BE COOL–GRILL FISH

Growing up in a coastal resort, I learned to appreciate fresh fish at a young age. It wasn’t long before I realized that seafood, in general, is more featured on menus in summer than winter. It seems logical that a town which depends, seasonally, on the ocean for its economy and entertainment, would rely on the sea as a major food source at that time of year, and most seaside communities still do.

However, with modern transportation and freezing methods, fresh fish is available anywhere at any time nowadays and in quantity too. Our growing interest in healthy eating, and awareness of seafood’s nutritional values have made it very popular, but there is still more sold in warm weather than cold. So there must be another reason why seafood is considered a good summer food.

My guess is that it’s the epitome of the “fast, easy, fresh” meal everyone wants, especially in summer. It’s certainly easy; the pieces are sold ready for cooking without needing additional cleaning or trimming. Since it must be cooked within a day of purchase, or as soon as thawed, it’s the freshest of meats served. As for ‘fast’, although seafood can be cooked in every possible way, in all of them the required time is measured in minutes not hours, no matter the cut. There’s no leaning into a hot oven to baste, or stirring a stew pot in hot weather. In fact, depending on the choice of sides, little time need be spent in the kitchen, particularly if outdoor grilling is an option.

However, if it isn’t, the following recipes are acceptable for indoor or outdoor grilling, which includes contact grills and grill pans. Of course, if you can’t or don’t grill, oven broiling is another option. The recipes are also adaptable for use with different types of fish. The point is that fish is a quickly prepared choice for a summer meal, particularly so when grilled.

There are a few general rules for cooking fish including grilling. The most accepted are those set by the
Canadian Department of Fisheries, recommended by top chefs from James Beard to Steven Raichlen and Bobby Flay.
1) Regardless of method, cooking time should be 10 min. per inch of thickness of the fish at its thickest point. If you have a whole fish 4 inches thick, you will cook it 40 min.; a steak 1 ½ inches would take 15 min. or 7 ½ min. per side and a thin fillet ½ inch thick would be 5 min. or 2 ½ per side. (I tend to be more cautious here and allow 3 min. per side.) Tongs are great to turn fish steaks but if I’m doing thin fillets on an outdoor grill, I use a ‘fish holder’; a grill accessory with a long handle, which holds the fish between two rectangular pieces of metal mesh, making flipping them during cooking without breaking them easy.
2) Preheating is required. The element should be hot, and for outdoor grilling the grill surface should be 3-5 inches from the heat, with a 2-3 Mississippi fire. Contact grills and pans take about 3-5 min.to reach the desired temperature.
3) Lightly oil the surface just before you put the fish on to cook, not when you start the grill.
4) Remember contact grills take half the time because they cook both sides at once.
5) To get cross-hatch marking, rotate the fish ¼ turn half-way through cooking each side

As stated, grilling recipes can be used for different fish within the same categories. Acceptable substitutions would be for example:

A. Full flavored with firm meaty texture and high in omega-3 fatty acids: tuna, marlin, swordfish, shark
B. Mild tasting, lean, fine flake and sweet flavor: sole, flounder, tilapia, halibut, orange roughy
C. Mild tasting, lean, large flake, and sweet flavor: cod, haddock, bass, rockfish, ocean perch,
D. Firm, moderate flavor and medium oil content: snapper, catfish, monkfish (can also be substituted for lobster in some recipes)
E. Rich oily fish, firm flake and medium to strong flavor depending on species: salmon, wild or farmed, trout, arctic char, steelhead

Grilled Swordfish with Peppers: Serves 4
(4) 1 ¾ lb. swordfish steaks or others in ‘A’ as well as halibut about 1 inch thick
1 large red bell pepper in julienne strips
1 large green bell pepper in julienne strips
1 small onion thinly sliced
2 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. lemon juice
¼ cup grated Parmesan
2 Tbs. shredded basil
2 Lemons in wedges for serving
Salt and pepper
Set grill rack about 5 inches from heat and preheat. Generously sprinkle pepper over fish. Melt butter and sauté pepper strips and onion until tender and golden, remove from heat, add salt if needed and reserve. Oil grill and cook fish 5 min. on first side, sprinkling with ½ the lemon juice before turning. Sprinkle the rest of the juice over the fish and cook 5 min more or until it flakes easily. Top fish with peppers, then garnish with cheese and basil before serving with lemon wedges on the side.

Grilled Whole Fish in Beurre Blanc Sauce: Serves 8
3 ½ lb. cleaned fish with head and tail left on, salmon or trout
3 Tbs. canola oil
1 small onion in small dice
2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
½ cup butter
¼ cup white wine
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
Place grill about 5 inches from heat and preheat. Lightly oil a wire broiling basket. Place fish in basket and drizzle with oil and cook about 5 min. then turn, cook 5 min. more, repeating until fish has been cooked the required time-about 20 min. total. To prepare sauce, place vinegar, onion and wine in a saucepan and simmer until onion is tender and liquid reduces slightly. Gradually blend in butter to make a smooth sauce. Serve fish hot, with sauce drizzled over, garnished with parsley.

Grilled Salmon with Watercress Sauce: Serves 4
4 salmon steaks ¾ inch thick
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Salt and Pepper to taste
Watercress Sauce
Sprinkle salt, pepper and marjoram on both sides of fish steaks. Preheat grill, place 4 inches from heat and lightly oil. Grill fish about 3-5 min. per side, until lightly browned and it flakes easily. Serve with sauce.
Watercress Sauce: Yield 1 cup
½ cup packed watercress leaves
½ cup packed fresh parsley
2 medium shallots-diced
1 small onion – diced
½ Tbs. wine vinegar
1 ½ Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. tomato juice
Place vegetables and herbs in a processor and process 3 times with on/off . Scrape down bowl sides and pour oil over mixture, add vinegar and puree 3 sec. Pour juice in through tube and puree until smooth. Chill before serving with fish.

Grilled Tuna with Rosemary-Caper Butter: Serves 4
(4) 1 inch thick tuna steaks
Oil to coat grill rack
1/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 Tbs. chopped capers
¼ tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. dried, powdered rosemary + fresh sprigs for garnish
1/8 tsp. Dijon mustard or spicy brown
Mix last 5 ingredients together and chill. Preheat grill and lightly oil rack placed about 4 inches above heat. Grill tuna steaks 5 min. per side. To serve, top steaks with a portion of the butter and optionally, garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.

Grilled Scallops with Creamy Corn Sauce: Serves 4*
1 ½ lb. sea scallops
1 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 Tbs. finely chopped, toasted walnuts
Rinse he scallops well and pat dry. Thread sidewise on double skewers to prevent twisting. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat on a preheated, oiled grill rack 2-4 min. per side, depending on grill until just golden. To serve, remove from skewers and serve sitting on corn sauce.

Corn Sauce: Yield about 2 cups
(1) 15 oz. can creamed corn
1 small onion diced
¼ tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro
1Tbs. cornstarch
Put all the ingredients but the cornstarch in a blender and puree until fairly smooth. Place mixture in a saucepan, add cornstarch and simmer gently until sauce thickens. Taste for salt, pepper and sugar adjusting if necessary. Can be made ahead and stored cool, but should be rewarmed before serving. To serve, spoon sauce on plates and place scallops on top. Garnish with finely chopped, toasted walnuts
*Adapted from ‘Grilling’ by Steve Raichlen

Barbecued Shrimp: Serves 6
24 large shrimp-cleaned, tails on
12 slices of bacon – halved crosswise
24 pieces of onion 1 ½ inch x 1 ½ inch
2 Tbs. EACH brown sugar, soy sauce and dry sherry
½ tsp. EACH chili powder, powdered ginger and salt
3 cloves chopped garlic OR 1 tsp. powdered garlic
Wrap the bacon pieces around the shrimp and skewer shrimp sidewise to secure bacon, alternating with the onion pieces. Combine the rest of the ingredients for the marinade and pour into a baking sheet with sides or broiler pan. Lay skewered shrimp flat in the pan and marinate, turning regularly for at least 1 hr. Cook over high heat about 3 min. per side, until bacon is crisp. Pour marinade into a saucepan and heat to a simmer, then cool to serve as a dipping sauce.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE July 4TH DESSERTS

America’s three national, patriotic, summer holidays all prominently display the flag, but only on the Fourth of July is the red, white and blue festively draped everywhere. That includes everything from clothing to decorations, especially table decorations, to the actual food served. Of course it’s pretty hard to plan an entrée in those colors. The red and white are easy, but a blue item is a tough one. On the other hand, devising a red, white and blue dessert is easy.

Magazines and T.V. shows are filled with recipe ideas for brightly colored sweet treats. The white frosted, berry decorated ‘Flag Cake’ always makes an appearance, as do colored ice creams and ices but you don’t have to depend on searching for recipes. It’s simple to convert many of your favorite desserts into suitable holiday offerings.

