Sorry to be so long in posting this month. I could not get it together, but I am back.......
The recipes today are influenced by the "South Beach" diet. I am working them up for Betty, so I thought that I should just pass them along to you all.. Enjoy !!!
Amah
Stewed Tomatoes and Onions
Ingredients:
1/2 - cup - Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
1/4 - cup - Celery (thinly sliced)
1 - Onion (chopped)
2 - Cloves - Garlic (minced)
3 - cups - Tomatoes (chopped) (canned or fresh)
1 - Tablespoon - Balsamic Vinegar
Black Pepper (to taste)
Directions:
1) Coat non-stick skillet with olive oil spray.
2) Place over medium-high heat until hot.
3) Add bell pepper, celery, onion, and garlic.
4) Saute’ for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
5) Add tomatoes, vinegar, and black pepper.
6) Bring to a boil.
7) Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes,
stirring occasionally.
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Broiled Tomatoes
Ingredients:
2 - Large - Ripe Tomatoes (halved horizonally)
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Directions:
1) Place tomatoes on a broiler pan rack, cut sides up.
2) Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3) Broil 7 to 10 minutes, until well-browned.
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Broiled Tomatoes with Pesto
Ingredients:
3 - Fresh - Tomatoes (ripe)
2 - Cloves - Garlic
1 - cup - Fresh Basil Leaves
2 - Tablespoons - Olive Oil
1/2 - cup - Parmesan Cheese
2 - Tablespoons - Pine Nuts or Walnuts
Directions:
1) Cut tomatoes in half.
2) Combine garlic, basil, oil, Parmesan cheese, and nuts
in a food processor or blender.
3) Puree’ until smooth.
4) Spoon pesto mixture onto top of each tomato half.
5) Place tomatoes on a broiler pan and broil about 3
inches from heat source until lightly browned,
3 to 5 minutes.
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Oriental Cabbage
Ingredients:
1 - Head - Chinese Napa (chopped)
3 - Scallions (chopped)
2 - Tablespoons - Dark Sesame Oil
2 - Tablespoons - Rice Wine Vinegar
2 - Tablespoons - Sesame Seeds (toasted)
Directions:
1) Combine Napa, scallions, oil, and vinegar.
2) Toss well and chill until ready to serve.
3) Add sesame seeds and toss before serving.
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Hummus
Ingredients:
1 - 15 oz. can - Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
2 - Tablespoons - Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 - cup - Tahini (Sesame Paste)
1/4 - cup - Onion
3 - Cloves - Garlic (chopped)
2 - teaspoons - Olive Oil
2 - teaspoons - Cumin (ground)
1/8 - teaspoon - Cayenne (ground)
Sea Salt (to taste)
Directions:
1) Drain chickpeas (reserving 1/4 to 1/2 cup liquid)
2) Combine chickpeas, lemon juice, Tahini, onion, garlic, oil, cumin, pepper, and salt in
a blender or food processor.
3) Puree until smooth, adding liquid if needed to thin puree.
4) Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving to blend flavors.
With hummus, you can experiment with additional ingredients to spice up your recipe. You can use scallions, instead of onions. You can always use extra garlic. One of my favorites is sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Go back to my posting of the spices, and what goes with what. If you like one or two spices more than others, use them. Just remember to adjust the flavors and start small and work your way up. If you use any thing dried, like the sun-dried tomatoes, don’t forget to re-hydrate them before adding them to your recipe. You know what you like.
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Important Info: All of the vegetables used in this recipe should be cut into bite-size pieces. As with any recipe, use you imagination and try other things than what I suggest.
Oven Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients:
2 - Small - Zucchinis
2 - Small - Summer Squash (yellow squash)
1 - Red - Bell Pepper
1 - Yellow - Bell Pepper
1 - Pound - Asparagus (small diameter)
1 - Red - Onion
3 - Tablespoons - Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Directions:
1) Cut up all vegetables.
2) Heat oven to 450 degrees.
3) Place vegetables in a large roasting pan.
4) Toss with oil, salt, and pepper to coat.
5) Spread in a single layer in the pan.
6) Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally; or
until vegetables are lightly browned and tender.
Hints: Yams, Sweet Potatoes, New Red Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips, Fennel, Pearl Onions (whole), any veggie firm enough to stay crisp tender in a hot oven. Enjoy !!!!
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Roasted Eggplants, Onions and Peppers
Ingredients:
1 - Eggplant (peeled, halved, and sliced)
2 - Red - Bell Peppers (cut into thick strips)
1- Green or Yellow - Bell Pepper (cut into thick strips)
1 - Onion (thick sliced)
1/4 - cup - Olive Oil
Fresh Basil
Directions:
1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Place eggplants, peppers, and onions in a non-stick baking dish.
3) Drizzle with oil.
4) Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes; basting often.
5) Arrange vegetables on serving platter.
6) Garnish with fresh basil.
Hint: You can add extras with this dish, too. Try whole cloves of garlic. You might also try fresh oregano with the basil. Yummy!!
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Mock Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 - cups - Cauliflower
1 - ounce - Artificial Butter Spray
1 - ounce - Fat-Free Half & Half
Sea Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Directions:
1) Boil or steam cauliflower until soft; drain.
2) Puree’ cauliflower in food processor; adding butter
spray and half & half.
3) Season with salt and pepper.
You might say, “where’s the mashed potatoes?” Trust me, you won’t miss them, at all. I also use cauliflower to make a “mock” Alfredo sauce. Just substitute fat-free chicken broth for the half and half. Cook up a recipe of whole grain noodles. Drain your noodles and mix together the cauliflower with a little broth and a little “Smart Balance” butter. Mash them together until almost smooth. A few chunks won’t hurt. Put every thing together in the sauce pan you cooked your noodles in. Add fresh grated Parmesan cheese and mix well. You can use this as a side dish or add a little extra Mozzarella and make it a main dish. If you like garlic, add some to zip it up.
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Fish Ka-Bobs or Just Ka-Bobs
Ingredients:
2 - Tablespoons - Olive Oil
2 - Tablespoons - Fresh Lime Juice
1 - Tablespoon - Dijon Style Mustard
1 - Pound - Fresh Halibut, Swordfish, Salmon, or Tuna
1 - Red - Onion (cut into 1/8’s)
1 - Bell Pepper - Red, Yellow, Orange or Green
(seeded and quartered)
8 - Grape Tomatoes, or
4 - Cherry Tomatoes (whole)
Directions:
1) In an 8 X 8 inch baking dish, blend oil, juice, and mustard.
2) Cut fish into 16 - 1 inch cubes.
3) Put fish into marinade and refrigerate (10 minutes)
4) Turn to coat, return to refrigerator.
5) Pre-heat the broiler or grill.
6) Drain fish; reserve marinade.
7) Thread fish and vegetables onto 4 skewers; alternating each.
8) Brush with marinade.
9) Place skewers under broiler or on the grill.
10) Cook about 3 minutes on each side; brushing
with marinade between turns.
11) Broil until fish is done and the veggie are browned and crisp tender.
Needless to say, there are many combinations to this recipe. The most obvious one is to substitute fish for meat. The other possibility is to leave out the fish and meat. Add a few more veggies and spice up the marinade. Try equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar or a raspberry vinaigrette. The sky is truly the limit.
Amah
Next time "Frittatas" and More !!!
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