Tuesday Recipes

Tuesdays after a three-day-weekend are a little rough. But on the plus side, it leaves us with a four-day work-week (some of us, anyway). In the meantime, here are today's recipes. Enjoy!

PEACH COOKIES

This comes from Delish's newsletter; it's originally from Cooking Classy. The official recipe's title is: Peach Cookies {That Look Like a Real Peach}. Yield: 17 sandwiched cookies (34 singles)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

10 1/2 Tbsp butter, softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

2 Tbsp sour cream

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Filling and Coating

peach jam or preserves

6 Tbsp milk, divided

red and yellow food coloring

1/2 cup granulated sugar

fresh mint leaves, for garnish (optional)

you'll also need a clean paintbrush

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, granulated sugar and light-brown sugar on medium-low speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add sour cream and mix until blended. With mixer on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.

Scoop dough out 1 even tablespoon at a time and with buttered hands roll dough into a ball. Place balls on cookie sheet (you can fit 15 per sheet but then you are left with 4 in the end so unless you were making a double batch it wouldn't matter to try and fit that many). Bake in preheated oven 14-15 minutes until bottoms are lightly golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Allow cookies to cool completely then spread about 1 teaspoon of peach jam evenly across the bottom of one cookie then gently press another cookie over the jam layer to sandwich them together. Repeat this process with remaining cookies.

To decorate cookies, pour 3 tbsp of milk into two small bowls. Tint one bowl of milk with red food coloring until it reaches a vibrant pink, then tint the other bowl of milk with yellow food coloring until its reaches a vibrant yellow. Take a paint brush and dip into the yellow tinted milk then paint randomly across both cookies leaving some areas unpainted. Then dip paintbrush into red tinted milk and paint randomly across unpainted areas and blend slightly (tip: I found the less milk I was able to paint across the cookie the better because then your cookies won't become soggy. You really don't need very much at all). Immediately after painting cookie, dip and coat entire cookie with sugar. Insert one or two fresh mint leaves into the side of each cookie if desired. Store in an airtight container.

BLUEBERRY-PINEAPPLE PARFAIT

This comes from FamilyTime.com, and starts off, “A quick and easy parfait!” Pref time: 5 minutes; Cooking time: 0; Serves: 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained

1 container (8 ounces) fat free lemon yogurt

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup granola

Directions

In a small bowl, combine pineapple, with half of the yogurt.

In four small wine or juice glasses, spoon alternate layers of pineapple mixure, blueberries and granola, repeating twice.

Top with a dollop of yogurt.

VEGETABLE BEEF BARLEY SOUP

Yield: 4 Servings

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/376.shtml

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

1 medium onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 cups sliced mushrooms

3-1/2 cups beef stock

1/3 cup barley

2 small potatoes, peeled and diced

4 oz. stewing beef, diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In large non-stick saucepan, heat oil; saute garlic, onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms until tender, approximately 10 minutes.

Add stock, barley, potatoes and beef; cover, reduce heat and simmer approximately 50 minutes or until barley and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 208; Protein: 11 g; Fat: 5 g; Sodium: 1009 mg; Cholesterol: 13 mg; Carbohydrates: 31 g; Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Medium Fat Meat, 1/2 Fat

BROCCOLI RAAB WITH GARLIC, WHITE BEANS, TOMATOES, AND PARMESAN

This one is from the September 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 44. It starts off, “The depth of the wok allows you to simultaneously sauté and steam the broccoli raab while preserving its beautiful green color. To make the dish vegan, garnish with toasted breadcrumbs instead of Parmesan cheese.” Serves 5 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

2 12-oz. bunches broccoli raab, trimmed and coarsely chopped

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 14-oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in wok over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic until it sizzles, then add broccoli raab and red pepper flakes. Season with salt, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until broccoli raab is wilted. Transfer broccoli raab from wok to serving plate.

Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to wok. Add tomatoes, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until skins brown and tomatoes begin to split, stirring occasionally. Stir in white beans, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through. Spoon tomato-bean mixture on top of broccoli raab, and garnish with Parmesan.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 220; Protein: 11 g; Total Fat: 9.5 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 24 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 604 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 3 g; Gluten-Free

EGGPLANT AND PASTA ROLLS

This comes from Danette St. Onge, About.com's Italian Food expert. She writes, "This dish is quick and easy to prepare, but makes for a beautiful presentation and a satisfying antipasto, primo, or even a vegetarian main dish accompanied by a salad or vegetable side. " Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 75 minutes; Yield: 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 large eggplants, washed and dried

Olive oil, for brushing eggplant slices before grilling

4 large, very ripe and flavorful tomatoes (should give you about 3 cups when diced)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small clove garlic, peeled and finely minced

1 small shallot, peeled and finely minced

2 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 pound (227 grams) spaghetti

Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for serving

Optional: finely chopped chives, fresh basil leaves, or flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Preparation

For the eggplants:

Cut off the stem end of the eggplants and then cut the eggplants lengthwise into slices about 1/4-inch (1/2-centimeter) thick. Lightly brush each side with olive oil and then grill the slices for 2 to 3 minutes per side on a charcoal or gas grill or stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat. Set grilled eggplant slices aside while you make the tomato sauce.

For the sauce:

Cut a small, shallow "X" shape in the bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife.

Drop the tomatoes into a large pot of boiling water for about 45 to 60 seconds, then remove the tomatoes from the boiling water with a slotted spoon or mesh skimmer and drop them into a bowl of ice water to cool. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, drain them well, slip the peels off (they should peel away easily from the X using either your fingers or a paring knife) and finely dice the tomatoes. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil and the minced garlic and shallot in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Saute until softened and lightly golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and basil, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cover. Let simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes while you cook the spaghetti.

While sauce is simmering, cook the spaghetti just until al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water. When done, drain and return to the pot. Add the tato sauce (reserving several spoonfuls for garnishing the finished rolls) and stir with a wooden spoon to coat the pasta well with the sauce.

To assemble:

Divide the spaghetti evenly between the eggplant slices, using a fork or your fingers to arrange it into a loop shape. Roll up the eggplant around each pasta bundle (use a toothpick to secure the roll, if necessary). Add a dollop of the reserved tomato sauce to each roll and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Serve immediately.

Optional:

Sprinkle the eggplant rolls with finely chopped chives, fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

CACCIATORE

This also comes from The Healing Heart Foundation website, and starts off, "A single-skillet quick and easy version of the old Italian favorite Hunters' Stew." It serves 6.

This recipe also comes with several Healing Heart Hints:

"This is the way hunters in old Italy prepared whatever game they found. It's just as delicious made with all vegetables, meat substitutes or low-fat tofu. If bean curd or seitan is not available, crumble in two or three fat-free Boca Burgers instead for a 'beef' flavored dish that meat-eaters will not know was vegetarian.

"Dried bean curd (thit chay) is available in many Asian food markets. It comes in many forms, but for this dish, chips are recommended. Be sure to read the labels, some brands of bean curd are high in fat, others contain no fat at all.

"Seitan is a meat substitute made from wheat gluten, a protein in wheat that can be boiled and baked with various spices to make it resemble almost any kind of meat or fish. Seitan can be prepared at home, or it can be bought already prepared, usually frozen, in many health food stores and some Asian food markets."

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 C seitan or bean curd

1 C mushrooms

1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 sweet bell peppers, 1 green & 1 red, coarsely chopped

3 cloves of fresh garlic (or 1 t dried minced)

28-oz can chunky tomato sauce

1/3 C dry white wine or sherry

2 t dried oregano

2 t sweetener (succanat, sugar or substitute)

1/8 t freshly-ground pepper

1/2 t salt

In a large skillet, saute mushrooms, celery, carrot, onion, peppers and garlic in balsamic vinegar until tender (add a small amount of water, if needed). Add tomato sauce, bean curd, wine, oregano, salt, black pepper, and sugar. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice or pasta.

6 servings, each 164 calories: 6% from fat (0.6 g), 67% from carbohydrates (26.2 g), 30% from protein (12.2 g). Sodium 284 mg, Fiber 3.6 g.