Jasmine Rice-Stuffed Peppers

OK, I made these last Wednesday. They took forever to make (1.5 hours). They were pretty easy to make. I thought they needed some spice (you'll notice they have none). I had 2 servings over 2 days and threw the rest away. D refused to eat them, as he abhors Stuffed Peppers. (He was working late, which is why I made them...I knew he wouldn't eat them, and I wanted to try them).

UPDATE: I realized it came across as I didn't like these. I did. I just need to add some garlic, you a spaghetti jar tomato sauce (not the tomato sauce next to the tomato paste), and not seed the jalapenos. The serving size is huge, which is why I had to throw the rest away...2 servings and I needed a change...

Jasmine Rice-Stuffed Peppers

This recipe calls for green bell peppers, but feel free to use any color you like. Jasmine rice adds fragrance to this dish, but you can substitute basmati or another long-grain rice. Remove the seeds from the jalapeño if you prefer milder flavor. Serve with salad.

4 large green bell peppers
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 4)
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1/2 cup uncooked jasmine rice
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups tomato sauce, divided1/2 cup (I used salt-free and this may have caused the bland taste)
(2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I used 1/2)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2/3 pound ground sirloin, extra lean (I used 1 pound)
1/3 pound ground turkey breast (I didn't use)

Preheat oven to 400°. (This instruction seems pointless at this stage of the game)
Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes, leaving the stems intact. Place on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan, cut sides up.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeño to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add rice, and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely.
Combine rice mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup cheese, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until blended. Spoon about 1/2 cup meat mixture into each pepper half. Spoon remaining 1 cup tomato sauce evenly over peppers. Cover and bake at 400° for 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese; bake 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 pepper halves)
CALORIES 312 (25% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 3.6g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.9g); IRON 4.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 115mg; CALCIUM 168mg; CARBOHYDRATE 28.6g; SODIUM 994mg; PROTEIN 33.8g; FIBER 2.6g
Cooking Light, AUGUST 2006

Chipotle-Lime Roast Chicken with Tomatillo Sauce

Really Good. D was going to grill this, but rain prevented him. So he baked it (like the directions said to). He said it needed a little more time. I did the prep which was easy (I didn't touch the chicken though).
I would have liked the Sauce to be cold, but that is just me. We had with Chipotle Ketchup Fries.

Chipotle-Lime Roast Chicken with Tomatillo Sauce

Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes in papery husks. Combining them with chipotle chile powder gives this chicken Mexican flair. Serve with lime wedges, rice, and beans.

1 (3 3/4-pound) whole roasting chicken
2 teaspoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
Cooking spray
8 ounces tomatillos
1 medium onion, quartered
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken; trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breasts and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.

Combine butter, chile powder, rind, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cumin, and 1 garlic clove in a small bowl. Rub seasoning mixture under loosened skin and over breasts and drumsticks. Tie ends of legs together with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack coated with cooking spray; place rack in roasting pan.

Discard husks and stems from tomatillos; cut into quarters. Arrange tomatillos and onion evenly around chicken. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 450°, and bake an additional 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of thigh registers 170°. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes.

Place tomatillos and onion in a food processor. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 3 garlic cloves, cilantro, juice, and chiles; process until smooth.

Remove skin from chicken; discard. Carve chicken, and serve with sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 5 ounces meat and about 1/2 cup sauce)

CALORIES 299 (36% from fat); FAT 12.1g (sat 3.9g,mono 4.1g,poly 2.5g); IRON 2.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 111mg; CALCIUM 51mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.6g; SODIUM 694mg; PROTEIN 36.9g; FIBER 2.4g

Cooking Light, MAY 2006

Garlic and Cumin–Seasoned Fries with Chipotle Ketchup

This recipe has potential...but the fries have to be cooked A LOT longer. Or what I'm beginning to think with a lot of CL Fry recipes, use Ore-Ida as the basis.

The taste was good, but the fries were soggy. So next time (the taste was good enough for a next time), I'm using Ore-Ida. It was pretty easy to make (I did it).

