2014 SUMMER CAMP HERBS
Cilantro Chicken
Yield: Serves 6
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 8 min
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (a big handful)
3/4 to 1 cup sweet chili sauce(recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Place chicken in a large zip baggie.
2. Place olive oil, garlic and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Process until the mixture is combined and smooth. Scoop the marinade into the bag with the chicken, press the air out of the bag and zip it closed. Knead the marinade into the chicken until it is evenly distributed. Marinate overnight or all day long.
3. Preheat the grill to medium heat and coat with oil or grill spray. Remove chicken from the bag and grill 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, until good grill marks are showing. Flip and grill an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Remove chicken to a platter and brush the sweet chili sauce on top.
Sweet Chili Sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced red chile
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in small saucepan. Bring to simmer on medium heat. Simmer until mixture thickens to a syrupy consistency, stirring constantly. Makes 1/2 cup.
Thai Dumplings with Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil2 cloves garlic, minced1 tablespoon ginger, grated and peeled1 tablespoon chili paste3 green onions, sliced1 large zucchini, diced (4 cups)1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)1 tablespoon fresh lime juice1/2 cup cilantro, chopped1 lb wonton wrapper
***DIPPING SAUCE***
1/4 cup tamari2 tablespoons rice vinegar1 tablespoon sesame oil1/2 teaspoon chili paste1 teaspoon green onion, minced
Directions
In large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add garlic, ginger and chili paste. Stir-fry 1 minute. Add green onions and cook 1 minute. Add zucchini and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add lime juice and cilantro.
Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool.
Transfer mixture to food processor and coarsely chop.
Dipping sauce: In small bowl, mix all sauce ingredients and set aside. Line baking sheet with plastic wrap.
Working on a clean, flat surface, place 1 tablespoon of filling in center of won ton wrapper.
Brush corners with a little water, then gather sides of wrapper and pinch tops to resemble a pouch.
Set dumpling on baking sheet. Repeat until filling is used up. Fill wok or base of tiered bamboo steamer about 1/3 full of water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Lightly oil steamer and place dumplings inside so edges are not touching.
Set steamer over boiling water, cover and cook dumplings until tender, 15 minutes.
Transfer dumplings to a platter and serve right away with dipping sauce.
Cinnamon Fruit Bars
Crust
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds or hazelnuts) or old-fashioned rolled oats, divided3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Tip)3/4 cup all-purpose flour1/2 cup sugar1/2 teaspoon salt4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces1 large egg2 tablespoons canola oil1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Fruit Filling
6 cups diced peeled apples, divided1/2 cup apple cider or orange juice1/2 cup sugar1/4 cup cornstarch1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
To prepare crust: Combine 3/4 cup nuts (or oats), whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a food processor; pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add butter; pulse until well incorporated.Whisk egg, oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla and almond extract in a small bowl. With the motor running, add the mixture to the food processor. Process, then pulse, scraping down the sides, if necessary, until the mixture begins to clump, 30 to 45 seconds (it will look crumbly). Measure out 1/2 cup of the mixture and combine in a bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup chopped nuts (or oats). Set aside for the topping.Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.To prepare fruit filling & assemble bars: Combine 4 cups apples, cider (or orange juice), sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 cups apples, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla.Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom to form a crust. Spread the fruit filling over the crust. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the filling.Bake the bars for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake until the crust and topping are lightly brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Let cool completely before cutting into bars, at least 1 1/2 hours.
Cinnamon Apple French Toast
Serves 6
30 minutes or fewer
Apple Topping
4 large granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced3 Tbs. sugar½ tsp. cinnamon2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
French Toast2 cups plain or vanilla soymilk½ cup apple butter1 tsp. vanilla extract1 tsp. ground cinnamon¼ tsp. salt12 slices soft-crust French bread, sliced ½-inch-thick
1. To make Topping: Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium-high heat. Sauté apples 5 to 7 minutes, or until softened. Reduce heat to medium. Add sugar and cinnamon, and cook 5 to 10 minutes more, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice, and remove from heat.
2. To make French Toast: Blend soymilk, apple butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in blender until smooth. Pour into shallow bowl.
3. Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Dip bread slices into batter, coating evenly. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Place 2 slices bread on each plate, and divide topping among servings.
Cinnamon Chai Cooler
¾ cup chai, chilled¾ cup vanilla soy milk, chilled2 Tbs. frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed½ banana, sliced and frozen
In blender, combine chai, soy milk, apple juice concentrate and banana. Blend until smooth and creamy. Serve right away.
