Saw this on a food network show... maybe I'm getting over my salmon distrust...

6 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
2 (15-ounce) cans salmon, drained, skin and bones removed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
5 scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped canned water chestnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
Creamy Ginger-Sesame Sauce, recipe follows

Remove crusts from the bread, break into pieces, and process in a food processor until you get a fine bread crumb. In a large bowl, flake apart the salmon with a fork. Add the egg and mix well. Finely chop 4 of the scallions and add to the bowl. Add the water chestnuts, cilantro, pepper, and the bread crumbs and mix well. Shape the mixture into 12 patties.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil over a medium heat. Add 6 patties and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the cooked patties to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan, and cook the rest of the salmon cakes, 5 minutes on each side.

Chop the remaining 1 scallion. Serve salmon cakes with the sauce and garnish with scallion.

Creamy Ginger-Sesame Sauce:
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt, or 6 tablespoons nonfat Greek-style yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
If using regular yogurt place the yogurt in a strainer lined with a paper towel. Put the strainer over a bowl and place in the refrigerator to drain and thicken for 30 minutes.
Place drained yogurt or Greek-style yogurt into a small bowl. Add mayonnaise, ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Whisk until smooth.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving Calories 396
Carbohydrates 18 g Total Fat 20 g
Saturated Fat 4 g Protein 35 g
Fiber 3 g Sodium 1010 mg

Posted by Maggie at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Researching stews for our meeting on monday and came across this. Using beer in my cooking would be a first.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups amber ale such as Grolsch or dark beer such as Heinekin Dark Lager
5 medium yellow onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 whole sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
2 (1/2-inch thick) slices day-old country bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1/2 medium lemon), or to taste
Fresh basil or parsley, chopped, for garnish

In medium saucepan over moderate heat, melt butter. Add beef cubes and sauté, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned on most sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl (do not clean saucepan) and add flour, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine, then transfer to slow cooker.

In same saucepan over high heat, bring 1 cup ale to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Pour over beef in slow cooker. Stir in remaining 2 cups ale, onions, garlic, brown sugar, mustard, thyme, bay leaves, and cloves. Cover and cook on low 6 hours. Add bread and continue cooking until meat is tender and sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 hours more.

Stir in lemon juice. Garnish with basil or parsley and serve hot.

Cook's note: This recipe was originally prepared in an oval, 6-quart slow cooker.

Makes 6 servings.

Posted by Maggie at 08:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I tried a paella once before that did not turn out well but I'm determined to try again! I got this from the test kitchen recipes. I made this as my inaugural new creuset dish and it was delicious.

Paella
from the Episode: Paella Party

This recipe is for making paella in a Dutch oven (the Dutch oven should be 11 to 12 inches in diameter with at least a 6-quart capacity). With minor modifications, it can also be made in a paella pan (see instructions below). Dry-cured Spanish chorizo is the sausage of choice for paella, but fresh chorizo or linguiça is an acceptable substitute. Soccarat, a layer of crusty browned rice that forms on the bottom of the pan, is a traditional part of paella. In our version, soccarat does not develop because most of the cooking is done in the oven. We have provided instructions to develop soccarat in step 5; if you prefer, skip this step and go directly from step 4 to 6.

Serves 6 1 pound extra-large shrimp (21/25), peeled and deveined
Table salt and ground black pepper
olive oil
8-9 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs , each thigh trimmed of excess fat and halved crosswise
1 red bell pepper , seeded and cut pole to pole into 1/2-inch-wide strips
8 ounces Spanish chorizo , sliced 1/2 inch thick on the bias (see note)
1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained, minced, and drained again
2 cups Valencia rice or Arborio
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads , crumbled
1 bay leaf
1 dozen mussels , scrubbed and debearded
1/2 cup frozen green peas , thawed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 lemon , cut into wedges, for serving

See Illustrations Below: Deveining Shrimp

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss shrimp, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon garlic in medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper; set aside.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until skin begins to blister and turn spotty black, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer peppers to small plate and set aside.

3. Add 1 teaspoon oil to now-empty Dutch oven; heat oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add chicken pieces in single layer; cook, without moving pieces, until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn pieces and brown on second side, about 3 minutes longer; transfer chicken to medium bowl. Reduce heat to medium and add chorizo to pot; cook, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and fat begins to render, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chorizo to bowl with chicken and set aside.

4. Add enough oil to fat in Dutch oven to equal 2 tablespoons; heat over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes; stir in remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes; cook until mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in rice and cook until grains are well coated with tomato mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, wine, saffron, bay, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return chicken and chorizo to pot, increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cover pot and transfer to oven; cook until rice absorbs almost all liquid, about 15 minutes. Remove pot from oven (close oven door to retain heat). Uncover pot; scatter shrimp over rice, insert mussels hinged side down into rice (so they stand upright), arrange bell pepper strips in pinwheel pattern, and scatter peas over top. Cover and return to oven; cook until shrimp are opaque and mussels have opened, 10 to 12 minutes.

