Orange Sherbet Cups with Blackberries

 

All right, I confess...this isn't much of a recipe. There's nothing complicated about it, but these tasty and fun little desserts will be refreshing. You might want to serve them as part of a Halloween dinner or with any other autumn meal. Or you could just have them all year long and not feel the least bit bad about it! These are low fat, but not dairy free because sherbet does use milk products. I cannot vouch for these being gluten-free, however, since ingredients for sherbet may be different according to whoever's manufactured it. Use the juice for immediate consumption or for baked goods!

Orange Sherbet Cups with Blackberries

2 navel oranges, sliced in half

1 pint orange sherbet, slightly softened

Blackberries

Scoop the flesh out of the orange halves or juice them, saving either the flesh or juice for another use. Cut off a very thin slice from the bottom of each shell so that they will sit flat and make it easier to fill (they won't rock around if you do this).

Spoon orange sherbet into the shells and gently press a few blackberries into the sherbet. You can wait until you are ready to serve to put the blackberries on top, but it's easier to arrange them when the sherbet is soft.

Put the shells in the freezer and let them firm up for at least an hour. 

Serve immediately right from the freezer.

Serves 4

Note:  You could make this recipe to serve 2 - simply buy a very large navel orange and scoop half a pint of orange sherbet into each half.

Homemade Chicken Patties

 

Don't be fooled by the name - these aren't really patties, per se, unless you were to flatten them into paillards. These are incredibly simple but tasty breaded chicken breasts seasoned with fresh Parmesan, ground mustard and Lipton's Golden Onion Soup Mix. These can be on your table in half an hour, so it's a quick meal. You can serve these with a multitude of sides, including French fries, baked potatoes, mac 'n cheese, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables... The choice is up to you!

Homemade Chicken Patties

1 envelope Lipton Golden Onion Soup Mix

¾ cup plain dry breadcrumbs

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 tsp. ground mustard

¼ cup flour

1½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts (around 4 breasts)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the soup mix, crumbs, cheese and mustard. Coat the chicken in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in the eggs and then the bread crumb mixture, making sure the chicken is evenly coated.

Place in a lightly greased shallow baking pan or on a lightly greased baking sheet. 

Bake, turning once, 25 - 30 minutes, or until done.

Serve with sides of your choice.

Serves 4

Tortellini Tomato Spinach Soup

If you tire of serving the same old packaged tortellini with a tomato-based sauce, give this recipe a try. Here, instead of a sauce, the tortellini is cooked in broth and made more interesting by the addition of fresh spinach and freshly grated Parmesan (which is optional, but will add a definite new flavor profile). You can use either fresh tortellini or dried tortellini, but keep in mind that if you use a big package of fresh tortellini, you may have to add more liquid to the pot so that the broth doesn't evaporate too much. 

Tortellini Tomato Spinach Soup

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

½ cup minced onion

1 garlic clove, minced

4 - 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (you probably will need the greater amount)

1 (14 oz.) can whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 (9 oz.) package fresh or dried tortellini

10 oz. fresh spinach, or 10 oz. frozen spinach, defrosted and chopped

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Sauté the onion and garlic, stirring often until the onions are translucent, 5 - 7 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes, turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil.

Add the tortellini and cook according to the package directions.

When the tortellini is almost done, add the spinach and taste, adjusting the seasonings if necessary; you probably won't need to add salt because of all the salt in the broth and tortellini, but you might want additional pepper.

Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls or tureens. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of Parmesan, if desired.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Shogayu

I don't usually make a lot of beverages, but this recipe caught my eye and I had to give it a try. Shogayu is a hot, fresh ginger tea from Japan. Ginger is a very healthy and beneficial herb as it helps to soothe nausea and other stomach upset (anti-emetic). It's very lightly sweetened with sugar, but you can use the same amount of honey or any other sweetener desired. The nice thing about this tea is that you can have it whenever you want, and not just when you don't feel well. Do use freshly grated ginger for this, as powdered ginger just will not have the same flavor or zing that fresh ginger has.

Shogayu

2 tsp. freshly grated ginger

2 tsp. sugar (or honey, or 1 packet Truvia)

1 cup hot water

In a mug, combine the ginger and sweetener. Pour in the hot water, stir briefly to combine, then drink immediately.

Serves 1

Peaches and Rice

No need for a big explanation here! This simple dish is sweet, belly-filling and it warms the soul. You can also customize it to suit your tastes. White rice is cooked slowly in milk, sweetened with sugar, and topped with cinnamon. Sliced peaches round off this surprisingly rich meal. However, I will offer a very important opinion - you MUST make this in a double boiler, meaning a TRUE double boiler (the two pot setup with a lid). If you don't have one, go buy one - they're not expensive. This simply cannot be made any other way.

