What’s for dinner to night? Sunday,June,20, 2010

Grilled Cornish Game Hens with Apricot-Chipotle Glaze Ingredients 4 Cornish game hens, split 1 cup apple cider 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon black peppercorns Apricot-Chipotle Glaze Preparation Rinse game hens with cold water, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside. Combine cider, salt, and peppercorns in a large bowl or heavy-duty zip-top freezer bag. Add game hens, and marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours. Remove hens from marinade. Place on preheated grill at medium-low heat. Grill 30 to 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh registers 165°. During the last 10 minutes of grilling, reduce heat to low; brush hens with half of the Apricot-Chipotle Glaze. Brush with remaining glaze before serving. Note: Hens can be baked in an oven at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh registers 165°.

What’s for dinner to night? Saturday, 19, 2010

Ingredients • 1 (8-ounce) bottle zesty Italian salad dressing • 2 beef tenderloin fillets, 1 1/2 -2 inches thick • 2 slices bacon • 2 tablespoons steak sauce (recommended: Lea and Perrins Steak Sauce) • 2 teaspoons water Directions Pour the salad dressing into a shallow pan, place the steaks in the pan and let them marinate for 3 to 4 hours. Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. Wrap a strip of bacon around each steak, securing it with a toothpick or kitchen twine. Grill the steaks over hot coals for about 8 minutes per side (5 minutes per side for rare). Baste with a mixture of steak sauce and water. For perfect steaks, turn them only once.

What’s for dinner to night? Friday June 18, 2010

Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze Ingredients • 3 tablespoons olive oil • 1 large zucchini, finely diced • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced • 1 yellow pepper, finely diced • 5 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with coarse salt • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish • 1/2 pound ground pork • 1/2 pound ground veal • 1 pound ground beef chuck • 1 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs • 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan • 1 cup ketchup, divided • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the zucchini, peppers, garlic paste, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until almost soft, 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Whisk together the eggs and herbs in a large bowl. Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup of the ketchup, 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar, and the cooled vegetables and mix until just combined. Mold the meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Whisk together the remaining ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the entire loaf. Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

The Twenty Dollar Burger

The Twenty Dollar Burger SUBMITTED BY: MollyS PHOTO BY: Valerie's Kitchen "The first comment I got about this burger was, 'I would pay twenty dollars for this...WOW!' I serve these on a whole wheat bun, with blue cheese and horseradish mayo." INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon butter 1 small red onion, diced 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3/4 cup plain lowfat yogurt 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon mustard powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon horseradish 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon chipotle-flavored hot sauce 2 pounds lean ground beef DIRECTIONS Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add red onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion softens and begins to turn brown, about 8 minutes. Scrape onion into a large bowl. Add yogurt, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, mustard powder, garlic powder, horseradish, parsley, cilantro, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and hot sauce. Whisk together until smooth. Mix in the ground beef until evenly blended with the yogurt mixture. Cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Shape mixture in to 6 patties 1/2 inch thick, and 5 inches across. Grill burgers until no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes per side.

Fritas with Cuban Avocado Salsa and Tomato Sofrito

Fritas with Cuban Avocado Salsa Fritas is the name of mini-sized hamburgers, eaten on the go all over Cuba. They are sold by street vendors and they make the ideal snack food. I like to serve these burgers with spicy plantain chips, known affectionately as chili willies! Allow two burgers per person.Serving: 4 2 cups fresh white bread crumbs 1/2 cup milk 1 pound 5 ounces well-trimmed, coarsely ground beef 7 ounces ground pork 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 onion, peeled, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 2 teaspoons tomato ketchup 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Pinch of paprika Salt and freshly ground black pepper Vegetable or sunflower oil for cookingTo serve: 8 small burger buns, split 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce Cuban avocado salsa Tomato sofrito (optional) Spicy plantain chips (optional)Cuban Avocado Salsa: 1 peeled, stoned avocado, diced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 cup diced fresh pineapple 1 small chopped red onion Juice of 2 limes 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons maple syrup Make the Cuban Avocado Salsa:Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl, mix thoroughly. Leave for the flavors to meld. 1. Soak the bread crumbs in the milk for 5 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. In a bowl gently combine both meats with the bread crumbs. Add all the remaining ingredients, mix well together, but do not overwork. Place in the refrigerator for one hour. 2. Divide the mix into 8 small, evenly sized burgers, brush liberally with the oil. 3. Heat a chargrill or pan grill until very hot, add the burgers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or longer if preferred. 4. Toast the buns; top the bases with the shredded iceberg, followed by the salsa. Top each with a burger, then spoon some hot tomato sofrito over. 5. Replace the burger lids, serve with the spicy plantain chips, and enjoy! Source: Excerpted from The Gourmet Burger by Paul Gayler © 2004 Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith, Publisher

