chicken and white bean soup with greens

from health.com

1 T olive oil

2-3 thinly sliced leeks, white parts only

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 c carrot, cut into 1/4" thick slices

6 c low sodium low fat chicken broth

1 1/2 c shredded rotisserie chicken

1 fresh rosemary sprig

1 19oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 c packed roughly chopped fresh kale

1 c packed baby spinach

1 T chopped fresh parsley

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, 3-4 minutes or until tender but not browned. Add carrots and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add broth, chicken and rosemary and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beans and kale, and simmer for about 5 minutes more. Add spinach and cook 2-3 minutes more or until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove rosemary sprig (and garlic cloves, if desired). Ladle soup into 6 warm bowls; sprinkle each with fresh parsley.

6 servings, 209 cals, 6 g fat, 20 g protein, 21 g carbs, 5 g fiber

oriental chicken salad

this is our attempt to recreate the chinese chicken salad from california pizza kitchen

chicken:

1/4 c teriyaki sauce

2 t olive oil

1 t minced garlic

1 t minced fresh ginger

1 to 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

salad:

greenleaf or iceberg lettuce, washed, dried, and cut into 1/8"-wide strips

romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and cut into 1/8"-wide strips

1 c shredded carrots

1/3 c sesame seeds, toasted

1/3 c minced fresh cilantro

1 red or yellow bell pepper, julienned

1 cucumber, seeds scooped out and julienned

12 large fresh basil leaves, cut crosswise into thin strips

1 large bunch scallions, thinly sliced, both green and white parts

dressing:

1 c bottle hoisin sauce

3 oz red wine vinegar

2 T minced fresh ginger

2 T Dijon mustard

1 1/2 t Vietnamese chili sauce

1/2 c olive oil

2 T toasted sesame oil

Put all the dressing ingredients except the 2 oils in a mixing bowl. Blend thoroughly with a handheld electric mixer or a whisk. Then, mixing or whisking continuously, slowly pour in the olive an sesame oils, stirring until thoroughly blended. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Preheat a stovetop grill or the broiler. In a mixing bowl, stir together the teriyaki sauce, olive oil, garlic and ginger. Coat the chicken with the marinade and leave them to sit for 10 minutes at room temperature. Grill or broil the chicken until cooked through, 5-6 minutes per side. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, then cut crosswise into 1/4" strips. Cover and refrigerate.

Combine lettuces, carrots, peppers, cucumbers, toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, and basil. Add most of scallions and some dressing. Toss to combine. Transfer to serving plates. Arrange chicken strips on top of each salad. Drizzle a little salad dressing on top and garnish with remaining scallions.

French Tuna Salad

(From the New York Times Magazine 9/5/04)

10 to 12 ounces good-quality solid tuna packed in olive oil, well drained
2 scallions washed, trimmed and chopped fine
6 pepperoncini peppers, destemmed and julienned
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup roasted or smoked almonds, chopped roughly, or a small handful toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup good-quality olive oil (or the oil the tuna was packed in)
1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or more to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Mix all the ingredients well with a fork in a medium-size, nonreactive bowl. Taste and adjust the lemon juice and pepper. The salad can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated.

Yield: About 2 cups.

chicken broccoli ziti skillet dinner

from America's Test Kitchen

cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces on the diagonal, season with salt and pepper.

heat a tablespoon of veg oil in a large nonstick skillet, when pan is hot add chicken, leave for a few minutes to brown on one side, then stir to cook other sides.

mince half a large onion and three cloves of garlic. when chicken is mostly cooked, remove it, add another tablespoon of oil, the onion, and 1/2 t salt. cook for 3-5 minutes until onion begins to soften, then add 3 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 t oregano, 1/8 t red pepper flakes, 8 oz ziti, 1 can low sodium chicken broth (1 3/4 c), 2 c water. turn up heat to high and simmer uncovered.

meanwhile cut broccoli into evenly sized bite sized florets. rinse 3-4 oil packed sun dried tomatoes, then chop them finely.

