ArcaMax Recipes 04/14/2004

Smoked Salmon Canapes
Mediterranean Chicken
Zucchini with Thyme and White Wine
Easy Cherry Crumb Pie

Appetizer

Smoked Salmon Canapes

1 cup butter
3/4 cup fresh dill sprigs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 French baguettes
8 oz. smoked salmon, sliced very thin

Let butter sit out of refrigerator to reach room temperature.
If necessary you can always place butter in a dish and
microwave for a minute or two until butter becomes soft.
Remove dill leaves from large sprigs. Add dill, garlic and
salt to food processor. Process until chopped. Add butter
and process until smooth. Slowly add lemon juice while
processing until mixed completely. Remove butter from
processor and scrape sides to get as much as possible.
Refrigerate butter until ready to use.
Cut baguettes into very thin slices, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide
with a very sharp bread knife. Spread a small amount of the
dill butter on each slice and top it with a small piece of smoked
salmon. Arrange on a platter and serve. If you would like to
really dress these up, you can sprinkle a small amount of caviar
on top of each canape. We had these on New Years Eve and they
were wonderful. This is a traditional starter to serve with
champagne.

The Skinny: Not much to do here.

Main Course

Mediterranean Chicken

6 - 8 boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 - 6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup ripe olives, pitted and sliced
1/3 cup dry red wine
2 - 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 tsp. dried oregano
2/3 cup Feta or goat cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet and add garlic and chicken. Simmer
until chicken juices are no longer pink. Add parsley, olives,
red wine, diced tomatoes and oregano. Simmer for 15 minutes
over low heat. Sprinkle with Feta or goat cheese and allow cheese
to melt, Serve with rice or pasta. We had this over the past
weekend and it was just great. It even passed the Jungle Boys
test (our 7 and 9 year olds liked it).

The Skinny: Feta and goat cheese are lower in fat than most
cheese and the little bit of oil is olive oil which is better for
you than other oils. You could cut out the olives but they really
do add flavor, color and texture to this dish. We used whole
wheat pasta which is supposed to be good for you.

Zucchini with Thyme and White Wine

1 and 1/2 pounds fresh zucchini
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute zucchini, garlic and onion in a saucepan until zucchini is
crisp-tender. Add parsley, thyme, wine and salt and pepper and
simmer over very low heat covered for about 20 minutes.

The Skinny: Again, not much to do here. If you cannot use white
wine substitute the same measure of apple juice.

Dessert

Easy Cherry Crumb Pie

1 - 9 inch pie crust
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. cold water
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1/2 cup quick-cook oats
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter

Combine cornstarch and water and stir until smooth. Add cherry
pie filling and mix. Pour into pie crust. Combine oats, flour,
brown sugar and butter and mix to create a crumbly mixture.
Sprinkle over cherry pie and bake for 30 - 40 minutes at 350
degrees. Allow to cool before serving.

The Skinny: Use your favorite sugar substitute.

Grocery List

1 and 1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup fresh dill sprigs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 French baguettes
8 oz. smoked salmon, sliced very thin
8 - 10 boneless chicken breasts
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 - 7 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup ripe olives, pitted and sliced
1/3 cup dry red wine
2 - 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 tsp. dried oregano
2/3 cup Feta or goat cheese
1 and 1/2 pounds fresh zucchini
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 - 9 inch pie crust
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1/2 cup quick-cook oats
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar