Wednesday Food

Here are your Wednesday recipes. Enjoy!

ORANGE AND PEAR SALAD

This comes from FamilyTime's newsletter. This one starts off, “A tasty treat! Fresh, seasonal fruit tastes great in this salad, dressed with a honeyed plain yogurt dressing.” Serves 4. Prep Time: 20; Cook Time: 5 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 oranges

2 medium pears, cored and sliced

1/2 cup lowfat yogurt

1 tablespoon honey

4 cups mixed salad greens, torn

1/4 cup chopped pecans, chopped

Directions

Grate 1/4 tsp. zest from one oranged; set aside. Cut peel from oranges; then working over a bowl to catch juices, cut oranges into sections. Remove and set aside 1 Tbs. Of juice from the bowl. Add pears to bowl and toss lightly to mix.

For dressing, combine reserved orange zest and juice, the yogurt and honey. In a 6 1/2 cup bow, place greens. Arrange orange and pear slices over greens, then pour dressing over all.

Toss lightly to mix; then sprinkle with chopped pecans.

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN SALAD

Yield: 6 servings

View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/908.shtml

Source: 200 Healthy Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less!

http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/74.shtml

Ingredients

Salad:

1 cup cooked corn kernels

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup green peas, frozen and thawed

1/2 cup each sliced red and green pepper

1/3 cup canned black beans, drained

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast

Dressing:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

2 teaspoons cumin

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

Directions

Combine all salad ingredients. In a blender or food processor, blend all dressing ingredients. Toss the dressing with the salad and serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 181; Protein: 17 g; Fat: 6 g; Sodium: 94 mg; Cholesterol: 42 mg ; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Sugars: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 16 g; Exchanges: 2 Very Lean Meat, 1 Starch, 1/2 Monounsaturated Fat

LEMON TART

This comes from Rebecca Franklin, About.com's French Food expert. She writes, "This is the quintessential French tart, found at patisseries and cafes year-round. Cool, sharp lemon filling contrasts nicely with the flaky, slightly sweet pastry. A little dollop of Chantilly cream served with the dessert makes the ideal treat." Prep Time: 120 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 165 minutesTo view this online, click here.Ingredients

Pastry:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons cold butter

3 tablespoons cold water

Lemon Filling:

8 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup crème fraiche or sour cream

2 eggs

3 egg yolks

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup granulated sugar

4 teaspoons lemon zest

Preparation

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, large-tined fork, or a food processor on pulse setting, cut the chilled butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Sprinkle the cold water onto the mixture and toss gently a few times, just until it forms a ball that holds together.

Separate the dough into two balls, flatten slightly into thick disk shapes, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for several hours before working with it.

Preheat an oven to 375F. Roll and trim the dough to make a circle large enough to fit a 10-inch fluted tart pan. Fit the circle into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Line the line the dough with pie weights or dried beans and bake it for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and bake the shell for an additional 5 minutes. Set aside the pastry shell, still in the tart pan, to cool.

In a double boiler or a medium size saucepan set a large pan of simmering water, stir together 8 tablespoons butter and the crème fraiche. Once this mixture is thoroughly combined, set it aside.

In a separate pan set over the double boiler, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Stir the lemon juice into the mixture and cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and butter-crème fraiche mixture to the eggs and cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.

Pour the lemon filling into the prepared pastry and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes, until it turns golden brown and the filling is set.

Allow the tart to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Serve at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator before serving.

This lemon tart recipe makes 8 to 10 servings.

VANILLA CHANTILLY CREAM

This is also from Rebecca Franklin, and goes with the Lemon Tart recipe above. She writes, "A good Chantilly cream recipe is essential to every French kitchen. Rich whipped cream infused with vanilla extract is a classic embellishment to French pastry, Génoise cakes, and tarts." Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 5 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract together on high speed until soft peaks form in the mixture. Chill any unused Chantilly cream.

Makes enough cream for one average-size cake or pastry recipe.

'CHICKEN' AND DUMPLINGS

From a long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 6 to 8 servings

For the Dumplings:

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) margarine

3/4 cup soy milk

For the Soup: 1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) margarine

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp. celery salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

8 cups vegetable broth

2 medium carrots, diced

1 lb. faux chicken, torn into small pieces (try Worthington brand Chickette or Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chick'n Strips)

1 bay leaf

Combine the dry ingredients for the dumplings in a bowl.

Mix the margarine with the dry mixture until crumbly. Add the soy milk, stirring until moistened. Add more soy milk, as needed, if the mixture is too dry.

Knead the dough for 30 seconds on a well-floured surface, then roll to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into 1/2-inch squares.

Place the margarine, onion, and celery for the soup in a large saucepan and sauté until the vegetables are soft.

Add the flour, salt, and pepper to make a thick paste. Slowly mix in the broth and bring to a boil.

Add the carrots, faux chicken, and bay leaf.

Add the dumpling squares one at a time, stirring gently. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Serve hot.

FRAGRANT FRENCH ONION SOUP

From another forgotten emailing list. It starts off, "A classic that’s so simple, you’ll wonder what you did before you started serving this staple soup." Makes 4 servings

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil or water

2-3 large onions, sliced

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

4 cups water

1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari

4 slices French bread, toasted, or croutons

Heat the oil or water in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir until the onions are well coated. Add the water and soy sauce or tamari and stir well. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer, covered, until the onions are tender. Add more water if the soup becomes too thick.

Serve in individual bowls topped with the French bread or croutons.