Spicy Black Bean Soup; Ramblings of Spring

Recipe: Spicy Black Bean Soup

I love black beans, in everything from southwestern-inspired salads to the Cuban dish of black beans and rice to black bean soup. I have found that, although I still enjoy canned black beans in a recipe, the cooked dried beans have a superior flavor and texture. Because of this, every few weeks I soak and cook a pound of dried black beans. If I can’t use them up within a few days, I will dump them into a plastic freezer bag, seal, shake them a bit while they’re lying on a baking tray, the put the tray in the freezer. When the beans are frozen, I’ll open the bag, break the clumps of beans up a little, let some air out, then close it tightly. Freezing the beans in this way will make it much easier to dip a measuring cup in to take out an exact amount, rather than having a solid lump of frozen beans to deal with.

Recently I was checking out some new blogs and found a recipe for black bean soup garnished with a blend of roasted red peppers and sour cream. This reminded me of a soup which I made for a dinner party a couple of years ago which featured black bean soup ladled into a bowl side-by-side with butternut squash soup (which, when done carefully, made a beautiful presentation) garnished with a puree of roasted red pepper in the center.

I realized that I have not made black bean soup since last fall, and decided that I would make a pot to use for a couple of lunches this week. I used my regular recipe, but added sour cream to the roasted red pepper puree idea. This soup is wonderful. It is thick and hearty, flavored with
turkey bacon (which could be eliminated if a vegetarian version is desired), with bits of vegetables, and that roasted red pepper/ sour cream blend on top is a perfect addition. When I cook black beans, I add 5 or 6 whole black cardamom pods which give the slightest “smoky” flavor without adding meat. Although, because I wanted to, I did add turkey bacon to the soup.

I had bought two dozen huge red bell peppers late last summer and spent a few hours roasting them on the outdoor grill, then steaming and peeling them. Layered in freezer containers, all I needed to do when a recipe required roasted red pepper throughout the winter is to let the container thaw for a bit, take out the semi-thawed peppers, and cut off what was needed. Very easy and it’s a snap, then, to make things like this roasted red pepper sour cream at the last
minute.

One last note before the recipe. On the blog where I found the idea for the roasted pepper sour cream, the author made a point of suggesting the use of full-fat sour cream because it’s only a tablespoonful per serving and that she prefers to use “the real thing, not a factory version”. I disagree.

First, the brand of sour cream which I use is all natural, made from skim milk. Some brands add gelatin to thicken the cream, and it tastes odd to me. Daisy Light Sour Cream has a good mouth-feel and is sweet and tangy.

Second, I ran the numbers in the nutritional data from Mastercook and found that the soup using the full-fat sour cream would contain 2g more fat, 1g saturated, than using the light sour cream. “Well”, you may ask, “what’s the big deal? It’s only 2 stupid grams of fat!”. Yes, but especially as you get older and your metabolism slows, every little bit counts. It’s all cumulative. If I buy a 16-ounce carton of full-fat sour cream, I will use it (even if that takes a month) and I’ve ingested 75 grams of fat rather than 37. It all adds up. I try not to be obsessive, but I do
watch what we eat very carefully. I have to. Dear heaven, I’m going to hit the half-century mark later this month! *sniff*

* Exported from MasterCook *

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Roasted Red Pepper Sour Cream

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 10

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

--------- ---------- ----------------------------------------

1 pound dried black beans

5 whole black cardamom pods -- optional

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 slices turkey bacon -- halved lengthwise then sliced into 1/2" wide pieces

1 1/2 cups chopped sweet onion

4 large garlic cloves -- minced

1 cup chopped celery

1 1/2 cups chopped carrot

2 tablespoons ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper -- (can substitute minced canned chipotle- start

with 1 teaspoon

plus about a half teaspoon of the adobo sauce which it is canned in)

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

15 ounces canned diced tomatoes -- undrained

7 cups low sodium vegetable broth – divided

chopped fresh cilantro, as needed

2/3 cup light sour cream -- (I use Daisy light sour cream because it all natural

cream, no additives)

1/4 cup roasted red peppers -- chopped finely

2 tablespoons skim milk

1 small garlic clove -- crushed

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Rinse the dry beans and pick over to remove dirt and other debris. Place in a large saucepan and cover with a lot of water (I use, as a guide, at least twice the amount of water as there are beans as measured in the pot). Allow to stand for 12 hours or overnight. Drain, cover with fresh water, and bring to a boil. Add cardamom pods and simmer, covered, until tender (about 3-4 hours, depending on how old the beans are). Stir and check frequently to always maintain at least 2" of water above the beans. Drain, rinse, and refrigerate or continue with the recipe.

