We’re Cooking: Lighten Up Hors d’Oeuvres

We are fully immersed into our New Years resolution to lighten up a bit in 2012.  Though we are healthy eaters in general, Gary and I are both looking to lose a few pounds put on over the indulgent holidays and pre-holiday trips.  We have jump started our work outs and have been eating soup and salad for pretty much every meal.  We do like snacks though, and love to nibble on tasty bites as we watch playoff football, NBA basketball (finally) and the plethora of film screeners on hand as we get ready for the Oscars.  These are a few tasty, low-cal bites we have enjoyed over the past few weeks.  Though perhaps they aren’t as delicious as a pile of cheese fries with bacon and ranch, they are definitely not a heart-attach on a plate.

Recipes:

Fresh Boiled Shrimp with Homemade Dill Cocktail Sauce
Ingredients:
1 pound large, fresh boiled shrimp (you can either boil them yourself by adding 1 pound shell on shrimp to a pot of boiling water with 4 bay leaves, 1 lemon cut in quarters, a palm full of whole peppercorns, 1/2 cup salt, 1/4 cup red pepper flakes and 4 garlic cloves, cut in half.  Boil for 5-7 minutes until the shrimp have turned pink and curled in. Then drain and refrigerate until cold.  Peel, leaving the tail on and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve) or buy pre-boiled.  Shrimp is high in cholesterol, but are a great source of low-fat and low-cal protein if you keep the cholesterol in check.
For the cocktail sauce -
3/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish
6 drops hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon fresh dill – chopped fine
Dash freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Dash of salt

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients for the cocktail sauce together.  Serve with the shrimp on a large platter.

Cucumbers with Herbed Chevre, Smoked Salmon and Caviar
This is super simple and so delicious.  Chevre is a lower calorie and lower fat cheese.  A bit of caviar adds elegance, and a bit of decadence to this easy appetizer.
Ingredients:
1 English cucumber, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
4 ounces garlic-herb chevre, softened
1 teaspoon skim milk + more if needed
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped herbs (parsley, dill, basil, thyme), chopped very fine
Dash of salt and pepper
1 teaspoon lemon zest + 1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 ounces gravlox smoked salmon
1 ounce caviar, optional

Preparation:
Combine the chevre, milk, herbs, juice and zest together, mixing well. Lay the cucumbers out, cut side up, on a serving dish and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Using a piping bag or a knife cover the top of the cucumber rounds with a bit of the chevre mixture.  Top each cucumber round with a thin slice of smokes salmon, then top with a bit of caviar.  Serve very cold.

Cucumber with Chevre, Cilantro, Mint and Mango
Using plain chevre in this light bite lets the sweetness of the cheese, mango and mint shine. The cucumber is a great base to lighten up instead of using crackers.
Ingredients:
1 English cucumber – sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 mango – peeled and sliced thin
4 ounces fresh chevre – softened
2 teaspoons skim milk
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh mint + more for garnish, chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh cilantro + more for garnish, chopped
Freshly cracked pepper
Salt

Preparation:
Lay the cucumber rounds, cut side up, on a platter.  Season lightly with salt and fresh ground pepper.  Mix the chevre together with the milk, cilantro, mint and zest.  Pipe or spread some of the chevre mixture on to each round and top with a slice of mango.  Garnish with additional herbs, serve cold.

We’re Cooking: Tomato-Basil Bread Pudding

I made this bread pudding for a dinner party around the holidays and describing it was a little hard for some to understand as bread pudding is inherently sweet.  However, I love a savory bread pudding as I tend to lean away from the sweet to more savory items, and have successfully made everything from mushroom and thyme bread pudding to roasted winter squash bread pudding, and (as it turns out) this tomato-basil bread pudding. Gary and I tend to buy a fresh loaf of bread for every dinner party, and inevitably we use about half of it.  I started saving the left over bread, wrapping it and freezing it, so we tend to have day-old, left over bread on hand, which is key for a good bread pudding as you need a hard loaf of bread to really absorb the pudding and not disolve.  We unwrap the frozen bread and leave it out for a few hours before making the pudding to both thaw and harden a bit. For this, the bread pudding does have a bit of sweetness with the savoriness, as roasted tomatoes with balsamic caramelize in the oven, with a fresh pop from fresh basil and creamy, cheesy pudding. We served some fresh pesto on the side making the whole thing simply delicious.

