Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Zesty Three Beans Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups Frozen Edamame (shelled)
15 oz can Red Kidney Beans (rinsed and drained)
15 oz can Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas-rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion
1/2 cup Fresh Snipped Cilantro
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Finely Shredded Lime Peel
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1/2 tsp Salt

Directions:
Cook edamame according to package directions; drain in colander. Rinse with cold water and drain again. In large bowl combine edamame, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, red onion and cilantro. In small bowl whisk together oil, lime peel, lime juice and salt. Pour lime mixture over bean mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Stir well before serving.

Beef and Bulgur Soup with Chickpeas

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp Cumin Seed
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Garam Marsala
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp Ground Tumeric
1/4-1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 lb Beef Stew Meat (cut into 1-inch pieces)
3 Medium Onions (chopped)
3-14oz Cans Low Sodium Beef Broth
1-14.5oz Can No Salt Added Stewed Tomatoes (undrained and cut-up)
1-15oz Can Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas-rinsed and drained)
1 cup Bulgar, Cracked Wheat, or Quick Cooking Barley
2 Medium Carrots (thinly sliced)
3 Tbsp Snipped Fresh Parsley

Directions:
In a 5-6 quart Dutch oven heat oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds; cook and stir for 10 seconds. Add salt, garam marsala, ginger, garlic, tumeric, and cayenne pepper; cook and stir for 15 seconds (watch closely to avoid burning). Add half of the meat and half on the onions; cook and stir until meat in browned. Remove from Dutch oven. Repeat with remaining meat and onions, adding more oil if needed. Return all the meat and onions to Dutch oven. Stir in broth and undrained tomatoes. bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans, bulgar and carrots. Return to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer covered for 20-25 minutes more until meat, vegetables and bulgar are tender, stirring occasionally. Before serving, stir in parsley. Makes 8 servings.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Lemon-Yogurt Snack Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
3 Tbsp Cornmeal
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Poppy Seeds
3/4 cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Grated Lemon Zest
1/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 cup Plain Lowfat Yogurt
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil (consider Smart Balance)
1 Large Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan. In a bowl, sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in poppy seeds. In second bowl, whisk together sugar, lemon zest and juice, yogurt, oil, egg and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into yogurt mixture until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Transfer cake to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes, then turn out of pan onto rack and let cool completely.



Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas

Ingredients:
1- 15.5oz Can Black Beans (rinsed and drained)
1 1/2 cup Frozen Corn Kernels (thawed)
1 Tbsp Canola Oil (consider Smart Balance)
1 Small Onion (chopped)
1 Jalapeno (seeded and finely chopped)
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
6 oz Pepper Jack Cheese (shredded)
Salt and Pepper
8-8inch Flour Tortillas (consider Mission Carb Balance)

Directions:
In a bowl, coarsely mashed beans with potato masher. Warm a large skillet over med-high heat; add corn and cook for 3-4 minutes, strirring occasionally, until corn begins to brown. Add corn to bowl with beans. In same skillet, warm oil. Add onion and jalapeno and saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Stir mixture into bowl with beans and corn. Let mixture cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. When cool, stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 200F. Spread a tortilla out on a work surface and spread a 1/2 cup portion of bean mixture over half. Fold tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas and bean mixture. Warm a skillet over med-high heat. Cook as many tortialls as fit in the skillet, 3 minutes, then flip quesadillas and cook until golden brown and crispy and cheese is melting, 2-3 minutes longer. Place quesadillas on a baking sheet and keep warm in oven while you cook the remaining quesadillas. Cut into wedges and serve with a side of salsa or pico de gallo.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Roasted Shrimp with Tomatoes

Ingredients:
2- 14.5oz cans Diced Tomatoes
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper
1 1/2 lb Medium Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp Dried Oregano
4 oz Crumbled Goat Cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drain tomatoes, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine tomatoes, reserved juice, oil and garlic in 8-inch square glass baking dish. Season with Salt and Pepper. Bake until tomatoes are bubbling, about 15 minutes. Stir shrimp and oregano into tomatoes. Sprinkle goat cheese on top. Return to oven and bake until shrimp are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.



Chicken, Snow Pea and Cashew Fried Rice

Ingredients:
1 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, sliced thin
1/4 cup Teriyaki Sauce
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Scallions, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, finely chopped
8 oz Snow Peas, trimmed
1/4 cup Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
4 cups Cooked Brown or White Rice
2-3 Tbsp Chopped Roasted Cashews

Directions:
Combine chicken and 2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce in bowl and set aside. Warm 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in a wok or non-stick skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to clean bowl. Add scallions, garlic, ginger and remaining oil to wok or skillet and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add snow peas and chicken broth, cover and cook until tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in rice, chicken and remaining 2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce and cook, strring, until rice is heated through, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle cashews on top and serve immediately.

Chinese Pepper Steak

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb Sirloin Steak
1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Sugar
2 Large Tomatoes (optional)
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1 Large Green Pepper
1 Large Red Pepper
1/2 Small Sweet Onion
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 tsp Chopped Garlic
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
1 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce

Directions:
Slice beef into very thin strips. Pour 1/2 cup soy sauce and sugar over meat and marinade for 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, slice peppers into thin strips and tomatoes (optional) into cubes. Once marinade is complete, heat oil in skillet and add garlic and ginger. Heat for 1 minute. Then add meat and its marinade and saute for 6 minutes. Add tomatoes, onion and peppers and saute for another 3-5 minutes. Add cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp soy sauce to skillet. Gentle stir for another minute or so. Serve over brown rice or chinese noodles.