Use any cooked grain you like. Feel free to use low-fat cottage cheese or sour cream if you prefer.
1/2 pound (8 ounces) brown mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 large onion, well chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
a bit of fresh tarragon, chopped
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Rub a medium-large baking dish with a bit of olive oil or butter and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat saute the mushrooms in a glug of olive oil sprinkled with a couple pinches of salt. Stir every minute or so until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have browned a bit. Add the onions and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute and remove from heat. Add the rice to the skillet and stir until combined.
In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, and salt.
Combine the rice mixture and cottage cheese mixture in a large bowl, stir until well combined and then turn out into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese, cover with foil and place in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 or 30 minutes more or hot throughout and golden along the edges. Sprinkle with the chopped tarragon, and the remaining Parmesan and enjoy.
Serves about 8.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Country Herb Baked Chicken
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 teaspoons dijon-style mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons SmartSpread, melted
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
While chicken is marinating, preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan cheese, paprika, basil, tarragon, and thyme. Mix well. Add butter; toss to combine.
Remove chicken from marinade. Dredge chicken in bread crumb mixture; pat crumbs to adhere. Place on prepared baking sheet. Discard marinade in dish.
Bake until cooked through and no longer pink, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately.
2 teaspoons dijon-style mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons SmartSpread, melted
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
While chicken is marinating, preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan cheese, paprika, basil, tarragon, and thyme. Mix well. Add butter; toss to combine.
Remove chicken from marinade. Dredge chicken in bread crumb mixture; pat crumbs to adhere. Place on prepared baking sheet. Discard marinade in dish.
Bake until cooked through and no longer pink, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately.
Creamy Leek and Yogurt Soup
Creamy Leek and Yogurt Soup
about 1 1/2 quarts
2 large leeks
6 large cloves of garlic
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (I would replace this and use a tbs of olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup white wine
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup plain yogurt
Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and wash thoroughly, making sure to get rid of all the sand and grit. Cut into half moons. Smash or mince the garlic cloves. Melt the butter in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. Saute the leeks and garlic very slowly, never letting them brown or burn. Cook until the leeks are nearly translucent - about 10 minutes.
Add the white wine and pepper and let cook for about five minutes, then add the broth and turn the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45-60 minutes.
Puree in a blender - hold the lid down with a folded towel or you will end up with splattered soup all over the kitchen! Puree in two batches, adding half a cup of yogurt into each. Eat slightly cool like this, or return to the pan and warm very gently over low heat - do not let boil.
about 1 1/2 quarts
2 large leeks
6 large cloves of garlic
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (I would replace this and use a tbs of olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup white wine
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup plain yogurt
Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and wash thoroughly, making sure to get rid of all the sand and grit. Cut into half moons. Smash or mince the garlic cloves. Melt the butter in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. Saute the leeks and garlic very slowly, never letting them brown or burn. Cook until the leeks are nearly translucent - about 10 minutes.
Add the white wine and pepper and let cook for about five minutes, then add the broth and turn the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45-60 minutes.
Puree in a blender - hold the lid down with a folded towel or you will end up with splattered soup all over the kitchen! Puree in two batches, adding half a cup of yogurt into each. Eat slightly cool like this, or return to the pan and warm very gently over low heat - do not let boil.
Quick Curry Tomatoes
2C rice
1T butter (can substitute olive oil)
2 cloves garlic
Small onion, chopped, about 1 cup
2 large tomatoes (can substitute 6 romas or 16 oz. can diced tomatoes)
1T curry
1/8 C brown sugar
Black pepper
1/4 C heavy cream or half-and-half (optional)
Instructions;
1. Gather up all your ingredients (photo #1). This cooks up pretty fast, so you don’t want to have to wander away to find something you need. As you can see in the photo, my onions are already chopped and frozen to save time. But chopping a fresh onion doesn’t take much time.
2. Start cooking rice. I have a rice maker I use, but you can also make it on the stove top. The goal is to have it done just as the tomatoes finish cooking. If it gets done a bit early, just remove it from the heat and cover.
3. Warm butter in a medium-size pan. When melted, add onion and garlic. Sauté over a medium heat, stirring occasionally.
4. While the garlic and onions are sautéing, prep the tomatoes. I quarter them, and remove the very center core. You can remove the seeds or not. If you leave them in, the final product will not be as thick. Next, dice the tomatoes, leaving the pieces fairly large.
5. Just as the onions start to turn translucent, add the tomatoes. If you are not done dicing, that is okay. You can add them as you get them done without any problems. Cook this mixture until the tomatoes are a bit soft, but not mushy. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
6. Now you are ready for spice! Stir in the brown sugar and ½ T of the curry. Let that cook for about a minute, then stir in cream, if desired. At this point, taste it. If you want, add the rest of the curry and pepper to taste. Adding dairy will mellow the flavors a bit, so tasting is the best way to make sure this isn’t overpowering or bland.
7. Scoop out rice onto dish, topping with curried tomatoes.
Alternate serving ideas;
- Serve over whole grain pasta, toast or biscuts.
