Zucchini Especial

Well there really is some special about zucchini when it's prepared properly. You want to cook zucchini like you cook pasta, "Al Dente," firm to the bit. Secondly, parmesan cheese, fresh ground pepper and a pinch of red pepper flake go perfectly with zucchini every time.

Mandolin Slicer



Ingredients:
2 zucchini
1/2 tablespoon butter
Salt
Pepper
Red pepper flakes
Parmesan cheese



Preparation:

Take a mandolin and slice the zucchini. Because the slices of zucchini are all the same thickness, they'll cook much more consistently. Parr cook the zucchini for a few minutes in a 10" sauté pan half filled with water. After a couple of minutes remove the water and place back on the heat adding the butter. Add the salt pepper and red pepper flakes and sauté the zucchini for a couple of minutes on high to give a little color tot he zucchini. Plate the zucchini and top with parmesan cheese.

Main Course Suggestion:

Deconstructed Chicken Kiev

Sweet Kale Salad with Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Chicory, Cranberries, Pumpkin Seeds and Blue Cheese

Sometimes you run across a premade salad that is so good that you just need to let people know. This is a packaged salad kit from Costco and it is healthy, crunchy, creamy and cheesy good. The salad kit is fantastic, but when you add blue cheese it takes the salad to the next level. Give this a try on your next visit to Costco.

Ingredients:
Kale
Brussels sprouts
Broccoli
Cabbage
Chicory
Cranberries
Pumpkin seeds
Blue cheese
Poppy seed dressing

Preparation:
This salad kit makes enough for 6, but we're big salad eaters and so 1/2 the package works great for two people. Combine the salad kit in a large salad bowl and mix in the poppy seed dressing and top with blue cheese and cracked pepper.

Main Course Suggestion:
Soy Ginger Marinated Cod

Linguini with White Clam Sauce

I had to think back that I first made this dish with a friend of mine 25 years ago. I haven't made this for years, but I remember how to make it like it was yesterday. This is really good and every bit as good as you'll find in the best restaurants.

There are a couple keys to this dish. Cook the pasta "Al Dente." Use chopped clams and baby whole clams and the juice they come in. Lastly, add some corn starch to the clam sauce to thicken it up without adding fat and calories. Try this dish, you won't be sorry you did.
 

Ingredients:
1 pound Barilla linguini
1 can chopped clams
1/2 can baby whole clams
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 gloves garlic
1/2 cup white wine
Greens onions
parmesan cheese
Red pepper flakes
Fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

Cook the linguini in a large pot with salted water according to the directions. I use mostly only Barilla pasta, I think it's the best. The directions on the box say "Al Dente" perfection in 9-10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, take a 12" sauté pan and heat to medium. Add the olive oil and crushed garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Don't over cook the garlic, you just want it translucent. Add the chopped clams and the whole baby clams reserving the clam juice from the cans. Cook the clams and garlic for a few minutes. Add the white wine to the sauté pan. Take the corn starch and mix with the reserved clam juice. Add the clam juice to the sauté and heat and the clam sauce should thicken up. Lastly, add the green onions and mix into the pasta. Turn off heat and set a side until the pasta is done.

When your pasta is done, add 2 portions of pasta to the sauté pan with the clam sauce, mix well and heat thoroughly.

To plate, add one portion of the linguini with white clam sauce to a plate. Finish the dish by adding fresh ground salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese and a tiny drizzle of olive oil.

Side Dish Suggestion:
White Balsamic Vinegar Roasted Brussels Sprouts





Baby Kale Salad with Avocado, Red Bell Pepper and Ranch Dressing

It's all about healthy with this salad. If you have noticed, kale is all the rage right now and companies are even making kale chips which I've had and they're really very good.

Kale is one of the most nutritious leafy vegetables on the planet and we're not the only ones who know it, insects know it as well. Because of it's high nutrition, growers use an incredible amount of pesticides to keep the insects away. Therefore, this is one product that you must buy organic in order to avoid the pesticides.

Ingredients:
Organic baby kale
1 avocado
1/2 red bell pepper
Bolt House yogurt ranch dressing
Parmesan cheese
Ground black pepper


Preparation:
Combine the kale, diced avocado, diced red bell pepper, ranch dressing to a large salad bowl and mix well. Plate the salad and finish the dish with fresh ground pepper and fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Main Course Suggestion:
Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

Sautéed Garlic Shrimp Served on Parmesan Cheese Polenta

I made this same dish sometime back and used grits instead of polenta so this dish is similar, but still wonderful.

The difference between grits and polenta is that grits are made from ground white corn and polenta is made from ground yellow corn. The taste is similar, but really the difference is our perception of the two.

Grits brings up visions of the south and the food for the poor. Polenta on the other hand has visions of fine dining and dishes with the names like; "free range organic roasted quail served on a bed of organic polenta with spring greens and bacon reduction". Both grits and polenta are wonderful products, try them out for yourselves.

Ingredients:
1 pound 21-25 size uncooked shrimp
6 cloves garlic
1 cup Golden Pheasant brand polenta
1cup milk
2 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Take a large sauce pan and heat the milk, water and salt. Add the polenta to the sauce pan and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thicken and cooked. Finish the polenta by adding the Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Turn off the heat, cover and set a side.

