Sautéed Chicken with Almonds and Cherries

          It was a laid-back Sunday with plans to watch the Academy Awards that evening. My wife, Leslie, came home this week with a recipe from Weight Watchers for sautéed tilapia with almonds and cherries. It sounded like an interesting dish to try so I assembled the ingredients using substitutes for some.

          I keep certain basics in my freezer (i.e., shrimp, lamb chops, chicken pieces and fish), which make it convenient to produce those last-minute dinners. I took a nice 12 ounce piece of cod from the freezer, even though the recipe called for tilapia—a  easy substitute. I soaked a handful of dried cherries in warm water for a few minutes (the recipe called for fresh, but this is February, not July). And by pounding in a baggy, I chopped a half cup of almonds because I didn’t have the “sliced” variety.

          I defrosted the fish in a bowl of room temperature water for 20 minutes or so, only to discover that I had defrosted a nice boneless chicken breast by mistake!

          What do I do now? Keeping to my philosophy that anything you like to eat separately can be combined and eaten together, I changed the “fish” dish to a “chicken” meal. It turned out to be a tasty variation of the Weight Watchers recipe. Just slice the chicken breasts into medallions, approximately 4 to 6 ounces each. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan for two to three minutes. Cook the medallions for two minutes or so on each side until browned. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add one tablespoon of oil and next add the onions in the same pan. At the end, I added some chicken broth, instead of vegetable broth, to the sauce.

          I’ll bet this dish would work well with shrimp, too. But here’s the original recipe, courtesy of Weight Watchers – 4 points per serving.

Ingredients:

·        1 tbsp. sliced almonds

·        1 lb. raw tilapia, 4-oz. fillets (or try sole or flounder)

·        ¼ tsp. table salt

·        ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

·        3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

·        1 small onion, chopped

·        2 tbsp. dry white wine, or dry vermouth

·        ½ cup sweet cherries, pitted and halved (if using frozen cherries, thaw first)

·        ½ cup reduced-sodium, fat-free vegetable broth

·        ¼ tsp dried thyme

Directions:

1.     Toast the almonds in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-low heat until aromatic and golden, shaking the pan often, about four minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2.     Season fish with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp. of oil in the skillet, and then add the fish. Cook until firm and lightly browned, about two minutes, then flip and cook about two more minutes. Remove fish to four serving plates.

3.     Heat remaining teaspoons of oil in the skillet, then add the onion. Cook until softened, about two minutes. Add wine or vermouth; loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook for 20 seconds, and then add cherries, broth, and thyme. Heat until simmering; cook for 30 seconds to reduce slightly, divide sauce and toasted almonds among the fish. Serve at once.

Comfort Foods—Pot Roast, Tsimmes, Noodle Kugel

Thick ice on the roof, snow “flurries” that need shoveling and temperatures in single digits all signal that it’s time to warm your soul and return to some basic foods turning winter “blahs” into winter “aahs.”

My wife, Leslie, and I do not share many interests but small dinner parties at our home are something we enjoy doing as a team. Since our kitchen is rather small, it requires us to carefully plan our cooking time so that we each have the kitchen to ourselves. Two people working in a small space can lead to problems, so this month’s column combines several dishes that can be prepared in advance and reheated just before serving.

Recently, we had a small gathering of old friends for dinner. Leslie and I served a meal that I describe as “Jewish comfort food,” although pot roast is not just an exclusive ethnic dish. Some recipes call for cooking the meat in a 350° oven, but I prefer slow cooking on top of the stove which fills my home with wonderful aromas. The combination of brisket, tsimmes and noodle kugel sounds a little heavy, but on a cold winter night, it seemed just right. The brisket is cooked the day before and actually tastes better when reheated the next day.

Pot Roast with Garlic and Prunes

Ingredients:

·        4-5 lbs. brisket, trimmed of fat

·        1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks

·        5-6 stalks celery, chopped in 1-inch chunks

·        5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

·        2 medium onions, cut into wedges

·        ¼ cup ketchup

·        Vegetable oil

·        Salt and pepper to taste

·        2 cups beef broth—I prefer using beef bouillon cubes

·        1 cup red wine

·        1 dozen pitted prunes

·        2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

·        ¾ cup port wine

Season de-fatted brisket with salt and pepper and brush ketchup on both sides of meat.

Place 2 tbsp. vegetable oil in a large heavy pot and heat (medium high) for two minutes.

Brown meat in pot approximately 3 minutes per side. If meat is too large to fit into the pot, cut brisket in half so that the meat can be browned. Remove meat and add carrots, celery, garlic and onions and cook for about 5 minutes to soften vegetables. Add a little beef broth and scrape bottom of pot to release the brown bits. Place meat on top of vegetables and add rest of broth, wine and enough water to barely cover the meat.

Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover pot tightly with lid. I use a layer of aluminum foil between the pot and its cover, which creates a nice tight seal.

Cook meat about 3-3½ hours until meat is quite soft. I turn the meat over once during cooking and spoon vegetables over meat to finish. When done, remove meat, let it cool and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.

In a small sauce pan, bring vinegar and port wine to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Place cooked vegetables, juices and garlic and six prunes in a blender and puree until smooth.

Add vinegar/wine mixture to puree and add six remaining prunes.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 

When cool, the meat and the gravy can be kept in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to serve, simply re-heat meat and gravy in the same pot. When warm, remove meat, slice across the grain, and add some sauce on top.

Vegetable and Dried Fruit Tsimmes

Ingredients:

·        10 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

·        2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

·        ½ cup pitted prunes

·        ½ cup light raisins

·        ¼ cup honey

·        ¼ tsp. cinnamon

·        ¼ tsp. nutmeg

·        grated orange peel from one orange

·        1 cup orange juice

·        1 tbsp. butter or margarine

Cook carrots and sweet potatoes in boiling water for 10 minutes, until barely tender. Drain liquid. Combine with all the remaining ingredients except butter. Turn the mixture into a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Dot with butter. Bake for 30 minutes in 350° oven until brown.

Grandma Sarah’s Noodle Kugel

(Note from Leslie: This recipe is from my life-long friend, Susan, who lives in my hometown of Baltimore. Susan adapted it from her grandmother to accommodate a healthier approach to food. I’ve been making it for years and every time I make it, I get raves from my guests.)

In a mixing bowl, combine:

·        4 eggbeaters

·        1 egg

·        1 tbsp. vanilla

·        ¾ cup sugar (you can also use ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup Splenda)

·        1 1/3 cups skim milk

Optional:

·        1 tsp. cinnamon

·        ½ tsp. nutmeg

Spoon in:

·        16 oz. fat-free cottage cheese

·        16 oz. farmers cheese or skim ricotta cheese

·        4 oz. no fat sour cream

Set aside.

Cook 12 oz. medium noodles (I use noodles without yolks) for 8 minutes. Drain. Rinse. Toss with a few tablespoons of margarine. Add to egg, cheese and milk mixture. Pour into an ungreased 9 x13-inch glass or ceramic pan. Bake at 350° for 1¼ hours. Remove from oven and sprinkle with topping (optional).

Topping (optional);

·        1 cup crushed cornflakes

·        ½ tsp. vanilla

·        1tbsp. sugar

·        2tbsp. melted margarine

·        ½ cup raisins