Heather Cooks! IBS Cooking Show - Ethnic Adventures
Heather Cooks currently has three delicious seasons:Fast & Easy Favorites ~ Ethnic Adventures ~ Sweet Treats
Ethnic Adventures offer a culinary trip around the world, with exotic flavors and exciting new tastes! Click any of the links below to try something deliciously different.
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Audience Pick! Italian Bread Salad |
Miso Orange Salmon, Sticky Rice & Avocado Cucumber Salad
Tangy Thai Salad
Italian Bread Salad
Makes 3-4 Servings
Dressing:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced to a paste with a dash of salt
salt and white pepper to taste
Salad:
3 cups stale crusty French or Italian bread, cut into 1/2 inch dice 1/2 lb. fresh ripe tomatoes, diced
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 - 1 cup thinly sliced red onions
1/2 cup packed basil leaves, stems removed, finely shredded
Whisk together all dressing ingredients and set aside.
Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
Caribbean Black Bean Pumpkin Soup & White Rice
The white rice and pumpkin provide a great soluble fiber base for the black beans in this rich and creamy soup. The soup is pureed to minimize the insoluble fiber of the beans, and the many spices are not only delicious but serve as digestive aids.
Makes 2 Servings - recipe doubles or triples easily
1 t olive oil
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1 t allspice
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t dried basil
1 t thyme
1 t ground ginger
1 t mild chile powder
1/2- 1 t salt, to taste
1 T sugar
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (1 1/2 cups)
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (1 1/2 cups)
2 cups vegetable broth
4 T shredded fresh cilantro
2 t fresh lime juice (do not use bottled!)
zest of 1 lime
1 cup fresh cooked white rice (jasmine or basmati work well)
fresh lime wedges - have plenty!
Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add all spices and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add salt, sugar, pumpkin, beans, broth, and 3 T of the cilantro. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 3-5 minutes to meld flavors.
Remove from heat, stir in lime juice and lime zest. Blend in pot with an immersion blender until smooth; alternately, pour soup into a blender and puree until smooth, then return to pot. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls over white rice to serve, topping with remaining 1 T cilantro. Serve with additional lime wedges to squeeze into soup (essential for the best flavor).
Miso Orange Salmon, Sticky Rice & Avocado Cucumber Salad
This dinner is just packed with nutritious foods - and great flavors! The rice provides a safe soluble fiber base for the insoluble fiber of the salad, while the monounsaturated oils in the salmon and avocado are very heart-healthy. The miso offers the cancer-fighting benefits of soy and a terrific mellow sweet-and-salty tang for the marinade.
Rice:
1 cup dry short grain white rice (such as sticky, sushi, sweet, rose, etc.)
1 1/2 cups water
In a medium saucepan, rinse the dry rice with cold water and drain. Repeat 2-3 times until water runs clear. Add the fresh water and place saucepan over high heat until water reaches a full boil. Reduce heat to very low, cover pot, and cook until rice is tender (about 15-20 minutes).
Salmon:
8 oz. fresh salmon fillet (or use black cod, rock cod, or Chilean sea bass)
about 1/3 cup shiro white miso
juice from 1 large orange (use a ponzu orange if you can find one)
dash of orange flower water* to taste
optional garnish - furikake (a Japanese sesame seed and seaweed seasoning)
Salad:
1 small cucumber, peeled and seeded, thinly sliced
2 firm-ripe avocados, thinly sliced
1 small can mandarin orange segments, drained (optional)
handful pine nuts (optional)
While rice cooks, preheat oven to 500F. Place salmon in a foil-wrapped pie plate or baking dish. Set aside.
Cream together the miso with a tablespoon or so of the orange juice, using a fork. Then gradually blend in more orange juice and the orange flower water until you have a thin paste (you should have orange juice left over).
Using a rubber spatula, spread the salmon evenly with miso marinade, reserving about one half to two thirds of miso for salad dressing. Roast salmon in center of oven for about 10 minutes, until just cooked through in center (fish will flake but be very moist).
(Optionally, you can tightly wrap the miso-coated fish with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to two days before cooking. The longer the fish marinates the more delectable it will be.)
Thin the remaining miso marinade with more orange juice until it has the consistency of salad dressing. Arrange sliced avocado and cucumber on serving plates, and drizzle with miso dressing. Top with mandarin orange segments if using, and sprinkle with pine nuts.
Serve salmon with cooked rice, sprinkled with furikake if desired, with avocado cucumber salad on the side.
* Orange flower water is available at some grocery stores in the baking section, or at Middle Eastern or Indian markets, or specialty baking and spice shops.
Tangy Thai Salad
Makes 8 Servings (recipe can be halved easily)
Add the following to a large bowl and let stand for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally:
2 cups TVP (textured vegetable protein, a soy product)*
2 cups boiling water
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce*
Add to TVP mixture and stir thoroughly:
2 scallions, diced (spring onions or green onions)
2 stalks of fresh lemongrass, lower three inches trimmed and finely minced*
1 small bunch fresh basil leaves, stems removed, finely shredded
1 small bunch fresh mint leaves, stems removed, finely shredded
1 large sweet potato, peeled, diced, and steamed/microwaved just until fork-tender
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons Thai fried red onions or shallots*
Make dressing by stirring together the following 4 ingredients until sugar dissolves:
juice of 2 limes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce*
Add dressing to TVP mixture, stirring well. Let sit for 30-60 minutes to develop flavors then serve.
* TVP is available at health food stores and in the bulk section of some grocery stores
* Fish sauce is available in the Oriental or ethnic foods section of grocery stores or at Asian markets
* Fresh lemongrass is available in the produce section of grocery stores or at Asian markets
* Thai fried red onions are available in small plastic tubs at Asian markets
All dietary information is copyrighted by Heather Van Vorous and MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED without permission.
