Tabbouleh - now there's a mouthful of vowels. I made this one to be scooped up like a dip, chips-and-salsa style. Unfortunately, after mathing out all the calories between the tabbouleh and the pita chips, it turned out to be a bit heavy on calories and not quite filling enough to make a full meal out of it. It's great for snacking though, and travels well, so I have yet another picnic dish.
Mats
1/8c olive oil
1/2c millet
1 tomato, diced
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 bunch green onions (about 10), diced
1/4c cilantro, diced
1/4c lime juice
Pita chips for dipping
In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add the dry millet and roast, stirring often for about 4 minutes. The millet will begin to turn a nice toasted brown.
Add 3c water to the millet, cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and dice the cucumber, dice the tomato, green onions and cilantro and put them in a bowl. with the lime juice and 1/8c olive oil.
When the millet is done (it will be very soupy), drain it over the sink in a colander and rinse it with cold water. This stops it from cooking and cools it down.
Squeeze the cold rinse water out of the millet and add it to you vegetable bowl.
Stir well and serve with pita chips to be used as edible utensils
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Cream of Crab soup
So most of my entries are healthy things I make regularly for dinner. This one is not. This is a terribly unhealthy and utterly delicious soup that my husband requests every year for his birthday. It's only once a year, though, so I just consider it a special treat, close my eyes, take a Lactaid, and enjoy.
Mats - serves 4
1 lb can backfin blue crab meat. If you can get it fresh, good on you. Make sure you pick through it well to remove any bits of shell or cartilage.
1 yellow onion
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
1/3 c flour
2 c light cream or half and half
2 c milk
1 Tbsp Old Bay
4 Tbsp sherry (optional)
In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium low heat
Dice the onion and add it to the melted butter. Cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent. You DON'T want to brown it.
Add the Old Bay and flour. Whisk very well until you have a thick paste, no loose butter or lumps of flour
Slowly add the cream and milk, stirring well
Bring to almost a boil - you should just start to hear bubbles form at the bottom of the pot. If they start rising to the surface, your heat's too high.
Add the crabmeat, stir well and cook on medium low for 15 minutes, stirring often. DON'T let it boil.
Divide into bowls, drizzle a tablespoon of sherry on each one and pretend that it doesn't have any calories.
Mats - serves 4
1 lb can backfin blue crab meat. If you can get it fresh, good on you. Make sure you pick through it well to remove any bits of shell or cartilage.
1 yellow onion
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
1/3 c flour
2 c light cream or half and half
2 c milk
1 Tbsp Old Bay
4 Tbsp sherry (optional)
In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium low heat
Dice the onion and add it to the melted butter. Cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent. You DON'T want to brown it.
Add the Old Bay and flour. Whisk very well until you have a thick paste, no loose butter or lumps of flour
Slowly add the cream and milk, stirring well
Bring to almost a boil - you should just start to hear bubbles form at the bottom of the pot. If they start rising to the surface, your heat's too high.
Add the crabmeat, stir well and cook on medium low for 15 minutes, stirring often. DON'T let it boil.
Divide into bowls, drizzle a tablespoon of sherry on each one and pretend that it doesn't have any calories.
Sweet Potato Torte
I went out and bought a mandolin especially to make this oh-so-pretty fall dish. Works beautifully - a double edged ceramic blade makes slicing the sweet potatoes sooooo easy. They need to be sliced very, very thinly, otherwise the torte won't cook properly. The springform pan isn't strictly necessary, but it made un-panning (is that even a word?) the torte very easy
Mats
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly. I used my new mandolin (love it!), I bet the slicing attachment on a food processor would work as well
1 lb Swiss chard
3 tsp fresh rosemary, or 3 Tbsp dried
3 garlic cloves
1 red onion, diced
3 oz feta cheese. You can use blue cheese as well. I personally think it was a bit light on the cheese flavor, so I may use more next time
Spray the bottom and sides of your springform pan with cooking spray, or brush lightly with olive oil
Place one of your sweet potato circles in the center of the pan, then arrange more slices in a spiral patten around it, covering the bottom of the pan.
Repeat this process so you have a double-thick layer of potato at the bottom
Place some potato circles upright along the sides of the springform. This will be your "crust" to hold the filling in
Sprinkle 1/3 of the red onion, 1 tsp rosemary and 1 oz cheese on the bottom layer
Wash and remove the tough stems from the chard. Chop or tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces, and cover the onion layer with 1/3 of the leaves.
Crush one of the garlic cloves and spread it on top of the chard.
