Cream of Sweet Potato Soup with Roasted Garlic

Recipe By: From a cooking class with Phillis Carey, 12/2011
Serving Size: 6

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup yellow onion — diced
1/2 cup celery — diced
1/2 cup carrot — diced (peeled first)
1 1/2 teaspoons roasted garlic
2 pounds orange sweet potatoes — peeled, 1/2 inch cubes
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 pinch ground allspice
1 small bay leaf
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Creme Fraiche and chopped chives for garnish

1. ROASTING GARLIC: Preheat oven to 400°. Slice off the tail end of a head of garlic (about 1/4 of the head) and place in a small round ramkin. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil and cover with foil. Bake for one hour or until soft and golden. Cool slightly and squeeze out the pulp from the garlic head. Use any oil left in the dish in the soup.
2. SOUP: Melt the butter in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic puree and cook for 3 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Mix in the sweet potatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and bay leaf. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes until potatoes begin to soften and spices are aromatic.
3. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Puree the soup using an immersion blender (or do it in several batches in a standing blender – covered with a towel as it may blow the lid off). Pulse on and off until the soup is smoothly pureed. Return soup to the saucepan and whisk in the cream, brown sugar, molasses, salt and pepper. Reheat and serve hot with a swirl of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of chives.
Per Serving: 364 Calories; 21g Fat (50.3% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 70mg Cholesterol; 547mg Sodium.

Chicken Chili

Recipe By: From Cook’s Illustrated online, Jan. 2007
Serving Size: 8
NOTES: Adjust up the heat in this dish by adding the minced ribs and seeds from the jalapeño as directed in step 6. If Anaheim chiles cannot be found, add an additional poblano and jalapeño to the chili. This dish can also be successfully made by substituting chicken thighs for the chicken breasts. If using thighs, increase the cooking time in step 4 to about 40 minutes. Serve chili with sour cream, tortilla chips, and lime wedges. [My additions: diced fresh radish and red bell pepper.]

3 pounds chicken breast halves — with skin & bones, trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium jalapeño chiles
3 whole poblano peppers — stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
3 whole Anaheim chili peppers — stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
2 medium onions — cut into large pieces (2 cups)
6 cloves garlic — minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
29 ounces canned cannelini beans — (2 – 14.5-ounce) drained and rinsed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice — (from 2 to 3 limes)
1/4 cup cilantro — minced fresh
4 whole scallions — white and light green parts sliced thin
Additional garnishes: diced radishes, red bell pepper, tortilla chips

1. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until skin is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and lightly brown on other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate; remove and discard skin.
2. While chicken is browning, remove and discard ribs and seeds from 2 jalapeños; mince flesh. In food processor, process half of poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, and onions until consistency of chunky salsa, ten to twelve 1-second pulses, scraping down sides of workbowl halfway through. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, and onions; combine with first batch (do not wash food processor blade or workbowl).
3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from Dutch oven (adding additional vegetable oil if necessary) and reduce heat to medium. Add minced jalapeños, chile-onion mixture, garlic, cumin, coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
4. Transfer 1 cup cooked vegetable mixture to now-empty food processor workbowl. Add 1 cup beans and 1 cup broth and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add vegetable-bean mixture, remaining 2 cups broth, and chicken breasts to Dutch oven and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until chicken registers 160 degrees (175 degrees if using thighs) on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes (40 minutes if using thighs).
5. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate. Stir in remaining beans and continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are heated through and chili has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
6. Mince remaining jalapeño, reserving and mincing ribs and seeds (see note above), and set aside. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding bones. Stir shredded chicken, lime juice, cilantro, scallions, and remaining minced jalapeño (with seeds if desired) into chili and return to simmer. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.
Per Serving: 383 Calories; 16g Fat (36.2% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 87mg Cholesterol; 323mg Sodium.

Spice Crusted Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Recipe By: Cook’s Country (June/July 2010); I got it from The Bitten Word (blog)
Serving Size: 6-8
NOTES: If you don’t have an electric spice grinder, crack the spices – place them in two zipper-lock bags, one inside the other, and press or gently pound with a skillet, rolling pin, or meat mallet. If you don’t have kosher salt, use ½ teaspoon table salt. If the pork tenderloins are large, they will serve 4 smaller servings per tenderloin.