Heat the olive oil in a 5-quart nonstick Dutch oven. Add the turkey bacon and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until they just begin to crisp a bit. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened (about 5-6 minutes).

While the vegetables are cooking, place 2 cups of the cooked beans in the food processor and add 8 ounces of the vegetable broth. Puree.

Add the tomatoes to the vegetables, then stir in the pureed beans until well mixed. Pour in the remaining vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the cumin, chipotle pepper, black pepper, and salt. Add the remaining beans, stir, and return to a boil. Turn the heat to low an, uncovered, for at least 2 hours (up to 3 hours).

Meanwhile, mix the sour cream, roasted red pepper, milk, garlic, pepper, and salt in a small bowl.

Top each serving of soup with a rounded tablespoonful of the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Yield:

"10 cups"

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Per serving: 279 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat; (16% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 13mg Cholesterol; 791mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : I used cooked, dried black beans rather than canned black beans because I think that they have a much better flavor and texture. Canned black beans will work, as well. As a general rule, a 15-ounce can of canned beans contains 9 ounces of drained beans. A pound of cooked dried black beans weighs 32 ounces. Although a more exact substitution for the pound of cooked dried black beans would be 3-1/2 cans, 3 cans may certainly be used.

The cardamom adds a smoky flavor to the beans. This is optional.

Last Spring, my crocuses boomed a full 2 weeks earlier than this year, but they are now popping out all over. As are the tiny daffodils and even a few of the larger daffodils. The hyacinths look as though they’ll be smellin’ up the place this week sometime. How wonderful is this thing called SPRING??? Even as it rained earlier today, robins were hopping all over the yard, pulling their meals from the ground. I’ve been tossing the lint from my clothes dryer out under the tree near the birdfeeder for their use in making super-soft nests. And, even though it was a little chilly this afternoon, I raised the window just a bit so I could hear the birds sing.

Winter is over. After 81 agonizingly slow days, I can now wear my sneakers again. Joy to the world! :)

Chicken Korma

Recipe: Chicken Korma

Both Jack and I love Asian food. I grew up in a rather small town, there wasn’t even a McDonald’s until I was a sophomore in high school, let alone any kind of ethic food that wasn't Italian! In college, a roommate often purchased some kind of canned Chinese food (it had a separate can of crunchy noodles attached to the can of vegetables in sauce) but after the first time, I would decline eating that particular meal.

After graduating from college, I worked in NYC for a bit and it was there that I was introduced to real Chinese food. When I moved back to western PA (27 years ago!), I bought cookbooks and learned how to make my favorites.

It wasn’t until about 10 years ago that I ate at my first Indian restaurant. It wasn’t a very adventurous meal, but I became smitten. It was a few years before I could convince Jack that this was a cuisine worth exploring (he previously had a couple of uninspiring meals at not very good Indian restaurant and was turned off of that type food from the beginning). I had discovered a wonderful store called Penzey’s, and had placed a large order. I purchased a cookbook by Madhur Jaffrey. We do have a couple of favorite Indian restaurants locally, but the closest is a 40-minute drive away. Consequently, I make most of our Indian meals at home. The internet has been an incredible source of recipes and information. A few years ago, I discovered how delicious curries are, and the rest is history.

Last week I found a treasure in the book section of a discount store. Curry, Fire & Spice: Over 150 great curries from India and Asia by Mridula Baljekar. I am overwhelmed by the amount of information in this book. Descriptions and photos of the culture and cuisine of India, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, as well as each region’s cooking ingredients, equipment and terms. There are also sections on rices, breads, chutneys, pickles, and salads. I start to read, then get hungry!

