Tempura Fried Okra w Honey Scallion Dip

Tempting Tempura-Fried Okra
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
3 quarts canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning the okra
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup club soda
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 pounds fresh okra, stems trimmed and okra halved lengthwise
Sweet and Sticky Honey-Scallion Dipping Sauce (see below)

Directions

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over high heat until a deep-fat thermometer reaches a temperature of 350°F.

In a large bowl, mix 11/2 cups flour with the salt and pepper. Add the club soda, egg, and cream of tartar and whisk until smooth.

Coat the okra with the remaining 1/2 cup of flour and shake off any excess. Dip the okra in the batter and then, using a long-handled slotted spoon or tongs, carefully submerge the okra in the oil and fry until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not crowd the pot. Lift the okra from the oil with the slotted spoon or tongs, transfer to a large plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain, and season with salt while hot. Continue frying the okra, letting the oil return to 350°F between batches. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.

Sweet and Sticky Honey-Scallion Dipping Sauce
Makes about 11/2 cups

Ingredients
1 cup sour cream or low-fat Greek-style plain yogurt, drained
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, honey, scallions, and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill, or for up to 1 week. Stir before using.

The Crispiest Tofu

As with most well breaded recipes, you need a three “bowl” workstation for this. I like to use lipped plates, but if you don’t have any, try using cake pans.

Start with marinated tofu. Cut them into whatever shapes you want to eat.



Set up a three bowl work station consisting of: seasoned potato starch, thickened seasoned non-dairy milk, and seasoned home-made bread crumbs.

Mix the following together into each bowl:
Bowl 1:
½ cup potato starch
dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bowl 2:
1 cup unsweetened soymilk
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup chopped parsley (or a combo of other fresh herbs)
dash of salt
dash of hot pepper or allepo pepper

Bowl 3:
1 1/4 cups homemade breadcrumbs (leave your favorite gluten-free bread out on the counter for a day or so, then pulse in a food processor until crumbly).
1/3 cup potato starch
dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder

You'll need:
1 big block of extra-firm tofu, cut into whatever shapes you want to eat and marinated overnight, or as long as possible.
parchment lined baking sheet, greased with 3 tablespoons of neutral oil (like canola).
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425F.
Dredge a few pieces of tofu with the starch mixture in bowl one. Make sure each piece is completed coated with a thin layer of starch, then tap off any extra and move down to bowl two.

Submerge each tofu into bowl two and allow any excess liquid to drip off. Move ‘em down to bowl three.

Pat each piece of tofu in the seasoned breadcrumbs, to completely coat on all sides. Transfer each breaded tofu to the oiled baking sheet.

Repeat the above steps until you’ve breaded everything within reach.

Season the tofu with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.



Bake for about 5 minutes, then carefully flip each piece to allow the other side to absorb some of the oil from the baking sheet. Bake the tofu until the bottoms are brown and crunchy, about 10 minutes, then flip to brown the second side. Keep an eye on these so they don’t burn, you’re going for a deep golden brown.

Dip in yummy things like bbq sauce, low fat Vegenaise, tartar sauce, or be fancy and make remoulade!

The time needed to cook this recipe is a tiny bit more than one hour.

A-mmmm-azing Mini Mushroom Tartlets

Mmmm-azing Mini Mushroom Tartlets

1 cup finely chopped portabella mushrooms
1/3 cup finely chopped white onion
3 T. chopped scallions
3 T. fat free cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 t. chopped garlic
1/8 t. salt
2 dashes black pepper
2 dashes nutmeg
15 mini phyllo dough shells (found in the freezer aisle)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Bring a pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium high heat on the stove. Add mushrooms and onion, and cook until soft. Place mushrooms and onion in small bowl. Add scallions, cream cheese, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix well. Evenly distribute mushroom mixture among the phyllo shells. Arrange shells on a baking sheet sprayed lightly with nonstick spray. Bake in oven for 12 to 15 minutes until edges of tartlets are crisp. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Yum!
Makes 3 servings, 120 calories per serving, points value: 3

Loaded Nachos

The combination of black beans, salsa, and nonfat Greek yogurt makes this version of nachos a multicultural feast without the fat. Serves 4

4 ounces baked tortilla chips,
8 ounces ground MSF burger crumbles and sausage patties
¾ cup fat-free spicy black bean dip
Salt and black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat Mexican style four-cheese blend
1 cup store bought fresh salsa
2/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil, and spread the tortilla chips out on the prepared sheet.
3. Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the burger and cook it until it is just cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir the bean dip into the burger, and season it with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spoon the burger mixture over the chips, and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 6 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and top the chips with the salsa. Drop small spoonfuls of the yogurt on top of the nachos (or serve the yogurt on the side if preferred), and scatter the cilantro on top. Serve immediately.

