Recipe Review from 7/1/13

I hope everyone had an enjoyable 4th of July respite.  Ours alternated between putsy errands, a bit of yard work, a hometown baseball game, and relaxing.  I did fit in a long bike ride with my cycling friend up to Two Harbors on what would be an absolutely perfect morning - almost no wind, modicum of traffic, and temps right about 60* along the lake.  Maybe cooler. The Husband and I also fit in a smaller ride on Sunday morning before it got too warm and humid. 

The weekend culminated in having my Folks out for grilled goose!  The weather wanted to rain on us, and the humidity was such that staying inside was too warm, so out came the screen tent.  It was a very enjoyable picnic.  We had: 

Grilled Goose
12 lb bird, cleaned, dried, and lightly seasoned
roasting pan with a rack
350* for about 2 1/2 hours

Putting the bird in a roasting pan is a MUST.  Other wise you will end up with a greasy mess in your grill, constant flare-ups, and waste a lot of fat that could be utilized. 

We drained the beautiful grease/fat rendered from the bird while it was still hot and let sit to allow any extra cruddies to settle.  While still liquid, we strained again and refrigerated.  Goose fat is supposed to be absolutely fabulous to cook with and we have about four cups of the stuff.  One website the Husband found recommended freezing the lard and scraping off shavings to cook with as needed.

The sides:
Roasted Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette     (Ckng Lght July 2013)  vegetarian, GF
I made this for Fathers Day to good reviews and decided it would be perfect with the bird.  Review can be found here:  Recipe Review from 6/17/13

Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese and Basil   (Ckng Lght July 2013)   vegetarian, GF
Fresh tomatoes, tangy creamy goat cheese and bright basil - doesn't that just shout SUMMER!  The recipe does recommend a variety of colored tomatoes, but what with our late spring, regular tomatoes it was.  Simple, quick, tasty, and can be made ahead. 

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar  (I used red as it was on hand)
  
  
  
  

  

  photo from CookingLight.com

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 4 medium heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges (about 2 pounds)
• 1/3 cup small basil leaves
• 1.5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add chopped basil and tomato wedges; toss to coat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour, tossing occasionally. Top with basil leaves and goat cheese.

The dessert: 
Warm Buttermilk Drop Biscuits  (Ckng Lght May 2013)
I fully admit, cooking these when it's 80* outside with about the same in humidity, is really not a good idea.  Not only does the house become excessively warm, but baked goods just don't behave like they should.  They came out a bit denser than I would like. However, I would  make these again.  Great, multi-purpose biscuits made a bit healthier with the addition of some ww flour and decreased sugar.  We served them with vanilla ice cream and rhubarb sauce.

• 5.6 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)

  

  photo from CookingLight.com

• 3.6 ounces white whole-wheat flour (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups very cold fat-free buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk to combine.
3. Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 1 minute or until completely melted. Add cold buttermilk, stirring until butter forms small clumps. Add oil, stirring to combine.
4. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir with a rubber spatula until just incorporated (do not overmix) and batter pulls away from sides of bowl. (Batter will be very wet.)
5. Drop batter in mounds of 2 heaping tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 450° for 11 minutes or until golden. Cool 3 minutes; serve warm.

Midweek suppers: 

Bean Salad with Shrimp and Yogurt Curry  (Ckng Lght July 2013)  pesce-vegetarian, GF
To say this comes together quickly is an understatement.  This is perfect for warm temps and busy evenings - you know, when you get home from work and head right out into the yard and suddenly dinner is at 8pm or later?   Quick, light, and very flavorful.  I served it with a warm ciabiatta bun to mop up the saucy goodness.  This made enough to serve two, with a tich of leftovers for lunches the next day along side the Quinoa Salad below.

photo from CookingLight.com

• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley   (I used 1 tsp dried)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon              (I used 1 tsp dried)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 
• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice 
• 9 ounces green beans, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1. Combine first 6 ingredients, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine yogurt, curry, honey, and juice in a small bowl.
2. Cook beans in boiling water 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Add beans to shallot mixture; toss to coat.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shrimp, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and thyme to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until done. Add shrimp to green bean mixture; toss to coat. Serve with yogurt mixture.

Iowa Burger [aka Great Plains Burger] (Ckng Lght July 2013)    GF if you skip the buns
Ckng Lghts version is the Great Plains Burger because it's supposed to be made with bison.  I forgot to buy a package of bison when at the store, and not wanting to make an extra trip, I subbed some pork I had in the freezer.  Yay for freezer reduction!  The Husband re-named this the Iowa Burger - Iowa is know for it's pork.

These were really tasty, and that's saying something since this is probably the fifth burger I've eaten since 2007.  I would err on the light side with the adobo sauce as it can get spicy-hot very quickly.  I used some frozen corn from last years garden to save time and just sauted the onions and corn in a pan.

photo from CookingLight.com

• 1 ear shucked corn 
• 1 small red onion, cut into 3/4-inch slices
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise 
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon (or less) adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 ounces corn chips (such as Fritos)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 pound lean ground bison
• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) onion rolls, toasted  (I used english muffins)

1. Preheat grill to high heat.
2. Place corn and onion on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 9 minutes or until charred, turning corn occasionally and turning onion once. Cut kernels from ears of corn. Combine corn, mayonnaise, mustard seeds, vinegar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a mini food processor; process until smooth.
3. Combine onion and adobo sauce.
4. Place chips in a food processor; pulse 15 times or until coarsely chopped. Combine chips, 1/4 teaspoon salt, sage, garlic powder, pepper, and bison; mix well. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in center of each patty. Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes. Carefully turn patties; grill 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.
5. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun. Spread 1 tablespoon corn mixture over each patty. Top with onion mixture and top halves of buns.

Lunches for part of the week were:

Colorful Quick Quinoa Grecian Salad  (Ckng Lght, March 2006)   vegetarian, GF
Quick and colorful indeed!  Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth to make this vegetarian - not sure why the magazine just doesn't do this anyway to appeal to it's vegetarian readers?   I also substituted zucchini for the cucumber because I am not a cucumber person.  I also find they make dishes watery.  I used red wine vinegar because that is what I had on hand.  This was perfect for lunches - filling, light, and flavorful.  This would also be perfect for potlucks and picnics as it can be made ahead and travels well. 

• 2 cups uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

  

  photo from CookingLight.com

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar (I used red wine)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup thinly sliced radicchio
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped English cucumber (I use zucchini)
• 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives  (I added more!)
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots

1. Place quinoa in a large bowl; cover with water. Let stand 5 minutes; rinse well, and drain.
2. Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan; stir in quinoa. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Uncover; fluff with a fork. Cool to room temperature.
3. Combine olive oil and next 5 ingredients (through sea salt) in a large bowl. Add cooled quinoa, tomatoes, and the remaining ingredients; toss well.

Margee Berry, White Salmon, WA