To illustrate my point, I’m changing some of the desserts I offered in my post on Father’s Day Desserts, 6/15/17 and then adding a few more to show that getting the color scheme right is just a matter of choosing the right ingredients. I have several dessert posts on the Home Page panorama as well. Just click on the photos there, such as 5/12/16, or search the Archives for suitable posts.

RECIPES

Lilly’s Ice Cream Cake: Serves 8-10 Our family favorite is spice cake, with coffee ice cream and caramel sauce but many flavor combinations will work. For July 4^th I suggest vanilla Ice cream and red or blue velvet cake**with a sauce of strawberries or blueberries*See NOTE below.
(1) 2 1/2 quart freezer proof mold or large round, deep mixing bowl
Layer pans, tube pan or sheet cake pan to bake the cake
1 box of cake mix, cooked according to directions, cooled and removed from the pan(s)
½ gal—Or 1.5 qt. container ice cream.
1 pt. strawberries or blueberries for sauce
Bake the cake according to box directions, remove from pans and cool.
Soften ice cream to consistency of whipped topping.
Rinse bowl or mold with water and shake out excess but do not dry. The film of water freezes and forms a protective coating on the container that makes it easier to unmold the finished dessert.
Smear a dollop of softened ice cream over the bottom of the mold. If it has a decorative top be sure to fill it all in. Then begin to fit chunks of the cake into the mold in layers. Be sure to separate the layers of cake, the pieces of cake in the layers and the cake pieces from the sides of the mold with enough ice cream that they don’t stick together or become exposed when the dessert is unmolded.
Also, have a thick enough layer of ice cream on the bottom of the mold to form a firm base when plated for serving. Both cake and ice cream should be used up.
Freeze the mold for several hours or overnight.
Remove from freezer and dip the mold in a larger bowl, or pan, of hot water, for the count of ten (10). Cover the bottom with a serving plate and invert to unmold.
Serve at once or store in the freezer until needed.
Pass appropriate fruit sauce on the side.
*NOTE: To make a strawberry sauce, slice the berries, sprinkle with sugar and allow to sit for 20-40 min. Store chilled. For blueberries, sprinkle with sugar, add 2 Tbs. water and simmer over medium low heat until berries begin to break apart. Cool and store chilled.
** Red Velvet cake is available in mix form. Some recipes for Blue Velvet cake are:
1) If your Red Velvet Cake recipe calls for 2 oz. of Red food coloring, you would substitute 1 ounce Royal Blue gel paste food color, PLUS 2 drops violet gel paste food color. This will give you the proper color for a Blue Velvet Cake.

2) Really simple Velvet cake (use any color(s) you prefer)
using boxed white cake mix and chocolate pudding mix:
–1 (18.25 ounce/517 g) package white cake mix
–1 (3.5 ounce/99 g) package non-instant chocolate pudding mix
Directions
–Preheat oven to 350* F (175* C).
–Prepare cake according to package directions, substituting half of the water called for with buttermilk (approximately 1/2 cup/118 cm).
–Stir in pudding mix and food coloring.
–Pour into cake pan(s) and bake according to package directions.

3) Velvet cakes are the same, except different food colorings are used. The only thing that sets a “velvet” cake apart from a traditional cake is that it contains buttermilk, food coloring and (typically) a darker chocolate/cocoa powder but it doesn’t have to, see recipe#2 above using pudding. If one is out of buttermilk, using a Tbsp. of white vinegar and regular milk will be the same.
NOTE: The easiest option will probably be best here, since the cake is part of the dessert, not the focus.

Summer Berry Pudding – Serves 4-6
2 lbs. mixed berries-strawberries sliced if large
8 oz. raspberries
¾ cup sugar
8 slices white bread
Topping of choice to serve
Cut the crusts off the bread and use it to line the bottom and sides of a 4 ½ cup sized bowl, making sure there are no gaps between slices. Bring the mixed berries and the sugar to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 8 min stirring once. Spoon the fruit into the lined bowl, add in as much juice as it will hold, making sure some gets around the sides of the bowl. Cover the top of the bowl with the remaining bread and place in a pan to catch juice overflow. Put a plate on top of the bowl and weigh it down with cans. Refrigerate overnight. Puree the 8 oz. raspberries with enough of the remaining berry juice to have a sauce consistency. Strain and chill. When ready to serve, unmold the pudding on a serving plate and pour some sauce over. Garnish with a dollop of topping and offer the rest and the sauce in bowls to add. Cut in slices to serve.

A RUSTICA, or GALETTE, is the easiest type of pie to make. This is a short version of the recipe from my book Dinners with Joy:
If making the crust: mix 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, cut in 1/3 cup shortening, add 3 to 4 Tbs. ICE water to form dough, and roll to a 12 inch round.
If buying the crust: roll only to 10 inches. *
Transfer to a parchment or foil covered cookie sheet, or bake in a pizza pan.
Depending on size, fill the center with a 1 lb. to 1 ½ lb. fruit, leaving a 2 to 3 inch margin. (Apples pears and peaches should be peeled and sliced. Plums can be halved and stoned.)
Dot fruit with ½ Tbs. butter.
Sprinkle with 1 Tbs. cornstarch, 1 Tbs. sugar and ½ tsp. lemon juice.
Carefully fold edges of pastry up around filling, pleating as you go. The edges can be brushed with cream or egg white and sprinkled with sugar as decoration.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 min. Cool on sheet; preferably on a wire rack.
This can be moved to a plate for serving, but as the name implies, it’s a “rustic” or casual pastry. I like to bake it and serve it in a pizza pan.
This herb ensures enhanced blood supply to getting viagra in canada your body. However, treatment of generic sildenafil india stress can be done by some simple measures: Time-off: Take time off from your busy schedules and deadlines, just laze around and let yourself be. Let’s generic cialis buy icks.org discuss them briefly one by one. It offers effective my link canadian cialis online treatment for reproductive disorders of men. * Whole berries rend more juice than other fruits sliced. It’s advisable to bush the inside of the pie shell with beaten egg to prevent it’s becoming soggy. Another and perhaps more decorative solution is to roll the pastry into a rectangle and crimp the corners to make 1inch>1 ½ sides. Then arrange the fruit in rows, top as recommended and bake at 425 deg. for 15-20 min. and 325 deg. for an additional 15-20 min. until crust is golden and fruit bubbles.

FRUIT PIZZA:
Make dough as instructed above, increasing sugar to ½ cup and shortening to 2/3 cup.
If buying; purchase a roll of sugar cookie dough, not pie dough. Roll dough to fit a pizza pan, prick several times with a fork and bake as for cookies, 350 degrees for 10 to 12 min. until lightly browned, or as directions on package state.
Cool completely in pan.
Decoratively arrange raw fruit over the crust. The amount you will need depends on the chosen fruit, roughly about 1 ½ lbs. For July 4^th use a combination of strawberries and blueberries. Top with a glaze made from a clear jelly, apple or current, melted with 1 Tbs. water per ¼ cup jelly. For a thicker glaze dissolve ¼ tsp. cornstarch in 1 Tbs. water per ½ cup jelly, which is the amount I use for one of these. Boil until clear and spoon over the fruit. Chill until completely set. To complete the color scheme pass whipped cream, or ice cream.

Strawberry-Blueberry Buckle: Serves 8
½ cup butter or margarine-at room temperature-1/4 cup reserved
1 cup sugar-1/2 cup reserved
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups flour-1/2 cup reserved
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ cup milk
1 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced strawberries
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
Whipped cream or ice cream for topping
Cream non-reserved butter and sugar; blend in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl stir together non-reserved flour, baking powder and salt, Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with milk and stir to blend. Pour batter into a prepared 9 inch square pan, arrange fruit over top. Combine remaining flour, sugar and spices, cut in butter until mix is crumbs. Scatter the fruit over and bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 35-45 min. until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or room temperature with topping.

Puff Pastry Tower:
2 sheets of puff pastry – 1 box
(1) 1 pt. strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or a mixture
1 tub whipped topping, 1 can whipped cream or 3 cups vanilla ice cream
Powdered sugar
Cut each puff pastry sheet into 4 equal squares and bake as directed. Cool. Put 2/3 cup of the ice cream or equal proportion of the cream or topping on each of 4 squares. Top with some of the berries, and cover with another square at a tilted angle. Put a small dab of the creams or topping on the upper squares and add the rest of the berries. Garnish with sprinkled powdered sugar.

Wrapper Fruit Cups: Makes 12
24 Wonton Wrappers
2 cups raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or strawberries sliced
2 cups yogurt- vanilla or lemon Or 1 pkg. instant pudding and pie filling – flavor optional*
2 Tbs. melted butter
Cooking oil
Powdered sugar
With a little oil on a paper towel, lightly coat the inside of each muffin cup in two 6 cup pans. Lay one wonton wrapper on a diagonal in each cup and lightly butter it. Butter the remaining 12 wrappers and lay them on top of the first in the cups on an opposite diagonal making sure the points form sides to the cups. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 10 min. Cool and remove from pan. Mix I cup berries into the yogurt or pudding and spoon into the cups. Top with remaining berries and garnish with sugar. Serve at once.
*To keep with the color scheme of the occasion, pick a white or off-white colored flavor-vanilla or coconut for example.

