Honey Soy Pasta Salad

Honey Soy Pasta Salad – adapted from Simply Recipes  This is for a wonderful group Presto Pasta Night.  In their archive, you will find more glorious recipes than you can imagine.

Honey Soy Dressing
1/4 cup walnut oil

3 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp soy sauce (Salad
8 ounces of vermicelli, thin spaghetti, or angel hair pasta
Salt
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup sliced and chopped red bell pepper
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

 Cook the gluten free pasta in a large saucepan in salted boiling water, according to directions on pasta package.

2 While the pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing. In a microwave-safe dish, heat the vegetable oil, sesame oil,and chile powder, in the microwave on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the honey and soy sauce and mix well.

Combine the drained pasta with the dressing in a large bowl until the pasta is well coated. Cover and chill for several hours.

 When ready to serve, mix in the  peanuts, green onions and bell pepper. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.  (I did not wait.  I put these in, when making the salad and they held up well)

Serves 4 to 8, depending on serving size.

CEiMB – Chicken Sate with Dipping Sauce

This week, the cooks of CEiMB, Craving Ellie in My Belly are making chicken sate with spicy peanut dipping sauce.  When I looked at the recipe, I knew I was going to like it.  What is there not to like.  What I did not expect was to find that I love it.  It will go right to the top of my favorites.

You can find the recipe at Food Network and of course in Ellie’s book, The Food You Crave.   I do apologize, I am too lazy to look up the page number for the recipe.

I don’t have bamboo skewers but hubby did them on the grill and  they came out  just fine.  I followed the recipe with no major or minor changes.  Loved the dipping sauce.  I recommend this recipe to everyone.

Let’s thank Tortefeasor for suggesting this delicious chicken.  Stop by her blog and see what else she has to offer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuna Everything Bagel – TFF

I have wanted to make Tyler’s “Everything Bagel” for the longest time.  I grew up as a bagel and lox girl with cream cheese thick and creamy.  I grew up loving bagels.  When I started watching my weight, these huge bagels piled up with goodies did not seem right for me, anymore.

This week, I decided to follow my stomach and make the Everything Bagel.  It bothered me that there was cream cheese with tuna on the bagel. How could anything match up with cream cheese like lox?  I found out the answer.  Tuna is a great match for cream cheese.  This is my contribution to Tyler Florence Fridays, TFF.  I hope others want to join us.  I love looking at how we create Tyler’s really good recipes. 

I am going to share my adapted recipe.  Tyler’s can be found here.  I know that bagels are not found all over the United States and certainly not all over the world.  In New York, bagels are pretty common, although again, not everywhere in NY.  This is an Everything Bagel.  Look closely, at his photo and see how manyu different seeds and veggies are coating the exterior of the bagel.  We can buy challahs like this, also.  They are yummy.  There is a blending of all my favorite tastes, particularly the onion and garlic.

 

 Needless to say, I cut back on the amount of ingredients in this recipe.  It calls for three cups of tuna.  I can barely eat 1 cup and that is plain, not with all the tasty additions, Tyler puts on this bagel.  I also can’t eat a whole bagel.  For those of you who may only be able to get the frozen bagels.  This bagel is about three times larger.

Tuna Salad:

• 1 cup tuna (packed in water), drained
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 cornichons, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon  dried dill
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Kosher salt and  ground black pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste
• 1everything bagels, sliced and toasted
• 1 tablespoon whipped cream cheese
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced crescents
• 2 slices of our garen’s vine-ripened tomato
• 1 seedless cucumber, sliced  (not a cuke to be seen)
• lettuce

 

Method:

Begin with the tuna salad. Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Take cut bagels and toast under a hot broiler until golden brown. While still hot smear the bottom with the cream cheese immediately. Top with a scoop of the tuna salad and then layer with red onion, tomato, cucumber and lettuce. Add the top half of the bagel and serve.

Typing this is causing me to salivate.  This was delicious.  I have not found tuna appealing in a while but this hit the spot.  I would make this again and again but would not eat more than 1/2 the bagel and that is a lot.  The lettuce and onions were cruchy, the cream cheese creamy, the tuna tasty and the bagel a great “container” for it all.

 

 

 

Meal in a Muffin

I wanted to bake a dessert and a veggie muffin today.  You can find the dessert muffin here.

Meal in a Muffin Ingredients:

1/4 cup EACH finely chopped red, yellow and green bell pepper1/2 cup sliced red onion 2 eggs 1/4 cup olive oil 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon xanthan gum 2 Tbsp sugar 1 cup vegetable broth 1 Tbsp baking powder 3/4 tsp salt 1 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/2 tsp dried basil 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon black pepper salt to taste 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley 1/2 cup cream cheese (I used Tofutti cream cheese) Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare pans.In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt , onion powder, salt and pepper, red onion, spices and salt and pepper and basil and parsley.  In small bowl, combine broth, oil and eggs until blended. Add dry mix together with peppers to wet mix. Stir until just moistened.  Do not over-mix. Divide 2/3 of the batter between twelve muffin cups. Spoon a dab of cream cheese (tofutti) on the batter in each muffin cup. Spoon remaining batter over muffins in pans. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Makes 12 muffins. Enjoy.

 

We have a winner……

We have a winner, although I have not been able to reach her.  Veggie girl, a very wonderful young lady who is dedicated to a healthy diet for all the right reasons.  If you have not been to her blog , you should really pop over there.  She offers some interesting ideas for you to digest and then accept or reject.  She has the nicest manner about her and I know you will all like her.

She has won either Robin Rescues Dinner  by Robin Miller or Giada’ sFamily Dinner by Giada De Laurentis.

