Friday, February 29, 2008



Ingredients:
1 (10 inch tube pan) angel food cake
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
1 (15 ounce) can sliced peaches
3 bananas
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

Cooking Directions:
Break angel food or pound cake into bite size pieces. Put into a 9x13 inch pan (preferably glass).
Dissolve 1 package of flavored gelatin in 1 cup of water and pour over cake pieces, spreading to the edges of pan. Drain the peaches and pour the juice over the gelatin in the pan. Slice bananas on top of gelatin. Arrange peach slices on top of banana slices. If desired, add crushed pineapple.
Prepare instant pudding according to instructions on box and spread evenly over fruit.
Spread whipped topping on top of the pudding. Try to keep the layers separate.
Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Yield: 24 servings

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Warm Quinoa Salad



Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa (see Note)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup drained and diced jarred roasted red peppers
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, preferably toasted (see Cooking Tip)

Cooking Directions:
Toast quinoa in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes aromatic and begins to crackle, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly.
Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the quinoa and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook gently for 8 minutes. Remove the lid and, without disturbing the quinoa, add edamame. Cover and continue to cook until the edamame and quinoa are tender, 7 to 8 minutes longer. Drain any remaining water, if necessary.
Whisk lemon zest and juice, oil, tarragon and salt in a large bowl. Add peppers and the quinoa mixture. Toss to combine. Divide among 4 plates and top with walnuts.
Yield: 4 servings

Friday, February 22, 2008

Chicken Finger with Crust Almonds



Ingredients:
Canola oil cooking spray
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 egg whites
1 pound chicken tenders

Cooking Directions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Set a wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.
Place almonds, flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely chopped and the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute. With the motor running, drizzle in oil; process until combined. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.
Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture; turn to coat evenly. (Discard any remaining egg white and almond mixture.) Place the tenders on the prepared rack and coat with cooking spray; turn and spray the other side.
Bake the chicken fingers until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.
Yield: 4 servings

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Burger and Tahini Sauce



Ingredients
(19 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 (6 1/2-inch) whole-wheat pitas, halved and warmed, if desired
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini (see Ingredient note)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cooking Directions:
To prepare burgers: Place chickpeas, scallions, egg, flour, oregano, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Pulse, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides, until a coarse mixture forms that holds together when pressed. (The mixture will be moist.) Form into 4 patties.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until golden and beginning to crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes more.
To prepare sauce and serve: Meanwhile, combine yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Divide the patties among the pitas and serve with the sauce.
Yield: 4 servings

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Fried Tofu with bean Sauce



Ingeredients:
1 (1 pound) block of extra-firm tofu
4 cloves garlic
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger
2 tablespoons Chinese fermented black beans
1 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons Sherry (dry or sweet)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Vegetable oil

Cooking Directions:
Rinse the tofu, then cut crosswise into 6 slices. Put slices between several layers of paper towels and let drain while making the sauce. (You'll likely have to replace the paper towels at least once.)
Prep the seasonings for the sauce: Peel the garlic cloves and the ginger, then quarter the ginger. Turn on your food processor and drop the garlic and ginger through the feed tube; they'll be minced in no time. Stop the machine and the black beans in a small sieve until the water runs clear. Add them to the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
For the liquid portion of the sauce, stir together the water, soy sauce, Sherry, maple syrup, vinegar, and the cornstarch until the cornstarch is evenly suspended. Now you're ready to cook the sauce!
Generously film the bottom of a heavy 2-quart saucepan with the vegetable oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir-fry the seasonings until fragrant, less than a minute. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to the pan. Whisk the sauce occasionally while bringing it to a boil and simmer 1 minute. Then set the sauce aside while you fry the tofu.
Generously film the bottom of a 12-inch nonstick skillet with vegetable oil and heat over high heat until hot but not smoking. Blot up any excess moisture on the tofu with a paper towel before laying in the skillet. Fry the slices on all sides (forgo the short ends), turning them only when the undersides are golden and crisp, 5 to 8 minutes total. (You may need to lower the heat as the frying progresses.) Give the tofu one last flip on a paper towel to sop up any stray oil and reheat the sauce.
Serve with rice and broccoli, pouring sauce over all.
Yield: 3 servings