Newsletters: March-April 2009

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Cook's Corner

Natural Times March/April 2009

Compiled by Jean Crozier

Marinated Grilled Asparagus
SERVES 4

1 lb fresh asparagus
3 T lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp dill weed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Remove the bottom third of the asparagus (woody parts of the stalk) and discard. Place asparagus in casserole dish. Add remaining ingredients. Marinate at least 1 hour, turning frequently.

Place skewers through the middle of the asparagus spears, or place spears in a greased grill basket. Grill over hot coals until tender, but still crunchy. Garnish with diced red bell peppers and lemon slices.

From www.southernfoods.about.com

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter
SERVES 4

1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
Cooking spray
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T butter
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400° F. Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper. Bake asparagus 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove butter from heat. Stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the baked asparagus to serve.

From www.allrecipes.com

Collard Greens
SERVES 4

2 lbs collard greens, tough stems discarded, leaves chopped
2 T medium onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tsp bacon fat
2 T olive oil
2 T toasted sesame oil
Chili pepper flakes, a pinch
Salt, two pinches
Sugar, two pinches

Use a large skillet with a tight fitting cover. Melt bacon fat and heat olive oil on medium heat. Sautéé onion until transparent, a couple of minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 20 seconds.

Mix in the greens, sesame oil, chili pepper flakes, salt, and sugar. Cover and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes. Serve with barbecue sauce.

From www.elise.com

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower
SERVES 6

2 T minced garlic
3 T olive oil
1 large head cauliflower
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 450° F. Grease a large casserole dish. Place the olive oil and garlic in a large re-sealable bag. Add cauliflower, and shake to mix. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Bake for 25 minutes stirring halfway through. Top with parmesan cheese and parsley and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown.

From www.allrecipes.com

Spinach Salad with Strawberries
SERVES 6

5 cups fresh torn spinach, about 1 lb
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 oz Gouda cheese, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup toasted pecans

Dressing:
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T honey
1 T vegetable oil
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Toss together spinach, strawberries, cheese and toasted pecans. Whisk together dressing; pour over spinach mixture and toss just before serving.

From www.southernfoods.about.com

Pea Salad with Radishes & Feta Cheese
SERVES 4-6

2 tsp cumin seeds
2 T fresh lime juice
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil
(cont. from p. 16)
3 T chopped fresh dill
4 cups fresh shelled peas or 1 lb frozen petite peas
1 bunch radishes, trimmed, halved, thinly sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 oz)
3 cups pea tendrils, coarsely chopped, or pea sprouts (optional)

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and toast until aromatic and slightly darker, about 2 minutes. Cool, grind finely in a spice mill. Whisk lime juice, honey and cumin in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil, stir in dill. Season dressing with salt and pepper. May be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Cook peas in a pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 5 minutes for fresh (or about 2 minutes for frozen). Drain, rinse under cold water, then drain well. Transfer to a large bowl. Add radishes, feta and dressing, toss. Divide salad among bowls. Serve.

From www.epicurious.com

Strawberry Blue Cheese Salad
SERVES 6

1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 T raspberry vinegar
3 T balsamic vinegar
3 T olive oil
6 cups mixed salad greens
2 cups diced fresh strawberries
8 oz crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup diced red onion

Place the pecans in a skillet over medium heat. Tossing frequently, toast until lightly browned. In a bowl, whisk together the raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. In a large bowl, mix the toasted pecans, greens, strawberries, blue-cheese, and red onion. Toss with the vinegar and olive oil dressing to serve.

From www.allrecipes.com

Dandelion Salad
SERVES 4

1/2 lb torn dandelion greens
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Your favorite salad dressing

In a medium bowl, toss together dandelion greens, red onion and tomatoes. Season with basil, salt and pepper. Serve with your favorite salad dressing.

From www.allrecipes.com

Springtime Spinach Salad
SERVES 8

2 eggs
4 slices bacon
5 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 kiwi, sliced
1/2 cup orange segments
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 T cider vinegar
1/2 tsp spicy brown mustard
1 dash garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup seasoned croutons

Hard cook the 2 eggs. Peel and chop, set aside. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium high heat until crisp and evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. In a large bowl, toss together the eggs, bacon, spinach, mushrooms, strawberries, onion, kiwi and orange.

In a separate bowl, mix the ketchup, water, olive oil, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and brown mustard. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over salad mixture and top the salad with croutons.

From www.allrecipes.com

Easy Baked Fish
SERVES 4

3 T honey
3 T Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
4 6oz salmon steaks
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 325° F. In a small bowl, mix honey, mustard, and lemon juice. Spread the mixture over the salmon steaks. Season with pepper. Arrange in a medium baking dish.

Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish easily flakes with a fork.

From www.allrecipes.com

Pasta with Tuna, Arugula & Hot Pepper
SERVES 4

1 lb dried fettuccine, spaghetti or linguine
1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
Generous pinch hot red pepper flakes
2 6-ounce cans tuna packed in olive oil, drained
Kosher salt
1/2 to 3/4 lb baby arugula

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and boil until al dente.

