Tuesday is for vegetarians

This recipe from Vegetarian Times is not only meatless, it's vegan. No animal stuff at all in this flavorful dish that's garnished with chopped peanuts. It makes enough for 4 but if you're a solo diner, you'll have plenty to take along for lunch tomorrow. It's delish warm, room temp or cold, and it's the March magazine's cover girl.

The complex carbs in this dish will keep your engine going to a while. Much better than having a cookie for lunch . . . which I just did. Well, two.

Spicy Asian Stir-Fry With Whole-Wheat Linguine

8 ounces whole-wheat linguine
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)
1 small head bok choy, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1/3 cup snow peas, halved
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon garlic-chili sauce
1/4 cup chopped peanuts for garnishing.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water, and set pasta aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute 5 to 7 minutes, or until onion is golden.

Add bok choy, broccoli, snow peas and bell pepper. Stir-fry 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in hoisin and garlic-chili sauce. Stir in noodles, add 1/2 cup reserved cooking water. Add more water if mixture seems too dry. Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts.

Serves 4.

Source: Vegetarian Times.

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Post-Oscars, eat food

I have a total Oscar hangover this morning. Stayed up for the whole thing and even some of the party coverage. I think many of the actors could use a dose of Stir Crazy recipes this week. They've starved themselves to fit into those dresses and they did look mighty fine. Most of them anyway.

From my perch on the couch, I noticed cream and off-white and champagne as the big colors. Lots of one-strap dresses and slicked back, down or up hair. Some folks looked they needed a good hairwashing, among them Heidi Klum, Sara Jessica Parker and most notably Zac Efron, pictured here. Thanks AP.

But I digress. Make dinner this week. Here are five ideas:

Monday: Sweet and savory
Start the week with grilled salmon, wild rice and string beans. Before cooking the fish, brush it with a mixture of brown sugar, Dijon mustard and lemon juice. Just a few minutes on each side and it’ll be done. Look for a quick-cooking wild rice or you’ll eat dinner long after everyone wants to. Roast or steam the green beans.

Tuesday:  Make it Mexican
Black Bean Tostadas are this week’s meatless dish. Bonus points, too, for being cheap. Saute garlic and chopped onion in a bit of oil. Add two cans rinsed and drained black beans and some ground oregano. Toast or fry flour tortillas and pile on the beans, garnish with shredded cheese, salsa and sour cream. Your pantry and crisper might yield other options such as roasted red peppers, chopped green peppers, fresh cilantro, chopped olives. Fresh fruit on the side.

Wednesday: Rotisserie chicken
Grab a bird or two and serve them with penne and gorgonzola. For the pasta, saute sliced red onion in a generous amount of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. To the skillet, add the cooked pasta, a handful of toasted walnuts and crumbled gorgonzola cheese. Scatter chopped fresh parsley over all, if you’d like.

Thursday: Birthday bash
If you’ve got something to celebrate tonight, do it with Smothered Pork Chops With Mustard and Thyme Butter (recipe below). It makes enough flavored butter to use another time. Serve with soft rolls and spinach salad with tangerine slices to brighten the heavy-ish dish.

Friday: Pizza, French-style
Crusty French Bread Pizza is a snap to put together to end the workweek. Split the bread and toast in the oven slightly. Remove and slather with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and toppings of your choice. (We like pepperoni and olive.) Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted, 10 minutes or so. Load up a green salad with veggies and a favorite dressing.

Smothered Pork Chops With Mustard and Thyme Butter
Mustard and thyme butter:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse-grain mustard
Leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 tart apple
8 ounces potatoes, washed and unpeeled
1 onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 thick pork chops with bones, partly trimmed of fat
1 1/4 cups dry white wine or hard cider

To make the mustard and thyme butter, mash the ingredients together, form into a log and wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper; chill.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Halve and core the apple and cut it into wedges about 1-inch thick at the thickest part. Slice the potatoes into rounds about 1/8-inch thick. Toss the potatoes with half the apple and half the onion, and season with salt and pepper. Put in the bottom of an ovenproof dish (which should be big enough to fit the chops in a single layer). Dot with half the butter.