Garlic and Cumin–Seasoned Fries with Chipotle Ketchup

In this recipe, strips of potatoes are tossed with dried spices and baked to a crunch. The ketchup on the side delivers an extra punch of flavor.

1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder (I used 3/4 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 pounds peeled Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
Cooking spray

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Combine cumin, salt, and garlic powder in a large bowl.

2. Preheat oven to 450°. Place baking sheet in oven.

3. Toss potatoes with oil. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on preheated baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Turn potatoes; bake an additional 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Add potatoes to cumin mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with ketchup mixture.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup fries and about 1 tablespoon ketchup mixture)

CALORIES 143 (16% from fat); FAT 2.5g (sat 0.3g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 13mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.1g; SODIUM 329mg; PROTEIN 3.9g; FIBER 2.7g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2008

Bacon 'n' Onion Potato Salad

This is your basic potato salad. Easy and good.

Bacon 'n' Onion Potato Salad
Prep: 15 min., Cook: 25 min., Chill: 1 hr.

4 pounds red potatoes
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream (D used fat-free)
1 cup light mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Creole mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 bunch green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (D used celery instead of parsley)
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Place potatoes and water to cover in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and let cool. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Stir together sour cream and next 4 ingredients.
Stir together potatoes, sour cream mixture, green onions, and parsley in a large bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until ready to serve. Stir in bacon just before serving.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Lager and Lemon-Grilled Chicken

This chicken was the chicken you want from the grill on a hot day. Light taste, but not overpowering on either the lager or the lemon. We had with baked beans. They were good together.

Lager and Lemon-Grilled Chicken

1 cup lager beer (such as Budweiser)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (we used 2/3 tsp dried)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons honey

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Cooking spray

Combine first 10 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal and marinate in refrigerator 3 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove the chicken from bag; discard marinade.
Prepare grill to medium-high.
Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half)

CALORIES 304 (24% from fat); FAT 8.1g (sat 1.8g,mono 3.1g,poly 1.8g); IRON 1.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 145mg; CALCIUM 30mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.1g; SODIUM 195mg; PROTEIN 53g; FIBER 0.1g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2005

Honey-Chipotle Baked Beans

OMG these beans rock. We had them on Thursday and made some more on Friday.

They were so good. We never baked them for 60 minutes. Once we made them at 30 minutes and once for 45 minutes.

The first night we had with lager and lemon chicken.

The second night we had with potato salad, ribs and chipotle scones (not to waste the chipotles).

Honey-Chipotle Baked Beans

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1/2 cup minced shallots (about 5 ounces)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped
2 (28-ounce) cans baked beans

Preparation
Preheat oven to 300°.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots; sauté 4 minutes or until golden. Add cumin and garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato puree and oil, and cook for 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add honey and the next 5 ingredients (through chiles).

Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine beans and shallot mixture in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 300° for 1 hour or until thick and bubbly.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

CALORIES 286 (7% from fat); FAT 2.2g (sat 0.1g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.6g); IRON 2mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 88mg; CARBOHYDRATE 54g; SODIUM 709mg; PROTEIN 8.3g; FIBER 9.9g

Cooking Light, JULY 2006

Wasabi Green Beans

These were good. We couldn't find wasabi mustard so we used wasabi prepared horseradish and mixed it with German Mustard. We have to play with the proportions of that...1TBSP/1TBSP didn't have enough spicy punch. Next time...checking 1.5/1.

Wasabi Green Beans

Paul Newman

Serves 4

Photo by ALB

Ingredients:

3/4 lb fresh string beans, ends removed and rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil (D used 1/2 tsp, because he didn't see the point).
2 tbsp wasabi mustard
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Directions:
Blanch string beans in boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to refresh. Whisk together wasabi, vinegar, and soy sauce. Place the beans in a large skillet, and heat to high, stirring often until beans start to brown, add olive oil and remaining ingredients; stir to coat beans well. Serve immediately.

Pork Chops with Hoisin-Molasses Barbecue Sauce

D made this. He said it was easy.
I liked the taste. Perhaps a little more mustard to balance out the sweet a bit more.
Overall, we'll have this dish again.

