Entree - Vegetarian Red Beans & Dirty Rice
Ingredients:- 2 cup brown rice
- 1 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup carrots, finely diced
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 3 3/4 cup vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cup red beans, cooked
- 1 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1/2 tsp sea salt3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions:
Place medium-sized pot over medium heat, add rice, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, jalapeno, cumin, coriander and chili powder. Heat for 3 to 5 mins, stirring almost constantly, until lightly browned.
In another pot, bring the stock and bay leaf to a boil and add to the rice mixture, cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 15 mins. Add the beans, tomatoes, corn, and salt, stir, cover, and simmer for 15 more minutes or until the liquid is absorbed, remove from the heat and add parsley and cilantro.
Makes 8 cups.
Recipe4Living.com
Dessert - Pecan Pie
Ingredients:- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar1 cup light corn syrup
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, melt butter. Mix in sugar and corn syrup. Cook, stirring over medium heat, until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the eggs, whisking quickly to incorporate. Stir in pecans. Pour into pie shell and bake for 1 hour or until firm when shaken. Pecans will rise to the top.
Recipe4Living.com
Vegetables - Fresh Carrot Salad
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. carrots, unpeeled, scrubbed, and sliced- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3 Tbsp low fat chicken broth
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Steam the carrots just until tender but not mushy. Drain and let dry for a few minutes. Too much water in the carrots will ruin the effect of the dressing.
Whisk together all the remaining ingredients to make the dressing and toss with the carrot slices while they are still warm.
Serves 6
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Dessert - Lemon Bars
Ingredients:Crust
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Filling
- 4 eggs, well beaten
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (1 lemon)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the crust ingredients in a bowl. Press into greased 9x13 pan. Make sure the edges are higher than the center to contain the filling. Bake crust for 20 minutes or until it begins to brown.
Combine, eggs, sugar and lemon juice and mix well. Stir in flour and baking powder. Pour into baked crust and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Bars are done when they are firm to the touch. Cut into small squares and dust with powdered sugar. These bars are extremely rich, so cut into small pieces.
Recipe4Living.com
Seafood - Seafood Jambalaya
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp olive oi
- l1 lb. chorizo sausage, cut into thin slices
- 1 large bell pepper, any color, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 1 small head garlic, cloves peeled and minced
- Creole seasoning to taste
- Salt and pepper
- 2 large tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled
- 1/2 lb. fish fillets, diced (trout, catfish, redfish, bass, or bluefish)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
- 6 cups water
- 1 pint shucked oysters, with their liquor
- 2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp red Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Directions
Combine oil and sausage in a heavy-gauge pot or large wok over high heat, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pepper, onion, celery, and garlic, and season with Creole seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Sauté, still over high heat, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have browned and caramelized.
Add the tomatoes, shrimp, fish, and bay leaf, and stir. Add the rice, stir gently, and add the water. Gently move a spoon across the bottom of the pot, making sure that the rice is not sticking. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Turn off the heat; fold in the oysters and scallions, cover, and let sit for about 10 minutes. The jambalaya will continue cooking from residual heat.
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Beef - Seasoned Pot Roast
- 3/4 lb tri-tip roast
- Lawry's Seasoned Salt
- Black pepper
- Flour
- Thyme
- 2 Tbsp Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup wine
- 1 small onion, cut up
- 3 cloves of garlic put thru garlic press
Directions:
Put roast, fat side down, in Dutch oven over low heat. After you have 2 tbsp of fat in the pan, brown the meat on all sides. Sprinkle with Lawry's Seasoned Salt and black pepper.
Remove meat from pan and dredge in flour. Return to pan and add Worcestershire Sauce, soy sauce, wine, onion, and garlic. Add a little water if necessary. Sprinkle a little more pepper and some thyme on roast. Cook in 300 degree oven until tender. Add more water during cooking if gravy becomes too thick. Meat is cooked when it easily falls off when pierced.
