Monthly Archives: April 2007

Recipes

Anytime Balsamic Shrimp

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  • 1½ pounds large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup “tradizionale” Balsamic Vinegar or Faux Aged Balsamic Vinegar (see recipe below)
  • Fleur de Sel, sea salt, or coarse salt to taste*
  • 1 tablespoon snipped chives, chervil leaves, or minced Italian parsley for garnish

* This is a good place to use the wonderful Fleur de Sel salt.

Mix the shrimp with the garlic and olive oil in a bowl and set aside to marinate for half an hour. Heat a skillet large enough to hold the shrimp and when it’s hot, add the butter. When the butter sizzles, add the shrimp.

Using a wooden spoon, flip and toss the shrimp around in the skillet over medium to medium-high heat until they just start turning pink. Add any remaining oil and garlic (from marinade in the shrimp bowl); stir well.

Reduce heat to low; add the balsamic vinegar or Faux Aged Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring rapidly so it will combine and coat the shrimp. Add additional 3 tablespoon, one at a time, and continue to cook the shrimp stirring constantly until they’re coated with the balsamic glaze and done (1 or 2 minutes), but still springy to the touch.

Remove the shrimp to a serving platter and sprinkle very lightly with the sea salt or coarse salt. Drizzle with the Balsamic Vinegar Glaze and sprinkle with the chopped herbs. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

From What’s Cooking America

Recipes

Faux Aged Balsamic Vinegar

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Aged Balsamic Vinegar, or as it is known in Italy, tradizionale, accumulates its flavor in a variety of wooden casks for as long as one hundred years. The result is a very concentrated dark brown, thick sweet vinegar, and it is a great luxury. If you don’t have it in your pantry – chefs have learned to do as the Italians so – reduce your balsamic vinegar with a little brown sugar. It’s a good second.

  • 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar, commercial grade
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

In a small saucepan over medium to medium-high heat (depending on your stove), let mixture simmer and reduce the vinegar for approximately 4 minutes until thickened and reduce by 1/2. Add the brown sugar and simmer an additional 2 minutes longer.Makes 1/4 cup

Recipes

Lime-Cilantro Shrimp

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From Weight Watchers. Points: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp cilantro dried
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar balsamic
  • 2 cup mixed greens
  • 5 oz cooked shrimp cleaned
  • 1/2 cup canned water chestnuts thinly sliced
  • 3 oz high-fiber roll(s)

Instructions Combine oil, cilantro, lime juice and vinegar, set aside. Place greens, shrimp and waterchestnuts in a bowl. Toss with dressing and enjoy with roll.

Recipes

Mexican Black Bean Sausage Chili

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Sausage:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • Dash of kosher salt
  • 1 2/4 pound ground turkey breast

Chili:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups diced onion (about 2 medium)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
  • 4 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
  • 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans no salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 cup very finely chopped cilantro, divided
  • Low-fat sour cream (optional)
  • Sliced green onions (optional)

To prepare sausage, combine first 12 ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To prepare chili, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage mixture; cook 7 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon garlic, 2 teaspoons oregano, and chiles; cook 4 minutes or until onion is tender. Place 1 1/2 cups black beans and 1 cup broth in a food processor; process until smooth. Add puréed beans, remaining beans, remaining 2 cups broth, water, and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 45 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in juice and cilantro. Ladle about 1 3/4 cups chili into each of 6 bowls. Garnish each serving with sour cream and sliced green onions, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

CALORIES 395 (27% from fat); FAT 11g (sat 2.9g,mono 6g,poly 2.1g); PROTEIN 35.3g; CHOLESTEROL 78mg; CALCIUM 128mg; SODIUM 989mg; FIBER 13.7g; IRON 6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.4g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2006

Recipes

Jalapeno Cornbread

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Recipe by Emerill Lagasse

Ingredients needed:

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup fresh sweet corn kernels (from 1 small ear)
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced seeded fresh jalapeño
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup bleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a 12-mold muffin tin with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1 cup of the milk, the corn, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the bell pepper and jalapeño.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cornmeal, flour, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the baking powder. Mix well. Add the remaining 1/4 cup vegetable oil, the remaining 1/2 cup milk, the eggs, and the corn mixture. Mix well.

Spoon a heaping 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin tin and bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 3 minutes, then remove from the muffin tins and serve warm.

Yield: 1 dozen muffins