The first recipe I tried the other night was Chicken Korma. Apparently “korma” is a cooking technique—it means “braising”. There are several different types of Korma, depending on the region where the recipe originated, and this one is from Delhi.

I was very impressed with this dish. Jack proclaimed it “company-worthy” and I agreed. The creamy sauce was thickened with an aromatic mixture of ground almonds, garlic, and ginger; the chicken was tender, and additional toasted almonds added a satisfying crunch.

The vegetable bin was getting low, and the only vegetables I had on hand were bell peppers, kale, carrots and celery. So I decided to add carrots and frozen peas to the korma. I do have a wonderful spiced green bean recipe from one of my Madhur Jaffrey books that will go perfectly with this dish the next time. My mouth is watering just thinking about this meal!

The recipe included yogurt and light cream. I substituted fat-free plain yogurt and lowfat half & half and it turned out wonderfully. In fact, since the lowfat (and the fat-free) half & half has a tendency to separate once it comes to a boil, I’m always a bit leery of using it in cooking. This time I kept an eye on the mixture, stirred constantly as it came to a simmer, and it turned out perfectly. I also used a nonstick wok and was able to cut the oil by half.

The following is my adaptation of Mridula Baljekar’s recipe. I did make the entire recipe (4 servings) of sauce but used less chicken since it was just for the two of us. I did this originally to have “extra” sauce for the peas and carrots, but I think that I’ll make it this way every time no matter if I add vegetables to it or not.

Which reminds me, I think that steamed spinach leaves would taste very good in this, too.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chicken Korma

Recipe adapted from: Mridula Balejkar's "Curry, Fire and Spice: over 150 great curries from India and Asia"

Servings: 2

Preparation Time :0:30

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

--------- ---------- ---------------------------------------

3/4 ounce blanched almonds

2 large garlic cloves

1 piece fresh ginger root -- 1"

2 teaspoons canola oil

10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast -- cut into 1-inch cubes

3 whole green cardamom pods

1 small onion -- finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt

3/4 cup fat-free half and half

1 tablespoon sliced almonds -- toasted

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro -- or to taste

Process almonds, garlic, and ginger root with 2 tablespoons of water until it forms a paste. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a nonstick wok and cook the chicken cubes for 6-8 minutes, or until opaque and cooked through. Remove from wok to a plate and set aside.

Place the wok back over the heat and add the cardamom pods. Fry for 2 minutes (add a bit more oil, if necessary). Add the onion and stir for 4 minutes or until softened. Stir the almond, garlic, and ginger paste into the onion mixture; add cumin and season with salt. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove the cardamom pods and discard. Turn the heat under the wok to low. Add the yogurt to the onion mixture, one tablespoon at a time, and stir until the yogurt has all been absorbed. Add the chicken to the wok, cover, and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is heated through and tender.

Stir in the half & half and cook over a very low flame, stirring often, until the mixture starts to simmer. Stir constantly and simmer for 2 minutes.

Divide hot rice between 2 plates.

Spoon chicken mixture over rice, garnish with almonds and cilantro.

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Per serving: 424 Calories (kcal); 15g Total Fat (2g saturated)S; (32% calories from fat); 44g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 84mg Cholesterol; 512mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 16 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Turkey Meatballs

Recipe: Turkey Meatballs


Shortly after breaking my ankle in January, my friend Jenni arrived with much-needed food. One of the things which she brought were meatballs made from ground turkey. She had given me this recipe last year, and it is Jack's favorite (please, don't anyone tell my Mom that he said this!). I made a batch a few days ago, using a few and freezing the rest. They are moist because they are baked in a bit of chicken broth and are very, very flavorful with a nice (but not overwhelming) garlic punch. Perfect for on top of a mound o' spaghetti!



* Exported from MasterCook *


Turkey Meatballs


Recipe By: Jenni
Servings: 9


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs -- unseasoned
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
20 ounces ground turkey
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water


Preheat oven to 425F


Beat eggs in a large bowl, add ingredients through cayenne and mix thoroughly. Add the turkey and mix lightly until well-combined.


Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Form the meat mixture into 18 balls (I used a batter scoop which holds 3 tablespoons, 1-3/4 ounces weight before cooking) and place in the prepared pans. Pour 1/2 cup broth and 1/4 cup water into each sheet. Spray meatballs with cooking spray. Carefully place in oven.


Bake for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through (if using an instant-read thermometer, test one. They are done when at 165F).


If the broth evaporates during cooking, carefully add a small amount of water.


Yield:
"18 pieces"


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Per serving: 171 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat; (46% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 73mg Cholesterol; 677mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Penne with Tomato Lentil Sauce

Recipe: Penne with Tomato Lentil Sauce

I don’t usually need to be secretive about what I am cooking. Jack is a willing taste-tester for almost everything which I prepare and, if not enthusiastic about trying new foods, is at least agreeable and will try almost any food once.

Through the almost-25 years in which we have been married there have only been two meals which he has, to be honest, despised. One was the time I bought shark steaks and didn’t know that they were past their best (not only tasting badly but giving us both tummy-aches). And the other unfortunate meal was lentils. In fact, ever since this particular meal took place, it has been his yardstick by which to rate other recipes (“well, although it’s by far not my favorite, the tofu manicotti which you made for dinner wasn’t nearly as bad as those lentils…”).

What, you may ask, did you do to poor lentils to make them deserve this? My answer: nothing. Absolutely nothing. Therein was the problem. We were just married and I had been reading about healthy eating. I was beginning to learn how to cook more than the basics, and wanted to expand into healthful foods. Lentils were mentioned in many of the articles which I was reading, so I bought a package in the health-food store. I believe that they were brown lentils. This was before the internet (with its “recipes at the click of a button”) and the few cookbooks which I had didn’t have any recipes containing lentils. So I improvised and made lentils simmered in tomato sauce. That’s it. No garlic, no spices, nothing but lentils and canned tomato sauce. Poor Jack. It was a terribly uninspired meal. A bowlful of lentils cooked in tomato sauce. Imagine. Is there any wonder that he remembers it so very unfondly?

In the April issue of Canadian Living I found a recipe for Penne with Tomato-Lentil Sauce. Although it sounded great to me I was certain that he would, upon hearing what was for dinner, not be very receptive. I mean, lentils in tomato sauce!!! Still, I had a package of French green lentils and wanted to make it.

I waited until he had an afternoon meeting and wouldn’t be arriving home until shortly before dinner. I also made a batch of turkey meatballs from his favorite recipe, knowing that it would “cushion” the surprise of the little green discs which would be in the tomato sauce. When he arrived home and asked what we were having, I smiled mysteriously and replied “something very special”. He couldn’t be fooled—he smelled the meatballs! But I persisted, telling him that I couldn’t reveal this information until dinnertime.

Shortly before I was ready to serve, he came out to help set the table and pour the wine. I shooed him back into his office, needing the time to plate dinner before he could see what was in the pot. Finally, it was ready. I scooped the sauce and lentils over the pasta, added a couple of turkey meatballs on the side, and called him in. He zeroed in on the meatballs immediately and was overjoyed. Seriously. Meatballs take time to make, and if I’m going to add ground turkey to a tomato sauce for over pasta, I’ll usually just brown it instead of going to the trouble of mixing and forming the meatballs.

He picked up his fork and looked closely at the penne. I had my head down, looking over to him from under my eyelashes. He speared a few pieces, containing a healthy portion of lentils in sauce, and put it into his mouth. He chewed. My eyeballs were hurting from the strain of looking up through my bangs. He swallowed, took another forkful of pasta, and a piece of meatball. Then I heard it. “Mmmmmmmmmm”. I lifted my head. My vision was a bit blurred. He smiled—“okay, what’re the little things in the sauce?” “Um”, I hesitated a bit. “Lentils”. He loaded his fork again. “They taste great!”. I had to laugh and admit my deceitfulness.

He actually asked if there were seconds! Although I did make the entire recipe, there was enough for another dinner, so no second helpings were available. But he must have told me three or four times how good the sauce was, how much he liked the lentils done this way. His last words, as he handed me his empty plate to put in the dishwasher, “Really, it was good. I’m not kidding.”

