Donna’s Corvina Cordon Bleu

Dear Friends, I am uncertain as to where the ideas come from that inspire me to make new dishes but this one likely came from the fact that I had purchased a very large piece of Swiss cheese from Costco, along with the corvina fish, and was trying to decide how I wanted to cook it!  We are thrilled with the result which would be a really nice meal to serve for company or as a special date night meal - simple yet sophisticated!  Enjoy!  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Corvina Cordon Bleu

 Ingredients:

2 pounds corvina fillet

Salt and lemon pepper

1/3 cup bacon bits (turkey or pork)

4 - 5 slices Swiss cheese

1/4 cup gluten free panko crumbs

Basmati rice, cooked

Lemon wedges

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Cover a bread pan with foil and spray with cooking oil.  Season fish with salt and pepper and top with bacon bits and cheese.  Roll up fish and dip into panko crumbs that have been seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.  Place fish roll into prepared bread pan, top with any remaining panko crumbs and lightly spray top of fish to aid in browning.  Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily.  Slice and serve with rice and lemon wedges, if desired.

Serves 4.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Steamed Mussels with Madeira Pasta

8 October 2016:  Greetings to All, last night's dinner was an experiment in flavors:  I wanted to create a dish that emphasized perfectly cooked onions and mushrooms in a slightly sweet Madeira sauce accented with tender, fresh mussels and this was the result - it was a hit at our house!  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Steamed Mussels with Madeira Pasta 

 Ingredients:

For Pasta:

12 ounces cooked gluten free pasta (angel hair or spaghetti), drained

4 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 sweet onions, halved and sliced

8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup Madeira sherry (or cream sherry)

1/2 cup fresh basil, chives and parsley mix, chopped

24 grape tomatoes, halved

Salt and lemon pepper to taste

For Mussels:

2 cups pinot grigio (or other white wine)

2 Tablespoons garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon salt

Lemon pepper to taste

5 pounds fresh mussels, debearded

Method:

Soak mussels in cold water with 2 Tablespoons of gluten free flour for 30 minutes. Rinse well 3 times discarding any mussels that are not tightly closed.  While pasta is cooking, melt butter in large saute pan at medium high heat and add oil.  Add onions and stir until golden.  Stir in mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes until softened, then add rest of ingredients including pasta.  Cover and keep warm on stovetop until mussels are cooked.

In medium saucepan, combine all mussels ingredients (except mussels) and bring to boil over high heat.  Add mussels, cover pot and steam for 5 - 7 minutes or until mussels have opened, discarding any that do not open.  Immediately serve mussels on top of pasta.

Serves 4 - 6.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Roasted Chicken Tagine

4 October 2016:  Hello Everyone, if you want a chicken dish that is tender and full of flavor, try this recipe!  The ingredients, which evoke North African cuisine, marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight which results in a delicious meal that is tasty enough for company.  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Roasted Chicken Tagine

 Ingredients:

5 pound whole chicken, gizzards removed

Salt and pepper to taste

3 lemons (Meyer lemons if available), quartered

1 sweet onion, chopped

12 dried apricots, halved

12 dried or fresh Black Mission figs, halved

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, sliced

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

4 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped

2 Tablespoons avocado or olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

Lemon pepper to taste

Basmati rice, cooked

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a 9 x 13” baking pan with foil and spray with cooking oil.  Season inside and outside of chicken with salt and pepper.   Mix all ingredients except chicken and rice in large bowl.  Stuff chicken with part of mixture and place in bowl.  Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.  When ready to roast, place chicken in pan breast-side up.  Top with remaining mixture and bake for 90 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees F.  Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before carving.  Serve with rice if desired.

Serves 4 - 6.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Quick Crab and Corn Chowder and Curry-Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower and Onions

27 September and 2 October 2016:  Dear Friends, for quick yet healthy meal choices, give these recipes a try - the soup is just delicious and about as fast as you can get to prepare while the vegetables take just a bit longer to prepare and cook but you can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less!  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Quick Crab and Corn Chowder

 Ingredients:

Soup: 

Two 18-1/2 ounce cans Progresso Light New England Clam Chowder

1 cup corn kernels

1/2 cup crabmeat

8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Lemon pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:

Basmati rice, cooked

Turkey bacon bits

Parmesan cheese, shredded

Lemon wedges

Method:

Heat all soup ingredients on medium high heat in medium sized saucepan until bubbly.  Immediately serve over rice and sprinkle with bacon, cheese and freshly squeezed lemon juice, if desired.

Serves 2 - 3.

Donna's Curry-Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower and Onions

Ingredients:

1 bunch broccoli, cleaned and chopped

1 head cauliflower, cleaned and in pieces

1 large sweet onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon curry powder

Salt and lemon pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil.  Place chopped vegetables in a large bowl.  Add the oil, curry and seasonings and mix well.  Spread evenly onto prepared baking sheet.  Roast in oven for 10 minutes, then toss rice and roast for 10 - 15 more minutes or until desired.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4 - 6.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Middle Eastern Kibbe Meatballs with Herb Tzatziki Sauce and Quinoa-Kale Pilaf

Hello Friends, many years ago, I enjoyed making the traditional Middle Eastern dish, Kibbe, and have been thinking about making it in a new way so came up with this meatball recipe that reflects the same ingredients (although using turkey instead of lamb) in a different form.  I replaced the cucumber in this Tzatziki sauce with lemon zest and added herbs for additional flavor.  The pilaf is just another way for me to incorporate leafy greens (i.e., kale) into our meals and it was quite good!  Please enjoy.  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Middle Eastern Kibbe Meatballs with Herb Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

2 pounds ground turkey or chicken (or combination)

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 large eggs

1-1/2 teaspoon dried mint leaves

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Tzatziki:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 teaspoon dried mint leaves

Salt and lemon pepper to taste

Lemon wedges

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line 2 cookie sheets with foil or Silpats and spray with cooking oil.  Gently mix together all meatball ingredients and, using a 3/4 ounce scoop, place meatballs on pans.  Bake for 15 minutes.  While meatballs are baking, mix the sauce ingredients together and serve with meatballs and lemon wedges, if desired, when cooked through.  

Makes ~ 4 dozen meatballs.

Donna’s Quinoa-Kale Pilaf

 Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa, red or white (or combination)

4 cups kale, chopped

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

Salt and lemon pepper to taste

Method:

Once quinoa is cooked, remove from rice cooker and mix together with remaining ingredients and return to cooker to Warm setting until serving time.

Serves 4.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Open Face Romaine Salad with Crabmeat and Three Cheeses

Dear Friends, I am finally caught up to date with my postings and thank you for your patience!  Today was busy so I did not have much time to plan for a meal so I pulled out what I could find in the refrigerator and came up with this filling dinner salad.  It literally took no more than 10 minutes to pull together from the time I started until we sat down to eat!  Cheers, Donna:

Donna’s Open Face Romaine Salad with Crabmeat and Three Cheeses

Ingredients:

1 Romaine heart, halved lengthwise, washed

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced

6 ounces crabmeat, fresh or canned

1/4 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

2 Tablespoons Blue cheese, crumbled

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded

1/2 cup croutons

Ranch or other salad dressing

Lemon pepper to taste

2 lemon wedges, with juice squeezed on top of salad

Method:

Place each lettuce half on a serving plate.  Top with remaining ingredients in order given.  Chill or serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Perfect Cinnamon Oatmeal Mix and Mango-Lime Preserves

18 September 2016:  Hello Everyone, I typically have eggs for breakfast but lately have wanted to mix things up a bit and made this oatmeal mix that is just as good (or better) than the pre-packaged mixes you find in the grocery store.  I also know what ingredients go into it and can make it in a minute or two.  The preserves is another recipe using mangoes and I found the combination of the sweet fruit with the tart citrus to be a good contrast.  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Perfect Cinnamon Oatmeal Mix

Ingredients:

4 cups instant oatmeal

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Almond milk

Chopped nuts

Dried fruit

Method:

Mix together first 4 ingredients using fork (to thoroughly incorporate brown sugar) and store in airtight container.

To make oatmeal, scoop out 1/2 cup of oatmeal mix into microwaveable bowl.  Add 3/4 cup almond milk and microwave for 1 -2 minutes.  Top with nuts and/or fruit, if desired.

Makes 8 half-cup servings.

Donna’s Mango-Lime Preserves

Adapted from Complete Book of Small-Batch Processing’s “Mango Marmalade”

Ingredients:

2 limes, thinly sliced with food processor

2 cups water

4 cups mangoes, chopped

1-1/2 Tablespoons low/no sugar needed pectin

3 Tablespoons mango juice

2 cups sugar

Method:

Mix lime and water in medium cooking pan.  Bring to boil,  reduce heat and gently simmer for 25 minutes, stirring intermittently.  Add mangoes and cook for 15 minutes.  Mix together pectin and juice and add to pan, stirring well, and bring to boil.  Add sugar and bring back to boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Ladle into sterilized jars.  Process for 15 minutes in hot water bath or refrigerate.

Makes 4 half-pints.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Fresh Fig & Smoked Salmon Appetizer Bites and Roasted Mediterranean Corvina

17 September 2016:  Dear Friends, I confess that I love figs and look so forward to when they are available each fall.  I wanted to make an appetizer that would both be satisfying and easy to make.  This recipe was the result and we could not stay away from these tasty bites!  The corvina was also a winner since the vegetables nestled on top of the fish while it roasted made a flavorful sauce.  If you round out the meal with rice, you have dinner ready in no time at all!  Cheers, Donna:

 

Donna’s Fresh Fig & Smoked Salmon Appetizer Bites

 Ingredients:

12 fresh figs, stems removed, cut in half

2 - 3 Tablespoons Marscapone cheese

2 ounces smoked salmon, sliced into small pieces

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Place fig halves on serving dish.  Top each with cheese, salmon and pepper.  Chill or serve immediately.

Serves 4 - 6. 

