Cook Without Book

Yield:  8 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces asparagus and 2 tablespoons sauce)                  Ingredients 2 pounds   fresh asparagus 2  egg yolks 1 cup   water 2 tablespoons   cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon   salt 2 tablespoons   lemon juice 1 tablespoon   margarine Grated lemon rind (optional) Preparation Snap off tough ends of asparagus; remove scales from stalks with a vegetable peeler, if desired. Cook asparagus, covered, in a small amount of boiling water 8 to 10 minutes or until tender; drain. Set aside, and keep warm. Place egg yolks in a small bowl; stir well with a wire whisk. Combine water, cornstarch, and salt in a small, heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Remove from heat; add 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixture to egg yolks, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Add egg yolk mixture to rema...

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup chicken mixture and 1/2 cup rice)                    Ingredients 1 pound   skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips 1/4 cup   orange juice 1 tablespoon   plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch, divided 1 teaspoon   vegetable oil 1/4 cup   chopped cashews 1  (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained 1 cup   chopped green bell pepper (about 1 large) 1/2 cup   chopped green onions (about 2) 1 tablespoon   minced fresh ginger 1 cup   fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons   low-sodium soy sauce 1  (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained 3 cups   hot cooked brown rice Preparation Combine chicken strips, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a medium bowl; cover and chill 1 hour. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cashews; cook, stirring constantly, 30...

                Ingredients 4  dried Chinese (or shiitake) mushrooms 1/4 cup   tree ears, optional 4 cups   canned chicken broth 5 tablespoons   rice wine vinegar 1/4 cup   lean pork (from a center-cut pork chop), cut into julienne strips 1  block firm tofu (about 4 ounces), rinsed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 3/4 cup) 1/3 cup   matchstick-cut canned bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained 2 tablespoons   cornstarch 1  large egg, well-beaten 1 teaspoon   toasted sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon   ground white pepper 1/8 teaspoon   granulated sugar 2 tablespoons   chopped scallions Preparation In a small bowl, soak mushrooms in 1/2 cup hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry; reserve soaking liquid. Cut off and discard stems; slice caps thinly. In a small bowl, soak the tree ears (if using) in 1/2 cup hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry. Remove any h...

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 1 cake and 1/3 cup sauce)                  Ingredients 1 tablespoon   calorie-free sweetener 1 tablespoon   cornstarch 1 cup   orange juice 1/4 teaspoon   vanilla or almond extract 1 1/2 cups   sliced fresh strawberries (about 1 pint) 6  spongecake dessert shells (5-ounce package) Preparation Combine sweetener and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in orange juice. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat, and stir in extract. Cool completely. Combine orange juice mixture and strawberries in a bowl; stir gently. Cover and chill 30 minutes. To serve, spoon sauce over dessert shells. Tip: This luscious sauce is also good spooned over no-sugar-added ice cream, angel food cake, or fat-free pound cake. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 113 Calories from fat: 0.0% ...

Prep Time:  12 minutes Cook Time:  10 minutes Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 cup stir-fry and 3/4 cup brown rice)                      Ingredients 3/4 pound   asparagus spears 3/4 cup   vegetable broth 1/4 cup   low-sodium soy sauce 2 teaspoons   cornstarch 2 tablespoons   sesame oil, divided 1  (8-ounce) package multigrain tempeh (such as White Wave Five-Grain), thinly sliced 4  garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon   crushed red pepper 1  (6-ounce) package sliced shiitake mushrooms 3 cups   hot cooked instant brown rice Preparation Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cut spears diagonally into 2-inch pieces. Set aside. Combine vegetable broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tempeh, and stir-fry 4 to ...

Prep Time:  20 minutes Cook Time:  6 hours Yield:  Serves: 8 (serving size: 1 1/2 cups beef and vegetable mixture, 1/4 cup sauce)                 Ingredients 2 tablespoons   cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon   dried rosemary Salt and pepper 2 1/2 pounds   trimmed beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes 3  large shallots, quartered lengthwise 1 pound   red potatoes (about 2 large), cut into 1-inch cubes 6  medium carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks 4  large ribs celery, cut into 2-inch lengths 8 ounces   shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and quartered 1  14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice 1 cup   low-sodium chicken broth 2 teaspoons   Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup   chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Preparation 1. In a slow cooker, combine cornstarch, rosemary and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Add beef and toss to coat. Stir in shallots, potatoes, carrots, cel...

