Community Cooking

Quick & Easy Meals

2007-09-05T13:54:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday July 11, Connect Community Kitchen members joined forces to conquer several new recipes. This time, we took the easy route and went with recipes that we could all easily duplicate quickly at home with simpler ingredients. We made Peanut Sesame Stir Fry, Citrus Pork Stirfry, Sundried Tomato Pesto & Chicken Pasta Toss and Banana Chocolate Bread for our breakfast component.

Citrus Pork Stirfry

From kraftcanada.com

1 lb. thinly sliced pork loin
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups sliced carrots
1/2 of a peeled orange, cut into large chunks
1/4 cup KRAFT Italian Dressing
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup toasted PLANTERS Cashews
PREHEAT grill to medium-high heat. Toss pork, broccoli, carrots, orange, dressing and soy sauce in bowl.
POKE small holes in bottom of large disposable aluminum foil pan. Spoon pork mixture into pan. Place pan on grate of grill; close lid. Grill 15 min., stirring often, until pork is cooked through and vegetables are crisp-tender.
SPRINKLE with cashews. Serve over cooked rice, if desired.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Chicken Pasta Toss
Ingredients
Pesto:

1 (7-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves

1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon water

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves

Pasta:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 (6-ounce) bag prewashed baby spinach

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated fat-free milk

1 (3-ounce) package goat cheese, crumbled

6 cups hot cooked cavatappi (about 4 cups uncooked pasta)

Preparation

To prepare pesto, drain sun-dried tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl, reserving oil. Place 2 tablespoons reserved oil in a food processor. Place remaining oil in sun-dried tomato jar; reserve for another use. Coarsely chop 1/4 cup drained tomatoes; set aside. Place remaining drained tomatoes in food processor. Add basil, water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 garlic cloves to food processor; process until finely minced.
To prepare pasta, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan. Add minced garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add balsamic vinegar and baby spinach; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in pesto and evaporated fat-free milk. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes. Add crumbled goat cheese; cook until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Combine chicken mixture and pasta, tossing well to coat. Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup chopped drained tomatoes.

Peanut-Sesame Stir Fry

from Kraftcanada.com

Ingredients

1 cup Kraft Catalina Dressing

1/4 Cup Kraft Peanut Butter

3 tbsp. each soy sauce and lemon juice

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds

1 lb. Peeled shrimp

1 can drained sliced water chestnuts

3 sliced green onions

1 cubed zucchini

1 each cubed green and red pepper

1 can drained mandarin orange segments

cooked noodles

Directions

1. Mix together dressing, peanut butter, soy sauce and lemon juice

2. Stir fry sesame seeds and shrimp in 1/3 of the prepared sauce in wok or heavy skillet

3. Add remaining ingredients, except for mandarin orange sections and noodles; cook until vegetables are tender. Add mandarin oranges and remaining sauce. Serve over noodles.

Banana Chocolate Bread

From Kraftcanada.com

Ingredients

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 cup mashed bananas

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup milk

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 100% bran cereal

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

2 squares semi-sweet chocolate, grated

Directions

1. Stir eggs, bananas, oil and milk together until well blended.

2. Add flours, bran, sugar, baking powder and chocolate, stir until just moistened

3. pour into lightly greased 8 x 4 loaf pan

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until done. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan, cool completely on rack

June: Tricky, Tricky, Tricky!

2007-09-05T13:07:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday June 13, 2007, nine Connect Community Kitchen members gathered to try their hands at some rather tricky recipes. We decided to make Savory Meditteranean Turkey Burgers, just in time for BBQ season, BBQ chicken Pizza, Apple Pecan Breakfast Buns as our breakfast component, Baked Egg Rolls (tricky, tricky, tricky!!!) and Curried Noodles with Tofu as the side to the egg rolls.

Everyone rolled up their sleeves and got to work!!!!! Check out the recipes and the results below!

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

from FamilyFun.com

These juicy burgers combine a couple of kid-friendly flavors: the sweetness of grated pear and seasonings typically used in breakfast sausage. They're also made with coarse panko bread crumbs (sold in most large grocery stores), which helps keep the texture of the burger on the lighter side.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 medium-size firm Bosc pear, peeled, cored, and coarsely grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh sage, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Mix together the turkey, pear, egg, panko, parsley, garlic, sage, rosemary, and allspice in a large bowl until well combined. Add the salt and pepper, or more to taste. (To test the flavor, cook a teaspoon or two of the mixture in the microwave or a small skillet.)

2. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and shape them into patties, gently pressing the center of each to create a slight indentation. This will prevent the patty from bulging in the center, so that you end up with a flat, evenly cooked burger. Refrigerate the patties until the grill is ready.

3. Prepare a charcoal fire or a gas grill to medium-hot. Wipe the rack with canola oil and lay the burgers on it indentation-side up. Let them cook, without pressing down on them, until the bottoms are well seared, about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the burgers and continue grilling until they are completely cooked through (the juices will run clear), another 5 to 7 minutes.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

From Allrecipes.com

This is an easy not-too-sweet, delicious alternative to tomato sauce based pizzas! Sure to satisfy everyone. Use any kind of barbeque sauce and it will still be a winner!"

INGREDIENTS
3 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
1 cup hickory flavored barbeque sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (12 inch) pre-baked pizza crust
1 cup smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
1 cup thinly sliced red onion

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine chicken, barbeque sauce, honey, molasses, brown sugar and cilantro. Bring to a boil.
Spread chicken mixture evenly over pizza crust, and top with cheese and onions. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Apple Pecan Breakfast Buns

From Sunset

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter, chilled, plus 1/2 cup (1/4 lb.)

3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup pecan halves

2 Granny Smith apples (about 12 oz. total)

1/3 cup raisins

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon peel. Cut the 1/4 cup chilled butter into 1/4-inch pieces. With a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Pour in milk all at once; stir just until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until cool, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan over medium-low heat, melt remaining 1/2 cup butter. Stir in corn syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour mixture into the bottom of an 8- by 8-inch baking pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over mixture. Peel and core apples and slice as thinly as possible.

3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead about 15 times, adding just enough flour to keep dough from sticking. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12-inch square.

4. Distribute apple slices and raisins over dough, leaving a 1-inch border along top edge. Working from the bottom, roll up dough, squeezing as you go; pinch edge to seal. Cut roll crosswise into 9 slices. Lay slices flat over syrup and pecans in pan.

5. Bake until rolls are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Invert a platter over pan and, holding both tightly together, invert again. Lift off pan and let rolls cool about 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Yield Makes 12 servings

Baked Egg Rolls
From Cooking Light
Ingredients
Egg rolls:

2/3 cup coarsely chopped celery

2/3 cup coarsely chopped carrot

2 cups shredded cabbage

1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

2/3 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 pound ground turkey breast

1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

14 egg roll wrappers

1 large egg white

Cooking spray

Sauce:

3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

6 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (optional)

PreparationPreheat oven to 425°.
Combine celery and carrot in food processor, and pulse 10 times or until finely chopped.
Combine celery mixture and cabbage in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave at high 5 minutes; drain.
Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add turkey; cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cabbage mixture, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, and pepper. Cover and chill 15 minutes.
Place 1 egg roll wrapper at a time onto work surface with 1 corner pointing toward you (wrapper should look like a diamond). Trim 1 inch off right and left corners of wrapper. Spoon 3 tablespoons turkey filling into center of wrapper. Fold lower corner of egg roll wrapper over filling. Fold in trimmed corners. Moisten top corner of wrapper with egg white; roll up jelly-roll fashion. Repeat procedure with remaining wrappers, turkey filling, and egg white.
Lightly coat egg rolls with cooking spray, and place, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until golden brown.
To prepare sauce, combine 3/4 cup soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon ginger; serve with egg rolls. Garnish with green onions, if desired.

Curried Noodles with Tofu
From Cooking Light
Since the gang loved tofu so much, we decided to try it again...this time with CURRY!

Ingredients
6 ounces uncooked rice sticks (rice-flour noodles), angel hair pasta, or vermicelli

1 cup light coconut milk

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)

2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic

1 teaspoon green curry paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cooking spray

1 (12.3-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup red bell pepper strips

4 cups shredded napa (Chinese) cabbage

1 cup chopped green onions

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

PreparationPlace noodles in a large bowl. Add hot water to cover; let stand 5 minutes. Drain.
Combine coconut milk, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, curry paste, and salt in a small bowl.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add tofu; sauté 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove tofu from pan; keep warm.
Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Add cabbage; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in noodles, coconut milk mixture, and tofu; cook 2 minutes or until noodles are tender. Stir in green onions and cilantro.

Here's Bradley looking very impressed about doing the dishes!

April Showers brings May's Cooking????

2007-06-01T12:49:00.000-04:00

On Thursday May 15, 2007 10 Connect Community Kitchen members gathered to cook. We welcomed 2 new members, Steven & Jack and we were very happy to have them. For May, the group prepared Breakfast pizza for the breakfast component, triple mushroom stirfry with tofu, chicken peanut chow mein & chinese 5 spice beef burgers for the upcoming BBQ season!!!!

Connect Community Kitchen would like to thank both Tara & Norah for all their extra help this month with grocery shopping, transportation and cooking expertise! We couldn't have done it without you...our kitchen is so much fun with you there!!!!!

We would also like to thank our sponsors for their support! Big thanks to both Hansen's Independent Grocer and Hayter's Turkey Products....their products are what makes our fares that much more delicious!

Breakfast Pizza

from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) can reduced-fat refrigerated crescent dinner roll dough

Cooking spray

12 ounces turkey breakfast sausage

1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fat-free cheddar cheese

1/4 cup fat-free milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 (8-ounce) carton egg substitute

2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.
Separate dough into triangles. Press triangles together to form a single round crust on a 12-inch pizza pan coated with cooking spray. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim.
Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain.
Top prepared dough with sausage, potatoes, and cheese. Combine milk, salt, pepper, and egg substitute, stirring with a whisk. Carefully pour milk mixture over sausage mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until crust is browned.
Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Triple Mushroom Stir Fry With Tofu

From Cooking Light
Triple mushroom stir fry in progress...btw it was the first time most of our members had tofu...and they loved it!