Finally two old favorites of mine:
Angel Berry Nest: Serves 6-8
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla or almond flavoring.
2 drops of white or cider vinegar
Beat the egg whites into peaks, adding the vinegar to temper them half way through, then add the
flour and the cornstarch, finally the sugar in 3 parts while beating until stiff glossy peaks form.  Draw an 8 or 9 inch circle on parchment or waxed paper. Put the paper on a cookie sheet and fill the circle, with the beaten whites, using the back of a fork to indent the center and raise the sides to form a nest.  Bake at 250 deg. for 60 min. Leave in oven for 30 min. then cool on a wire rack and store airtight. To serve, fill the center with sliced fresh fruit or berries.

Easy Berry Cake: Serves 4-6
1 purchased pound cake
8 oz. tub of Whipped Topping
1pt. box of strawberries
1pt. box blueberries
Save several nice strawberries and blueberries for decoration. Put the blueberries to the side. Slice the rest of the strawberries and sprinkle with sugar. Allow to rest for a few hours for the juice to extract itself. Just before serving, cut the cake into 3 layers. Spread first with 1/3^rd of the whipped topping, spoon ½ the sliced strawberries over it allowing the juice to drip down the sides, sprinkle with some blueberries. Repeat with 2^nd layer. Finish with 3^rd layer topped with the rest of the whipped topping and the reserved decorative berries arranged over the top.

Can I help? BOOK PROVIDES SUMMER FUN, BONDING WITH CHILDREN

If a bored child wanders into a kitchen and asks Can I help? it’s a plea to be given an activity, but if a slightly knowledgeable one asks the same question, it’s a welcome offer of assistance. The neat thing is that the first child can become the second with a little time, effort and a lot of pleasure. All that’s needed is a receptive mood and the best time to find that is during summer vacation.

I confess, I always looked forward to summer vacation as much as the kids did. During the winter, the gathering dusk in the afternoon creates an urgency to get things done before day’s end, whereas summer’s increased hours of daylight make anything seem possible. The elongated, sunlit evenings are especially relaxing.

Without academic pressures, dinner is no longer a fueling session compressed between after school activities and adequate time for homework before bed. It can be later and leisurely enjoyed, offering a daily bonding opportunity. So why not extend this chance to bond to include the prep time as well? After all, it’s a fact that enjoying the fruits of joint labor is a great way to build relationships. Nowadays cooking intrigues boys as much as girls, as I learned from my children and their friends, so the whole family can benefit from the experience.

Psychologists claim habits are formed in three weeks. Hopefully, by September, helping with dinner prep will be so routine that it continues into the fall. Not only will this give you more time with your children and welcome help on those busy winter nights, but working in the kitchen benefits them as well. Of course they’re learning about cooking, which is a help once they’re out on their own, often as early as college. They’re also learning about nutrition and healthy eating especially if they’re taught to read the value listing and ingredient labels on packages. There are general life-lessons in safety, handling knives, electrical appliances and working with heat. There is math, a lot of math, not just in measuring and timing but in changing the number of servings in recipes. Above all cooking teaches accuracy, attention to detail AND it requires concentration, all aides in studying and career advancement.

You may ask what young children can safely do in a kitchen, and the answer, as I wrote in my post on 5/4/17, is plenty. To quote myself; ”They can spread bread and fill sandwiches, stir and mix, particularly if it involves squishing things with their hands, like meat balls, rinse and drain, or strain and sieve. They can spray oil on pans, shake items in bags to flour coat them, sprinkle herbs for flavor or garnish and they love forming patties, cutting dough shapes, chopping nuts with the bottom of a can and stringing skewers. Older children can measure ingredients, even combine them in to a recipe, open cans, use a grater or chopper, with supervision run a blender or processer and many other tasks. The trick is to give a child a job that requires they pay attention and then more difficult jobs as they progress. Keep an eye on them but don’t hover. Play up their pride in accomplishment but don’t overly praise, especially the older ones and treat them as colleagues achieving peer status in the kitchen

The person in charge of cooking for the family on a regular basis usually does these things instinctively, because they welcome help on a regular basis. However, for other family members, they are tips to help get to know a child…”

Of course the older the child, the faster will be the progression to the more difficult tasks and assumption of responsibility. This is great for the busy parent, but it also does wonders for a child’s self-esteem, especially young teens. The secret is to keep children focused on the creative side of cooking, while introducing the need to clean up after themselves. Don’t start them out with a dish towel asking them to dry, no matter how young they are.

In my posts of 5/4/17 and 5/11/17, I offered many recipes from my Mother’s Day book. Can I help? includes all of the ones from that book plus many more, 104 in fact, suitable for a wider age range. Below I list some of the more advanced ones. I’m giving 3 dessert recipes, because young people always think making sweets is more fun. Please see the other two postings for a sampling of the simpler ones. To find them simply click on the correct listings in the panorama at the top of the blog Home Page.

Baked Eggs in a Cloud–– Recipe for 4
4 large eggs separated
4 thin slices of ham or smoked turkey
2 drops of cider vinegar
Butter for the pan
Salt and pepper
Optional seasonings
Lightly butter a 7x7x1 ½ inch square ovenproof pan. Preheat oven to 350 deg. Lightly grease the bottom of the pan, and line the bottom and sides with a single layer of ham leaving a slight overhang all around. Whip the egg whites until they stand up in peaks, incorporating the vinegar half way through. Add seasonings. Spoon them over the ham. Using a spoon, make 4 dents in the whites, evenly spaced for portions. Put a yoke in each depression. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until whites are slightly brown and yokes are just set. Serve at once. I like a bit of curry powder or dry mustard in the whites. Alternately serve with Worcestershire sauce to top.

Strata Burger: Serves 4
This is a healthy, fun burger for the family to share, however, if serving 4 for dinner, double the recipe. Either way, the 1 jar of Salsa will suffice. Remember in choosing it that cooking intensifies peppers’ heat.
6 oz. hamburger- can also be made with leftover or sliced Deli beef.
¼ tsp. ground cumin
(1) 16 oz. jar garden style salsa – level of spiciness optional – you’ll use a little over half
(6) 6 inch tortillas
½ cup sour cream
(1) 15 ½ oz. can black beans rinsed and well drained
(1) 4oz can green chilies
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
8oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Non-stick cooking spray

NOTE: This dish can be made in 6 layers in a 9 inch pie plate or more functionally for serving in two 3 layer burgers in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Brown the beef in a skillet coated with non-stick spray, allow to cool; then mix with the cumin. Spread 2 Tbs. of the salsa in the bottom of the casserole. Top with a tortilla then begin the layering with 2 Tbs. of salsa, 1/6^th of the sour cream, then 1/6^th each of the beans, beef, peppers, cilantro and cheese. Top with a tortilla and repeat the layering again starting with the salsa and ending with the cheese until all the ingredients are used, pressing down gently on each tortilla to keep the stack level. End with a tortilla. If making two burgers, divide the filling ingredients into quarter portions for each layer.** Can be made a day ahead at this point, cover and refrigerate, then allow to warn a bit before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 15-20 min., until cheese melts and salsa bubbles.

*This is more attractive if it can be seen through a clear container

** This dish does tend to lean a bit. One way to keep it straight is to put a bamboo skewer down through the center before baking. I make the skewer into a decoration by putting a cherry tomato on it before serving.

Cornish Game Hens with Wild Rice and White Grapes

4 Cornish Hens
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8 lightly toasted slices of white bread if you decide to split the hens into 8 servings
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs. cornstarch or flour
¼ tsp. each thyme and rosemary
1 Tbs. butter
1lb. seedless white grapes, stems removed
Prepare the rice according to package directions, and use it to stuff the hens. If the birds are split, cover each stuffed half with a slice of bread and invert as placed in the pan. If left whole, place the hens breast side up in the pan. Rub the butter over the game hens. Pour ¼ cup broth in the bottom and roast at 350 deg. for 1 hour, basting every 20 min. and maintaining the fluid level in the pan. Meanwhile chop the giblets and cook them in 1 cup of broth. Spread the grapes out in a microwave safe pie plate with 1 Tbs. water. When the hens are done, add the pan drippings to the remaining broth with enough water to equal 1 cup. Dissolve the four or cornstarch in the cold broth, and add to the pan with the broth and giblets. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Microwave the grapes 30 sec. before serving and plate with the hens. Serve the sauce on the side. The rest of the Romaine will make a salad to complete this meal.

