Roast Beef

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ground coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (3-pound) sirloin tip roast, trimmed
3 cups beef broth
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450°.

To prepare roast beef, combine first 4 ingredients; rub over roast. Place roast on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest portion of roast. Pour beef broth into roasting pan. Place slided onions on and around roast.

Bake at 450° for 20 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 300° (do not remove roast from oven); bake an additional 40 minutes or until thermometer registers 140° (medium-rare) or desired degree of doneness. Place roast on a cutting board; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 15 minutes. (Temperature of roast will increase 5° upon standing). Cut roast against grain into thin slices.

Discard onions. Pour broth and drippings into a pan, heat over medium-high flame. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture to the beef drippings and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve with roast beef.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients
1 celery
1/2 cabbage, cut into quarters
1 onion
1 pound of carrots, peeled, halved
2 potatoes, peeled, halved
4 chicken thighs and legs
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 can whole tomatoes, drained
salt
pepper
paprika
water
16 ounces egg noodles

Directions
Put chicken into a large stock pot. Fill up 3/4 with water. Turn on stove burner.

Separate the celery into individual stalks, cut in half. Chop the onion. Add celery, onion, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, dill, and parsely to pot. Add salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.

Bring to a boil. Remove chicken fat that comes to the top of the pan. Reduce heat and simmer 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally. Season as necessary.

Remove chicken from the pan, take off bone, and place in a bowl.

Drain soup through strainer, reserving broth. Place vegetables on a plate to be served.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Place in a bowl.

Make a bowl of soup by adding chicken, noodles, your choice of vegetables, and broth.

Yields 8 servings.

Grilled Lamb Chops

Ingredients
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Pinch cayenne pepper
Coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 lamb chops, about 3/4-inch thick

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, and salt. Pulse until combined. Pour in olive oil and pulse into a paste. Rub the paste on both sides of the lamb chops and let them marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Remove from refrigerator and allow the chops to come to room temperature; it will take about 20 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over high heat until almost smoking, add the chops and sear for about 2 minutes on each side. Then reduce heat to medium and cook for another 3 minutes per side for medium rare.

Greg's Famous Marinades

Ingredients
1/4 - 1/2 cup of Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 cup of Lime Juice ( bottled is ok )
1/8 -1/4 cup of Olive Oil
1 cup Fresh Cilantro ( chopped )
1 or 2 cloves of minced garlic

Combine all ingredients. Mix well.

Marinate your choice of meat (this recipe originally called for 2 - 3 lbs of Venison cubed with all sinew and silver removed) for 24 hours.

Grill with metal skewers.

This can be served on rolls, buns, or Italian bread - add more fresh cilantro to taste.

Ingredients
1/2 bottle of zesty Italian salad dressing
1/2 regular Coke (no Pepsi, no diet, no caffeine free)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2-3 tablespoons of minced garlic

Combine ingredients and marinate meat 24 hours. Grill it.

Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Mayonnaise

Ingredients

Red Pepper Mayonnaise
1 red bell pepper
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 garlic clove
Dash of hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Crab Cakes
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced celery
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided
2 tablespoons butter, divided
6 lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation
Preheat broiler.

To prepare mayonnaise, cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 12 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel pepper. Place pepper, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, garlic, and hot pepper sauce in a food processor. Process until smooth; transfer to a bowl, and chill.

To prepare crab cakes, combine 1/3 cup mayonnaise and next 6 ingredients (through crab) and 3/4 cup panko in a large bowl; stir until well combined. Form into 6 patties; dredge patties in remaining 1/2 cup panko. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 patties to pan; cook 10 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through, turning once. Remove from pan, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining butter and patties. Serve crab cakes with watercress and red pepper mayonnaise. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Yields 6 servings.

Double Cheese Meat Loaf

Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
6 tablespoons ketchup, divided
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 pound lean ground beef
3/4 pound lean ground pork

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

Melt butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, and sauté for 3 minutes. Combine the onion, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon mustard, mozzarella, and next 6 ingredients (mozzarella through egg) in a large bowl. Crumble ground meats over cheese mixture; stir just until blended.

