Almond Infused Gumbo

Try this almond infused gumbo dish to add a little extra spice to your table. It's fragrant, colorful and tasty!

Spicy Gumbo created by: Almond Board of California

servings: 4

ingredients:
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (12-ounce) package soy protein sausage or hamburger-style crumbles, or chicken-style tenders
2 tablespoons almond oil or corn oil
1/3 cup almond butter
1/2 cup chopped, natural almonds, roasted*
1/2 cup sliced fresh okra
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped, seeded tomato
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
Salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste
preparation Combine ground red pepper and black pepper in a pie pan. Toss soy crumbles or tenders in this mixture to coat. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Fry crumbles or tenders on medium heat to warm throughout; remove and set aside. Whisk almond butter into remaining oil. Add almonds, okra, peppers, tomato, onion, celery and garlic; stir. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and other vegetables are soft.   Return crumbles or tenders to pot. Stir in vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste. Serve over hot black-eyed peas or white beans.

* To roast slivered, chopped or sliced almonds : Spread in an un-greased baking pan. Place in 350ºF oven and bake 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant; stir once or twice to assure even browning. Note that almonds will continue to roast slightly after removing from oven.

Brussels Sprout Slaw

Every year as I start to plan my Thanksgiving dinner I look around for something new to offer my guests. This year while thumbing through the November 2009 Thanksgiving issue of bon appetit I found my a new side dish for this year.

I tried this recipe to make sure that it was not just one of those recipes that look good in the magazine but taste good as well. I found this one to be simply a delight. I love the nutritional wallop that brussels sprouts provide and this recipe bumps that nutritional factor up materially with pecan nuts. As I had just discovered an excellent online source for nuts and dried fruits I will be making this dish again and again.

For additional flavor try adding dried cranberries, currents or golden raisens to garnish.

Ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup large pecan halves
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt plus additional for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup whole grain Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray large sheet of foil with nonstick spray. Place pecans on small rimmed baking sheet. Whisk maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Add to nuts and toss to coat; spread in single layer. Bake nuts 5 minutes. Stir. Continue to bake nuts until toasted and glaze is bubbling thickly, about 6 minutes. Immediately transfer nuts to prepared foil and separate. Cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight.

Whisk mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar in small bowl; whisk in oil. Season with coarse salt and pepper.

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Add brussels sprouts. Cook until crisp-tender and still bright green, about 5 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Cool on paper towels.

Using processor fitted with 1/8- to 1/4-inch slicing disk, slice brussels sprouts. Transfer to large bowl. Dressing and brussels sprouts can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.

Toss brussels sprouts with enough dressing to coat. Let marinate 30 to 60 minutes. Mix in some pecans, dried cranberries, currents or golden raisens. Place slaw in serving bowl. Top with remaining pecans.

Tip: Look for Grade B pure maple syrup. It has a bolder maple flavor than the delicate Grade A

Sources:

NuttyGuys
Bon Appétit

Julia Childs' Cheese Soufflé

From the book "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home" we get this wonderfully light and cheesey souffle' recipe. For those readers unfamiliar with souffle' here is a brief description. A soufflé is a light, fluffy, baked cake made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites combined with various other ingredients and served as a savory main dish or sweetened as a dessert. The word soufflé is the past participle of the French verb souffler which means "to blow up" or more loosely "puff up" which is exactly what happens to this combination of custard and egg whites. Really, you have to try one to understand the goodness and this is a great recipe to start with.

I suppose my mind was drawn to this recipe with all of the media surrounding the opening of the new motion picture, "Julie & Julia." The movie based on two true life stories revolves around a frustrated temp secretary Julie Powell (Amy Adams) whom embarks on a year-long culinary quest to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She chronicles her trials and tribulations in a blog that catches on with the food crowd. The film also covers the years Child (Meryl Streep) and her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) spent in Paris during the 1940s and 1950s, when he was a foreign diplomat who was eventually investigated by Senator Joseph McCarthy for alleged communist ties.

Anyway, I found this recipe delightful and hope that the movie also measures up, bon appétit!

