Cookbook author and MF&L columnist Martha Greenlaw has a recipe for the BEST Maine Shrimp Bisque. We were treated to a few bowls of this delicious bisque on our first visit with the Greenlaws on Isle au Haut in 2006. This meal is easy and inexpensive to make. Maine Shrimp are being harvested now, so this is the time to make this at home! Click on the shrimp image or the link above to get this fabulous recipe. Thanks, Martha!
Maine Shrimp image © Jim Bazin
Quick and easy salad that eats like a meal. Jalapeno and cilantro can be added for a Southwest flair. Any meat can be substituted for the salmon.
Salmon Avocado Salad
allrecipes.com
2 (6 ounce) fillets salmon
1/4 cup butter, melted and divided
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
12 grape tomatoes, halved
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 avocado – peeled, pitted, and cubed
5 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled
Preheat the oven broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the salmon on the foil, and brush with 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Season with salt and pepper. Broil 15 minutes, until fish is easily flaked with a fork.
Melt the remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat, and sauté the mushrooms until tender.
Place the tomatoes in a bowl, and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss together the salmon, mushrooms, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, cilantro, and jalapeno. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with feta cheese to serve.
Serves 4.
Looking for a special way to feature Maine Lobster at your next meal? Look no further than this amazing recipe for hot and sour soup!
Maine Lobsters image © 2010 by Jim Bazin
Hot and Sour Soup with Maine Lobster Dumplings
recipe by Chef Tom Gutow, courtesy of Maine Lobster Promotion Council
Hot and Sour Soup:
2 inches ginger, peeled and chopped
3 shallots, peeled and chopped
2 Tablespoons oil
1 cup dashi (bonito flake broth)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup Maine Lobster stock
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
3/4 cup mirin
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
2 ounces hot chili oil
1 cup sake
6 scallion greens
For garnish, bias cut scallion greens, plus toasted black and white sesame seeds
Maine Lobster Dumpling Filling:
1/3 pound scallops
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Zest and juice of one lemon
2/3 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons sweet butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 pound Maine Lobster meat, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup sliced chives or scallions
2 Tablespoons ginger, minced finely
1 clove garlic, minced finely
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 package wonton skins
1 egg, lightly beaten
To prepare Hot and Sour Soup:
In a large saucepot, sweat the ginger and shallots in the oil until well heated and the shallots begin to soften. Deglaze the pan with the dashi, Maine Lobster stock, and vegetable stock. Add the rice wine vinegar, mirin, the sesame oil, and the chili oil. Bring the mixture to a simmer and simmer slowly for 20 minutes. At this point, check the sweet, sour, and spicy elements of the broth. If necessary, add more of the vinegar, mirin, or chili oil. Remember, balance is the goal. If ingredients are added, allow broth to simmer five more minutes to properly incorporate the flavors. Add the sake and the scallions and continue simmering for 10 minutes or until the raw taste of the sake disappears. Strain this broth through a fine strainer such as a chinois and set aside.
To prepare the Dumplings:
Place scallops, salt, pepper, and lemon zest and juice in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse these ingredients together a few times. With machine running, slowly add the olive oil and continue processing until the mixture is smooth. Add the butter and process until smooth again. Remove the mixture from the food processor and fold in the remaining ingredients.
To assemble the dumplings, lay out several of the wonton wrappers on a flat surface and brush the edges with the beaten egg mixture. Place a small amount of the Maine Lobster/scallop filling in the middle of each wonton wrapper and fold the wrapper over the filling and carefully seal the edges of the dumpling.
To assemble the soup:
Preheat 8 soup plates. Cook the dumplings in a pot of boiling water for 4 minutes, drain, and place 3 – 5 dumplings in each bowl. Ladle the soup into the bowls and garnish each with toasted sesame seeds and the scallions.
Serves 8.
Forget iceberg; the traditional Wedge salad is better with Romaine lettuce and a healthier ranch-style dressing.
