Archive for October, 2009
Pumpkin Soup with Curry Powder
Posted by JasonQ in Appetizers, Main Dishes, Soups on October 29th, 2009
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 medium ribs celery, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Dash fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, or 2 teaspoons parsley flakes
- 3 cups mashed pumpkin, fresh if possible
- 2 cups half-and-half or 1 1/2 cups milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Parsley or chives, for garnish, optional
In a large saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat. Add chopped vegetables and saute until just tender. Add garlic and vegetable broth; bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt, along with the pepper, parsley, and pumpkin. Stir in half and half or milk and cream until well blended. Working with batches, blend until smooth and pour back into the saucepan. Heat through; taste and add more salt and curry powder as needed. Garnish with parsley or snipped chives.
Breakfast in a Bowl
This makes a very tasty and filling breakfast! This is another recipe from the book Making the Cut.
- 2 cups nonfat yogurt
- 2 cups nonfat cottage cheese
- 4 oz rolled or steel cut oats, uncooked
- 4 Tbs slivered almonds
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- allspice, to taste (approx 1/2 tsp)
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Crunchy Pecan-Apple Pie
Posted by JasonQ in Cakes/Desserts on October 23rd, 2009
- 3 Tbsp butter, divided
- 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, sliced thinly
- 2 Golden Delicious apples, peed, sliced thinly
- 4 cups Post Selects Great Grains, Raisins, Date, & Pecans cereal, divided
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 9″ frozen deep-dish pie crust, thawed
Preheat oven to 350F. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add apples; toss to coat. Cover with lid;cook 6-8 min or until apples are tender, stirring frequently. Add 2 cups of the cereal, sugar, and cinnamon to apples; mix lightly. Spoon into pie crust, leveling top with back of spoon. Cover with remaining 2 cups cereal. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter, drizzle over cereal. Bake 45 min or until crust and top of pie are lightly browned, covering loosely with foil after 30 min.
Black Bean Burritos
Posted by JasonQ in Main Dishes on October 19th, 2009
I made this tonight for dinner, and it was really good. I like a little extra garlic, so you may want to use a bit less garlic in yours.
- 1lb dry black beans
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 handful cilantro (to taste), chopped
- 8 oz cheese (I used Kraft 2% Mexican four cheese blend)
- 1 cup salsa
- 8 tortillas
- salt, to taste
Start by soaking beans according to package directions, adding the cumin to the water.
When beans are done soaking, make sure the beans are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Add water as needed.
Add onion, bell pepper, salt, and garlic to beans, and cook according to package directions (usually about 1 hour). Be sure to watch the water level, adding more as needed to prevent burning. There should be a small amount of water left at the end of cooking.
When beans are done, add cilantro, and remove from heat.
Mash the beans however you like. A potato masher works well for this. You may also use a food processor or a blender.
Add salsa and cheese to beans and stir.
Divide bean mixture evenly among the tortillas, and fold into burritos.
Enjoy!
Thai Peanut Stirfry
Posted by JasonQ in Chicken/Poultry, Main Dishes, Pork, Seafood & Fish on October 16th, 2009
- 4 Tbs. Oil For Stir Frying
- 1/4 Cup Sliced Bamboo Shoots, Rinsed And Drained
- 1/4 Cup Snow Peas
- 2 Minced Garlic Cloves
- 1 Sliced Green Bell Pepper
- 2 Tbs. Thai Kitchen Fish Sauce
- 4 Tbs. Thai Kitchen Peanut Satay Sauce Mixed With 1 Tbs. Sugar
- 8 Oz Sliced Meat Or Tofu
In A Large Skillet Or Wok, Fry In Oil: Bamboo Shoots, Snow Peas And
Garlic Until Garlic Is Golden Brown. Reduce Heat And Add Bell Pepper And
Fish Sauce, Cooking 3-5 Minutes. Add Satay Sauce And Meat Or Tofu And
Cook An Additional 10 Minutes.
Plátanos en almibar
Posted by JasonQ in Cakes/Desserts on October 13th, 2009
- 4 ripe plantains (Use very ripe plantains – more orange in color with a few black spots.)
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup of water
- 2/3 cup cooking wine
- 1/2 teaspoonful vanilla extract
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Peel the plantains and cut them in half and then cut each half in 4 lengthwise slices. Sautée the plantains in butter Add the remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat, covered for about 15 minutes or so. Serve hot in its own gravy.
Rasgulla
Posted by JasonQ in Cakes/Desserts on October 10th, 2009
- 500mL Milk
- 2 tsp Refined Flour (Maida)
- 1/4 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Water
- 4-5 drops Rosewater essence
Heat milk in a pan and bring it to boil. Remove from heat.
Add lemon juice.
Stir slowly and gently until white curd forms on the surface and separates from whey.
On straining this milk, the curd that is obtained is called “chenna”. Wash chenna well under cold running water and twist the cloth that was used for straining to extract water.
Knead chenna to make a smooth dough. Add flour and knead again.
Make small balls of equal size (6-7) of the dough and keep aside.
Next make sugar syrup. Mix sugar and water in a saucepan and bring it to boil.
Add chenna balls to the syrup and cook for 15 minutes with lid partially covered. Chenna dumplings will puff up.
On cooling, add rose wateressence.
Chocolate Orange Supreme Cheesecake
Posted by JasonQ in Cakes/Desserts on October 7th, 2009
- 1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
- 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips melted
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
- 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
Combine chocolate wafer crumbs, cinnamon, and melted butter; press onto the bottom of a 9′ springform pan. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 10 minutes.
In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese and sugar; mixing at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Reserve 3 cups of the batter. Blend melted semisweet chocolate chips in to remaining batter.
Stir orange liqueur and grated orange peel into the reserved batter. Pour the chocolate batter over the crust. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C), then spoon the remaining batter over the chocolate batter and continue baking for 30 minutes. Loosen the cake from the rim of the pan; cool before removing from the pan. Chill.
Japanese Pumpkin with Chicken
Posted by JasonQ in Chicken/Poultry, Main Dishes on October 5th, 2009
- 1 Japanese Pumpkin
- 2 2/3 ox Chicken Breast Fillet
- 2 cup Dashi
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Mirin
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp Water
- 1 Tbsp Shredded Ginger Root
Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Cut into wedges. Remove the skin from the chicken breast and chop the meat finely.
Add Dashi, Sugar, Mirin, Soy Sauce, and Pumpkin to a pot and cook over low heat until completely done, about 15 min. Remove from the broth and arrange on serving dish. Save the broth.
Heat a frying pan, add 1 tsp oil, and stir fry the chopped chicken. Add the liquid from cooking the pumpkin and bring to a boil.
Mix 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 1/2 tsp water together, and add to liquid. Pour over the pumpkin. Top with shredded ginger and serve.
Pumpkins with thick flesh are best for this recipe.
Zucchini-Tahini Soup (Vegan)
Posted by JasonQ in Main Dishes, Soups on October 2nd, 2009