Form mixture into a loaf and place it in a casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Combine 2 tablespoons ketchup and 1 tablespoon mustard; spread over top of loaf. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until meat thermometer registers 160°. Let meat loaf stand in pan 10 minutes.

Cut into 12 slices and serve.

Breaded Pork Chops with Sage & Thyme

One of my favorite pork chop recipes.

Ingredients
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
8 (2-ounce) boneless pork chops (1/4 inch thick)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Cooking spray
4 lemon wedges

Preparation
Place breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.

Combine salt, pepper, sage, and thyme; sprinkle over both sides of pork.

Place flour in a shallow dish. Place breadcrumbs in another shallow dish. Place egg whites in a third shallow dish.

Dredge pork in flour, dip in egg whites, and dredge in breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan. Cook 2 1/2 minutes or until lightly browned. Lightly coat surface of chops with cooking spray; turn chops over. Cook 2 1/2 minutes or until done. Serve with lemon wedges.

Yields 4 servings (2 pork chops each)

Salmon and Spinach Salad with Soy Vinaigrette

Dressing
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salad
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided
4 cups thinly sliced shiitake or button mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)
1 cup red bell pepper strips
1 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
8 cups baby spinach
1 cup fresh bean sprouts

Preparation
Preheat broiler.

To prepare dressing, combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, and stir well with a whisk.

To prepare salad, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, green onions, and red pepper strips. Sauté 8 minutes. Stir in corn; remove from heat.

Place the fish on a foil-lined baking sheet; brush evenly with 1 teaspoon oil. Broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Place 2 cups spinach on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1/2 cup mushroom mixture, and 1 fillet. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons dressing over each salad.

Yields 4 servings.

Veal Scallops in Irish Whiskey Sauce

1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound (1/4-inch-thick) veal scaloppine
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons freshly chopped shallots
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons sherry
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; sprinkle evenly over veal.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of veal to skillet. Cook 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet; set aside, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining olive oil, butter, and veal.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the chopped shallots and presliced mushrooms to pan, and cook 1 minute. Add Irish whiskey, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add broth and sherry; simmer 3 minutes or just until sauce begins to thicken. Return veal to pan. Cover and simmer 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Place veal on a serving platter, and top with mushrooms and sauce. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Yields 4 servings.

Seared Mediterranean Tuna Steaks

4 (6-ounce) Yellowfin tuna steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves chopped garlic
12 chopped pitted kalamata olives

Preparation
Combine tomato, green onions, parsely, capers, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, olives, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish with 1/4 teaspoon salt, coriander, and pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Yields 4 servings.

Cavatappi with Vodka Cream Sauce

16 ounces uncooked cavatappi pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water
2 cups half-and-half
2/3 cup vodka
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
6-8 tablespoons finely chopped basil

Preparation
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cover and cook 3 minutes or until tender. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes; simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes or until thick. Combine flour and water, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to pan; cook 1 minute. Add half-and-half, vodka, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in cheese. Reduce heat to low; cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Add pasta; toss to coat. Sprinkle with basil.

Yields 8 servings.

Tequila Lime Shrimp

1 cup tequila
1/2 cup freshly squeeze lime juice (4-5 limes)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup diced red onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1.5 pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large casserole dish. Mix well. Add shrimp. Marinate 1 hour.

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and marinade. Cook 5 minutes or until shrimp is done.

Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.

Pork Piccata

A simple, yet tasty pork piccata dish. Substitute veal or chicken cutlets for the pork, if preferred.

1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 thinly sliced pork tendorloin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 tablespoon capers, drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

Combine flour, 1.5 teaspoons of the salt, and pepper. Coat pork with flour mixture.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the hot oil. Cook the pork until golden brown on both sides, about 90 seconds per side. Transfer pork to a plate and set aside.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping to remove browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken stock, garlic, lemon juice, and capers when the wine has reduced by half. Cook for 5 minutes.