once liquid is almost completely absorbed, add 3/4 c water, the broccoli florets, and the sun dried tomatoes. cover and steam for 2-3 minutes.

meanwhile, shred 1/2-3/4 c asiago cheese. uncover skillet, add the chicken, 1/2 c heavy cream and the shredded cheese, and simmer for a minute or two until the sauce starts to thicken. serve with a little shredded asiago on top.

brown rice crispy bars

adapted from Alton Brown

3 oz puffed brown rice

3 T flax seed oil, plus extra for the pan

1 T honey

7 oz mini-marshmallows

3 oz toasted slivered almonds

4 oz dried chopped fruit (cranberries and cherries)

Lightly coat the inside of a 13x9x2" metal pan wiht oil and set aside. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Spread the brown puffed rice evenly on a sheet pan. Toast in the oven for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the rice is toasting, prepare the marshmallow mixture. Place the oil, honey, and marshmallows in a large mixing bowl set over a port of gently simmering water. Stir until the marshmallows are melted, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

Once the marshmallows are melted, quickly add the toasted brown rice, almonds, and fruit; stir to combine. Coat your hands or a spatula with oil and spreadh the mixture evenly in the pan. Once the mixture has cooled completely, cut into squares and store in an airtight container for a few days.

ginger-infused rice pudding

makes 10 small servings

syrup

1/2 c water

2/3 c cup plus 2 T brown sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar

pudding

3 T grated peeled fresh ginger

3 c low-fat milk, divided

3 c plain soy milk

1 c short-grain rice

1/4 c heavy cream

sliced fresh strawberries and crystallized ginger, for garnish

To make the syrup, combine water and sugars in a medium saucepain. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Turn heat to low, stir and simmer about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Combine milk, soy milk, and ginger in a large saucepain. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Occasionally skim top. Pour milk/ginger mixture through a sieve to separate out ginger.

Stir rice and syrup into milk (you may not want all the syrup if you don't want it quite as sweet). Cook on high until mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, until pudding thickens and rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Add heavy cream.

Spoon pudding into each of 10 cups, topping each with strawberry slices and ginger, if desired.

bistro steak with garlic & olive oil mashed potatoes

using rinse and pat steaks dry on paper towels. season liberally with salt and pepper. place on baking rack set on jellyroll pan and put in 275 degree oven for around 20-30 minutes until internal temperature is 90-95 degrees.

wash 2 pounds of russet potatoes. do not peel or cut out bad spots (you will do this later) put them in a pot and add cold water to cover by about 1". bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

while potatoes are cooking:
put 4 oz olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. mince/press 5 cloves of garlic into oil. cook until garlic is golden. meanwhile, put 6 oz of olive oil in a medium bowl. mince/press one clove of garlic onto a cutting board, then sprinkle a bit of salt on and smear with the side of a knife to make a paste. add that paste to the uncooked oil.

after about 5 minutes of cooking, the garlic/oil mixture on the stove should be ready. add to the fresh garlic/oil mixture. add a squeeze of lemon, a teaspoon of kosher salt and mix.

as potatoes finish (a knife should pierce very easily), remove them from the oil. hold the potato in a towel, and remove the peel with a knife. mash into a large bowl using a potato ricer. repeat until all potatoes are cooked, peeled, and mashed. stir in garlic/olive oil mixture.

unless serving immediately, keep potatoes warm by making a double boiler by turning the cooking water to a very low temperature, and placing the plastic-wrapped bowl on top.

put a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a 12" skillet and heat until oil is shimmering. add the steaks, spacing them evenly. steaks will start to smoke quickly. after 60-120 seconds, depending on thickness, the steaks should be ready to flip. after another 45-90 seconds, they should be done (120-125 degrees internally for rareish). remove from the pan and set on clean rack. brown the sides by turning the pan down to medium heat, and using tongs to hold the steaks to the pan, rotating a few times until all sides are evenly browned.

to make a pan sauce, pour the grease out of the skillet, but do not scrape bottom. add a little vegetable oil and 8 oz of mushrooms and let wilt for about five minutes over medium heat. meanwhile, mince a shallot finely. while mushrooms are golden, add shallots and saute until softened. add 1/2 c chicken broth, 1 c red wine and bring to a simmer. cook for about 6 minutes until the liquid is a little syrupy. add a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar, a couple tablespoons of dijon mustard, chopped fresh chives. then whisk in a couple tablespoons of cold butter; sauce should be glossy and somewhat thickened. stir in any juice from the dripping pan.

