Cajun Pile-ups with Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 of 16-ounce loaf multigrain Italian bread, cut into 8 slices
4 cups (about 2 ounces) loosely packed, torn romaine pieces
2 tablespoons (1-2 ounces) pickled mild banana pepper rings, drained
1 medium tomato, cut into 4 slices and then halved
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 lb deli-sliced lean ham
2 thin slices (1-1/2 ounces) reduced-fat Swiss cheese, cut in half

Sauce

1-1/2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot sauce
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

Method

1. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir until completely blended.
2. Drizzle one side of each bread slice with sauce.
3. Top four bread slices (sauce side up) with equal amounts of filling ingredients in the order listed, beginning with torn lettuce.
4. Place remaining bread slices (sauce side down) on top of filling.
5. Press down slightly, and cut each sandwich in half diagonally before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: The Heart-smart Diabetes Kitchen

Advertisements

Mediterranean-style Chicken with Lemons and Herbs

Ingredients

1 cleaned chicken, about 48 oz
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1-1/2 oz softened butter
1 red chili
1 tbsp olive oil

Sauce

3 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cups orange juice
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon liqueur, e.g. Limoncello
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
zest of 1 lemon

Method

1. Cut the chicken into 12 pieces.
2. Peel and finely dice the garlic. Halve the chili, remove the stalk, seeds and inner membranes and finely chop the flesh.
3. Mix the garlic, salt, butter and chili in a bowl. Rub the chicken pieces on all sides with the mixture.
4. Heat the olive oil in a flameproof roasting dish and quickly saute the chicken pieces.
5. Put into a preheated oven 375°F (190°C) and roast for about 40-45 minutes, basting frequently with the roasting juices.
6. Put the sauce ingredients into a large, deep bowl and mix well. Add the hot, roast chicken pieces and turn to coat in the sauce.
7. Serve with ciabatta.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Mediterranean Cuisine

Button Mushrooms with Curry Sauce

Ingredients

300 g button mushrooms
1/2 carrot
1 onion
1 small cucumber
1 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp curry powder

Sauce

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp satay sauce
3 cups vegetable broth

Method

1. Wash and peel the carrot and cucumber. Cut into small diamond shapes. Cut the onion into small pieces.
2. Remove the stalks of the mushrooms, score the surface, then deep fry in oil on low heat till golden brown. Drain excess oil on paper towel.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok on low heat, fry the flour till it turns yellow. Set aside.
4. Stir-fry the mushrooms with 2 tbsp oil, then add curry powder and all the sauce ingredients. Cook till the sauce begins to thicken, add the fried flour in Step 3 to thicken the sauce further. Remove to deep serving dish and serve hot.

Source: Mushroom Cooking

Seared Duck Breast with Molasses and Blackberry Sauce

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 carrot, finely diced
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, finely diced
1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
2 cups duck or veal stock
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 sprig fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
4 (6-8-oz each) duck breasts, with skin
1/2 cabbage, sauteed
16 to 18 morels, sauteed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and shiitake mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until softened.
3. Add the blackberries and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add the veal stock, molasses, black pepper, and thyme. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Strain the sauce through a fine strainer, forcing the ingredients through as much as possible. Keep warm until ready to use.
6. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Place the duck breasts, skin side down, in the pan and cook until the skin is thoroughly browned. Turn the duck breasts over and brown on the other side. Transfer saute pan to the oven and cook duck breasts until medium rare, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
7. Return sauce to a simmer, do not boil, and whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
8. Slice the duck breasts and arrange them in a fan shape on the serving plates over a bed of sauteed cabbage and morels. Drizzle sauce over the sliced duck and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Famie’s Adventures in Cooking

Caribbean Seared Tuna

Ingredients

4 tuna steaks, about 6 oz each
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
juice of 2 limes, or juice of 1 orange and 1 lime
black and cayenne pepper to taste
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed

Cuban Garlic-citrus Sauce

3-4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup tangerine juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

1. To make the sauce, gently heat the olive oil with the sliced garlic until the garlic turns light golden (about 30 seconds), then add the remaining ingredients and remove from the heat.
2. Let cool to room temperature, and taste for seasoning. This keeps and stays delicious for about three days in the refrigerator.
3. Combine the tuna with the garlic, salt, cumin, lime juice, black and cayenne pepper. Set aside for about 30 minutes.
4. Remove fish from the marinade and pat dry.
5. Brush the fish generously with olive oil, then cook quickly either in a skillet or over a charcoal fire, about a minute or two on each side only.
6. Serve with the sauce spooned over it when hot.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Olives