Baked Alaska Pie
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs*
¼ cup butter or margarine melted
¼ cup sugar
1 quart ice cream – NOT one with sauce swirls
2 egg whites
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
2 drops vinegar
Mix first 3 ingredients and press into a 8 to 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 deg. for 10 min. Cool then freeze. Fill shell with very firm ice cream and freeze again. Beat egg white until soft peaks form, add vinegar and continue beating. Gradually add sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form hen beat in extracts. Spread the meringue over the ice cream, sealing the edges and place under a preheated broiler for 2 min. until slightly golden. Serve at once.
*This can be made with a commercial graham crust but it yields a smaller pie needing less ice cream and with fewer servings.:

NOTE Broiling makes this a safe egg dish

Pear Ginger Upside-Down Cake
(1) 17 oz. can pear halves
2 Tbs. butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup—pancake syrup will do
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted chopped walnuts, craisins (dried cranberries) or raisins
1 box gingerbread mix
A spring-form pan is recommended, but a 10 x 2 inch one will work as well. Grease pan. Fitting the bottom with a piece of greased parchment paper helps release the cake. Drain the pears well. reserving juice. Melt the butter into the sugar and syrup in a microwave mixing well, and pour into the bottom of the pan. Arrange pear halves, cut side down, in the pan and fill in the spaces between them with the nuts or fruits.
Mix the cake according to box directions substituting the pear juice for equal amount of liquid. Pour the batter on top of the pears, cook according to box directions adding 5min. or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in pan, on a rack for atleast20 min. allowing the bottom to set. Remove sides or invert pan onto a plate to free from pan. Peel off paper if used.

Mock Black Forrest Sheet Cake;
I have seen several versions of the cake over the years. One directs using Brownie mix instead of cake mix and omitting the frosting, but giving the option of adding chocolate chips. It’s richer and heavier, but you might want to try it. Otherwise the recipe is the same and it’s really easy and tastes great.
(1) Box Devil’s food cake mix
(1) 21 oz. can cherry pie filling
2 large eggs
1 tsp. Almond extract
1 can ready to spread dark- not milk- chocolate frosting
Cooking spray

Mist a 9 x 13 inch pan with the cooking spray. Place the rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, blend with a hand mixer, the cake mix, pie filling, almond extract and eggs for 1 min. on low speed. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl and the beaters with a rubber spatula. Beat on medium for 2 min.* Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake 30 to 35 min. until the center springs back and the sides up will do
before cutting

For Brownie recipe, directions are the same, but add ¼ cup of oil when mixing. Spread the chocolate chips on top as soon as the cake is removed from the oven, and swirl them until they melt and form a crust. Wait 30 min to cut

*NOTE: For a more textured cake, reserve ¼ of the pie filling until after the 2 min of beating. Add the remainder the filling and beat about 30 sec. on low just to incorporate them. Proceed as directed

DESSERTS FOR DAD’S DAY

No matter what your menu for Father’s Day, whether it’s one of the healthy meat with salad recipes I discussed last week, a casual cook-out or a more traditional roast, the dinner must end with a dessert. Not just ice cream from the freezer, but something special to mark the occasion. If Dad has a favorite, your choice is easy, but if you’re deciding on something he would like, it’s more difficult and there are a few requirements.

The dessert should have an attractive presentation with a personal touch, but nothing elaborate or involved either to make or serve. It’s best to make it ahead and be able to bring it to table without disrupting the rhythm of the dinner. Serving should be easy, especially if Dad is expected to do it and dividing into various portion sizes should be no problem. Normally, above all, it should be seasonal. I personally, like pies, especially custard ones. They can be served chilled in keeping with the season, in fruit flavors and, besides, cakes are identified with so many other occasions.

However, there are exceptions to every rule. As long as the desert seems in step with the occasion it can become a hit, even appear ‘trendy’. My cousin was always recalling his Grandmother’s Baked Rice Pudding with Raisins and Currents. His wife questioned family, combed old cookbooks, baked a replica, in a lovely casserole dish, and presented it, chilled, with a golden, cinnamon garnished crust. Not only was it a hit, but it had been so long since this formerly, humble pudding was served, it was new to the younger members who though it ‘chic’. So, with such a vast number of recipes available, deciding on one should be easy, but if you want something really different and personal, consider antique desserts.

The Summer Pudding, below, came to America with the colonists, the Lemon Meringue Pie is a new twist on an old recipe, the Fruit Pizza is a traditional German dessert, re-named in the 1970s and the Rustica or Galette has been a favorite in Europe for centuries, all really ‘antiques’. The Key Lime Pie, Ice Cream Cake and Coconut Cream Pie are my own innovations. Only the Chocolate- Strawberry Meringue Pie is a ‘modern’ recipe. In cooking, it sometimes pays to look to the past for inspiration.

Lilly’s Ice Cream Cake: Serves 8-10 This was actually devised on Father’s Day. My daughter wanted to make a cake for her Dad. I forgot to prepare the pans, the cake baked on and forcing it from the pans broke it in chunks. Fortunately, I had a ½ gal. ice cream intended to go with the cake and was able to stem the tears with this recipe solution. It was not only a happy ending, but became a family favorite. We made spice cake, with coffee ice cream and caramel sauce but many flavor combinations will work.
(1) 2 1/2 quart freezer proof mold or large round, deep mixing bowl
Layer pans, tube pan or sheet cake pan to bake the cake
1 box of cake mix, cooked according to directions, cooled and removed from the pan(s)
½ gal—Or 1.5 qt. container ice cream.
Bake the cake according to box directions, remove from pans and cool.(It’s easier if the pans are greased-despite what I did)
Soften ice cream to consistency of whipped topping.
Rinse bowl or mold with water and shake out excess but do not dry. The film of water freezes and forms a protective coating on the container that makes it easier to unmold the finished dessert.
Smear a dollop of softened ice cream over the bottom of the mold. If it has a decorative top be sure to fill it all in. Then begin to fit chunks of the cake into the mold in layers. Be sure to separate the layers of cake, the pieces of cake in the layers and the cake pieces from the sides of the mold with enough ice cream that they don’t stick together or become exposed when the dessert is unmolded.
Also, have a thick enough layer of ice cream on the bottom of the mold to form a firm base when plated for serving. Both cake and ice cream should be used up.
Freeze the mold for several hours or overnight.
Remove from freezer and dip the mold in a larger bowl, or pan, of hot water, for the count of ten (10). Cover the bottom with a serving plate and invert to unmold.
Serve at once or store in the freezer until needed.
Pass any appropriate toppings: whipped cream, wet nuts, sauce, fruit etc. on the side.

Summer Berry Pudding – Serves 4-6
2 lbs. mixed berries-strawberries sliced if large
8 oz. raspberries
¾ cup sugar
8 slices white bread
Topping of choice to serve
Cut the crusts off the bread and use it to line the bottom and sides of a 4 ½ cup. bowl, making sure there are no gaps between slices. Bring the mixed berried and the sugar to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 8 min stirring once. Spoon the fruit into the lined bowl, add in as much juice as it will hold, making sure some gets around the sides of the bowl. Cover the top of the bowl with the remaining bread and place in a pan to catch juice overflow. Put a plate on top of the bowl and weigh it down with cans. Refrigerate overnight. Puree the 8 oz. raspberries with enough of the remaining berry juice to have a sauce consistency. Strain and chill. When ready to serve, unmold the pudding on a serving plate and pour some sauce over. Garnish with a dollop of topping and offer the rest and the sauce in bowls to add. Cut in slices to serve.

A RUSTICA, or GALETTE, is the easiest type of pie to make. This is a short version of the recipe from my book Dinners with Joy:
If making the crust: mix 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, cut in 1/3 cup shortening, add 3 to 4 Tbs. ICE water to form dough, and roll to a 12 inch round.
If buying the crust: roll only to 10 inches.
Transfer to a parchment or foil covered cookie sheet, or bake in a pizza pan.
Depending on size, fill the center with a 1 lb. to 1 ½ lb. fruit, leaving a 2 to 3 inch margin. (Apples pears and peaches should be peeled and sliced. Plums can be halved and stoned.)
Dot fruit with ½ Tbs. butter.
Sprinkle with 1 Tbs. cornstarch, 1 Tbs. sugar and ½ tsp. lemon juice.
Carefully fold edges of pastry up around filling, pleating as you go. The edges can be brushed with cream or egg white and sprinkled with sugar as decoration.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 min. Cool on sheet; preferably on a wire rack.
This can be moved to a plate for serving, but as the name implies, it’s a “rustic” or casual pastry, and I like to bake it and serve it in a pizza pan.

FRUIT PIZZA:
Make dough as instructed above, increasing sugar to ½ cup and shortening to 2/3 cup.
If buying; purchase a roll of sugar cookie dough, not pie dough. Roll dough to fit a pizza pan, prick several times with a fork and bake as for cookies, 350 degrees for 10 to 12 min. until lightly browned, or as directions on package state.
Cool completely in pan.
Decoratively arrange raw fruit over the crust. The amount you will need depends on the chosen fruit, roughly about 1 ½ lbs. My favorite is a combination of strawberries and blueberries, but kiwi and peach slices work, as well as do many others. Top with a glaze made from a clear jelly, apple or current, melted with 1 Tbs. water per ¼ cup jelly. For a thicker glaze dissolve ¼ tsp. cornstarch in 1 Tbs. water per ½ cup jelly, which is the amount I use for one of these. Boil until clear and spoon over the fruit. Chill until completely set. Optionally pass whipped cream.

