Some Like it Tart

You know how it goes when it comes down to the decision of what to make for dinner. There is the easy option, quick and uninspiring leftovers, take out, or PB& J, or their is the longer drawn out version, the meal you actually planned out for the week, which involves prep time, physical labor, and no immediate gratification. The latter is always the more rewarding route as it usually tastes better, fresher, leaves you feeling more healthy and satisfied, and responsibly uses up your ingredients before they go bad. But it does require an investment of time up front. Tonight we decided to choose the latter, and we were no less than glad we did. Not only did we have an awesome time making it, but it was delicious and now I have two new recipes to add to my repertoire. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Scallops with Chipotle Orange Sauce, served up with a side of Vegetable-Goat Cheese Tart.

Cooks Notes - for the Scallops we just used a bag of the Frozen Scallops from Trader Joes defrosted under cold running water. The sauce is excellent and this recipe could be further improved by serving over a bed of rice, or with a side of bread to add a little texture and further soak up the juices. We added extra chipotle chilies since we like ours spicy. Additionally, the Vegetable Goat Cheese Tart is a substantial meal in and of itself and could easily serve as a vegetarian friendly main dish.








Scallops with Chipotle-Orange Sauce


Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapeños that are often canned in sauce; use more or less than we call for here, depending on your tolerance for heat. A preheated pan is essential for good browning, so heat your pan while you prep the ingredients.


2 tablespoons butter, divided
Cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds large sea scallops
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops with paprika and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan, and keep warm.

Add orange juice and chile to the pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 1 minute). Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1/8 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Serve the sauce with scallops, and garnish with the onions.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 4 1/2 ounces scallops, about 1 tablespoon sauce, and 1 tablespoon onions)

CALORIES 218 (29% from fat); FAT 7.1g (sat 3.7g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.7g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 72mg; CALCIUM 47mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.1g; SODIUM 488mg; PROTEIN 28.9g; FIBER 0.4g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2003

Vegetable Goat-Cheese Tart


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Preparation Time: 40 minutes minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes minutes

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 small bay leaf
1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into thin slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into slivers
4 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces soft goat cheese
9-inch ready-to-use piecrust, partially baked (follow label directions)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon olive oil

Over medium-low heat, add the oil to a large skillet with the onion, garlic, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the eggplant has softened. Stir in the zucchini, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the basil and a few grinds of pepper to taste.

Spread goat cheese piecrust. Top with the vegetables, sprinkle Parmesan, and drizzle olive oil. Bake in a 350º F preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the Parmesan is golden and the tart is heated through.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 524 (1% from fat); FAT 38g (sat 13g); CHOLESTEROL 32mg; CALCIUM 200mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31g; SODIUM 1100mg; PROTEIN 17mg; FIBER 6g; IRON 3mg

Real Simple, FEBRUARY 2003

Cooking Light Night #10

I've been watching a lot of the show Biggest Loser lately. It is a really interesting and motivating show. I never thought I would learn as much as I have about living a healthy lifestyle. I've learned so many new exercises, tips, etc. But the one thing I am continually reminded of is how important it is to eat healthy and balanced foods to give your body the nutrients it needs to endure your workouts, build muscle, and maintain a healthy heart. Last night I came home from work, ran three and a half miles on the treadmill, did a 20 minute strength training workout on Exercise TV, and then made this tasty and hearty meal. I used smoked chicken Andouille sausage from Trader Joes and grilled chopped chicken breast instead of turkey. It was a fun and easy recipe with good flavoring and a nice kick of heat from the spicy sausage. I served with steamed broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower. And I'm really looking forward to the leftovers for lunch today!

Turkey Jambalaya

Andouille sausage adds a kick to the Cajun classic from Louisiana. Rice and shredded turkey absorb a flavorful mixture of tomatoes and spices until they're bursting with flavor.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups shredded cooked turkey

6 ounces andouille sausage, chopped

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in bell peppers and next 5 ingredients (bell peppers through black pepper); sauté 1 minute. Add rice; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add turkey and sausage; cover and cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup) CALORIES 249 (27% from fat); FAT 7.6g (sat 2.4g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.3g); IRON 2.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 42mg; CALCIUM 37mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27.4g; SODIUM 523mg; PROTEIN 17.3g; FIBER 2.7g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2001

A week of new dinners

Last week was ambitious week, we had a new dinner recipe for each night of the week, so here's a few of them.

The first one, Brown Rice Risotto with Lamb, we actually didn't follow the directions - we used beef (from Trader Joes) instead of lamb, chicken broth instead of vegetable juice, rosemary and thyme insted of curry powder... but our substitutions worked out well and the original recipe still looks very tasty.