This is me (Katie) doling out the mushroom stir fry while Steven anxiously awaits

Ingredients
Sauce:

1 1/4 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

Stir-fry:

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1/2 pound extrafirm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cups presliced button mushrooms

2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 3 ounces)

1 cup snow peas, trimmed

1/2 cup red bell pepper strips

1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

2 cups sliced oyster mushroom caps (about 4 ounces)

3/4 cup (1-inch) slices green onions

Remaining ingredient: 5 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Preparation:

To prepare sauce, combine first 10 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk.
Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu; cook 8 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally. Remove from pan. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil, button mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until almost tender. Add peas, bell pepper, and water chestnuts; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth mixture, tofu, oyster mushrooms, and onions; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick. Serve over rice.
Yield
5 servings (serving size: 1 cup mushroom mixture and 1 cup rice)

Chicken Peanut Chow Mein

From Cooking Light
Ingredients
1 cup precut matchstick-cut carrot

1 cup snow peas, trimmed

2 (6-ounce) packages chow mein noodles

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, divided

1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided

3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 cup presliced mushrooms

2 teaspoons bottled fresh ground ginger (such as Spice World)

1 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions

2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Cook carrots, snow peas, and noodles in boiling water 3 minutes; drain.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cut chicken crosswise into thin strips. Add chicken and 1 tablespoon soy sauce to pan; stir-fry 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
Combine remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, broth, oyster sauce, sugar, and pepper, stirring well. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and ginger to pan; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add broth mixture, and cook for 1 minute. Add noodle mixture and chicken to pan; cook 1 minute, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with onions and peanuts.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups noodle mixture, 1/4 cup onions, and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanuts)

Chinese 5-Spice Burgers

From Sunset

Ingredients
About 1 teaspoon olive or salad oil

1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (including tops)

6 tablespoons prepared Chinese plum sauce

1 pound ground lean beef

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

4 sesame seed-topped hamburger buns (about 3 oz. each), cut in half horizontally

Lettuce leaves, rinsed and crisped

Salt

Preparation

1. Pour oil into an 8- to 10-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat; when hot, add mushrooms and stir until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the green onions and plum sauce and remove from heat.
2. In a bowl, gently mix ground beef with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, Chinese five spice, and ginger. Shape beef mixture into four equal patties, each about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Lay patties on a lightly oiled barbecue grill over a solid bed of medium-hot coals or medium-high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook patties until no longer pink in the center (cut to test) or a thermometer inserted in center reaches 160°, 6 to 8 minutes total, turning once to brown evenly. After 5 minutes, lay bun halves, cut side down, on grill and toast lightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Lay a lettuce leaf on each toasted bun base, top with a beef patty, and spoon mushroom mixture equally over burgers. Add salt to taste and cover with bun tops.
Yield
Makes 4 servings

Kitchen Member: Anne, smiles for the camera

Janice is so proud of her clean kitchen, thanks for your hard work Jan!

Tara makes a funny face...hope its not reflective of our cooking! lol

Spring time cooking...

2007-06-01T12:17:00.000-04:00

On April 19, 2007, the Connect Community Kitchen members (8) gathered for some spring time cooking. This month the group tested out 4 new recipes. For our breakfast component, we baked Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins. Since it was still a little chilly out, we cooked some hot baked potato soup to warm us up. Then we tried our hand at turkey jambalaya and lasagna rolls. Following are the recipes we used and pictures of our results! We had a great time, and as usual lots of laughs were heard! We would like to thank our sponsors, Hansen's Independent Grocer and Hayter's Turkey Products for their continued support and generosity...we appreciate it!!!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

from Cooking Light

Tara takes the muffins from the tins to cool...btw they were delicious!!!

Ingredients
2/3 cup (5 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries we used frozen

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add vanilla, egg whites, and egg; beat well.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk to cream cheese mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Gently fold in raspberries and walnuts.
Place 24 foil cup liners in muffin cups. Spoon batter evenly into liners. Bake at 350° 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans; cool on a wire rack.
Yield
2 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin)

Baked Potato-and-Bacon Soup

from cooking light
Ingredients
5 1/4 pounds baking potatoes

7 bacon slices

4 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

7 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1 1/4 cups sliced green onions

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.
Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool slightly. Partially mash potatoes, including skins, with a potato masher; set aside.
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add onion to bacon drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add salt, garlic, and bay leaf; sauté 2 minutes. Add potato, milk, pepper, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, if desired. Top individual servings with bacon, green onions, and cheese.
Yield
18 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup, about 1 teaspoon bacon, about 1 tablespoon cheese, and about 1 tablespoon green onions)

Turkey Jambalaya

From the Editors of Easy Home Cooking Magazine

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1teaspoon canola oil
1cup chopped onion
1green bell pepper, chopped
1/2cup chopped celery
3cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-3/4cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1cup chopped seeded tomato
1/4 pound cooked ground turkey breast
1/4 pound cooked turkey sausage
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup uncooked white rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2.Add chicken broth, tomato, turkey, turkey sausage, tomato paste, bay leaf, basil and red pepper. Stir in rice. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
3.Remove skillet from heat. Remove and discard bay leaf. Top servings evenly with parsley. Serve immediately.

Lasagna Rolls

courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Sauce: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups whole milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper Pinch ground nutmeg
Lasagna: 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped 1 large egg, beaten to blend 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil 12 uncooked lasagna noodles 2 cups marinara sauce 1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)
To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.
Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.
Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamelsauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Aren't they cute!

A Plethora of tastes...

2007-03-28T16:15:00.000-04:00

On Thrusday March 22 2007 at 6pm 8 community kitchen members gathered a Connect to cook. We all divided up into pairs, chose a recipe and got started right away. The following are the recipes we chose for this month....Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals 5-Vegetable Fried Rice with 5-Spice Pork, Gingerbread Waffles, French Onion Soup, and Turkey Bolognese.

Turkey Bolognese
From Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-ounce) can no salt-added tomato sauce
4 cups hot cooked penne (about 3/4 pound uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Asiago cheese

Directions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high. Add turkey, and cook 4 minutes or until turkey is browned, stirring to crumble. Add oregano and next 7 ingredients (oregano through tomato sauce); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in pasta; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese)

It was reported by members of the kitchen that this was just delicious!

Gingerbread Waffles
From Cooking Light
Note to self: when making this many waffles (we doubled the recipe), it would be a good idea to use more than waffle maker...it took a lllllllllllllooooooooooooonnnnnnngggggg time with only one.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups fat-free buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 large egg yolks
(4-ounce) container applesauce
3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray

Directions
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine buttermilk and next 5 ingredients (through applesauce) in a small bowl. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in crystallized ginger.
Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter.
Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray, and preheat. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter per 4-inch waffle onto hot waffle iron, spreading batter evenly to edges. Cook for 5 minutes or until steaming stops, and repeat procedure with remaining batter. Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 2 waffles)

French Onion Soup
From RecipeTips.com

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 large sweet yellow onions, sliced thin
1 leek, sliced thin
5 cups water (dissolve boullion cubes in water)
7 beef boullion cubes
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 slices baguettes, 1" thick, toasted (or French bread)
2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded

Directions
Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet. Add onions, leeks and garlic. Stirring frequently, sauté 30-45 minutes over medium high heat until onions are caramelized and lightly golden brown.
Reduce heat to simmer, add beef boullion, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Cook on low for 20-25 minutes.
Heat oven to 425ºF-450ºF. Ladle soup into oven proof serving bowls. Place 2 slices of toasted bread on top of soup and divide shredded cheese among the bowls. Place filled bowls on a baking sheet with sides. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese bubbles and is lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals 5 Vegetable Fried Rice with 5-Spice Pork

Ingredients
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound thin pork loin chops, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
1 red bell peper, seeded and thinly cliced
2 small carrots, shredded
1 scallion, thinly sliced on an angle
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
one 2 inch fresh piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1/3-1/2 cup soy sauce

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and 3/4 water to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover and cook, over low heat for 18 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread on a baking sheet to cool
2. In a large, deep nonstick skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Season the pork with salt, petter, and the five spice powder; add to the pan and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet, then add the eggs and scramble for 2 minutes. Push the eggs to the side of the pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and lower the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms, red bell pepper and carrots, and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the scallion, peas and garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the cooked rice and crip for a couple of minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and reserved pork.

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor wind, nor dead of night shall deter us from COOKING!

2007-03-28T15:32:00.000-04:00

On February 22, 2007 one heck of a snow storm hit Huron County and stopped everyone in their tracks...everyone, except for Connect Community Kitchen that is! That night, despite all the snow and chaos nine very dedicated community kitchen members braved the storm and came together to do what they love to do...COOK!

That night we tried our hands at Fajita Turkey Burgers, Asian Chicken Noodle Soup, Chili & Cheddar Bow Tie Casserole, Beef-Broccoli Lo Mein and the menacing Saffron and Raisin Breakfast Bread at a cost of $8/person. The following are the recipes we used, any substitutions are in red.

Fajita Turkey Burgers
From Cooking Light
Put together these turkey burgers for a speedy supper after a late-afternoon or early-evening workout. Use prechopped onion and bell pepper, if you prefer, so the burgers come together even more quickly. Garnish with fresh lettuce, tomato, and red onion, if desired.

Ingredients

1/4 cup bottled tomatillo salsa
2 tablespoons chopped avocado
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 (1-ounce) slices white bread
Cooking spray
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 teaspoons fajita seasoning, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound ground turkey
1 egg white object
4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted Combine tomatillo salsa, chopped avocado, and cilantro; set aside.

