Tuesday Recipes

Enjoy!

15-MINUTE FRIED HERBED CHICKEN

This comes from Mark Bittman of the New York Times' cooking newsletter. Mark writes, “This chicken takes so little time but tastes so good that it raises the bar for weeknight cooking. Chicken pieces are smothered in an herb and onion paste, dredged in flour and fried in the amount of time needed to make a salad. The amount of oil you need to crisp up the chicken is minimal, and the flavor is terrific.” Time: 15 minutes; makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 to 3 cloves garlic

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs, like tarragon and sage

2 tablespoons tahini or peanut butter

1/4 cup olive oil, more for frying

Flour for dredging

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 half-breasts

Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Lemon wedges for serving

Salt to taste

Preparation

In a blender or the container of a food processor, combine garlic, onion, herbs and tahini. As you purée the mixture, slowly add just enough olive oil through the feed tube to make a thick, smooth paste; do not let it get too thin.

Put flour in a shallow bowl. Place chicken in another bowl. Rub puréed mixture over chicken, then dredge each piece in flour. Gently shake off any excess flour, coat again with paste and dredge once more in flour.

Heat 1/4 inch olive oil in a skillet; when it is hot, fry chicken for about 4 minutes each side, until well browned and cooked through; it will take longer if you use chicken with the bone in. Garnish with parsley and serve hot or warm, with lemon wedges.

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Is there anything more comforting than mashed potatoes? This comes from Florence Fabricant, also from the New York Times' cooking newsletter. Florence writes, “These are classic mashed potatoes, brightened up with a substantial amount of garlic. Feel free to adjust the garlic to taste, and to deepen the flavor, try roasting the cloves before mixing them in with the potatoes. (For everything you need to know to make perfect potatoes, visit our potato guide.)” Time: 40 minutes; makes 6 servings.

To view this online, go to http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/4288-garlic-mashed-potatoes.

Ingredients

3 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled

6 cloves garlic, peeled

3/4 cup hot milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, or 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

Cut the potatoes into uniform two-inch chunks and place in a heavy saucepan along with the garlic. Cover with water, bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and garlic and mash the potatoes and garlic together. Stir in the hot milk, season to taste with salt and pepper and add the butter (less if desired) or oil. Serve at once.

SUPERFAST FUDGE BROWNIES

This recipe comes from The Working Stiff Cookbook, by Bob Sloan and illustrated by Michael Klein. I absolutely love this cookbook. Even vegetarians can find plenty to love in it. The great thing about this recipe is that it really doesn't take much longer than a boxed mix, and is so much better!

The recipe starts with, "The perfect comfort food to go with your burgers. (Burger Bliss was on the preceding page.) Brownies always lift the spirits. Especially these brownies. They're fast, easy, and foolproof." I agree!

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter (or margarine), cut into 4 pieces

1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8-by-8-inch baking pan.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the cocoa powder, stirring continuously until the butter is just melted. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the butter mixture to a large mixing bowl and let it cool for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until each is well combined. Add the flour and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake on the center rack of the oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with tiny crumbs on it. Serve warm or at room temperature.

OUTRAGEOUS CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY FUDGE CAKE

Not sure where this recipe came from. Possibly Ocean Spray®? That’s the closest I can think of. I received it in an email in early 2009. Makes 10 servings.

Ingredients:

For cake:

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate

1 cup Ocean Spray® Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

For glaze:

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup Ocean Spray® Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Directions:

Make cake:

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with foil. Coat foil with cooking spray. Dust pan with flour, tap to remove excess.

Microwave 2/3 cup chocolate chips, butter and unsweetened chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on High for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Microwave for 30 more seconds if necessary to melt chocolate.

Add cranberry sauce and sugar; mix well. Add eggs, vanilla, flour and baking powder mix well. Pour batter in prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes or until center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 30 minutes. Refrigerate 1 hour or until cold.

Make glaze:

Microwave cream and chocolate chips together in medium microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute on High. Stir until smooth. Microwave for 30 more seconds if necessary to melt chocolate. Add cranberry sauce; mix well.

Turn cake out onto serving plate; remove foil. Spread glaze over top allowing some to drip down sides of cake. Chill 1 hour or until glaze is firm. Can be made a day ahead of time. Store at room temperature.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.

Ingredients

3 medium, firm green tomatoes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup milk

2 beaten eggs

2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with Salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.

Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato Slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. In the Skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 Minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the Tomatoes, add olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt and Pepper.

LOW FAT CARROT AND SWEET POTATO SOUP

This is from Fiona Haynes, About.com’s Low Fat Cooking expert. Fiona wrote, “The natural sweetness of this low fat carrot and sweet potato soup is complemented by the spiciness of curry powder and cumin. Full of beta-carotene and a good source of fiber, this is a wonderfully nutritious beginning to a meal or a perfect lunch. Enjoy with whole grain bread or crackers.” Prep Time: 0 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Serves: 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tsp cumin

2 tbsp curry powder

1 pound bag of baby carrots

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 1/2 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Preparation

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven and saute onion until softened. Stir in cumin and curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add carrots, sweet potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

When cool, transfer vegetables to a blender and blend until smooth, working in batches. Return to Dutch oven to reheat.

Per Serving: Calories 146, Calories from Fat 21, Total Fat 2.3g (sat 0.3g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 73mg, Carbohydrate 28.4g, Fiber 4.6g, Protein 2.9g