- Mix with diced or shredded chicken and serve in a pita with a touch of goat cheese or plain yogurt.
1T butter (can substitute olive oil)
2 cloves garlic
Small onion, chopped, about 1 cup
2 large tomatoes (can substitute 6 romas or 16 oz. can diced tomatoes)
1T curry
1/8 C brown sugar
Black pepper
1/4 C heavy cream or half-and-half (optional)
Instructions;
1. Gather up all your ingredients (photo #1). This cooks up pretty fast, so you don’t want to have to wander away to find something you need. As you can see in the photo, my onions are already chopped and frozen to save time. But chopping a fresh onion doesn’t take much time.
2. Start cooking rice. I have a rice maker I use, but you can also make it on the stove top. The goal is to have it done just as the tomatoes finish cooking. If it gets done a bit early, just remove it from the heat and cover.
3. Warm butter in a medium-size pan. When melted, add onion and garlic. Sauté over a medium heat, stirring occasionally.
4. While the garlic and onions are sautéing, prep the tomatoes. I quarter them, and remove the very center core. You can remove the seeds or not. If you leave them in, the final product will not be as thick. Next, dice the tomatoes, leaving the pieces fairly large.
5. Just as the onions start to turn translucent, add the tomatoes. If you are not done dicing, that is okay. You can add them as you get them done without any problems. Cook this mixture until the tomatoes are a bit soft, but not mushy. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
6. Now you are ready for spice! Stir in the brown sugar and ½ T of the curry. Let that cook for about a minute, then stir in cream, if desired. At this point, taste it. If you want, add the rest of the curry and pepper to taste. Adding dairy will mellow the flavors a bit, so tasting is the best way to make sure this isn’t overpowering or bland.
7. Scoop out rice onto dish, topping with curried tomatoes.
Alternate serving ideas;
- Serve over whole grain pasta, toast or biscuts.
- Mix with diced or shredded chicken and serve in a pita with a touch of goat cheese or plain yogurt.
Paneer
1/2 gallon milk (whole or 2%)
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Special Equipment:
a colander or strainer
cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel (without "fuzzies!")
Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth. If you'd like to keep the whey for another purpose, set the colander over a bowl to catch the whey. Otherwise, you can just set it in your sink.
In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, bring the milk to a boil. Keep an eye on it because it can boil over very quickly.
When it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir until milk separates completely separates into curds and whey (see below). If it doesn't seem to be separating completely, add another tablespoon of lemon juice
Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined colander. When it's cool enough to handle, gather the corners of the cheesecloth into a bundle and squeeze out as much of the excess liquid as you can.
This can be used it immediately as cottage cheese or ricotta cheese.
To press it into a solid cheese, set the bundle in the middle of a plate with a good lip to catch the liquid that will be squeezed out. Put another plate on top and press until the bundle has flattened into a 1-inch disk. Leave the plate on and weight it down with something heavy (like a few cans of tomatoes).
Press the cheese for at least 20 minutes, though an hour is ideal. Drain off the liquid that has collected and unwrap the paneer. Use or store immediately. The cheese will firm up even more in the fridge.
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Special Equipment:
a colander or strainer
cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel (without "fuzzies!")
Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth. If you'd like to keep the whey for another purpose, set the colander over a bowl to catch the whey. Otherwise, you can just set it in your sink.
In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, bring the milk to a boil. Keep an eye on it because it can boil over very quickly.
When it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir until milk separates completely separates into curds and whey (see below). If it doesn't seem to be separating completely, add another tablespoon of lemon juice
Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined colander. When it's cool enough to handle, gather the corners of the cheesecloth into a bundle and squeeze out as much of the excess liquid as you can.
This can be used it immediately as cottage cheese or ricotta cheese.
To press it into a solid cheese, set the bundle in the middle of a plate with a good lip to catch the liquid that will be squeezed out. Put another plate on top and press until the bundle has flattened into a 1-inch disk. Leave the plate on and weight it down with something heavy (like a few cans of tomatoes).
Press the cheese for at least 20 minutes, though an hour is ideal. Drain off the liquid that has collected and unwrap the paneer. Use or store immediately. The cheese will firm up even more in the fridge.
Pice de Gallo
Pico de Gallo
about 4 cups
2 medium tomatoes
1 green pepper
4 cloves garlic
1/2 large red onion
2 jalapenos
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Chop tomatoes fine and and set aside in a large bowl. Seed and roughly chop the green pepper, then process in a food processor with the garlic, red onion and jalapenos. Add the cilantro in at the end and process just until chopped. Mix with the tomatoes, salt, lime and cumin. Taste and season more if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.
about 4 cups
2 medium tomatoes
1 green pepper
4 cloves garlic
1/2 large red onion
2 jalapenos
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Chop tomatoes fine and and set aside in a large bowl. Seed and roughly chop the green pepper, then process in a food processor with the garlic, red onion and jalapenos. Add the cilantro in at the end and process just until chopped. Mix with the tomatoes, salt, lime and cumin. Taste and season more if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.
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