2 pounds pork tenderloin — (two)
1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds — cracked
1 tablespoon coriander seeds — cracked
1 teaspoon black peppercorns — cracked
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar — or Demerera
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 large egg whites

1. PREPARE GRILL | Heat all burners on high for 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) off. (For charcoal grill, open bottom vent on grill. Light about 100 coals; when they are covered with fine gray ash, spread over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place and heat covered, with lid vent open completely, for 5 minutes.) Scrape and oil cooking grate.
2. COAT PORK | Meanwhile, pat pork dry with paper towels. Combine mustard seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, sugar, salt, and cornmeal on rimmed baking sheet. Place cornstarch in large bowl. Beat egg whites in second large bowl until foamy. One at a time, coat tenderloins lightly with cornstarch, dip in egg whites, and transfer to rimmed baking sheet to coat with spice mixture.
3. GRILL PORK | Spray tenderloins lightly with cooking spray and grill, -covered, over hot side of grill, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Slide pork to cooler side of grill and continue to cook, covered, until meat registers 145 degrees, 6 to 12 minutes longer. Transfer pork to carving board, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
Per Serving: 245 Calories; 6g Fat (21.4% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 98mg Cholesterol; 409mg Sodium.

GF Ginger Bars

Recipe By: My own concoction based on an old recipe I have called New York Special Slices
Serving Size: 24
BASE:
2 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/4 pound unsalted butter
1 large egg — beaten
2 cups GF ginger cookie crumbs — (if you don’t need to eat GF, substitute graham cracker crumbs for these cookie crumbs)
1/2 cup walnuts — chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup crystallized ginger — minced
CUSTARD LAYER:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons Bird’s Dessert Mix — also called custard powder
4 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 cup crystallized ginger — minced
CHOCOLATE TOPPING:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1. BASE: Melt semisweet chocolate and butter, stirring often. Do not cook this mixture. In a medium bowl combine egg vanilla, ground ginger, crystallized ginger and cookie crumbs. Pour melted chocolate mixture on top and stir to combine. Press into an 8×8 greased pan. Refrigerate while preparing next layer. The mixture will be very “wet,” but you serve it from a refrigerated state so it will be fine.
2. CUSTARD LAYER: Melt butter and add it to a bowl with the confectioner’s sugar, Bird’s powder, milk, ground ginger and crystallized ginger. If mixture is too thick add a teaspoon more milk. If too thin add more sugar. It should be a thick spreading consistency. Remove 8×8 pan from refrigerator and carefully pour this mixture over the base. Use an offset spatula and spread it all the way to the edges. Refrigerate this for at least an hour.
3. CHOCOLATE TOPPING: In a small saucepan melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter. Watch it carefully – do not cook it or burn it. Carefully pour this over the top of the chilled custard layer and using an offset spatula spread the chocolate all the way to the edges. Do it gently so you don’t pick up any of the custard layer with the spatula.
4. Chill thoroughly (several hours or overnight). Use a knife heated in hot water (dry it off) to cut the bars into individual servings. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Will keep for several weeks.
Per Serving: 166 Calories; 11g Fat (54.7% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 26mg Cholesterol; 9mg Sodium.

GF Ginger Cookies

Recipe By: Christie’s Corner blog
Serving Size: 52

“GEMS” FLOUR MIXTURE (this make just a bit more than is needed for the cookies):
2 3/4 cups brown rice flour
2/3 cup sweet white sorghum flour
1/3 cup gluten-free oat flour
3 tablespoons bean flour — [we used garbanzo bean flour]
COOKIES:
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon xanthan gum — or guar gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter — softened
1 cup brown sugar — plus 2 tablespoons (original recipe called for 1 1/3 cups)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1 tablespoon fresh ginger — finely grated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup crystallized ginger — minced granulated sugar for rolling dough balls

1. Preheat over to 325°. Lightly grease two baking sheets or line with silpats.
2. Combine ingredients for GEMS flour, stir well and set aside. In a small bowl combine the ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, xanthan gum and salt and stir to blend. Set aside.
3. In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg, molasses, fresh ginger and vanilla and beat until blended.
4. Add 4 cups of the GEMS flour mixture (there will be a little bit left over) and mix well. Stir in crystallized ginger.
5. Use some of the GEMS flour on your hands, and shape dough into 1-inch balls, roll in granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
6. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until cookies are golden brown. Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then remove cookies to a rack.
Per Serving: 91 Calories; 4g Fat (38.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 18mg Cholesterol; 28mg Sodium.

