taste

Below you will find the complete recipies from "Romancing The Flavors Of Tuscany" and also from "Thai One On." These instructional and hands-on classes as well as others are offered at Distinctive Kitchens featuring Chef Angela Miller.

Romancing The Flavors Of Tuscany
Tuscan White Bean & Garlic Soup: Servings: 4; 8 cups
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 sage leaf
2 cans cannelloni beans (15-ounce) drained & rinsed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, cut in ½
½ cup cream
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 slices ciabatta bread
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, about 10 minutes. Pour the soup into a large bowl. Carefully ladle 1/3 to 1/2 of the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Be careful to hold the top of the blender tightly, as hot liquids expand when they are blended. Pour the blended soup back into the soup pan. Puree the remaining soup. Once all the soup is blended and back in the soup pan, add the cream and the pepper. Keep warm, covered, over very low heat.

Place a grill pan over medium-heat. Drizzle the slices of ciabatta bread with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill the bread until warm and golden grill marks appear, about 3 minutes a side. Serve the soup in bowls with the grilled bread alongside.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 192 Calories; 19g Fat (71.5% calories from fat); 12g protein; 5g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 42 mg Cholesterol; 111mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat ½ Vegetable; 3 ½ Fat.

Tuscan Salad: Servings: 6
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 head Romaine lettuce, torn
1 large red pepper, julienned (or roasted red peppers)
1 can cannelloni beans (15-ounce) drained & rinsed
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed, well drained
½ cup pitted black olives
½ cup red onion, cut into slivers
1 lemon, juiced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce shaved Parmesan (about ½ cup)

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until beans are slightly tender. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 2 minutes. Drain the green beans.

In a large bowl, combine the green beans with the lettuce, cannelloni beans, olives, peppers and red onion. Toss to combine. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Top with shaved Parmesan and serve.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 266 calories; 12g Fat (38.3% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 10g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 455 mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 ½ Grain (Starch); ½ Lean Meat; 1 ½ Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 ½ Fat.

Chicken Piccata: Servings: 4
2 Skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in the same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 311 calories; 34g Fat (96.6% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 47 mg Cholesterol; 274 mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 7 Fat.

Lemon Squares
12 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
1 ¾ cups flour, all-purpose, plus 3 tablespoons
2/3 cup powdered sugar, plus more for garnish
¼ cup cornstarch
¾ teaspoon salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest
2/3 cup lemon juice, strained
¼ cup whole milk
2 tablespoons limoncello, or other lemon-flavored liqueur, optional

Lightly butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter and line with 1 sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Butter the top of this sheet of paper with 1 teaspoon of the remaining butter and then lay a second sheet of parchment or waxed paper crosswise over the first sheet. The parchment should be cut large enough so that the sides are even with the top of the baking dish, this extra paper will function as handles to help you remove the lemon squares from the pan later. Set pan aside.

In a large bowl combine 1¾ cups of the flour, 2/3 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, the cornstarch, and ¾ teaspoon of the salt and mix thoroughly. Cut the remaining 12 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Using your hands, 2 forks, or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer the butter-flour mixture to the prepared baking dish and press into an even 1/4-inch layer along the bottom and partly up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the crust is chilling, preheat the over to 350 degrees F.

Bake the crust until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

While the crust is baking, assemble the filling by combining the eggs, granulated sugar, flour and lemon zest in a medium bowl and whisking until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, milk limoncello and remaining pinch of salt and mix well.

When the crust is golden brown, remove it from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Stir the lemon mixture again, then pour onto the warm crust. Bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Grasp the waxed paper that lines the 2 longest sides of the baking dish and remove the bars from the pan by pulling up gently. The entire dessert should easily dislodge and come away from the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and, using a clean knife, cut into squares, wiping knife after each cut. Place a small amount of confectioners’ sugar into a small sieve, and sprinkle the bars with sugar. Sever immediately, or refrigerate, wrapped with plastic wrap, up to 2 days until ready to serve.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 214 Calories; 9g Fat (37.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 68mg Cholesterol; 96mg Sodium. Exchanges: ½ Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 ½ Other Carbohydrates.

Thai One One
Silky-Coconut Pumpkin Soup: Servings: 12
This recipe was adapted from "Hot Sour Salty Sweet" by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. If you cannot find pumpkin, butternut squash is an excellent substitute.