KEY LIME PIE: I always had trouble with Key Lime Pie, despite many recipes, even “authentic” ones from the Florida Keys, until I found this, which seems to be foolproof, perhaps because it’s so easy. There is one universal rule in making this pie however, the lime juice must be fresh, and, if possible, of the “key” variety. Key limes are small, dark green, very smooth with rounded ends. Their juice has an intense flavor, without the biting acidity sometimes found in regular lime juice. I understand the juice is sold in the baking supply aisles in some stores, but have never encountered it. The limes themselves, can often be found, usually labeled and bagged, in Supermarkets, especially ones with large Hispanic sections. It requires at least 15 to yield enough juice for one pie. If you can’t find them, the common Persian variety limes will do, but I might increase the amount of juice in the pie by a tablespoon or more. Test to taste the strength of the acidity and flavor of the juice. Do NOT use concentrated juice unless it’s labeled Key Lime, or lime drink mix.
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(1) 9 inch baked pie shell. Home made or purchased, regular or graham cracker.
(1) 14oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk MIXED WITH
Sufficient sour cream to equal 2 cups – about 2/3 cup
1/2 cup fresh Key Lime juice
1 Tbs. lime zest
1/2 envelope unflavored gelatin
Whipped cream
Soften the gelatin by soaking 5 min. in the lime juice. Combine the Condensed milk, sour cream and zest in a bowl. Dissolve the gelatin by heating the lime juice in the microwave 30 sec. If it doesn’t dissolve easily, heat it an additional 5 sec. or so, but be sure it is completely liquid before proceeding. Add the lime juice with gelatin to the bowl with the milk, sour cream and zest; whisk well to incorporate. Pour the filling mixture into the pie shell and chill at least 2 hours until well set. Serve topped with whipped cream.

Sour Cream, Lemon Meringue Pie
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. lemon zest
3 eggs-separated
3 ½ Tbs. cornstarch dissolved in
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter
1 cup sour cream
1 baked 9 inch pie shell
Beat egg yolks well, and combine with sugar, milk and cornstarch, juice and zest in a sauce pan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until thickened, then stir in butter, incorporate and cool to room temperature; stir in sour cream and pour into pie shell. Heat broiler and move oven shelf up near coils. With clean bowl and beaters, beat egg whites until starting to form stiff peaks, add 1 drop vinegar, then begin to slowly add 2/3 cup sugar, and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. With a spatula, spread meringue over the filling and place pie under hot broiler until peaks begin to brown, Cool pie and store, loosely covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Chocolate Strawberry (or Banana) Pie
3 egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
1 drop cider vinegar
1 Tbs. cornstarch
¼ cup cool water
1 envelope gelatin
(1) 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sour cream
½ cup vanilla yogurt
1 pt. strawberries halved OR 2 bananas sliced
Whipped cream for topping –optional
Preheat oven to 275 deg. and using directions above, make meringue adding the cornstarch mixed with the sugar. Cover bottom and sides of a lightly oil sprayed , flour dusted 9 inch pan and bake 1 hr. Turn off oven and leave shell in until cool or about 2 hr.
Soften the gelatin in the water. Whisking, dissolve the cocoa in the milk over low heat, remove, add the vanilla and gelatin and whisk until dissolved and blended. Cool to room temperature, add the sour cream and yogurt, mix well, pour into the shell and chill until serving. Top with fresh fruit and whipped cream if using.

Super Easy Chocolate-Coconut Cream Pie-This is perfect ‘home-made’ dessert for the busy person. A store-bought chocolate, crumb crust will do.
30 chocolate wafer cookies in fine crumbs=1 ½ cups
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon – optional
3 Tbs. melted butter
(2) 3.4 oz. boxes of Jello coconut pudding and pie filling
1/3 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
2 ¾ cups milk
Mix the first 3 ingredients and drizzle in butter, until completely mixed. Press crumbs evenly on bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan and bake at 350 deg. for 8-10 min.; cool. Toast coconut on a foil sheet in the same oven about 3-6 min. and crush 2 Tbs. reserving the rest for topping garnish. Beat the pudding with the milk and 2 Tbs. crushed coconut until thick and fill cooled shell. Chill until ready use and sprinkle the reserved toasted coconut over the top just before serving.

COOL DINNERS FOR DAD’S DAY 2017

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are celebrated quite differently. Traditionally, the idea was that Mother needed to get out of the house, especially the kitchen, and deserved dinner in a restaurant. This wouldn’t do for Father, who might feel obligated to pick up the check. Besides, he spent long hours out of the house at work, and was entitled to a special dinner in his ‘Castle’.

Times have certainly changed. Now, both parents usually work away from home, and contribute mutually to any fund which would cover the restaurant cost. If either parent stays at/works from home, it’s as apt to be Dad as it is Mom.

Yet restaurants are still crowded on Mother’s Day. I think it’s because girls just naturally like to get dressed up and go out to celebrate. On the other hand, Father’s Day, especially the dinner, has evolved. Men have expressed a preference for spending time on an interest, hobby or sport, then relaxing in a casual atmosphere. The dinner is still a special one, but the presentation has altered to suit the mood, while the recipes have changed to fit the general concern for healthier eating habits.

Gone are the large roasts and rich side dishes. The emphasis now is on freshness, light treatments and natural flavors, The preparations, whether done in advance, or at mealtime, are best when designed to allow everything to come together with minimal fuss, maintaining the, hopefully, mellow atmosphere. With the warm weather starting, grilling is an option and perfect for the occasion, but meat cooked indoors, whether prepared in advance or just before serving offers many possibilities too. It’s all a matter of Dad’s preference and the particular details of the occasion.

It’s also a matter of preference if the dinner is served warm, room temperature or cold, because in early summer all those presentations are acceptable. In fact, there are some wonderful recipes for dinners that can be served all three ways and are great for spur-of-the-moment people, loose schedules or ‘iffy’ weather problems. I’m talking about the new take on salads which I mentioned last week and have discussed in detail in the posts of 8/12/15 and 1/26/17. These are not classic ‘dinner salads’ like Cobb and Nicoise, which are recognized dishes, but ones that become part of the entrée in a ‘free-form’ way, resulting in a nutritious and very personalized meal.

These salads have a wide ingredient range, basically everything found in a salad bar, and often include the usual roasted or steamed entrée vegetables, but usually ignore the ‘starchy carbs’. They go light on carbs in general, though I’ve seen torn yams, corn, beans and of course grains included. In fact, they rely on grains to provide substance, but not as bedding or a side as we’ve seen in the past, rather tossed with the greens or scattered over them. The usual quantity would be 1-1 ¼ cups cooked grain per 4 servings.

As a Note for those who doubt the suitability of serving salad on Father’s Day. The majority of comments I’ve received from previous posts mentioning including grains in our diets, have come from men. They thanked me for providing new recipes and ideas, because they are increasingly adding grains to their diets in place of other carbs, with lower fiber content and nutritional value.

The flavor composition of these salads is focused on the meat featured. They use the highest quality, but lesser amounts of it, increasing the protein value with nuts and seeds. Nor is the meat tossed in with the other ingredients, as in the past, but rather slices are placed on one side of the plate and the salad is arranged over the remainder. In this way the meat remains the centerpiece of the entree. The effect is one of elegant simplicity, with a promise of bright, fresh flavor; a dinner able to be totally consumed without guilt, adding the satisfaction of having eaten not just well, but wisely.

The following recipes are examples of these salads.* Please understand that they’re more suggestions as to quantity and compatible foods than set dishes. Feel free to change them, remove or add ingredients, or invent new dressings as you like. When considering these changes, think in terms of salad bar offerings and you’ll see the scope of ingredients available to you. Also note that these salads are assembled in layers, rather than chopped and tossed. A knife is still a must, but a mandolin is a handy kitchen tool to easily slice vegetables into even layers for a nicer presentation.

Grilled Steak Salad: Serves 4 ( Illustrated-I highly recommend this)
1-1 ½ lb. boneless sirloin or top round
2small Japanese eggplants
3 zucchini
2 red bell peppers
2 medium onions
4 oz. button mushroom caps
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. oil
2 oz. snow pea or bean sprouts–optional
1 small head green leaf lettuce
1 cup cooked wild rice
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
½ cup fresh basil leaves sliced thin
Trim meat of fat. Combine juice and oil and marinate beef at least 1 hr. Slice eggplant and lay flat, covered in salt until it ‘sweats’, about 15 min. Rinse well and pat dry. Meanwhile slice zucchini into 1 inch pieces, peppers into ¾ inch strips and onions into thick rings, halve rings and large mushroom caps. Remove beef from marinade, add vegetables and marinate at least 30 min. at room temperature, tossing often. Grill meat on a lightly greased rack about 2 min. on each side to sear. Remove to cooler side of grill and cook an additional 2 min. per side for medium rare. Cool on a plate and slice thinly. Drain vegetables and grill in batches until golden and crisp tender, about 5 min. per batch. Combine balsamic and oil in a bottle and shake well. Arrange meat slices around one edge of each plate. Fill the rest of the plate with torn lettuce leaves topped with the vegetables tossed with the rice. Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with the sprouts, if using, and basil.
This can be served hot as made, or done ahead with the lettuce, meat and garnishes chilled, while the rest is held at room temperature. The meat and vegetables can also be cooked under the broiler.