Melt the rest of the butter in a frying pan. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and quickly brown them on both sides (you just want to color the meat; don’t cook it through). Put the chops on top of the vegetables and apple and put the rest of the apple and onion on top. Deglaze the frying pan with the wine by pouring it into the pan and letting it bubble while you scrape the juices that have stuck to the pan. Pour this over the chops. Bake for 45 minutes, turning the onions and apples occasionally so that they get a good all over color, until cooked through. Serve a couple of slices of the flavored butter on top of each serving. Save the rest of the flavored butter for another use.

Serves 4.

Source: Pure Simple Cooking by Diana Henry (Ten Speed Press, 2009).

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Use up that Florida citrus NOW!

If you have any citrus still hanging on your trees, it's time to pick it and use it up. We got the last of our Honeybell tangelos down about a week ago. And by "we," I mean my husband. I'm leaning on the Florida Department of Citrus today who just e-mailed me a whole bunch of ideas for using citrus in everyday life. They are really great ideas.

Here's another bonus if you still have fruit . . . it's free! In these tough times, that's a good thing. Click www.floridajuice.com for recipe ideas.

Thank the state's home economists/chefs for these ideas:

Marinade: From steak to seafood, orange juice helps to tenderize the meat and provides added flavor. In a marinade recipe that calls for soy sauce, replace half the soy with orange juice. This cuts down on the salt and adds a clean citrus flavor to your marinades.

Glaze: Reduce a quart of fresh orange juice to a syrup for an amazing glaze for chicken, lamb or ham. One quart will make about a half cup of glaze. For ham, reduce the orange juice with a cinnamon stick; for chicken, add chopped fresh sage to the finished syrup while still warm; for lamb, add freshly sliced mint leaves and black pepper while the juice is reducing.

Salad dressing: Substitute orange juice for a portion of the vinegar in your homemade dressings to boost flavor.

Fruit: When making fruit salad, toss the cut fruit with orange juice to prevent browning and lend a great sweet and tart flavor.

Muffins: Replace the water or milk in your breakfast bread or muffin recipes with fresh orange juice for an antioxidant boost and a tasty citrus flavor. Think of spices like cinnamon, cardamom and ginger when using orange juice in your breakfast breads.

Smoothies: Orange juice is the perfect natural sweetener for blending with juices and smoothies. Whether it's orange juice blended with beet or carrot juice, or used with low-fat frozen yogurt in a smoothie, it gives an extra nutrient and flavor boost to one of your favorite fruit drinks.

Ice pop: Purchase wooden sticks at a craft shop and help your family make refreshing ice pop treats! Fill an ice cube tray with orange juice and place a wooden stick in each compartment. Freeze well for a healthy treat.

Pancakes: When making your favorite pancake or waffle batter, substitute orange juice for the water, milk or buttermilk in the recipe. This will give the pancakes a flavor boost and pack more vitamin C.

Oatmeal: Give your favorite hot breakfast cereal a heart-healthy kick by using orange juice instead of water. Top cooked oatmeal with a splash of orange juice rather than butter or cream for great fresh flavor and no added fat.

The bounty of Florida citrus photo by Scott Keeler, St. Petersburg Times staff photographer

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Salad on Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday

Grab a couple birds and make this Strawberry and Feta Salad to go with the sliced chicken. Strawberries are in high season now so the prices are good. Flavor is also good. You can sub a store-bought raspberry vinaigrette but homemade is much better. Feta and strawberries are a classic sweet-tart combination.

This photo from www.allrecipes.com makes a big show of the almonds, but seems a little overloaded to me. I might reduce the 1 cup to 1/2.

Strawberry and Feta Salad   
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 head romaine lettuce, torn
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the almonds, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside.

In a bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and vegetable oil.

