Glazed Lemon Loaf

Glazed Lemon Loaf
By: Williams-Sonoma

Low in Fat

1 ½ cups flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Finely shredded zest of 1 large lemon
Kosher salt
2 large eggs
½ cup 1% milk
¼ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 ½ Tablespoons)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a bread pan with canola-oil cooking spray.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt until well mixed. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, canola oil, and vanilla until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan. The pan will be about half full.

Bake the bread until it is deeply browned with some golden cracks on top and it feels springy to the touch when pressed lightly in the middle, about 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and insert a thin knife vertically into the bread in 8-10 uniformly spaced places.

To make the glaze, in a small, heavy, nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until mixture is bubbling and frothy on the surface, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour evenly over the surface of the hot bread.

Let the glazed bread cool completely in the pan on the rack. Run a thin-bladed knife around edges to loosen the bread. Carefully invert the bread onto the rack and lift off the pan. Turn upright onto serving plate, slice thinly, and serve. Store the cooled bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Makes 10 servings.

Roasted Asparagus with Toasted Bread Crumbs

Roasted Asparagus with Toasted Bread Crumbs
By: Williams-Sonoma

Low in Saturated Fat- Cholesterol Free

1 bunch asparagus, about 1lb, tough ends removed
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
½ cup fresh, soft bread crumbs, made from day-old coarse bread with crusts removed
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Spread the asparagus in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the thyme. Toss to coat the asparagus evenly.

Roast the asparagus, stirring once halfway through the roasting time, until tender-crisp, 7-10 minutes; the timing will depend on the thickness of the spears.

Meanwhile, place the bread crumbs in a small bowl and drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil; toss to coat. Place a frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the bread crumbs, reduce the heat to medium-low, and toast, stirring, until they are golden, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, the lemon zest, a pinch of salt, and a grind of pepper. Remove from heat.

Arrange the asparagus on a warmed platter and sprinkle the hot bread crumbs over the top. Serve at once.

Makes 4 servings.

Red Bean Puree with Pita

Red Bean Puree with Pita
By: Williams-Sonoma

Low in Fat- Cholesterol free

1 cup dried pinto beans (7oz)
1 small red onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon chile powder
¼ cup tomato sauce (2fl oz)
¼ cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 pita breads
Olive oil for brushing

Pick over the beans discarding any misshapen beans or grit. Rinse the beans, put in a bowl, add water to cover about 3”, and let soak for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Drain the beans. Place the soaked, drained beans in a saucepan and add water to cover generously. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently until very soft, 1-1 ½ hours. Drain well and set aside to cool.

Finely chop the onion and place in a food processor with the beans, cumin, oregano, chile powder, tomato sauce, and cilantro. Process until smooth. Pour into a bowl and stir in ½ teaspoons salt, or more to taste. Season with pepper. You will have about 2 cups.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush 1 side of the pita breads with olive oil and place on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Remove and transfer the pita breads to a wire rack to cool.

Cut each pita bread into 8 equal wedges. Place the bowl of dip on a platter and arrange the pita wedges around the bowl and serve.

Oven-Crisped Chicken

Oven-Crisped Chicken
By: Williams-Sonoma

High in Protein- Low in Saturated Fat

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup panko dry crumbs
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon onion powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg white
1 to 1 ¼ lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut with the grain into strips ¾ inch wide
Canola-oil cooking spray

Remove the center rack from the oven and cover it with a sheet of foil, leaving 1” uncovered on all sides so that heat can freely circulate once the rack is returned to the oven. Brush the foil lightly with the canola oil and set the prepared rack aside. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a wide, shallow dish, stir together the panko, sesame seeds, paprika, onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. In another dish, beat the egg white until foamy. Roll 1 piece of the chicken in the egg white; shake it lightly to release the excess. Then roll it in the seasoned panko, coating evenly and pressing with your fingers to help the mixture adhere. Place the chicken on a plate and repeat until all the chicken is coated.

One by one, coat the chicken pieces on all sides with cooking spray and place them in a single layer on the prepared oven rack. Slide the rack into the center of the oven. Bake the chicken pieces until the coating on the bottom is light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Using tongs turn the chicken pieces and continue to bake until the pieces are golden brown all over and the meat is opaque in the center, 10-12 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and let rest for 10-15 minutes. The coating becomes crisper as it sits. Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings.

Meatloaf

Meatloaf
2 beaten eggs
¾ cup milk
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs (Progresso Plain preferred)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½ lb ground beef

Topping:
¼ cup catsup
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard

In a bowl combine eggs and milk; stir in bread crumbs, onion, parsley, salt, basil, oregano, and black pepper. Add meat; mix well with hands. Lightly pat into a loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes, covered with tin foil.

In a bowl combine the topping ingredients. Spread over meat. Bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.