Cocoa-Banana Freeze

 

Yield:

8 servings (1/3 cup each)

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup sugar
2. 1/4 cup Cocoa
3. 1-1/2 cups (12-oz. can) evaporated nonfat milk
4. 1/4 cup light corn syrup
5. 1 container (8 oz.) plain nonfat yogurt
6. 1 ripe medium banana, mashed

Directions

1. Stir together sugar and cocoa in medium saucepan; stir in evaporated milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in corn syrup. Cool completely.
2. Add yogurt and banana; stir with whisk until well blended. Refrigerate several hours until cold.
3. Pour mixture into 1-quart container of ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. 8 servings (1/3 cup each).

Notes

Broiled Lamb Chops With White Bean And Rosemary Ragout

A simple ragout of cannellini beans and fresh, pungent rosemary provides an ideal accompaniment to the full flavor of roasted lamb. This elegant, easy-to-prepare dish is great for entertaining.

Yield:

8

Ingredients

1. 6 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3. 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5. 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
6. 2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
7. 4 tsp thyme, chopped
8. 4 tsp sage, chopped
9. 16 double lamb chops (rib or loin), frenched
10. 1 ¾ cup cannellini beans, drained, juices reserved
11. 1 tablespoon demi-glace concentrate
12. 1 tsp lemon zest
13. Salt, to taste
14. Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Combine the soy sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable oil, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tablespoon rosemary and the thyme and sage in a zipper-lock bag; add the lamb. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag; turn to coat the lamb with the marinade ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. While the lamb is marinating, prepare the white bean ragout. Combine the cannellini beans, ½ cup of their reserved juices, 1 tablespoon rosemary, the demi-glace concentrate and the lemon zest in a saucepan.
3. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer the ragout for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the ragout becomes too thick, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved juices from the beans to restore consistency. Keep warm.
4. Spray the broiler rack with nonstick cooking spray; preheat the broiler.
5. Remove the lamb chops from the marinade. Discard the marinade and brush off any excess herbs that may have stuck to the lamb. Be sure to wipe any excess marinade off the bones or else they will burn under the broiler. Season the chops with salt and pepper.
6. Broil the lamb chops 5 inches from the heat until done to taste, 2-3 minutes on each side for medium.
7. Spoon about ¼ cup of the white bean ragout onto a warm plate and nestle 2 of the lamb chops in the sauce.

Notes

Chicken Sate with Ponzu Sauce

To prevent wooden skewers from burning while grilling, soak for 30 minutes in hot water beforehand.

Yield:

4 servings (serving size: 4 skewers and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sake mixture)

Ingredients

1. 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2. 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3. 1/4 cup sake (rice wine)
4. 1/4 cup rice vinegar
5. 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
6. 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
7. 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
8. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
9. 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

1. Cut each chicken breast half lengthwise into 4 strips. Combine sugar and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a small bowl; stir until sugar dissolves. Combine half of sake mixture and all of chicken in a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Reserve remaining sake mixture.
2. Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Thread 1 chicken strip onto each of 16 (8-inch) skewers. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with remaining sake mixture.

Notes

Crispy Chicken Cracklin’s With Ponzu

If you’ve never been, Izakayas are the Japanese equivalent of a tapas bar or pub. They serve alcohol, but they also make a variety of regional small plates to go with the booze. If you like having a lot of variety without spending a ton of money, these are the places to go.A typical izakaya meal starts off with various otsumami (snacks) followed perhaps by some sashimi, or a salad. Next you’d get something a bit more substantial like kushiyaki or nabemono then finish off with a rice or noodle dish like ochazuke or ramen. This dish is a fairly typical otsumami you might have with some beer or sake and combines crisp deep fried chicken skins with some spicy grated daikon and a citrusy ponzu sauce.It might sound counter intuitive, but with all the moisture gone and most of the fat rendered out, they turn out light and crisp with the wonderful flavor of browned chicken. A great way to use up a part of the chicken that might otherwise get thrown out.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. daikon radish
2. powdered red chili pepper
3. chicken skins
4. oil for frying
5. chopped scallions
6. ponzu

Directions

1. Grate the daikon using a fine zester such as a Microplane. Combine with a bit of powdered chili pepper to give it a pink color and set aside.
2. Thoroughly dry the the chicken chicken skins using paper towels then cut them into 1/4″ wide strips.
3. Heat 1/2″ of oil in a heavy bottomed pan to 350 degrees F. Carefully lower individual strips of skin into the oil and fry until they are golden brown and aren’t bubbling any more (the bubbles indicate there is still moisture escaping). As they finish frying, transfer them to a paper towel lined plate.
4. To plate, just put down some fried cracklin’s and top with a pinch of grated daikon and some scallions. Drizzle a bit of ponzu on top and serve immediately with some beer or sake.

Notes

Herbed Chicken Parmesan

This recipe was a standout favorite, earning more than 70 high-ranking reviews for its speedy cook time and delicious outcome. An anonymous reviewer says, “This was really good. I gave it five stars because it is hard to find a recipe this good, with ingredients you probably already have on hand, that you can make easily on a weeknight.” We recommend rice-shaped orzo pasta with this saucy entrée, but you can serve spaghetti or angel hair pasta instead.

Yield:

4 servings

Ingredients

1. 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
2. 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
3. 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
4. 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
6. 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
7. 1 pound chicken breast tenders
8. 1 tablespoon butter
9. 1 1/2 cups bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Muir Glen Organic)
10. 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
11. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12. 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside.
3. Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave sauce mixture at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour the sauce over chicken in pan. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese. Wrap handle of pan with foil, and broil 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Notes