Donna’s Roasted Mediterranean Corvina

 Ingredients:

3 pounds corvina fillet

Salt and pepper

2 cups mixed colored bell peppers, sliced

8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

24 cherry tomatoes, chopped

12 ounce jar marinated and quartered artichoke hearts, liquid reserved

1 Tablespoon avocado or olive oil

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

Salt and lemon pepper to taste

Basmati rice, cooked

Lemon wedges

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray baking pan with cooking oil, add fish and season.  Mix together remaining ingredients (including reserved artichoke heart marinade) except lemon wedges.  Place on top of fish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily.  Serve with rice and lemon wedges, if desired.

Serves 6.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Tropi-Cobb Salad with Grilled Blackened Chicken

15 September 2016:  Greetings to All!  What fun it is to find fresh fruits and vegetables and create a healthy meal to share with family and friends.  This meal-in-one is easy to make especially if you've prepared the salad in advance.  You may use any dressing that you desire; however, I found a papaya dressing that was just the right condiment for this salad meal.  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Tropi-Cobb Salad with Grilled Blackened Chicken

 Ingredients:

Chicken:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup lemon vinaigrette

1/4 cup Emeril’s Essence seasoning

Salad:

1 Romaine heart, washed and chopped

1 avocado, sliced

1 mango, sliced

2 cups fresh pineapple, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

1 cup Macadamia nuts, chopped

1/2 cup turkey bacon, crumbled

4 ounces Blue cheese, crumbled

Annie’s Papaya Poppyseed or other salad dressing

Method:

Marinate chicken in vinaigrette for 2 or more hours; drain.  Decoratively arrange salad ingredients on large platter.  Preheat grill to 400 degrees F.  Dip meat into seasoning and grill for 5 - 6 minutes per side.  Remove from grill and slice into pieces.  Add chicken to salad platter.  Serve with dressing.

Serves 4.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Baked Almond Haddock and Kale & Ancient Grains Tabbouleh with Lemon Dressing

10 September 2016:  Hello Culinary Adventurers, as you may have noted, many of my recipes center around  fish or chicken as the main protein source.  I also like to incorporate nuts and grains when possible and these recipes are examples of this strategy.  My version of the tabbouleh salad uses millet and quinoa in place of couscous which contains gluten.  I have also been experimenting with kale recently and decided to use it in place of some of the parsley which is in the traditional version.  I was especially delighted with the outcome of the lemon dressing - it added a zesty flavor to the salad that made this recipe a hit!  I hope you think so too.  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Baked Almond Haddock

 Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds haddock fillet

1 cup almond milk

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup basil pesto sauce

3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 Tablespoons sliced almonds

Method:

Marinate fish in almond milk for 2 - 4 hours.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Drain fish and place in baking pan covered with foil and sprayed with cooking oil.  Add seasonings, then top with pesto, cheese and almonds.  Lightly spray top with cooking oil and bake for 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Serves 3 - 4.

Donna’s Kale & Ancient Grains Tabbouleh with Lemon Dressing

Ingredients:

Salad:

1/3 cup millet

1/3 cup red quinoa

1/3 cup white quinoa

1-1/2 cup water

2 cups kale, chopped

16 red cherry tomatoes, chopped

16 yellow cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 Italian cucumber, chopped

1/2 medium red onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

~6 grinds coarse salt 

~20 grinds black peppercorns

Lemon Dressing:

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 Tablespoons avocado or olive oil

Method:

Mix together millet and both quinoas; rinse in cold water.  Add grains to rice cooker, top with water (and pinch of salt, if desired) and cook.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  Mix the dressing ingredients in the order given and set aside.   Mix together rest of salad ingredients and add cooked grains.  Top with 1/2 cup of lemon dressing.  Chill or serve immediately.

Serves 6 - 8.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Curried Sweet Mustard Chicken Cutlets and Corn & Tomato Salad

5 September 2016:  Dear Friends, I try to avoid frying whenever possible mainly to keep away from unnecessary oil so I created this dish to be baked in the oven.  When using the cookie rack, it allows the heat to circulate to help keep the outside coating crispier.  The tomato and corn combination as a side salad won my heart - it was bright, crunchy, colorful and tasty!  I hope you give it a try.  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Curried Sweet Mustard Chicken Cutlets

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond meal

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce

1 pound (about 2 - 4) chicken cutlets, thinly sliced

Basmati rice, cooked

Mango chutney

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.   Place barbecue sauce in a shallow dish.  Mix together almond meal and dry seasonings and place in another shallow dish.  Dip each cutlet into sauce, then coating mixture, covering all sides of meat.  Place on baking sheet topped with cookie rack, both sprayed with cooking oil, and bake for 10 minutes, flipping after 5 minutes to evenly brown.  Serve with rice and mango chutney, if desired.

Serves 3 - 4.

 

Donna’s Corn & Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

2 sweet corn cobs

10 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup Feta or Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Salt and pepper to taste

Balsamic or lemon vinaigrette

Gluten free croutons, if desired

Method:

Place unpeeled corn cobs in microwave and cook for 4 minutes.  Remove from oven, allow to cool and cut off kernels into bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and chill until ready to serve.  If desired, add croutons to make into a quick Panzanella salad.

Serves 4.

Copyright 2016.