from: Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients
1/2 cup gold tequila
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (5 to 6 limes)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno pepper (1 pepper seeded)
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (3 cloves)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 whole (6 split) boneless chicken breasts, skin on
Directions
Combine the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts. Refrigerate overnight.
Heat a grill with coals and brush the rack with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, sprinkle well with salt and pepper, and grill them skin-side down for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove from the grill to a plate. Cover tightly and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
from: Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
5 cups fresh yellow corn kernels cut off the cob (6 to 8 ears)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
4 extra-large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (6 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the inside of an 8 to 10-cup baking dish.
Melt the butter in a very large saute pan and saute the corn and onion over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Cool slightly.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, and half-and-half in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and then the ricotta. Add the basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked corn mixture and grated cheddar, and then pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with more grated cheddar.
Place the dish in a larger pan and fill the pan 1/2 way up the sides of the dish with hot tap water. Bake the pudding for 40 to 45 minutes until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.
from: Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons grated lime zest
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 5 limes)
For the decoration:
1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Thin lime wedges
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into a 9-inch pyrex pie pan, making sure the sides and the bottom are an even thickness. Bake for 10 minutes until firm and golden. Allow to cool completely.
For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until thick. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into the baked pie shell and freeze.
For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm. Spoon or pipe decoratively onto the pie and decorate with lime. Freeze for several hours or overnight.
Note: If you have concerns about raw eggs, combine the yolks with 1/2 cup of the lime juice used in the recipe in a double boiler. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture reaches 140 degrees. Use in place of the raw egg yolks, remembering to add the remaining 1/4 cup of lime juice to the filling mixture along with the condensed milk and zest.
from: Cooking Light, January 2006
Ingredients
Sauce:
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Couscous:
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Shrimp:
20 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 3/4 pound)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups trimmed watercress
Directions
To prepare sauce, bring 1 cup orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; cool completely. Stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper); set aside.
To prepare couscous, place couscous in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; add onions, almonds, and butter, stirring until butter melts. Keep warm.
To prepare shrimp, combine shrimp and egg white in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Combine the panko, 1 teaspoon cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and black pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp to the bag, and seal and shake to coat.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; arrange shrimp in a single layer in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.
Place 3/4 cup couscous on each of 4 plates; top each with 1/2 cup watercress and 5 shrimp. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce.
Nutritional Info (1/4 recipe(
CALORIES 376(25% from fat); FAT 10.6g (sat 2.7g,mono 4.1g,poly 2g); PROTEIN 17.6g; CHOLESTEROL 61mg; CALCIUM 84mg; SODIUM 763mg; FIBER 3.9g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 51.9g
from: Everyday Food
Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup low-fat (1%) cottage cheese
2/3 cup milk
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
Directions
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in cottage cheese, milk, egg whites, and vanilla.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium. Working in batches, drop cottage cheese mixture by 1/4 cupfuls into pan (2 or 3 at a time).
Cook until bottoms are set and tops have small bubbles, about 1 minute. Turn pancakes and cook until just firm in the center, 1 to 3 minutes more. Repeat, using remaining 3 teaspoons oil for the other batches.
Nutritional Info (1/4 recipe(
213 calories; 7.8 grams fat; 10.8 grams protein; 24.2 grams carbohydrates; .6 grams fiber
from: Everyday Food
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
8 chocolate wafer cookies
1 bar (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
1 large whole egg plus 1 large egg white
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line with two crisscrossed pieces of parchment or wax paper, spraying between sheets. Spray lined pan; set aside.
Process cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Gently press crumbs into bottom of prepared pan (do not rinse processor bowl).
Blend cream cheese and sour cream in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add cocoa, cornstarch, sugar, egg, and egg white; process until smooth. Pour into pan; sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Bake until just set, 35 to 40 minutes; cool completely in pan. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Invert onto a tray; peel off paper, and reinvert crust side down. Cut into 9 squares.
Nutritional Info (1 square (9 per pan)(
302 calories; 12.6 grams fat; 6.7 grams protein; 42 grams carbohydrates; 1.5 grams fiber
from: Everyday Food
Ingredients
2 spaghetti squash (2 pounds each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, slivered
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. With a fork, prick squash in several places. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until soft to the touch, about 1 hour.
When cool enough to handle, halve squash crosswise. Scoop out seeds; discard. Scrape flesh into strands.
In a large skillet, heat oil over low heat. Add garlic; cook until fragrant and just starting to color, about 5 minutes. Add squash; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until squash is very hot, about 5 minutes.
Nutritional Info (1/4 recipe(
166 calories; 7.8 grams fat; 2.6 grams protein; 25,4 grams carbohydrates; 5.4 grams fiber
from: Everyday Food
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°. Butter an 8-inch square pan. In bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, ginger, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cloves.
Melt the butter in the water in a small saucepan over medium heat, and stir mixture into the dry ingredients until smooth. Stir in molasses and egg.
Pour half the batter into prepared pan. With a spoon, drizzle half the chocolate over the batter. Pour remaining batter on top, and drizzle remaining chocolate over the batter in a decorative pattern.
Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
from: Everyday Food
Ingredients
1-½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
Nonstick cooking spray
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. With an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. With mixer on low, add flour and salt in two additions, beating until just combined.
Generously coat two 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inch loaf pans (1-1/2 quarts each) with cooking spray; immediately pour in batter (pan will seem full). Tap pans on work surface to eliminate any large air bubbles.
Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out almost clean, 60 to 75 minutes (if the tops begin to brown too quickly, tent with aluminum foil).
Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Turn out the cakes; cool completely, with top sides up, on a wire rack.
Nutritional Info (1 slice(
308 calories; 16.3 grams fat; 4 grams protein; 37.3 grams carbohydrates; 0.4 gram fiber
from: HalfFullHalfEmpty
Ingredients
2 cups apple juice
1 1/3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
1/4 cup maple syrup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat the apple juice to boiling and pour over the oats and wheat germ in a bowl. Let stand 20 minutes.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, beat or whisk together the buttermilk (or yogurt), maple syrup, butter, and eggs. Add the buttermilk mixture and cranberries to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the oatmeal and apples. The batter will be very thick, almost like cookie dough.
Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and grease lightly. For each pancake spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto the hot griddle. Cook until golden brown underneath and the edges look dry, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute. Serve immediately or transfer pancakes to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Top with Swiss Whipped Honey Butter or butter and maple syrup. makes about 20 four-inch pancakes; serves 4 to 6.
from: HalfFullHalfEmpty
Ingredients
2/3 cup honey
8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the honey and butter and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the cream and beat until blended. Spoon into a small bowl and serve or cover and refrigerate up to 1 week. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
When I was in the office kitchen yesterday, I saw a flyer for 
Yesterday evening, one of the tasks on our list to achieve was to get my car full of gas and washed (I don't know if I mentioned it, but it's been rather um… icky around here). Anyhoo, so on the way back from Best Buy, we stopped at a BP with one of the touchless car washes. We filled up, got our code and drove on in. Loki was in the back, and I briefly thought about his reaction, but then I thought to myself that we'd taken him with us through a carwash before and he'd been fine. Apparently, I was wrong.