Sue

bean burgers
this is one of my all-time best recipes. it's cheap, fast, versatile, and it's been man-tested!

ingredients:
1 jar (750 ml) great northern beans
2 eggs
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp spices (your choice)
1 cup fine bread crumbs

directions:
mash the beans with whatever mashing device you have on hand. mix in the eggs and onion. add spices to your personal preference, one of my favorite blends is garlic, pepper, and a cajun spice mix. add the bread crumbs and mix thoroughly, add more crumbs if needed until the mixture can be handled. it will probably still leave gook on your hands, live with it. shape into patties and fry on each side until well browned. serve in burger buns with your favorite toppings.

extra:
for "meatballs" roll the mixture into balls and bake in an oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. i like to serve these with mushroom-sauced rice and a salad.

1 C. Cooked Brown Rice
2 Pkg. 10 ox each frozen chopped spinach, thawed and
squeezed
2 eggs lightly beaten (or eggbeaters)
1/3 c Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese (or the dried stuff)
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. hot pepper sauce

Mix all the ingredients and form into rounds.
Roll the balls into the bread crumbs. I flatten them out to fry, but the book calls for them to be like little logs

1/2 to 3/4 C. Bread crumbs.

Fry in a mixture of 2 T. butter and 2 T oil ( Add more oil if needed)
Or use pam for a low fat method.

Saute until golden on both sides, about 3 minute per side. Bake for 10 more minutes before service.

I love these and have done them by just baking in the oven. I make these larger and use as the main dish for my meal. Add a salad and maybe some type of beans or sliced cucumbers.

Yield: 5 Servings

1 tsp Curry powder
1 lg Golden Delicious apple,
Cored and chopped
1 lg Yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tbs Lemon juice
4 oz Mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp Chicken stock
2 c Apple juice or cider
3 1/2 lb Chicken thigh, skinned
1 tbs Flour

Place curry powder in a wide frying pan and stir over medium heat
until slightly darker in color (3-4 minutes). Add apple, yellow
onion, lemon juice, mushrooms, stock, and 1 1/2 C. of the apple
juice; bring to a boil.
Rinse chicken and pat dry; add to pan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer
until meat near bone is no longer pink; cut to test (about 30
minutes). Lift chicken from pan; arrange on a warm platter. Keep warm.
Blend flour and remaining 1/2 C. apple juice. Gradually add to sauce
in pan, stirring; increase heat to high and cook, stirring until
sauce is thickened. Pour over chicken. The sauce also tastes good
poured over baked potato or rice.
****************
HEALTHY CHICKEN STOCK

Yield: 16 Servings

2 lb Chicken bones, back and
Neck
Water -- to cover
1 Celery stalk
1 Onion -- quartered
1 Bay leaf
1 Carrot

In a large stockpot combine chicken bones, back, and neck and the
water. Add celery, onion, bay leaf, and carrot. Simmer over low heat
1-1/2 hours. Strain.
Makes 4 to 6 cups.
Note: To remove fat, allow stock to chill for 2 hours. Fat will
separate and rise to the top. Scoop fat off with spoon and discard.
Remaining stock may be used in recipes calling for defatted chicken
stock.
Recipe By : the California Culinary Academy
**************
this is excellent..been making it for over 20 years....

Parmesan Rice and Pasta Pilaf

After the pasta and onion are sautéed, the oil is drained to
minimize the fat content of this interesting pilaf.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 C finely broken vermicelli, uncooked
2 Tbsp diced onion
1 C long-grain white rice, uncooked
1-1/4 C hot chicken stock
1-1/4 C hot water
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
One bay leaf
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large skillet, heat oil. Sauté vermicelli and onion until golden brown, about 2
to 4 minutes over medium-high heat. Drain off oil.

2. Add rice, stock, water, pepper, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 15 to 20
minutes. Fluff with fork. Cover and let stand 5 to 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

3. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

YIELD: 6 servings - SERVING SIZE: 2/3 cup each

1 large can Healthy Request V-8 Juice
1 regular can tomato puree
6 regular cans chili beans
6-8 Russet potatoes, peeled and diced (use 8 if they're small, 6 if they're larger)
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 large red onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tblsp. minced garlic
Fat free cooking spray
6 tblsp. chili powder (or to taste)
1 1/2 tblsp. Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (or to taste, but be careful - it's salty)**

Combine the V-8 and tomato puree in a large stock pot. Peel and dice potatoes and add to V-8 mixture. Start simmering over medium heat while chopping the rest of the vegetables. Saute the sliced carrots, chopped onion and bell pepper and the minced garlic in fat free cooking spray. (Reserve some of the onion to serve raw on top of the chili, if desired.) When carrots are crisp-tender, add mixture to chili. Add the beans and stir well. Add seasonings and simmer on low for at least one hour, until potatoes are tender. Stir often to prevent sticking. Serve topped with raw red onion, if desired.

**If you can't find creole seasoning in your grocery store, you can make your own:

Creole Seasoning

Ingredients:

1 (26 oz.) container salt
3 T black pepper
2 T garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 t nutmeg
2 T parsley flakes (crunched)
4 T red pepper (ground) (cayenne)
2 T chili powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container.

1 loaf (16 oz.) frozen bread dough, thawed
1 can (15 oz.) pizza sauce
1 & 1/2 - 2 cups (6 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 10 oz package of frozen spinach
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms , sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

Cook onions, mushrooms and garlic in large skillet for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat until halfway cooked through. Add spinach and cook for about 5 more minutes. Stir 1/2 - 3/4 can of pizza sauce. Roll dough on lightly floured surface into 1-inch circle. Place on greased cookie sheet. Spoon mixture over half the dough to within 1/2 inch of edge. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Moisten edges of dough with water. Fold dough in half over filling. Seal by pressing with tines of fork. Cut slits in top of calzone. Brush with water; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 375 ° for 25 minutes or until golden. Heat remaining pizza sauce and serve with calzone.

Mmmmmm....delicious!

"The key to this recipe is cooking the bell peppers until they’re meltingly tender..."
Active time: 35 min. Start to finish: 45 min.

4 large garlic cloves, minced (I crush them first, then chop)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 large red and yellow bell peppers (3 lb.), cut into 2-inch-long julienne
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lb. penne
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Cook garlic in oil in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Add peppers, wine, and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until very tender, around 20 minutes or longer.
While peppers are cooking, cook pasta in a 6-qt. pot of boiling salted water until al dente and drain. Toss pasta with peppers and season with salt and pepper.
(*Serve with grated Parmegiano Reggiano)!

Serves 4 as a main course.

Gourmet
September 1999