ArcaMax Recipes 08/26/2005

Chilly Cucumber Soup
Gazpacho Salad
Eggplant Parmesan
Strawberry Parfaits

We hope you enjoy this menu that serves 6 to 8.

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Appetizer
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Chilly Cucumber Soup

2 large seedless cucumbers
1 and 1/2 cup cream
16 oz. sour cream
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup green onions
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. celery salt
4-5 drops Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic croutons

Peel cucumbers and grate with a hand grater or food processor.
Combine cream, sour cream, lemon juice, dill, green onions,
Worcestershire sauce, celery salt and Tabasco and mix well.
Add cucumbers and mix. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt
and pepper. Garnish with croutons

The Skinny: Use fat free Half and Half in place of the cream
and low fat sour cream.
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Main Course
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Gazpacho Salad

6 Roma or plum tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
3 - 4 stalks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp. hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cucumber, black olives
green pepper and celery and toss. Combine garlic, vinegar, olive
oil, parsley, basil, hot sauce and salt and pepper in a cruet and
shake well. Just before serving, pour olive oil mixture over
tomato mixture and toss.

The Skinny: How can you improve on near perfection?

Eggplant Parmesan

3 - 4 large eggplants sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 cup flour
4 eggs, beaten
1 and 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp. ground oregano
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
1 32-oz jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz. pasta noodles cooked to make about 4 cups

Dredge eggplant slices through flour and then beaten eggs. Combine
breadcrumbs, parsley, oregano, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.
Dredge eggplant through breadcrumb mixture. Spray a large shallow
baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place eggplant slices in
baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven
and pour spaghetti sauce over eggplant and sprinkle with
mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 10 - 15
minutes at 350 degrees. Serve over hot pasta.

The Skinny: Use your favorite egg substitute and low fat cheese.
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Dessert
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Strawberry Parfaits

2 - 3 pints fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
16 oz. vanilla yogurt
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Whipped topping
6 - 8 parfait glasses or other clear glasses

Combine yogurt, cream cheese and lemon juice and mix well. Place
about 1/4 cup of mixture at the bottom of each parfait glass,
followed by strawberries and more yogurt mixture. Finish with
strawberries and top with whipped topping.

The Skinny: Use fat free yogurt, low fat cream cheese and fat
free whipped topping. For those who may not know, whipped
topping is a prepared substance somewhat like whipped cream.
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Grocery List
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2 large seedless cucumbers
1 and 1/2 cup cream
16 oz. sour cream
1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup green onions
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. celery salt
4-5 drops Tabasco sauce
Garlic croutons
6 Roma or plum tomatoes, chopped
1 onion
2 cucumbers
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
1 green pepper
3 - 4 stalks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup and 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp. hot sauce
3 - 4 large eggplants
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 and 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tsp. ground oregano
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 32-oz jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz. pasta noodles cooked to make about 4 cups
2 - 3 pints fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
16 oz. vanilla yogurt
8 oz. cream cheese
Whipped topping