Serves: 6 / Preparation time: 30 minutes / Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Room temperature butter (about 1 tablespoon), for greasing mold and collar

2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons butter

4 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups hot milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Grating of nutmeg

6 large egg yolks

7 large egg whites

5 ounces Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

Arrange oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Butter a 6 or 8 cup souffle mold and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the bottom and sides. Cut a length of parchment paper or foil long enough to wrap around the mold with a 2-inch overlap. Fold the sheet in half lengthwise for a 6- to 8-inch band, and butter it well on one side.

To prepare the béchamel, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon to make a smooth paste. Cook for about 2 minutes without allowing it to color.

Remove the pan from the heat, let it cool a moment, stirring, then pour in all of the hot milk at once, whisking rapidly to blend. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat, stirring and clearing the sides of the pan with the whisk.

Cook for 2 minutes, whisking, as the béchamel bubbles slowly and becomes as thick as mayonnaise. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the salt, pepper, paprika and nutmeg.

One at a time, whisk in the egg yolks.

In a large, perfectly clean bowl, beat the egg whites until they're stiff.

Scoop one-quarter of the egg whites into the béchamel and whisk into the warm sauce to lighten it. Then scrape about one-third of the lightened sauce back over the egg whites in the mixing bowl and sprinkle on a good handful of the grated Gruyere cheese. Fold in the sauce and cheese by rapidly cutting down to the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then drawing the beaten whites up from the bottom and sides, and turning them over into the sauce blend.

When almost blended, fold in half of the rest of the sauce and Gruyere cheese, then the remaining sauce and cheese. Work rapidly, and do not over-blend.

Scrape the soufflé mixture into the mold. Smooth the top, wrap the parchment band, buttered side in, around the mold to form a tight collar, rising 3 or 4 inches above the top. Fasten at the overlap with 2 straight pins. (The unbaked soufflé can stand at room temperature for about 30 to 45 minutes, away from drafts.)

When ready to bake, place the soufflé on the rack in the lower third of the preheated oven.

Bake the soufflé for 45 minutes or more, until it has puffed about 2 inches into the collar and the top is nicely browned and slightly firm to the touch.

To check whether it is done, open the oven quickly and plunge a long skewer into the side of the puff; withdraw it and close the oven. If the skewer has moist bits of soufflé clinging to it, your soufflé will be creamy inside (and may not hold its height); serve now if you like it that way, or bake for a few more minutes. If the skewer is almost clean, the soufflé is more set and will maintain its puffiness better.

As soon as the soufflé has been removed from the oven, withdraw the pins and unwrap the collar. Immediately bring it to the table.

To serve, hold your serving fork and spoon back-to-back and plunge them into the crust to pull it apart. Spoon out portions that include some of the crusty sides and top, as well as the soft center.

Sources:
"Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home" by Julia Child and Jacques Pépin
Detroit Free Press Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen

Cheerios® breakfast bars

Around my house mornings are kind of hectic and getting anybody to sit down to a breakfast meal is a joke. I started searching for quick, nutritious breakfast solutions that would could be prepared ahead of time, eaten on the go and yet nutritious.

I found this recipe on the General Mills Cheerios® website and have simply loved it. Quick to make, just a simple grocery list with items often on sale or grocery coupons available. I substitute other fruit yogurt flavors and dried fruits such as cherry's, cranberry's, raisin's and apricots.

Nutritious and delicious you'll find this recipe works well for between meal snacks as well. So add these products to your shopping list, check for coupons and enjoy.

3    tablespoons butter or margarine
1    bag (10 oz) large marshmallows
6    cups MultiGrain Cheerios® cereal
1    container (6 oz) Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free harvest peach yogurt (or other flavors)
3/4    cup diced dried peaches (use other dried fruit or combine fruits for variety)

1.    Butter 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish. In large microwavable bowl, microwave butter and marshmallows uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring after 1 minute, until smooth. Stir in cereal until coated. Press about 4 cups mixture firmly in pan. Spread yogurt over top.
2.    Mix dried peaches and remaining cereal mixture (if cereal mixture has become firm, microwave uncovered on High 30 seconds to soften). Spread over top of yogurt; press firmly with dampened hands. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
3.    For bars, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

