Turkey Sliders with Avocado, Mushrooms, and Swiss Cheese

Ingredients

8 whole-grain slider buns (lowest sodium available)
1-1/4 lbs ground, skinless turkey breast
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sliced brown (crimini) mushrooms
8 slices low-fat Swiss cheese
4 small avocados (mashed with a fork)
1 medium tomato, cut into 8 slices (about 1/4-inch thick)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Spread the avocado over the Swiss cheese. Top with the tomato slices. Put the tops of the buns on the sliders.
3. Using four short skewers, pierce two sliders with each skewer. Serve immediately.
4. Arrange the buns with the cut side up in a single layer on a baking sheet. Set aside.
5. Using your hands or a spoon, shape the turkey into 8 patties, each about 3 inches in diameter. (The uncooked patties will be larger than the bun and will shrink as they cook.) Sprinkle the salt over each patty.
6. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat.
7. Cook the patties for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over the patties. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the patties are no longer pink in the center and register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
8. Transfer the patties to the bottoms of the buns.
9. In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until soft, stirring frequently.
10. Spoon the mushrooms onto each patty. Top with the Swiss cheese.
11. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Bake the sliders for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the Swiss cheese is melted and the buns are heated through. Remove from the oven.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: American Heart Association

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Vegetarian Beet Loaf

Ingredients

1 pound beets (8 to 10), trimmed
1/4 cup rolled oats
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small head cauliflower, separated into small florets
1 pound portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped
8 ounces hazelnuts (about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced (3/4 to 1 cup)
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, trimmed, peeled, and diced (about 1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning
1 cup cooked barley
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons honey

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Put the beets and oats in an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan, add about 1/2 cup water, season lightly with salt and pepper, and stir to mix. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or a lid and roast the beets for about 1 hour or until easily pierced with a fork. Let the beets cool until you can handle them. Slip the skins off the beets and cut into large chunks.
3. Pour water into a large saucepan to a depth of about 1 inch. Add the cauliflower, season lightly with salt and pepper, cover tightly, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside until needed.
4. In a meat grinder fitted with a large-hole plate, grind the beets, mushrooms, and hazelnuts so they are coarsely chopped. Alternatively, use a food processor fitted with the metal blade, but take care not to overprocess. The mixture should be chunky and textured.
5. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onions begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Take care that the garlic does not burn.
6. Add the carrot and cook, stirring, until barely fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
7. Add the ground veggie mixture, the cauliflower, and the Montreal seasoning and stir to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Stir in the barley and quinoa and, when well mixed, transfer the mixture to a rigid plastic container with a tight-fitting lid or similar container. Let the mixture cool, and then refrigerate, tightly covered, for about 2 hours. The goal is to chill the mixture.
9. When chilled, transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the egg, egg yolk, and parsley. Mix well, and then spoon the mixture into a 6-cup terrine mold (or a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan or similar pan). Push the mixture into the mold so that it fills the corners, and smooth the top. Wrap the terrine mold with plastic wrap and weight the top with cans of food (such as tomatoes or beans) or another weight. Refrigerate the weighted terrine for 12 hours or overnight.
10. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
11. Unwrap the terrine mold and bake for about 45 minutes or until the loaf is hot in the center.
12. In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato paste and honey. During the last few minutes of baking, brush this over the top of the loaf. Serve hot.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Source: So Good

Portobello Mushroom with Cheese and Pine Nuts

Ingredients

4 large portobello mushrooms
100 g Gorgonzola
100 g flavoured cream cheese, like Black Pepper Boursin)
olive, chili or sesame oil, for drizzling
2 tsp dried oregano
few pinches (one per mushroom) of chili or red pepper flakes
1 tbsp pine nuts
4 handfuls of mixed salad leaves
salt and pepper

Method

1. Peel the mushrooms and pull off the stems so you are left with four mushroom ‘bowls’. Place these in a buttered oven dish.
2. Preheat the grill to medium.
3. Mix together the cheeses and then fill each mushroom with the cheese mixture.
4. Drizzle with whichever oil you choose (truffle oil, if you have it, is lovely) and scatter over the dried oregano. Season with salt and pepper (you won’t need much salt, as Gorgonzola is quite salty).
5. Sprinkle with a smattering of chili or red pepper flakes and place the mushrooms under the grill until they are sizzling and soft, about 10 minutes.
6. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until golden.
7. Arrange your salad leaves over four plates. Place a grilled mushroom in the middle and scatter over the toasted pine nuts.
8. Serve with your favourite salad dressing.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: My Family Kitchen

Bordelais-style Braised Tuna

Ingredients

5 tbsp butter
4 tbsp olive oil
1 lb fresh tuna
1 large onion
5 medium tomatoes
1/3 cup white wine
2/3 cup fish stock
3 cups mushrooms
salt and pepper

Method

1. Amalgamate 4 tbsp. butter and the oil over a medium heat. Brown the fish in the oil and butter on both sides — about 2 minutes per side.
2. Thinly slice the onion and add to the fish.
3. As the onion is cooking, seed and then dice the tomatoes.
4. Add tomatoes to the mixture, together with the white wine and the fish stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
5. Cook the fish for 15 minutes, retrieve from the pan juices and set aside to keep warm.
6. With the remaining 1 tbsp butter, fry the mushrooms until golden and add them to the pan juices.
7. Turn up the heat and reduce by one-third. When the liquor is reduced, check the seasoning, pour over the tuna and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: The Complete Fish and Shellfish Cookbook

Chinese-style Eight-treasure Soup

Ingredients

4 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 tblespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onion
2 oz Chinese bacon or ham, cut into thin strips
4 cups good-quality chicken stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
8 oz chicken breast fillet
1 carrot, cut into 1/2-inch slices
12 small raw prawns, peeled and deveined
6-1/2 oz firm tofu, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1-3/4 oz sliced bamboo shoots
3-1/2 oz spinach, chopped
2 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Method

1. Soak the mushrooms in 1/2 cup boiling water for 20 minutes. Squeeze dry, reserving the soaking liquid. Discard the woody stalks and cut the caps into quarters.
2. Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oils and swirl to coat the side of the wok, then add the ginger, spring onion and bacon. Cook for about 10 seconds before adding the stock, soy sauce, rice wine, mushroom liquid and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to the boil.
3. Add the chicken. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and poach the chicken for 40 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken from the stock and, when cool enough to handle, shred the meat.
5. Return the stock to the boil, add the carrot and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add the prawns, tofu, bamboo shoots, spinach and chicken meat to the wok and cook over low heat for a further 5 minutes.
7. Serve with the extra spring onion.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Note: Chinese bacon has a dryish flesh with a strong flavour very much like prosciutto. You can substitute prosciutto.

Source: The Essential Wok Cookbook