Combine cornstarch and water with a whisk. Slowly add cornstarch to mixture in the pan, stirring frequently, until pan mixture has thickened. You might not use all cornstarch mixture.

Whisk in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the chopped parsley. When the butter has melted, return the pork to the pan and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve immediately.

Roasted Yellow Pepper & Cilantro Pesto

This full flavored pesto goes great with fish or chicken.

Ingredients
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon pine nuts
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/4 - 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Broil the pepper for 10-15 minutes. Let it cool down, then remove the skin, and chop the pepper.

Add the chopped pepper, pine nuts, garlic, cilantro, and cheese to a food processor and pulse until combined.

Add the oil with the motor running until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Use as a topping with your favorite fish or chicken recipes.

Pan Seared Mahi-Mahi with Roasted Yellow Pepper & Cilantro Pesto

This is a great recipe to make if you don't have much time to cook dinner and don't want to order take-out. Serve it with rice or stuffing and a salad.

Rub for Mahi-Mahi
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mahi-Mahi
2 mahi mahi fillets, 8-10 ounces each
2 teaspoons olive oil
Rub
Cilantro leaves

For the rub, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

For the pesto, follow the Roasted Yellow Pepper & Cilantro pesto recipe.

Pre-heat a grill or saute pan on the stove over medium heat. Brush fish with oil. Rub the non-skin side of the fish generously with the rub. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Top each piece of fish with a few tablespoons of pesto. Serve the rest of the pesto on the side. Garnish with cilantro.

Seared Tuna with Wasabi Cream Sauce

The wasabi cream sauce really finishes off this dish. Serve it on the side for dipping or drizzle it top of the tuna.

I like to sear my tuna so it is still raw in the center but this recipe works just as well if you want to cook your tuna differently.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 teaspoons wasabi powder
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) fresh tuna steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
2 tablespoons wasabi powder
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sliced green onions

Preparation

Combine first 5 ingredients; rub over tuna. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Combine wasabi and water. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in mayonnaise, sour cream, juice, and soy sauce.

Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. Melt butter.

Place tuna steaks in frying pan. Sear tuna on each side for 1 minute or until desired degree of doneness.

Serve with wasabi cream; sprinkle with onions.

Pasta Risotto with Fennel

This recipe uses orzo (a type of pasta that looks like rice) instead of the more traditional arborio rice. I like using orzo instead of arborio because it makes the risotto less starchy. In fact, since I first made this recipe, i've switched to orzo for all of my risotto recipes.

Most of the fennel plant is used in this recipe. Even the fronds are used for garnish. Add more wine than chicken broth if you want to offset more of the licorice flavor from the fennel.  When shopping for the leeks, you want to buy ones with as much white as possible.  This is the part you chop up and cook.

This recipe tastes even better reheated the next day. So i'd suggest doubling it and enjoying it for lunch too!

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 large fennel bulbs, (3 small) chopped
4 leeks (the most white as possible), chopped and rinsed well
2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups dry white wine
16 oz (1 box) uncooked orzo
1/2 cup (1 ounce) grated pecorino Romano cheese
4 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds (optional garnish)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Melt 2 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add fennel bulb, leek, and fennel seeds; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in salt. Cover and cook 12 minutes or until fennel is tender, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Combine broth and wine; bring to a simmer in a large saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat (mixture will look curdled).
Melt 2 tablespoon butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add orzo to pan; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring mixture frequently until each portion of broth mixture is absorbed before adding the next (about 17 minutes total). Stir in leek mixture; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, fennel fronds, and pepper.

Yield

8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 366(22% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 4.7g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 12.7g; CHOLESTEROL 21mg; CALCIUM 172mg; SODIUM 660mg; FIBER 5.5g; IRON 3.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.9g

Courtesy of: Lorrie Hulston Corvin , Cooking Light, MARCH 2005