The Wedge
recipe and image courtesy of eatingwell.com
2 heart of romaine, quartered lengthwise and cores removed
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, (recipe follows)
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons champagne, or white-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, tarragon, basil, or dill
Whisk buttermilk, mayonnaise, champagne (or white-wine) vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in herbs.
Yields 1 cup dressing. Salad recipe serves 4.
Try this healthy version of a Sunday brunch meal. Satisfying, full of great taste, and light on the waistline.
Steamed Eggs with Vinegar and Herbs
shape.com
Cooking spray
8 eggs
2-4 sprigs fresh marjoram, oregano, or any other herb
4 whole wheat English muffins, sliced and toasted
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray eight ramekins with cooking spray. Break one egg into each ramekin.
Place the dishes in an oven-safe lasagna pan. Fill the pan with boiling water until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 4 minutes, until the egg whites are firm and the yolks are creamy.
While the eggs cook, roughly chop the herbs. Remove the eggs from the ramekins by easing them out with the tip of a knife. Place each egg on an English muffin half and lightly press the eggs into the muffins with a fork. Sprinkle with vinegar, chopped herbs, and salt and pepper.
Serves 4.
This is a very simple, easy to prepare meal that you will most likely be asked to prepare again and again. The taste, if carefully prepared and not overcooked, is incredible. ENJOY!
image: lastnightsdinner.net
Savory Sea Scallops and Angel Hair Pasta
allrecipes.com
1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta
¼ cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup heavy cream (optional)
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese to taste (optional)
Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the angel hair pasta, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant and softened, about 1 minute. Slice any scallops over ¾-inch thick in half so they’ll cook evenly; stir scallops, basil, and parsley into the skillet. Cook and gently stir just until scallops feel slightly firm when pressed with a finger, 2 to 3 minutes.
Scallops will become tough and chewy if overcooked. Stir in lemon juice, and season with salt and black pepper. Pour in cream if you like a thicker sauce. Bring the mixture just to a bare simmer.
Serve over hot angel hair pasta; sprinkle to taste with Parmesan cheese.
Serves 6.
Only a small amount of turkey sausage was needed to give big meat flavor to this lasagna. We kept a thick fluffy cheese layer by combining part-skim ricotta with low-fat cottage cheese and a lesser amount of part-skim mozzarella cheese. Fresh basil in the sauce and cheese filling keeps this tasting light and fresh.
Healthy Sausage Lasagna
image and recipe courtesy of foodnetwork.com
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
¼ cup dry red wine
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus 2 whole sprigs
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) container 1 percent low-fat cottage cheese
1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 scallions, chopped
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 ounces lean sweet Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed
½ cup finely chopped onion
9 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles, 5½-ounces, (recommended: Barilla)
1½ cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, 6 ounces
Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small pot bring the tomatoes, wine, whole basil sprigs, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste, to a simmer; cook until slightly thickened, 10 minutes; set aside.
Meanwhile, purée the cottage cheese in the bowl of a food processor until smooth. Add the ricotta, spinach, ¼ cup chopped basil, scallions, nutmeg, and salt and pepper and pulse until just combined; set aside.
Coat a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray set over medium heat. Cook the sausage and onion, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into small pieces, until the meat is browned and the onion tender, 10 minutes.
Assemble the lasagna: Mist a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread ½ cup tomato sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, half the ricotta mixture, half the sausage and ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with sauce, noodles, remaining ricotta and sausage and ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the noodles are tender and the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the pan, 1 hour.
Uncover, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and continue to bake until melted, 10 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup basil. Serve.
Yields 8 servings.
This is a super-easy, super-tasty way to serve up Maine shrimp, which are now at the height of their season!
image: Jim Bazin
Roasted Maine Shrimp
food.com
1 pound Maine shrimp
Sea salt, to taste
Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Serves 2-3.
This New England recipe is a nod in congratulations to our own New England Patriots. Celebrate Superbowl XLVI by serving up these Lobster Nachos, which make a decadent snack or appetizer that’s easy to prepare if you start with cooked lobster meat. Congrats, Pats!!
