Saturday, October 15, 2011

Three Bean Soup with Chard and Roasted Garlic

1 whole garlic head
1 (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cups chopped chard (about 1 pound)
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups jarred pasta sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can pink beans, rinsed and drained
6 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Sage sprigs (optional)


Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap head in foil. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Combine garlic pulp and 1/4 cup Great Northern beans; mash with a fork until pastelike. Stir in chopped sage; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chard to pan; cook 3 minutes or until chard wilts, stirring frequently.

Add remaining Great Northern beans, broth, and next 4 ingredients (through pink beans); bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until escarole is tender.

Stir in garlic mixture; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.




--Adapted from Cooking Light

Spicy Snow Peas

Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound snow peas and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté for 2 minutes.

Stir in 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper; sauté 1 minute.

Stir in 1/4 teaspoon sugar; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil.


--Adapted from Cooking Light

Hoisin-Glazed Salmon

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless wild salmon fillets
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Lemon rind strips (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Add fish to dish, turning to coat. Marinate at room temperature 8 minutes, turning occasionally.

3. Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle fish evenly with sesame seeds. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Garnish with rind, if desired.

--Adapted from Real Simple

Chicken with White Beans and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh oregano, plus leaves for garnish
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs


Heat oven to 425° F.

In a 9-by-13-inch (or some other large) baking dish, toss the beans and tomatoes with the thyme and oregano sprigs, garlic, red pepper, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Pat the chicken dry and place on top of the bean mixture, skin-side up. Rub with the remaining tablespoon of oil; season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.


Roast until the chicken is golden and cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle with the oregano leaves.





--Adapted from Real Simple

Spicy Pork and Soba Noodles

6 ounces soba noodles
1 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 English cucumber, sliced
2 scallions, chopped
1 red chili pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil


Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions.

Season the pork with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. In batches, brown the pork, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large bowl. Toss the pork with the noodles, cucumber, scallions, chili pepper, vinegar, sesame oil, and ½ teaspoon salt.




--Adapted from Real Simple

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

1 (6.2-ounce) package fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) package fresh mushroom slices
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
2/3 cup Italian dressing
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream


Cook rice in a large saucepan according to package directions, using 2 cans chicken broth instead of water. Add mushrooms before the last 5 minutes.

Stir in chicken, dressing, and sour cream; spoon into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish.

Bake at 325° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes.




--Adapted from Southern Living
3 1/2 to 4-pound sirloin tip roast
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
12 hoagie buns, split
12 slices Swiss cheese

Place roast in a 5-quart slow cooker. Stir together broth and next 4 ingredients and pour over roast.

Cover and cook on high setting one hour; reduce heat to low setting and cook 9 hours.

Remove roast from slow cooker, reserving broth; shred roast with 2 forks. Place shredded meat evenly on hoagie buns and top with Swiss cheese. Serve with reserved broth for dipping.




--Adapted from Southern Living

Asparagus Prosciutto Bundles with Arugula

Very tasty appetizer.


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 pound thin asparagus (about 24 spears), ends trimmed about 2 inches
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cups loosely packed arugula leaves, washed, drained, and stems removed
Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) pecorino cheese, half shaved into thin slices and half grated
12 thin slices prosciutto (about 6 ounces)


1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and vinegar over asparagus; toss lightly to coat. Season with sea salt and pepper.

3. Grill asparagus, uncovered, at medium-high heat, turning often, 4 minutes or until spears are tender, turn bright green, and begin to char slightly. Remove from grill, and set aside.

4. Toss arugula with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, and grated cheese. Season with sea salt and pepper.

5. Place 4 slices of prosciutto flat on a work surface, and top each with 2 asparagus spears, 4 to 5 arugula leaves, and 1 slice of pecorino; roll into a spiral, leaving spears and tips of arugula showing. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients.




--Adapted from Cooking Light