Sunday, September 25, 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.

Thursday, September 22, 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.

Wednesday, September 21, 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.

Donna’s Pesto Alfredo Cod & Mushroom Bake and Kale Caesar! Salad

30 August 2016:  Hi Folks, with just a few pantry ingredients such as pesto and Alfredo sauce, and a well-stocked freezer, you can pull together dishes at the last minute which is what we have had to do as working professionals.  The main dish contained leftover quinoa and some mushrooms that I wanted to also use and the combination with the cheese and pesto sauce made a richly luscious sauce for the milder cod.  As a side salad, I incorporated kale into the traditional Caesar salad and the result was surprisingly good!  I will be making that again soon.  Best, Donna:



Donna’s Pesto Alfredo Cod & Mushroom Bake
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa
10 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1 pound cod fillet
Salt and pepper to taste
15 ounce jar Alfredo sauce
2 Tablespoons basil pesto sauce
Basil leaves

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray baking pan with cooking oil.  Spoon quinoa and mushrooms on bottom of pan.  Top with fish and season to taste.  Mix together Alfredo and pesto sauces and pour over top of fish.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 - 35 minutes until fish is cooked through and flakes easily.  Garnish with basil leaves if desired.


Serves 2 - 3.

Donna’s Kale Caesar! Salad
 Ingredients:
5 ounces kale, chopped
1 romaine heart, washed and chopped
1/4 cup Swiss and/or Gruyere cheese, shredded
Anchovies, if desired
Gluten free croutons
Salt and pepper to taste
Caesar salad dressing to taste
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded

Method:
Mix together all ingredients except Parmesan and place on plates.  Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of Parmesan on each and serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Grilled Sweet Mustard Barbecued Chicken & Vegetables and Lemon Pepper Kale Chips

28 August 2016:  Hello Everyone, this summer I discovered Sweet Baby Ray's new mustard barbecue sauce and you will notice that I have been using it in some of my recent recipes.  I've used it as a meat coating as well as a traditional sauce.  The chicken and vegetables grill up fast and the kale chips can be made in the oven at the same time.  They add a bit of color and crunch to the main dish.  Best, Donna:



Donna’s Grilled Sweet Mustard Barbecued Chicken & Vegetables
 Ingredients:
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 sweet onion, sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2)
1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat grill to 400 degrees F.  Season chicken and grill for about 10 - 11 minutes per side.  Brush both sides with barbecue sauce about 5 minutes before cooking is complete.  Slice chicken before serving.

Mix together vegetables, season and spray with cooking oil, and place in grill pan.  Add to grill about 5 minutes after chicken starts and cook for about 15 minutes.

If desired, serve chicken and vegetables over pasta or rice.


Serves 2 - 3.
 

Donna’s Lemon Pepper Kale Chips
Ingredients:
5 ounces kale, chopped
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
Lemon pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Mix together all ingredients and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until kale is crispy.  Serve immediately.

Serves 3 - 4.

Copyright 2016.

Donna’s Tropical Fruit Gazpacho, Dried Mango Slices, and Mango, Lime & Ginger Sorbet

27 August 2016:  All, we are very fortunate to have a mature mango tree in our backyard that yields vast amounts of fruit each year.  I have been experimenting with different ways to showcase this delicious fruit which is also the most consumed fruit in the world.  The gazpacho appetizer is a take-off on a recipe I developed 13 years ago for a cooking contest using seasonal northern fruits.  In this version, I used mainly tropical fruits and served them in half-pint mason jars for a friend's party.  Another dear friend recommended that I try drying mangoes and the result was packed with flavor!  Finally, I made a sorbet that contains not only mangoes but lime, ginger and coconut water.  May the mangoes be with you!  Best, Donna:


Donna’s Tropical Fruit Gazpacho
 Ingredients:
9-1/2 cups mango, chopped
1 fresh pineapple, peeled and chopped (about 4 cups)
1 pint (2 cups) blueberries, washed
11 ounces strawberries, washed and chopped
1 kiwi (1/2 cup), peeled and chopped
2 Tablespoons ginger root, minced
3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 
1 teaspoon salt
Starfruit, sliced
Vanilla yogurt

Method:
Mix together all ingredients except yogurt.  In batches, place in food processor and chop no more than 10 pulses so that ingredients are small chunks.  Spoon into half-pint mason jars, if desired, and top with starfruit slice and yogurt.

Makes 22 six ounce servings (about 1 gallon).


Donna’s Dried Mango Slices
 Ingredients:
2 large mangoes, sliced

Method:
Preheat oven to 170 degrees F.  Place mango slices on parchment paper (or Silpats) and bake for 9 - 11 hours depending upon thickness of slices.  Turn every few hours to dry evenly.  Store in airtight container.

Serves 4.

Donna’s Mango, Lime & Ginger Sorbet

Inspired by EatingWell Test Kitchen’s “Lime-Mango Sorbet”

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut water
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups mango, pureed
2 Tablespoons ginger root, grated

Method:
Mix together coconut water, lime juice, sugar and salt in 2 cup measuring cup.  Microwave for 2 - 3 minutes until sugar and salt are dissolved.  Place mango and ginger root in large pitcher and add syrup, mixing well.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.  Process in ice cream maker for 25 minutes.

Makes 3-1/2 pints.

Copyright 2016.