Friday, October 29, 2010

Apple Cider Swiss Chard


It was middle of the week, after a long day and running behind schedule, I needed a recipe that would be quick and under 10 minutes to prepare for guests that arriving any moment. I decided to finesse Swiss Chard that was sitting in the refrigerator, waiting for some attention.

Apple Cider Swiss Chard


Ingredients:


1 bunch Swiss Chard, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Canola oil cooking spray
salt and pepper, to taste


Recipe:


(1) Thoroughly wash and pat dry the swiss chard before use.


(2) Spray a medium saucepan with canola oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to brown. 


(3) Add Swiss chard to the saucepan, with any residual liquid serving to aide the cooking process. Add the apple cider vinegar. Sauté the chard until wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.


This side pairs well with seafood, poultry, and red meat. The acidity of the vinegar will also pair well with many wines, such as a dry pinot grigio or very dry riesling. Feel free to add some spice like Cayenne if you want some heat and most importantly, enjoy!





Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Whole Grain Apple Cake

In celebration of autumn, the turning of the leaves, and the delicious apples. You can never have too many good apple recipes in your collection.


Whole Grain Apple Cake
Recipe adapted from 101cookbooks (Unfussy Apple Cake)




Ingredients:


2 cups sweet, crisp green apples, cut into 1/4 cubes (peel on)
1 cup Buckwheat pancake and wa
ffle batter (I used Arrowhead Mills)

1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flaxmeal
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg
12 packets of Splenda or 1/2 cup dark Muscavado sugar (or other fine-grain natural cane or brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 egg + 1/4 cup egg whites
1 cup buttermilk
1/8 cup butter, melted and cooled a bit

1/8 cup 0% fat greek yogurt
2 packets of PureVia (Stevia or another natural sweetener)



Recipe:


(1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray baking pan (preferrably non-stick tart pan) with canola oil (you could also flour but I didn't). I used a round smaller tart pan but this would have been best in an 9x13 rectangular pan. The smaller tart pan made baking time much, much longer.
(2) Place the chopped apples in a bowl with water with the juice of one lemon. Set aside. This really emphasizes the tart flavor of the apples.
(3) Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl (flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg).
(4) In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk (I used homemade 1 cup nonfat milk, 1 tbsp lemon juice, stirred, and let sit for 5 min), egg, and egg whites. Whisk in the cooled melted butter mixed with the greek yogurt.
(5) Pour the buttermilk mixture in with the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Don't stir more than this, especially if using whole wheat flour, like I am, as the gluten formation will make the cake dense.
(6) Drain the chopped apples, shake off the excess water, and fold into the cake batter.
(7) Spoon the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with your favorite sweetner. I used splenda. (8) Bake for 40-45 minutes, using a toothpick in the center to test if baked throughout.
(9) Let cool for 10 minutes and remove from tart pan.


Enjoy this with some greek yogurt (my favorite) or ice cream....Oh, how I love autumn.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Chicken with Roasted Summer Squash

After flipping through my 2007 Food and Wine cookbook, I was inspired by a quick Chicken with Zucchini salad recipe. I was cooking for some girlfriends and wanted to present something light and prepare something easy. Thankfully, I had all of the ingredients on hand and it was absolutely delicious. I love the tanginess of the lemon juice. I used red onions in place of Vidalias and topped with fresh basil (from my herb garden, which is finally doing well).



Chicken with Roasted Summer Squash
adapted from Food & Wine cookbook 2007

Ingredients:


1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 medium red onion or 1 shallot, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp fresh spanish thyme, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional, since used less oil)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
3 boneless chicken breast halves, with or without skin
3 medium yellow squash (1 lb.), sliced crosswise on a diagonal 1/3 inch thick
1/4 pound feta cheese
1-2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (optional)
salt and ground pepper (best if fresh)


Recipe:



  1. In a blender, combine the lemon juice with 1-2 tbsp garlic, red onion, and spanish thyme and puree until smooth. With the machine on, slowly pour in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Stir in the mint and season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
  2. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a shallow bowl, coat the chicken with 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette. Let stand for 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, spray the yellow squash with olive oil and season with garlic salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp minced garlic. Grill the squash, turning once, until tender and slightly charred, about 3 minutes total. Transfer the vegetables to a platter and keep warm.
  4. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the platter and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette, top with chopped basil, and serve.
This is so yummy. I hope you and your guests enjoy as much as I did.