Tofu

I am going to go out on a limb here and perhaps ruin my chance of cooking for you.
I often use tofu in my dips and desserts!
The first time I used tofu in a dessert was May, 2001, at a dinner party for some of my neighbors. I finished the evening with a chocolate mousse. There were raves and empty dishes around the table. When I told them it was made with tofu, you could see the look of dismay on many of the faces. Flash forward to January, 2009. We are all more enlightened about healthy eating, right? Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse a la Orange. The occasion was a birthday celebration for a friend who is not particularly fond of desserts (a problem with her genes, in my opinion). So I was very surprised when she gave the meal finale high praise. Several days later I casually mentioned that I had used tofu. She held up her fingers in a warning and asked me to say no more.
Last night I made this appetizer for a friend who was coming over with a bottle of wine so we could catch up. This time I made no mention of the ingredients and we just ate to our hearts content.

Tofu-Tahini Spread

1 pound medium or firm tofu, drained
1/3 cup tahini (made from ground sesame seeds, this is often used in hummus)
1 1/2 Tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions (green part only)
3 cloves roasted garlic
Serve with crackers or raw vegetables.

Makes 16 (2 tablespoons) servings

Nutritional Analysis
Calories 52 Sodium 64 mg
Fat 4 g Carbohydrates 2 g
Cholesterol 0 mg Fiber 0 g
Protein 3 g

Recipe adapted from The Meatless Gourmet

If you wonder how I could possibly remember when I first served the chocolate mousse, I keep a diary of my entertainment. I include the attendees, the dishes and the cookbooks the recipe came from. I also date the recipe in the cookbook the first time I make it. Anal? Maybe.

Italian Fish Stew

This recipe is from the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York. I first made it February, 1998. 10 years later it is still a favorite - and that is saying quite a bit for me!

While this is great served immediately, it is even more wonderful the next day. I served it with a No-Knead Focaccia, salad and Strawberry Shortcake Jelly Roll. And, wine, of course!

3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 cups chopped onions
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground fennel
1/4 cup white wine
4 cups coarsely chopped fennel bulb, fronds reserved *
4 cups cubed potatoes (about 1 pound)
2 cups clam juice or fish broth
28 oz undrained diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon dries rosemary
generous pinch of saffron
1 pound firm fish fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces (monkfish, halibut, cod work well)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
chiffonade of basil or chopped parsley **

In a large pot, sauté garlic and onions in the oil on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent – about 7 minutes. Add ground fennel and wine and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add fennel bulb through rosemary, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the saffron and fish and cook until fish flakes easily with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve topped with basil or parsley and decorated with reserved fennel fronds.
Serves 6

Nutritional Analysis
Calories 238 Sodium 479 mg
Fat 3.1 g Carbohydrates 30.2 g
Cholesterol 68 mg Fiber 2 g
Protein 20.1 g

* Fennel is often mislabeled in the produce section of your supermarket as anise.
**An easy way to make the chiffonade is to stack the basil leaves one atop another, roll, and then cut the roll into very narrow slices.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies….

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies….

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!

After the miserable batch of cookies on Sunday, (although my husband ate all of them in 3 seatings) I tried again. Much better results! I changed the dried fruit and spice and replaced the butter with applesauce.

Gluten-Free Date Coconut Almond Cookies

1 cup ground almonds - 4 oz
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup sugar - 44g
1 egg
1/2 c dried dates, chopped
1/2 c coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp anise seeds, ground
dash salt

Preheat oven to 340° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Mix all ingredients, allowing butter to cool slightly.
Divide dough into 12 portions, about 1 tbsp per portion.
Bake 20-25 min.

Nutritional Analysis:

Calories 105 Sodium 17 mg
Fat 3 g Carbohydrates 16 g
Cholesterol 18 mg Fiber 2 g
Protein 3 g

Copyright Donna Detter (C) 2009

If you are using anise seed, throw them in the food processor with the whole almonds.
The cookies have all been much browner on the bottom than the top. Upon checking my resources, I think it is a result of the cookie sheets I am using. The preferred cookie sheet should be a heavy-gauge dull aluminum. With this batch I used the same cookie sheet as before – a nonstick sheet that came with my oven – but I put a sheet of parchment paper down first. Definitely helped.

Gluten-Free

This is a correction to an earlier post.

Recently, a prospective client asked me if I did a gluten-free cheesecake. I didn't, but why not? After some research online and at Sunflower Market, it seemed that the only adjustment to my recipe was the crust. By replacing the graham crackers which are moistened with applesauce with meal (whole almonds which are ground in the food processor), the task was complete. I also found a recipe for cookies using almond meal at www.glutenfreeday.com. And there is a cake I have made before using toasted ground almonds that turns out to fit in this category as well.
The recipe for the cookies is simple and can be varied greatly as to fillings and spices. Here is the version I have made. You don't need an allergy to gluten to enjoy these!

