Sunday, March 25, 2012

MATZO-ALMOND CROCCANTE


Matzo-Almond Croccante

The stores are giving free Matzo this time of year. So what do you do with them? This idea is artfully done, delicious and easy. You can make this brittle and it keeps for 2 days.


Matzo- Almond Croccante


Nonstick spray
5 sheets Matzo
1 ¾ cups sugar
¾ cup margarine
¼ cup honey
1/3 sliced almonds, lightly toasted
5 ounces semisweet chocolate
¼ cayenne Pepper
1 ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt



Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; coat with nonstick spray. Place matzo on the sheet in a single layer, breaking as needed and overlapping slightly, leaving no gaps.

Stir sugar, margarine, honey and ¼ cup water in a saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides.  Cook until caramel turns a deep amber color. 13 – 15 minutes. Pour caramel evenly over matzo. Immediately sprinkle almonds over. Let cool.

Drizzle melted chocolate over caramel. Sprinkle cayenne and salt over. Let stand until chocolate sets. Break into pieces and enjoy.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

ROAST BEEF ON THE GRILL


Roast Beef on the Grill

This was something I always wanted to try. The beef was juicy and delicious. It came out perfect. I roasted the vegetables outside too. The best part was there wasn’t much to clean up. I’m going to do it again soon.
Roast Beef and Veggies on the Grill



  • 1 3-4 lb Rump  roast
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan

Pat beef dry with paper towels. Brush all over with olive oil then season liberally with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Sprinkle all sides of roast with herb mixture, using hands to pat into beef. Wrap beef tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate

Place beef on the hot grill and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Move beef to aluminum roasting pan and place on indirect heat on the grill. My weber has 3 burners so I set it ( low-off-low). Cover, and cook until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the beef reads 125 for medium-rare or 130 for medium, about 40 to 60 minutes more. Remove from grill to carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve and serve.




Tuesday, March 6, 2012

ROASTED GREEN BEANS WITH MUSHROOMS


Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms

The last few recipes I posted were from the South Beach Diet. Today I have another. I roasted the vegetables in oil, balsamic vinegar and parmesan. I enjoyed them and ate most of them by myself. The key is not crowd the cookie sheet. Spread the veggies out so the cook and brown evenly.

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh green beans Trimmed and cut
1 container mushrooms, sliced evenly
1 ½   tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Wash the mushrooms and drain. While, the mushrooms are drying. Trim the ends of the beans and cut them into bite sized pieces. Cut the mushrooms into slices ½ inch thick.

Whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Coat the vegetables with the mixture and spread on the cookie sheet. Roast for 20- 30 minutes. Cook until all the water is evaporated. Season the beans to taste with salt and pepper. Add grated parmesan.

Friday, March 2, 2012

ROASTED VEGETABLES


Roasted Vegetables

Oven roasted vegetables are delicious! All you need is a hot oven, salt, pepper and olive oil. You can roast any vegetable you want. The flavors seem to come alive. This has changed my relationship with veggies forever. Give it a try…
Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini, cut into small pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into pieces
1 pound asparagus, cut into small pieces
1 onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste



Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place all vegetables on a roasting pan. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Get them coated well. Spread in a single layer in the pan. Roast for 30 minutes stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

VEGETABLE QUICHE CUPS


Vegetable Quiche Cups

Fast can be fabulous! Breakfast you can take with you, when you are on the go. Use them for brunch. Make a bunch, freeze and reheat when you are in the mood. I used spinach, green peppers and onions.  Change the vegetables to suit your taste.


Vegetable Quiche Cups
Ingredients:

1 package spinach 8 ounces
4 large eggs
¾ cup shredded low fat cheese ( I used cheddar)
¼ cup diced green bell pepper
¼ cup diced onions



Cook the spinach in a pan with a teaspoon olive oil until wilted. Cut into small pieces.

Line a 12 cup muffin pan with baking cups. Spray the cups with cooking spray.

Combine the eggs, cheese, peppers, onions, and spinach in a bowl. Mix well. Divide evenly in the muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Or until a knife comes out clean.