Sautéed Red Pepper Gorgonzola Crostini with Green Onion

Entertaining doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming… and you can include the entire family. This is one of my favorite entertaining recipes. It seems sophisticated, but actually uses just a few simple ingredients –it’s just one simple stop at the grocery store.

Gorgonzola is actually an inexpensive and accessible cheese, and it is part of the Blue Cheese family. Blue Cheese is packed with probiotics, which are healthy cultures that give the cheese its distinctive taste and aide in digestion. They naturally help you fight off germs, too.

Recipe: Courtesy of Jennifer Bushman

Makes about 80 pieces

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
4 white onions, trimmed and dices
3 large red bell pepper, seeded, deveined, and diced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped and oregano sprigs for garnish
2 teaspoon cane sugar
2 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 whole wheat baguettes, sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
1 pound Stilton blue cheese or Gorgonzola
15 green onions, cleaned and trimmed, slice using two inches of the green only

Easy Preparation

In a large heavy sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté the onions until translucent.

Add the bell peppers and the oregano and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add the sugar and the vinegar and stir for a few minutes until the mixture is thoroughly combined.

Remove the pan from the heat and season the mixture with salt and pepper. You can make this up to a day ahead to this point.

To Bake the Crostini:

Preheat an oven to 400 F. Brush the bread with olive oil on both sides and place the slices on a cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown on both sides, turning once during the baking process.

Let cool and then place in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for several days.

To Serve:

Brush the browned rounds with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Spoon the onion mixture over the tops of the rounds and then sprinkle the cheese evenly over the tops. Leave the tray out at room temperature, covered, until ready to heat. You can do this up to 2 hours in advance.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the rounds until the cheese is melted, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle the rounds with the green onion and serve garnished with the oregano sprigs.

Roasted Eggplant Hummus with Toasted Pita Triangles

Eggplant is one of the most misunderstood vegetables- actually it is one of the most simple and delicious. Eggplant is also really good for you! It has over 80 different power nutrients, like the antioxidant nasunin that prevents cancer, reduces cholesterol levels and improves heart health. The next time you go to the grocery store, pick up a couple of eggplants and enjoy!

Recipe: Adapted from Jennifer Bushman’s Kitchen Coach: Weekend Cooking

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup finely chopped white onion (1 medium onion)
1/2 cup seeded and finely chopped green pepper (1/2 medium pepper)
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic (1 medium clove)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

Easy Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the 2 whole eggplants on a cookie sheet. Bake them in the preheated oven, turning once, until the inside is soft and the skin is charred, about one hour. Remove the eggplants from the oven and cool. Cut off the stems and cut the eggplants in half. Scoop out the flesh into a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add green pepper and garlic to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft, but not browned.

Pour the eggplant purée into the skillet with the onion mixture and stir in the sugar, tomato paste, Tabasco, salt, and ground pepper. Stir to combine.

Bring this mixture to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and then simmer gently for twenty minutes. Remove cover and add lemon juice. Chill and serve with grilled pita rounds.

TIP: This Eggplant Hummus makes a great spread for sandwiches. I apply it liberally to toasted bread, and add crisp lettuce and fresh tomato slices for a low-fat lunch. Feel free to add turkey or roast chicken for extra protein.

Toasted Pita Triangles

To make quick work of cutting the pita, use a sharp pair of kitchen scissors to cut the pita into halves, then quarters, then pull the two pieces apart. Each pita should give you eight pieces.

Did you know that pita bread can be used in a variety of ways? Use it as a healthy alternative to chips for a dip or bread for sandwiches. Pita bread is loaded with vitamins like riboflavin, folate and thiamin, which help build and repair muscles and strengthen your hair, skin and nails.

Recipe: Adapted from Jennifer Bushman’s Kitchen Coach: Weekend Cooking

Makes 8 pieces

Ingredients

4 pita rounds
Olive oil
Salt

Easy Preparation

Heat a grill of grill pan to high heat. Brush the pita with olive oil and season with salt

Grill the pita until brown, turning once. Then, cut the pita into quarters. Serve with the Roasted Eggplant Hummus. (They will get crisp as they cool.)

TIP: For spicy pita crisps, sprinkle with ground cumin, finely chopped garlic and parsley, or a commercial pepper combination such as Old Bay.

Chicken Satay with Mole Sauce

I love to make these little Thai skewers. Satays are traditionally served in a piece of crisp lettuce such as butter leaf. Try substituting pork or flank steak for the chicken in this recipe.

