ARTISAN BREADS: Parmesan-Herb Focaccia

Puffy, chewy crisp and fragrant - this focaccia goes well with soups, salads and, of course, Italian fare

12 servings - $5.99

ARTISAN BREADS: Seeded Multigrain Loaf

A fabulous seed encrusted rustic bread, full of nutty taste, aroma and texture

8 servings - $5.99

Cumin-Coriander Crusted Swordfish

 1 lb swordfish

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp garlic salt

1 tbsp cracked black pepper 

Salsa:

1 avocado, diced

2 plum tomatoes, diced

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime

 Cut swordfish into 4 pieces. 

Combine cumin through black pepper. Rub all sides of swordfish.

Combine all ingredients of salsa including any left over spice rub.

Grill swordfish until flesh flakes easily with a fork.

Top with avocado-tomato salsa. 

Yields 4 servings 

© Donna Detter, the Guiltless Gourmet, 2009

And, yes, this is on top of my Mexican rice.

Pollo Mole Verde

1 3 lb chicken

Sauce:

12 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

dash freshly ground pepper

2-1/2 c chicken broth

4 tomatillos

2 serrano chile

2 garlic cloves

1 small onion, peeled, halved and root intact

2 tbsp fresh cilantro

4 large romaine lettuce leaves

1 tsp vegetable oil

Cilantro for garnish

 

Cook chicken in a large pot. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Remove chicken from stock; cool. Save broth for sauce. Remove meat and skin from bones; discard bones and skin. Shred chicken.

Place pumpkin seeds, salt, cumin, cinnamon and pepper in a spice mill. Process until finely ground. Place mixture in a small bowl. Stir 1 cup broth into the spice mixture. 

Remove husks and stem from tomatillos. Heat skillet over medium-high heat; add tomatillos, chile, garlic, and onion. Cook 5 minutes or until browned, turning frequently. Remove from heat; cool. Quarter tomatillos. Trim roof=t from onion and discard. 

Place tomatillos, chile, garlic and onion in a blender. Add 1/2 cup broth, cilantro and lettuce. Process until smooth. 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add puréed tomatillos mixture; reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in spice mixture and remaining broth. Add shredded chicken and cook 10 minutes. 

Serves 8

© Donna Detter, May 2009

I serve this over Donna's Mexican Rice

Picnic Under the Stars

Another fabulous find in one of my favorite cookbooks – “Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2004”. I served this menu to my investment club the other evening. While we couldn’t see the stars due to cloud cover, we were at least able to dine al fresco. 

White Bean Dip

Spicy-Sweet Melon Salad

Saffron Shrimp w/Fennel Seeds

Italian Rice Salad

Lemon Cloud with Blackberry-Mint Compote

Serves 6 

There was a small amount of the lemon cloud left over. My husband, who always professes to be less than wild about lemon, loved it. (Of course, this is the same man who for years said he wasn’t a dessert eater. He has finally stopped trying to convince me of that.)

SPICY-SWEET MELON SALAD

The longer this salad sits and the flavors meld, the spicier it gets. 

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c water

1/2 small jalapeño, thinly sliced

2 c cubed honeydew

2 c cubed cantaloupe

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add jalapeño slices. Chill.

Combine sugar mixture and cubed melons. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Yields 6 (2/3 cup) servings

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 104    Fat: 0.2 g     Cholesterol: 0 mg   

Sodium: 11 mg    Carbohydrates: 26.5 g  Fiber: 0.8 g

Protein: 0.8 g

This recipe is from the 2004 Cooking Light collection.

Grape Leaves Stuffed w/Rice, Currants & Pine Nuts

This is absolutely the best recipe for stuffed grape leaves. Steaming them in the olive oil-lemon juice mixture adds just the right touch. I use a steam oven, so I can cook them right in the dish I serve them in and do not need to add any additional liquid during the steaming.

1/2 lb grape leaves

2 large onions, finely chopped

2/3 c olive oil, divided

2 tbsp pine nuts

1-1/2 tsp tomato paste

1/2 c short grain or risotto rice

2 tbsp currants

salt & pepper

1 tsp ground allspice

2-3 tbsp chopped mint

2-3 tbsp chopped dill

2 tomatoes, sliced

1 tsp sugar

juice of 1 lemon

To prepare grape leaves, remove from jar and place in shallow pan. Pour bowling water over them and allow to soak 20 minutes or more. Then rinse in cold, fresh water and drain.

For the filling, fry the onions in 3 tbsp olive oil until soft. Add the pine nuts and stir until they are golden. Stir in the tomato paste through chopped dill. Mix well.

Place a grape leaf on a plate, vein side up. Put one heaping teaspoonful of filling in the center of the leaf near the stem. Fold the ends up over the filling. Then fold in the sides toward the middle. Roll up like a small cigar and squeeze the filled roll in the palm of your hand. Repeat with the rest of the leaves.

Line the bottom of a pan with the tomato slices and then pack in the rolled grape leaves so they fit snuggly.

Mix the remaining olive oil, sugar and lemon juice with 2/3 cup water. Pour over grape leaves. Put a small plate on top of the leaves to prevent them from unrolling. Cover the pan and simmer gently for one hour, adding more water as needed. Let the grape leaves cool in the pan before removing.

Serve at room temperature.

Yields about 30 rolls.