Brown Rice Risotto with Lamb

Ingredients

• 1 2- to 2-1/2-pound (boneless) lamb shoulder roast
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2-1/2 cups hot-style vegetable juice
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper

1, Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cocker. Coat an unheated large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat skillet over medium heat. Cook meat in hot skillet until browned, turning to brown evenly. Drain off fat. In the slow cooker, combine vegetable juice, uncooked brown rice, curry powder, and salt. Top with carrots. Place meat on carrots.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 4-1/2 hours.
3. Add the sweet pepper to slow cooker. Cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes or until sweet pepper is tender. Makes 8 servings.

From Better Homes and Gardens, http://www.bhg.com/

Crunchy Apple Salsa with Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

Salsa

• 2 cups chopped, cored Gala apples
• 1 Anaheim chili pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• salt and black pepper

Grilled Chicken

• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts

To prepare salsa, in a medium bowl combine apples, chili pepper, onion (I used white onion), lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the salsa mixture and set it aside while preparing chicken. (Salsa can be made ahead, several hours or a day, just refrigerate the salsa).

To prepare the grilled chicken, in a large bowl combine white wine, apple juice, lime zest, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn the chicken to coat it on all sides with the mixture. Cover the chicken and refrigerate it for 30 to 40 minutes.

Heat grill. Drain the chicken and discard the chicken marinade. Grill chicken until it is cooked through, serve with salsa and that bottle of wine you opened to make the marinade.

Recipe From the Heart of Washington, I found it in my magazine from the local hospital ... :)

Fried-rice jambalaya

Ingredients

• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 pound dry (cooked) chorizo sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

In a large saucepan, combine rice, 3 cups of water, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes (or depending or your rice's cooking directions). Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the sausage, peas, paprika, pepper, remaining salt, and cooked rice. Heat through, 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring. Sprinkle with the scallions, if desired. Serve hot.

We couldn't find cooked chorizo, so we used salami instead, but basically any leftover meat or chicken breast can be thrown as replacement for the chorizo. The recipes serves 4 as in 4 pretty hungry adults, because we had leftovers enough for another dinner a day later.

The recipe is from Real Simple, as is the next one, which we served with the jambalaya.

Rosemary Corn Bread

• 2 8 1/2-ounces boxes corn-bread mix
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 8-ounce container plain yogurt
• 2 7-ounce cans whole-kernel corn, drained
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary leaves

Heat oven to 400 F. Lightly coat a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. Stir all the ingredients together. Spoon the batter into the pan. Bake 25 minutes or just until golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool, when cool cut into pieces.

This recipe serves 24, so I only made half as much in a square 8-by-8-inch pan. I loved the corn kernels in this bread and may actually have found my first contribution to the Thanksgiving dinners.

And if you aren't hungry now, I don't really know what to tell you ... all yummy dinners, all of them pretty quick to make and the stew simmering for nine hours sure made the kitchen smell nice all day long.

So hot my lips went numb!

Sunday night I made Greek Turkey Burgers and after I was done I saw next to it this recipe for Pulled Chicken Sandwiches. Even though it called for Serrano Peppers (which sounded horribly spicey and wound up calling Cindy from the grocery store because I had never heard of them) I thought it looked like a great recipe to make quickly after getting home from a long day's work. Matt gobbled them up. Yes, my lips went numb (and I used jalepenos, significantly less spicey than Serranos) and could only eat half. Be warned, non lovers of spice!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
(from Better Homes and Gardens)
http://www.bhg.com/recipes/recipedetail.jsp?recipeId=R100186

Spicey lovers rating: 5 wooden spoons
Non-spicey lovers rating: a metal lid (be sure to have a tall glass of milk nearby)

Ingredients:

* 1 2- to 2-1/4-pound deli-roasted chicken
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
* 1/3 cup cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
* 1/2 cup tomato sauce
* 3 to 4 tablespoons seeded and finely chopped fresh red and/or green hot chili peppers
* 2 tablespoons snipped fresh thyme
* 2 tablespoons molasses
* 2 tablespoons water
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 4 sandwich buns, split
* Bread-and-butter pickle slices

Directions:

1. Remove meat from chicken (discard skin and bones). Use two forks or your fingers to pull meat into shreds.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally to separate into rings. Add vinegar; cook and stir 1 minute more.

3. Stir in tomato sauce, chile peppers, thyme, molasses, water, and salt. Bring to boiling. Add the chicken; tossing gently to coat. Heat through. Serve on rolls with pickle slices. Makes 6 sandwiches.