While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-low heat. Add the garlic and hot pepper flakes and cook until garlic is fragrant and sizzling. Add tuna and shred it into fine flakes with a fork. Season with salt. Keep warm over low heat.

Just before the pasta is ready, set aside 1 cup of boiling water. Drain pasta and return it to the warm pot set over moderate heat. Depending on the size of your pot and skillet, either add the arugula and the tuna mixture to the pasta in the pasta pot, or add the drained pasta to the skillet with the tuna mixture and add the arugula. Toss vigorously with tongs, moistening with some of the reserved pasta water. The arugula will wilt in the heat of the pasta. Divide among warm bowls and serve immediately.

From www.elise.com

Chinese Chicken Salad
SERVES 4-6

Vinaigrette
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 T brown sugar
2 T peanut butter
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

Grilled Chicken
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
2 T crushed fresh ginger
2 whole boneless chicken breasts

Salad
1/2 head napa cabbage, julienned (about 4 cups)
1/2 head red cabbage, julienned (about 4 cups)
2 baby bok choy, julienned (about 2 cups)
2 carrots, julienned (about 1 cup)
1 cup mixed salad greens
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
Fried rice noodles
Bean Sprouts

Combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk well, making sure that the peanut butter has dissolved and blended with the other ingredients.

Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger and pour over the chicken in a Ziploc bag. Marinate for about one hour. Grill the chicken until cooked through. Let cool, then julienne the meat.

Combine the vegetables and nuts, add the Asian Vinaigrette, and top with the grilled chicken. Garnish with fried rice noodles and bean sprouts.

Irish Lamb Stew with a Twist
SERVES 6

2 1/2 lbs lamb shoulder or shoulder blade chops, bone-in
6 thick slices bacon
2 lbs potatoes, peeled, quartered
2 large onions, quartered
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch segments
1 turnip, peeled and roughly chopped
2 heaping T pearl barley (omit for gluten-free version)
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 T chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 qt water or lamb stock, warmed

Heat a large (6 quart) thick-bottomed Dutch oven on medium heat. Gently cook the bacon, rendering its fat, for a few minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Remove bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. When cooled, chop and set aside.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan. Increase the heat to medium high. Working in batches, brown the lamb pieces on all sides.

Layer the meat and vegetables in the pan. Start with a layer of meat, add a layer of potatoes, turnip, carrots, and chopped bacon, add another layer of meat and top with another layer of vegetables. Add barley, thyme, black pepper, and a teaspoon more of salt. Add water or stock to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a bare simmer. Let simmer, covered, but with the lid slightly ajar, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone.

Skim any excess fat from the stew. Use tongs to pick out and remove bones. Adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste.

From www.simplyrecipes.com

Lamb Shepherd's Pie
MAKES 9 x 12 casserole

1 T canola oil
2 T flour
2 lbs ground lamb
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 T garlic, minced
1/2 lb carrots, chopped
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 lbs yellow potatoes, diced
1 cup canned tomatoes
1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes, drained and pureed
2 cups frozen green peas

Mashed Potatoes
3 3/4 lbs yellow potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 T salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup cream

Heat the canola oil. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Let the roux cool. Brown the ground lamb in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the vegetables and cook 15 more minutes. Add the herbs, salt, pepper, vegetable stock, potatoes, and tomatoes (pureed and non-pureed). Bring the heat up to a low simmer.

Whisk the roux into the stew. Cook on a low simmer for 30 minutes. Add the green peas and cook 10 more minutes. Remove from heat.

Mashed Potatoes
Cook 3 3/4 pounds of potatoes until very soft. Drain off the water. Add the butter, cream, salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes.

Place the lamb mixture in a 9 x 12 casserole dish and top with the mashed potatoes. Brown potatoes under broiler if desired.

By Carla Stubbs

Lamb and Asparagus
SERVES 4

1 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups steamed sliced asparagus
1 1/2 lb boneless lamb, chopped into small cubes
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste.

Heat a large frying pan and add one half of the wine (1/4 cup). Bring to a boil and add the onion and garlic, cook until softened. Add the lamb and cook for about 6 minutes. Add the remaining wine and the asparagus. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until lamb is tender. Add pepper and salt to taste.

From www.lambrecipes.org

Lamb Curry
SERVES 2-3

2 cups of cubed cooked lamb
2 cups of chicken broth
2 medium onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T flour
1 T butter
1 T cooking oil
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin

In a suitably sized saucepan, heat the butter and the oil. Sauté the onions until they soften, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the curry powder, cumin and flour. Cook for a few seconds.

Whisk in the chicken broth and cook, stirring continuously, until thickened. Add the cooked lamb cubes and heat though. Serve with rice and traditional curry condiments.

From www.lambrecipes.org