Recipe:

Tomato-Basil Bread Pudding
Ingredients:
Half a loaf of day old bread, cut into large cubes.  We used rosemary bread, to add an extra herbal note and left the crusts on.  You can remove the crusts if you prefer
1 pint red cherry tomatoes – cut in half
1/2 pint yellow cherry tomatoes – cut in half
1 small red onion
4 cloves garlic – minced
2  tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons black pepper
Salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon pine nuts – toasted and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh basil + more for garnish – julienne
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups fat-free or regular half and half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 ounces fresh mozzarella – cubed
Cooking spray

Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 400.  In a mixing bowl toss the tomatoes together with the Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon oil with 1 clove of minced garlic.  Pour on to a foil lined baking sheet.  Roast for 20 minutes until the tomatoes are very soft and caramelized.  Meanwhile saute the onions and garlic in the remaining olive oil until softened, about 7-10 minutes. Add the lemon zest and juice, red pepper flakes and season with a bit of salt and pepper.  In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs together.  Whisk in the half and half and season with salt and pepper. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees when the tomatoes have roasted and are removed from the oven.  Add the bread, tomatoes, pine nuts, half of the Parmesan cheese and basil to the egg mixture and stir well to incorporate.  Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.   Pour the bread and egg mixture into the baking dish.  Dot the mozzarella cheese around the top of the pudding.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan cheese.  Cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then remove the foil over and continue to bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.  Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh basil and serve hot with basil pesto on the side.

 

 

We’re Cooking: Sweet and Spicy Roasted Corn Soup

We were watching an episode of Iron Chef the other night, as we often do, and Chef Bobby Flay made a sauce for one of his dishes combining roasted corn with coconut.  Inspired I took this idea and created a sweet and spicy soup made with fresh roasted corn poblano and jalapeno peppers and coconut milk.  As we were working through the process we almost didn’t add the coconut milk, but a little side taste test adding a bit of coconut milk to a cup of the finished soup….wow!!! The flavor just popped, mellowing some of the pepper’s heat and giving it an undertone of Thai inspired sweet spiciness. Puree the soup until very smooth, but reserve some of the whole corn kernels for garnish with chopped cilantro.  Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Recipe:

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Corn Soup
Ingredients:
4 ears fresh corn, shucked and cleaned
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 yellow onion – chopped
2 carrots – chopped
2 stalks celery – chopped
4 cloves garlic – chopped
2 Poblano peppers – seared, seeds and ribs removed and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper – seared, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
1 1/2 tablespoon garam masala
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 can lite coconut milk
1 cup fat free or regular half and half, or cream
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped chives, for garnish

Preparation:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Wrap each ear of corn in aluminum foil after seasoning each with a bit of salt and pepper.  Roast for at least 40 minutes.  Meanwhile on an open flame or grill sear the poblano and jalapeno peppers until they blister, then remove stem, cut in half and remove the seeds and ribs then chop.  In a large Dutch oven heat the oil and butter over medium heat, then add the onion, carrots and celery.  Saute for 5-7 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally.  Remove the corn from the foil and cut off the cob.  Add most (reserving some for garnish) to the pot with the peppers and garlic.  Add the dried spices and season generously with salt and pepper.  Stir to combine and cook together for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add the cilantro then simmer for 15 minutes.  With an immersion blender or food processor puree the soup until silky smooth.  Add back to the pot and whisk in the coconut milk and half and half and bring back up to a simmer.  Simmer until ready to serve.  Adjust any final seasonings and ladle into big soup bowls.  Top with cilantro, chives and a few kernels of corn.

We’re Exploring: Birmingham, AL

Just after the new year we traveled out to Birmingham, Alabama for the BBVA Compass Bowl featuring SMU vs. Pittsburgh to see our friend Coach June Jones defeat the Panthers in a 28-6 victory.  Though warnings of rain filled the forecast prior to the big game, the day was stunningly beautiful, with a subtle chill in the air and sunshine beaming, lucky for a January day.

We flew into Birmingham the morning of the game on a plane filled with dozens of other game goers enjoying Bloody Mary’s and excited about the 3rd bowl appearance for the team in the past 3 years.  We arrived just in time to visit the Mustang Club tent for a Bud Light and a little camaraderie, then it was into Legion Field, the circa 1920′s stadium named for the American Legion.

A powerful first quarter set the stage for an impressive win over the Big East team.

We’re Cooking: Fire-Roasted Tomato and Veggie Soup

I caught a bit of a cold right after Christmas and all I wanted was tomato soup, tomato juice and tomatoes….who knows, I am a tomato lover but for what ever reason the little taste I had for that week craved tomatoes…  This healthy soup satisfied those cravings and soothed my soar throat with perfect warmth.

Recipe:

Fire Roasted Tomato and Veggie Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large carrots – Tips and ends removed, scrubbed and sliced into thin disks
1 large yellow onion – sliced thin
3 cloves garlic – sliced thin
2 celery stalks – sliced thin
1 zucchini squash – cut in half, then sliced into thin half moons
1 large can fire roasted tomatoes
2 whole jarred roasted red peppers – chopped well
2 cups tomato juice
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons fresh basil – chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill – chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley – chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce

Preparation:
Heat oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onion, celery and begin to sweat the veggies for about 5 minutes.  Add the squash and garlic and season with salt and pepper to your taste (about 1 tablespoon of each).   Cook for 7-10 minutes as the veggies soften adding a bit of stock it needed.  Add the peppers, tomatoes, dried spices, vinegar, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce.  Cook for 3-5 minutes as the flavors meld together.  Add the stock and tomato juice and bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the fresh herbs and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until ready to serve.  Adjust any final seasoning and serve hot.