We had with wasabi green beans. We might not have the 2 together, as D said there were lots of pots on the stove. (I believe 4)

Pork Chops with Hoisin-Molasses Barbecue Sauce


Sugar, hoisin sauce, and molasses provide deep, sweet notes in the sauce, rounded out by tartness and salt from rice vinegar, soy sauce, and mustard.

3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Chinese hot mustard (such as Ty Ling brand)
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
4 green onions
3 cups hot cooked white rice

1. Combine sugar and molasses in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes or until sugar melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in hoisin, vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and garlic; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in mustard. Keep warm.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper over pork. Add pork to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Add pork to hoisin mixture, turning to coat. Keep warm.

3. Add onions to pan; cook 2 minutes or until wilted. Remove onions from pan; chop. Combine onions, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and rice; serve with pork.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 1/2 cup rice)

CALORIES 317 (22% from fat); FAT 7.7g (sat 2.7g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.7g); IRON 2mg; CHOLESTEROL 58mg; CALCIUM 49mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.8g; SODIUM 478mg; PROTEIN 23.9g; FIBER 0.8g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2008

Dry-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce

D made this last night. It was all right. He said that it was too much work for a day he had to work. I think he meant in addition to the side...he said too much grilling... We had elote with this, which complimented it well, I thought.

The overall taste was ok, but since he already said it was a PITA, and we ate it in 5 seconds, it might have been too much.

Overall, I think it would be easier to do the dry-rubbed part and go to Nuevo Laredo, buy some of their salsa and pour it over. That's what the sauce was trying to be in my head (but it wasn't quite there).

Serving size...1 person doesn't need to eat .5 pounds of pork. D and I got 4 servings out of 1# of pork.

Dry-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce

from Weber’s Real Grilling™ by Jamie Purviance
Prep time: 20 minutes
Grilling time: 15 to 20 minutes

Sauce
8 ripe, plum tomatoes, stems removed
1 jalapeño chile pepper, stem and seeds removed
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup roughly chopped red onion
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Rub
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure chile powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
Extra virgin olive oil

1. Grill the tomatoes and jalapeño over direct high heat (450°F to 550°F), with the lid closed as much as possible, until blackened and blistered in spots, turning as needed. The tomatoes will take 4 to 6 minutes and the jalapeño will take 2 to 3 minutes. Put the tomatoes and jalapeño in a food processor along with the remaining sauce ingredients, including salt and pepper to taste, and process until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. In a small bowl mix the rub ingredients with your fingertips.

3. Trim any excess fat and silver skin from the tenderloins. Allow to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Lightly brush or spray with oil and spread the rub all over, pressing the spices into the meat.

4. Grill over direct medium heat (350°F to 450°F), with the lid closed as much as possible, until the pork is barely pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with the sauce.

Makes 4 servings

Soy-Marinated Chicken Thighs

D made this. It was very easy to prep (I could have done that). He liked it better than I for the simple reason that is salty and I'm not head over heels with salt (like I didn't have any in the house before I met D) . We used regular soy sauce because we have like 100 million gallons of the stuff. I thought it needed a "sweet" with it.

However, I still liked it, and there was a lot of flavor, and it was easy. We will have it again.

We had it with rice and Broccoli with Red Pepper Flakes and Toasted Garlic.

Again, if you know where CL buys 8 2-oz chicken thighs, that's great. We used 4 4-oz and had one thigh left over.

Soy-Marinated Chicken Thighs

Soy sauce is great in marinades for grilled meats, as it stands up to charred flavors. The simple solution would also be tasty with steaks, pork tenderloin, or pork chops.

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
8 (2-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 4 hours or up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

3. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 thighs)

CALORIES 136 (44% from fat); FAT 6.7g (sat 1.3g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.2g); IRON 1.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 71mg; CALCIUM 12mg; CARBOHYDRATE 0.8g; SODIUM 273mg; PROTEIN 17.1g; FIBER 0.1g

Cooking Light, JULY 2008