Okay, I believe him.

This sauce was very, very good. Flavorful enough that it didn’t even need the requisite Parmesan sprinkled over top. And it contains 22g of plant-based fiber per serving!

I made a few changes to the original recipe (when don’t I do this?!)

I used a large nonstick sauté pan instead of a Dutch oven, thereby reducing the need for oil. The original recipe called for ¼ cup of diced pancetta or thick-sliced bacon, which I eliminated; I used 1/3 cup red wine instead of ¼, and I used a large can of crushed tomatoes rather than the can of whole tomatoes called for. And I tossed in a couple of Parmesan rinds which I had in the freezer.

Note: Green lentils are more flavorful than brown, and those are what I used, but no matter what type are in the sauce, chop the veggies to be not much larger that the lentil size. This is a rule of thumb which I follow when cutting vegetables for all pasta dishes, to keep the vegetable pieces in a similar shape/ size to the pasta.

The next time I make this, I will reduce the amount of lentils to 2/3 cup (I think that ¾ cup was just a bit too much. And, really, that’s my opinion, not Jack’s!).

* Exported from MasterCook *

Penne with Tomato Lentil Sauce

Recipe Adapted From: Canadian Living April 2008

Servings: 4

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

--------- -------- -----------------------------------

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion -- diced

1 medium carrot -- diced

1 medium celery rib -- diced

3 large cloves garlic -- minced

2 large bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

2/3 cup lentils -- green

28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes

8 ounces canned tomato sauce*

1/3 cup dry red wine -- (or water)

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

12 ounces whole wheat penne

In a large nonstick sauté pan, heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Cook onion through thyme, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

Stir in the lentils, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and red wine (or water), plus 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 35-45 minutes or until lentils are tender. Discard bay leaves. Stir in parsley.

While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, then penne, and cook as package directs to al dente. Drain and place in serving bowl, top with tomato-lentil sauce.

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Per serving: 536 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat (1g saturated); (8% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 102g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 568mg Sodium; 22g fiber

Food Exchanges: 5 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 4 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other
Carbohydrates

*Edited a day after originally posting this:

I added an eight-ounce can of tomato sauce to the recipe because, after enjoying the leftovers, I realized that it could have been a little "saucier".

I will post the meatball recipe soon!

Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds

Recipe: Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds

I was in the mood for something different. I bought a book on curry recently, but once I started reading it I didn’t want to stop to look for a recipe. There will be a lot of curry recipes here in the near future, I think. But for tonight, I decided to make a chicken tagine.

This recipe was adapted from one gleaned out of the pages of Gourmet magazine. I used cubes of chicken breast and thigh instead of cutting apart a whole chicken, which also made the cooking time faster. I eliminated the butter and 90.5% of the olive oil (it sounds so much better in percentages than if I had said “I eliminated over 6 tablespoons of the oil”) from the original recipe.

A note: I love my Kitchen Aid hard-anodized nonstick sauté pan. I probably use it six times a week for dinner, and it has served me well. I bought it at TJ Maxx for around $20 over a year ago. You can get away with using lots less oil and butter when you have a nonstick pan!

This was an incredibly good meal. The chicken was tender, the apricots added a nice sweet taste, the almonds a very satisfying crunch, and I served it all over whole wheat couscous to soak up the wonderful cinnamon-ey sauce.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chicken Tagine

with Apricots and Almonds

Recipe adapted from Gourmet May 2006

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

---------- ----------- ---------------------------------------

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey

1 piece cinnamon stick -- 2"

1/3 cup dried apricot halves

2 teaspoons olive oil -- divided

10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast -- cut into 1" cubes

1 small sweet onion -- halved then sliced 1/4" thick

3 large garlic cloves -- minced

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped parsley -- divided

2 tablespoons whole almonds -- toasted

1 cup whole wheat couscous

Mix cinnamon thru salt in a small bowl. Add chicken cubes and turn to coat on all sides.

