Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

Deb made this for the January meal exchange. It is something different as far as soup goes (not your usual chicken soup) and it was so flavorful! Here is a quote from the creator of the recipe, "The aroma, color, texture, and combination of flavors make Thai cuisine delicious. The coconut milk gives the soup a creamy, smooth texture. Cook and shred the chicken before you start the recipe. This soup also reheats well."

Yield 7 servings (serving size: 2 cups soup and 1 lime wedge)

Ingredients

4 cups water
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
1 (5 3/4-ounce) package pad thai noodles (wide rice stick noodles)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 small hot red chiles, seeded and chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
7 lime wedges

Preparation

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add spinach and peas to pan; cook for 30 seconds. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Add noodles to pan; cook 3 minutes. Drain; add noodles to spinach mixture in bowl.
2. Heat canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth to pan, and bring to a boil. Add coconut milk to pan; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken, onions, sugar, and fish sauce to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Pour chicken mixture over noodle mixture in bowl. Stir in cilantro and chiles. Serve with lime wedges.

Tina Washburn, San Diego, California, Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2008

Beer-Cheese Spread

Elizabeth just made this for her Keeneland tailgate last weekend and brought some extra to work today - it was delicious! Note the good idea of how to use the leftover cheese spread - Grilled Beer Cheese Sandwiches. We just had it with celery and carrots!

Yield Makes 5 cups
Ingredients



1 (2-lb.) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (12-oz.) bottle amber beer, at room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: thyme sprig



Preparation



1. Beat together first 5 ingredients at low speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until blended. Gradually add beer, beating until blended after each addition. Beat at medium-high speed 1 minute or until blended and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill 2 hours. Garnish, if desired. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Abita Amber Beer. This spread can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw overnight in refrigerator.



Grilled Beer-Cheese Sandwich: Spread 1 tsp. softened butter evenly on 1 side of 2 bread slices. Place bread slices, buttered sides down, on wax paper. Spread 1/4 cup Beer-Cheese Spread onto 1 side of 1 bread slice. Top with remaining bread slice, buttered side up. Cook sandwich in a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted.



Therese Halaska, Portage, Wisconsin, Southern Living, OCTOBER 2007

Garden-Style Lasagna

This was Deb's contribution to the March meal exchange - I just made this tonight for dinner and it was excellent!

Vegetable lasagna is a crowd-pleaser and a classic make-ahead dish. You can use precut onions, matchstick-cut carrots, and broccoli, in addition to precooked noodles, to speed up preparation. If you make it ahead, let it cool completely, then cover and chill. The next day, heat single servings in the microwave. Freeze leftovers for dinner.

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light, MARCH 2006


Yield 12 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped zucchini (about 8 ounces)
2 cups chopped yellow squash (about 8 ounces)
2 cups thinly sliced carrot (about 8 ounces)
2 cups chopped broccoli (about 6 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
3 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
12 precooked lasagna noodles, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to onion mixture.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrot; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped broccoli; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well to combine.

Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.

Combine cottage cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of cottage cheese mixture (about 1 1/2 cups), half of vegetable mixture (about 2 1/2 cups), and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Mustard Crusted Pork Tenderloin

This recipe is from Susan. She says that it one of her dad's favorites and Conner says it is "awesome"! She said sometimes she uses two pork tenderloins and doubles the recipe to serve more!

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork)

Ingredients

1 (1/2-ounce) slice white bread
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons grated fresh Romano cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Place slice of bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/4 cup. Combine the breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, cheese, and 2 teaspoons thyme in a shallow dish. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Combine Dijon mustard, fennel seeds, and garlic in a small bowl. Rub pork with mustard mixture, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place the pork on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Marge Perry, Cooking Light, JANUARY 2007

Oven-Roasted Leg of Lamb

At the urging of my sister and her boyfriend, who were our Easter dinner guests, I tried to make a leg of lamb. I was pretty impressed with the outcome and will definitely try again. I adjusted this recipe by adding two tablespoons of dijon mustard to the marinade and also 1 teaspoon each of thyme and tarragon. Besides this, I followed the recipe. I made the sauce, but it really isn't necessary because the lamb was very moist and tender.

Cook Time: 3 hours
Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients
1 (6 to 9-pound) leg of lamb, marinated for 24 hours (recipe below)
Marinade
4 large garlic cloves, cut into slivers
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup hot water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup rich chicken stock
2 tablespoons flour mixed with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
With the tip of a small, sharp knife, cut many slits in the skin of the lamb. Insert the garlic slivers into the slits. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, rosemary, and pepper. Brush the lamb generously with this mixture. Place the lamb in a shallow roasting pan. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Cover the remaining basting mixture and set aside.