Lobster Nachos
about.com
1 13.5-ounce bag of white or red corn tortilla chips
4 Tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red onion, chopped
2 4-ounce cans baby shrimp, drained
8-14 ounces of cooked lobster meat
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2-3 scallions, chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 16-ounce jar of salsa
Preheat oven to 350°.
Layer tortilla chips in a 13″ x 9″ x 2″ baking dish.
Blend cheeses. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture and tomatoes over tortilla chips.
Melt butter in large frying pan over medium heat.
Add garlic and onion to pan and sauté until onions are tender, approximately two minutes.
Add shrimp and lobster meat and heat until warm, about three minutes.
Drain and layer warm seafood mixture on top of nachos.
Top with the remaining cheese and bake at 350° for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted.
Top with scallions and dollops of sour cream. Serve hot with salsa on the side.
Serving Suggestion: Wash these Lobster Nachos down with Shipyard Export Ale, which is brewed in Portland, Maine, and available throughout the U.S.
Serves 8.
Add sugar and tomatoes; blend.
Top with pork chops and then cheese. Bake, covered, in preheated 350° oven for about 1 hour. Uncover and carefully stir rice mixture after 50 minutes.
Serves 4.
Hearty and packed with flavor, this recipe from Jeff Landry of The Farmer’s Table in Portland is one you’ll want to try! Jeff also includes directions for making this finished beer-braised brisket into a great breakfast hash.
image: Chef Jeff Landry in the kitchen
Jeff Landry’s Beer-Braised Brisket
The Farmer’s Table, Portland
1½ Tablespoons pickling spice
4 Tablespoons kosher salt
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup molasses
3 pounds beef brisket
1 12-ounce bottle medium ale beer
1 cup water, more as needed
In a bowl mix pickling spice, salt, sugar, and molasses. Put brisket in a covered pan just larger than the meat and add beer and water in equal amounts until the meat is just covered.
Simmer, covered, over low heat about 2 hours or until the meat falls away in shreds on your fork. Serve over braised or boiled cabbage as a main course.
For a breakfast hash, chop fine and add chopped, sautéed onion and small diced fried potatoes.
Serves 4-6.
This fresh-tasting whole-wheat pasta recipe utilizes lemon zest, basil, and shiitake mushrooms, which accent each other beautifully. Whole-wheat pastas are higher in fiber than white pastas. They can be found in health-food stores and some large supermarkets.
Fettuccine with Shiitake Mushrooms & Basil
from Eating Well, Fall 2004
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (1½ cups)
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons lemon juice, juice
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine, or spaghetti
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, (1 ounce)
½ cup chopped fresh basil, divided
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil for cooking pasta.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 9 to 11 minutes or according to package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid.
Add the pasta, the reserved cooking liquid, Parmesan, and ¼ cup basil to the mushrooms in the skillet; toss to coat well. Serve immediately, garnished with remaining basil.
Serves 4.
Good news for stews! Your basic biscuit is given a personality makeover and comes back to life as a mini bread with an attitude. By cutting the dough into squares, you do away with re-rolling the scraps and ending up with a batch that inevitably includes a couple of ugly-duckling specimens. Every good biscuit deserves to be eaten hot (to melt the butter you’ll slather on them), so if they’re not served straight out of the oven, reheat them in a toaster oven or microwave.
eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com
Parsley-Parmesan Biscuits
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 cup milk
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Sift 2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, sugar, and salt into a medium bowl. Stir in the cheese. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or two knives. Add the parsley and chives. Add the milk all at once and mix with a fork until just combined. The dough will be very wet and soft.
Spread ¼ to ½ cup flour onto a work surface and turn out the dough. Flip it over to take up some flour on both sides. Gently pat the dough into an 8-inch square, ½ inch thick. Cut into 16 squares with a floured chef’s knife or a dough scraper. Place the biscuits about 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 18 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom and barely colored on top. Serve hot.
Makes 16 biscuits.
This easy and healthy recipe gives you a good dose of your daily citrus fruits which are so important, especially during these long winter months! And we are learning just how good avocado is for us as well. This tasty, good for you snack or appetizer is also great with grilled steak or chicken!