5. Optional: If soccarat (see note) is desired, set Dutch oven, uncovered, over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, rotating pot 180 degrees after about 2 minutes for even browning.

6. Let paella stand, covered, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened and bay leaf, if it can be easily removed. Sprinkle with parsley and serve, passing lemon wedges separately.

7. If You're Using a Paella Pan
A paella pan makes for an attractive and impressive presentation. Use one that is 14 to 15 inches in diameter. A 14-inch ovensafe skillet will work as well, but do not attempt to use anything smaller because the contents will simply not fit. Follow the recipe for Paella, increasing the chicken broth to 3 1/4 cups and the wine to 1/2 cup. Before placing the pan in the oven, cover it tightly with foil. For soccarat, cook the paella, uncovered, over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees after about 1 1/2 minutes for even browning.

Posted by Maggie at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I saw this made on foodnetwork and was intrigued... I like this woman ellen krieger because she lightens everything up. Might test this out.

Crust:
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup whole-grain pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons water
Filling:
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
Cooking spray
1/2 pound thinly sliced eggplant rounds (about 1/3 medium eggplant)
1 zucchini, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds (about 8 ounces)
3 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine cornmeal, pastry flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to incorporate. Add butter and oil and pulse about 20 times, until mixture resembles small pebbles. Add water and pulse until mixture forms a loose dough. Remove dough from processor and press into bottom and about 1/8-inch up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a detachable rim. Press aluminum foil into the bottom and sides of the pan on top of the dough and weigh down with uncooked rice or pie weights. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and remove rice and foil. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until no longer shiny and wet. Remove from oven and let cool.

For the filling: Increase the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat; saute shallots until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Spray 2 baking trays with cooking spray. Arrange the eggplant, zucchini and tomato slices on the trays in a single layer and brush with the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and roast the vegetables until soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Remove the vegetables from oven and cool.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lay the eggplant slices in 2 layers on the bottom of tart; cover with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and some of the shredded basil. Add the zucchini and shallots, top with another 1/3 of the mozzarella and basil, then the tomatoes. Top with rest of the mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and vegetables have further wilted. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, and cut into 8 slices. Serve warm.

Posted by Maggie at 05:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I picked this up off of the king arthur site and replaced cream with yogurt, used less cheese and added a few slices of bacon (chopped and nuked for 2 mins). They were pretty tasty!

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Round Table Pastry Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
2 large eggs, beaten
1/3 cup cream or sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup (4 oz.) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 scallions, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Rub in the butter with your fingers.

Mix together the eggs, cream, and mustard. Add this to the dry ingredients. Stir in the grated cheese and the scallions. Mix just until combined. This is the consistency of drop-cookie dough.

Liberally flour the counter and your hands. Pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into 10 triangular scones. Place on a well-greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and a cake tester inserted into a scone comes out dry. Yield: Ten scones.

Posted by Maggie at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Might try this tonight... found on recipezaar.com.

5 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso (if not available, can use instant coffee)
2 cups low-fat milk (can use regular milk, if desired)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift all dry ingredients together in a bowl and mix until combined.
Place mixture in a medium saucepan.
Stir in just enough milk to create a smooth paste.
Gradually mix in remaining milk.
Cook over medium heat and stir slowly and constantly until mixture thickens and starts to boil. Let it boil another 30 seconds or so, gently stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and gently stir in vanilla.
Pour pudding into 3 or 4 dessert dishes and chill until set, about 4 hours.

Posted by Maggie at 03:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Found this from king arthur site. This might be what Melik is always talking about...

Like the focaccia and pizza of its western neighbor, Italy, the ekmek of Turkey is a daily staple. Ekmek (the word simply means bread, but refers to a whole range of simple white breads) can take many forms: a round, dimpled or ridged flatbread; small rolls sprinkled with sesame seeds; baguette-type long loaves; rings, or poppy-seed-coated braids. One thing these loaves have in common: they're designed, like Turkey's other staple, pita, to be used as a scoop for food. Since Italy and Turkey are neighbors, we don't mind mixing our cuisines here: we see this served with a big bowl of room temperature caponata, that wonderful melange of eggplant, tomatoes, olives, capers, onions and olive oil.

3 1/4 cups (14 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) King Arthur Easy-Roll Dough Improver (optional, but recommended)
2 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) honey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
3 tablespoons (1 3/8 ounces) olive oil
1 cup (8 ounces) water
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) sesame seeds OR poppy seeds, for sprinkling

Combine all of the ingredients (except the seeds) and mix and knead them together -- by hand, mixer or bread machine -- till you've made a soft, smooth dough. Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn it over once to coat. Cover the dough and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or till it's almost doubled in size.