Uncover lamb and bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Roast the lamb for 1 hour. Drain off any fat that has accumulated in the bottom of the pan. Pour the hot water into the pan. Continue to roast the lamb, basting every 20 minutes, first with the remaining basting sauce, then with the juices that accumulate in the pan. Allow 20 minutes per pound for total roasting time, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the lamb, with out touching fat or bone, registers 140 degrees for rare, 160 degrees for medium, and 170 degrees for well done. Remove lamb from the oven and set aside, lightly covered for about 20 minutes before carving. Skim the fat from the juices in the pan and strain through a fine sieve.

In a skillet heat olive oil over moderate heat and saute shallots until tender. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the strained pan juices and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the half of the butter and flour mixture and simmer until thickened. If necessary whisk in remaining butter and flour mixture. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

Banana-Raspberry Cake with Lemon Frosting

After 40 days of going without desserts, my sister Krista made this for me tonight! It was so yummy - I had two slices!!! The banana makes the cake really moist and the lemon cream cheese frosting is to die for! Thanks so much Krista! Oh and the recipe says optional on the rasberries, but I think that they make the cake!

Yield 14 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

Cake:

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, chilled
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of salt
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare the cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust each pan with 1 1/2 teaspoons flour.
Place granulated sugar and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Lightly spoon 1 3/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk.
Combine buttermilk, banana, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture (mix after each addition just until blended). Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake cake at 350° for 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Peel off wax paper. Cool layers completely on wire rack.
To prepare frosting, combine cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, rind, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and dash of salt in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar; beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat).
Place 1 cake layer on a plate, and spread with 1/3 cup frosting. Arrange raspberries in a single layer over frosting, and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. Garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired.

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2003

Bourbon-Mashed Sweet Potatoes

In the quest to find vegetables Alex will eat, I thought I would try these mashed sweet potatoes. I had to improvise a little because I didn't have all of the ingredients, so I used half and half instead of the heavy cream, honey instead of the molasses and Southern Comfort instead of Bourbon. They still turned out really yummy and I will definitely make them again - they were very easy!

Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 3/4 to 2 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake until tender and starting to ooze sugary syrup, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on their size. Remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.
Cut a slit down each potato and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skins. Add the cream, bourbon, brown sugar, molasses, and salt and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Cover to keep warm, or gently reheat before serving.

Spicy Paella with Chile, Lime, and Cilantro

My sister made this for her boyfriend this week and they thought it was great!

Yield 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups paella and 3 shrimp)

Ingredients

Broth:

1 dried New Mexican or Anaheim chile
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Herb Blend:

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced

Paella:

24 unpeeled large shrimp (about 2 pounds)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 (3.5-ounce) andouille sausages or chicken sausages with habanero chiles and tequila (such as Gerhard's), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
8 lime wedges

Preparation

To prepare the broth, remove stem and seeds from chile. Combine the chile, cumin, cinnamon, and 2 garlic cloves in a food processor; process until minced. Combine chile mixture and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

To prepare herb blend, combine cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and 2 garlic cloves; set aside.

To prepare paella, peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large paella pan or large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from pan. Add shrimp; sauté 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Add bell pepper and onion, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, paprika, salt, and 3 garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, herb blend, sausages, and corn; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Arrange shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture; cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover with a towel, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.

Cooking Light, MAY 2000 Cooking Light, MAY 2000

Bucatini with Sausage and Peas

I just realized that I never posted Holly's recipe from the March meal exchange as I am making it tonight! So sorry Holly! This recipe is from Food and Wine Magazine by Joe Sponzo.

Bucatini is a large, tubular pasta (think spaghetti with a hole in the middle). It’s great with thick sauces, such as this tomato-based one that Sponzo enhances with peas from his garden and wild boar sausage from his local butcher. “It’s a real guy dish and a favorite of Sting’s—when he’s eating meat,” Sponzo says. “Right now he’s macrobiotic.”

Active: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small shallot, minced
2 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
Salt
1 pound bucatini or perciatelli
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons shredded basil

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook over moderately high heat, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
Partially cover the saucepan and cook the tomato sauce over low heat for 30 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes longer. Season with salt.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Add the tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of the grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese and toss over low heat for 2 minutes, until the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Transfer the pasta to bowls, top with the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese and the shredded basil and serve.

Make Ahead

The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Orzo Pasta Salad with Pesto and Tomatoes

I haven't posted anything in a week because I was so sick last week, with no appetite! However, I was craving a pasta salad last night and decided to try something new. I made this up, so you could try this and add other things that sound good to you!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of Orzo (I used whole wheat orzo)
Juice from two lemons
1 tsp lemon zest
2 T prepared pesto
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 cup of feta cheese(I used reduced fat feta)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil for garnish

Directions

Prepare the orzo according to directions. Whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, pesto, salt, pepper and olive oil together in a small bowl. Combine the pasta and "dressing" in a large bowl. Add in feta and tomatoes and top with fresh basil. Best if chilled for a couple of hours before serving.