Oregano Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, sliced
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
1. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the sausage, beef, onion, and garlic until well browned; drain fat. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Mix in sugar and season with basil, fennel seed, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Home made Pasta
1 C of Cake flour
1/4 C of all purpose flour
2 egg yolks
1 T olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
Combine all ingredient into food processor and pulse till dough
forms a ball. Remove and let rest for 15 mins. Roll out to desire shape.
Lemon-Oregano Shortcake with Blueberries and Lemon-scented cream
makes ~12 two-inch shortcakes
for lemon-oregano shortcake:
2 Tbspn lemon zest
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
4 tspn baking powder
3/4 tspn salt
1 heaping Tbspn dried oregano
1/2 stick (4 Tbspn) butter, cold
1/4 cup + 2 Tbspn heavy cream
1/4 cup + 2 Tbspn whole milk
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
2. Using your fingers, rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Then, add the lemon sugar to the flour, baking powder, salt, and dried oregano in a bowl. Mix to combine thoroughly.
3. Using a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the size of tiny pebbles.
4. Mix the heavy cream and milk in, mixing until combined but no longer–be careful not to overmix!
5. Roughly shape the shortcakes and place them onto the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake the shortcakes for ~15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
for lemon-scented cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 Tbspn lemon zest
juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed (~2 Tbspn juice)
2 Tbspn vanilla or plain sugar
Whisk till soft peak form
1. Mix the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla sugar into the quark until combined.
Parsley Stuffed Green Peppers Greek Style
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup bulghur
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, cores and ribs removed
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium stewed tomatoes, finely chopped
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl combine the beef, spinach, zucchini, onion, bulghar, egg, oregano, salt and a
few grinds of pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Arrange the pepper halves cut side up in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and fill each pepper half
with the meat mixture. Pour the tomatoes over the peppers and sprinkle with the feta cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the meat mixture is completely
cooked and the peppers are tender, about 25 minutes longer.
Wheat Berry Salad
1 cup wheat berries (available at natural foods stores)
1/2 cup diced Feta (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced seedless cucumber
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped pitted brine-cured black olives
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove minced
In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the wheat berries for 1 hour, or until they are tender, and drain them. In a large bowl stir together the wheat berries, the Feta, the onion, the cucumber, the oil, the roasted pepper, the minced herbs, the lemon juice, the vinegar, the olives, the cumin, the garlic, and salt to taste and garnish the salad with the herb sprigs
Parsley Bread Sticks
1 cup warm water3 tablespoons brown sugar1 teaspoon salt1/4 cup oil3 cups bread flour2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
Directions
Make dough using your favorite method- bread machine, mixer or by hand.
Roll out into a 10×12 inch rectangle.
Cut into strips about 3/4 inch wide.
Give each strip a twist and place on a greased cookie sheet.
Let rise for at least 20 minutes or more if you have time.
Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes.
Make a mixture of chopped parsley and melted butter
Brush with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese.
Lemon Basil Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup fresh lemon basil leaves*
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 pound butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 large egg
6 cups all-purpose flour
Sugar
PreparationProcess basil and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until blended.Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, beating well. Add lemon juice and egg, beating until blended. Gradually add flour and basil mixture, beating until blended.Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Flatten balls slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.*Regular Italian (‘Genovese’) basil may be substituted for lemon basil.
Provencal Chicken
4 servings | Active Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (1-1 1/4 pounds)1/4 cup all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon salt, or to tasteFreshly ground pepper, to taste1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or canola oil
Sauce
1 small onion, finely chopped3 cloves garlic, minced1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste, (optional)1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth1/4 cup dry white wine1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes1/4 cup chopped fresh basil2 tablespoons chopped black olives
Preparation
Trim visible fat from chicken breasts. Remove the tenders (the long thin flaps); reserve for another use. Place trimmed chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a rolling pin, meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow glass dish. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour, shaking off excess. (Discard any leftover flour.)Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.Add onion, garlic and anchovy paste, if using, to the skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add broth, wine and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in basil and olives. Return the chicken and juices to the pan; reduce heat to low and heat through. Spoon sauce over the chicken.
Bruschetta
6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)2 cloves garlic, minced1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread1/4 cup olive oil
1. Cut the tomato in half or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from the center. Also cut out and discard the stem area.
2 Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat.
3 While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely, salt and let drain over a sieve to remove any juices. Next put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4 Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.
5. Remove from the oven and top with the tomato mixture.