Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Low Fat Butter Chicken

Low Fat Butter Chicken
By: limecat

This is a very nice chicken dish! You must give it a try if you like the herbs and spices of indian food!

SERVES 4 (change servings and units)

Ingredients

* 800 g skinless chicken breasts
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 1/2 teaspoon ginger, crushed
* 1 teaspoon garlic, crushed
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 teaspoon dried coriander
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin
* 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
* 2 teaspoons chicken stock powder
* 4 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 tablespoon cornflour
* 375 ml evaporated skim milk

Directions

1. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.
2. Coat a large non-stick frypan or wok with cooking spray and saute chicken, onion, garlic (in jar) and ginger (in jar) until the pieces are nearly cooked.
3. Add all the spices and cook for one minute until aromatic, then add stock powder.
4. Add tomato paste (no added salt) and fold through chicken.
5. Blend cornflour with the light evapourated milk then add to the pan, stir continuously mixing well until boiled.
6. Simmer for a little while and serve over basmati rice.



Find this recipe at:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/clqy3t

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

CREAMED CHICKEN OVER BISCUITS

CREAMED CHICKEN OVER BISCUITS
Printed from COOKS.COM

1 pkg. chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen peas and carrots
1-2 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. celery salt
Bisquick biscuits

In large pot combine soup, milk, salts, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add peas and carrots and chicken. Simmer about 15 minutes. Serve over biscuits.

Find this recipe at:
http://tinyurl.com/cjy5nw

STUFFED ITALIAN FRYING PEPPERS

STUFFED ITALIAN FRYING PEPPERS
Printed from COOKS.COM

1 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
2-3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp each oregano and basil (fresh is best - if using dry, reduce amount to 1/4 tsp)
2-3 cloves finely minced garlic.
pinch of rubbed sage
3-4 anchovies (or to taste)
1 green onion or shallot, minced (optional)

Sauté garlic and green onion or a minced shallot, if using, in olive oil, til very lightly browned (A teaspoon of butter may also be added to speed the browning along). Mash the anchovies using a fork, stirring them into the olive oil.

Add parsley and other herbs, heat for 2 minutes. Add bread crumbs, then quickly mix in an egg which has been beaten (using a fork) with a few tablespoons warm water. Another teaspoon of olive oil may be added, if needed, for a smooth mixture.

Add cheese and mix well; stir in enough warm water to make a mix that can be pressed into the center of the peppers which have had their stems removed, and have been seeded and cored.

Saute the peppers in a skillet with 1/4" good olive oil with 3-5 peeled whole cloves garlic; turn the garlic to prevent browning. The garlic should just take on a lightly toasted color and will become soft, at which point it can be mashed into the oil and removed (save for spreading this on Italian bread - good before using for Bruschetta!)

The peppers should begin to blacken/brown on one side; turn them several times to distribute the coloring, keeping them always well coated in olive oil. When they appear to be somewhat tender and have streaks of browning, cover pan for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Serve right away, sprinkled with coarse kosher or sea salt.

Anchovy-stuffed peppers are even better on the grill, where grill marks will provide added appeal and color for an appetizing entree. Be sure to brush frequently with garlic infused olive oil.

These same peppers can be made in a similar way, except they are only cored and seeded, but not stuffed. In this case, they are served drizzled with garlic-mashed olive oil in sandwiches made with crusty Italian bread. (A few caramelized onions can also be added but this somewhat detracts from the focus on the pepper flavor).

Either dish is a good Summer meal, relatively light and doesn't need to be served piping hot. Simply sauteed in olive oil, the plain, unstuffed peppers are very quick and easy to prepare, and also travel well for picnics, or can be made ahead.

Some warehouse Club stores have a new type of miniature sweet pepper in all shades of orange, red, and yellow. They're wonderful for preparing a scaled down version of the anchovy-stuffed peppers, but are a bit sweet for the unstuffed version.

Submitted by: CM

Find this recipe at:
http://tinyurl.com/cjczs3

DUTCH PILSNER

DUTCH PILSNER (HEINEKEN-STYLE)
Printed from COOKS.COM

3 pounds dry plain malt extract
3 pounds pale malted barley
1 ounce Saaz hops (boiling stage)
1 half pounds Cascade hops (boiling stage)
1/2 ounce Saaz hops (finishing stage)
1 teaspoon gypsum
1/4 teaspoon Irish moss
1 - 2 packages lager yeast
1/4 cup corn sugar (for priming before bottling)

The best beers produced are created in small batches by brewery artisans.

Home Brewing can be a rewarding undertaking, capable of producing an excellent quality product rivaling beers produced in high-end breweries, but it involves the procurement of specialized equipment and a basic knowledge of technique. Before embarking on the steps in this recipe, it is recommended that you become familiar with the process. Once you become a proficient home brewer, you will be able to experiment with different barleys and hops to create all kinds of beers from ales to malts.