Shrimp-Avocado Salad: Serves 4
1 lb. cooked large shrimp
2 avocados-peeled, each half cut in 4 slices
(1) 8oz. bag spinach leaves
1 small cucumber thinly sliced
2 large oranges – sections removed and ½ tsp. grated peel
2 oz. watercress
1 cup cooked quinoa
3 Tbs. olive oil
1Tbs.lemon juice
1 ½ Tbs. orange juice
¼ tsp. honey
1 tsp. chopped parsley
Place the last 5 ingredients in a jar and shake well to make the dressing. Arrange the spinach on plates or a large platter, top with watercress, tossed with the quinoa, if using, then onion rings. Place the avocado slices and orange segments in a circle and pile the shrimp in the center. Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with the zested orange peel.
This salad should be served as made, but all the components can be prepped ahead and kept chilled.

Asian Chicken Salad: Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 1 whole chicken in 4 parts.
1 tsp. grated ginger root
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 large clove garlic-crushed
2 Tb. oil –to lightly grease the grill or sauté indoors
1 cup cooked short grain brown rice
1 avocado-peeled and sliced
3 scallions sliced diagonally
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1 head of red leaf lettuce
¼ cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
2 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs. oil
¼ cup chopped dry roasted peanuts or pistachios
Marinate the chicken in the next 3 ingredients at least 3 hours or overnight. Grill the chicken or sauté in oil, drain and cool. Place the cooked rice in the used pan or a lightly oiled one, spread it out and allow to crisp in the bottom. Remove pan from heat. Quickly blanch snow peas. Place Chili sauce, 2 Tbs. vinegar and 2 Tbs. oil in a jar and shake to make dressing. Place the chicken pieces around one side of a platter or each plate. Place pieces of the ‘rice cake’ around the opposite one and fill the center of the platter or plate with the torn lettuce leaves, top with the snow peas, avocado slices and scallion. Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with the nuts.
This too can be served hot as made or prepped ahead and the ingredients, except the nuts, kept chilled, but the flavor of the meat is best at room temperature or above.

Lamb Salad with Mint: Serves 4
1-1 ½ lb. boneless lamb—a small rolled leg or tenderloin are best*
1 large head red leaf lettuce
3 scallions sliced diagonally
4 oz. grape tomatoes- halved
1 cup cooked barley–optional
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. white wine vinegar
1 Tbs. chopped mint + extra for garnish
½ tsp. sugar
4 oz. crumbled Feta cheese
1 Tbs. oil
¼ cup chopped, toasted pecans or cashews
Combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar and mint in a jar, add barley, if using, and shake well.
Trim meat well and sauté over medium heat in 1 Tbs. oil until medium rare, about 8 min., turning often, or grill on a lightly oiled rack. Cool meat, thinly slice diagonally and tent until ready to serve. Place the sliced lamb around a platter or plates. Tear the lettuce and toss with tomatoes, scallions and barley with dressing and fill the remainder of the plates. Top with cheese, and garnish with extra mint and nuts.
This like the other dinners can be stored, chilled separately until ready to be served or served warm.
*Note: Very thinly sliced rib chops can be used as well. 12 chops =2 ½ lbs. will yield the same amount of meat as the recipe states, allowing for the weight of the bones. The same cooking directions apply.

Ham and Cabbage: Serves 4—A wonderful ‘special event’ presentation with a baked ham, the salad in a large bowl and the garnishes passed on the side.
1 – 1 ½ lb. Deli ham sliced ¼ inch thick—or freshly carved from a baked ham
8 oz. red cabbage- shredded
8 oz. green cabbage-shredded
2 baked medium sized yams, cooled and torn in bite size pieces
4 scallions thinly sliced
1/3 cup + 1 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. white wine vinegar
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. sugar
1 Tbs. caraway seeds-divided 1 tsp.in reserve
Combine the last 5 ingredients in a jar and shake to make a dressing. Allow flavors to meld for several hours. The yams can be cooked in a microwave until tender and torn when cool. Toss the yams and cabbage with the dressing. Place in a bowl and garnish with the reserved seeds. Slice the ham at table and pass the salad with extra caraway seeds on the side.
Alternatively, line one side of each plate with sliced ham and fill the rest of the space with the cabbage mix. Garnish with the caraway seeds.

Sweet and Sour Pork Salad: Serves 4
1- 1 ½ lb. pork tenderloin*
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. warm honey
1 Tbs. dry sherry
1 Tbs. oil
8 oz. Chinese cabbage-shredded
1 carrot- shredded with a vegetable peeler
3 scallions thinly sliced diagonally
4 red radishes—thinly sliced
½ cup Bulgar
(1) 15 oz. can pineapple rings-drained, juice reserved
2 Tbs. oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 Tbs. Wasabi cashews if available or toasted chopped walnuts
Marinate the meat in the next 3 ingredients overnight. Saute pork in the 1 Tbs. oil, basting with the marinade, until just done, about 10 min. or grill on a lightly oiled rack; cool, thinly slice and tent. Meanwhile, measure reserved juice minus 1 Tbs. and add water to make 1 cup. Place ½ cup Bulgar in the juice and allow to sit for 30 min. Combine vinegar, 2 Tbs. oil, 1 Tbs. juice and brown sugar in a jar and shake to make a dressing. Toss the vegetables with the Bulgar. Plate the meat slices around the edge of a plate, or to one side, fill the center with the cabbage mix and lay the pineapple rings decoratively on top. Drizzle with the dressing. Garnish with the nuts if using.
*NOTE: Very thin, boneless center-cut chops will do, in the same weight as stated above. The same cooking directions apply.
*NOTE: Most of these recipes are adapted from ones in Confident Cooking’s Sensational Salads published by Konemann.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT LETTUCE FOR A SALAD

Writing the post on potato salads last week started me thinking about salads in general. Our perception of ‘salad’ has really changed over the past years, as proven by the many varieties of lettuce found in supermarkets today. We no longer think of them as a way to line a serving plate or as low-cal ‘bunny food’ needing a dressing for taste. We’ve come to appreciate the different types for their individual textures and subtle flavors and understand the choice of lettuce can determine the character of a salad and that a combination of one or more types can create a delightful flavor experience.

In addition, though the entrée salad has maintained its position on the menu, the ‘dinner side’ is moving into its original place as a separate course, served just before the meat. I think the trend began in the 1980s with the arrival of restaurants, mainly steakhouses, with expansive ‘Salad Bars’. The restaurants were usually part of a chain and the salad bars were really an economy move. They could be maintained by kitchen assistants and wait staff, whereas an array of cooked vegetable dishes required a sous chef at least. Kitchen help could be reduced to a couple of ‘grill masters’, not trained chefs, who need only add a ready carb, a baked potato, fries or a quickly sautéed vegetable to complete the entrée plate.

Salad Bars offer other bonuses as well. They keep the customers busy and happy while waiting for dinner, take the edge off their hunger and give them the comfort of getting full value for their money. However, the real advantage has been for the public, by introducing it to the fun, creativity, diversity, individuality, not to mention the health benefits making a salad with lots of add-in choices offers. Today there are restaurants serving only salads, salad bars in supermarkets and fast food stops. Salad has become not only a welcome but an intrinsic part of our diet. So much so, in fact, that it is posed for another move, to become part of the entrée itself.

Since most salads are based on lettuce, either one type or a mixture of several, it’s important to know the characteristics of the main varieties to make the proper choices. I list the major players below with brief descriptions of each, but first, a word about handling lettuce in general.

When buying lettuce, avoid wilted, discolored or damaged leaves and, naturally, any signs of insect activity. Freshness is important because lettuce lose vitamins quickly after being picked. A head should always feel dry and firm at the base, but crisp head types like iceberg and Belgian endives should feel firm when squeezed. Due to the leafy structure, lettuce can be sandy and/or harbor insects even tiny snails, so it needs washing before using. If it’s to be served soon, separate the leaves first and spin or pat dry with paper towels, then store in a plastic bag, squeezing the air out before chilling. If it’s to be kept for a time, wrap the unwashed head in a damp towel and place in the vegetable crisper. Crisp lettuces can last for a week, but soft types like Bibb should be used within 2-3 days. Above all, be sure lettuce leaves are dry before making a salad otherwise the dressing will be diluted.

