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9/17/12

Egg Roulade Stuffed with Turkey Sausage, Mushrooms, and Spinach (serves 4)

Delightful to see, scrumptious to eat...

Think pizza without the crust and nowhere near as high in the calorie count. This dish is suitable for an appetizer or a brunch, so the sky is the limit. Have a go and see if you don’t agree that this one is a keeper!


- Chez

• 1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for brushing baking pan and parchment paper
• 1/2 lb turkey sausage, casings discarded (if necessary) and sausage coarsely crumbled
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps chopped
• 1/2 lb fresh cremini mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tbs dried oregano
• 1 tbs dried basil
• 1 tsp fennel seed
• 1 (10-oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 large whole eggs
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 tablespoons skim or 1% milk
• 1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1/3 cup)
• 3 oz Gruyère, coarsely grated (1 cup)
• 19- by 13-inch sheet of parchment paper
• 10- by 15-inch baking sheet
• Non-stick spray
• Baby arugula (garnish)

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan, then line bottom and all 4 sides with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of parchment to hang over short sides of pan, and lightly brush parchment (except overhang) with oil.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook sausage, stirring, until finely crumbled and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm, covered.

3. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to skillet and sauté garlic and scallions, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté, stirring, until mushrooms are softened and golden, about 8 minutes. Add sausage, herbs and spices to skillet and sauté, stirring, 3 minutes.

4. Place spinach mixture in a food processor and add water, then pulse until coarsely chopped. Place in skillet, stirring to combine, and keep warm, covered.

5. Blend whole eggs, whites, milk, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth and frothy.

6. Pour egg mixture into baking pan and bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and leave oven on.

7. Sprinkle egg layer evenly with half of Gruyère, then spoon spinach filling evenly on top and sprinkle with remaining Gruyère. Bake just until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

8. Position pan on a work surface with a long side nearest you, then gently roll up egg layer toward you, using parchment as an aid and holding filling in place with your fingers.

9. Cool roll in pan on rack 10 minutes, then transfer to a platter using 2 large spatulas. Trim ends and gently cut into 8 slices with a serrated knife.

10. Place 2 slices on a bed of baby arugula and serve.

9/10/12

Creamy Grape Salad (serves 6)

This little lovely is uber-easy and while it has a distinctive retro-flavor, the substitution of Greek Yogurt for sour cream, the use of no-fat cream cheese and the topping of dark brown sugar and honey-roasted pecans make it today's kinda healty. So, what's the damage you ask...

238 silly little calories per cup. Yum!

- Chez

Ingredients
  • 2 cups green seedless grapes
  • 2 cups red seedless grapes
  • 6 oz no-fat Greek yogurt
  • 8 oz no-fat cream cheese
  • 2 tbs vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 6 tbs dark brown sugar (for topping)
  • 6 tbs honey roasted pecans (for topping)
  1. Mix together yogurt, cheese, sugar and vanilla. Mix well.
  2. Carefuly fold into grapes
  3. Before service, top each serving with brown sugar and nuts.


9/4/12

Tibetan Honey and Apple Broken Rice Pudding (serves 8)

Chez had Tibet on his mind when he went with an all-Tibetan themed meal and this dish was the big winner and Star recipient of the day.

While some could say that it’s just rice pudding, the truth is that by ‘breaking the rice’ you get a much creamier texture and don’t worry about the yak milk (or the half & half if you prefer). It’s just there to add a bit of richness… and using honey rather than sugar as your sweetener makes it just a tad better for you and more than offsets the calories of the heavier dairy. (As an added note, going forward I have decided to add the Nutritional Facts Chart on my recipes so you know just what you are getting with my dishes.You will find it at the bottom of the recipe.)
 
Oh, and by the way… don’t skimp and forget the yogurt. The tang that it brings to this dish makes all of the difference.


- Chez

• 1 cup broken rice (pulse uncooked rice in food processor 2-3 minutes to get it ‘broken’)
• salt, pinch
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup yak milk (or in my case, use half & half)
• 1/2 cup dried apple, chopped finely (use the food processor and pulse 7-8 times)
• 4 tablespoons honey, plus extra honey, for drizzling
• Honey flavored Greek yogurt (to garnish)
• Golden raisins and fresh mint leaves (optional)
 
Directions:

Cook rice in 3 cups of water, bring to a boil, then cook on medium low until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked, about 15 minutes.

Add the salt, then stir in the milks and apples.

Increase the heat to nearly a boil, then reduce the heat to very low, cover and simmer until very thick, takes about 45 minutes to one hour; stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.

After about 30 minutes of simmering, stir in the honey.

Serve warm, with a drizzle of honey, a dollop of yogurt and if desired, garnish with raisins and mint.