Sesame seeds and soy sauce are traditional staples of the Asian pantry. And, they can be added to any recipe for a fun, healthy twist. Not only do sesame seeds provide crunch and flavor, they keep the liver healthy and help cleanse the body of toxins. Soy sauce is good for a low fat diet, but use a “light” version to maintain healthy & balanced sodium levels.

Recipe: Adapted from Jennifer Bushman’s Kitchen Coach: Weeknight Cooking

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup vegetable oil, preferably peanut
2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved horizontally into 2 thin cutlets, then sliced lengthwise into twelve 1-inch-wide strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Twelve 8-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Easy Preparation

In a medium sized bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, garlic and oil. Marinate chicken strips for 15 minutes, or longer if you like, refrigerated up to 1 hour.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Thread each chicken strip on a skewer, weaving the skewer in and out of the chicken strip to secure it. Brush with the marinade.

Wrap foil around the exposed ends of the skewers to prevent burning, or place a strip of foil across one end of the grill and lay the exposed ends of the skewers on it. Grill skewers for 3 to 4 minutes, turning only once, after about 2 minutes.

Serve 3 skewers per person, with mole sauce on the side.

TIP: Marinating can be a great way to add flavor to these skewered foods. I like to marinate in a plastic zip closed bag. Marinades will actually begin to cook food depending on the length of time they are sitting in the marinade. You can marinate fish for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator. Chicken and pork can marinate for 24 hours; beef and lamb for 48 hours.

Serving Suggestion: Prepare vegetable skewers as well as the chicken satays and add freshly steamed rice. Spread the rice on the bottom of a plate and lay the skewers on top. Drizzle with the hot mole sauce and serve. Pass the extra sauce in a bowl at the table.

Quick Mole Sauce

Traditional moles have been served in Mexico, Central and South America for thousands of years. What distinguishes them is the normally extensive combination of ingredients and the slow cooking that reduces the sauce to give it a deep flavor and color. My sauce is a quick variation for weeknight cooking. The unsweetened chocolate is an authentic ingredient that provides richness, flavor and color. Chocolate is also a heart healthy power ingredient. A little chocolate goes a long way for your health. This sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated and reheated when ready to use.

Recipe: Adapted from Jennifer Bushman’s Kitchen Coach: Weeknight Cooking

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 small onion, quartered
1/2 cup chili-style diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 square unsweetened chocolate, broken up or chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Easy Preparation

In the bowl of a food processor or the container of a blender, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil and broth. Blend until coarsely smooth.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the puréed mixture. Let it cook for about a minute at this heat, then turn the heat to low and allow it to reduce slowly, stirring to prevent burning.

Cook 5 minutes, then whisk in the chicken broth. Raise heat and cook on medium-high until heated through, about 3 minutes more.

Serve hot, drizzled over and alongside the chicken skewers

TIP It is very authentic to toast a sauce before you reduce. The toasting enhances the flavor. Be sure to get the pan nice and hot so that the sauce sizzles as it hits the pan.

Chicken Saltimbocca with White Wine and Roasted Tomatoes

Chicken breasts are easy to cook, and dishes based on them come together quickly. This classic but always exciting combination of sage, ham and chicken will really spice up that ordinary chicken breast dish. Serve with rice pilaf and steamed green beans to round things out for a hot family meal.

Sage has recently been proven to improve and enhance memory; it is also known to be a potent fighter against allergies and lower the risk of diabetes.

Recipe: Adapted from Jennifer Bushman’s Kitchen Coach: Weeknight Cooking

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or 2, if they are very large), sliced horizontally to make 8 thin cutlets
8 thin slices smoked ham or prosciutto, cut to the size of each piece of chicken
8 large fresh sage leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1/4 cup chicken broth

Easy Preparation

Lay 1 slice ham on each chicken cutlet. Top each package with a sage leaf and skewer it to the ham and chicken with a round-edged (not flat) toothpick. (If using dried sage – sprinkle a little on the chicken before topping with the ham and skewering with the toothpick). Dust with salt and pepper.

Heat the butter and oil in a very large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly brown the chicken cutlets on both sides, 1-2 minutes per side. Turn cutlets ham side up. Stir in the wine and chicken broth. Lower the heat and simmer gently until the chicken reaches a temperature of 160 F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, about 5 minutes.

Serve hot, sage leaf up, with the wine sauce spooned over the cutlets.

TIP: Dried herbs and spices can be a cook's savior in the kitchen. Remember that dried spices last 18 months and dried herbs only last one year. Buy them at the grocery store and immediately mark them with the date. To store them, keep in a cook dark place where they won’t dry out. When they lose their color, they have lost a lot of their natural oils, which give them their flavor. To use dried herbs, either toast them in a skillet to bring out the oils or warm them for several seconds in your hands.