Recipes for “No Chicken in the Pot” Menu

                

   Eggplant Caviar             Beet and Buttermilk Soup

                 Mixed Greens with Apples and Pistachios 

              Lentil and Rice Pilaf/Blackened Onions

 or

Vegetable Coulibiac

          Tropical Fruit Cup       Anise-Almond Biscotti     

 

   Eggplant Caviar                                                              Serves 6

 

1 medium eggplant                                  1 ½ tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. minced onion                           ¼ tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil                   1 tsp. sugar

4 Tbsp. lemon juice

 

Bake the eggplant at 475 oven until skin darkens and is crisp.  Cool and peel.  Chop the eggplant and whip until it is smooth.  Add remaining ingredients. Serve with dark bread or toasted pita, and tomato wedges.                            

 

 

   Chilled Beet and Buttermilk Soup                                     Serves 6

 

1 ¼ # beets, trimmed and cooked           1 Tbsp. honey

1 cup yogurt cheese                                ground white pepper

½ cup orange juice                                 1 cup buttermilk

¼ raspberry or wine vinegar                  1 apple, peeled, diced (opt.)

 

Peel and coarsely chop the beets.  Whisk together the cheese, orange juice, vinegar, honey, pepper and buttermilk.  Cover and refrigerate to chill through. Use apple as a garnish for the soup, if desired.  

 

 

 

 

        Vegetable Coulibiac                                           Serves 10

 

Prepare a favorite recipe for a double-crusted pie shell.

Prepare the filling recipes that follow:

             

    Bulgur Pilaf                                                     

 

3 Tbsp. olive oil                                           2 ¼ cups broth

1 large onion, finely chopped                      1 ½ cup coarse bulgur

 

Saute the onion in the oil until soft and golden.  Add the bulgur and sauté until toasted.  Stir in the broth, bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 10 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.    

 

   Cabbage and Onion

 

½ cup butter or oil                                            ¼ packed brown sugar

¼ cup flour                                                        1 tsp. salt

3 cups minced onions                                         ½ tsp. white pepper

1 1/2 Tbsp. paprika                                            1-2 cups sour cream or yogurt

12 cups shredded green cabbage (3-4 lbs.)  

 

Saute onions in butter or oil in a large skillet; adding paprika. Cook until onions are lightly browned, about 25 minutes.  Blend in flour and and cook for a minute.  Add cabbage, sugar, salt and pepper.  Cook over low heat until the vegetables are golden brown, about 45 minutes.  Cool mixture; stir in sour cream or yogurt.  Adjust seasonings.

 

    Carrots

 

3 Tbsp. canola oil                       ½ cup water or use vegetable stock

2 Tbsp. butter                             1-2 tsp. vinegar

1# carrots, shredded                   ¼ cup golden raisins

1 med. onion, cut into strips

 

Melt oil and butter.  Brown the onions.  Add carrots and raisins. Stir-fry 2 minutes.  Add stock, cover and cook until carrots are tenders.  Uncover and cook until liquid is evaporated.  Season with vinegar, salt and pepper.

 

    Mushroom Duxelles

 

1 Tbsp. butter + 2 Tbsp. canola oil        ¼ cup minced fresh parsley

1 qt. mushrooms (about 10 ounces),      ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

   finely chopped                                     1 lg. garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, minced                             pinch of red pepper, nutmeg, thyme

3 Tbsp. minced shallot                           ½ cup heavy cream

 

Heat butter and oil.  Saute celery and the shallot until they soften.  Stir in remaining ingredients, except cream.  Cook over medium-high heat until liquid evaporates.  Add cream and cook until it evaporates. Adjust seasonings.  Let come to room temperature or chill.

      

   Egg Filling:

 

1 Tbsp. butter + 1 Tbsp. canola oil     2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped

1 sm. onion, minced                            2 Tbsp. minced fresh dill

Salt and pepper

 

Melt butter and oil; sauté onion until translucent, about 8 minutes.  Cool.  Combine with remaining ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper. 

 

To assemble: Roll out 1/3 of dough to form a 6x12 inch rectangle. Place on a baking sheet.  On top of the dough, layer the bulgur, ½ of mushroom duxelles, the cabbage, ½ of the egg filling, the carrots, and then the remaining mushrooms duxelles and eggs.  Roll the remaining dough into a rectangle that is large enough to cover the vegetables and lay it over them.  Join the layers of dough, pinching them together.  Brush with an egg beaten with 2 tsp. of water.  Bake the couliabac at 375˚ for 50 minutes, or until the coulibiac is golden.

 

 Lentil and Rice Pilaf/Blackened Onions                    Serves 4

  

4 Tbsp. olive oil                                  ¾ cup long-grain white rice

1 medium onion, chopped                   2 large onions, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced                       3 tomatoes, quarter lengthwise

2 tsp. cumin                                         1 cucumber, peel, cut into rounds

¾ tsp. cinnamon                                   plain yogurt

½ tsp. allspice                                      chopped fresh mint leaves

¾ lentils, rinsed                                    31/2 cup vegetable broth

 

Saute onion in 2 Tbsp. oil,  add garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and allspice.  When onions have softened, add broth and lentils; bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in rice, bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until all liquid is

absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer.  Remove from heat and season with salt as pepper.

 

Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and add sliced onions; sauté until soft and beginning to blacken, about 20 minutes.

 

 

   Mixed Greens with Apples and Pistachios        

 

1 medium head Romaine lettuce           2 small crisp apples, i.e. Delicious, Granny Smith

1 head radicchio                                        ½ cup toasted pistachio nuts

1 small head escarole                               Salad dressing*

                    

   Salad Dressing*

½ cup canola or olive oil                        1 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar                            1 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice                     sprinkle of thyme, basil and black pepper                                      

scant ½ tsp salt

 

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.

 

Rinse and dry the greens; tear into bite-size pieces.  Place them in salad bowl.  Top with thinly sliced apples and sprinkle with nuts or seeds; toss with dressing.  Serves 6-8.

                              

   Tropical Fruit Cup

 

1 pineapple                            1 small papaya, seeded

2 mangoes                              2 grapefruits

2 navel oranges                    2 kiwi

 

Peel all fruits, cut them into small cubes and gently combine.

 

 

 Anise-Almond Biscotti                                  32 biscotti

 

1 Tbsp. whole anise seeds                ½ cup maple syrup

1 ¾ cups whole wheat                         1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

    pastry flour                                         ½ tsp. salt

1 cup ground almonds                         ½ cup sesame seeds

½ cup olive oil

 

Toast anise seeds until fragrant; grind them to powder.  Combine with flour and ground almonds. In another bowl, combine oil, syrup, vanilla and salt.  Stir this mixture into flour.  Cover and let rest 20 minutes.

 

Spread sesame seeds on work surface.  Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs and roll each in sesame seeds.  Place on sprayed baking tin.  Bake at 350’ for 45 minutes, or until browned and firm.  Cool 5 minutes.  Cut logs into 1/3-inch thick diagonal slices with serrated knife.  Place flat side on baking tin and bake 15-20 minutes more, until golden.  Cool and store in airtight container.