Friday Recipes

Enjoy!

BUSH’S® BEST BLACK BEAN SALAD

This comes from Bush's® Best's emailed newsletter. Check it out for more recipes! This one starts off, “This colorful Black Bean salad is dressed with a light, lime vinaigrette and only takes a few minutes to prepare. Serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 0 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Servings: 6 to 8

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Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) BUSH'S® Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup diced red onion

1 can (15.25 oz) corn, drained

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tsp cilantro

1/4 cup olive oil

4 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Tortilla chips

Directions

In a small bowl, combine peppers, onion, corn, garlic and cilantro.

Add olive oil, vinegar, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add black beans and toss well.

Serve with tortilla chips.

GRILLED SWEET POTATO SKEWERS WITH HONEY MUSTARD

This yummy recipe, which would be perfect for a Labor Day cookout, is from Jolinda Hackett, About.com's Vegetarian Food expert. She writes, “Need an easy crowd-pleasing vegetarian dish to throw on the grill? Everyone loves sweet potatoes, especially kids, so try these simple grilled sweet potato skewers with savory-sweet honey mustard. The recipe calls for sweet potatoes, green and red bell peppers, red onions, a little bit of salt and pepper, and of course, some honey mustard.

“This grilled sweet potato skewers with honey mustard recipe is the perfect vegetarian barbecue recipe for sweet potato lovers. Be careful if you're planning on serving this dish to vegans, however, as many vegans avoid eating honey. This recipe is gluten-free.” Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 3 – 4 servings.

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Ingredients

2 pounds medium-sized sweet potatoes (5 potatoes, 6 to 7 ounces each)

1 large sweet red and/or green peppers, cut in 1-inch squares

1 medium red onion, cut in 1-inch pieces, layers separated

1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

salt and pepper, to taste

about 1/4 cup honey mustard

2 tbsp water

Preparation

First, prepare your sweet potatoes by giving them head a head start in the microwave. Prick them a bit with a fork, then place them in the microwave on high for three minutes. Turn them over (carefully!), then microwave for another 1-2 minutes, until almost tender and soft, but not quite.

Allow your sweet potatoes to cool, then peel them if you'd like, and chop coarsely into about 1-inch chunks.

Next, combine the sweet potatoes, chopped red and green bell peppers and red onion in a large bowl.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the honey mustard and the two tablespoons of water, then add to the sweet potatoes, peppers and onions in the bowl, tossing very gently to lightly coat.

Next, prepare your skewers, by threading a mixture of sweet potatoes, onions and peppers.

Make sure your pre-heated grill (or indoor grill pan) is lightly greased. Grill your sweet potato skewers for about 4 minutes on each side, brushing with any remaining honey mustard.

Note: If you don't have an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan, you can still make this recipe using your oven's broiler.

KUNG PAO CHICKEN

This was posted by Daring Gourmet in tbsp. (tablespoon)’s website. She wrote, “One of the most popular dishes throughout China and the Western world alike, this sweet and spicy chicken dish is not for the faint of taste buds. It packs a punch, or should we say, ‘PAO, right in the kisser!’” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

6-10 dried hot red chili peppers (or less according to heat preference), seeded and membranes removed (gloves recommended)

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced

3/4 cup dry roasted peanuts

1 bunch green onions (about 6 green onions)

For the Marinade:

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or sherry

3/4 teaspoon cornstarch

For the Sauce:

1/4 cup black Chinese vinegar or dark balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

3 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the chicken pieces. Toss to coat and let the chicken sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, stirring until the cornstarch and sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Fry the chilies for a few seconds until they turn darker in color.

Add the chicken and marinade and fry until no longer pink. Add the garlic, ginger, and white parts of the green onions and fry for two minutes. Add the sauce and stir until thickened. Reduce the heat to medium-high and stir in the peanuts. Simmer for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the green onions. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

VERY BLUEBERRY SUNDAES

Yield: 4 servings

Source: The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/793.shtml

Ingredients

Sauce:

1 cup frozen blueberries

3 tablespoons orange juice OR 2 tablespoons orange juice plus 1 tablespoon orange liqueur

Sugar substitute equal to 2 tablespoons sugar

Rest of ingredients:

2 cups low-fat vanilla ice cream

1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans or sliced toasted almonds

Directions

To make the sauce, place the blueberries, orange juice, and sugar substitute in a mini food processor and process until smooth. Set aside for about 15 minutes, until the mixture has thawed. Or transfer to a covered container and chill until ready to use.

To assemble the sundaes, place a 1/2 cup scoop of ice cream in each of 4 dessert dishes. Top the ice cream in each dish with a quarter of the sauce and a sprinkling of the nuts. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 176; Protein: 3.9 g; Fat: 7.6 g; Sodium: 50 mg; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Saturated Fat: 1.5 g; Dietary Fiber: 2.8 g; Carbohydrates: 25 g; Exchanges: 1-1/2 Carbohydrate, 1-1/2 Fat

ROASTED TOMATO AND CORN RISOTTO WITH ARUGULA BASIL PESTO

This comes from Heather Christo on The Today Show’s recipes site. The recipe begins, “Risotto is one of the most versatile recipes out there; you can add virtually any ingredients you like—from beets or red wine and bacon to zucchini or butternut squash—and create a beautiful, tasty, seasonal dish. Since this version omits the Parmesan cheese and butter typically added to risottos, it is a lighter dish, and the flavors of whatever ingredients you add really get a chance to shine. If you stir diligently, the final result will still be quite creamy. This pesto sauce features blanched garlic, arugula, and basil, which mellows the garlic flavor and gives the sauce a bright green color that doesn't turn brown like most other pestos.” Cook Time: 30 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Servings: 6 - 8.

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Ingredients

Roasted Vegetables

1⁄4 cup raw corn kernels

2 cups cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

Arugula Basil Pesto

3 cloves garlic

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

4 cups packed arugula leaves

1⁄4 cup olive oil

1⁄4 cup rice vinegar

Kosher salt

Risotto

6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1⁄4 cup olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely diced

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1 cup raw corn kernels

Kosher salt

2 cups fresh arugula

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon olive oil

Kosher salt

Small fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

To prepare the roasted vegetables: Preheat the oven to 450º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the corn kernels and the cherry tomatoes on the baking sheet and drizzle the oil over the top.

To make the arugula basil pesto: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice and water. Add the garlic cloves to the boiling water. After 20 seconds, add the basil and arugula and blanch for 8 to 10 seconds. Scoop out the basil, arugula, and garlic with a large strainer and immediately plunge into the ice water.

Wring the herbs of the extra water and put them in a blender with the blanched garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. Puree on high until smooth and then season with salt. Set aside.

To make the risotto: In a medium pot, heat the chicken stock over medium-low heat.

In a large heavy pan or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until soft.

Add the rice and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes until the rice is translucent except for a white center.

Start adding the hot chicken stock 1 cup at a time while continuously stirring with a wooden spoon. As the stock is absorbed, add another cup. Continue until all the stock has been incorporated and the rice is cooked to al dente. This should take about 20 minutes. In the final minute, add the corn.

Remove from the heat and stir in the basil arugula pesto. Season with salt.

Seven minutes before the risotto is to be finished, put the tomatoes and corn in the oven and roast for 7 minutes, until sizzling and golden. The tomatoes will burst.

In a small bowl, gently toss the arugula and avocado with the olive oil and a little salt.

Spoon the risotto into bowls and top with some of the salad and roasted cherry tomatoes. Garnish with the roasted corn and some small fresh basil leaves, if desired.