lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture and stir-fry until edamame are well coated and most of the liquid evaporated, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Spicy Glazed Eggplant adapted from Gourmet May 2008
1 1/4 lb Asian eggplants (about 4), trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger
1/8 teaspoon Japanese seven-spice powder (I used five spice because that is what I had)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I reduced to 1)
Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt and drain in a colander, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes.
Rinse eggplant under cold water and dry well, pressing out any excess moisture.
Stir together mirin, soy sauce, ginger, and seven-spice powder.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté eggplant until browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in mirin mixture and cook, gently stirring and turning frequently, until sauce becomes a glaze and eggplant is browned and tender, about 1 minute. Serve hot or at room temperature.

This recipe needs something. Maybe it is the other two spices in the seven spice powder which I did have and don't know what they are. We tried a variety of different things including Sriracha chile sauce, more soy but to no avail. If anyone has ideas the recipe sounded great but it fell flat. I am going back on the Epicurious.com site to see if anyone posted ideas.

BBQ Turkey Burgers with Asian Green Bean Salad

I am still trying to find new ways to use all the green beans I picked at Red Fire Farm on Sunday. Have I mentioned I love my farm share? All of the vegetables used in this recipe came from my farm share last week.

 

Barbecue Turkey Burgers with Creamy Cole Slaw

For the burgers

2 Tbsp cup Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp ketchup

1 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon Tabasco

1 pounds ground turkey

1/2 small onion, minced

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt

For cole slaw

2 Tbsp + 2 tsp reduced fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 1/3 cups finely shredded cabbage

1/2 large carrot, shredded coarse

1/2 small onion, chopped

4 whole wheat pita pockets

To make the coleslaw whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and mustard in a large bowl. Add the vegetables toss well to combine. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

To make the burgers mix the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic paste, chili powder, cumin, Tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl,  Add the turkey, onion, bread crumbs, and 1/4 cup sauce until combined well and form into 4 patties.

Prepare grill. Grill burgers on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals, 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Serve with coleslaw in pita pockets.

Asian Green Bean Salad

Yield:  2 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Salad:

1 ounces uncooked whole wheat soba noodles

1/4 pound green beans, trimmed

1/2 cups diagonally sliced carrots

1/4 cup thinly sliced red pepper

1/8 cup sliced green onions

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Dressing:

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger

1/8 teaspoon sugar

Dash of freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)

Cook pasta according to package directions; add the beans during last 3

minutes of cooking. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Transfer pasta and beans to a large bowl and add the carrots, peppers, onions, and cilantro or parsley.

To make the dressing, all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until blended. Add to salad; toss well.

Cover and chill.

Grilling Sunday Dinner

Trying to use up some of the farm share veggies before the next pick up on Tuesday. Luckily Warren will be home this week to help me eat them! As you can see he is very anxious to dive in!

Soy Marinated Pork Loin Chops
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey
1/2 Tbsp freshly ground pepper
3 pork loin chops
1 Tbsp cilantro leaves
In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, oil, honey and pepper. Add marinade and the pork in a zip top bag. Marinate for at least 2 hours. Bring to room temperature before grilling.
Preheat grill. Grill until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees basting with the marinade every 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover with foil for about 10 minutes to raise the internal temperature to 160 degrees. Garnish with the cilantro and serve.

Five Flavor Bundles
1/4 lb bok choy, thinly sliced
1/8 lb green beans, frenched (or thinly sliced)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 carrots, shredded
1/4 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 tsp sesame oil
cooking spray
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp grated fresh gingerroot
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
6 egg roll wrappers
In a large skillet coated with cooking spray,cook the vegetables in the sesame oil, over high heat for 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, gingerroot and vinegar; cook 3 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450F. Evenly divide vegetables among wrappers. Bring corners together, twist and secure. Place on baking sheet; spray with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes until golden.

To french cut the bean I used a "french style bean cutter". Yes I am a gadget freek. it is available on Amazon.com.

Carrot Ginger Dressing
2 Tbsp minced shallot
2 Tbsp finely shredded carrot
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons mirin (rice wine)
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Puree all ingredients in a small food processor or blender until well combined. A tablespoon of dressing has zero weight watcher points ! 

All was paired with a 2008  Old Train Syrah -Santa Rosa, CA  available from Vinesse Wine Club (http://www.vinesse.com/) and yes they ship to Massachusetts.

Rib Eyes and Radicchio

Saturday dinner relaxing with family. It doesn't get any better.

Grilled Rib Eyes with Rosemary Balsamic Butter Sauce
5 tablespoons butter, divided  

2 green onions, minced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 large fresh rosemary sprigs
2 rib eye steaks

Montreal steak seasoning

Melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add green onions and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and rosemary
and simmer until syrupy and reduced to 1/2 cup, about 6 minutes. Set aside.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
Sprinkle steaks with Montreal steak seasoning. Grill steaks to desired doneness. Let rest before cutting.
Remove rosemary sprigs from balsamic sauce; bring to a simmer. Remove saucepan from heat; add remaining 2 tablespoons chilled butter and whisk until melted and sauce is smooth. Season sauce to taste with salt and
pepper. Drizzle some of sauce over steaks. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

Balsamic Grilled Radicchio
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 large head of radicchio, quartered

Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, rosemary, orange peel, and crushed red pepper in large bowl. Add radicchio and toss to coat. Marinate 15 minutes.
Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Drain marinade into small bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Grill radicchio until edges are crisp and slightly charred, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer radicchio to serving platter. Drizzle with reserved marinade.

The dinner paired very well with a Girard 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel available thru Windsor Vineyards. And yes they ship to Massachusetts

It's a Rainy Raw Morning in Massachusetts - Time to Make Soup

I always alter the Weight Watchers Zero Point Soup recipe with what ever I happen to have in the refrigerator. Below is what I can up with today.

2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3/4 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 parsnip, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 poblano pepper, chopped
32 oz chicken broth or stock
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 cup Spring Mix
1/8 c basil, chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine garlic thru oregano is a soup pot. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, partially cover with lid and cook approximately 10 minutes or until vegetables are barely tender. Turn off heat. Add Spring Mix and     basil, stirring until wilted. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.