Directions
Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until crumbs measure 1 cup.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and bell peppers; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon fajita seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cool.
Combine breadcrumbs, onion mixture, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons fajita seasoning, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, tomato paste, turkey, and egg white in a large bowl. Using damp hands, divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Heat pan over medium heat. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun. Top each serving with 1 1/2 tablespoons salsa mixture; top with remaining halves of buns. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

From Cooking Light

The pasta will still have a chewy bite when the chicken is ready, but it continues to cook while the soup stands. Serve with rice crackers and lime wedges.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1 tablespoon bottled grated ginger
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, peeled
2 cups water
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 red chile pepper, finely chopped

Directions
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass; sauté 3 minutes. Add water and broth; bring to a boil. Add chicken and pasta; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients. Let stand 5 minutes. Discard lemongrass. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Chili & Cheddar Bow Tie Casserole

From Cooking Light

If you don't have farfalle, substitute ziti, rigatoni, or even macaroni.

1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce couldn't find these anywhere in our grocery store!!! To add some spice we added some minced jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced Canadian bacon (about 2 ounces)
1 cup thinly sliced reen onions
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
8 cups hot cooked farfalle (bow tie pasta) or other short pasta
Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°.
Remove 1 teaspoon adobo sauce and 1 chile from canned chiles; mince the chile. Place remaining sauce and chiles in a zip-top plastic bag; freeze for another use.
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and bacon; sauté 4 minutes. Add onions; sauté 1 minute. Stir in the adobo sauce, minced chile, flour, chili powder, salt, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Gradually add milk; cook until thick and bubbly (about 4 minutes), stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups cheese and cilantro, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to pan; toss well.
Spoon the pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over pasta mixture. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until browned. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Beef-Broccoli Lo Mein

From Cooking Light

Ingredients
4 cups hot cooked spaghetti (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed and cut across the grain into long, thin strips
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic

Directions
Combine pasta and sesame oil, tossing well to coat.
Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add broccoli and onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add steak, and sauté 5 minutes or until done. Add pasta mixture, soy sauce, and remaining ingredients; cook 1 minute or until lo mein is thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Saffron & Raisin Breakfast Bread

From Cooking Light

Note to self: Remember to read all of a recipe before deciding to use at community kitchen!!! This bread, while delicious took a very long time to make, not conducive for community kitchen.

Many thanks to Anne and Robin (below), who were patient with the bread (and myself).

This recipe employs the technique of steeping saffron in hot liquid to release its color and aroma, which adds a wonderful, mellow flavor to this bread. Saffron breads are a tradition in southwestern England and throughout many Nordic countries, especially Sweden and Finland. Serve toasted or plain with honey for a special holiday breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups warm fat-free milk (100° to 110°)
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water (100º to 110º)
5 1/4 cups bread flour, divided
1 1/2 cups raisins
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Directions
Combine milk and saffron; let stand 10 minutes.
Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until foamy. Stir in milk mixture. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 5 cups flour, raisins, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, and salt to milk mixture, stirring to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide in half. Shape each portion into a 5-inch round loaf. Place loaves, seam sides down, 3 inches apart, on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Make 2 diagonal cuts 1/4-inch-deep across top of each loaf using a sharp knife. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 375º.
Uncover dough. Bake at 375º for 30 minutes or until loaves are browned on bottom and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pan; cool on wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves, 20 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Many thanks are in order for our generous sponsors, Hansen's Independent Grocery Store and Hayter's Turkey Products!!!

Cooking up a storm...

2007-01-23T16:05:00.000-05:00

On a very snowy Monday January 15, 3 members of the Connect Community Kitchen met to plan and organize our cooking night for this month. We chose to create 5 different recipes; Jane's Vegetarian Chili, Broccoli Chicken Macaroni and Cheese, Beef & Barley Soup, Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes & BBQ Meat Loaf.

On Thursday January 18, 7 members met and cooked up a storm! We went to work right away, by dividing into groups to create all 5 recipes. We seem to be getting better at this as we were done all prep work by 8pm and just had to wait on the food to cook, which is quite the task as everything smelled sooooo good! The following are the recipes we used from this month's session and any changes we made are in red.

As always we would like to thank our members for working so hard, our fearless leader Randi and our sponsors, Hayter's Turkey Products and Hansen's Independent Grocer for providing all of our supplies...you are terrific!

Broccoli Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
From Rachael Ray

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound chicken breast tenders, chopped we used boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper 1 small onion, chopped
1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatappi corkscrew shaped pasta twists we used heart healthy whole wheat pasta
2 1/2 cups raw broccoli florets, available packaged in produce department
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
3 cups whole milk we used 2%
1 cup chicken stock we used reduced sodium
3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard

Directions
Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni.
Heat a medium pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add onion and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until onions are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat and reserve.
To boiling pasta water, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook 5 minutes, then add broccoli and cook 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked to al dente and florets are just tender.
While pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, then add flour, cayenne and paprika and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles then cook a minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat to bring the sauce to a quick boil. Simmer until the sauce thickens about 5 minutes.
Drain macaroni or pasta and broccoli florets. Add back to the pot and add chicken to the pasta and broccoli.
Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt it in, a minute or so. Stir in mustard and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli and cooked pasta and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings and transfer to a large serving platter and serve.

Beef and Barley Soup
From Cooking Light

Lamb may be used in place of beef stew meat, if desired. Use one pound of boneless lamb leg, cut into one-inch pieces.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 pounds beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 cups chopped leek (about 4 medium)
2 cups chopped carrot
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
2 (14-ounce) cans less-sodium beef broth
1 cup uncooked pearl barley

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add half of beef; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining beef.Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add leek, carrot, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Return beef to pan. Add water and next 5 ingredients (through broth); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Add barley; cook 30 minutes or until beef and barley are tender. Discard bay leaves.

"Barbecued" Meat Loaf
From Cooking Light Joeanne mixes up the BBQ Turkey meatloaf

Ingredients
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 (1/2-ounce) slice white bread
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 cup minced fresh onion
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley we substituted savoury
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin we substituted ground turkey for a healthier choice
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.Place bread in a food processor; process until finely ground. Combine bread and milk in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup ketchup mixture, onion, and the next 9 ingredients (onion through egg); stir until well-blended. Place beef mixture in an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Brush remaining ketchup mixture over top. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove meat loaf from pan. Cut into 8 slices. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Jane's Vegetarian Chili
From Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups of water, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sause
2 (14.5 once cans) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15.5 once) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 once) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 once) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 once) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (6 once) can tomatoe paste
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 mintues or until tender. Add 3 cups water and next 8 ingredients (through Cannellini beans), stirring to combine.

Combine remaining cup of water and tomatoe paste in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Stir in tomatoe paste mixture into bean mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cheese if desired.

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes
By Rachael Ray

Marley & Toni working away at the pancakes

Ingredients
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 onces, 1/4 chopped walnuts we omitted the nuts
3/4 cup sour cream we used low-fat
3/4 cup whole milk we used 2%
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 really ripe bananas, mashed up
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 stick butter, 1/4 cup, melted, plus additional for buttering skillet

Here's a great tip: if you cannot find really ripe bananas, just nuke them in the microwave for about 15 seconds and they will become super soft for mashing.

Mix dry ingredients, the first 7, in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients, the next 4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined, then fold in the mashed up bananas and the raisins. Stir in the melted butter.

Heat a griddle over medium heat and brush with additional melted butter. Cook pancakes, each about 1/3 cup, until bubbles form on the top, then turn. Cakes will cook in about 2 minutes on each side. Keep pancakes tented with foil as they come off the griddle to keep them hot. Serve with drizzle honey or maple syrup over the top. Clint poses for the camera

Robin & Randi divvy up the chili

Finally...pics from August BBQ!

2006-11-27T09:57:00.000-05:00

Good Eats

Asian Cucumber Salad

Chicken Skewers

Arborio Rice Salad

Shrimp & Noodle Salad

Good Tunes

Great Company!

A kitchen full of ladies...

2006-11-24T11:46:00.000-05:00

On Monday November 20, 5 members met to choose the recipes we would cook this month. We decided to cook the following recipes: Pad Thai, Andy's Fairfield Granola, Chicken Breast with Curried Apple Stuffing, Four Cheese Manicotti, & Italian Wedding Soup. This month the cost was $10 for a healthy portion of each fare. We also welcomed 4 new ladies to the kitchen, Anne, Susan, Marley & Tara! Which meant that this month, we had a kitchen full of ladies!

On Thursday November 23, nine ladies got together and got straight to work, divide & conquer style. Under the direction of our fearless leader Randi, we set up stations, divided into 4 groups and started chopping, mixing, dicing, etc. We must have busted our butts, because we started at 6:00pm and were pretty much done by 9:00pm, clean-up and all! It's incredible what can be accomplished when you all work together! The following are the recipes we used. Any substitutions we made are in red.

Pad Thai
From

This is one of the most famous stir-fry dishes ever, and Thailand's most well-known noodle dish. It's fairly high in sodium due to the flavor-adding fish sauce and soy sauce, but lower than you'll find at most restaurants.

Ingredients
6 3/4 cups water, divided
1/2 pound uncooked rice sticks (rice-flour noodles) or vermicelli we used rice stick
2 tablespoons oil, divided
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup Thai fish sauce after reading the reviews of this recipe Randi suggested we use 1/2 the amount of fish sauce and add some ketchup as the recipe tended to be very salty
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into 1-inch strips we substituted extra firm tofu diced for cost & added protein
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions
2 teaspoons paprika
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro we omitted the cilantro as members normally freeze their serving, and cilantro looses its flavour when frozen
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
6 lime wedges
we also added Thai Chile Sauce & some hot sauce to taste

Directions
Place 6 cups water in a stir-fry pan or wok; bring to a boil. Add noodles; cook 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well. Place cooked noodles in a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon oil; toss well. Set aside.
Combine 3/4 cup water, soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar; set aside.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a stir-fry pan or wok over medium heat. Add eggs; stir-fry 1 minute. Add eggs to noodle mixture. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; stir-fry 5 minutes. Add to noodle mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pan. Add shrimp, onions, and paprika; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture and noodle mixture to pan; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; toss with sprouts and cilantro. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve with lime wedges. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup noodle mixture and 1 lime wedge)

Andy's Fairfield Granola
From Nigella Lawson
This is one of Robin's favs, served with yogurt, with milk or by itself by the handfuls for a snack.