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 hen half plus 3 tablespoons sauce)               Ingredients Hens: 2  (1 1/2-pound) Cornish hens 1 teaspoon   Spanish smoked paprika (available at specialty-food shops) 1/2 teaspoon   salt 1/2 teaspoon   ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon   freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon   chopped fresh thyme, divided Cooking spray 2  fresh thyme sprigs Sauce: 1 teaspoon   olive oil 1/2 cup   minced red onion 1/2 cup   fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup   port or other sweet red wine 1/4 teaspoon   cornstarch 1/3 cup   dried cherries Additional thyme sprigs (optional) Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 400°. 2. Remove giblets and necks from hens. Rinse with cold water; pat dry. Remove skin; trim excess fat. Split hens in half lengthwise. Combine paprika, next 3 ingredients (through pepper), and 1/4 teaspoon chopped thyme;...

                          Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 15–20 minutes. Yield:  Makes 6 servings (serving size: 2 waffles, plus syrup) Ingredients 1 cup   all-purpose flour 1/2 cup   cornstarch 3/4 teaspoon   baking soda 1/2 teaspoon   salt 1 teaspoon   cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon   ground ginger Pinch ground cloves 1  large egg 1  large egg white 1 1/2 cups   low-fat buttermilk, well-shaken 3/4 cup   canned pumpkin 1/4 cup   dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons   canola oil 1/2 teaspoon   unsalted butter, melted 1/3 cup   chopped walnuts 2/3 cup   pure maple syrup Powdered sugar, for garnish Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine first 7 ingredients (through cloves) in a large bowl. Whisk together next 6 ingredients (through oil) in a medium bowl. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add wet mixture. Stir just unti...

American Chopsuey Noodles, vegetables and chicken in sweet and sour Chinese sauce. Cooking Time:  15-20 minutes Servings:  4   Preparation Time:  15-20 minutes   Category:  Non Veg Ingredients • Noodles 300 grams • Salt to taste • Oil 6 tablespoons + to deep fry • Cornflour/ corn starch 2 tablespoons • Ginger,chopped 1 inch piece • Garlic 3-4 cloves • Onion ,sliced 1 medium • Boneless chicken,cut into thin strips 400 grams • Carrot,cut into thin strips 1 medium • French beans,cut into thin strips 4-5 • Cabbage,shredded 1/4 medium • Spinach,shredded 6-8 leaves • White pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon • MSG 1/4 teaspoon • Sugar 1 teaspoon • Tomato sauce 4 tablespoons • Vinegar 1 tablespoon • Chicken stock 1 cup • Bean sprouts 1 cup • Tofu,cut into thin strips 100 grams • Eggs 4 Method Heat sufficient water, add little salt and one tablespoon of oil and bri...

               Layered Vegetables ala Lasagne Extremely healthy extremely tasty, each vegetable adds its own flavour. Cooking Time:  15-20 minutes Servings:  4   Preparation Time:  20-25 minutes   Category:  Veg Ingredients   • Potatoes,peeled 3-4 medium • Button mushrooms,sliced 15-20 • Green capsicums,roasted 3 • Red pumpkin (bhopla/kaddu) peeled and thinly sliced 300 grams • Fresh spinach leaves (palak) stems trimmed 15-20 • Red capsicums,roasted 2 • Olive oil 6 tablespoons • Onions,sliced 4 medium • Sea salt to taste • Crushed black peppercorns to taste • Cornflour/ corn starch 3 tablespoons • Garlic,chopped 1 tablespoon • Rosemary 1 sprig • Fresh thyme 1 sprig Method Preheat oven to 180° C. Brush the spring form tin with little oil. Thinly slice potatoes vertically. Heat 2 tbsps olive oil in a non stick wok. Add onions and saute. ...