January 9, 2011

Broccoli Slaw

This was one of those recipes that sounded better to my ears than it tastes in my mouth. It's a simple recipe for broccoli slaw that is quite healthy. I guess it's just not my favorite at this time in my life at least.

Broccoli Slaw
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
12 ounces broccoli slaw

Combine first 7 ingredients together with a whisk. Add parsley and broccoli slaw, and toss to coat. Serve chilled. Makes 4 servings.

Quick Black Bean Soup

Of the black bean soup recipes I've tried, this is hands-down my favorite. It's smooth and rich, filling and full of flavor. Although best warm, this soup even tastes delicious cold. (I know from licking the spoon when dishing up my next serving to reheat at work.)

Quick Black Bean Soup
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
14-oz. chicken broth
30 oz. canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. lime juice
1/4 cup finely chopped ham

Combine first five ingredients together in a saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cans of beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Place bean mixture in a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pan, and add remaining beans. Cook two minutes. Stir in lime juice, and remove from heat. Serve topped with ham. Makes 4 servings.

Oatmeal Knots

This is another Cooking Light recipe that I had marked to try. (Nearly any bread recipe gets flagged in my magazines since that is one of my favorite areas of baking.) These are slightly sweeter rolls due to the honey and taste best slightly warmed after a few days to keep them soft.

Note: I had to use more flour than called for in the recipe due to the stickiness of the dough.

Oatmeal Knots
1 cup oats
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups boiling water
2 1/4 tsp. dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
3 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 tsp. water
1 egg
1 Tbsp. oats
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Combine the first four ingredients together, and add 2 cups boiling water. Stir until blended. Set aside, and cool to room temperature.

Dissolve yeast into 1/3 cup warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add yeast mixture to oat mixture. Stir well, and add flaxseed meal. Gradually add wheat flour and 1 cup white flour. Stir until a soft dough forms. Knead until a smooth dough forms, adding more flour as needed.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with non-stick spray, and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise until doubled, about one hour. Punch down dough, and let rest 5 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Cut each half into 12 equal portions. Working with one portion at at time, shape each portion into an 8-inch rope. Twist each rope into a knot, and place on a lined baking sheet. Continue with remaining dough. Cover with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray, and let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400ºF. Combine 1 tsp. water with egg to make an egg wash. Combine 1 Tbsp. oats with poppy and sesame seeds. Brush each roll with the egg wash, and then sprinkle rolls evenly with seeds. Bake 15 minutes or until golden Makes 24 rolls.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

I've wanted to incorporate curry powder into recipes for quite some time because I thought my husband would enjoy it. So, I remembered this recipe had been flagged in my Cooking Light magazine when I purchased a head of cauliflower. It's simple and is a nice twist on plain cauliflower.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower
3 cups cauliflower florets
3/4 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. curry powder

Preheat oven to 475ºF. Combine all ingredients together on a baking sheet. Toss well to coat. Bake 18 minutes or until browned and crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.