Serves 4
A show-stopper! Make the pesto a few days ahead-or purchase pesto-and then it's just minutes to a beautiful meal. The skin on one side and pesto on the other keeps the fish deliciously moist.
Ingredients:
2 cups unsalted hulled (green) pumpkin seeds
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
3 garlic cloves, smashed 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
4 (6-ounce) or 1 (1 1/2-pound) salmon fillets, skin on
Method:
Prepare pesto (can be made up to 3 days ahead): Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss pumpkin seeds with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sea salt. Roast 10–15 minutes. Allow to cool. Combine cooled seeds in a food processor with water, lemon juice, garlic, cilantro and remaining 4 tablespoons oil. Pulse until mixture forms a coarse paste. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Top fish with pesto mixture and let sit 15–30 minutes. Grill skin-side down on oiled grate with grill lid closed about 10 minutes. Use a metal spatula to loosen fish from skin and remove fillet(s) to a serving platter.
Nutrition:
Per serving (about 7oz/196g-wt.): 480 calories (320 from fat), 36g total fat, 7g saturated fat, 105mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium, 2g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 0g sugar), 37g protein
TOFU VEGETABLE LOAF
Serves 8
This hearty loaf combines tofu with onions, carrots, garlic and parsley and bakes up firm and sliceable. Try adding any of the following to make this vegetarian take on a classic comfort food even more delicious: ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, or dried basil, oregano or thyme. Top slices of the tofu loaf with vegetarian mushroom gravy, or pair them with brown rice or quinoa pilaf.
Ingredients:
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 (14-ounce) packages firm tofu, drained
1 cup bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat
1 egg, beaten (optional)
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoons tamari
1/2 to 1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
Olive oil cooking spray
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a (9-inch) loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic and parsley and cook until softened and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, wrap tofu in 3 or 4 layers of paper towels and gently press out as much water as possible, changing the paper towels once or twice as needed. Crumble tofu into a food processor and then add bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, tamari and Worcestershire and purée until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in onion mixture.
Spoon tofu mixture into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake, uncovered, until deep golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. For easier slicing, set aside to let cool until warm.
Nutrition:
Per serving (about 5oz/158g-wt.): 190 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 25mg cholesterol, 410mg sodium, 15g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 14g protein
CHICKEN WITH LE GRUYERE, SAGE, AND EASY PAN SAUCE
Serves 4
Rolling thin chicken cutlets around a filling of Le Gruyère works beautifully: the outside of the rolls brown deliciously, while the inside stays moist and juicy and gets superb flavor and creaminess from the cheese.
Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (each about 9 ounces), each sliced horizontally in half to make thin cutlets
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound Le Gruyère, thinly sliced
16 fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
Method:
One at a time, place chicken cutlets between layers of wax paper and pound gently with a rolling pin until each is about 1/4 of an inch thin. Season slices on both sides with salt and pepper. Cover each with slices of Le Gruyère and sage leaves. Roll them up and seal closed with toothpicks.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, turning frequently, until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. (Don't worry if some of the cheese leaks out.) Transfer chicken to a plate, remove and discard all toothpicks, cover and keep warm.
Return skillet to medium heat and add shallot. Cook, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of pan, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until most liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.
Nutrition:
Per serving (about 7oz/203g-wt.): 310 calories (120 from fat), 13g total fat, 6g saturated fat, 105mg cholesterol, 330mg sodium, 3g total carbohydrate (0g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 38g protein
ROASTED BRISKET WITH PARSLEY, THYME, AND MINT
Serves 10 to 12
Fragrant fresh herbs, garlic and tangy vinegar prove a perfect match for slow-cooked brisket.
Ingredients:
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
6 cloves garlic
1 cup roughly chopped yellow onion
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Season brisket all over with salt and pepper and then arrange on a rack in a roasting pan; roast for 1 hour. Meanwhile, put parsley, mint, thyme, vinegar, pepper flakes, garlic, onion, salt and pepper into a food processor and pulse to make a thick paste; set aside.
After 1 hour, remove brisket from oven; reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Carefully add broth to pan, spread herb paste over brisket, cover pan with foil and continue roasting, basting every 45 minutes or so, until very tender, 2 to 3 hours more.
Transfer brisket to a platter; set aside to let rest for 10 minutes. Skim off and discard any fat from liquid in pan. Trim brisket further, if desired, then thinly slice against the grain and spoon pan sauce over the top.