You will need a thermometer, a beer hydrometer (measures specific gravity, or the thickness of liquids relative to the thickness of water - it allows us to determine the correct amount of sugar to add), a 5-6 foot length of food-safe plastic hose, a 5-10 gallon plastic bucket, 1 fermenter lock device, a fermentation unit (a large glass or plastic 5 gallon bottle fitted with a cork with a hole for the hose will do), new bottle caps and returnable beer bottles (no screw-type bottles) and a bottle capper. You can use the type of beer bottles with a wire bail and rubber ring if you save up enough of these. You'll also need a weak solution of chlorine bleach (2 ounces to 5 gallons of water) for sterilizing your utensils (sterilizing is an important step!). You can obtain all of the required equipment from any good beer or wine making supply catalog. For your first home brewing attempts, you may even want to purchase a kit.

Bring 2 1/2 quarts of water to a temperature of 130°F. Dissolve the gypsum in the warm water. After the barley has been crushed well, stir it into the water.

Allow the temperature to drop to 120°F. keep at this temperature for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Bring heat to 130°F and add 1 1/2 quarts boiling water. Temperature should be at 150°F. Hold at this temperature (149 to 152°F) for 10 minutes. Raise the temperature to 158°F and hold for 20 minutes.

The conversion stage should be complete at this point but you may want to do an iodine test to determine for sure. If conversion is not complete, continue to mash for up to 20 additional minutes.

In a lauter-tun, sparge the mash with 1 gallon water at 170°F. Boil the sweet wort, add boiling hops and malt extract. Continue boiling and stirring occasionally for one hour. Stir in Irish moss and the finishing hops at the last five minutes of boiling.

Sparge into the fermenter with two and half gallons of cold water. When cool (below 78°F), use the hydrometer to measure the specific gravity, which should read somewhere between 1.035 - 1.042, then add the yeast. Discard the sample you took for this measurement - do not return to batch.

Ferment the brew in the sterilized fermentation unit at a temperature of between 60 to 75°F. Leave the hose in the bottle (feed it through the center of the cork) for 2-3 days. After this, replace the hose with the fermentation lock (be sure to fill the fermentation lock with about 1/4 inch of water to make it air-tight). Beer will become darker as the fermentation progresses. This is to be expected.

The mixture is ready to bottle when fermentation is complete. The fermentation process will take eight to fourteen days to run its course. When successive readings with the hydrometer remain unchanged for 2-3 days, fermentation is likely to have stopped.

Fermentation is complete when the hydrometer readings have stabilized with a reading which should measure in the range of 1.005 to 1.020 or slightly above for heavier malt-style beers.

For each 5 gallons of beer to bottle, boil 3/4 cup corn sugar in 16 ounces of water for 5-7 minutes, stirring until dissolved. This is your "priming sugar" which will be added to the brew just before bottling. Once the fermentation process has completed, little sugar remains in the brew, since it has mostly been digested by the yeast. The addition of priming sugar prior to bottling adds enough food for the still-living yeast to give the bottled brew the correct amount of carbonation. But be forewarned; adding too much sugar at this stage may cause exploding bottles! Never exceed one cup of sugar per 5 gallons of water! As an alternative, older methods of priming the beer before bottling called for adding 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar to each bottle before capping. This method is still a good one if consistency is observed, but otherwise can result in variable levels of carbonation in a batch.

Using sterilized equipment, bottles, and caps, siphon the beer into the bottles and cap them. Label the bottles and store in a cool dark place between 55°F and 75°F and allow to age (lager) for at least two weeks, but not longer than 3-4 weeks for best flavor.

Serve icy cold in frosty steins and appreciate the rewards of your unique creation!

Submitted by: CM

Find this recipe at:
http://tinyurl.com/c4558q

IRISH SODA BREAD

IRISH SODA BREAD
Printed from COOKS.COM

1 lb (450g) wholemeal flour
4oz (110g) plain flour
2oz (50g) rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 quarters of a pint (450ml) buttermilk

Combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add enough buttermilk to form a soft dough and turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead the dough very lightly and do not overwork or bread will develop gluten and become tough.

Shape into a large round and place on a greased baking tray. Cut a deep cross in the top of the round.

Bake at 450F/230C for 8-15 minutes. reduce temperature to 400F/200C for 20-25 minutes until load sounds hollow when tapped underneath.

Eat whilst still warm!

This recipe comes to us at Cooks.com courtesy of Sorcha, a friend in Wales.

Submitted by: CM

Find this recipe at:
http://tinyurl.com/rvz4z

Chile Con Queso [Diabetic]

Chile Con Queso
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

* 1 (28 ounce) can low-sodium whole tomatoes in juice
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 3/4 teaspoon ground ancho chile powder
* 3/4 teaspoon chile powder
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 (15 ounce) can black beans with juice
* 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
* 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
* 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
* 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the tomatoes, garlic, onion, ancho chile powder, chile powder, and cumin, stirring occasionally, until mixture starts to thicken, 8 -10 minutes.
2. Turn the heat to low and add the beans, chiles, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and the vinegar; cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese.
3. Place in a serving dish or in individual bowls; top with the cilantro and remaining parsley.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories: 144
Protein: 8 g
Sodium: 441 mg
Cholesterol: 8 mg
Fat: 3 g
Dietary Fiber: 7 g
Sugars: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 21 g
Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

Source: Forbidden Foods Diabetic Cooking
Author: Maggie Powers, Joyce Hendley

Find this recipe at:
http://www.diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/623.shtml

