Sunday, January 19, 2014

Healthy Caesar Salad

The recipe comes from Food and Wine contributed by Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli.

I really don't like mayonnaise. In fact, I hate mayonnaise. It's goopy and gloppy and its odd blandness adds nothing of importance to recipes in my opinion. It's also, according to conventional medical information, not very healthy. I admit that I have had fresh-made mayonnaise which is a heck of a lot better than regular sit-in-the-fridge-for-months jarred mayonnaise, but it's still not for me.

So, with that said, when I saw this recipe, I immediately thought, this recipe sounds great, but what can I replace the mayonnaise with? 

I love plain greek yogurt. The flavor is not special, neither is the texture. It's a bit tart/sour to eat by itself. But I love the stuff. I love it because it is a perfect substitute for both sour cream and mayonnaise. 

The one problem with greek yogurt when substituting for mayonnaise is that it has a higher water content and it separates in certain situations. So, you need to add some oil - olive oil of course. 

The recipe says the grated cheese is optional, but it's way better with it.

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise
3 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino, plus thin shavings of pecorino, for serving (optional)
1 anchovy fillet, drained, plus more fillets, for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove, smashed
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco
Freshly ground white pepper
1-2 tablespoons water (depending on how thick you like the dressing)
3 chilled large hearts of romaine (about 1 pound), leaves left whole
Freshly ground black pepper

In a blender, combine the yogurt with the 3 tablespoons of grated pecorino, 1 anchovy, vinegar, garlic, Worcestershire, Tabasco and olive oil. Process until everything is mixed nicely, pretty smooth, and the garlic is finely chopped. Season with white pepper. Use a whisk to finish up while adding water 1 tablespoon at a time to get desired thickness. 

In a large salad bowl, toss the romaine with the dressing and season with black pepper. Garnish with pecorino shavings and anchovy fillets and serve right away.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Chickpea Pizza with Sausage and Peppers

Another unusual source for this recipe, Fitness Magazine. I would never call this crust real pizza - I would have to turn in my Italian American membership card - but for the gluten free people in your life, it really tasted good. My wife wished the sausage was spicy instead of sweet, and after she said it, I think she was right. 

Also, in my opinion, make sure to slice the sausage thinly. If the pieces are too big, the sausage doesn't lie well on the pizza slices and it makes them hard to eat. And finally, I think the recipe calls for too much sausage. I bought 2 links from the meat counter at the super market instead of using Applegate as the recipe suggests and they were so big, there would have way too much sausage for 1 pizza, so I doubled up the recipe and made 2 pies. I had plenty of sausage for both with just 2 links.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 fully cooked sweet Italian chicken-and-turkey sausage links (such as Applegate), thinly sliced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 ounce shredded part-skim mozzarella (about 1/4 cup)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees . In a medium bowl, combine chickpea flour, water, salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Whisk with a fork until most lumps are dissolved; let sit 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, bell pepper and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and links brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Swirl remaining oil in an ovenproof skillet. Heat in oven 5 minutes; carefully remove. Rewhisk chickpea flour mixture, pour into skillet and bake 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges pull away and top looks firm.

4. Remove crust from oven; raise oven temperature to broil. Top crust with mozzarella and sausage-and-pepper mixture and return to oven for 3 minutes, or until cheese melts and edges are just beginning to brown.

Vegetable Satay

Wow, I really like this. Who knew satay is so easy to make? I have made several recipes of late from Eating Well and this is the best so far. 

To make this recipe gluten free, use Tamari or Bragg's Aminos instead of soy sauce. 

If you don't have time to boil and marinate the veges, you can toss them lightly in oil and roast them in the oven for about 45 minutes on 375 degrees. Serve them as the recipe indicates. 

Makes: 1 dozen skewers
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 1/2 hours (including marinating time)

INGREDIENTS
24 broccoli florets, (about 10 ounces)
24 cauliflower florets (about 10 ounces)
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, or ginger juice (see Note)
1 tablespoon smooth natural peanut butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon hot Madras curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add broccoli and cauliflower; cook until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain; rinse under cool water.

Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, oil, ginger (or ginger juice), peanut butter, garlic, curry and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Add the florets; gently toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 2 hours or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

To serve, thread 2 broccoli and 2 cauliflower florets onto each skewer. Reserve marinade. Arrange the skewers on a platter in a single layer and drizzle with the marinade.

Indian-Spiced Chicken and Asparagus

This recipe comes from Eating Well. I don't know where anyone would be able to find 1/2 cup of coconut milk and what can you do with leftover coconut milk, so buy 1 can and it works great for the recipe when you double it up. Doubling it up also seemed to work better to have for dinner and then leftovers. I only used 2 bunches of asparagus instead of 3.

Makes: 4 servings, about 1 cup each
Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite-size chunks
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small fresh chile, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 bunches asparagus (about 1 1/2 pounds), woody ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup “lite” coconut milk (see Tip)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

PREPARATION
Toast cumin and fennel seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Finely grind in a spice grinder (such as a clean coffee grinder) or with a mortar and pestle.

Toss chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the spice mixture and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion, garlic, chile and ginger; cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add asparagus, sprinkle with the remaining spice mixture and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer for 2 minutes more. Return the chicken and any accumulated juice to the pan and cook until the chicken is just cooked through and the asparagus is tender-crisp, about 2 minutes more. Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

Garlic Roasted Salmon And Brussels Sprouts

This recipe is from Eating Well. I loved it and my wife was impressed enough to eat it. She is not a huge fan of fish except for sushi, so whenever she gives even a little praise for a fish dish, it is a darn good recipe. I like how straight forward and easy the recipe is to make, too.

Makes: 6 servings
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS
14 large cloves garlic, divided
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
6 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
3/4 cup white wine, preferably Chardonnay
2 pounds wild-caught salmon fillet, skinned, cut into 6 portions
Lemon wedges

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 450°F.

Mince 2 garlic cloves and combine in a small bowl with oil, 1 tablespoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Halve the remaining garlic and toss with Brussels sprouts and 3 tablespoons of the seasoned oil in a large roasting pan. Roast, stirring once, for 15 minutes.

Add wine to the remaining oil mixture. Remove the pan from oven, stir the vegetables and place salmon on top. Drizzle with the wine mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. 

Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes more. Serve with lemon wedges.

Spiced Chicken and Chickpea Stew

The recipe comes from Saveur. It's a nice stick-to-your-ribs recipe. I really like the sumac which I had never had before but was able to get from a local Middle Eastern store. I typically substitute olive oil for any oil in recipes like this. I used curry powder instead of the Spice Mixture.

SERVES 4

¼ cup canola oil
6 cloves garlic
3 small onions, quartered
4 medium waxy-style potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. Spice Mixture or curry powder
1 tbsp. ground turmeric
1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 skinless chicken legs (about 1 lb.)
4 skinless chicken thighs (about 1 lb.)
1 19-oz. can chickpeas, drained
4 pieces khubuz al-tannour (Iraqi flat bread), naan, or pita
1 lemon, quartered
1 tbsp. dried sumac (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in a 6-qt. pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions, potatoes, bay leaves, spice mixture, turmeric, and salt. Cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pot occasionally, until onions and potatoes are golden, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and 3 ½ cups water; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender and cooked through, 20–25 minutes.

2. Add chickpeas; cook for 5 minutes more. Taste the stew and season with more salt, to taste. Line 4 bowls with torn pieces of the flat bread. Ladle stew over bread. Squeeze a wedge of lemon over each bowl and sprinkle with sumac.