Standing Rib Roast with Bacon and Red Wine Port Sauce

Recipe By : From a cooking class wth Phillis Carey
Serving Size: 8

3 cups low sodium beef broth
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry red wine — like a Pinot Noir or a red blend
1/2 cup Port wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
7 pounds prime rib — 7-8 pounds, 3-4 ribs
8 tablespoons unsalted butter — divided use
2 teaspoons dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 slices bacon — chopped
1/4 cup shallots — diced
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour — or more if you prefer a thicker sauce
1/4 cup Italian parsley — chopped

1. SAUCE: Combine beef and chicken broth, wine and Port in a large saucepan and boil down until reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes. Whisk in tomato paste; set aside or refrigerate. Remove roast from refrigerator 2 hours before cooking and set it in a 3-inch deep roasting pan, ribs down.
2. Preheat oven to 450°. Rub 2 T. butter on the cut surfaces only of the beef roast. Sprinkle the fatty edge with thyme and pepper. Roast meat for 15 minutes. Lower temp to 325° and continue roasting until the meat reaches an internal temp of 120° for rare. You may baste with any fat that accumulates in the bottom of the pan – do that every 20 minutes or so.
3. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. When crisp, remove bacon to paper towels to drain. Add shallots and saute for 3-4 minutes to brown them slightly. Add reduced broth/wine/port mixture and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits; set aside.
4. Remove the roast to a carving board when done and tent with foil; let stand 15-30 minutes. Pour out any fat from the roasting pan and place pan on stove top. Add the reduced liquids and bring to a simmer, scraping any browned bits from the bottom.
5. To thicken sauce, mix 3 T. butter an the flour in a small bowl to form a smooth paste. Whisk it into the broth mixture and simmer until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. When ready to serve, stir in the reserved bacon, if desired, and remaining 3 T. butter. The gravy is not supposed to be real thick – if you prefer it thicker, add a bit more flour and butter mixture.
6. Carve roast and spoon some sauce over meat and garnish with parsley to serve. Pass with remaining sauce.

Ginger Pumpkin Bars

Recipe By: From cooking class with Tarla Fallgatter, 12/2011
Serving Size: 24

CRUST:
1 cup cookie crumbs — gingersnaps, shortbread, graham crackers or ginger biscotti (Trader Joe’s)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter — melted
FILLING:
6 ounces cream cheese — room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar — very firmly packed
3/4 cup pumpkin puree — solid-pack canned
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
1 large egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger — very finely chopped
TOPPING:
1/2 cup heavy cream
Sugar and vanilla to taste
24 walnut halves

1. CRUST: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°. Have ready a 9-inch square pan with a removable bottom. If you don’t have one, you can use a regular 9×9 pan, but you’ll need to be gentle removing the pieces and the first couple may be misshapen or cracked.
2. Place crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse until evenly moistened. Put crumbs in the pan and spread to coat the bottom evenly. Bake until slightly brown – about 10 minutes. Let cool. Reduce oven temp to 325°
3. FILLING: Pulse cream cheese in food processor with brown sugar until smooth. Add pumpkin and spices and pulse in. Add the yolk, egg and vanilla and pulse until incorporated. Add the crystallized ginger and stir in with a spatula. Scrape filling into the crust and spread it evenly. Bake until the filling just barely jiggles when the dessert is nudged, 25-30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely. If time permits, refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 3 hours.
4. TOPPING: Whip cream with sugar and vanilla until it holds in soft peaks. Top each square with some of the whipped cream and add just a few tiny pieces of crystallized ginger and a walnut half.
Per Serving: 100 Calories; 8g Fat (65.6% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 36mg Cholesterol; 51mg Sodium.

Smashed Potato Cakes with Rosemary Salt

Recipe By: From a cooking class with Phillis Carey, 12/2011
Serving Size: 6-8
NOTES: For a different twist, before the potatoes are baked, place a small square of goat cheese on top. This recipe assumes each person will eat 3 of these potatoes. Do choose very small red potatoes – the kind that are no larger than an inch. You can make them with larger, but they won’t be quite as good because they have too much mass to crisp the edges as well.