MAJOR LETTUCE VARIETIES

Arugula or Rocket—Dark green, tender leaves with a peppery taste, more assertive in the larger leaves. An excellent accent when used with other ingredients.
Belgian Endive—Firm, cone shaped with crisp yellow edged leaves and a slightly bitter taste. Excellent sliced into rings or with the leaves stacked, drizzled with dressing, held by the pointed end and eaten with the fingers.

Bibb, Butter or Boston Lettuce —A loose, soft head with rounded leaves and buttery flavor. Best with light vinaigrettes or French Blue Dressing (See post May 25,2017-French Potato Salad)

Coral Lettuce—Both red and green varieties have tightly curled, crisp leaves with rippled edges and a subtle, sweet flavor; often mislabeled as ‘Red’ or ‘Green’ leaf lettuce; combines well in salads.

Curley Endive or Chicory—Slender, light green, frilled leaves. Has a mild, bitter flavor that can add a zing to a combination of lettuces.

Iceberg—A round, firm head with tightly packed, crisp pale green leaves. It’s currently lost favor because of its lack of nutrients and bland taste, but it’s still a great choice to add bulk to a salad, especially one prepared for crowds.

Mixed lettuces—Small, young leaves of many lettuces. Delicate in flavor and tender in texture, makes an excellent salad with an equally light dressing.

Red and Green Leaf Lettuce—Often confused with coral lettuce, but is a loose headed lettuce with long variegated leaves and a delicate flavor that is best served alone with a light dressing.

Radicchio—Dark red leaves in a tight head with a very bitter taste. Best used as an accent with other ingredients.

Romaine or Cos—Large, elongated heads with green, crisp, succulent, sweet leaves and high vitamin content. Excellent salad base or can stand alone.

Sprouts—Snow Peas, Alfalfa, Beans etc.—An excellent decorative addition to a salad to add crispness to the texture and a slightly grassy note to the flavor. Not to be used alone.

Spinach—There are 2 types of spinach in the stores, the bagged ‘baby’ and the field grown found in bunches. The ‘baby’, also called ‘English’, or when I first encountered it in Italy years ago, ’New Zealand’ spinach, is actually a different variety which grows in bush form with only the leaves harvested. It’s not a young version of the field variety which grows from the ground in separate plants and is cut at the roots like lettuce. Both types have dark green rounded leaves, a hearty flavor and are loaded with vitamins. Either can carry a salad alone and support a substantial dressing.

• I often serve Kale as a salad green in winter. It has the same qualities as spinach, but requires the stems be removed, a slight blanching and then a chance to re-crisp in ice water before inclusion in a salad.

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Watercress—Small, glossy, dark green leaves with a peppery, yet cool taste. Excellent chopped and mixed with cream cheese in sandwiches or used as a bedding to showcase one ingredient, but tends to get lost in a mixed presentation.

Edible Add-Ins—Herbs: I grow my own and love to add the leaves to salads for special flavor effects. The choice of herb depends on the other ingredients and the rest of the meal, but chives, oregano, basil, mint, sage, thyme and lemon balm are my special favorites. I freely add the flowers of these herbs when I can, but as for other edible flowers, though they can give color and flavor to a dish, I’m careful to buy only commercially packaged ones and those specifically required by the recipe I’m making at the time. This is definitely something I won’t ‘stock up’ on and keep.

NOTE: Cabbage—is not included in the above list, because it isn’t a lettuce. It’s a vegetable of the mustard family. However, it is served so often as a salad that it deserves a mention here. There are many types of cabbage in a wide range of colors, Chinese and round head, white, red, green, purple. They all have firm, crisp, leaves so tightly packed that it’s advisable to cut into the head to wash it. Cabbage has a hearty flavor and is loaded with nutrients but differs from lettuce in its versatility. It can be cooked in a number of ways, brined or pickled because the leaves have more stability than lettuce leaves. As a salad, its distinctive flavor needs an assertive dressing.

POTATO SALADS THAT LOVE SUMMER’S HEAT

Memorial Day Weekend almost seems to be a double purpose event. Since 9/11, The Day, itself, has become increasingly more revered as a commemoration of those who died in the service of this country but the weekend also marks the official start of summer. To one growing up in a seaside resort town, it was full of excited anticipation and hopes for the season ahead. For those involved in the tourist trade, it offered a last chance to spend time relaxing with family and friends before the busiest time of year.

This welcoming, celebratory attitude isn’t restricted to resorts. All over the U.S., patios, decks, outdoor furniture and grills are cleaned and ready for us to begin spending more time outside enjoying the warm weather and longer days. That means it’s time to break out the summer menus, most of which usually include a potato salad. For years, this opened the door to concerns about keeping it stable in the heat, but that isn’t the case anymore. There are lots of options for potato salads that will stay safe on hot days and, better still, most of the dressings can be used in Cole Slaw and pasta salads as well.

In fact some of these alternative potato salad recipes might be more in sinc with the rest of the menu than the traditional one with mayonnaise dressing. The sweet potato salads are great with chicken, the Tex-Mex version just fits barbequed meats and the German salad is goes well with burgers. The other dressings compliment seafood, cold meats and egg dishes. So why not have some fun and explore all your choices? Below are some general tips on making potato salads, some ideas for alternative ingredients to personalize your creations and two recipes which can be adjusted to any menu.

Suggestions for Making Traditional Potato Salad ‘Summer’ Safe:
Choose flavorful potatoes like red skins, Yukon Gold and/or fingerlings, not Idaho or Russet potatoes which bake but don’t boil well. In fact mixing different type can add taste. To keep all the flavor and nutrition as well as to add color to the salad, don’t peel them.
The options for additional ingredients are endless. A few of the most frequent, sliced or chopped, are olives, celery, onions (red ones add color), scallions, cucumber, radishes, peppers( fresh, cooked or jarred), mushrooms, corn, cut green beans, broccoli, peas, green as well as sugar snap and snow peas, baby spinach leaves, zucchini, yellow squash, jicama, a variety of beans and of pasta shapes. Exploring other cuisines opens even more options.

The nutritional values can be changed by substituting a portion of the potatoes for beans, sugar snap peas, snow peas, carrots or cauliflower. The first two vegetables should be quickly blanched and the last two cooked to crisp-tender to render their texture compatible with the potatoes.

The options for the dressings are equally open. They are generally oil based using one of the nut or seed oils such as walnut or olive, and include a vinegar or citrus juice. The flavor is built through adding other condiments like mustard, and/or seasonings such as smoked paprika or curry and seeds like fennel, celery, or poppy. Herbs play a major role too. The favorites are basil, rosemary, oregano and dill. I also like lemon balm. The usual proportion for 4 cups of salad is:
1/3 cup oil
3 Tbs. vinegar of choice or citrus juice or a combination
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbs. chopped fresh herbs or 1Tbs. dried
If using:
2 tsp. of a condiment
1 tsp. of a seasoning
2 tsp. of a seed

Cheese can also be an option; Feta, Blue and Parmesan are favorites. A chef I knew created an “Italian” potato salad served on red leaf lettuce, with Parmesan blended into the dressing and leaves of oregano and basil tossed in. The colors of the Italian flag with a taste to match, it was a big success with her clients. The important thing to remember when making the dressing is to blend the ingredients, except fresh herbs and seeds, adding the oil in a stream to create an emulsion. This sets the taste and gives the dressing a creamy smoothness that won’t ‘break’ or separate. Then toss with the potatoes adding the herbs or seeds and allow at least 30 min for the flavors to meld.

Potato Salad with Summer Coleslaw Dressing: Makes 2/3 cup vinaigrette covers 5-6 cups salad Serves 6-8
½ cup oil
2 Tbs. white or white wine vinegar.
3 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. Dijon or brown mustard
1 ½ tsp. celery seed
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp. paprika for garnish
Whisk first 5 ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill and allow flavors to meld for at least 30 min. Stir again and pour over cabbage in a bowl. Toss well. Garnish with paprika before serving.

Sweet Potato Salad with Lime: 4 servings
2 lbs. sweet potatoes
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 jalapeno minced
2Tbs. brown sugar
¼ cup oil
Salt to taste
1 Tbs. lime zest
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup toasted cashew pieces—OR wasabi coated peanuts roughly chopped
Cut the potatoes in half if necessary to fit in a single layer in a deep skillet with a lid. Add water to depth of ½ inch. Cover and simmer about 15 mins. or until crisp tender—not mushy—check by pricking them. Peel skins off while warm. Blend the next 4 ingredients adding oil in a stream to make a vinaigrette; season with salt to taste. Pour 1/3 of the vinaigrette in a shallow bowl. Diagonally slice potatoes in ½ inch rounds. Put into the serving bowl and drizzle with the rest of the vinaigrette. Toss gently with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and marinate for 2 hrs. Mix mint and lime zest and gently toss with potatoes just before serving. Garnish with about 1 Tbs. of nuts, and pass the rest on the side.

