Mango Frozen Yogurt

Third recipe of the day! Just wanted to see if this would work. And it did. Yum. Like a frozen lassi.

Mango Frozen Yogurt

About 2 cups frozen mango chunks (Trader Joe's has them, or freeze your own)
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt. I used 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt and 1/4 cup nonfat, because that's what I had on hand, but I imagine all nonfat would work too.
3/8 cup sugar (or less--taste your mangoes)
3 tbsp rosewater

Combine all ingredients in a heavy-duty blender. Puree (some small mango chunks are nice, though). Pour into a large resealable container, leaving plenty of headroom. Freeze one hour, while you go for a walk and get caught in a huge downpour. Wait under a tree for a while. When the rain stops, walk home. Stir the frozen yogurt. You can eat it now, like a soft soft-serve, or continue freezing (stirring occasionally) until it is the desired firmness.

Makes about 2 cups.

Zinc Salmon

Made this for Shabbat but didn't manage to take a picture before dinner. I had seen a fish-with-tahini recipe recently, and thought it might work well. But tahini is kind of bitter on its own, so I wanted to sweeten it a little bit. And my boyfriend recently moved a bottle of molasses into my house that I wanted to experiment with... Turns out that molasses is an ideal complement to tahini--they both have that little bitter edge. This got great reviews--I'm looking forward to trying it again. Not what you'd call a lowfat or low calorie dish, but good for a party.

Be warned that the quantities are approximate--more of a suggestion than a recipe.
PS I'm calling it Zinc Salmon because a Google search for "sesame and molasses" informs me that--get ready--both are great sources of zinc.

Zinc Salmon

About 3 1/2 lb salmon filet (enough for about 8ish people)
About 1/2 cup tahini
2 tbsp molasses
3 lemons, or enough to cover the bottom of your pan(s) in slices
2 tbsp sesame seeds
One sweet onion, thinly sliced
A little neutral oil to cook the onion

Saute the onion until it is translucent. Add the sesame seeds to the pan, stir well to coat the onion, and cook until the onion and seeds begin to color. Remove from heat.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the lemons thinly and cover the bottom of the pan with the slices. Lay your fish filet or filet pieces on top of the lemons. In a small pitcher or bowl, mix the tahini and molassess. Add water by the tablespoon until the mixture is pourable. Spread a thin layer over the fish with the back of a spoon. Spread the onion-sesame seed mixture evenly over the fish. Drizzle with the remaining tahini-molasses mixture.
Roast about 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filet. Let cool to room temperature before serving. You can eat the lemon slices or not, as you see fit.

Serves 8-10.

Crispy-Crust Onion Tart

This crust, leavened with baking powder, is what you make when a yeast dough would take too long. I debated for a long time about whether it should be just onions and cheese, or include tomato sauce... settled on a thin spread of tomato paste mostly to keep the onions attached, which was good because it improves the texture of the crust. NB: Spread the sauce and toppings closer to the edge than in the photo--the crust has a very nice, light, crisp texture under the soft toppings, but is pretty tough on its own. Enjoy!

Crispy Crust Onion Tart

Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2/3 cup water, plus or minus a little
cornmeal or sesame seeds to keep it from sticking to the pan

Topping:
3 oz. (half a small can) tomato paste
1 medium sweet onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp cumin
2 small sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 cup crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix together flour, oil, baking powder, salt, and water in a bowl until it comes together in an elastic, but not sticky, ball. If too dry, add water by tablespoons-full; same for flour if it's too wet. Knead about ten times. Put aside.

Saute the onions in some olive oil until starting to color. Add the cumin and cook a few minutes longer, but do not let burn.

Roll the dough out into a circle around a foot in diameter. Stretch it with your hands if that is easier. Place it on a round cookie sheet you have sprinkled with cornmeal or sesame seed. Spread a thin layer of tomato paste on top. Top with the onions and rosemary.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with feta, and return to oven for about 15 more minutes, or until crust is beginning to be golden.

Serves two.


EDIT (July 2, 2008): if you HAVE yeast, but just don't have much time, use the yeast and only let it rise while you cook the onions--it is much tastier!

Creamy Cheesy Spaghetti Squash

Today I really wanted something cheesy for lunch, but my options were limited as I haven't grocery shopped in a while. Found a small, forgotten spaghetti squash in the fridge, and a little bit of left-over Parmesan...

Creamy Cheesy Spaghetti Squash

2 cups cooked spaghetti squash (from a squash not too much larger than a grapefruit; to cook quickly, cut in half and microwave about 10 minutes face-down on a plate with a little water)
1/3 to 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
dash of nutmeg

In your lunch bowl, mix yogurt, cheese, and nutmeg. Add the 2 cups cooked squash, and mix thoroughly. Microwave about 20 seconds, until just heated--do not overheat or the yogurt may curdle. Eat as a main-course lunch, or alternately as a rich side dish at dinner.

Serves 1

Coleslaw

I have never liked coleslaw, but in the last few weeks, I suddenly can't get enough. Finally today I decided to make my own, so I can satisfy my coleslaw cravings at home. First time I've ever bought cabbage! I had no mayo, so used yogurt--practically indistinguishable, but if anything, it tastes better.

Coleslaw

1/3 head green cabbage
1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of garlic powder
three good shakes paprika (regular, not smoked)


Shred the cabbage into a large bowl. In a small pitcher, mix the yogurt, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and paprika. Pour over shredded cabbage and mix thoroughly.

Serves 3 generously.