Chicken Piccata

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 c flour
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
1/4 c white wine
2 T fresh lemon juice
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper
1 T chopped parsley ( I used 2 t dried)
2 t capers, drained

Put breast halves between two pieces of plastic wrap, and flatten with a heavy saucepan or a meat mallet. Dredge chicken in flour; sauté over medium heat in butter and oil until browned on both sides and cooked inside. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Deglaze the pan with wine and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste; add parsley and capers. Serve chicken with sauce poured over. Recipe can also be used with veal or pork.

Sloppy Joes

Last night DH and I had the best sloppy joes! A few months ago I had made a batch of Meat Sauce Mix, and decided to make a quick, simple meal since I had a late meeting. All I did for sloppy joes was add 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce (I used KC Masterpiece) to one pint of Meat Sauce Mix, heat, and serve over hamburger buns.

Kung Pao Pork

Note: This recipe would work well with chicken, beef, and firm tofu.

1 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
1 large onion, cut in chunks
2 small zucchini, sliced
3/4 lb. boneless pork, cut in bite-sized pieces (I use one of the thick boneless chops from Costco)
1/2 cup Mr. Yoshida's Gourmet Sauce, divided
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground (powdered) ginger
1 6-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup peanuts, divided

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, zucchini, and pork. Stir-fry about 5 minutes, until meat is browned and vegetables are beginning to soften. Add 1/4 cup of the gourmet sauce. Let simmer a minute while you blend the cornstarch, red pepper flakes, and ginger into the other 1/4 cup of the gourmet sauce. Add to skillet along with the water chestnuts. Heat and stir 2-3 minutes until thickened. Serve over hot rice, and sprinkle with peanuts. Makes 4 servings.

Praline Nut Topping

2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons Splenda Brown Sugar blend
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat and stir over medium heat until butter and brown sugar have melted. Let cook one more minute. Immediately pour over two bowls of vanilla ice cream. (If you let it cool, it hardens.)

Pepper Steak & Potatoes

4 medium potatoes, sliced 1/4"
2 Tbsp. water
1 lb. sirloin, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. garlic pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 bell pepper, cut into thin strips

Put potatoes and water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 6-10 minutes or until tender. While potatoes cook, toss beef with garlic pepper and heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add beef to skillet and toss 3 minutes. Remove beef. Add green pepper to skillet; toss 3 minutes. Add potatoes; sauté 5 minutes or until browned. Add beef; toss until heated through. Season with salt. 4 Servings.

Kartoffelknödel (Potato Dumplings)

2 T flour
2 large baking potatoes, peeled, boiled, and then riced
1 egg
1 t salt
dash nutmeg
dash white pepper
2 t beef or chicken bouillon granules (depending on whether you're serving these with beef or chicken)

Combine flour, riced potato, egg, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add bouillon granules. Using hands, shape potato mixture into small (about 1 1/2") balls and drop into boiling water. Initially, they will sink to the bottom. Cook another 15 minutes (they will rise to the top). Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and serve. Makes about
16, or enough for 3-4 people.

Rinderrolladen (Stuffed Beef Rolls)

4 pieces of very thin beef cut from a round steak, about 4" x 10" x 1/4"
salt and pepper
4 t prepared mustard, divided
4 slices bacon OR 4 T real bacon bits, divided
4 T dried parsley, divided
8 t finely chopped onion, divided
1 large dill pickle, quartered lengthwise OR 1 c pickled salad mix (I use Kruegermann's)
2 T oil
2 c water
1 T cornstarch dissolved in 2 T water

Lay out the four pieces of beef on a flat surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then spread each one with a teaspoon of mustard. Sprinkle each with bacon bits or lay a piece of bacon lengthwise on the meat. Next, sprinkle each piece of meat with a tablespoon of parsley and 2 teaspoons of onion. If you're using the whole pickle slice, lay it crosswise along the widest end of the meat. If you're using the pickle mix, put about a quarter cup of it on the widest end of the meat. Roll up the meat, widest end first, and then fasten the narrow end to the roll with a toothpick. (I used to go to the trouble of tying these with dental floss, but it took way too much time and effort. A toothpick works fine. You can see in the picture above that I used a blue toothpick!) Heat oil in a large skillet, and brown the meat rolls on all sides. Add water, cover, and simmer over low heat at least 30 minutes. Remove rolls to a serving platter or to plates, and add cornstarch-water mixture. Bring heat to medium-high and stir, about a minute or two, until gravy is thickened. Serve gravy over meat rolls with rice or dumplings.