Cowboy Caviar
recipe adapted from Rio Star Cowboy Caviar by texasweet.com
2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1½ teaspoons salad oil
1 clove garlic, minced
⅛ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 firm, ripe avocado cubed
1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 can corn kernels, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup sliced green onions
2/3 cup chopped cilantro
½ cup grapefruit sections, roughly chopped
In a large bowl mix grapefruit juice, hot sauce, oil, garlic, and pepper. Add remaining ingredients – gently fold to coat. Add 1 minced jalapeno for a kick of spice! Serve with chips.
Yields 4 servings.
We’re just now coming out of our holiday season food coma. So for our first kitchen session in 2012, we whipped up a healthy treat to start the year off on the right track. Giada De Laurentiis – culinary genius – blends together deliciously sweet veggies, raisins, and cinnamon for a calorie-conscious muffin recipe. Great for breakfast or a quick snack in between meals, these little muffins have big bite. And for those still seeking an extra dose of sweetness, spread on the soft cream cheese and honey frosting.
Carrot and Zucchini Mini Muffins by Giada De Laurentiis
abullseyeview.com
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup grape seed oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 large egg, room temperature
1/3 cup grated carrots (from 1 medium peeled carrot)
1/2 cup grated zucchini (from 1 medium unpeeled zucchini)
1/2 cup raisins
For the frosting (optional)
1 cup (about 8 ounces) whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 350°. Line 24 mini muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sieve together the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add any solids leftover in the sieve to the bowl and mix in.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the oil, syrup, and egg. Add the dry ingredients and mix well until combined. Mix in the carrot, zucchini, and raisins.
Using 2 small spoons, fill the muffin cups 3/4 full with the batter and bake for 15 minutes until light golden. Cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool, about 30 minutes.
Frosting: In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and honey until smooth. Spread the cooled muffins with frosting and serve.
Makes 24 mini muffins.
This recipe couldn’t be easier or more delicious! Great weeknight dinner for busy families.
Carrot-Ginger Chicken and Rice
foodnetwork.com
1 cup basmati rice
1 cinnamon stick
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 2½-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small red onion, sliced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced into rounds
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
½ cup roughly chopped fresh mint and/or cilantro
1 cup whole-milk plain yogurt
¼ cup sliced almonds
Preheat the oven to 450°. Put the rice, cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then uncover and cook until the rice is just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain; reserve the cinnamon stick.
Pulse the ginger, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and 1 Tablespoon water in a mini food processor. Heat the vegetable oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the ginger mixture and carrots and cook 2 minutes, adding a splash of water if the mixture sticks. Stir in 1/3 cup water, the chicken, herbs and yogurt and heat through. Season with salt.
Top the chicken mixture with the rice and the reserved cinnamon stick; sprinkle with the almonds. Bake until the rice is cooked through and the almonds are lightly toasted, 8 to 12 minutes.
Serves 4.
Fresh tuna has a denser texture that provides a nice contrast to the smooth noodles and crunchy sesame seeds.
Soba Noodle Salad With Seared Tuna
health.com
6 ounces uncooked soba (buckwheat noodles)
Cooking spray
1 (1-pound) sushi-grade tuna steak
½ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped English cucumber
1 cup shredded carrot
½ cup julienne-cut radishes
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup finely chopped green onions
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
1½ teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and rinse under cold water. Drain; set aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle both sides of tuna with ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place tuna in pan, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Transfer to a platter; cool slightly. Cut tuna into 6 equal pieces.
Combine noodles, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, cucumber, and remaining ingredients except sesame seeds in a large bowl; toss well to combine. Arrange 1 cup noodle mixture onto each of 6 plates. Top each serving with 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and 1 tuna piece.
Yields 6 servings.
