Category Archives: MISCELLANEOUS

BEEF FAJITAS WITH FRESH TOMATO SALSA

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1 lb skirt OR flank steak
1 1/2 tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
4 flour tortillas
3/4 cup shredded iceburg lettuce
1/4 cup fresh red OR green salsa

trim off any fat or silvery membrane from the steak. about 15 minutes before cooking, rub steak with lime juice, cumin, salt, and cayenne.

prepare a hot fire in a gril or preheat broiler. set steak about 4″ form heat and grill or broil, turning once, until browned outide but sill pink and juicy inside, 4-6 minutes per side for rare, or longer if desired.

let meat rest for 5 minutes before carving arcross grain on the diagonal into thin slices. spread 1 tbs yogurt over each tortilla. arrange one fourth of steak slices in center of each tortilla, top each with 3 tbs lettuce and 1 tbs salsa. roll up and enjoy.

CORNED BEEF HASH PATTIES

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1 can corned beef
3-4 medium potatoes
1/4 cup minced onion
3 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to season
chinese parsley, minced (optional)
flour for dredging
oil for frying

cut potatoes in half; boil in enough water until soft. peel skin and mash in bowl. add corned beef, onion, eggs, and seasoning. mix together. form into patties; dredge in flour. heat pan on medium heat; add about 1-2 tbs oil. fry pattiies, adding oil as needed.

4-6 servings

FRUIT PIZZA

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1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
fruit for topping (peaches, blueberries, kiwifruit, pineapple, or strawberries)

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

in a large bowl, beat together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. mix in egg. combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the butter mixture until just blended. press dough into an ungreased pizza pan.

bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. cool.

in a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until light. spread on cooled crust.

arrange desired fruit on top of filling and chill.

10 servings

POLENTA PIZZA

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1/2 tsp salt
3 cups cornmeal
1 tbs olive oil
1 med red onion, finely sliced
1 lg clove garlic, chopped
2 med carrots, chopped
4 ribs celery, finely sliced
3 med tomatoes, chopped
6 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 lb part-skim mozzarella cheese, very finely sliced
1 tbs grated parmesan cheese

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. lightly oil a 13″x9″ baking pan.

in a large saucepan, combine 9 cups of water with the salt and bring to a boil over medium-heat. sprinkle in the cornmeal, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. reduce the heat to medium and cook the polenta, stirring constantly, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the polenta is quite stiff, 10-15 minutes.

spoon the polenta into the prepared baking pan and spread it out to a uniform thickness. cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. add the onion and saute until very tender, about 10 minutes. add the garlic, carrots, celery,and tomatoes, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

in a cup, combine the tomato paste and 3/4 cup of hot water, and stir to blend. stir the tomato paste mixture into the vegetable mixture. add the basil, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne. cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.

when the polenta is ready, spread the sauce over it. cover the sauce with the mozzarella slices, then sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. return the polenta to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. serve the pizza hot.

serves 4

PEACH-DATE CHUTNEY

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5 large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
2 tbs minced onion
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar OR a natural sweetener
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp salt
14 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

place all the ingredients in a 3 1/2 qt slow cooker. cover and cook on LOW for 2-3 hours.

remove the lid and let cool completely before storing in the refrigerator in tightly covered containers, where it will keep for 2-3 weeks.

makes about 3 1/2 cups

HOMEMADE WONTON WRAPPERS

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2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 lg egg
1/2 cup cold water
cornstarch

mix flour and salt in medium-sized bowl.form a hole in the flour and pour an egg into the hole. mix well.

add 1/4 cup water to the bowl and mix completely. continue to add water until dough is firm and slightly sticky. you don’t need to use all of the water. mix with your hands if necessary.

cover dough with a damp cloth. let sit fo 20 minutes.

dust a clean, flat surface with cornstarch. place a golf-sized piece of dough directly on the starched surface and sprinkle with cornstarch.

roll a rolling pin across the dough to thin it until the dough becomes translucent. spread it into a rectangular shape, if possible. add more cornstarch if dough becomes too sticky. cut thin, translucent dough into squares approximately 3″x3″.

continue dusting, rolling and cutting small balls of dough until all the dough has been used.

dust each wrapper with a thick layer of cornstarch. stack on top of each other until ready to use. cover in plastic wrap to contain moisture.

