Recipes of the Week - October 27th

Overnight Chinese Daikon Radish Pickles
from: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Overnight-Chinese-Daikon-Radish-Pickles/Detail.aspx
1 1/2 cups chopped daikon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

In a mixing bowl, toss daikon with salt. Cover, and refrigerate until 1 to 2 tablespoons of water is released, about 30 minutes.

Drain and rinse daikon, removing as much salt as possible. Pat dry with a paper towel, and return to bowl. Stir in rice vinegar, black pepper and, if desired, sesame oil. Cover, and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Daikon Radish With Chicken-Korean Style http://www.recipezaar.com/133124
1 medium daikon radish
2 boneless chicken legs with thigh (may substitute with chicken breast but taste might be less rich)
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 crushed garlic clove
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Cooking sauce
2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon mirin
pepper

Peel daikon and cut into 1/2 inch half moons.
Cut chicken into 1/2- 1 inch pieces.
Heat oil. Add daikon and chicken and sauté over high heat. Stir in crushed garlic and chili flakes/pepper.
Add all ingredients for the cooking sauce. Cook over medium heat, constantly skimming.
When the sauce has nearly evaporated, sprinkle sesame oil.
Remove from heat and serve. Great with rice. Even better the day after!

Kale Pattie from: http://www.recipezaar.com/154733
1 lb kale
1 onion, grated
1 egg
2 tablespoons flour
2 bread rolls
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/3 cups fine breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

Boil kale in salted water for 10 minutes; drain.
Soak bread rolls; squeeze dry.
Chop the kale and rolls together finely.
Add flour, egg, onion, salt and pepper and enough crumbs to make a stiff dough.
Form into patties.
Roll into remaining bread crumbs; brown in shortening.

Chinese Style Kale from: http://www.recipezaar.com/281354
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, sliced
7 ounces kale
3 fluid ounces boiling water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan.
Tip in the garlic and cook for a few seconds.
Throw in the kale and toss around the pan to coat in the garlicky oil.
Pour over boiling water and cook for 7 minutes more until the kale has wilted and is cooked through.
Stir in the soy and oyster sauces and heat through to serve.

Recipes of the Week - October 20th

Braised Mustard Greens With Garlic from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/BRAISED-MUSTARD-GREENS-WITH-GARLIC-231195

• 1/2 lb mustard greens, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped (4 cups packed)
  1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  1/3 cup water

Blanch mustard greens in a 4-quart heavy pot of boiling salted water 1 minute. Drain greens in a colander and wipe pot dry.Cook garlic in oil in pot over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add greens and water and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Onion Potato Gratin from: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000786onion_potato_gratin.php

• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
  3/4 pound onions, thinly sliced
  1 cup (packed) grated Gruyere cheese (about 4 oz)
  8 Tbsp (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 oz)
  2/3 cup whipping cream

Preheat oven to 400°F (unless preparing in advance).Combine Yukon Gold potatoes and sliced onions in heavy large saucepan. Add enough water to cover. Bring water to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about 3 minutes. Drain potato onion mixture well.Arrange half of potato-onion mixture in 11x7 inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle mixture with 1/3 cup Gruyere cheese and then 2 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese.Arrange remaining potato-onion mixture atop cheeses. Pour cream over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining 2/3 cup of Gruyere and 6 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese. (Can be prepared 8 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)Bake gratin uncovered in 400°F oven until cream thickens, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Preheat broiler. Broil gratin until top is golden, about 2 minutes.

Rustic Autumn Fruit Tart from: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rustic-Autumn-Fruit-Tart/Detail.aspx

• 1/2 cup butter, chilled
  1/2 cup cream cheese
  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  2 apples - peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
  1 pear - peeled, cored and sliced
  1/4 cup orange juice
  1/3 cup brown sugar
  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  1/2 cup apricot jam, warmed

Cut the cold butter and cream cheese into the flour with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (This can also be done in a food processor: pulse the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal; add the cream cheese and pulse until it's the size of small peas.) When you squeeze a handful of the mixture, it should form a ball. Shape the dough into a round disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Toss the sliced apples and pear with the orange juice. Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cornstarch. Toss the fruit with the sugar-spice mixture and set aside.
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Set out an 8-inch tart pan, or, if you'll be making a free-form tart (galette), lightly grease a baking sheet.
Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to form a 10-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the tart pan or baking sheet. Arrange the fruit decoratively in the tart pastry. If you're baking the tart on a baking sheet, leave a 2-inch rim of dough and fold it up over the edge of the fruit (the pastry folds will overlap).
Bake the tart in the preheated oven until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and brush it with the apricot jam.