Fine chop the garlic and add to the raw shrimp and marinate for an hour. Heat a 10" sauté pan and add a teaspoon of olive oil and a small amount of butter, it doesn't take much. Cook the shrimp on medium high for 4 to 5 minutes and you're done.

To serve, place enough polenta on a plate to cover the bottom and add your cooked garlic shrimp. Finish with some diced green onions and a drizzle of olive oil.

Blue Cheese Wedge Salad

I've had this in restaurants occasionally and it always really good, but probably 30 grams of fat which is not good. When making this at home though, I found a blue cheese yogurt dressing from Bolthouse Farms that is only 2.5 grams of fat per 2 tablespoons. In fact, I recommend all the salad dressings from Bolthouse Farms. Give them a try, you won't disappointed.

Ingredients:

Iceberg lettuce
Blue cheese
Blue cheese salad dressing

Preparation:

Take a head of iceberg lettuce and cut in half and then in quarters. If you have a large head of lettuce then you may want to cut the in half again. Top the lettuce wedge with blue cheese dressing and then with blue cheese and cracked pepper.

Main Course Suggestion:
Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Horseradish Sour Cream

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

This is an all time favorite for sure. I have made this for years and I always use an individual baking dish when making enchiladas. There is just something about how the enchiladas bake and the tortillas get crispy around the edges that just doesn't happen when you bake 8 - 10 enchiladas together in a large baking pan. Top the enchiladas with avocado, green onion and sour cream.

Ingredients:
1 15oz can Las Palmas green chili enchilada sauce
1 chicken breast
1/4 diced yellow onion
1 large garlic clove
1 tablespoon Ortega diced roasted green Chile
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 corn tortillas
Green onion
Cilantro
Lite sour cream

Preparation:

Place the chicken breast in a small sauté pan with a little olive oil. Cover and simmer the chicken breast on low for about 10 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, dice the onion and garlic. Add the diced onion, garlic and green Chili's to a mixing bowl and set a side. Next shred the Monterey Jack cheese and set a side.

When the chicken is done cooking, remove from the sauté pan to a cutting board and let cool. When cool, take a fork and shred the chicken breast and add to the onion, garlic and green chili, mix well and set a side.

Heat a sauté pan and spray with a small amount of canola oil. Lightly cook each tortilla on both sides and set a side.

Take an individual baking dish and pour a couple tablespoons of enchilada sauce in the bottom. Next, take one of the tortillas and add 1/4 of the shredded cheese. Add 1/4 of the chicken mixture to the tortilla, roll and place into the baking dish seam side down. Repeat this process so you have two enchiladas per baking dish. Pour on more enchilada sauce to cover the tortillas.

Bake the enchiladas at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. When done let cool 5 minutes and top with cilantro, green onions and sour cream.

Salad Suggestion:
Black Beans



Sesame Chicken

Here's a dish that's so good you're thinking to yourself this must be really bad for you, but it's not. There is only 1/2 tablespoon of canola oil per serving. Give this one a try, you'll love it. Good as take out? Yep!

Ingredients: Chicken
1 pound boneless chicken thighs or breast
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 egg
Pinch salt & pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil

Ingredients: Sauce
2 table spoons soy sauce
1 table spoon water
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
4 garlic cloves diced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 table spoon corn starch
Green onions

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, corn starch and salt & pepper. Cut the chicken into small bite size pieces, I recommend 3/4" x 3/4" and add the cut up chicken to the egg mixture.

Heat a 12" sauté pan and add the canola oil. Next, add the chicken and egg mixture and cook over medium high heat stirring occasionally. The total cooking time for the chicken should be about 7 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, Ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, corn starch and mix well.

When the chicken is done cooking add the sauce. The sauce will thicken up very quickly, cook 1 minute until heated, remove from the heat and serve.

To serve, place some basmati rice on a plate and then the sesame chicken on top. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Side Dish Suggestion:
Asian Style Eggplant

White Bean Turkey Chili

This is a mild, low fat chili that is perfect for a party. The key to this dish is to have plenty of toppings. I like cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, cilantro, sour cream and avocado.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 diced yellow onion
6 diced garlic cloves
2 lbs. ground turkey1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon ground oregano
1 - 2 tablespoons chili powder to taste
3 tablespoons flour
2 -15 oz. cans cannellini beans
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups chicken stock
garnish:
Cheddar cheese
Diced yellow onion
Sour cream
Cilantro

Preparation:
Heat a 12" sauté pan and add the olive oil. When the oil is heated, add the diced onion and cook 5 minutes until translucent. Add the diced garlic, cook 1 minute and then add the ground turkey and cook until well browned, about 10 minutes.

Once the turkey is cooked, Add the salt, cumin, fennel, oregano, chili powder and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and place the entire contents into a slow cooker / crock pot. Add the cannelloni beans chopped Swiss chard, corn, red pepper flakes and sugar and chicken stock.

Cook in the crock pot for 6 hours. Check for seasoning as the chili will likely need more salt and pepper.

To serve, place chili in a bowl and top with cheddar cheese, diced onion, sour cream and cilantro.