Hoisin Pork Roast for the Crock Pot

From Every Day with Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

* Cooking spray
* 1 boneless pork loin roast (about 3 pounds)
* 5 ounces hoisin sauce
* 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
* 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
* 1 tablespoon chili paste (I used Thai Kitchen curry paste)
* 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
* 4 teaspoons cornstarch
* 2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced on the diagonal
* 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
* 1/2 cup chicken stock


Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray and add the pork roast. In a small bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, chili paste, rice wine vinegar, chicken stock, soy sauce and sesame oil. Whisk in the cornstarch. Pour the sauce over the pork. Cover the slow cooker and cook the roast until fork-tender and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°, 3 1/2 hours on high heat or 8 hours on low heat. Transfer the pork to a platter, cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Pour the cooking liquid into a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes, then skim any fat from the surface. Slice the pork and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle the scallions and cilantro on top. Serve the Asian sauce on the side.

Freezer Chicken Enchiladas

1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce

1/2 medium onion

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

2 tablespoons of chilpotle chili in adobo sauce (from a 7 oz can, more or less according to your taste

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chicken stock (I used homemade)

oil

3 cups shredded chicken

2 cups Colby-jack cheese

10 6-inch corn tortillas

In a food processor, chop the onion, garlic, stock and spices together. Add the chipotle and blend until smooth. Heat a frying pan and add oil. Carefully add the mixture from the food processor and add the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer until this is reduced to about 3.5 cups - takes about 10 minutes.

Remove 3/4 cup of sauce and put it in the fridge. The remainder should be put in a container and frozen.

When cool, combine the 3/4 cup of sauce, 1 cup of cheese and chicken. Warm five tortillas until pliable. Place about a 1/4 cup of chicken/cheese to tortilla and roll. Place seam side down on plate. Repeat with remaining five tortillas.

Put the plate in the freezer for one hour. Then remove enchiladas and double wrap in plastic. Label and store along with remaining one cup of cheese and separate sauce.

To Bake:

Preheat oven to 350'. Defrost enchilada sauce only in microwave. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with spray oil. Arrange frozen enchiladas in a single layer in pan. Spray with cooking oil as well. Bake about 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven and cover enchiladas with 1.5 cups of sauce and bake 10 minutes. Remove dish and add cheese then bake until cheese is melty, about 3-5 minutes.

Serve with remaining sauce and rice.

Optional garnishes: pickled jalapenos, cilantro, or finely shredded lettuce and tomatoes.

And here's the truth of it all... I made the first batch of sauce according to the recipe using and entire can of chipotle in adobo and it was so spicy -I- couldn't talk after tasting it. So, I doubled the batch and left the chipotle out. It was STILL too spicy. In the end, I used one can of chipotle and quadrupled everything else! It is quite mild now - so when you make it, learn from my experience and start small with the chipotle. You can always add more.

Roasted Salmon with Cilantro Yogurt Pesto

Recipe from www.dannon.com


Ingredients:
8 (6 oz.) salmon fillets
2 Tbsp. + 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup Dannon® Plain Yogurt


Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F.

2. Coat a 13”x9” glass pan with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. oil
on the salmon fillets and place fillets skin side down in the pan.
Lightly season filets with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 30
minutes.

3. While the salmon cooks: In a food processor, process the cilantro,
garlic, walnuts, 1/4 cup olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes until
smooth. Fold in the Dannon® Plain Yogurt.

4. Drizzle cooked salmon with the cilantro pesto and serve.


Yields:
8 servings

Notes:
1. For Casserole Club, I recommend cooking the salmon according to the package directions regarding the cook temp and length of time, however be sure to add the oil, salt and pepper as instructed in the recipe.

2. Add some sauce (about one tablespoon per serving) to the rice provided, sprinkled with a little salt, as a side dish.

Tofu & Broccoli Casserole

Serves 10-12

4 C cooked firm tofu - about 1/4 inch cubes, stir-fried. (Can substitute cooked diced chicken.)
3 boxes frozen broccoli, cooked & drained
2 cans cream of celery soup (or 3 cans cream of chicken)
1 scant C mayonnaise
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t curry powder
1 4-ounce pkg cheddar cheese
(optional) 1 C buttered bread crumbs
1/2 box Rice-a-Roni (broccoli & cheese or chicken flavor) or any of your favorite rices

In bottom of greased, 3 qt. flat casserole, place layer of Rice-a-Roni, spread tofu on top of that, and then well-drained broccoli on top that.
Mix soup, mayo, lemon juice, and curry powder. Pour mixture over broccoli layer.
Scatter cheese over top. Then buttered bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees F about 45 min.