Spiced Mediterranean Burgers

Spiced Mediterranean Burgers British television celebrity chef Anthony Worrall Thompson is renowned for his passion for Mediterranean cuisine. This burger encapsulates it all ‑- it is full of flavor, delicately spiced and wonderful cooked over a barbecue. Serving: 8 1 pound finely ground beef 1 pound finely ground lamb 1/2 onion, peeled, finely grated 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce Salt and freshly ground black pepperTo serve: 8 small baguette rolls/pita bread 8 shallots, peeled, thinly sliced Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 4 large tomatoes, thinly sliced 4 whole fresh cilantro leaves 2/3 cup plain Greek-style yogurt 1. Preheat the barbecue or broiler.2. Place the burger ingredients in a large bowl, blend the mixture with your hands, taking care not to overwork it.3. Form the mixture into 8 long oval shapes, about 1 inch thick.4. Chargrill, broil or fry the burgers for about 5 minutes on each side for rare, or to your taste.5. Split the rolls or pita breads without cutting them through. Remove some of the bread from the center of the rolls. Place some tomato and shallot slices in the rolls, add the burgers, and garnish with flat-leaf parsley, fresh cilantro and Greek-style yogurt. Source: Excerpted from The Gourmet Burger by Paul Gayler © 2004 Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith, Publisher

Egg, Ham and Spinach Pizza

Egg, Ham and Spinach Pizza 2008, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger Ingredients 1 store-bought baked thin-crust pizza shell, preferably whole-wheat, such as Boboli 4 cups (about 4 ounces) baby spinach leaves, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons olive oil 3 ounces prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (1 1/2 ounces) 3 cloves thinly sliced garlic 4 eggs Directions Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place the pizza shell on a cookie sheet. Scatter spinach all over crust. Drizzle with oil. Evenly distribute prosciutto, Parmesan and garlic on top of spinach. Crack eggs onto pizza, roughly positioning 1 yolk on each pizza quarter. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until spinach is wilted and egg whites are just fully cooked. Cut into 4 large slices. Per Serving: Calories 385; Total Fat 16 g; (Sat Fat 6 g, Mono Fat 5.5 g, Poly Fat 1 g) ; Protein 25 g; Carb 39 g; Fiber 7 g; Cholesterol 240 mg; Sodium 1190 mg Excellent source of: Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron Good source of: Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, Manganese

Veggie Pizza

Veggie Pizza SUBMITTED BY: MERRI C PHOTO BY: Leah Joy "I never have leftovers when I serve this. You can use low-fat or nonfat sour cream for this recipe if you'd like."

INGREDIENTS 2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls 1 cup sour cream 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon dried dill weed 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced 1/2 cup halved and thinly-sliced radishes 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped 1 carrot, grated

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a jellyroll pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pat crescent roll dough into a jellyroll pan. Let stand 5 minutes. Pierce with fork. Bake for 10 minutes, let cool. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cream cheese, dill weed, garlic salt and ranch dip mix. Spread this mixture on top of the cooled crust. Arrange the onion, carrot, celery, broccoli, radish, bell pepper and broccoli on top of the creamed mixture. Cover and let chill. Once chilled, cut it into squares and serve.