Divide the dough in half and form it into two balls. Roll each ball to a 3/4-inch-thick circle and let rest for 15 minutes, then pull and stretch each piece by hand to make 8- to 9-inch circles. Place the circles on lightly oiled or parchment-lined baking sheets and cover. Set them aside to rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.

Lightly slash the top of each loaf with a sharp knife or lame (4 or 5 vertical slashes, followed by 4 or 5 horizontal slashes across the top of the vertical ones, creating a grid pattern with approximately 1-inch squares). Brush or spritz the loaves lightly with water, then sprinkle them with the sesame seeds or poppy seeds.

Bake the loaves in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool on a wire rack. Yield: 2 flatbreads, 4 wedges each.

Nutrition information per serving (1 wedge, 84g): 251 cal, 6g fat, 7g protein, 37g complex carbohydrates, 4g sugar, 2g dietary fiber, 412mg sodium, 125mg potassium, 10RE vitamin A, 3mg iron, 28mg calcium, 90mg phosphorus.

This recipe reprinted from The Baking Sheet (r) (Vol. XI, No. 6, Autumn 2000 issue). The Baking Sheet is a newsletter published six times a year by The Baker's Catalogue(r), P.O. Box 876, Norwich, Vermont 05055. (The Baking Sheet and The Baker's Catalogue are both registered trademarks of The Baker's Catalogue, Inc.)

©2006 The King Arthur Flour Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Posted by Maggie at 01:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How many soups can I make in one weekend? I'm about to find out... another recipe from recipezaar. I read reviews about using milk in place of the water... can I do that?

6 slices bacon, sliced
1/2 cup onions, chopped
2 cups potatoes, diced, peeled
20 ounces frozen whole-kernel corn, broken apart
16 ounces cream-style corn
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup water

In skillet or microwave, fry bacon until crisp; remove and reserve.
Add onion and potatoes to bacon drippings and saute' for about 5 minutes; drain well.
Combine all ingredients in Crock pot. Stir well.
Cover and cook on LOW setting for 6 - 7 hours.

Posted by Maggie at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's cold. It's windy. I'm left to my own devices. I'm thinking of having a soup/bread extravanganza this chilly winter weekend.

the recipe below I found on recipezaar and it says it's good for lowering cholosterol... my LDLs!

3 cups nonfat beef broth or nonfat vegetable broth or nonfat chicken broth (beef is the best)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups chopped cabbage
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt & pepper

Spray pot with non stick cooking spray saute onions carrots and garlic for 5 minutes.
Add broth, Tomato paste, cabbage, green beans, basil, oregano and Salt & Pepper to taste.
Simmer for a about 5-10 minutes until all vegetables are tender then add the zuccini and simmer for another 5 or so minutes.
I have tried different variations. Leaving out green beans. Adding chopped green onions in addition to the yellow onion.
All very good. You can customise it a bit.

Posted by Maggie at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I made my first trip to the famed soup nazi this week for lunch. I ordered the mulligitawny soup and it was an amazing soup! It was $8 with Ashleigh's rock center 10% discount but I think it was still worth it... I just googled it and up jumps this recipe! I am sooo trying it.

16 cups water
6 cups chicken stock
2 potatoes, peeled &,sliced
2 carrots, peeled &,sliced
2 stalks celery, with tops
1/2 eggplant, peeled &,diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
2/3 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 cup roasted cashews
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 dash marjoram
1 dash nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a large pot over high heat.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 hours or until soup has reduced by more than half, and is thick and brownish in color.
It should have the consistency of chili.
Stir occasionally for the first few hours, but stir often in the last hour.
The edges of the potatoes should become more rounded, and the nuts will soften.
Serve hot.

Posted by Maggie at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I made this tonight and used the recipe below as a guide. Since I have a pressure cooker now, I used it for the lentils - was super quick and easy!

1 cup lentils, uncooked
5 cups nonfat beef broth (I used chicken)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup bulgur, raw
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pinch dried rosemary
salt and pepper
2 cups spinach, coarsely chopped (I used 1/2 package frozen spinach)
parsley, chopped

Rinse the lentils.
Bring them to a boil in the beef broth.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy soup pot. Saute the onions and a couple pinches of salt until translucent. Add the garlic, cayenne, bay leaves and bulgur.
Stir the mixture on medium heat until the onions and bulgur are lightly browned.
Mix in the parsley and tomatoes.
When the tomatoes begin to give up their juice, gently stir in the tomato paste. Pour the lentils and their liquid into the soup pot with the onions and bulgur.
Simmer the soup for 15 minutes.
Add the rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. If the lentils and bulgur have absorbed too much liquid, add more broth, water or tomato juice. Remove the bay leaves.
Just before serving, stir in the fresh spinach and let it wilt in the hot soup.
Garnish with more fresh parsley.
NOTES : Serve this soup with crusty bread.
Broil the bread on both sides, rubbed with a cut garlic clove, and drizzled with olive oil.

Posted by Maggie at 09:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)