In this recipe, a mixture of green onions, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass is made into a paste rub for skinless, boneless chicken breast halves. After the chicken is grilled, it is placed atop a bed of rice noodles that have been tossed in a sauce made from lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and garlic. Shredded carrots, fresh cilantro, and chopped peanuts are also added to this creative, Asian-inspired dish.
Ingredients
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped lemon grass
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total)
8 ounces dried rice noodles
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup coarsely snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
Directions
1For rub, in a food processor bowl or blender container, combine green onions, lemon grass, ginger, and the 6 cloves garlic. Cover and process or blend with a few on-off turns until mixture forms a paste. Use your fingers to rub lemon grass-ginger paste evenly onto both sides of chicken breast halves.
2Grill chicken on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink, turning once halfway through grilling. Cut chicken into thin, diagonal slices. Set chicken aside.
3Meanwhile, cook noodles in a large amount of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes or until just tender; drain. In a medium bowl combine fish sauce, juice, brown sugar, and the 1 to 2 cloves garlic; stir until brown sugar dissolves. Add hot cooked noodles, carrots, cilantro, and peanuts; toss lightly to coat.
4Arrange sliced chicken over hot noodle mixture. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
The title of this recipe tells you exactly what you're going to get: catfish, bacon, and onions. The catfish is coated in cornmeal and is then pan-fried in bacon fat, served over a bed of fried onions (also cooked in bacon fat), and topped with crumbled bacon. The flavors of the ingredients in this recipe complement one another so well, that it's a dish you'll certainly want to prepare when you're in the mood for some real Southern comfort food.
Ingredients
4 8- to 10-ounce fresh or frozen pan-dressed catfish or other whitefish
1 beaten egg
/14 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 slices bacon
2 medium onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
Shortening or cooking oil for frying
Directions
1Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse; pat dry with paper towels. In a shallow dish combine egg and buttermilk. In another shallow dish combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and pepper. Dip fish into egg mixture. Then roll fish in cornmeal mixture.
2In a 12-inch skillet cook bacon over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp, turning often. Drain on paper towels; crumble into large pieces. Set aside.
3Using the same skillet, remove all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings; reserve remaining drippings. Heat over medium heat. Add onions. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender but not brown, stirring often. Transfer to a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan; keep warm in a 300 degree F oven.
4In the same skillet heat 3 tablespoons of the reserved drippings over medium heat, adding shortening or oil, if needed. Add 2 of the fish. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden. Turn carefully. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes more or until golden and crisp and fish flakes easily with a fork.
5Drain on paper towels. Place in the same pan with onions; return to the oven. Repeat frying remaining fish, addition additional shortening or oil as needed. To serve, arrange fish on a platter; spoon onions over fish. Sprinkle with bacon. Serve with Tartar Sauce recipe or purchased tartar sauce, if desired. Makes 4 servings.
For this recipe, a pork shoulder roast is braised in balsamic vinegar and red wine, both of which balance the sweetness of the fruit and contribute a delectable kick to the sauce. Cooking the meat at a low cooking temperature for a long period of time will provide a moist and tender meal for any night of the week.
Ingredients
1 5- to 6-pound boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed and tied to retain its shape
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons snipped fresh rosemary
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup dry red wine
1-1/2 cups pitted dried plums and/or dried apricots
1-1/2 cups dried figs, halved
1 quince, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (optional)
4 medium apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and quartered
Directions
1Preheat oven to 325 degree F. In a 6- to 8-quart oval roasting pan brown meat on all sides in hot oil. Remove the meat from the pan and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Sprinkle meat lightly with salt and pepper; set aside. Reduce the heat to medium.
2Add the onions to pan and cook about 5 minutes or until tender. Add the bay leaves, rosemary, vinegar, wine, dried plums and/or apricots, figs, and, if desired, quince. Bring to boiling and cook for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.
3Return the meat to the pan. Cover pan and place in oven for 2-3/4 hours. Add apples. Cover and cook 15 minutes more or until meat and apples are tender. Remove the meat and the fruit from the pan, using a slotted spoon; cover meat and fruit loosely with foil to keep warm. Remove and discard bay leaves from pan.
4For sauce, place pan on rangetop and cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat about 15 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits.
5To serve, slice the pork and arrange it on a platter with the fruit. Spoon some of the sauce over the pork. Pass remaining sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Ground turkey is a healthy choice for high-protein, low-fat meals, and these meatballs are made even healthier with the addition of oats and veggies. But the best thing about these meatballs is their fantastic flavor. Apricot preserves, honey, and lemon give a bit of Moroccan flavor, while the rice vinegar and sesame oil add Asian notes. Serve the meatballs, speared with cocktail picks, as a party appetizer; or as a tasty main dish on top of couscous, rice, or noodles. They make a terrific Asian-fusion hoagie as well.
Ingredients
12 large cloves garlic, halved
3 tablespoons grated fresh garlic
Several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 egg white, beaten
1/3 cup finely chopped green or red sweet pepper
1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
1For sauce, in a blender container, combine garlic, ginger, hot pepper sauce, preserves, honey, lemon peel, sesame oil, and vinegar. Cover and blend until smooth. Set aside.
2Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine egg white, sweet pepper, oats, salt, and 1/3 cup of the sauce. Add turkey; mix well. Shape into 1-1/2-inch balls. Arrange meatballs in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
3Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Brush with some of the remaining sauce and bake 5 minutes more until golden and glazed. Remove from oven, and drain on absorbent white paper towels. Cook remaining sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until heated through and slightly thickened. Serve sauce over meatballs. Makes 36 meatballs.
This dish showcases how deliciously pork complements the sweet and tart tastes of fruit.
Ingredients
16 small dried Mission figs, stemmed
1 cup tawny port (see Note)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
1 cup onion thinly sliced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pork tenderloin (1-1 1/4 pounds), trimmed and sliced into 1-inch-thick medallions
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Directions
1Place figs in a small microwavable bowl and cover with port. Cover the bowl and microwave on High for 3 minutes.
2Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add broth, thyme, bay leaf and the fig-port mixture. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, 10 to 12 minutes. Season with vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Set aside.
3Sprinkle both sides of pork medallions with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and dredge lightly with flour, shaking off the excess.
4Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the medallions and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add the reserved fig-port sauce; bring to a simmer and cook until the pork is cooked, but still a little pink in the center, about 2 minutes. The sauce should be syrupy. If not, remove the medallions with a slotted spoon to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Boil the sauce until it’s reduced and syrupy. Discard the bay leaf. Serve the sauce over the medallions.
5Note: What differentiates tawny from ruby port is that tawny is aged in oak, turning its ruby color toward brown.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving: 394 calories; 10 g fat (2 g saturated fat, 6 g mono unsaturated fat); 64 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 26 g protein; 4 g fiber; 230 mg sodium; 618 mg potassiumNutrtion Bonus: Selenium (58% daily value), Potassium (18% dv), Zinc (16% dv), Iron (15% dv).
Marsala (mahr-SAH-lah), either sweet or dry, is a popular Sicilian wine that's primarily used in cooking and desserts. The dark wine is fortified with alcohol and has a smoky flavor. It adds richness to this quick chicken dinner. This type of chicken marsala can be done from start to finish in 30 minutes or less. Your family will think you called for takeout from your neighborhood Italian restaurant.
Ingredients
2 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces total)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium carrot, cut into thin bite-size strips
1 small red or yellow sweet pepper, cut into thin bite-size strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup dry Marsala
1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
Hot cooked linguine (optional)
Directions
1Place each chicken piece, boned side up, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Working from the center to the edges, pound lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove plastic wrap. Coat the chicken with flour, shaking off excess. Set aside.
2In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add carrot strips; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add sweet pepper strips, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Divide the vegetable mixture between 2 dinner plates. Cover and keep warm.
3In the same skillet heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add chicken. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink, turning once. Place the chicken on top of cooked vegetables.
4Add Marsala and thyme to skillet. Cook and stir for 1 minute, scraping up any crusty browned bits from bottom of skillet. Pour the Marsala mixture over chicken. If desired, serve with linguine.
Potatoes are the base for most hash dishes, and any assortment of meat, vegetables, and herbs can be added to the crisp mixture. This recipe gives you a choice of tuna steaks or salmon fillets that turn this ordinary dish into something that is special enough to serve to guests. Caramelized red onions are added to the top for a flavorful garnish.
Ingredients
4 4-oz. fresh or frozen skinless tuna steaks or salmon fillets
3 cups refrigerated or frozen loose-pack diced hash brown potatoes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped white or red onion
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh dill or thyme or 1 tsp. dried dillweed or thyme
3/4 tsp. ground cumin or dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups torn fresh Swiss chard, spinach, or kale
1 Recipe Caramelized Red Onion (optional)
Fresh dill sprigs (optional)
1/2 to 1 cup bottled honey Dijon salad dressing*
Directions
1Thaw tuna or salmon and potatoes if frozen. Set fish aside. In a very large skillet heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion, dill, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread evenly in skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and slightly crisp, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a medium bowl; cover and keep warm.
2In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Lightly sprinkle tuna with salt and pepper. Add tuna to skillet; cook for 4 minutes. Carefully turn tuna. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 2 to 4 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork (tuna should be slightly pink in the center). Remove tuna from skillet; keep warm. Add greens to skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender and beginning to wilt if using Swiss chard or kale; or 1 to 2 minutes or beginning to wilt if using spinach (add more oil to skillet during cooking if necessary).
3Divide wilted greens among 4 serving plates. Top with potato mixture, tuna steaks, and, if desired, Caramelized Red Onion. Garnish with dill sprigs if desired. Pass salad dressing. Makes 4 servings.
4Homemade Dressing Option: In a small bowl stir together one 8-ounce carton light dairy sour cream, 2 tablespoons coarse brown mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in 1/4 cup milk until smooth. If necessary, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make desired consistency. Makes about 1-1/4 cups.
5Caramelized Red Onion: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add half a medium red onion, thinly sliced. Turn heat to medium-low. Cook onion for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
