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T O D A Y ' S R E C I P Es
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Appetizer
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Cucumber Dip


1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill until ready to serve. 
Serve with crackers.  This starter is fresh and tasty.

The Skinny:  Use light sour cream


         
CURRIED SWEET POTATO-APPLE PILAF


  1-1/2   teaspoons  olive oil
  1/4     cup  chopped green onions
  1       clove  garlic -- minced
  1/2     cup  long-grain rice -- uncooked
  1       cup  water
  2/3     cup  sweet potato -- peeled and diced
  1       cup  Granny Smith apple -- peeled and cubed
  1/4     cup  frozen green peas
  2       tablespoons  currants
  3/4     teaspoon  curry powder
  1/2     teaspoon  ground cumin
  1/4     teaspoon  salt

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic;
sauté 1 minute. Stir in rice; sauté 1 minute. Add water and sweet potato;
bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid
is almost absorbed. Stir in apple and remaining ingredients; cover and
simmer 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  Yield: 2 servings.

(from Cooking Light)


Per serving: 320 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (11% calories from fat); 6g
Protein; 65g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 303mg Sodium; 5g Fiber
Food Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fruit;
1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates
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Mahogany Short Ribs


Cover the meat in a mixture of teriyaki sauce and prune juice. Refrigerate,covered, overnight.
Remove the ribs from the marinade. Bring the marinade to a boil in a large pot with 1 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns. Lower the heat, add the meat, and cover. Simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
Remove the ribs to a platter. Reduce the sauce for 5 minutes or until syrupy over medium-high heat. Pour it over short ribs. Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 1427 Calories (kcal); 123g Total Fat; (78% calories from fat); 54g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 259mg Cholesterol; 2929mg Sodium; 1g Fiber Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 6 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 20 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates 
Russian Dish



Beef Tongue with Horseradish Sauce (Kholodnyi Iazyk s Khrenom)


1 beef tongue (about 3 lbs, 1.4 Kg)
1 medium onion, quartered
3 Tbs (45 ml) salt
12 whole black peppercorns
3 bay (laurel) leaves
Horseradish Sauce (see below)

Wash the tongue under running hot water and trim off the fatty parts
from the underside.  Place in a large pot with enough water to cover
completely and add the onion, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 hours.  Remove the
tongue from the liquid and rinse under cold water.  Allow to cool, and
remove the skin with a sharp knife.  Discard the skin and the cooking
liquid.  Wrap the tongue in aluminum foil and refrigerate until
thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.  Cut into thin slices and serve
with horseradish sauce.  Serves 8 to 12 as an appetizer.

Horseradish Sauce

8 oz (245 g) prepared white or red horseradish
2 Tbs (30 ml) sour cream
1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Makes about 1 cup (250 ml).
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            K I T C H E N   T I P
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Get several good quality "ice cream" scoops in as many different sizes
as you can find.  The good ones last almost forever and you can use
them for dozens of things besides ice cream.  The smaller ones for
small cookies and meatballs that are all the same size, on up to giant
cookies and meatballs, servings that all come out the same (no more
"he got more than me") of puddings, melon balls, dressing (stuffing).
And they simplify things so much, just scoop and plop!

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Tex-Mex for Two



2 large chicken breast halves, skinned and deboned
1 T. olive oil
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. garlic powder
Salt and pepper

2 burrito size soft flour tortillas
3 T. canned chopped green chilies, drained
1 c. shredded cheddar or Jack cheese

2 c. shredded lettuce
1 med. tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 T. cucumber, finely diced
3 spring onions, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, minced (leaves and tender stems only)
Oil and vinegar dressing to moisten (I use the actor's brand)

1 c. refried beans, heated
1/2 c. guacamole
1/3 c. sour cream

Make 3 diagonal slashes in the chicken breasts on the thick side, turn
over, rotate a quarter turn and repeat.  This allows the meat to cook
more evenly so it doesn't dry out.  Mix together the oil, garlic
powder and cumin and apply liberally to the chicken, working it into
the slashes.  Grill on high heat until done through, being careful not
to over cook.  Remove from heat, salt and pepper to taste and allow to
cool slightly.

Toss together the lettuce, tomato, cucumber onion, cilantro and
dressing, Set aside.

Moisten the tortillas with a bit of water (I use a spritz bottle) and
place on a nonstick cookie sheet.  Cut the chicken into small, bite
size pieces and place meat on one half of each tortilla.  Distribute
the green chilies on top of the chicken and fold the tortillas in
half, butting the long sides of the two tortillas together on the
cookie sheet.  Evenly spread the cheese on top.  Remoisten edges if
they have dried out.  Bake in a hot oven until heated through and
cheese is melted.

On 2 large plates serve the chicken tortilla fold-over, the salad and
the refried beans.  Garnish with dollops of guacamole and sour cream.

I usually serve a cup of diced fresh fruit and a couple of cinnamon
dusted sugar cookies as a dessert with this meal.

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