Ingredients
4 1/2 Cups rolled oats
1 cup/4 oz sunflower seeds
3/4 Cup apple compote or apple sauce we used apple sauce
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup brown rice syrup or rice malt syrup or failing that, golden syrup as per Randi we used Lyles' Golden Syrup, not to be confused with corn syrup (tee hee)
1/4 Cup clover honey or other honey
3/4 Cup light brown sugar
2 Cups whole natural almonds
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 cups raisins we substituted Craisins & some dried apricot

Directions

Mix everything except the raisins together very well in a large mixing bowl. I use a couple of curved, rigid spatula; normally. I'd be happy to use my hands, but here it just leaves you covered with everything.
Spread this mixture out on two baking sheets and bake in a 300-325 F oven, turning over about halfway through baking and re-distributing the granola evenly during the baking process. The object is to get it evenly golden without toasting too much in one place. This should take anywhere from about 40 minutes. Once it's baked, allow to cook and mix together with the raisins. Store airtight. Makes approx. 10 cups.

Chicken Breast with Curried Apple Stuffing
from

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped celery

1 3/4 Cups chopped peeled granny smith apple (about 3/4 pound)

1 3/4 teaspoon curry powder, divided

1/4 golden raisins

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 can low-salt chicken broth, divided

4 skinned, boned chicken breast halves

3/4 cup apple juice

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon water

Directions
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add apple and 1 teaspoon curry powder; sauté 3 minutes or until apple is tender. Stir in raisins, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, and 1/3 cup broth; cook 4 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon apple mixture into a small bowl; set aside.

Cut a horizontal slit through the thicket portion of each breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 1/4 cup apple mixture into each pocket. we used toothpicks to help keep the chicken together

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet, set aside

Add 3/4 teaspoon curry powder, remaining broth, apple juice, and garlic to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook 5 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup.

Combine cornstarch and water; stir well; Add to broth mixture in skillet; stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return chicken to skillet; cover and simmer 2 minutes or until heated. Serve sauce with chicken.

Yield. 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 1/4 cup sauce)

Four Cheese Manicotti
from

Ingredients
12 uncooked manicotti
vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 carton nonfat ricotta cheese
1 package garden vegetable flavoured light cream cheese, softened
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1/3 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and sqeezed dry
1 jar reduced-fat, reduced sodium tomato & herb pasta sauce
oregano sprigs (optional)

Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt &amp; fat; set aside.
Coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside
Combine 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, next 5 ingredients, in a bowl; bet at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Again, we don't have an electric mixer, so Robin & Joeanne acted as one! Stir in onion mixture and spinach.
Spoon mozzarella cheese mixture into cooked manicotti (about 1/3 cup per shell) Randi suggested we adapt a Ziploc bag to use like a icing bag. Robin & Joeanne actually had several races to see who could fill their Manicotti first...congrats to Joeanne who won hands down everytime!!!

Divide 1 cup sauce evenly between 6 individual casserole dishes coated with cooking spray. Arrange 2 stuffed manicotti in each dish. Pour remaining sauce over each serving. Place dishes on a baking sheet. Cover each dish with foil, and bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses; bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes. Garnish with oregano, if desired.

Italian Wedding Soup
From Splendid Soup

Assemble:
1 recipe Italian mini meatballs

Italian Mini Meatballs
Makes about 30 walnut size meatballs

Stir Together:
1/4 cup unseasoned fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley our grocery store was out so we substituted curly
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
pinch nutmeg
Add:
1/2 ground chuck we substituted Hayter's ground turkey, half dark, half breast
Stir all ingredients together (except the ground chuck) in a large mixing bowl.
Add the chuck and mix thoroughly. From meatballs using a small scoop or melon baller and place on a parchment lined baking sheet; chill until ready to use.

Sweat in 2 tablespoons olive oil:
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup ham diced we omitted the ham
1 tablespoon garlic minced

Deglaze with; stir in and simmer:
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf

Drop in; add:
prepared meatballs.
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

whisk together; add:
2 eggs
Hot soup broth

Garnish with:
shredded parmesan

Assemble meatballs and set aside. Sweat vegetables, ham and garlic in oil in a large pot, covered, over medium heat until soft, 10 minutes. Deglaze with wine; reduce until nearly evaporated. Stire in broth and seasonings, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes. Drop meatballs into simmering soup and cook gently until they float, 3-4 minutes. Add beans, spinach, and parsley and cook just until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Whisk eggs with some of the hot broth, them revoe the soup fromt he heat; stir in egg mixture. Garnish with parmesan.

Instructions for Members:
1. Eat Pad Thai on Friday (tomorrow). Microwave until heated through (3-5 minutes). Add bean sprouts and enjoy.
2. Place frozen manicotti directly in the oven with the lid off. Cook for 25 minutes at 350F.
3. Make rice to go with your chicken. Defrost chicken, once defrosted microwave for 3-4 minutes.
4. Eat granola with yogurt, milk or just by the handful.
5. Defrost the soup and heat in microwave.

Special thanks to our sponsors Hansen's Independent Grocer & Hayter's Turkey Products. We appreciate your generous support!

November Kitchen Dates

2006-11-08T13:56:00.000-05:00

The Connect Community Kitchen

will meet on

Monday November 20th @ 6:00pm for planning

Thursday November 23rd @ 6:00pm for cooking.

COME ON OUT & JOIN THE FUN!

Oktober

2006-11-08T10:46:00.000-05:00

On Monday October 23, 4 members met to plan for cooking on Thursday. We decided to try our hand at a Southwestern Breakfast Casserole, Lemon Chicken & Wild Rice Soup, Spinach Calzone, Chicken, Artichoke & Broccoli Casserole as well as the ever-festive Pumpkin-Orange Spice Loaf. The cost for this month's fare was $7.

On Thursday October 26 seven members came together and whipped up the following recipes:

Southwestern Breakfast Casserole
From Cooking Light

You can assemble this entire dish up to a week ahead. Bake the corn muffin mix ahead; store in an airtight container in the freezer for a couple of days. Assemble the casserole according to directions; cover and freeze. A day in advance, take it out of the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator (about 24 hours). Uncover and let stand 30 minutes at room temperature before cooking; bake as directed.

Ingredients
1 (8 1/2-ounce) package corn muffin mix
3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed white bread
8 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage ( we used Hayter's Original turkey sausage)
1 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 cups fat-free milk (we used a little less milk as per cooking light reviews)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained (we used salsa instead)
1 (8-ounce) carton egg substitute
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack or mild cheddar cheese, divided

Directions
Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions; cool. Crumble muffins into a large bowl; stir in bread. Set aside.
Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage and onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain.

Combine milk, cumin, pepper, tomatoes, and egg substitute; stir with a whisk until well-blended. Add sausage mixture; stir well. Stir into bread mixture. Spoon half of bread mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon remaining bread mixture over cheese. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bake casserole at 350° for 20 minutes or until set. Top with 1/2 cup cheese, and bake an additional 20 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

Lemon Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Butter
1 small onion diced
2 ribs of celery, diced fine
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 red bell pepper, diced into 1/4 " pieces
1/4 Cup flour
1 Cup water
6 cups Chicken Stock
1/2 lb. chicken meat, diced into 1/2" pieces
1/4 1b. wild rice blend, cooked
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 Cup milk
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Directions
In medium pan, slowly melt butter over low heat until hot. Add onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add celery and continue cooking until tender. Add thyme and red pepper, mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add flour, mix well, and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Place water in soup pot. Add chicken stock and sautéed vegetable mixture. Add chicken, wild rice, lemon juice, and milk. Bring to a boil, and continue cooking until soup is thickened. Sprinkle in chopped parsley, mix well. Remove from heat.

Serve hot.

Spinach Calzone
From Cooking Light

We came up with this recipe while trying to find a use for leftover ingredients from a spinach lasagna. We like this dish because it's easy to make, tastes great, and packs in a lot of calcium. Served with a salad, it's a satisfying meal.

Ingredients

3/4 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese objec
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream object
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese object
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust
Cooking spray
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese object
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups bottled fat-free Italian herb pasta sauce (such as Muir Glen)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine first 4 ingredients; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until well-blended. Stir in spinach, bell peppers, garlic powder, and black pepper.

Unroll pizza crust onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread spinach mixture over half of the crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar over spinach mixture. Fold dough over filling; press edges together to seal.

Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until browned. Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes. Heat pasta sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cut calzone into 6 squares, and top with sauce.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 square and 1/4 cup sauce)

Chicken, Artichoke, & Broccoli Casserole
From the Big Book of Casseroles

Layers of tender chicken breasts, artichokes, and crisp broccoli meld together in a flavourful cheese sauce. This casserole takes time to prepare, but once the casserole is made, your dinner party will be a success.

Ingredients

4 cups of broccoli florets

4 tablespoons of butter or margarine

12 onces mushrooms, sliced

4 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups Rich Chicken Stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

4 cooked chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs), cut into bite size pieces

1 can (14 onces) quartered artichoke hearts, drained

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top

Directions

Add some water to a pan fitted with a steamer rack over medium heat. Place broccoli on rack and steam, covered, over gently boiling water until tender-crisp, about 6 minutes. Drain under cold water and set aside on a large plate.

Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add flour and blen. Add stock, mustard, and seasonings and whisk until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add cheese and stir until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a 4 quart casserole dish place half the chicken, top with half the vegetables and repeat layers once more. Pour sauce over all. Cover and bake until bubbly, about 40 minutes. Sir and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until cheese melts, 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Pumpkin-Orange Spice Loaf

From Cooking Light

Pumpkin is rich in both beta carotene and vitamin C, while whole-wheat flour adds an extra dose of fiber. Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap, cinch the top with festive ribbon, and place decorative stickers around the top and sides. The bread can also be baked in miniature loaf pans for 45 minutes and wrapped as smaller individual gifts.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened object

1 tablespoon grated orange rind

1 large egg

Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and the next 6 ingredients (flours through cloves) in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine the sugar and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Pour batter into an 8-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

A big thank you to Hansen's Independent Grocer & Hayter's Turkey Products for their generous continued support!