Mini Spinach Dip Bread Bowls

Found this over at the Picky Palate


Baked Spinach Dip Mini Bread Bowls

13.3 oz roll of refrigerated french bread loaf, I used Simply Pillsbury
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
3 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 Cup light sour cream
2 Tablespoons fresh shredded parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Ancho Chile Pepper
1/8 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Garlic Salt
1/8 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Sicilian Sea Salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 10 muffin cups with non stick cooking spray. Unroll package of french bread loaf and slice into 10 equal size slices, about 1 inch thick. Press each slice into about a 3 inch round, I did this by pressing in between my hands. Press into the bottom and up sides of the muffin cup. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir spinach until wilted, about 3 minutes then add garlic, cook and stir for another minute then turn heat off.

3. Place cream cheese, sour cream, cooked spinach and garlic, Parmesan Cheese, Ancho Chili Powder, garlic salt, salt and pepper into a medium bowl. Mix until well combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dip into each of the centers of bread bowls. Top evenly with shredded cheese and bake for 15-17 minutes until just turning brown on edges. Remove and let cool for 3-5 minutes before removing from oven.

10 mini spinach dip bread bowls

Potato Bruschetta

Try this simple appetizer next time you’re entertaining guests. The potatoes hold up remarkably well, and won’t absorb the moisture from the topping the way toast rounds would.

3-4 large round (not oval) potatoes, washed and cut into disks about 1/2″ thick
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
fine sea salt, to taste
basil-pine nut pesto, as desired (I used about 3/4 cup)homemade or store bought
2-3 large ripe tomatoes, diced
more extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic, for drizzling
2-3 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Put potatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle with the olive oil and sea salt to taste. Toss with your (clean) hands until potatoes are evenly coated. Place the rounds on the cookie sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown on the edges. It’s nice if you can turn the disks over about halfway through, but not essential.

Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the oven and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes until they are cool enough to handle, but still warm. Top each disk with 1-2 tsp of pesto, a good mound of tomato, a slice or two of basil, and a thin drizzle of olive oil. Serve while still warm or at room temperature. These are best eaten the day they’re made. Makes 15-18 appetizers.

Jalepeno Poppers

* 12-18 whole fresh jalapeno
* 1 cup nonfat refried beans
* 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
* 1 scallion, sliced
* 1 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 cup fine cornmeal
* Olive oil or canola oil cooking spray


Preparation

1. Make a small slit on one side of each pepper. Place the peppers in a large microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on High until just softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine refried beans, cheese, scallion and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
3. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, scrape out the seeds with a small spoon (a 1/4-teaspoon measuring spoon works well). Fill each pepper with about 1 tablespoon of the bean filling, or until the pepper is full but not overstuffed (the amount will depend on the size of the pepper). Close the pepper around the filling.
4. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
5. Place flour in a shallow dish. Lightly beat eggs in another shallow dish. Combine cornmeal and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a third shallow dish. Roll each stuffed pepper in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in egg and let any excess drip off. Then roll in the cornmeal mixture. Place the peppers on the prepared baking sheet. Generously coat all sides of each pepper with cooking spray.
6. Bake for 5 minutes. Turn each pepper over and continue baking until hot and the filling starts to ooze in a few spots, about 5 minutes more.

Apricot Canapes

* 16 dried apricots
* 8 teaspoons crumbled blue cheese
* 2 ounces chopped shelled pistachios
* 1/2 teaspoon honey
* Freshly ground pepper


Top each apricots with 1/2 teaspoon cheese. Sprinkle with pistachios and drizzle with honey; sprinkle with pepper.