Peaches and Rice

4 cups milk (can use whole, 2%, 1% or skim milk)

1 cup long grain white rice

½ cup sugar (or 12 packets Truvia)

 Pinch of kosher salt (optional)
Sliced peaches packed in 100% juice

In the bottom pot of the double boiler, put in a small amount of water, but not enough to touch the bottom of the upper pot. 

In the upper pot, pour in the milk. Add the rice and salt, if using. Turn the heat to high and get the water to a boil. Let the milk heat through until you see little bubbles forming around the surface of the milk. Make sure to stir every now and then so a skin doesn't start forming at the top. When the milk is sufficiently hot, but not boiling, put on the lid and turn the heat to low.

Cook for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so. After 45 minutes, add the sugar, stirring well to blend. When the rice is sufficiently thick and creamy, it's ready to eat. Spoon the rice into warmed bowls and sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon. Add a few slices of peaches and dig in!

Serves 4

Optional ways to serve this include adding a tiny sprinkle of ground nutmeg, drizzling with a small amount of pure maple syrup, or adding additional milk to the bowl to eat it like a hot cereal.

If you have a big enough double boiler, you can easily double this recipe if you need to feed a hungry family. This can be made as a hot breakfast cereal, or you can eat it for dinner, which is what my family has always done.

Thai Style Turkey Burgers

Burgers can be the perfect thing to play around with when it comes to seasonings, toppings and other additions. Here's a version of a burger involving better-for-you lean turkey paired with some classic Southeast Asian flavorings. You can make it as spicy as you wish, but do exert caution if cooking for a tamer crowd. Serve with a variety of toppings and feel free to add more things to the burgers, like sliced scallions or top it with an Asian-themed slaw. The burgers themselves can be made gluten-free as long as you use reduced sodium tamari instead of regular soy sauce; serve on your favorite GF rolls or serve plain along with sides of your choice plus a dipping sauce.

Thai Style Turkey Burgers

1 onion, cut in ¼" dice

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1½ lb. lean ground turkey (93/7 blend)

1/8 cup reduced sodium soy sauce (or GF reduced sodium tamari)

1 tbsp. sambal oelek (optional) (can sub with Sriracha)

1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained, rinsed and chopped

½ bunch cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Kosher salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Optional Garnishes:

4 slices Cheddar cheese

4 seeded burger buns

4 slices beefsteak tomato

4 slices red onion

Butter lettuce

Sambal oelek mayo (¼ cup mayo mixed with 2 tsp. sambal oelek)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees to keep the first batch of burgers warm.

Heat 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, season with a little salt and cook them for 7 - 8 minutes, until they are fragrant and tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the onions cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, soy sauce, sambal oelek, ginger, water chestnuts, cilantro and the onion mixture. Use your hands to blend everything together until it is well-combined.

Form the turkey mixture into 4 patties. Place the burgers in the pan and do not overcrowd them (they will end up steaming instead of cooking). Cook the burgers for 5 - 6 minutes on each side. If using cheese, place a slice on the burgers and cook for 1 more minute.

Toast the buns in a broiler or toaster (optional). Spread some of the sambal mayo (if using) on each side of the bun. Place a burger on the bottom bun and top with tomato, onion and lettuce. Press slightly to close, then eat immediately.

Serves 4

Orange Ginger Brown Rice

I must thank my dear, sweet man for introducing me to the joys of brown rice. The rich, nutty and delicious flavor is wonderful on its own but readily accepts all sorts of other flavorings and ingredients. This time around, the rice is cooked in vegetable stock and seasoned with the zing of fresh ginger and punctuated with the sweetness of orange zest. The flavor pairings are a bit unusual, but they come together to form a bright, and dare I say, happy side dish. If you want more flavor, you can use chicken stock to cook the rice. This is a naturally gluten-free and vegan dish you can feel good about serving to your family and friends.

Orange Ginger Brown Rice

Canola or extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup brown rice

1 tsp. freshly grated orange zest

1 tbsp. finely chopped or grated fresh ginger

2 cups vegetable stock

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a medium skillet, sweat the onions over medium heat in a small amount of oil until they become translucent.

Add the rice and quickly sauté for 1 minute.

Add the orange zest and ginger and cook for 1 more minute. Add the stock and bring it to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the rice over low heat until it is tender, which could take anywhere from 20 - 45 minutes, depending on the type of rice; most brown rice brands require between 40 - 45 minutes to cook fully.

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Serves 4 - 6