Quick Choucroute

from Cooking Light

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 pound boneless center-cut loin pork chops, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped Golden Delicious apple (about 1)
3/4 cup thinly sliced onion (about 1 medium)
1 bay leaf
1 (12-ounce) bottle light beer
2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1/2 pound low-fat smoked sausage, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add pork to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Remove pork from pan, and keep warm.
Add apple, onion, and bay leaf to pan; cook 2 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add sauerkraut and sausage; bring to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes. Return pork to pan; cover and cook 2 minutes or until pork is thoroughly heated. Discard bay leaf. Stir in parsley. Serve with horseradish and mustard.

Pecan-Coconut Crusted Fish

½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne (red) pepper
½ cup finely chopped pecans
½ cup shredded coconut
2 tablespoon plain breadcrumbs
4 boneless fish fillets
1/4 c butter, canola oil, or olive oil

Combine salt, cayenne, pecans, coconut, and breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Dampen fish lightly, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, pressing mixture into fish. Heat butter or oil in a large skillet; sauté fish over medium heat until browned on both sides and fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with Pineapple Salsa.

Stuffed Tomatoes

4 medium tomatoes
salt
1/3 c cooked brown rice
1/3 c frozen spinach, thawed
1/4 t chopped garlice
2 T grated Parmesan
1 egg
more Parmesan to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 400˚. Cut tops off tomatoes. Using a spoon, scoop out the insides and discard. Sprinkle lightly with salt and turn upside down on a paper towel to drain for about 10 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients, and fill tomatoes. Top with a little more Parmesan. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Roasted Broccoli

1 large crown of broccoli
2 T olive oil
1 t salt

Preheat oven to 400˚. Trim broccoli and break into florets. Toss with olive oil and salt, and spread on a baking sheet. Roast 15-20 minutes. Serves 2.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

Donna Hay


finely grated Parmesan cheese
ground black pepper
boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 per person)
egg whites or beaten egg

Preheat oven to 390˚. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Dip the chicken breasts into the egg whites, then toss in the combined Parmesan and pepper to coat. Place in the baking tray and cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.

Low Carb Chocolate Lava Muffins

2 4-oz. bars Ghirardelli bittersweet baking chocolate
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 c Splenda granular
3 T flour
1/4 t salt
4 eggs

Place a medium metal bowl in a saucepan of simmering water. Melt chocolate and butter in the bowl. Stir in the vanilla. In another bowl, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Sift these into the chocolate mixture and mix with an electric hand mixer. Add one egg at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Beat on high until the batter is creamy and lightens in color. (approximately 4 minutes) Chill mixture.
Preheat oven to 375˚. Coat muffin tin with butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon mixture into the muffin tin using approx. 1/4 cup for each muffin. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Outside should be cake-like and centers should be gooey. Let cool some before serving. Makes 12.

Carne Adovado

7 - 8 whole dried red chile pods, seeded and deveined
2 cloves garlic
2 t dried cilantro
1 t salt
2 pounds boneless pork butt, sirloin, or shoulder, sliced thin
Choose the dried chiles for your dish. They range in "heat" from mild to very hot…so ask your merchant to point the way. I use a mixture of California (Anaheim) and New Mexico red chilies so that I have a little mild and a little medium mixed together.
Prepare the chiles by slitting or cracking them open and removing the seeds and veins. The seeds and veins are what make the chiles hot, so you should clean the peppers according to how hot you wish them to be. Place the chile skins in a bowl and add enough hot tap water to cover. Allow them to sit for 1 hour and then drain, reserving the liquid. Place the pepper skin in a blender and add enough of the water to bring the total amount in your machine to one pint. Add the garlic, oregano, and salt. Blend until thick and smooth.

Place the sliced pork in a large zip-top plastic bag and pour in the chile sauce. Mix the meat and marinade and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook, heat oven to 350F. Place meat and marinade in a covered casserole and bake for one hour. You may wish to drain some of the "juice" after 35-40 minutes. The longer you cook it, the softer the meat gets - so even two hours will work, too.

Serve with flour or corn tortillas, along with your choice of accompaniments, such as grated cheddar or jack cheese, sour cream, diced onion, salsa, avocado, and chopped fresh cilantro.
Spanish rice goes well with this dish.