Make another layer of sweet potato circles on top of the Swiss chard just like you did the bottom. Just a single layer this time, though
Top with another 1/3 of the red onion, 1 tsp rosemary, 1 oz cheese, 1/3 of the Swiss chard leaves and another garlic clove
Make another layer of sweet potato circles
Use the last of the onion, rosemary, cheese, chard and clove to make another filling layer
Use the last of your sweet potato circles to make the top "crust". This can be as thick as you like
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes
Uncover and drain any excess liquid that's accumulated in the pan. I did this by fitting a plate over top my torte, pressing slightly and tipping it over the sink. This will keep it from going all mushy.
Return to the 350 oven and cook, uncovered, for another 15 minutes
Lay a large serving dish over top the springform pan and flip. Undo the springform part and serve on the platter.
Mats
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly. I used my new mandolin (love it!), I bet the slicing attachment on a food processor would work as well
1 lb Swiss chard
3 tsp fresh rosemary, or 3 Tbsp dried
3 garlic cloves
1 red onion, diced
3 oz feta cheese. You can use blue cheese as well. I personally think it was a bit light on the cheese flavor, so I may use more next time
Spray the bottom and sides of your springform pan with cooking spray, or brush lightly with olive oil
Place one of your sweet potato circles in the center of the pan, then arrange more slices in a spiral patten around it, covering the bottom of the pan.
Repeat this process so you have a double-thick layer of potato at the bottom
Place some potato circles upright along the sides of the springform. This will be your "crust" to hold the filling in
Sprinkle 1/3 of the red onion, 1 tsp rosemary and 1 oz cheese on the bottom layer
Wash and remove the tough stems from the chard. Chop or tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces, and cover the onion layer with 1/3 of the leaves.
Crush one of the garlic cloves and spread it on top of the chard.
Make another layer of sweet potato circles on top of the Swiss chard just like you did the bottom. Just a single layer this time, though
Top with another 1/3 of the red onion, 1 tsp rosemary, 1 oz cheese, 1/3 of the Swiss chard leaves and another garlic clove
Make another layer of sweet potato circles
Use the last of the onion, rosemary, cheese, chard and clove to make another filling layer
Use the last of your sweet potato circles to make the top "crust". This can be as thick as you like
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes
Uncover and drain any excess liquid that's accumulated in the pan. I did this by fitting a plate over top my torte, pressing slightly and tipping it over the sink. This will keep it from going all mushy.
Return to the 350 oven and cook, uncovered, for another 15 minutes
Lay a large serving dish over top the springform pan and flip. Undo the springform part and serve on the platter.
Artichoke and Chickpea Dip
This is a great recipe for a summer picnic dip or (what I did) spread it on some bread and make a tasty, tasty sammich. On that note, why do no stores sell pumpernickel bread anymore? Seriously, not one of the food stores, or the bakery down the street, carries pumpernickel. I like pumpernickel very much. Rye isn't nearly as fun, nor is plain-jane whole wheat.
Mats
16 oz artichoke hearts, packed in water and drained (2 jars should suffice)
1 can chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans
1/4c yellow onion
1/4c cornichons. It's a tiny French pickle, about half the size of my pinkie. Regular pickles would be fine too
1/2 green bell pepper
1 stalk celery
1 tsp capers
1 clove garlic
1/4 c mayonaise
1 tsp Old Bay
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Add mayo, garlic, Old Bay, Dijon mustard, onion, bell pepper, celery and capers to your food processor. Pulse 3 or 4 times to coarsely chop the dip
Add the Artichoke hearts, chickpeas and pickles.
Pulse a few more times until the dip is combined, but still chunky. Don't run it nonstop, or you'll end up with hummus instead of a chunky dip
Serve with pita chips, or on bread as a sandwich.
Mats
16 oz artichoke hearts, packed in water and drained (2 jars should suffice)
1 can chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans
1/4c yellow onion
1/4c cornichons. It's a tiny French pickle, about half the size of my pinkie. Regular pickles would be fine too
1/2 green bell pepper
1 stalk celery
1 tsp capers
1 clove garlic
1/4 c mayonaise
1 tsp Old Bay
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Add mayo, garlic, Old Bay, Dijon mustard, onion, bell pepper, celery and capers to your food processor. Pulse 3 or 4 times to coarsely chop the dip
Add the Artichoke hearts, chickpeas and pickles.
Pulse a few more times until the dip is combined, but still chunky. Don't run it nonstop, or you'll end up with hummus instead of a chunky dip
Serve with pita chips, or on bread as a sandwich.
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