Pork Sate with Peanut-Mirin Sauce

PORK

2 t. grated lime rind
2 T/ fresh lime juice
1 T. peanut butter
2 t. sugar
2 t. fish sauce
1/2 t. curry powder
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 16(4-inch-long)strips

SAUCE

1 1/2 T. sugar
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2 T. seasoned rice vinegar
2 T. mirin(sweet rice wine)
1 t. fish sauce
1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 T. dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Remaining ingredient:

Cooking spray

1)Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2)To prepare pork, comvine first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth.
Add pork to bow; toss well to coat.  Let stand at room remperature 15 minutes.
3)Thead 2 pork pieces lengthwise onto eachof 8(12-inch) skewers.  Pleace skewers on a grill rack
with cooking spray;grill 3 minutes on each side until done.  Serve with sauce.

(from Pam Klampe)

Pasta Primavera

1/2 stick butter
1 med. onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 lb. thin asparagus cut diagonally into 1/4 "slics
1/2 lb. mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 oz cauliflower flowerets
1 small carrot cut diagonally into 1/8"slices
1 medium zucchini cut into 1/4 " rounds
1 c. cream
1/2 c. chicken stock
2 T. chopped fresh basil or
2 t. dried
1 c. prosciutto or cooked ham, chopped
1 lb. fettucini or linguini
1 c. grated parmesan cheese

In WOK or large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and saaute onion and galic until onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Mix the asparagus, mushrooms, cauliflower, zucchini and carrot;stir fry 2 minutes. (At this point, remove several pieces of asparagustips. mushrooms and zucchini and reserve for garnish.)
Increase heat to high. Add cream, stock and basil;allow mixture to boil until liquid is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Stir in peas, ham and green onion; cook 1 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add pasta andcheese, tossinguntil thoroughly combined and pasta is heated through. Serve immediately with a side dish of extra parmesan cheese, Garnish with reserved vegetables. Serves 4 for dinner

Chicken Breasts in Cream

Season boned and skinned breasts well with salt and pepper. Dip in beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs. Let dry a few minutes.

Saute in butter on low heat until golden brown. Place in large baking dish. Over them pour 2 c. (I used 3 c.) heavy cream mixed with 1/4 t. garlic salt. Dust with paprika.

Bake in 350 oven for 45-60 minutes, basting occasionally. The cream will be absorbed. This can be done the day before except for the cream and baking. This recipe is for approximately 10 halves of chicken breasts. Delicious and fattening!

Italian Cream Cake

Cream Cheese Icing
Vegetable cooking spray
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light butter
2 egg yolks
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 t. butter extract
1 t. coconut extract
1 t. vanilla extract
6 egg whites (at room temperature)
Sugared kumquats(otional
Orange rind strips(optional
Kumquat leaves(optional

PREPARE cream cheese Icing: cover and chill.
COAT bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with cookig spray(do not coat sides of pans);line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray and dust with flour;set aside.
COMBINE sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine 2 cups flour and baking soda;stir well. Add flour mixture to creamedmixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in pecans and extracts.
BEAT egg whites at high speed of a mixer until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Fold egg whites into batter;pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 23 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen cake layers from sides of pans using a narrow metal spatula and turn out onto wire racks. Peel off wax paper, and let cool completely.

PLACE 1 cake layer on a plate, and spread with 2/3 cup Cream Cheese Icing; top with another cake layer. Repeat with 2/3 cup icing and remaining layer,m ending with cake. Spread remaining icing over cake. Garnish with Kumquats, orange rind and leaves.

Yield: 20 servings

Cream Cheese Icing:

1 T. light butter
1 (8-ounce)package Neufchatel cheese
1 (1lb.) package powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla extract

Cream butter and cheese at high speed of a mixer until fluffy. Add sugar;beat at low sped until well blended. Add vanilla.

Greek-Style Quinoa Burgers

1/2 c. rinsed quinoa
1 medium carrot, cut in large chunks
6 scallions, thinly sliced
15 oz. great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 T. ground cumin
Coarse salt
Ground pepper
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 T. fresh lemon juice
4 pitas(each 6 inches
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced diagonally

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 c. water to a boil; add quinoa, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, 12 to 14 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse carrot until finely chopped. Add cooked quinoa, half the scallions, beans, breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, 1 t. salt, and 1/4 t. pepper; pulse until combined ut still slightly chunky.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice and the remaining scallions;season with salt and pepper. Serve burgers in pita topped with cucumber and yogurt sauce(add tahini if you like.)

Fruity Winter Salad

1/4 C. Splenda
1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/4 T. salt
2 t. poppy seeds
1 T. olive oil

Whisk together the above ingredients and store covered in refrigerator until ready to toss with the salad greens.

1 large head romaine lettuce or mixed greens
1 apple, diced
1 pear, diced
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. cashews, chopped

Gingered sugar snap peas

1 T. canola oil
1 T. fresh ginger, grated
1 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. sugar snap peas
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper



Heat 1 T. canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 T. grated peeled fresh ginger and 2 minced garlic cloves to pan; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add 8 ounces trimmed sugar snap peas;saute 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water;cook 1 minute or until most of water evaporates. Stir in 1/4 t. salt and 1/8 t. freshly ground pepper. Cook 30 seconds or until peas are crisp-tender.