Cream of Avocado Soup

1 T unsalted butter
1 very small onion, chopped (about 1/3 c)
2 t peeled finely chopped fresh ginger root
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, scooped out
¼ c fresh basil leaves
¼ c fresh cilantro leaves
¼ to 1/3 c heavy cream
¼ to 1/3 c fresh lime juice
3 ½ c ice water
salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper to taste

Place small pan over med low heat; when hot, add butter. When butter is melted, add onion, ginger, garlic, cook til golden. Cool for at least 5 minutes.

Place the avocados, basil, cilantro, cream, and lime juice in a blender and blend until pureed. Gradually, while the machine is running, add the water and reserved onion mixture and blend until completely smooth. Add seasonings to taste.

Transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Garnish with basil and cilantro.

cheese straws

recipe #1

Into the food processor put 4 oz. grated extra-sharp cheddar, 4 Tbs softened unsalted butter, 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes and pulse until it resembles coarse meal. Then add 1 Tbs half and half and process until it forms a ball.

Now you roll it out into a 8 X 10 inch rectangle on a floured surface.

After that, you cut the dough into long, tin strips 1/4 top 1/3 inch wide. Place on a cookie sheet 1/4 inch apart:

Then bake 12 to 15 minutes in a 350 oven until the ends are barely browned. Take out, cool and eat!

recipe #2:

from the NY Times

Time: 20 minutes

½ pound Cheddar or other hard, flavorful cheese
1/3 pound Parmesan cheese
2 cups (about 9 ounces) all-purpose flour
Pinch cayenne
8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into chunks, plus a little more for greasing the baking sheet
Few drops ice water, if necessary
Coarse salt (optional).

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grate cheese by hand or in food processor and place in bowl. Pulse flour and cayenne in processor. Add butter and process until butter and flour are combined. Pulse in cheese.

2. Turn out onto counter or cutting board and knead by hand, adding a few drops of ice water if necessary. (You may wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 days, taking it out for about a half hour before proceeding.)

3. Roll out into a rectangle about ¼-inch thick, on a lightly floured surface or between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, then cut into ½-inch-wide strips as long as you like. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and sprinkle with salt, if using. Bake until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Yield: At least 10 servings.

Espinacas con garbanzos

adapted only slightly from one of my favorite food blogs, Lobstersquad

1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup tomato sauce ( tomate frito, without corn syrup or dubious stuff, please. Just add a bit of sugar if you like) - I used most of a can of muir glen organic whole tomatoes, whizzed around in my food processor until sauce-like
1/2 tsp of cumin, or to taste
400 gr. fresh spinach
1 can chickpeas, drained
sherry vinegar
Tabasco or dried chili
salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice

In a biggish pan hat has a good lid, sautee the onion in olive oil, and when it´s transparent, add the minced garlic and cumin. Let it cook for a minute, until it´s fragrant.
Now add the spinach, tomato, and drained chickpeas.This is a messy procedure, as the spinach takes up a lot of room, but it will collapse quickly, so just move it around, clamp the lid, and after a minute, shake it around. The idea is that the liquid the spinach gives out is soaked up by the chickpeas, so there´s no sogginess. In no more than five minutes, it will be dark green and soft, but very juicy. Taste for salt and cumin, add a splash of Tabasco, vinegar or a squirt of lemon juice, and you´re in business.
It tastes better lukewarm, so try not to be greedy.