Sneaky Chef Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe is a blend of the Joy of Cooking classic and Jen Sumner's adaption.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (I used soy)
1 cup cauliflower, pureed in food processor or finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (plus 1/4 cup for topping)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tablespoons wheat germ

Boil and strain 2 cups small shells or elbow macaroni, slightly undercooked. Set aside in a large bowl to combine with sauce. To prepare white sauce, melt butter and oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Remove from heat and add milk. Return to heat, add all other ingredients except cheese, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Pour over pasta and mix well. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a deep 1 1/2 quart baking dish and fill with pasta and sauce mixture. Top with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheddar, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and wheat germ. Bake 30 minutes until breadcrumbs are lightly browned.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

I got this from Michele D. who got it from Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites :)

5 C peeled cubed sweet potatoes
½ t salt
2 t oil
3 ½ C diced onions
4 large cloves garlic, pressed
1 T minced fresh green chiles
4 t ground cumin
4 t ground coriander
4 ½ C cooked black beans or three cans, drained
2/3 C lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 T lemon juice
1 t salt
8 eight inch flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350.
Place sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with salt and water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Warm the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onions, garlic and chiles. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add cumin and coriander and cook 2-3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
In a food processor, combine black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and add cooked onions and spices.
Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to ¾ cup of filling in the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place seam side down in baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve with salsa if desired.

RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH BROWNED BUTTER AND SAGE SAUCE

From Cook’s Illustrated
Serves 4-6 as first course or 2-3 as main dish

Note from Andrea – I used whole milk ricotta cheese, Price Chopper brand, and did not have to strain or food process the cheese. If you use part-skim cheese, you may need to drain it. I don’t know why they recommend processing it, unless there is some kind of course ricotta cheese that I don’t know about. I doubled this recipe to make sure there is enough gnocchi for 4, and made a single recipe each of the sage butter sauce and tomato-cream sauce. To thaw frozen gnocchi, I would place them flat on a cookie sheet, not overlapping. And read the directions about how to boil them.

We recommend using Calabro whole-milk ricotta, although other brands and part-skim cheese will work in this recipe. When rolling the gnocchi, use just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and work surface; using too much flour will result in tough gnocchi. The gnocchi can be rolled, cut and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. To freeze the uncooked gnocchi, place the baking sheet in the freezer until the gnocchi are firm (about 1 hour), then transfer them to a zipper-lock bag and store them for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen gnocchi overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking as directed. To prevent the gnocchi from cooling too quickly, warm a serving platter or serving bowls in a 200-degree oven. If you prefer, replace the browned butter sauce with Tomato-Cream Sauce (recipe follows).

Gnocchi:
1 (15- or 16-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese (see note above)
2 large slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed and bread torn into quarters (I used Pepperidge Farm hearty white)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt for gnocchi dough and boiling water
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)

Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon table salt

For the Gnocchi: Line fine-mesh strainer set over the deep container or bowl with 3 paper coffee filters or triple layer of paper towels. Place ricotta in lined strainer, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.

Meanwhile, process bread in food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds. Spread crumbs on rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and just beginning to turn golden, about 10 minutes, stirring once during baking time. Let cool to room temperature. (You should have about ½ cup crumbs.)

Transfer drained ricotta to food processor and pulse until curds break down into fine, grainy consistency, about eight 1-second pulses. Using rubber spatula, combine ricotta, egg, basil, parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl. Add flour, Parmesan, and bread crumbs; stir until well combined. Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes. Check texture of dough and if too sticky, add more flour if needed.

Lightly dust work surface with flour. With floured hands, roll lemon-sized pieces of dough into ¾-inch-thick rope, rolling from center of dough outward. Cut rope into ¾-inch-long pieces and transfer to parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, dusting work surface with flour as needed.

For the sauce: Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally, until butter is browned and releases nutty aroma, about 1 ½ minutes. Off heat, add shallot and sage, stirring until shallot is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice and salt; cover to keep warm.

To cook gnocchi: Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce heat so water is simmering, then gently drop half of gnocchi into water and cook until all pieces float to surface. Continue to simmer until gnocchi are cooked through, about 2 minutes longer, adjusting heat to maintain gentle simmer. Using slotted spoon, scoop gnocchi from water, allowing excess water to drain from spoon; transfer gnocchi to skillet with sauce and cover to keep warm. Repeat cooking process with remaining gnocchi. Using rubber spatula, gently toss gnocchi with sauce until uniformly coated. Divide among warmed bowls or serving platter and serve immediately.

Tomato Cream Sauce
Makes about 1 ½ cups, enough for 1 recipe of gnocchi
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 (14 ½-ounce) can diced tomatoes, pureed in food processor until smooth
¼ teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until fragrant but not brown, about 20 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, salt, and sugar; simmer until thickened slightly, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in bail and cream. Cover to keep warm.

Simmer, Don’t Boil
Most pasta should be cooked at a full boil, but if gnocchi are cooked at a full boil they can fall apart from the vigorous churning. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat, add the gnocchi, and make sure the water just simmers.