Pour 1/2 cup of water into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add honey, cinnamon stick, and apricot halves. Turn heat to low and cook until apricots are tender, about 10 minutes. The water and honey should turn to a thick glaze. Turn off heat and cover pan to keep warm.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat; add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, then the chicken cubes. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned. Remove chicken to a plate, then add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and the sliced onion to the skillet. Continue to cook and stir for another 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add cilantro, one tablespoon of the parsley, 1/2 cup water, chicken, and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare couscous.

Discard cinnamon stick from apricot mixture. Pour the glaze into the chicken mixture and stir until combined. Serve over couscous, sprinkle with remaining parsley, then toasted almonds.

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Per serving: 459 Calories (kcal); 15g Total Fat (2g saturated); (27% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 82mg Cholesterol; 641mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

Shrimp and Broccoli with Cashews

Recipes: Stir-Fried Shrimp and Broccoli with Cashews


Ah. Four days at my parents' house, four days of constant food temptation. I would like to say (oh, how much I would like to say!) that I avoided it all. That I ate the healthy salads, that I eschewed the cake and the cookies and the chocolate. But I would be lying. For four days, I became the Easter Glutton (no relation to the Easter Bunny). When I have mentioned in previous posts that I have very little willpower, I really meant it. The food was there, it was darn good, and I reveled in every single bite.


Which brings me back to today. I convinced Mom not to send as many sweets home with me as she is used to, but when we arrived home and unpacked yesterday afternoon, there was a nice assortment. I allowed myself to enjoy them through Tuesday evening, but this morning everything remaining went down the disposal. I will not tell Mom. In fact, I will not tell Jack, either. This is my secret. I cannot control myself, I realize that, and I must pay.


I also must up the time on the exercise bike to 25 minutes. Broken ankle be damned, I need to get back to my normal routine. And burn off some calories.


We are eating even more lightly than usual, and tonight I made a shrimp and broccoli stir-fry for dinner. There is some prep to be done (steaming rice, prepping the broccoli and the sauce), but once that is accomplished the dinner came together within 15 minutes. And it is darn good. But I still want some chocolate eggs...




* Exported from MasterCook *

Stir-Fried Shrimp and Broccoli with Cashews

Recipe By: Vicci
Servings: 2 Preparation Time :0:30


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 cups cooked basmati rice
6 ounces broccoli florets -- steamed until just tender; dunked in cold water to stop the
cooking process, drained, patted dry, set aside
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon dry sherry -- optional
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
10 ounces shrimp -- peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 large garlic cloves -- thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ginger root -- finely minced
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons chopped roasted cashews


Cook rice and keep hot. While rice is cooking, prepare broccoli as directed. Mix together sauce ingredients (chicken broth through sugar) and set aside.


Toss shrimp in a bowl with the salt and pepper.


Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add garlic slices and ginger root and sizzle for about 15 seconds. Add shrimp and toss until opaque (about 3 minutes)


Add broccoli and sttir until heated through. Add the cornstarch to the sauce ingredients, stir well, pour into the wok, stir until thickened.


Divide rice between 2 plates, top with the shrimp and broccoli mixture, sprinkle with cashews.



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Per serving: 450 Calories (kcal); 11g Total Fat (1g saturated); (22% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 215mg Cholesterol; 901mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 22 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Chipotle Sauced Salmon with Tomato-Avocado Salsa; Easter Egg Anise Cookies

Recipes: Easter Egg Anise Cookies, Chipotle-Sauced Salmon with Tomato-Avocado Salad


It doesn’t “feel” like the beginning of Easter weekend. Gee, could it be because there is still the odd Christmas decoration hanging around? The broken ankle has precluded any trips to the attic to retrieve my Easter décor and I genuinely miss it all. I have also not been able to do much in the way of baking. Good Friday has always been my day to make hot cross buns and orange-cardamom bunny rolls. Not to mention the various cookies. This year, Mom is going to do all of the baking and I truly miss doing it.