Recipes of the Week - October 13th

Butternut Squash Baked Spaghetti
from: http://low-fat-cooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/butternut_squash_baked_spaghetti

• For the Butternut Squash Sauce:
  12 oz. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  3 cloves garlic
  1 small onion, diced
  1 cup water
  1/2 cup non-fat milk
• For the Baked Spaghetti:
  1 16 oz. package whole grain spaghetti (such as Barilla)
  1 10 oz. package fresh spinach
  1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
  1/2 cup liquid egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters)
  1 cup sharp low-fat cheddar cheese.
  1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Make the sauce first: Place the first four ingredients (through water) in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until squash is tender when pierced with a fork.
Pour into a blender. Add milk and puree until smooth.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add the butternut squash sauce and remaining ingredients, except for the Parmesan cheese.
Pour into the prepared springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top of the spaghetti pie.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Roasted Baby Potatoes with Rosemary
1 pound small potatoes
3 cloves garlic, cracked away from skin
1 ½ - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, enough to just coat potatoes
1-2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Halve potatoes and place on a cookie sheet. Combine with cracked cloves of garlic. Coat potatoes and garlic with extra-virgin oil and season with rosemary, salt and pepper. Place potatoes on center rack of oven and roast 20 minutes, until just tender.

Apple and Rosemary Strudel
from: http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=5564

• 10 oz white flour
  1 Egg
  5 fl oz Water1 tsp Vegetable oil
  4 Apple1 bn Rosemary
  2 tbl Soft brown sugar
  2 tbl Breadcrumbs
  1 tsp Cinnamon
  1 tsp Freshly grated nutmeg
  3 tbl Sultanas
  2 oz Melted butter

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Whisk the egg, water and oil together. Place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Gradually add the egg mix to form a dough.
Knead the dough and beat out on a work surface until it becomes soft and elastic. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Take the filling ingredients and mix together.
Roll out the pastry into a rectangle and then using your hands, stretch it out on a clean tea towel until it becomes very thin.
Spread all over with melted butter.
Sprinke over the apple mixture and roll up like a swiss roll using the towel to help you. Transfer to a baking sheet and shape. Brush with melted butter and bake for 40 minutes.

Recipes of the Week - October 6th

Wheat Berry Salad with Red Fruit from www.EatingWell.com

If you're looking for a recipe to turn your friends and family into wheat-berry fans, this is the one. The sweet and tart combination of raspberry vinegar, cranberries and apple is sure to please. Serve over lettuce for lunch or a light supper.

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1/3 cup dried cranberries 3 cups Cooked Wheat Berries (recipe follows) 1 large Fuji apple, unpeeled, diced 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted (see Tip) and coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Combine orange juice and cranberries in a small bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes. Combine wheat berries, apple and pecans in a large bowl; stir gently. Drain the cranberries, reserving the juice. Stir the cranberries into the wheat berry mixture. Whisk the reserved orange juice, vinegar and oil in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and stir gently to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature. To toast pecans, spread nuts onto a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes.

 Preparing Wheat Berries: from www.EatingWell.com

Contrary to popular belief, wheat berries do not require an overnight soak before cooking. Simply boil them for 1 hour to soften the kernels, which will produce their characteristically chewy texture.

• 2 cups hard red winter-wheat berries 7 cups cold water 1 teaspoon salt

Sort through wheat berries carefully, discarding any stones. Rinse well under cool running water. Place in a large heavy saucepan. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse. To serve hot, use immediately.

Wheat Berry Tabbouleh http://busycooks.about.com/od/maindishvegetariansalads/r/wheatberrytabbo.htm?p=1  

This hearty main dish salad recipe is vegetarian; serve on a hot summer day to family or company.

• 1 cup wheat berries 14 oz. can ready to serve vegetable broth 1/4 cup water 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1/4 cup sliced green onions 1 Tbsp. chopped mint 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 3 Tbsp. lemon juice 1/4 tsp. salt dash white pepper lettuce or baby spinach leaves

Combine wheat berries, vegetable broth and water in heavy saucepan and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until berries are tender. Drain if necessary.

In large bowl combine cooked wheat berries, mushrooms, tomato, cucumber, green bell pepper, parsley, green onions and mint. In small jar with screw top lid place oil, lemon juice and salt and shake well until combined. Pour over wheat berry mixture and toss. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Serve on lettuce or baby spinach leaves, accompanied by pita chips. Serves 4

Baked Green Tomatoes:

Quarter the tomatoes and place in a shallow baking dish with olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. Bake at 375º F for 20-25 minutes. Quicker and tastier than “fried green tomatoes”!

Fried Green Tomatoes  

• 1 tbsp. brown sugar 1 c. all-purpose flour 4-6 med. green tomatoes,sliced ½ “ thick 1 egg, beaten     1/4 c. milk 1 c. seasoned dry bread crumbs 3 tbsp. butter 1 tbsp. cooking oil

Combine sugar and flour; place on a shallow plate. Dip both sides of each tomato slice into mixture. Combine the egg and milk. Dip each tomato slice; then dip into the bread crumbs.  In a skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high. Fry tomatoes until brown on both sides but firm enough to hold their shape. Yield about 6 servings.