In a large bowl, toss together the toasted almonds, romaine lettuce, strawberries and feta cheese. Cover with the dressing mixture, and toss to serve.

Source: allrecipes.com; photo too.

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Tofu Tuesday ... with no tofu

We're eating meatless on Tuesdays and here's a delicious veggie lasagna that fits the bill. I use a combo of the zucchini and spinach because I think the zukes alone give off too much water and make the whole thing soupy. The mushrooms have a lot of liquid, too. You can use frozen spinach but make sure you thaw it and then squeeze the livin' daylights out of it.

This recipe is lighter on the mozzarella than other lasagnas I've made. If you want to add a few handfuls in the layers, it'll make it more cheesy-delish.

Veggie Lasagna

1 (32-ounce) jar meatless spaghetti sauce
1 pound lasagna noodles, made without eggs
3 cups diced zucchini or chopped fresh spinach, divided
1 pound low-fat Ricotta cheese
1 egg white
1 teaspoon salt-free Italian seasoning blend
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup grated part-skim Mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of noodles. Scatter 1 cup of zucchini pieces over noodles; drizzle with spaghetti sauce. Cover with more noodles, zucchini and sauce.

Beat ricotta cheese with egg white, seasoning blend, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese. Carefully spread over casserole. Scatter mushrooms over cheese. Cover with 1 more layer of noodles, zucchini and sauce. (Save enough sauce so top can be completely covered.) Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Uncover, scatter mozzarella cheese on top and bake for 3 minutes more, just to melt cheese. Put on baking sheet. Makes 8 servings.

Source: cooks.com

Photo: www.examiner.com

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Gimme 5 dinner ideas

Monday through Friday, here's what for dinner. Well, it is if you make it!

Monday: Deli delight
We’re not suggesting the Reuben Sandwich is diet food if made at home, but you might be able to cut the calories by using less dressing, less butter for grilling or even using turkey “corned beef.” A Reuben is a grilled cheese sandwich on rye with Thousand Island dressing, corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. A cinch to make at home. Fresh fruit or potato salad on the side.

Tuesday: Mix and match
We’re crossing our cuisines tonight for Greek Quesadillas. For a fast tzatziki sauce, mix 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 or 2 chopped garlic cloves, and a peeled, seeded and diced small cucumber. Set aside. Place a flour tortilla on a hot skillet and layer shredded mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, strips of roasted red pepper and chopped kalamata olives. Top with second tortilla. Let brown and then flip. Dollop with sauce. Green beans cooked in stewed tomatoes on the side.

Wednesday: Rotisserie chicken
Southwestern Lime-Chicken Hash (recipe below) makes use of the rotisserie bird in a fresh way. Substitute any leftover meat.

Thursday: Think fast
Quick Shepherd’s Pie can be on the table in about 30 minutes. In an ovenproof skillet, brown a pound of ground beef, drain, then add 1/2 cup ketchup and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Add 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables and heat through. Cover with heated microwavable mashed potatoes and a handful of grated cheese. Pop under the boiler until the cheese melts.

Friday: BBQ night
Grill pork chops tonight and slather with your favorite barbecue sauce. Broil tomato halves sprinkled with olive oil and fine breadcrumbs to serve alongside. Make a green salad, too.

Southwestern Lime-Chicken Hash
1/2 to 1 pound boned, cooked chicken, cut into 1/4-inch dice
Juice of 2 limes
1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided use
2 sweet red peppers, cut in 1/4-inch dice, or 1 1/2 cups of other vegetables
1 to 2 fresh jalapeno chili peppers, seeded, deveined and minced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup vegetable or chicken broth or water mixed with 1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 1/2 pounds boiled and chilled red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Canola or extra-virgin olive oil
4 large eggs

Preheat oven broiler. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and the lime juice. Let stand while you gather the rest of the ingredients. Then add the onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, the peppers, garlic, broth or the water mixed with tomato paste, and the potatoes. Toss with salt and pepper.