October's Kitchen: CHANGE OF DATE

2006-10-06T15:51:00.000-04:00

Attention Connect Community Kitchen Members:
The meeting dates for October have changed: We will meet for planning on Monday October 23rd at 6:00pm & on Thursday October 26th for cooking at 6:00pm. See you there!

Fall Recipes to Warm You

2006-09-27T09:47:00.000-04:00

On Monday September 18th the following recipes were chosen to cook on Thursday night: Fast & Easy Turkey Chili, Easy Greek Chicken Cassarole, Curried Beef Stew, Open-Faced Falafel Burgers and Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies. On Thursday night we welcomed a new member and all nine of us got straight to work! The chosen recipes called for a lot of chopping and dicing, so we definitely got our upper arm exercise in for that night.

Fast & Easy Turkey Chili
2 lbs Hayter's ground turkey ( 1lb dark, 1lb breast)
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of chili beans in sauce DO NOT DRAIN
1 can of corn (optional)
2 cans of peeled tomatoes, puréed in a blender
1 package of chili season mix
1 tsp chili powder (or more to taste)
1 tsp ground cumin

Directions
Sautee turkey with chopped onion in a saucepan. Drain. Add all the rest of the ingredients. Simmer over low heat for 1-2 hours. Serve with chopped onion, shredded cheese, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips. This is a versatile recipe, you can make it as hot as you like by adding more chili powder or diced, chopped chilies.

Easy Greek Chicken Casserole

From Cooking Light

This easy one-dish meal is prepared and cooked in only one pot, saving you space and cleanup. You can decrease the sodium by using less anchovy paste or by replacing it with the olives.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1-2 teaspoons of black pepper
10 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups cubed red potato (about 2lbs)
2 cups cut green beans (about 1/2lb)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons anchovy paste or finely chopped olives
2 cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
8 skinned, boned chicken thighs (about 1 lb)
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375.
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the thyme, pepper, and garlic; sauté one minute. Increase heat to medium-high. Add potato; sauté 8 minutes or until potato begins to brown. Stir in green beans, water, anchovy paste, and tomatoes. Remove mixture from heat. Nestle chicken thighs into potato mixture. Top with feta cheese. Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Curried Beef Stew
A green onion paste is sautéed to release its flavour in this Singapore-inspired dish. Serve with basmati rice.

PASTE:
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Thai chile sauce
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped

STEW:
Cooking spray
1lb beef stew meat
1 tbls curry posder
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
3 tbls low-salt beef broth
2 cups cubed peeled sweet potato
1 1/2 cups sliced carrot
1 cup sliced celery
1 package presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup light coconut milk

To prepare paste, combine first 6 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Spoon into bowl.

To prepare stew, heat a dutch oven coated in cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.

Reduce heat to low; add oil to pan. Add paste; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add curry, cinnamon, and bay leaf; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in beef, soy sauce, and broth. Increase heat to medium-high. Bring to boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour.

Add sweet potato, carrot, celery, mushrooms. Bring to boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until beef and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; stir in coconut milk. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf.

Open-Faced Falafel Burgers
From
Cooking Light

This Middle Eastern vegetarian sandwich is typically stuffed in a pita, but our version offers a more eye-catching presentation. Garnish with parsley.

Sauce:
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup tahini (sesame-seed paste)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced

Patties:
1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs, divided
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

Remaining ingredients:
6 mini pitas (about 5 inches wide)
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped tomato
2 cups sliced peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

To prepare sauce, combine the first 5 ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth.
To prepare patties, combine 1 cup onion and next 7 ingredients (through 4 garlic cloves) in a food processor, and process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Place bean mixture in a large bowl; stir in 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. Divide bean mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place remaining 1/4 cup breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Dredge patties in breadcrumbs.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and patties.

Warm mini pitas according to package directions. Place 1 pita on each of 6 plates. Top each serving with 1/2 cup lettuce, 1/3 cup tomato, 1/3 cup cucumber, and 4 teaspoons onion. Drizzle each serving with about 3 tablespoons sauce; top each serving with 1 patty.

Wine note: Light in body and tannin, pinot noir is the perfect red wine for robust vegetarian dishes. These burgers include spices like coriander and cumin, which are echoed in Kim Crawford Marlborough Pinot Noir ($15), with its savory nuances and aromas of smoke and dried herbs. Bright fruit and ample acidity help to cut the burgers' rich tahini sauce. -Jeffery Lindenmuth

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 437(24% from fat); FAT 11.6g (sat 1.7g,mono 4.1g,poly 4.6g); PROTEIN 14.8g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 159mg; SODIUM 903mg; FIBER 9.1g; IRON 4.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 70.8g

Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie (Adapted from BH & G)

1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup golden syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup dry milk powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, mix together peanut butter, mashed banana, honey, golden syrup and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, dry milk, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir dry ingredients into the wet until combined. Fold in cranberries.

Drop dough onto parchment lined baking sheets in 1/4 cupful amounts. Gently flatten each mound to about 1/2" thick.

Bake until lightly golden, about 14-16 minutes. Remove and let sit on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, then carefully move to wire racks to cool completely.

Community BBQ

2006-08-25T09:23:00.000-04:00

We met on Monday August 21, 2006 for our BBQ planning night with nine members in attendance. After some deliberation we were able to choose our recipes for our special celebratory BBQ. We decided to try our hand at the following recipes: Asian Cucumber Salad, Zesty Three Bean & Roasted Corn Salad, Shrimp & Noodle Salad in Lettuce Wraps, Arborio Rice Salad with Pine Nuts & Lemon Zest, Chicken Satay with Peanut Chutney Sauce and for dessert Oatmeal Coconut Cookies and Vanilla Ice Cream, not your ordinary BBQ menu!

In order for us to be ready to BBQ on Thursday, 6 of us met on Wednesday night for some prep work. We worked hard, mostly chopping, dicing, mincing and making sauces. We learned that making salad dressing is a delicate process, always needing to take a little taste to see what else needs to be added; a little more of this, a little more of that. Thanks to Randi, we also learned a few tips on dicing onions in an efficient manner (so as not to waste too much time crying) and also how to peel the skin off of ginger with a spoon! We kept all the salads and dressing separate to be tossed the next day just before the BBQ.

With Thursday, came the big day, with a little bit of running around and a lot of tossing it was time to BBQ! We all came together at the pavilion in McNaughton Park in Exeter. Thanks are in order to both Lisa and Stuart who brought their portable grills to the park and BBQ'd the Chicken Satay and also to Mary for lending her picnic basket complete with plates and utensils! With 12 members in attendance and our special guests Michelle Hansen of Hansen's Your Independent Grocer in Exeter who generously supplies all our ingredients and her daughter...the taste test was on. Everyone was in agreement....everything was delicious! The favourites being the Shrimp & Noodle Salad in the lettuce wraps & the peanut chutney sauce on the chicken satay, even though it was a little tedious cooking them on the small portable grills! It was a great night of eating, mingling, bonding and even a little bit of rock n roll! Community kitchen member, Stuart, provided us with some rockin' entertainment with guitar and vocals. After Randi served up the Oatmeal Coconut Cookies as ice cream sandwiches...everyone was full to the brim and contented.

Zesty Three-Bean & Roasted Corn Salad

This southwestern-accented recipe combines canned beans with sweet summer corn and red bell peppers for a colourful side dish.

Ingredients
cooking spray
2 1/2 cups (1 inch) cut green beans (1 lb)
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels (2 medium ears)
3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cliantro
1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeno
1 (16 once) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed, drained
1 (15 once) can black beans, rinsed, drained
1/4 fresh lime juice
1/4 red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red chile sauce (such as Cholula)
Dash of ground red pepper
1 cup diced seeded tomato (about 2 medium)
1 cup diced avocado

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high hat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add green beans and corn to pan; satÃ© 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer green bean mixture to large bowl. Add bell pepper and next 5 ingredients (through black beans) to bowl; toss well. Combine juice, vinegar, and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add juice mixture to bean mixture; toss well. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Gently stir intomatoe and avocado. We substituted cherry tomatoes and left the avocado out until just before serving Serve immediately. Yield 10 servings (serving size 1 cup)

Chicken Satay with Peanut Chutney Sauce
You will need 12 metal or wooden skewers for this dish; soak wooden skewers thoroughly in water before using to prevent them from scorching on the grill.

Ingredients
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter,preferablee natural
3 tablespoons mango chutney
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut across the grain into 1/4-inch wide strips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
fresh cilantro for garnish (optional) we opted out

1. Make sauce: In a blender, combine peanut butter, chutney, lime juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, garlic, pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup water; blend until smooth, set aside.
2. Thread each chicken piece onto a skewer (fold the pieces slightly as you work so the skewers go in and out of the meat. Place skewered chicken in a shallow dish; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle oil and remaining soy sauce over chicken; turn to coat.
3. Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter; garnish with cilantro, if desired. Serve with chutney sauce.

Note: The peanut-chutney sauce can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to a week. If you like, double the recipe, and serve the extra with grilled pork or as a dipping sauce for shrimp.

Shrimp & Noodle Salad in Lettuce Wraps
In this easy-to-make adaptation of an Asian favourite,succulentt shrimp and noodles meet a crunchy mix of fresh vegetables and a delicious sauce combining sweet, hot and nutty flavours. The combination of colour, spice, texture and taste make this dish an instant favourite.

Ingredients
1 lb of large shrimp, shelled and deviened we used pre-shelled and pre-cooked shrimp, defrosted
1/2 lb of Asian rice vermicelli noodles
1 bag of shredded carrots
1 bag of PC lettuce wraps
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-thin strips
4 slender green onions cut into matchstick-thin strips
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed through press
1 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
we also added cilantro and chopped peanuts

1. In a blender, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, honey, and ginger; puree until smooth. Set aside.
2. Cook vermicelli noodles, drain and cool.
3. Mix noodles, carrots, pepper, green onions in large bowl and toss with sauce.
4. Serve on lettuce wraps.

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup quick oats
1 cup shredded coconut
we added butterscotch chips....yummy!