A simpler rendition of this salad is:
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Island Sweet Potato Salad: Serves 6
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, unpeeled
3 Tbs. oil
½ tsp. lime zest
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup cashew pieces
Boil potatoes until crisp tender, then cut in half and into thick slices. Alternatively, slice, toss in 1 Tbs. oil and roast at 400 deg. for 20 min, turning once. Whisk remaining oil, lime zest, juice and cilantro. Gently toss with potatoes. Chill until ready to serve. Serve at room temperature garnished with nuts.

German Potato Salad: Serves 6 *
2 lbs. small potatoes- cut in bite sized pieces and boiled to crisp tender with skins on
1 medium onion – thinly sliced
2 Tbs. oil
4 slices turkey bacon
1 Tbs. cider vinegar or to taste
½ Tbs. sugar or to taste
Drain potatoes. Gently sauté bacon until crisp, remove, drain, crumble and reserve 1 Tbs. Cook onion in oil until soft, then add vinegar and sugar until taste is pleasantly sweet-sour. Add potatoes, non-reserved bacon and toss. Allow to marinate at room temperature for at least 2 hrs. Serve warm in winter or at room temperature during summer, garnished with reserved bacon.

*NOTE: Traditionally this salad is made with regular bacon, preferably a thicker, fattier slicing and the grease is used in place of the oil. This is a healthier, less caloric version which I think works well, but the original is always a tasty choice.

Tex-Mex Potato Salad: Serves 6*
2 lb. red skinned potatoes- cooked to crisp-tender and cut in ½ inch round slices
6 green onions-white and light green parts sliced on an angle
1 small jicama peeled and in small dice
(1) 15 oz. can golden hominy-drained
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro-divided
½ cup olive oil
6 Tbs. lime juice
3 ½ tsp. dried cumin
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbs. chopped jalapenos- jarred is fine
1 tsp. dried oregano
Puree the last 6 ingredients taste for salt and pepper and marinate the jicama, hominy, green onion and ½ cup cilantro for 30 min.at room temperature. Gently add and toss in the potatoes and remaining cilantro. Allow to stand at room temperature for at least 2 hrs. before serving.
* Recipe adapted from one by Bon Appetit.

French Potato Salad: Serves 4
1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes- cooked to crisp-tender, in large dice, well drained and chilled
2 lemons—juiced
2 bunches of Arugula- washed and tough stems removed, spun dry and chilled
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. crumbled blue cheese
Chopped or dried parsley flakes for garnish
Whisk the lemon juice and oil until well mixed. Optionally add the cheese and whisk until dissolved*, or save it for garnish. Toss the arugula with ½ the dressing, and line 4 plates. Divide the potatoes among the plates and drizzle with the remainder of the dressing. Garnish with the cheese, if separate from the dressing, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve cold or room temperature.
*The lemon juice and olive oil with the blue cheese whisked in is the recipe for French Blue Cheese Dressing, and can be used on any salad that suits a blue cheese dressing.

 

ENJOY SPRING STRAWBERRRIES ALL YEAR

Fresh spring greens make us happy because we see them as signs that winter is over, but it’s the arrival of strawberries that really gets us going. They tell us that warm weather is here to stay and summer is near. This message is especially clear if you buy locally grown berries. Their taste is wonderful! Strawberries thrive in almost all climates and freshly picked are so different than the ‘plastic’ transported ones market-available all year. If you can’t get to a farm or farm market, most food stores run specials on ‘local’ ones at this time.

I was lucky when my children were young, because we lived close enough to the country to have farms with ‘Pick your own’ policies a short drive away. Taking the kids out to the fields gave them a way to use that end-of-school-year energy and desire to ‘be free’ as well as safely satisfy the annual summer urge to explore and forage, with the added bonus of tasty rewards.

We would bring ‘our bounty’ home, often a couple of pails full, hulling and eating our fill that day but the problem was keeping the rest edible and for how long? This is a problem whether you have access to farm produce or simply want to take advantage of seasonal sales.

As I’ve often said, my Mother was expert at freezing all kinds of berries. I’m not! I’m all about avoiding waste by finding ways to use the berries, especially those of ‘lesser’ quality by discovering recipes to preserve them for future enjoyment or by making them quickly ready for future preparations.

I learned that the simplest, least space consuming way to preserve berries is to puree and freeze them, for me, in 1 cup freezer containers or bags. I cover the puree in containers with plastic wrap and press the air out of the bags to prevent ice crystals from forming and liquefying the contents. Later, I can thaw it and add it directly to recipes like soufflés, or make a sauce for a tart by cooking it with cornstarch and covering transported, available off-season berries, thus giving them the special taste of ‘Fresh Spring ‘strawberries ‘. There are lots of options for desserts all year, and trust me, they’re show stoppers for every dinner from New Year’s on.

Of the recipes below, only the first, Strawberries Romanoff, requires fresh berries, and truly shines with the fresh field-picked ones. But hey, it’s the season! The tart is also better with fresh berries, but, as explained, can be made later in the year. The Strawberry Preserves, which will last for many months, are an easy way to use up excess or damaged berries. The Soufflé and Mousse recipes are great with fresh berries, but do equally well with thawed, pureed ones. The ice is a done deal, but don’t try to substitute it for the puree. It contains far too much water!

All these recipes seem impressive, but are really easy to make. Give them a try and really enjoy strawberries this year—all year!

Strawberries Romanoff: Serves 6-8 A traditional, elegant dessert, but so easy it seems like cheating.
2 pts. Ripe strawberries
2 cups + 2 Tbs. sugar
1/3cup Grand Marnier or Cointreau
Peel of 1 orange- with no pith attached, in thin 1 inch long strips
¾ cup heavy cream
Wash, hull and dry the berries; place in a bowl with 2 cups sugar, orange peel and liqueur. Stir gently and refrigerate for several hours. Whip the cream with the 2 Tbs. sugar and chill. Serve berries in individual dessert dishes and pass the cream on the side.

Glazed Strawberry Tart: (1) 9 inch cooked tart shell or (6) 2 ½ inch tart shells
6 cups washed and hulled strawberries—divided in 2 parts= 3cups of the best berries and 3 cups regular
1/3 cup sugar
1Tbs. lemon juice
1Tbs.cornstarch
Drop+ red food coloring—as needed to give a rich color
Arrange the 3 cups of the best berries in the pastry shells and mash the others well. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing down to release juice. Cook the juice with the other ingredients over low heat until they form a thick, clear sauce. When slightly cool, pour the sauce over the berries in the shells. Serve chilled, optionally with whipped cream.
NOTE: See tip above for using this recipe all year

6 Minute Preserves: Yields 5-6 cups preserves- A simple colonial recipe that still works
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6 cups sugar
4-6 Tbs. lemon juice
Wash the berries by placing in a colander and dunking up and down in a large pot of water. Do not let water run over the berries. Place the colander in a large container and cover with boiling water and let stand 1 min. then drain well. This allows the berries to absorb the sugar. Place the berries in a 6-8 quart kettle with half the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a rolling boil, one that can’t be stirred down and cook 3 min. Remove pot and skim. Add the rest of the sugar, repeat the process. Remove from the heat and allow to stand overnight, occasionally pushing the berries down into the syrup. If the growing season was rainy, or the syrup seems too thin, boil again for 1-2 min. When completely cool, seal in sterilized jars or paraffin covered jelly jars. Keeps for months in a cupboard

Strawberry Souffle: Serves 6 -This is really a cinch, but very impressive.
1 pt. berries
8 eggs separated
½ cup + 1/3 cup sugar
½ lemon –juiced
1 Tbs. Cointreau – optional
Butter to grease the soufflé dishes
Powdered sugar for garnish
Wash, hull and drain the berries and process to a fine puree. Scrape the puree into a bowl. Add the egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, liqueur and beat thoroughly until light and fluffy. With clean, dry beaters whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the yolk mixture. Spoon mix into 6 well-greased soufflé dishes and place on a baking sheet in a pre-heated 450 deg.oven Bake 7 min. reduce heat to 425 deg. and bake 7 min. more. Serve hot garnished with powdered sugar.

Strawberry Mousse: Serves 6-8 Better than ice cream because it’s all natural
1 quart strawberries-washed and hulled
1 pt. heavy cream – whipped
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
Add sugar to the berries, let stand 1 hr. and mash well. Whip cream with vanilla and gently stir into berries along with salt. Pour into freezer containers or into a mold and cover bottoms with a piece of lightly oiled waxed paper. The cream tends to form a dry crust when frozen. If using a mold, rinse with water firs, but don’t dry it out. This makes unmolding easier. Freeze at least 4-6 hr. preferably longer. Will keep for weeks.

Strawberry Ice: Serves 6-8 Great to have on hand for a quick ‘dessert fix’
2 quarts strawberries- washed and hulled
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Puree the berries. The yield should be about 2 cups. Boil the water with the sugar until it dissolves, then cool. Mix all the ingredients, beat well and pour into a covered freezer container. Freeze until slushy, a few hours, turn out into a bowl and beat again. Return to container and freeze until firm. Keeps as long as commercial ice cream. Very good with meringues or a whipped topping.