Blood Orange, Avocado, and Fennel Salad [Diabetic]

Blood Orange, Avocado, and Fennel Salad
Yield: 6 servings


Ingredients

* 4 blood oranges
* 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
* 3 ripe Hass avocados
* 2 fennel bulbs
* Juice of 1 lemon
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. With a sharp knife, cut 1/4 inch off the top and bottom of each orange. Set the oranges on a flat surface and remove the skin and pit in strips, following the curvature of the fruit. Slice the oranges into 1/4-inch pieces. Lay the slices in a single layer on a large platter and sprinkle them with salt.
2. Halve the avocados and remove the pits with a knife. Spoon out chunks of avocado, season them with salt, and place them over the orange slices.
3. Remove the outer layers of the fennel and slice the bulbs thinly. Place the slices in a large bowl and season them with salt. Pour the lemon juice over the fennel and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss the fennel and place it over the orange slices.
4. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil remaining at the bottom of the bowl over the whole salad. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories: 251
Protein: 4 g
Sodium: 428 mg
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Fat: 17 g
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Exchanges: 2 Vegetable, 1 Fruit, 3 Fat

Source: Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies

Find this recipe at:
http://www.diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/621.shtml

Green Bean Casserole [Diabetic]

Green Bean Casserole
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons canola oil
* 1 large onion, thinly sliced
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 3-1/4 cups sliced mushrooms
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 (16 ounce) can low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
* 3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
* Fresh ground black pepper to taste
* 1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
* 1 pound frozen green beans, or 4 cups lightly steamed green beans

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over low heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Set aside. (This step may be done up to 2 days in advance; store, covered, in the refrigerator.)
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
3. In a large nonstick saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic; continue cooking until the mushrooms release their juices, about 4 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms. Cook, stirring, 2-3 minutes, then gradually stir in the broth. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and nutmeg; simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the sour cream, season with pepper, and remove the bay leaf. Set aside.
5. In a small bowl, combine the reserved onion topping with the cornflake crumbs, coating thoroughly.
6. In a 2-quart baking dish, add green beans. Top with the sauce, then evenly scatter the onion mixture on top. Bake until bubbling, 20-25 minutes.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories: 155
Protein: 7 g
Sodium: 268 mg
Cholesterol: 10 mg
Fat: 5 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Sugars: 9 g
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

Source: Forbidden Foods Diabetic Cooking
Author: Maggie Powers, Joyce Hendley

Find this recipe at:
http://www.diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/620.shtml

Chile Con Queso [Diabetic]

Chile Con Queso
Ingredients

* 1 (28 ounce) can low-sodium whole tomatoes in juice
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 3/4 teaspoon ground ancho chile powder
* 3/4 teaspoon chile powder
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 (15 ounce) can black beans with juice
* 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
* 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
* 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
* 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the tomatoes, garlic, onion, ancho chile powder, chile powder, and cumin, stirring occasionally, until mixture starts to thicken, 8 -10 minutes.
2. Turn the heat to low and add the beans, chiles, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and the vinegar; cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese.
3. Place in a serving dish or in individual bowls; top with the cilantro and remaining parsley.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories: 144
Protein: 8 g
Sodium: 441 mg
Cholesterol: 8 mg
Fat: 3 g
Dietary Fiber: 7 g
Sugars: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 21 g
Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

Source: Forbidden Foods Diabetic Cooking
Author: Maggie Powers, Joyce Hendley

Find this recipe at:
http://tinyurl.com/asxh8t

Monday, February 23, 2009

Pickled Broccoli Stems

Pickled Broccoli Stems

Kids and adults love these crunchy, garlicky pickles. One of my signature dishes, these are always on my coffee table for dinner guests to snack on because my son eats broccoli several times a week, and this is the perfect destination for the stems. If you buy your broccoli with the stems attached (as opposed to the crowns only), you'll now feel like you're getting a lot for your money.

This series offers recipes with an eye towards empowering you to cook healthy meals every day. Produce, seasonal and locally grown when possible, and a well-stocked pantry are the linchpins of a good diet, and accordingly, each week's recipes will revolve around a particular type of produce or a pantry item. This is food that is vibrant and light, full of nutrients but by no means ascetic, fun to cook and a pleasure to eat.
See previous recipes »
Related
Recipes for Health: Broccoli Takes Center Stage (February 2, 2009)

3 or 4 broccoli stems (from one bunch)
1/2 teaspoon salt, preferably kosher salt
1 medium size garlic clove, minced or pureed
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Peel the broccoli stems and cut, either crosswise into 1/4 inch thick medallions, or lengthwise in 1/4 inch thick slices (as pictured above) Place in a jar, add the salt, cover tightly and shake the jar to toss the stems with the salt. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

2. Drain the water that has accumulated in the jar. Add the garlic, vinegar, and olive oil and toss together. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve with toothpicks.

Yield: Makes about 1/2 cup

Advance preparation: These are best served within a day, so that the green color doesn't fade.

Find this recipe at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/health/nutrition/03recipehealth.html

http://tinyurl.com/bpdp4e