18 small red new potatoes — no larger than 1″ diameter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary — minced
2 teaspoons salt — (yes, in addition to salt above)

1. Place whole potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold tap water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and add a teaspoon of salt. Reduce to a simmer and cook 10-12 minutes (or longer) or until just cooked through, but still firm, lowering heat as necessary. Drain potatoes and cool until just warm.
2. Place remaining 2 teaspoons salt and fresh rosemary in an electric spice grinder (or coffee grinder) and grind until quite fine. Set aside.
3. Place potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and using a meat pounder press gently on each potato to crush it into 3/4 inch thick cakes. Brush both sides of the potato cakes with olive oil. Potatoes can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead.
4. Preheat oven to 450°. Bake potato cakes for 30 minutes, or until browned and warmed through. Sprinkle with rosemary salt and pepper. Serve piping hot.
Per Serving (for 3 potatoes each): 258 Calories; 9g Fat (31.4% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1079mg Sodium.

Coconut-Lime Turkey (or Chicken) and Rice Soup

Recipe By: Adapted slightly from Kalyn’s Kitchen blog, and she adapted it from The Sunset Cookbook, 11/2011
Serving Size: 3
NOTES: I didn’t try this, but I think some sugar snap peas and/or some Chinese pea pods (chopped) would be nice additions to this soup. I used Sriracha sauce in lieu of the green Tabasco – you don’t use very much so it doesn’t color the soup at all.

3 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons lime juice — fresh-squeezed
5 thin slices fresh ginger root — (5 to 6)
2 medium garlic cloves — sliced in half
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar — or Splenda
12 ounces light coconut milk
2 cups diced turkey — or chicken
1/2 teaspoon green Tabasco sauce — (or more) or use a diced fresh chile if you really like it spicy (or other hot sauce of your choice)
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
3/4 cup frozen peas — or use Trader Joe’s “Minted Peas”
1/2 cup chopped cilantro — or use 1/4 cup chopped basil, Thai basil, or sliced green onions

1. Slice 5-6 thin slices of ginger root. Peel 2 medium garlic cloves and slice in half. Put chicken stock into a heavy soup pot and start to simmer, then add ginger root slices, garlic cloves, lime juice, soy sauce, and Splenda or brown sugar. Let simmer on low for about 20 minutes, or until flavors are well blended.
2. While the soup base simmers, shred the leftover turkey (or chicken) into bite-sized pieces until you have 2 cups. After 20 minutes add diced chicken, light coconut milk, and green Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce or diced chile) to the soup and let it continue to simmer on low about 6 minutes more. Be sure the heat is low enough that the soup won’t boil after the coconut milk has been added.
3. After 6 minutes add the cooked brown rice and peas and let it simmer for a couple of minutes while you wash and chop the cilantro (or other herbs of your choice.) Add chopped herbs or green onions and simmer for 1-2 minutes more. Serve hot, with sliced limes to squeeze into the soup if desired.
Per Serving: 441 Calories; 13g Fat (27.1% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 50g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 59mg Cholesterol; 3163mg Sodium.

Baked Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Recipe By: From a Phillis Carey cooking class, Sept. 2011
Serving Size: 4
Serving Ideas: Serve with a small mound of buttered pasta on the side. This doesn’t need or want a fancy carb – do make it pasta, though, to stick with the Italian theme.
NOTES: Do read the label of the marinara sauce – use one with less sugar. Tomatoes have a lot of natural sugar, but you would prefer any added sugar to be way down the list of ingredients. Look at the carbohydrate count on the nutrition label – and look at the sugar there – choose one that has a lower sugar count per serving. If you don’t want to use heavy cream, Phillis said you can make this using skimmed evaporated milk instead. It won’t break down during baking.

4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breast halves — tenders removed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (no salt)
2 ounces prosciutto — (one slice per breast is all you need)
1 cup marinara sauce — your choice bottled, with minimal sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream — (see note about using evaporated milk)
1/4 cup vodka — optional
1 clove garlic — minced
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh basil — chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400°. If you have a CONVECTION/BAKE setting, use it. Trim chicken and pound the thicker end to 1/2 inch thickness. Season chicken with pepper and wrap a slice of prosciutto around the center of each breast. Arrange chicken in a greased, shallow baking dish just large enough to hold the breasts without crowding them.
2. Stir together the marinara sauce, cream, vodka (if using) and red pepper flakes. Pour sauce over chicken. (At this point you may cool, cover and chill overnight; remove 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake it.) Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle the fresh basil over the top of each piece and serve.
Per Serving: 381 Calories; 20g Fat (53.6% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 140mg Cholesterol; 733mg Sodium.