Generously film with oil the bottom of a 12-inch skillet with an ovenproof handle. Heat over medium-high. Turn the contents of the bowl into the skillet and spread it out. Cook, adjusting heat as needed, to slowly crisp the ingredients (8 to 10 minutes). Use a spatula to turn pieces if they threaten to stick.

When vegetables are starting to brown, spread out the mix over the skillet so the bottom of the mix can crisp. Once golden brown, use the back of a tablespoon to make 4 small wells in the top of the hash. These will hold the eggs.

Slip the hash under the broiler for about 2 minutes to start it browning. Carefully remove it to a heatproof surface, break an egg into each of the wells, sprinkle with salt and pepper and broil another 1 minute, or until the egg white is firm and yolk is creamy. Serve the hash hot, sprinkled with the rest of cilantro.

Serves 4 to 6.

Source: Scripps Howard News Service

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Get some help from the back of the box

I'm still noodling around with that "Back of the Box Cooking" book that I told you about earlier this week. I tested these recipes yesterday and thought they were quite good. The salad is especially delicious and makes use of the local strawberries in the stores. Served alongside grilled steak, it would be great for a cozy Valentine's Day dinner.

Be warned, the jam in the burger mix makes the patties pretty loose. Let them firm in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before grilling. I know the jam sounds weird with the meat but it just isn't.

Hot Italian Burgers with Red Pepper Relish
Red pepper relish:
2 tablespoons Concord grape jam
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 large fresh basil leaves, chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 (12 ounce) jar sweet roasted red peppers, drained and sliced into strips
Burgers:
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 large fresh basil leaves, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup Concord grape jam
1 pound mild or hot built Italian sausage
1 pound fresh ground turkey
Non-stick cooking spray
6 mozzarella slices
6 rolls, sliced
For the relish: Combine grape jam, vinegar, basil and red peppers in a small bowl. Set aside.

For the burger patties: Combine salt, parsley,  basil and jam in a medium bowl. Remove sausage from casings and crumble with turkey over mixture; gently combine the ingredients well. Shape meat into 6 patties; refrigerate until ready to cook. Coat unheated grill grate with non-stick spray. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill patties 4 to 6 minutes per side or until juices run clear. Toast the buns on the grill.

Top each burger with a slice of cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling. Place a burger on each roll bottom; top with red pepper relish and roll top.

Serves 6. Note: The relish will be quite runny. Drain peppers before putting on burgers.

Source: The J.M. Smucker Company

Florida Harvest Salad
12 ounces penne rigate
4 cups mesclun salad mix
3/4 cup red onion or Vidalia onion, sliced thinly
2 cups strawberries, quartered
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Cook and drain pasta according to package instructions. Put greens into large bowl; pour cooked pasta over salad mix. Sprinkle onions and strawberries on top of pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Parmesan. Toss all ingredients well. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Note: This recipe was originally called California Harvest Salad. We changed the name because we used Plant City strawberries.

Source: American Italian Pasta Company, maker of Mueller's Pasta

Hot Italian Burgers with Red Pepper Relish
Red pepper relish:
2 tablespoons Concord grape jam
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 large fresh basil leaves, chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 (12 ounce) jar sweet roasted red peppers, drained and sliced into strips
Burgers:
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 large fresh basil leaves, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup Concord grape jam
1 pound mild or hot built Italian sausage
1 pound fresh ground turkey
Non-stick cooking spray
6 mozzarella slices
6 rolls, sliced
For the relish: Combine grape jam, vinegar, basil and red peppers in a small bowl. Set aside.
For the burger patties: Combine salt, parsley,  basil and jam in a medium bowl. Remove sausage from casings and crumble with turkey over mixture; gently combine the ingredients well. Shape meat into 6 patties; refrigerate until ready to cook.Coat unheated grill grate with non-stick spray. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill patties 4 to 6 minutes per side or until juices run clear. Toast the buns on the grill. Top each burger with a slice of cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling. Place a burger on each roll bottom; top with red pepper relish and roll top.
Serves 6.
Note: The relish will be quite runny. Drain peppers before putting on burgers.
Source: The J.M. Smucker Company

