Friday, October 1, 2010

Chicken and Zucchini Mole

This recipe came from Good Housekeeping (September 2010, p188). I love it. It really reminded me of Cafe Poca Cosa. Such original tastes and mixtures.

"1 sm onion(4- to 6-ounce), cut into quarters
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 oz. dried guajillo or pasilla chiles, stems and seeds discarded
3 Tbsp roasted almonds
1 can (14.5-ounce) fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
13 corn tortillas
1 c. lower-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. zucchini, cut into half moons
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
Salt
3 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

1.In blender, puree onion, garlic, chiles, almonds, tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, 1 tortilla, and 1/2 cup broth 2 minutes or until completely smooth.
2.In 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium-high until hot. Add blended chile mixture and cook 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and cook 8 minutes longer or until brick red and the consistency of tomato paste, stirring frequently. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup broth and heat to simmering.
3.Add zucchini and chicken; simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and meat just loses its pink color, stirring occasionally. Stir in chocolate and salt until chocolate melts.
4.Wrap remaining 12 corn tortillas in damp paper towels; microwave on High 45 seconds or until warm and pliable.
5.Transfer mole to serving bowl; garnish with green onions. Serve with tortillas."

Quick Tex-Mex Confetti Pizza

This recipe is from Cooking Light (September 2010, p180) again. I added cilantro and red onion which I felt it needed.
"Ingredients
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16-ounce) package commercial pizza dough
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled queso fresco cheese
Preparation
1. Place a baking sheet in the oven. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients; toss. Roll dough out to a 13-inch circle; crimp edges to form a 1/2-inch border. Remove baking sheet from oven. Transfer dough onto preheated baking sheet. Spread bean mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border, and top with cheese. Bake on the bottom rack of oven at 450° for 20 minutes or until browned. Cut into 10 wedges."

Southwest Turkey Burgers

What I like about this recipe (Cooking Light, September 2010, p226) is it is cheap and yummy. Plus it gives it a great grilled taste.

"Ingredients
2 poblano chiles (about 1/2 pound)
1 ounce French bread baguette
1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 pound ground turkey breast
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices tomato
4 green leaf lettuce leaves
Preparation
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Cut poblanos in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place poblanos, skin sides down, on grill rack; grill 10 minutes or until blackened. Place poblanos in a small zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and dice.

3. Place bread in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add poblanos, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, cumin, and next 4 ingredients (through turkey); gently mix just until combined. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions; shape each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until done.

4. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and mayonnaise. Top bottom half of each bun with 1 tomato slice, 1 lettuce leaf, 1 patty, about 1 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise mixture, and 1 bun top."

Eggplant Parmesan

This recipe came from Cooking Light (September 2010, p206). I have always loved eggplant parmesan and this recipe is great and tastes very rich.

"Ingredients
Eggplant:
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
2 cups whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 (1-pound) eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray

Filling:
1/2 cup torn fresh basil
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Remaining ingredients:
1 (24-ounce) jar premium pasta sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) finely grated fontina cheese
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. To make eggplant, combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess. Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.

3. To make filling, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through egg).

4. To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with about 3/4 cup pasta sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes."