Happy Birthday Chad! My sweetheart turned 27 on Thursday, so I made him one of his favorite dishes. This dish takes forever, and sometimes leaves my hands stinging from the heat of the peppers...but it is worth every bit of the effort. I think next time I'll double (or triple) the recipe. After all that work, you want to be able to enjoy it again the next day.
1 butternut squash (about 1 ½ pounds)
4 poblano peppers
2 T yellow cornmeal
1 T frozen apple or pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
2 tsp butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt
½ c crumbled queso fresco
½ c all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ c plain dry breadcrumbs (use 2-3 pieces 100% whole wheat bread)
1 ½ T canola oil
¼ c fat free sour cream
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut the squash in half and scrape out seeds and membranes. Oil a baking sheet with sides and place squash on it, cut-side down. Roast 40-50 minutes until soft. Let cool slightly, then scoop flesh into a bowl. Use a potato masher or put into food processor to make a puree. (You will only need 1 ½ cups of squash puree; reserve the rest to eat later). Broil peppers on a baking sheet, turning from time to time, until blackened on all sides, 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 10 minutes. Mix 1 ½ cups squash puree, cornmeal, juice concentrate, butter, cumin, oregano, and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Peel the peppers and rinse. A few blackened specks left on them will be fine. Make a long incision down one side of each pepper. Gently pry peppers open, then scoop out seeds and membranes, taking care not to tear the soft skin. Carefully spoon about 1/3 cup squash filling into each pepper, followed by 2 tablespoons queso fresco. Gently fold peppers closed. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place flour, egg and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes. Dredge each pepper in flour, roll in egg, then coat with breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and cook until lightly browned all over, 4 to 6 minutes, flipping constantly. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake the peppers until the cheese has melted and the filling is hot, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream. Yield: 4 servings
Inspiration: The Essential EatingWell Cookbook
It was our second wedding anniversary on Monday, so we cooked another special dish. This one doesn't take long, but we like to use a really nice fish for it (so it's a little more expensive than we usually spend on a typical meal at home). The original recipe calls for sea bass, one of my favorite fish, but I can't seem to bring myself to eat it anymore. The overfishing hurts my conscious and keeps me from enjoying it. Nonetheless, this recipe works great with halibut, orange roughy, or tilapia.
Cilantro Salsa and Halibut
¼ tsp sugar
Juice of 2 limes
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 oz. canned diced green chiles
¼ tsp chile oil
1 ¼ c dry white wine
¾ c water
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 lb red skinned potatoes, cut into quarters
3 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 halibut fillets, 5 oz. each
To make the salsa, in a small bowl, mix the sugar and lime juice until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the cilantro, chiles, and chile oil. In a large nonstick frying pan, bring the wine, water, chili powder, and bay leaf to a boil. Add the potatoes and carrots. Reduce heat to medium-high, cover, and cook until vegetables are barely tender, about 20 minutes. Arrange the fish fillets on top of the vegetables and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook until the fish is opaque throughout, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. To serve, divide the fish and vegetables among individual soup plates. Top each with an equal amount of the salsa. Yield: 4 servings
Inspiration: The Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook
I forgot to post this from last week's recipes. This is by far the easiest pizza crust we've found to make at home, and it works great with just about anything pilled on top. We loved the combination of broccoli and olives, too.
Pizza with Broccoli and Black Olives
Cornmeal for dusting
12 oz. whole-wheat pizza dough (recipe below)
2 cups broccoli florets, cut into ¾-inch pieces
½ c diced red onion
1 T plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 c prepared marinara sauce
¾ tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 c grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
½ c Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chard and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Combine chard mixture, pasta, and next 5 ingredients, tossing well. Top with cheese. Yield: 4 servings
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
¾ c whole-wheat flour
¾ c all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising yeast, such as Fleischmann’s RapidRise
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
½-2/3 c hot water (120-130°F)
2 tsp olive oil
Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the motor running, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Process until the dough forms a ball, them process for 1 minute to knead. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling. Yield: 12 oz.
Inspiration: The Essential EatingWell Cookbook
Mmmmmm.....so simple, but so flavorful. Artichoke, lemon juice and parmesan; what could be bad? The only thing I would change for next time is maybe adding some chopped fresh parsley on top. The dish is just a little too white. It's screaming for a colorful garnish.
Barley Pilaf with Chickpeas and Artichoke Hearts
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
¼ tsp salt
2 T commercial pesto
1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
2 (14-oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
½ c (2 oz) shredded parmesan cheese
Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 3 minutes. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in pesto and chickpeas; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Stir in lemon juice. While barley cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and artichokes; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Place 1 cup barley mixture into each of 4 bowls, and top each serving with ½ cup artichoke mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons cheese. Yield: 4 servings
Inspiration: Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2004
I swear we will never dump jarred pasta sauce onto pasta again. This is so easy, and you can't beat the fresh flavors. We added some chopped Kalamatas that we had leftover from earlier this week; you could throw in just about any leftover veggie, too. A perfect throw-together dish for a couple who works full time, are selling a condo, buying a house, and can't seem to find much time to sleep these days!
Pasta with Pomodoro Sauce
2 T olive oil
5 large garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp salt
1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
¼ c finely sliced fresh basil
16 oz. 100% whole wheat penne
Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly (do not brown). Stir in pepper, salt, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 7 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in basil. Serve over pasta. Yield: 6 servings
Inspiration: Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2004