Pot roast was a standard growing up, and still continues to be in my parent’s household. It requires slow cooking over low heat to ensure tender, flavorful meat. Pot roasts typically use the tougher cuts of beef – a chuck roast or shoulder roast – which have the most flavor. The slow cooking at low heat is what melts the tough connective tissue between the muscle fibers, leaving you with tender meat that flakes apart with your fork. This is my mother’s tried and true recipe for pot roast. She only adds a half cup of liquid to the pot because she’s able to keep the heat very low and her pot has a tight cover.
In order for this recipe to work properly, let the roast sit (wrapped) for one to two hours outside of the refrigerator so that it comes to room temperature (between 65 and 70°) before cooking. Otherwise, it will take a lot longer to cook at the low heat called for in this recipe.
Traditional Pot Roast
simplyrecipes.com
3½ pounds of beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast (look for a piece that is well marbled with fat for best results)
2 Tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning to taste
2 large yellow onions, thickly sliced, lengthwise (root to tip), about 4 cups sliced onion
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
½ cup of red wine
1 bay leaf
Several carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise
Use a thick-bottomed covered pot (oven-proof if you intend to cook in oven), such as a dutch oven, just large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil on medium-high heat (hot enough to sear the meat). Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle and rub salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning all over the meat. Brown roast in pot, all over, several minutes on each side. Don’t move the roast while a side is browning, or it won’t brown well.
When roast is browned, remove from pan and set on a plate. Add the onions to the pan and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the garlic and carrots to sit on top of the onions. Set the roast on top of the onions, garlic, and carrots. Add ½ cup of red wine. Add the bay leaf. Cover. Bring to simmer and then adjust the heat down to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer when covered (we cook our roast on the warm setting of our electric range)*. If cooking in the oven, start the temp at 300° for 15 minutes, then drop it to 200°.
Cook for 3½ to 4 hours, or longer, until meat is tender. (If you are using a pressure cooker, cut the time by half).
After cooking 3½ hours, note how much liquid has been released by the meat. This comes from slow cooking at a very low temperature. If your pot roast is too dry, make sure the pan you are using has a tight fitting lid and that you are cooking at the lowest possible heat to maintain the low simmering. Serve with green beans and potatoes.
*If you use a gas range, you may find difficulty getting the flame low enough. A tip I recently read in Cook’s Illustrated suggests tightly rolling up some aluminum foil, shaping it into a skinny donut, and putting that on top of the burner to create a little more distance between the range and the pan. If you have one of those high BTU ranges, I recommend cooking the roast in the oven instead.
Serves 4-5.
Eggs are the ultimate healthy food, nearly THE perfect food. Looking for a way to incorporate them into your diet? Don’t feel that you have time to cook them in the morning before you rush out the door? Think again. This recipe takes 4 minutes from start to finish, and will help fuel you all day long!
Ham, Mushroom & Swiss Coffee Cup Scramble
incredibleegg.org
1 egg
1 Tablespoon water
¼ cup chopped mushrooms
1 thin slice deli ham, chopped (1 ounce)
Shredded Swiss cheese
Coat a 12-ounce microwave safe coffee mug with cooking spray. Add egg, water, mushrooms, and ham and beat until blended. Microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir. Microwave until egg is almost set, 30-45 seconds longer.
Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Top with cheese.
Yields 1 serving.
Here’s a sauce so delicious, it’s missing only one thing: a little crunchy bread to dip in it. Make It a Meal: Serve chicken with steamed asparagus or cauliflower, mashed potatoes or orzo pasta, and a glass of Vinho Verde.
Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Creamy Chive Sauce
recipe and image courtesy of eatingwell.com
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 pound), trimmed of fat
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large shallots, finely chopped
½ cup dry white wine
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ cup chopped chives, (about 1 bunch)
Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even thickness, about ½ inch. Season both sides of the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt. Place ¼ cup flour in a shallow glass baking dish and dredge the chicken in it. Discard the excess flour.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover, and keep warm.
Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tablespoon flour; stir to coat. Add wine, broth, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt; bring to a boil, stirring often.
Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until heated through and no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes. Stir in sour cream and mustard until smooth; turn the chicken to coat with the sauce. Stir in chives and serve immediately.
Serves 4.