In a small bowl sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a larger bowl cream butter and sugar till combined. Beat in vanilla, milk and eggs for about 2 minutes, stir in flour mixture, add oats and coconut. We don't have an electric beater, so Robin acted as one...it worked. Drop in small tablespoons on to a baking sheet and bake for 11 minutes at 350 degrees.

Arborio Rice Salad with Pine Nuts and Lemon Zest

Yield: 4 servings

I've adapted both recipes for 2 people, with enough for one to have an extra helping or for the other to have leftovers for her lunch the next day. However it works in your household.

salt
1 cup Arborio rice
1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 TBSP red wine vinegar
zest of 1/2 a lemon
freshly ground pepper
1/8 cup pine nuts, toasted in the toaster or regular oven at 350 for 3-5 minutes till golden brown

1. Fill a large pot with water and season with enough salt that you can taste it, but it's not salty. Bring to a boil, then add rice and turn down to a light boil till rice is tender but still firm (took me 15-20). Drain the rice and tip into a serving bowl.
2. Sprinkle olive oil, red wine vinegar and lemon zest over the rice and stir well with a big wooden spoon. Let sit for an hour (or up to 8 hours in the fridge) so the flavors meld. Stir every now and then.
3. Before serving, bring rice up to room temperature and stir in the pine nuts.

Asian Cucumber Salad

Ingredients
4 English cucumbers
1 sweet onion
rice wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
peanuts, chopped
Asian chili sauce

1. Peel and de-seed cucumbers, cutting into thin slices. Slice onion into thin rings.
2. Mix rice wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and asian chili sauce to taste. Making about a 1/4 of sauce.
3. Mix cucumbers and onions with sauce.
4. Add peanuts just before serving.

Mmmmmmmmmm BBQ!

2006-08-03T11:33:00.000-04:00

CONNECT COMMUNITY KITCHEN

SPECIAL BBQ EVENT

The Connect Community Kitchen will meet as usual for planning on Monday August 21st at 6:00pm at Connect, but will be meeting for a special celebratory BBQ on Thursday August 24th at 6:00pm at the McNaughton Park Pavilion in Exeter for food preparation and dinner together!

There is no cost for this event....seeya there!

Get Involved!

2006-07-21T12:17:00.000-04:00

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Connect Community Kitchen or would like to volunteer at the Connect Centre, please contact us:

Phone: 519-235-4275

Fax: 519-235-1991

E-mail: Connect@anago.ca

Exeter, Ontario

Thank You to Our Sponsors

2006-07-21T11:40:00.000-04:00

Our kitchen would not be possible without the generous support of the following sponsors:

Hansens' Your Independent Grocer

Hayter's Turkey Products

Take Heart Huron

Recipes from July 20, 2006

2006-07-21T10:44:00.000-04:00

Breakfast Fig and Nut Cookies
These oversized cookies are more like muffin tops, but calling them cookies makes them seem a bit more indulgent. They're chock-full of exercise-friendly ingredients like dried fruit and nuts. They're ideal with a glass of skim milk for breakfast after a morning workout.

3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/4 Cup finely chopped dried figs - we substituted dried apricots as they are easier to work with
1/4 Cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
1/2 Cup unprocessed bran
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 Cup sliced almonds
2 tsp granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in chopped figs, cranberries and vanilla.
3. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, bran, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring just until moist. Gently fold in almonds.
4. Drop by level 1/4 cup measures 4 inches apart on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkly evenly with granulated sugar. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until almost set. Cool 2 minutes on pans. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks. Yield: 10 servings.

Greek Flavoured Turkey Burgers
From

Bursts of feta cheese, red onion, and fresh mint add spark to these flavorful burgers.

1 large egg white
1 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh mint we substituted fresh oregano
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 pound ground turkey
Cooking spray
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns,
split1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers,drained and cut into 1-inch strips

Place egg white in a large bowl; lightly beat with a whisk. Add onion and next 6 ingredients (through turkey); stir well to combine.

Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.

Add patties to pan; cook 8 minutes on each side or until done. Place patties on bottom halves of hamburger buns. Divide peppers evenly among burgers; cover with top halves of buns.

Note: To freeze extra servings, wrap each uncooked patty individually first in plastic wrap and then in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw patties completely in refrigerator, and then cook and serve as directed. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger) This is what we did

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 426(33% from fat); FAT 15.7g (sat 5.7g,mono 5.5g,poly 3.2g); PROTEIN 30.5g; CHOLESTEROL 101mg; CALCIUM 177mg; SODIUM 790mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 4.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40g

Creamy Spinach Lasagna
From

A less-sweet marinara sauce helps balance the flavor of this dish, with its smooth spinach sauce and rich mozzarella topping.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/4 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided
Cooking spray
12 cooked whole wheat lasagna noodles, divided
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Parsley sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 10 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and spinach. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 3 minutes or until spinach is tender. Set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, milk, salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a small saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add 2 cups milk mixture to spinach mixture. Cover remaining milk mixture, and set aside.

Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over sauce; top with half of spinach mixture. Top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1 cup marinara sauce, and 3/4 cup cheese. Layer 3 more lasagna noodles, remaining spinach mixture, and remaining 3 lasagna noodles. Top with remaining marinara sauce. Pour reserved milk mixture over the top, and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese.

Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until lasagna is browned on top. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 328(25% from fat); FAT 9.3g (sat 3.8g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 17.3g; CHOLESTEROL 19mg; CALCIUM 371mg; SODIUM 726mg; FIBER 6.9g; IRON 3.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.6gLorrie Hulston Corvin Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

On With The Show

2006-07-21T09:56:00.000-04:00

The group met on Monday July 17, 2006 for our planning night. We welcomed our new friend Wayne to the group. We planned to make 5 recipes: Breakfast Fig & Nut Cookies, Creamy Spinach Lasagna (Cooking Light) , Greek Flavoured Turkey Burgers (Cooking Light) , Curried Chicken with Plums and Ginger, and Spicy Chicken Cakes with Horseradish Aioli (Cooking Light) . 5 members were in attendance, due to holidays and other such commitments. The cost to each member was $8.00.

On Thursday July 20, we met for our cooking night and learned that our fearless leader and expert chef Randi was under the weather! What to do? An executive decision was made...the show must go on! However, due to the small group of members in attendance and all of our relative amateur cooking status...we decided to forgo both the Curried Chicken and Spicy Chicken cakes.

Also on this evening, our friendly neighbourhood reporter from the local paper, the Exeter Times Advocate came to take some pictures and do a story on our kitchen! Be sure to check out the article in next Wednesday's (July 26th) edition of the Times Advocate. In all of the excitement we even forgot to take pictures!

But the group stayed strong and pulled it together, Randi would've been proud! We manage to make the cookies, 2 lasagnas and the turkey burgers....A SUCCESS...but I guess the taste test will tell...

Each member took home 3 turkey burgers, a plethora of breakfast cookies and 4 servings of lasagna. All and all it was a fun-filled night and everyone learned alot!

A big thank you to our sponsors Hayter's Turkey Products and Hansen's Your Independent Grocer!

Recipes from June 12th

2006-07-05T11:30:00.000-04:00

Nomad Salad

From:

Dried fruit and chickpeas turn a traditional summer tabbouleh into a salad meal. A generous serving has about 15 grams of fiber--more than half of your daily requirement.

1 1/2 cups uncooked bulgur or cracked wheat
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup dried figs, halved
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (such as Craisins)
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

Combine the bulgur and boiling water in a large bowl. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Stir in the figs and remaining ingredients; cover salad and chill thoroughly. Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 390(18% from fat); FAT 7.7g (sat 1.1g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 11.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 96mg; SODIUM 363mg; FIBER 14.7g; IRON 4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 75g

Turkey Tetrazzini
From:

This classic dish, created and named for 19th-century opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, is a great way to use leftover cooked chicken or turkey. The thin pasta soaks up the sauce, forming a casserole that you can cut with a fork. To make it easier to toss the pasta and sauce, break the vermicelli in half before cooking.

1 tablespoon butter Cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 (8-ounce) packages presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry sherry
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 (14.5-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided1/2 cup (4 ounces)
1/3-less-fat cream cheese
7 cups hot cooked vermicelli (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)
4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter in large stockpot coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, pepper, salt, and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add sherry; cook 1 minute.

Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level with a knife. Gradually add flour to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly (mixture will be thick) with a whisk. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Add 1 3/4 cups Parmesan cheese and cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until cream cheese melts. Add the pasta and chicken, and stir until blended. Divide the pasta mixture between 2 (8-inch-square) baking dishes coated with cooking spray.

Place bread in food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form. Combine breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove casserole from oven; let stand 15 minutes.

To freeze unbaked casserole: Prepare through Step 5. Cool completely in refrigerator. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.

To prepare frozen unbaked casserole: Thaw casserole completely in refrigerator (about 24 hours). Preheat oven to 350º. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap; discard wrap. Cover casserole with reserved foil; bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 1 hour or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes.

Yield: 2 casseroles, 6 servings each (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 380(29% from fat); FAT 12.2g (sat 6.6g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 33g; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 319mg; SODIUM 964mg; FIBER 2g; IRON 2.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.7g

Turkey Burgers With Special Sauce
From:

Turkey Burgers with Special Sauce Serve these great summertime burgers with table grapes for a refreshing and light meal.

1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound ground turkey breast
Cooking spray
4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns
4 curly leaf lettuce leaves

Special Sauce
3/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover; refrigerate.
Yield: 3/4 cup (serving size: 2 tablespoons)

Prepare grill. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done.

Spread 2 tablespoons Special Sauce over top half of each bun. Place lettuce leaves on bottom halves of buns; top each with 1 patty and top half of bun. Cut each burger in half.

Lentil Burgers with Yogurt Mint Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

1 1/4 Cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 Cups rolled oats
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/2 Cup plain yogurt
1/3 Cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Add lentils to a large saucepan of salted water and bring water to a boil. Cook lentils at a bare simmer until tender, about 15-20 mins.