Gluten-Free Apricot-Coconut Almond Cookies

1 cup ground almonds - 4 oz
50 g butter, melted - ~.25 cup
1/4 cup sugar - 44g
1 egg
1/2 c dried apricots, chopped
1/2 c coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ginger
dash salt

Preheat oven to 340° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Mix all ingredients, allowing butter to cool slightly.
Divide dough into 12 portions, about 1 tbsp per portion.
Bake 20-25 min.

Nutritional Analysis:

Calories 132 Sodium 26 mg
Fat 6 g Carbohydrates 10 g
Cholesterol 27 mg Fiber 1 g
Protein 2 g

Copyright Donna Detter (C) 2009

Roasted Red Pepper-White Bean Dip

white kidney beans, 15.5 oz
5 cloves garlic, roasted
1, red pepper, roasted
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard powder
pinch cayenne

Combine all ingredients in a food processor; blend until smooth.
Serve with baked pita chips, tortilla chips or raw vegetables.

Yields 1 1/2 cups - serving size 1/4 cup

Nutritional Analysis:
Calories 68 Carbohydrates 14 g
Fat 0 g Fiber 4 g
Cholesterol 0 mg Protein 5 g
Sodium 353 mg

There are several methods for roasting peppers. The one I like best is to broil them until the skin is blackened. While they should not be burnt to a crisp, make sure the skin is fairly puckered and blackened. This may take as long as 10 minutes depending on your oven. Upon removing from the oven, you can either cool them in iced water or a closed plastic bag. Both cooling methods produce satisfactory results. If the skin does not come off easily, then you didn’t leave them in the oven long enough.

Cookies Gone Bad

This morning I tried a variation of the gluten-free cookies. I replaced the dried apricots with dried cherries, the coconut with white chocolate chips and the ginger with a 1/4 tsp cardamom. Didn't work! The cookies spread out into a single flat blob on the cookie sheet. I suspect replacing the coconut with white chocolate had two negative effects. In the next trial, I will keep the coconut and vary the fruit and spice.

OPEN HOUSE MENU

Last night I had the privilege of providing the food for an intimate group of patrons of the Modern Ewe, a great yarn shop in Lowry. (For more information, call Dana, the hip and spunky owner, at 303.366.6601.)

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
White Bean-Spinach Dip
Baguette
Fresh Crudités
Honey-Ginger Pork Tenderloin
Guiltless Cheesecake
Chocolate-Dipped Orange-Blueberry Biscotti

A Mexican Sunday Night

MENU
Cerveza
Walnut, Golden Raisins, Asiago Green Salad
Garlic-Dijon Vinaigrette
Three-Seeded Epi
Shredded Chicken w/Tomatillo-Cilantro Sauce
Donna’s Mexican Rice
Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding

If you don’t know what three-seeded epi is, join the club. Until I made it, I didn’t either. It is a yeast bread that is scored to resemble a sheath of wheat. At least that is what the recipe said. You can be the judge. Whatever it looks like, it tastes GREAT!

The shredded chicken dish was inspired by a recipe from Kris Rudolph’s “Mexican Light: Healthy Cuisine for Today’s Cook”. The recipes are simple, tasty and healthy – a great combination. And the recipes are in Spanish on the left hand page and English on the right.

Donna’s Mexican Rice

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 cup peas

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan until hot. Add rice and stir until golden. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and continue to cook for 20 minutes or until broth is absorbed.

Makes 4 servings
Copyright Donna Detter (C) 2009

I like spicy food and the chili powder I use is hot. The sweetness of the peas adds a nice counterbalance.

An Intimate Dinner for Two

MENU

Cumin-Curried Hummus

Orange-Avocado-Walnut Salad

Asian Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Asian Slaw

Chocoalate Bannana Bread Pudding

Chardonnay

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

Cumin Curried Hummus

1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ cup water
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¾ tsp salt
2 (15 ½ oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add curry and cumin; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Place garlic mixture, water and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Serve with baked pita chips and/or raw vegetables.

Yield 3 cups (serving size ¼ cup).

Each serving provides:

82 Calories 3 g Fiber
2.6 g Fat 12.2 g Carbohydrates
3 g Protein

Forgive me....

Thanks to everyone who has responded! I am still trying to figure all of this out and think I have lost the postings. Bear with me.
Donna

Are you looking for something special to celebrate your beloved's birthday, your anniversary, or just plain celebrate? How about an intimate gourmet dinner in the privacy of your home without all the fuss and work? Then the Guiltless Gourmet is your answer! After a brief consultation, I'll do the rest - plan the menu, do the shopping, prepare the meal, set the table and do the dishes. And, did I mention? This gourmet meal will be healthy!