My friend Jenni recently sent me a recipe for Anise Cookies that are shaped like Easter eggs. It looked relatively easy, not a lot of prep work, and I just had to have the fragrance of anise in the house on Good Friday.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that, although I have been eating anise cookies since I could eat solid food, these may be one of my favorites. They are light in texture with a pleasant buttery taste and a punch of anise as well. I found that, to make an egg shape, you really have to form an exaggerated egg shape before baking because the dough puffs quite a bit.

The cookies on the first tray had a decidedly round shape, while the above, when baked, actually resembled eggs.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Easter Egg Anise Cookies

Recipe By : P. Manilla

Servings: 68

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

---------- ---------- ----------------------------------------

4 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup butter -- melted, cooled

2 teaspoons anise extract

2 teaspoons anise seeds -- crushed

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon butter -- softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons fat-free half and half

2 cups powdered sugar -- this is an approximate measure

Preheat oven to 350F

Beat eggs with an electric mixer for 5 minutes. Add sugar, beat for one minute. Add butter, beat for an additional minute.

Mix baking powder and flour in a bowl. Add to egg mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Add enough flour to keep dough from sticking (too much) to your hands.

Dust hands with flour and form 1 tablespoon of dough into an egg shape. Repeat with the rest of dough.

Bake each baking sheet for approximately 8-9 minutes, until the cookies are a light golden brown on the bottom and the top feels firm.

Cool.

Beat butter with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Beat in vanilla and fat-free half and half. Add enough powdered sugar to make a spreadable frosting.

Frost cookies. Decorate as desired.

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Per serving: 78 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat (2g saturated); (36% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 19mg Cholesterol; 65mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

Dinner. I have to clear out the refrigerator a bit since we are going to be visiting my parents for a few days over the Easter holiday. There was a very ripe avocado, a half of a small onion and on the counter, 2 very ripe tomatoes. There was one piece of wild salmon left in the freezer which didn’t have to be used, but we have had chicken or ground turkey for the past few nights and I was craving fish.

Although there is both a red and an orange bell pepper to be used also, I shall take these to Mom’s and we will find some way to use them up.

I have to branch out in my avocado thinking. All I can come up with, when faced with needing to use one, is something Mexican inspired. I also had a half of a 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes in the refrigerator, so I decided to make a tomato sauce, spiced up with chipotles, for on the salmon, and then make a tomato and avocado salad to serve with it as well. Rice will be the starch, and as I have mentioned before, I prefer the converted rice for Mexican/ Southwestern style dishes, rather than the basmati which I use for most other dishes.

This turned out to be great. The salmon, rubbed with a little of the salad dressing prior to broiling, was moist and flavorful. The chipotle sauce was spicy, and the tomato and avocado salad provided a cooling note.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chipotle-Sauced Salmon with

Tomato-Avocado Salad

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

--------- ---------- ----------------------------------------

14 ounces canned tomatoes -- whole, in juice

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/4 cup chopped sweet onion

2 small garlic cloves -- minced

1/2 teaspoon oregano -- Mexican oregano preferred

1 teaspoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce -- minced

3/4 teaspoon brown sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons lime juice -- divided

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 small avocado -- chopped

1 small tomato -- chopped

2 tablespoons chopped sweet onion

12 ounces salmon fillet -- (2 pieces)

1 1/2 cups hot cooked rice

Remove tomatoes from can and place in blender or food processor. Reserve juice for another use. Puree tomatoes. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of onions and cook, stirring, until soft (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and oregano and cook for another minute. Add tomatoes, chipotle, brown sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Prepare rice.

In a small bowl mix together the lime juice, brown sugar, chili powder, and a pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.

Preheat the broiler. Place salmon fillets on the broiler pan and dribble with 1 teaspoon of the lime juice mixture. Rub into the fish. Place under the broiler and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until flesh is opaque.

While the fish cooks, add the avocado, tomato, and onion to the lime juice mixture and mix gently.

Divide rice between 2 plates. Top with a fish filet, spoon tomato chipotle sauce over, then arrange the tomato and avocado salad around all. Serve.

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Per serving: 641 Calories (kcal); 25g Total Fat (3g saturated); (33% calories from fat); 43g Protein; 65g Carbohydrate; 88mg Cholesterol; 458mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 10 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Happy Easter to all.