Iberian Meat Loaf

adapted from Cooking Light

3/4 lb. lean ground beef
3/4 lb. groun turkey
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce, divided
1 c chopped onion
1/2 c dry bread crumbs
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
1/3 c sliced pitted green olives cooking spray
1 1/2 t paprika
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t ground coriander
1/4 t ground black pepper
2 large egg whites or 1 large egg
1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 350˚. Combine meat, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, and remaining ingredients (except cooking spray) in a large bowl. Shape mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Spread remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce evenly over top of meat loaf. Bake for 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes.

Banana Cinnamon Bread

makes 2 loaves

1 c butter
1/2 c Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1 t vanilla extract
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 c mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large bananas)
1/4 c honey
4 large eggs
3 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c 9-grain cereal
1/2 c oat or wheat bran
1/4 c ground flaxseed
1 c cinnamon chips


Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add the bananas, honey, and eggs, beating until smooth. Add the flour, cereal, bran and flaxseed, then the chips, stirring until smooth. Spoon the batter into two lightly greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pans, smoothing the top. Let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Bake the bread for 50 minutes, then gently lay a piece of aluminum foil across the top, to prevent over-browning. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the oven; a long toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean. Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan, and cooling it completely on a rack.

Apple-Nut Muffins

Streusel Topping
1/2 c whole wheat flour
3 T brown sugar
2 T butter, room temperature
1/4 t cinnamon

Batter
3/4 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c white whole wheat flour
1/2 c Splenda granular
2 t baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
2 large eggs
1 c sour cream or plain yogurt
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1 c JUST APPLES, coarsely chopped
1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 375˚. Grease muffin cups or use paper muffin cups. Mix streusel ingredients in mini-chopper until crumbly; set aside. For batter, mix flour, Splenda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and soda in large bowl. Break eggs in separate bowl. Add sour cream and applesauce, and whisk until well blended. Stir in chopped Just Apples and nuts. Pour egg mixture over flour mixture and fold in just until dry ingredients are moistened. Scoop batter into muffin cups. Top each muffin with about 2 teaspoons of streusel mixture. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned. Remove from pan and cool. Makes 18 regular muffins.

Mushroom PIe

Mushroom Pie


3 T butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 lbs. mushrooms, sliced
dash pepper
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 T lemon juice
8 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
2 unbaked pie crusts
1/2 t salt
1 egg yolk
1 T water

Saute onion in butter until golden, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms. Saute until juice has cooked out. Drain. Mix with salt, pepper, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and cheese. Pour into pie crust; top with other pie crust. Trim edges; brush with egg yolk and water mixed together. Bake at 375F for 40 minutes. 6 servings.

When I made the rustic tart pictured above, I reduced everything to 2/3: 2 T butter, 1 lb. mushrooms, etc. I then rolled the crust out with a rolling pin as large as I could make it, piled the mushroom-onion mixture in the middle, and pulled the edges up around the filling. I baked it for only 35 minutes. 4 servings

Cinnamon Chicken

6 chicken thighs (I used boneless thighs)
1/4 t cinnamon
dash ground cloves
1 1/2 T oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 med. onion, chopped
3/4 c orange juice
2 T raisins
1 T drained capers
1/2 c slivered almonds

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, then with cinnamon and cloves. Heat oil in a large skillet; cook chicken slowly. Add garlic and onion to chicken and continue cooking until chicken is a good golden brown all over. Add orange juice, raisins, and capers; cover. Cook over medium heat until chicken is tender, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds.

Pine Nut-Crusted Fish with Orange-Balsamic Sauce

adapted from Sweetnicks






1/4 c freshly grated Parmigianno-Reggiano cheese
1/3 c pine nuts, toasted and very finely chopped
1 t dried Italian seasoning
1/4 t salt
1/3 c flour
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 c mik
4 fish fillets (I used barracuda)
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/4 c orange juice
1 t honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 T olive oil
2 T butter

Combine the cheese, pine nts, Italian seasoning, and salt in a shallow bowl. Put the flour in a secon bowl, and then combine the egg and milk in a third bowl. Dip both sides of the fish in the flour, sahking off the excess. Dip the fish in the egg-milk mixture, then dredge in the cheese-pine nut mixture. Combine balsamic vinegar, orange juice, honey, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl; set aside. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the fish in the skillet until browned on both sides and fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Add vinegar-orange juice mixture to hot skillet; cook about 1 minute. Serve sauce over fish.