Nutrition:
Per serving (about 8oz/234g-wt.): 270 calories (110 from fat), 12g total fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 105mg cholesterol, 270mg sodium, 3g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 35g protein
ROASTED LEMON-HERB CHICKEN
Serves 8
This recipe comes to us courtesy of the Renegade Lunch Lady Chef Ann Cooper and her book Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed our Children. One of the biggest complaints about chicken is that the breast tends to dry out during cooking. In this recipe, bringing the meat overnight makes it moist and extremely flavorful. If you decide to use boneless chicken it's only necessary to brine it for 2 to 3 hours.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 quarts water
1 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken parts (8 pieces)
1 3/4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Method:
The night before: Combine the lemon juice, salt and water in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The next day: Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. In a clean large bowl, combine the oil, herbs and pepper. Add the chicken and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for four to six hours to marinate.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chicken pieces on a cookie sheet and bake until cooked through, about 45 minutes.
Nutrition:
Per serving: 124 calories (38 from fat), 4g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 59mg cholesterol, sodium difficult to determine due to brining, 2g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 18g protein
And for those of you who don't think it'd be Thanksgiving without turkey, here you go.
TURKEY BREAST WITH ROOT VEGETABLE MASH
Serves 12
This elegant turkey dish is excellent with a quick chutney of chopped raw cranberries, dates and navel orange segments.
Ingredients:
1 bone-in half turkey breast (about 3 pounds), skin removed
3 leeks (about 1 1/2 pounds), split, rinsed, sliced 1/2-inch thick and rinsed again
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 turnips, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 small bunch mixed herbs, tied together with kitchen twine
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 large celery root, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Method:
Place turkey breast in a large pot and add broth, leeks, turnips and herbs. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, covered, until turkey is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil potatoes and celery root in separate pots covered by a few inches of cold water until very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, combine in one pot and add almond milk. Mash with a potato masher or large fork until smooth.
Remove turkey from broth and set on a platter. Discard herbs. With a slotted spoon, spoon leeks and turnips around turkey and keep warm. Return pot with broth to medium-high heat and boil until the liquid is reduced to about 3/4 cup; pour over and around turkey. Reheat vegetable mash; if necessary, and carve turkey into thin slices.
Nutrition:
Per serving (about 11 oz/306g): 220 calories (10 from fat), 1.5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 65mg cholesterol, 140mg sodium, 23g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 26g protein
HONEY AND ROSEMARY BRINED TURKEY WITH HERB RIESLING GRAVY
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients:
For the Brine
4 cups water
3/4 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup honey
32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
6 to 8 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 (12- to 14-pound) fresh turkey, neck and giblets removed and reserved (discard liver)
For Roasting the Turkey
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
1 Fuji or Honeycrisp apple, quartered
1 bulb garlic, halved
4 sprigs rosemary
1/3 cup canola oil
For the Gravy
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Reserved turkey neck and giblets
1 medium yellow onion, unpeeled and chopped
1 carrot, unpeeled and diced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup Riesling
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4cup flour
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 stems rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and finely chopped
Method:
For the brine, bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add salt, honey, broth, peppercorns and rosemary in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate until needed.
About 6 to 8 hours before you plan to roast your turkey, place brine mixture in a large clean bucket, stock pot or cooler and stir in 1 gallon of ice water. Place turkey in the bucket, breast side down, cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours. Make sure the turkey is fully submerged, adding more ice water if necessary.
To roast the turkey, preheat oven to 450°F. Remove turkey from brine and rinse thoroughly, inside and out, with cool water; pat dry. Discard brine solution. Season turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff turkey with onion, apple, garlic and rosemary. Place on a roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan and tuck the wings back. Brush the entire turkey with oil.
Cover breast portion with foil and place turkey on lowest rack in oven and roast one hour, then turn heat down to 350°F and roast 1 1/2 to 2 hours longer, until a thermometer reads 165°F when inserted between the breast and thigh without touching the bone. Remove foil from breast about 15 minutes before the turkey is done. Remove turkey from pan, place on a platter and tent with foil. Let the turkey rest 20 minutes before carving.
For the gravy, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add turkey neck and giblets, onions and carrots. Brown lightly, add broth, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook 30 to 40 minutes. Strain, discarding the solids, and refrigerate broth until ready to use.
While turkey rests, pour pan drippings into a measuring cup and freeze for 15 minutes. Skim off any fat. Heat roasting pan over medium heat and add Riesling, scraping up any browned bits. Pour in giblet broth and skimmed pan drippings and bring to a simmer. Whisk in butter, then whisk in flour. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Stir in chopped herbs and add salt and pepper to taste.
Recipes courtesy of www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/