In a blender or food processor grind oats into meal. Drain lentils in a sieve and in a bowl combine with garlic, coriander, cumin and 3 tablespoons ground oats. Mash lentils coarse with potato masher. Stir in egg and salt and pepper to taste and form mixture into six 3-inch burgers, each 1/2 inch thick. Coat burgers with remaining ground oats.

In a small bowl stir together yogurt, mint and salt and pepper to taste.

We individually wrapped the burgers and took them home to freeze.

In a large skillet heat 1/4 oil over moderately high heat until hot but no smoking and fry burgers until brown and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Serve burgers in pitas with lettuce and yogurt mint sauce.

Banana-Pecan Pancakes
From:

These pancakes are served at the Thornrose House bed and breakfast in Stauton, Virginia, near one of the many wildlife-viewing sites.

1 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 Cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 Cup oat bran
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Cups low-fat buttermilk
1/3 Cup mashed ripe banana
2 tablespoons reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted
2 teaspoons honey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 Cup chopped pecans, toasted
Cooking spray
6 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk and next 4 ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Fold in pecans.

2. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot non-stick griddle or non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.

Serve with syrup. Yield: 12 (4 inch) pancakes.

Thai Coconut Chicken
From London Free Press

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, diced( can sub shrimp, tofu, dark chicken or beef)
1 can coconut milk
1-2tbls thai chili paste( red, green, yellow, masaman or panang)
2 stalks lemon grass, split in half
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 kaffir lime leaves
1tbls fish sauce

Saute chicken breast in a tbls of olive oil. Add curry paste and dry fry for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, broth, lime leaves, lemon grass and fish sauce. Simmer until meat is cooked thru. Remove lime leaves and lemon grass before serving. Serve with chopped peanuts and shredded basil on top. Serve over rice noodles or jasmine rice.

Too Many Cook's in the Kitchen

2006-06-27T11:47:00.000-04:00

We met on the June 12th for the planning meeting and the June 15th for cooking. 11 members were present. We prepared 6 items. Turkey burgers with special sauce( cooking light), lentil burgers with yogurt sauce( cooking light), turkey tettrazini( cooking light), banana pecan pancakes( cooking light), nomad salad( cooking light) and thai chicken curry ( London free press food section). The turkey burgers, lentil burgers and sauces involved no cooking on site. Members were sent home with the raw burgers for freezing to be cooked at a later date. Nomad salad involved a brief soak of bulger in hot water. This was mixed together with various dried fruits and veggies and tossed with a lemon vinagarette.

The two dishes that required the most cooking were the tettrazini and the thai curry. Hayter's turkey products in Dashwood, ON donated all of the ground turkey and turkey cutlets. Hansen's Your Independent grocery store in Exeter, ON donated all the remaining ingredients. Thank you to our sponsors, our community kitchen would not be possible without your generous support.

The total cost to each member for the evening was $8.00 per person. Each person was sent home with 2 turkey burgers and sauce, 4 lentil burgers with sauce, 2 portions of turkey tettrazini, 4 banana-pecan pancakes, a healthy portion of nomad salad and a container of thai curry. The curry was topped with basil and chopped peanuts. Everyone agreed that this was well worth the cost.

Recipes to follow.

Recipes from May 17th.

2006-05-19T10:06:00.000-04:00

Black Bean Lasagna

The filling for this lasagna has a Southwestern flavor that's similar to that of black-bean burritos. 4 jalapeño peppers( we only used 1 for 2 lasagna's)
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper( we bought a pack of reduced peppers so we used more than the recipe called for and some were yellow and orange)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped tomato
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 (8-ounce) carton reduced-fat sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (16-ounce) bottle chunky salsa
Cooking spray
12 cooked lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Preheat broiler.Cut jalapeños in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 4 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 5 minutes. Peel and chop. Reduce oven temperature to 375°.Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes. Add tomato, cumin, and coriander; cook 3 minutes. Add jalapeño and beans; cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, sour cream, and egg.Spread 3 tablespoons salsa in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles slightly overlapping over salsa, and top with half of the bean mixture, 1/2 cup cheese, and 3 tablespoons salsa. Repeat the layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining salsa over noodles, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 5 minutes. Yield: 8 servings( we got 12 servings out of it)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 452(25% from fat); FAT 12.6g (sat 6.7g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 21.8g; CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CALCIUM 262mg; SODIUM 559mg;
FIBER 7.5g;

Chicken Biriyani

Biriyani is a baked Indian dish of spiced rice combined with chicken, seafood, or other meats. This version omits the baking step while maintaining the authentic flavors. Whole-milk yogurt keeps its creamy texture when cooked; don't substitute low-fat yogurt, which will curdle.

3 cups water
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1 1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces( we used chicken breast)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced( we used 1 jalapeno)
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped dry-roasted cashews( we used honey roasted from the bulk bin)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Bring water, 1 teaspoon salt, and saffron to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice and cinnamon stick to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Discard cinnamon stick.Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt to pan.Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add curry and the next 5 ingredients (curry through serrano chiles); cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add yogurt, stirring with a whisk; cook 3 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Add chicken and raisins; cook 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add rice; stir well to combine. Sprinkle evenly with cashews and cilantro. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 435(26% from fat); FAT 12.7g (sat 3.2g,mono 5.1g,poly 3.2g); PROTEIN 22.8g; CHOLESTEROL 68mg; CALCIUM 84mg; SODIUM 942mg; FIBER 1.9g; IRON 2.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 59.2g

Banana-Cinnamon waffles.

Crown these lightly spiced waffles with cinnamon sugar, sliced bananas, and/or a drizzle of maple syrup. Buckwheat flour adds a somewhat tangy, robust nuttiness.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed( we ground this ourselves in a coffee grinder)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk( we used 2% since we needed it for another recipe)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 large ripe banana, mashed
Cooking spray ( our members waffles iron does not need to be sprayed)
Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, flaxseed, and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Combine milk, butter, and eggs, stirring with a whisk; add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until blended. Fold in mashed banana.
Preheat a waffle iron. Coat iron with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per 4-inch waffle onto hot waffle iron, spreading batter to edges. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until steaming stops; repeat procedure with remaining batter. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 waffles)

NUTRITION PER SERVING CALORIES 215(31% from fat); FAT 7.4g (sat 3.3g,mono 1.9g,poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 7.3g; CHOLESTEROL 65mg; CALCIUM 133mg; SODIUM 205mg; FIBER 3.4g; IRON 1.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.1g

Macaroni and Cheese with whole wheat garlic breadcrumbs.

For bread crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs ( we used 100% whole wheat bread)
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk(egads, we used 2% milk and it was still rich and creamy)
2 cups heavy cream( see above note)
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 lb macaroni
2 lb extra-sharp Cheddar (preferably white), grated
Make bread crumbs:Heat butter and oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook garlic and bread crumbs, stirring, until crumbs are golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt.
Make macaroni:Preheat oven to 350°F. Chop chipotles.
Melt butter in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over moderate heat, then add flour and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, cream, and mustard and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes.
Cook macaroni in a 6- to 7-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in white sauce, cheese, and salt to taste.
Fill a 1 1/2-quart shallow casserole with half of macaroni mixture. Stir chipotles into remaining macaroni. Spoon into another 1 1/2-quart shallow casserole and sprinkle both with bread crumbs. Bake casseroles in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until bubbly.
Cook's note:Macaroni and cheese may be made 2 days ahead, put into casseroles, cooled completely, and chilled, covered. Do not add bread crumbs until ready to bake. (Baking may take longer than 30 minutes.)Serves 8 adults plus 10 children as part of a buffet.

The above dish shows that you can still modify a recipe to make it healthier. We thought about buying whole wheat pasta instead of the white cavatapi that we ended up using. However, Randi felt that the flavor of the whole wheat would be too strong to compete with the strong flavour of the white cheedar that we ended up using. So, each member of the kitchen was sent home with a 1 cup serving in a small foil dish. This macaroni and cheese is meant to be a side serving with a heart healthy entree such as baked fish.

The Waffle Boys

2006-05-19T09:55:00.000-04:00

The taco station and the waffle boys.
Filling for the black bean lasagna

Yet another successful cooking session under our belts. Our group met on Monday to plan our recipes and develop our grocery list for the Wednesday night cooking session. We welcome two new members to the group Steve and Dan, both came to our planning session ready and willing to learn what the group is all about. Little did they know the fun they were going to have, not to mention the wonderful food they would be taking home with them at the end of the evening on Wednesday. We set a menu of, Chicken Biryani(Cooking Light Magazine), Black Bean Lasagna(Cooking Light Magazine), Turkey Taco Filling( Everday Food Magazine), Macaroni and Cheese with a Chipolte Bread Crumb(Epicurious.com), and Banana Cinnamon Buckwheat Waffles(Cooking Light). Waffle is the key word here folks!!!!
Several stations were set up in our work area. One station housed an electric fry pan and the meat and dry ingredients for the taco filling, another station housed the waffle iron and a huge bowl for mixing the waffle batter, a chopping station with the appropriate knives and food processor which always speeds up the process of the prep work, and of course the kitchen area where the stove is. Much thanks to our coordinator Randi who plans out the execution of the activity. This truly is a feat because we don't use a commercial kitchen, just a typical stove. Her effort always makes sure that things are cooked in an order that meals that take longer in the oven go in first, and the stove top is utilized in a way that the frying and simmering work in conjunction with how the meals are completed. Oh and we must not forget the sink station, and what would we have done if we didn't have Carol doing all or most of the dishes that night. I'm sure the woman went home with dish pan hands, so very appreciated. Thanks Carol !!!
Everything ran so smoothly and a lot of fun was had by all. Our kitchen is run using safe kitchen practices, reminders to wash hands, we use a bleach and water mixture to sanitize cooking surfaces and we always wear a hair net. Well truth Carol is the one wearing the hair net, which on this particular night it kept coming loose and at any given time I was pointing out what looked like a nasty hair loss problem on her shoulder or down her back. With a giggle she would respond, collect it and return it to the top of her head. Now as far as the men are concerned the hair net thing isn't always popular, given the fact that three of them have brush cuts. So ball caps and bandannas offer a nice “manly” alternative. We found ourselves at various times throughout the evening referencing our new members and their task at hand. THE WAFFLE BOYS, both Steve and Dan were manning the waffle iron thus the dubbing of our new homey gang!!! They thought it might be a good idea to have T-shirts made up with their new title,I think they will start a trend. *smile*
Joanne was great with her Taco station and very mindful of preparing it in two parts, she made a batch for those of us who like our taco's spicy and filled with Jalapeños, and a batch for those less brave not wanting the hot stuff. Clint and Stuart ensured that all was chopped and prepped for each recipe and I am sure quite thankful we hauled out the food processor when it came to mincing those Jalapeños.
We started at 6 and were finished by about 9:30, that was with all the cooking and clean up and leaving our kitchen spotless as we had found it. Everyone went home with their Tupperware filled with the great meals that were prepared. We learn each time we come out, plenty of useful cooking tips, and introductions to ingredients that some haven't necessarily ever cooked before. One thing is becoming pretty obvious though, with all the prep and cooking that takes place and the wonderful aromas of each prepared meal those WAFFLE BOYS grow pretty hungry. The group was very thankful that we portioned out a taster of each recipe. I think we might have to plan some sort of appetizer for our next cooking session so that we all have something official to munch on as all the hard work is happening.
We ended the evening scheduling our next sessions, June 12 for planning and June 14 for cooking. The following is the list of recipes that were prepared this week. Those in the group will receive their copies for their recipe binder the next time we meet. Enjoy your meals folks!!!