Pretty photo by Scott Keeler, Times staff photographer

Quick and spicy shrimp

If you've got a well-stocked pantry and fridge, this is an economical dish to make for dinner. Fresh Basil and shrimp may be all you need to buy. Make sure you use up the rest of the basil so it doesn't go wimpy in the crisper. Snip it in salads or over eggs. Serve the shrimp with basmati rice or couscous. Leftovers, if you have any, can be packed for tomorrow's lunch.

Spicy Lemon Shrimp
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
½ cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fat-free milk

Set oven's control to broil. In a medium bowl, stir lemon peel, lemon juice, red pepper, salt, garlic and oil until well-mixed. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Spread shrimp onto a nonstick baking sheet and broil the shrimp about 4 inches from the heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm.

In a food processor or blender, place the basil, light mayonnaise and milk. Cover and process until smooth. Serve shrimp with the mayonnaise.

Serves 4 as an entree.

Per serving (¼ of the shrimp with 2 tablespoons basil mayonnaise): 260 calories, 14.8 fat grams, 6 carb grams, 636mg sodium, 172mg cholesterol, 23 protein grams.

—Adapted from a Taste of Home Cookbook recipe by the Wichita Eagle

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Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday

After two-something years of posting rotisserie chicken recipes on Wednesdays, aren't we all getting tired of chicken photos? Or is it just me? Anyway, today's recipe is adapted from a Dave Lieberman show on the Food Network. So here's a photo of He Who is Quite Cute. Better looking than a rotisserie chicken anyway!

Rotisserie birds are on sale at Sweetbay today ($5.99 each). Go get a couple and double this recipe. Take some to work for lunch tomorrow.

Curried Couscous Chicken Salad With Dried Cranberries
1 (5.8-ounce) box instant couscous
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 orange, juiced
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, juiced
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2 to 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
Freshly ground pepper

Stir the couscous, cranberries, curry powder, salt, and sugar together in a heatproof bowl. Bring water (amount will be listed on package directions) to a boil and pour it over the couscous. Add the orange juice. Give it a big stir, cover the bowl tightly and let it stand, giving it a big stir once or twice, until the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 5 minutes.

Fluff up the couscous with a fork. Add the olive oil, scallions, parsley, lemon juice, walnuts and shredded chicken. Stir around until everything is distributed evenly throughout the couscous. Make up to 2 hours ahead of time and keep at room temperature until you're ready to serve. Check the seasonings just before you serve the salad and add salt and pepper, to taste.

Note: To toast the walnuts, spread them out on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven until they turn a shade darker, about 8 minutes.

Serves 4.

Source: Adapted from Food Network; photo from there too.

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We're going meatless today: Chickpea Ragout

Here's one of the big perks of working at a newspaper. I see the Parade magazine before you do. I know how jealous you are right now.

Anyhoo, that's how I got my hands on this recipe for Chickpea Ragout (say rah-goo) an entire five days early! It fits our goal of eating meatless one night a week. I think I'd serve sauteed spinach or roasted asparagus alongside. It's not only meatless but cheap and quick. What more could we want?

Chickpea Ragout
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoons dried
2 teaspoons each honey and fresh lemon juice
1 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth

Salt and pepper
Couscous for serving
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic; wilt stirring, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cumin and stir to incorporate.

Stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, thyme, honey, lemon juice and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 4 minutes.

While the chickpeas cook, prepare the couscous according to package directions. Taste the chickpeas and adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove the thyme sprigs and stir in the parsley. Serve over couscous in shallow bowls.

Serves 4. 270 calories, 36gm carbs, 11gm protein, 9gm fat.

Source: Parade magazine; photo from www.meatlessmonday.com.

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