Category Archives: Main Dish

Fontina Stuffed Baked Salmon with Herb Jus

Salmon:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups coarsely chopped cremini mushrooms (about 1/2 pound)
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 cup (4 ounces) cubed fontina cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
6 (6-ounce) skinned salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Hazelnut-Herb Couscous:
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Basil sprigs (optional)
To prepare herb jus, combine first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 8 minutes). Add fennel and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until reduced to 2 cups (about 30 minutes). Add 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped basil, and rosemary; simmer 5 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To prepare salmon, heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup shallots and 2 minced garlic cloves; saute 1 minute. Add mushrooms; saute 2 minutes. Add sherry; cook 4 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Remove from heat; cool completely. Stir in fontina, shredded Parmesan, and 2 teaspoons thyme. Cut 1 (3/4-inch-deep) diagonal slit from the center of 1 fillet; cut another slit in the opposite direction to form an X. Pull back salmon to form a pocket. Repeat with remaining fillets. Stuff 1/3 cup cheese mixture into each pocket. Place fillets on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with white wine, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with herb jus and Hazelnut-Herb Couscous; sprinkle with shaved Parmesan and parsley. Garnish with basil sprigs, if desired.
6  Servings

Fajita-Style Chicken Tenders with Corn & Black Bean Salsa

2 tsp olive oil
1 lb chicken tenders
1 pkt (1.12 oz) fajita seasoning mix
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed
1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn
1 cup salsa
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Note: Serve with lime wedges and tortilla chips or warm flour tortillas.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add tenders and cook over medium-high heat, turning once, 3 minutes or until lightly colored. Sprinkle with fajita seasoning and 2 Tbsp water; toss over medium heat 1 minute until coated and chicken is cooked through.  While tenders cook, combine beans, corn and salsa in a medium saucepan or microwave dish. Heat until hot. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Serve along with the tenders.
4  Servings

Emperor’s Shrimp

1/4 cup Spicy Sesame Sauce (see below)
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pound medium raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon loose green tea, preferably gunpowder
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch-long matchstick-size strips
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 2-inch-long matchstick-size strips
1 medium white onion, cut into 2-inch-long matchstick-size strips
6 tablespoons cashew nuts, toasted
Combine sauce and cornstarch in a bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick wok or cooking pan over medium-high heat and swirl to coat pan. Add the tea and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and place in a bowl. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the wok. Add the bell peppers and onion and stir-fry until peppers soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the wok and stir-fry until heated through. Stir in cashew nuts. Serve hot

Eggplant Parmesean – Light Version

Use whole-wheat panko in this recipe; the regular type became soggy in a test.
Eggplant:
2  large eggs, lightly beaten
1  tablespoon  water
2  cups  whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2  (1-pound) eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
Filling:
1/2  cup  torn fresh basil
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
1 1/2  teaspoons  minced garlic
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1  (16-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1  large egg, lightly beaten
Remaining ingredients:
1  (24-ounce) jar premium pasta sauce
1/4  teaspoon  salt
8  ounces  thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
3/4  cup  (3 ounces) finely grated fontina cheese
Preheat oven to 375°.
To make eggplant, combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess. Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.
To make filling, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through egg).   To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with about 3/4 cup pasta sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes.
10  Servings