Once again, we'd like to thank our sponsor's. Hansen's Your Independent Grocer for supplying all the groceries AND Hayter's Turkey Products in Dashwood for supplying us with 6 pounds of ground turkey.

A mostly vegetarian night.....

2006-05-03T13:39:00.000-04:00

Garden-Style Lasagna
Vegetable lasagna is a crowd-pleaser and a classic make-ahead dish. You can use precut onions, matchstick-cut carrots, and broccoli, in addition to precooked noodles, to speed up preparation. If you make it ahead, let it cool completely, then cover and chill. The next day, heat single servings in the microwave. Freeze leftovers for dinner. Cooking spray2 cups chopped onion4 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons olive oil, divided2 cups chopped zucchini (about 8 ounces)2 cups chopped yellow squash (about 8 ounces)2 cups thinly sliced carrot (about 8 ounces)2 cups chopped broccoli (about 6 ounces)1 teaspoon salt, divided1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)3 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperDash of nutmeg1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat cottage cheese2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided12 precooked lasagna noodles, dividedPreheat oven to 375°.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to onion mixture.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrot; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped broccoli; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well to combine.
Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.
Combine cottage cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of cottage cheese mixture (about 1 1/2 cups), half of vegetable mixture (about 2 1/2 cups), and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 12 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 272(27% from fat); FAT 8.3g (sat 4.4g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 18.5g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 456mg; SODIUM 589mg; FIBER 3.6g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.2g

We all had fun preparing a variety of new foods using ingredients unfamilar to some members. Couscous, whole wheat lasagna noodles, shiitake mushrooms and eggplant were just some of the new ingredients. This cooking session took slightly longer than the last because some of the recipes were more labor intensive.

Thanks to our sponsors: Hansen's Independent in Exeter and Hayter's Turkey Farms in Dashwood for providing the food.

2nd planning meeting

2006-04-17T23:05:00.000-04:00

Our second planning meeting was held tonight. 4 members were able to attend. 5 recipes were selected to prepare on April 26th. The recipes are as follows:
Tagine of Spring vegetables with spiced tomato broth and couscous( epicurious.com)
California Turkey burgers( Cooking Light)
Garden style Lasagna( Cooking Light)
Healthy Breakfast Bars( CDkitchen.com)
Asian style chicken and rice pot with citrus sauce( LCBO.ca)

The cost per person is $9.50.

More details to follow next week.

The first cooking session

2006-03-24T12:24:00.000-05:00

Success!! We have a lot to learn, but I'm sure we will have fun doing it. One of our members is a personal chef and she assumed the role of leader. She prepared a list of the food's that needed to be prepped( onions, carrots, celery, cilantro) and then everyone divided into groups and worked on the recipes. We finished cooking and cleaning by 9pm and everyone left with 5 breakfast burritos, 2 servings of white bean sausage soup, 6 Southwestern Bean burgers with chipoltle mayo and 1 generous serving of Burmemese curry. These recipes were unfamilar to most of the kitchen members, but after working with the ingredients and preparing the recipes, everyone was happy with how the recipes came out. The community food advisors helped us a lot with numerous helpful tips.

Our next meeting is April 17th( for planning) and April 19th for Cooking.

And away we go

2006-03-20T21:40:00.000-05:00

Our menu planning meeting was held tonight from 6-8pm in the Connect dining room. We decided on 5 recipes. Breakfast burritos, Nomandy style meat loaf, Burmese chicken curry with yellow lentils, Creamy White Bean and Sausage Soup and Southwestern Pinto Bean Burgers with Chipolte Mayo. Hansen's Independent Grocery store sponsored our first cooking night which will take place on Wednesday, March 22nd, 2006.

Two food advisors from Huron County were present at the meeting. They helped us with costing and organizing the shopping lists. They also provided information on safe food handling.

Three of our recipes came from Cooking Light( CL) , one came from the cover of the February issue of Bon Appetit and the last one came from one of our kitchen members.

Breakfast Burritos
Whole wheat tortillas
scrambled eggs
shreeded cheese
turkey sausage
pan-sauteed potatoes
salsa

whisk eggs with a little milk, salt and pepper. Make scrambled eggs. Lay a tortilla on a flat surface, add a small amount of egg, potato, sausage, cheese and salsa. Roll up and wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze. When ready to eat, microwave on high for approx. 30 seconds.

Southwestern Pinto Bean Burgers w/ Chipoltle Mayo

Makes 4 burgers( recipe is tripled for kitchen)
Burgers:1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt1 large egg
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained
Chipotle Mayonnaise:1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon canned minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce

Remaining ingredients:1 tablespoon canola oil
4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted
4 romaine lettuce leaves
To prepare burgers, combine the first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pinto beans and corn; partially mash with a fork. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 3 1/2-inch patty, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
To prepare chipotle mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon chipotle in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until thoroughly heated. Place patties on bottom halves of buns; top each patty with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 lettuce leaf, and top half of bun. Yield: 4 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 411(23% from fat); FAT 10.7g (sat 1.9g,mono 3.2g,poly 3.2g); PROTEIN 15.2g; CHOLESTEROL 57mg; CALCIUM 153mg; SODIUM 837mg; FIBER 9.1g; IRON 3.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 63.1g

Normandy- Style Meat Loaf ( doubled for kitchen)

Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon aniseeds
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup port or other sweet red wine
1/2 cup chopped pitted prunes
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 (1-ounce) slices pumpernickel bread, torn into small pieces
1 1/2 pounds lean ground pork
Preheat oven to 375°. Coat a small saucepan with cooking spray, and place over medium heat until hot. Add aniseeds; sauté 1 minute. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add wine and prunes; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Combine prune mixture, mustard, salt, pepper, and bread in a large bowl; toss well to moisten bread. Let mixture cool slightly.
Crumble pork over prune mixture, and stir just until blended. Pack mixture into a 9 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until meat loaf registers 160°. Let meat loaf stand in pan 10 minutes.
Remove meat loaf from pan; cut loaf into 16 slices.
Sandwich suggestion: Serve leftover meat loaf slices on pumpernickel bread with herbed mayonnaise and lettuce. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 slices)
writeNutrient
NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 183(31% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 2.1g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 19.7g; CHOLESTEROL 54mg; CALCIUM 18mg; SODIUM 376mg; FIBER 0.8g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.9g

Burmese Chicken Curry w/ Yellow Lentils( doubled for kitchen)

1 1/2 cups dried yellow lentils
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
3/4 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 3/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 bay leaves
Place lentils in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above lentils. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
Combine cumin and next 5 ingredients (through cloves) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal and shake to coat.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add the mixture; sauté 4 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add lentils and bay leaves; cover and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 344(21% from fat); FAT 8.2g (sat 1.6g,mono 3.1g,poly 2.4g); PROTEIN 35.8g; CHOLESTEROL 94mg; CALCIUM 50mg; SODIUM 576mg; FIBER 6.3g; IRON 5.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.9g

Creamy White bean and sausage soup( doubled for kitchen)
1 pound dried cannellini or Great Northern beans (generous 2 cups)
8 cups water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves; 1 smashed, 2 chopped
1 large fresh rosemary sprig1 bay leaf1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, divided
4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 pound fresh chorizo link sausages or Italian sausage, casings removed
1/4 cup whipping cream
Place beans in heavy large saucepan. Add enough water to pan to cover beans by 4 inches. Let beans soak overnight at room temperature.Drain and rinse beans; return to same saucepan. Add 8 cups water, 1 tablespoon oil, smashed garlic clove, rosemary, and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until beans are just tender, 1 to 11/2 hours. Season to taste with salt. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and chill.)Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Discard rosemary sprig and bay leaf. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. Add chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon thyme; sauté 2 minutes. Add 2 cups reserved bean cooking liquid, 4 cups chicken broth, and beans. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Cool soup 10 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté chorizo in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up lumps with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Transfer chorizo to paper towels to drain.Using slotted spoon, remove 1 1/2 cups bean mixture from soup; reserve. Working in batches, puree remaining soup in blender until smooth. Return puree to pot. Stir in reserved whole-bean mixture, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, chorizo, and cream. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold. Cover and keep chilled.) Rewarm soup over medium heat, thinning with more broth if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Divide soup among bowls and serve. Makes 6 main-course servings.

First meeting

2006-03-16T15:33:00.000-05:00

We had our first planning meeting on March 6th. Six members of the community attended along with 3 community food advisors from Huron County. We discussed the format of the kitchen and set up a another planning meeting for March 20th. During that meeting, we will all bring recipes and cookbooks and decide what we will cook on Wednesday based on the weekly sale flyers. Stay tuned for updates.