For more nutritional information go to Cheerios®

Cream of Beans

Cream of Beans
Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 can		black beans without the juice (16 ounces)
1 cup		fat free or low fat milk
2 tablespoons		olive oil
1 clove		garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons		white onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup		red or green pepper (2 ounces)
1/4 cup		chopped carrots (2 ounces)
2 tablespoons		chopped celery
		salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium size pot, heat the olive oil at medium temperature, add the garlic and the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 3-5 more minutes.
2. Add the beans and condiments (salt and pepper); mix, cover and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes.
3. Blend the mix in a blender/mixer and pour back into the pot. Add the milk and heat for a few minutes without bringing to a boil.

If desired, serve with sour cream, chopped tomato, avocado, chopped hot peppers, cilantro and hot corn tortillas.

Source: Why Milk?

Classic Guacamole

Classic Guacamole

Ingredients

• 4 ripe Fresh California avocados, seeded and peeled
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• ¼ Cup finely chopped onion
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• 3 drops hot pepper sauce
• Tortilla chips

 

Instructions

1. Using a fork, coarsely mash avocado with lemon juice and garlic.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients to blend.

3. Garnish as desired and serve with tortilla chips.

Source: California Avocado Commission

Bacon, Avocado & Tomato Sandwich

It's quick, it's easy and so tasty!

Ingredients

• 2 slices of good quality wheat bread
• 4 slices of bacon
• avocado, sliced
• 3 to 4 slices of roma tomato
• cream cheese
• garlic salt
• ground pepper

Instructions

1. Cook 4 slices of bacon. Remove, drain bacon and allow to cool. Toast 2 slices of wheat bread as desired. Spread each slice of wheat bread with desired amount of cream cheese. Place bacon, slices of avocado, and slices of roma tomato on one side. Sprinkle very small amount of garlic salt on other slice of bread. Put together and Enjoy!!!

Broccoli Soup

Broccoli Soup

Preparation Time:  30 minutes

Number of Servings:  4

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped broccoli (or 2 10-ounce packages frozen broccoli)

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 cups nonfat milk

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

 Dash pepper

 Dash ground thyme

1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese

Directions:

Place vegetables and broth in saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook until vegetables are tender (about 8 minutes). Mix milk, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and thyme; add to cooked vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, until soup is lightly thickened and mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until melted.

Source: The National Fruit and Vegetable Program

Avocado and Green Onion Party Dip

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Number of Servings: 7

Ingredients:
1/2 medium avocado, seeded and peeled
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup non-fat mayonnaise
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup cucumber slices
28 melba toast rounds

Directions:
Dice avocado into small pieces, toss with lemon juice and set aside. In food processor or blender, blend cottage cheese, yogurt and mayonnaise until smooth. Add cottage cheese mixture to avocado, gently stirring in onions and carrots. Cover and chill. Serve with cut vegetables, crackers and melba toast rounds.

Source: Produce for Better Health

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Number of Servings: 7

Ingredients:
1/2 medium avocado, seeded and peeled
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup non-fat mayonnaise
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup cucumber slices
28 melba toast rounds

Directions:
Dice avocado into small pieces, toss with lemon juice and set aside. In food processor or blender, blend cottage cheese, yogurt and mayonnaise until smooth. Add cottage cheese mixture to avocado, gently stirring in onions and carrots. Cover and chill. Serve with cut vegetables, crackers and melba toast rounds.

Source: Produce for Better Health

Versatile Green Onion Dip

4 ounces cream cheese or reduced-fat cream cheese

1/4 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup coarsely chopped green onion

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

salt

black pepper

Directions:
In a food processor, combine cream cheese, yogurt, green onions and parsley. Use care to dry green onions and parsley before adding to the food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth and light green. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Delicious with a variety of crackers or cut vegetables such as green peppers, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, etc.

4 ounces cream cheese or reduced-fat cream cheese

1/4 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup coarsely chopped green onion

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

salt

black pepper

Directions:
In a food processor, combine cream cheese, yogurt, green onions and parsley. Use care to dry green onions and parsley before adding to the food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth and light green. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Delicious with a variety of crackers or cut vegetables such as green peppers, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, etc.