Three people figured out the difficult puzzle.  Chez who? and Girlichef were the runners up and both get a pat on the back, a well deserved one. <smile>

The photo was a muffin like puff made from gefilte fish, matzah meal, eggs, onions and a teaspoon of baking powder.  I probably will not be able to duplicate this but I am going to try.  They turned out to be good and no one could possibly tell what they were made of.

For those of you who do not know much about gefilte fish, it is ground fish mixed with onions, matzah meal and carrots and sold either in a bottle in patty form or as a loaf which is frozen.  Since I do not make my own, I use the frozen loaves which are the closest to homemade.  Anyone want to try making this, it could be interesting.

The loaf leaves itself open to exploration because it can be defrosted and done with as we  like.  Honestly, I think most people do as they are told, on the package and boil it with some carrots, onions and sugar.  Being a bit more adventurous, I have played with, over the years, and that is how I ended up with these charming little puffs.

The sauce that covers it is Duck sauce.  I put that on the patties I make out of the fish, at other times.  I also make patties in a marinara sauce with chopped onions and green peppers. 

For the creative spirit, you can do lots with a package of gefilte fish.

Broccoli Stir Fry

I was looking for an easy and delicious side dish to go with an orange chicken.  Broccoli goes with almost anything as far as I am concerned.  Thus, this recipe was perfect for the meal.

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Canola oil

1 pound broccoli florets, rinsed, patted dry, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup sliced onions

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried ginger

Method

Toast the sesame seeds by first heating a small, stick-free sauté pan on medium heat.

Add the sesame seeds and jiggle the pan so they spread out in a single layer.

Let them cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes.

Once lightly toasted remove from heat and put into a small bowl, set aside.

2 Mix the stock, soy sauce, and dark sesame oil together in a small bowl, set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp canola  oil in a large, covered sauté pan on medium high heat.

Add the onions and saute for three minutes.

Add the broccoli florets, stir to coat the florets with the oil, Sauté for about a minute.

Add the ginger and garlic.

 Add the chicken (or vegetable) stock mixture to the pan.

Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and cover.

 Let cook for 2-3 minutes, until broccoli is still firm, but can be pierced with a fork. Remove from heat.

Remove broccoli and onion with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Return pan to heat, increase heat to high and boil down the liquid until just a couple tablespoons remain.

Turn off heat, return broccoli and onion to the pan, add the toasted sesame seeds, toss with the liquid.

Put into a serving bowl.  Enjoy.

Serves 4.

A great dish.  Glad I made it.  I love broccoli.

The answer can be figured out by this.

Think FISH!  Think Jewish fish.  Now put it together.

Tomorrow there wil be a winner

One of my sons has a recipe he really loves and whenever he comes to visit, I make it for him. He and his family were supposed to be with us for the weekend but someone got sick and there was a change of plans.

That meant I was sitting with a lot of food and I was more prepared than usual having made almost everything. I had the makings of the salad out and the chicken had to be cooked but everything else was in place for four extra people.

Understand this was cooking for Sabbath meals and a typical meal starts with wine and challah, goes to a fish and salad course, and then soup, then the main course, usually chicken and side dishes. Finally, there is dessert and more dessert.

I am usually full after the fish and salads.

There was one recipe I had not yet made and I have not mentioned it to you as undone (hint, hint) which I did not want to make the way my son liked it since he would not be there. This is his signature dish. I thought and thought and then like any cook would do, I started mixing strange ingredients together, put them in the oven and voila, you have been looking at the results.

Let’s get the course correct first and then you can name the dish. In fact, name it and we will call it that.

You will have a choice of two cookbooks, if you are the first to get to the end of the road, with this one. What is this?

Think out of the box. Some of you have come up with some interesting thoughts on what is on top of the mystery item. Keep thinking

Hints to Mystery Food

I see from the answer, you need hints.  I can’t blame you.  I threw you a curve.

Is this photo any better?

Here is some help.

This is not a dessert.

This is not a muffin.

I think part of it might be considered a Jewish food.

I usually make it very differently.

Will give  you more hints tomorrow.

Peanut Butter Truffles

Peanut Butter Truffles  (adapted from the Sweet Melissa Baking Book)

I was going to use my Sesame noodles with the tasty butter sauce but I had already used it for other groups.   I tried the truffle from  Melissa’s Baking Book and it is delcious although I don’t taste the peanut butter as strongly as I thought I would have.

Peanut Butter Truffles

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate 

 1 3/4 heavy cream

1/4 cup peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted margarine, softened

chocolate sprinkles or 2 cups roasted peanuts, finely chopped

 

Method:

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and put the pieces into a bowl.

In a saucepan, heat heavy cream and peanut butter over medium heat.  Stir until the cream is steaming and tiny bubbles have formed around the edges.  Do not boil.  Whisk until smooth.

Pour heavy cream-peanut butter mixture over  chocolate.  Set aside for five minutes and then whisk until smooth.

Add margarine to still warm chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.

Refrigerate at least two hours.  It needed more than that to be firm enough to make round balls.

Either use you hands or a #100 cookie scoop to scoop out truffle base and form into balls, quickly using your hands.

Melissa says to roll them in nuts which I was going to do until I thought of chocolate sprinkles which is what I did use.  You can use cocoa, fine chopped peanuts, sprinkles of many colors, whatever fits your fancy.  I voted for CHOCOLATE.

Place sprinkles in shallow bowl.  Roll each truffle in sprinkles to cover.  I was impatient and missed spots.

Best eaten at room temperature.  I freeze them.  Melissa suggests refrigerating in an airtight   container up to two weeks.