Cool Soup for a Hot Day

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and quartered
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 6 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper or foil.
2. Combine the tomatoes, onion, oil, garlic, sal,t and pepper in a mixing bowl; toss to coat. Transfer ingredients to a pan, making sure to include all of the liquid and arranging tomatoes cut side down in a single layer.
3. Roast until the tomato skins are puckered and browned, about 20 minutes, turning the pan once halfway through. Let cool.
4. Add garlic and roasted vegetables and any juices to blender.  Holding down blender lid firmly with a folded kitchen towel, blend at low speed until slightly chunky (you may have to work in batches). Add broth and pulse once to combine.
5. Refrigerate until ready to serve or at least 1 hour. Serve, topped with basil.

Dijon Chicken Smothered in Mushrooms

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
1/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1/2 cup roasted garlic-seasoned chicken broth (from 14-oz can)
1 jar (4.5 oz) Green Giant® sliced mushrooms, drained
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Chopped fresh thyme, if desired

Directions

 1 Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each chicken breast smooth side down; gently pound with flat side of meat or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick. In shallow pan, stir together flour, salt and pepper.

2 In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Coat both sides of chicken with flour mixture. Cook chicken in hot oil 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove chicken to serving plate; cover to keep warm.

3 Stir broth into skillet. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Stir in mushrooms and mustard. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened. Spoon sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with thyme





go to bettycrocker.com for more great ideas.

Dirty Rice

Traditional dirty rice is made with ground organ meats, but I'm not a fan. So i substitute ground beef. I also don't like it as spicy, so I use more bell pepper, and less hot pepper.. Ingredients


1 1/2 cup long-grain rice (Carolina, basmati, jasmine, etc)
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
3 slices of bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper or 1-3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
2 green onions, chopped

Method

1 Cook the rice according to the package instructions, but use chicken broth for one third of the cooking liquid. So, for example, if the package says to use 3 cups of water for 1 1/2 cups of rice, use 2 cups of water and 1 cup of chicken broth. Once the rice has finished cooking, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Turn the rice out onto a sheet pan and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over it. Mix to combine and let cool.

2 While the rice is cooking,  get a large pan that can eventually hold the rice plus everything else, put 1 tablespoon of oil plus the bacon in and cook over medium-low heat until the bacon is crispy.

3 Add the ground pork and ground beef and increase the heat to high. Allow the meat to brown before stirring. As soon as the meat starts to brown, add the final tablespoon of oil and add the celery, peppers, and onions. Brown them all over medium-high heat. You may notice the bottom of the pan getting crusty. Keep it from burning by lowering the heat if needed. 


4 Add the remaining cup of chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the Cajun seasoning and turn the heat to high. Boil away most of the chicken stock and then add the cooked rice. Toss to combine.

5 Turn off the heat and add the green onions. Toss once more to combine and serve hot.



Yield: Serves 4.

Pork and Peas, Please

•  Ingredients
• 
  

1 pound rotini pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup red onion
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas
2 pork cutlets
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water according to the package directions; drain. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peas, pork cutlets, radicchio, chicken broth, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and the pasta. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the meat andvegetables are heated through, about 5 minutes. Toss with lemon juice and more salt to taste. Top with fresh basil.

Lamb's Ears

if you are a fan of Italian cooking shows  like i am, you've been introduced to a type of pasta called orecchiette. )ō-ˌrā-kˈe-te)


orecchiette is a small piece of pasta that looks like small shell or bowl.  It comes from another word that means ear. in Italian.

Well, orecchiette is fun little pasta to cook and eat. It's little bowl is perfect for holding sauce and cheese.

So here it is. This was the voted the best dish in San Francisco in 2004.





INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons salt
3 bunches broccoli rabe, about 1 1/2 pounds, coarsely chopped
10 ounces orecchiette (preferably Rustichella brand)
3 hot Italian sausage links, about 1 pound
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 ounces finely grated Pecorino Romano
1/2 lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons very crunchy toasted breadcrumbs (optional)



INSTRUCTIONS:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with the salt. Add the broccoli rabe and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Return the same pot of water to a boil, add the orecchiette and cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly undercooked. Drain, reserving the cooking water.

Split the sausages lengthwise down the middle and remove from their casings.

Heat the olive oil in a high-rimmed skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage meat, breaking it up as finely as possible. Add the broccoli and continue cooking and stirring until the broccoli breaks down to a saucelike texture.

Add the chicken stock and orecchiette. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, being careful it doesn't stick. You may have to keep adding a little pasta water, additional stock or tap water until the pasta is soft yet chewy (al dente), making sure not to overcook it.

Finish the pasta by folding in the cheese, a few squeezes of lemon juice and the optional breadcrumbs.

Serves 4-6

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/04/FDG83LGQE41.DTL#ixzz1mTf4HsrM

Thai Chicken Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)

3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
Nonstick cooking spray
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons water
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 package (10 ounces) fresh spinach leaves, washed and torn
2 cups hot cooked white rice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, mint or cilantro leaves


1. Prepare Peanut Sauce. Slice chicken breasts crosswise into thin strips.
2. Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 4 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Remove chicken; set aside. Add onion and water to same skillet; stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until water cooks away and onion is crisp-tender and golden. Stir in Peanut Sauce. Add bell pepper and chicken; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and heated through.
3. Meanwhile, place steaming rack in large Dutch oven. Add water just to base of rack. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Place spinach on steaming rack. Turn spinach with tongs until bright green and beginning to wilt. Divide rice among 4 plates. Place spinach on top of rice. Spoon chicken mixture over spinach. Sprinkle with basil.


Peanut Sauce
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

1/4 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice




1. Stir peanut butter, sugar, sesame oil, paprika and coconut extract, if desired, in small bowl until blended. Add chicken broth, soy sauce and lime juice; stir until smooth.



© Publications International, Ltd.

Cornbread Stuffing

Some folks insist on cornbread stuffing... It is good and it is a southern tradition. So here's a goodie

This sturdy corn bread works well in stuffing.




Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2 and store in a plastic bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw before continuing.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

2 cups cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups skim or low-fat milk
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 cups chopped onions (2 medium)
2 cups chopped celery (4 large stalks)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
Freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
 Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl and mix well. Whisk together egg, milk and 1 1/2 tablespoon oil in another large bowl; add to the dry ingredients and stir just until evenly moistened. Turn the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a rack. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

Heat the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add the cubed corn bread and parsley; toss to mix. Slowly add broth, tossing until the corn bread is well moistened. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe reprinted by permission of © EatingWell Magazine. All rights reserved.

Date Added: 01/01/2008