6 shallots, unpeeled (3 to 4)
3 pounds pumpkin (untrimmed), or butternut squash or 1 1/4 pounds peeled pumpkin
2 tablespoons ginger, grated
2 tablespoons red curry paste
4 cups canned or fresh coconut milk
4 cups mild pork or chicken broth
2 cups loosely packed coriander leaves
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons Thai fish sauce, or to taste
Generous grindings of black pepper
1/2 cup minced scallion greens

In a heavy skilley, or on a charcoal or gas grill, dry-roast or grill the shallots, turning occasionally until softened and blackened. Peel, cut the shallots lengthwise in half, and set aside.

Peel the pumpkin and clean off any seeds. Cut into small 1/2-inch cubes. You should have 4 1/2 to 5 cups cubed pumpkin.

Put 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ginger and curry paste and cook 30 seconds. Add the conconut milk, broth, pumpkin cubes, shallots, and coriander leaves and bring to a boil. Add the salt and simmer over medium heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for salt and add a little more fish sauce if you wish. (The soup can be served immediately, but has even more flavor if left to stand for up to an hour. Reheat just before serving.)

Serve from a large soup bowl or in individual bowls. Grind black pepper over generously, and if you wish, garnish with a sprinkling of minced scallion greens. Leftovers freeze very well.

Per Serving (excluding unkown items): 7 Calories; trace Fat (7.2% calories from fat); trace Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 179mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 0 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

Thai Cucumber Salad With Roasted Peanuts: Servings: 6
¼ Cup fresh limejuice
1½ tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)*
1½ tablespoons sugar
1½ tablespoon minced seeded jalapeno chili (about 1 large)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ English hothouse cucumbers, halved, seeded, thinly sliced
¾ cup sliced red onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped lightly salted roasted peanuts

Whisk first 5 ingredients into a medium bowl. Place cucumbers, onion, and mint in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coast. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 23 Calories; trace Fat (2.0% calories from fat); trace Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 2mg Sodium. Exchanges: ½ Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Pad Thai 2: Servings 4
6 ounces flat rice noodles
½ bunch purple basil, leaves whole, stems removed (or any fresh basil)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 ounces firm tofu, diced
1 boneless, skinless whole chicken breast, cut into strips, or 1 pound peeled, de-veined shrimp
Salt
1½ tablespoons paprika
3 eggs, beaten
3 garlic cloves, pureed
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
½ teaspoon roasted Chile paste or red pepper flakes (1/2 to 1)
1 tablespoon dried shrimp
2 tablespoons finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
1 cup bean sprouts
½ cup mint leaves
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 limes, cut into wedges, for garnish

Soften the noodles according to the package directions (noodles usually need to soak in warm water for about 15 minutes), and drain. Set aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil; add the basil leaves and fry just until crisp, about 1 minute. Lift leaves out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to wok. Add the tofu, chicken or shrimp, salt and paprika, and stir-fry until cooked through and browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the eggs and scramble, while shredding them with a spoon, until egg is just set. Transfer everything from wok to a bowl. Wipe out of the wok.

Reheat wok and add remaining tablespoon oil. Add the garlic and stir-fry until aromas are released, about 10 seconds. Add the vinegar, fish sauce, palm or brown sugar and heat through. Add the drained noodles and toss until the noodles have absorbed most of the sauce, about 3 minutes. Add the red Chile paste, dried shrimp, ground peanuts, bean sprouts, and reserved tofu, chick or shrimp and eggs and toss thoroughly.

Transfer the mixture to a platter. Garnish with reserved fried basil leaves, mint leaves, scallions and lime wedges.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 235 Calories; 18g Fat (63.5% calories from fat) 9g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 161mg Cholesterol; 63mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; ½ vegetable; 0 Fruit; 3 Fat; ½ Other Carbohydrate

Coconut Rice Pudding: Servings 4
Use a whole can of coconut if you want more coconut flavor and make up the rest of the liquid with the milk.

1½ cups cold unsalted cooked rice
3 cups whole milk
½ cup well-stirred caned and unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
Garnish: sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Simmer rice, milk, coconut milk, sugar and salt uncovered in a 2½ to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 40 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Serve warm.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 178 Calories; 6g Fat (30.5% calories from fat) 6g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 0 Dietary Fiber; 25mg Cholesterol; 223mg Sodium. Exchanges: ½ Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrate.