Recipes from July 28, 2010

Weekly recipes for July 28, 2010

Cherry-roasted Rack of Lamb

A quick dinner recipe from Ian Stone of The Bachelor's Kitchen written in his own distinctive style. You can also experiment with pomegranate molasses instead of cherries. We would cut the salt in half, but hey, it's your lamb.

1 cup pitted cherries, preferably fresh
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons each: salt, fresh cracked pepper
1 to 1 1/4 pound rack of lamb

OK, first heat the oven to 500 degrees or as hot as it will go (minus if you've got one that will cremate human remains). Take the cherries and put them in a food processor, blender or something that will crush the little (suckers) to a pulp. Add rosemary, salt and pepper.

Now, with the rack of lamb standing up straight (by the way, make sure your date is way hot ... a rack of lamb is expensive!), cover with the cherry sauce. Now roast 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how rare you want the meat.

I like to serve this with basmati or jasmine rice ... balances the dish nicely, especially if you use some garlic.

Mexican Chicken

Preparation time: 10 minutes; cooking time: about 20 minutes

4 (4- to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3/4 cup drained salsa
3/4 cup shredded 50 percent reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Flatten chicken to an even thickness. Rub chicken with garlic, salt, pepper and cumin. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Cook chicken 3 or 4 minutes per side or until browned. Transfer chicken to a shallow, rimmed, nonstick-foil-lined baking pan. Divide salsa and top each breast. Divide cheese and top salsa. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken no longer is pink (170 degrees).

Per serving: 195 calories, 32 grams protein, 5 grams fat (23 percent calories from fat), 2.6 grams saturated fat, 4 grams carbohydrate, 77 milligrams cholesterol, 520 milligrams sodium, no fiber. Makes 4 servings.

Summer Squash Casserole

Preparation time: 25 minutes; cooking time: about 45 minutes; standing time: 10 minutes

1 1/2 pounds yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 small sweet chopped onion (such as Vidalia)
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
3 to 4 cups water
1 cup grated carrots
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-sodium, reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
8 ounces reduced-fat sour cream
1 (8-ounce) can drained and chopped water chestnuts
1 (6- to 8-ounce) package herb-seasoned stuffing, divided
3 tablespoons melted butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place both squashes, onion, half the salt and the water in a Dutch oven. Bring to boil on medium-high; cook 8 minutes. Drain well. In a large bowl, mix together carrots, soup, sour cream, remaining salt and water chestnuts. Fold in squash mixture. Spread half the stuffing mixture in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Mix remaining stuffing mix with butter. Spoon squash mixture over stuffing; top with buttered stuffing mixture.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown, shielding with foil after 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Per serving: 155 calories, 4 grams protein, 6 grams fat (36 percent calories from fat), 3.5 grams saturated fat, 21 grams carbohydrate, 18 milligrams cholesterol, 435 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber. Makes 12 servings.

-- Adapted from Southern Living Farmers Market Cookbook

Pasta Pesto Salad

Preparation time: 10 minutes; cooking time: for the pasta

6 ounces rotini pasta
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped ripe tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) jar quartered artichokes, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup reduced-fat or regular pesto
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to directions; rinse and drain. In a large serving bowl, combine walnuts, basil, tomatoes and artichokes. Stir in pasta. Add pesto and cheese; toss. Refrigerate until serving time.

Per cup: 237 calories, 7 grams protein, 13 grams fat (46 percent calories from fat), 1.7 grams saturated fat, 26 grams carbohydrate, 5 milligrams cholesterol, 215 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber. Makes about 6 1/2 cups.