Recipe4Living.com
Crackers - Rosemary Cheddar Crisps
- 1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsps finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- Rosemary stems to use as presentational skewers, if desired
Directions: In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the rosemary and process until smooth. Stir in the rosemary. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. Divide the dough in half and roll out each half into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Using a cookie cutter with a hole in the middle, cut crisps and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between crisps. Scraps can be gathered together and rerolled, but if the dough begins to soften too much, chill it again until it is firm enough to handle easily. Cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a rack. String several crisps on a rosemary skewer to serve. Makes about 2 1/2 to 3 dozen crisps. Store in airtight containers.
Recipe4Living.com
Salad - Cobb Salad
- Ingredients:
1/2 lb. bacon, diced - 1 ripe avocado
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 head Boston lettuce, washed and torn into small pieces
- 1/2 head romaine, washed and torn into small pieces
- 1/2 lb. chicken or turkey breast chopped or sliced
- 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 4 scallions cut julienne style
- 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Vinaigrette dressing
Directions:
In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until golden and crispy and the fat is rendered, about 3 - 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and reserve.
Half the avocado, remove the seed, and scoop the halves out of the skin with a large spoon. Dice the avocado, and in a small bowl, gently toss with lemon juice.
Toss the lettuces together and place in large glass or wooden salad bowl. Toss with vinaigrette. If you're serving a group, you may want to serve this "buffet style" and let everyone assemble their own salad. If not, place piles of each topping in a circle atop the lettuce. It will be beautiful when you get it to the table but expect a mess when everyone digs in. Don't worry, it will taste great.
Recipe4Living.com
Sauce - Dill Lemon Pesto
Gourmet Magazine 1995
Ingredients:
- 3 slices homemade-type bread; torn into small pieces
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp. water
- 3/4 cup packed fresh dill leaves
- 3/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaved parsley leaves; washed-dried
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
- 1/8 tsp. sugar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
In a bowl soak the bread in the lemon juice and water for10 minutes and squeeze out excess liquid. In a food processor blend together the bread and the remaining ingredients with salt and pepper to taste until smooth.
Makes about 3/4 cup. The pesto will keep, with surface covered with plastic wrap, chilled, 1 week.
Serve with fish or chicken.
Other - Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. herbal vinegar
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. olive oil1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. dry mustard
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process tillcombined. Use at room temperature and refrigeratethe remainder.
Vegetables - Zucchini Herb Pate
Country Woman Magazine
Ingredients:
- 4 medium zucchini, about 1 lb.
- 2 teaspoons tarragon vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley sprigs, packed
- 1/2 cup fresh chives, snipped
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper crackers
Line a mixing bowl with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Coarsely shred zucchini into prepared bowl. Sprinkle with vinegar, sugar and 1 tsp. salt. Toss gently; cover with a towel and set aside for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a food processor with the chopping blade, mince parsley and chives. Gather ends of cheesecloth, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Add drained zucchini to food processor and process until pureed. Add cream cheese, pepper and remaining salt; process until smooth. Press pate into a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with crackers. 1-1/2 cups
Editor's Notes: I cut the salt back by half and use light cream cheese. I also use herb vinegar with varied herbs, not the tarragon vinegar.
Vegetables - Herb Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
- 2 large ripe tomatoes, halved
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and freshly black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Coat a 9x13 inch baking pan with half of the olive oil. Arrange the halved tomatoes, cut side up, in the oiled pan. Sprinkle with garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Drizzle with the remaining oil. Bake for1 hour, until very softened. These can be blended for a sauce, or topped with Parmesan cheese and served as is. T hey are also great as a topping for toasted French or Italian bread.
Other - Cherry Tomato Relish
From Bon Appetit June 2000
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 4 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/8 cup drained canned diced mild green chilies
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
- 4 cups halved cherry tomatoes
Whisk vinegar and oregano in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Mix in green chilies and green onions. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover; chill.) Add tomatoes; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