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN ORIGINAL BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA

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CRUST:

1/3 cup plus 1 tbs warm water (105-115 degrees)
3/4 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbs olive oil
OR
commercial pizza dough OR dough mix
OR
1 (10″) unbaked commercial crust

TOPPING:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half
1/2 cup bullseye original barbecue sauce
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated gouda cheese (smoked, if you can find it)
1/2 cup sliced red onion
2 tsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

if you are makig a homemade crust,start the dough one day before you plan to serve the pizza. in a small bowl or measuring cup, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. let it sit for 5 minutes until the surface of the mixture turns foamy. (If it doesn’t foam, either the yeast was to old – i.e., dead – or the water was too hot – i.e., you killed it. try again.) sift together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. make a depression in the flour and pour in the olive oil and yeast mixture. use a fork to stir the liquid, gradually drawing in more flour as you stir, until all the ingredients are combined. when you can no longer stir with a fork, use your hands to form the dough into a ball. knead the dough with the heels of your hands on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes, or until the texture of the dough is smooth. form the dough back into a ball, coat it lightly with oil, and place it into a clean bowl covered with plastic wrap. keep the bowl in a warm place for about 2 hours to allow the dough to double in size. punch down the dough and put it back into the covered bowl and into your refrigerator overnight. take the dough from the refrigerator 1-2 hours before you plan to build the pizza so that the dough can warm up to room temperature.

if you are using a commercial dough or dough mix, follow the instructions on your package to prepare it. you may have to set some of the dough aside to make a smaller, 10″ crust.

cut the chicken breast into bite-size cubes and marinate it in 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

when the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. heat a small frying pan on your stove with about 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil in it. saute the chicken in the pan for about 3-4 minutes or until done.

form the dough into a ball and roll out on a floured surface until very thin and 10″ in diameter. put your pizza crust onto a baking sheet or pizza pan, and spread the remaining 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce evenly over the pizza crust.

sprinkle 1/2 cup of the mozzarella and all of the gouda cheese over the sauce.

add the chicken next.

the red onion goes next.

sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella around the center of the pizza.

cilantro goes on top of the mozzarella.

bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is light brown.

when the pizza is done, remove it from the oven and make 4 even cuts across the pie. this will give you 8 slices.

serves 2 as an entree

EASY ENCHILADAS

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2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
8 (8″) tortillas
1 cup (8 oz) plain yogurt OR sour cream
1 cup salsa
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 (2 1/4 oz) can sliced ripe olives, drained
shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes, optional

in a small bowl, combine chicken and cream cheese. spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up tightly. place seam side down in a greased 13″x9″ baking dish.

in another small bowl, combine yogurt and salsa; spread over tortillas. bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. sprinkle with cheese and olives. bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. serve with lettuce and tomatoes if desired.

8 servings

GARLIC BEEF ENCHILADAS

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1 lb ground beef
1 med onion, chopped
2 tbs flour
1 tbs chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1 (14 1/2 oz) can stewed tomatoes

SAUCE:

4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 (14 1/2 oz) can beef broth
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1-2 tbs chili powder
1-2 tsp ground cumin
1-2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp salt
10 (6″) flour tortillas, warmed
2 cups (8 oz) shredded colby-jack cheese

in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. str in flour and seasonings until blended. stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute garlic in butter for 1 minute or until tender. stir in flour until blended. gradually stir in broth; bring to a boil. cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. stir in tomato sauce and seasonings; heat through.

pour about 1 1/2 cups sauce into an ungreased 13″x9″ baking dish. spread about 1/4 cup beef mixture down the center of each tortilla; top with1-2 tbs cheese. roll up tightly; place seam side down over sauce. top with the remaining sauce.

cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. sprinkle with remaining cheese. bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

5 servings

BELL PEPPERS STUFFED WITH CORN, BEANS, AND RICE

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1 1/2 cups chicken broth, preferably reduced-sodium
2 medium plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh basil, OR 1 tsp dried
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
3 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
3/4 cup rice
4 lg red OR green bell peppers
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbs grated parmesan cheese

in a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat. add the tomatoes, onion, basil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, black pepper, corn, and rice, and return to a boil. reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. line a shallow 9″ square baking dish with foil.

meanwhile, cut a thin slice from the top of each bell pepper; remove and discard the seeds. stand the peppers upright in the prepared baking dish.

stir in the black beans into the cooked rice. dividing evenly, stuff the peppers with the rice mixture. top with the parmesan cheese. bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is almost golden.

serves 4