Posts from the ‘Tips & Tricks’ Category

Cool Meals For Hot Days

I always thought the coolest thing about learning to cook was being able to have whatever dish you want, when you want it and exactly how you like it. After all the hot weather this year, I’m realizing that the coolest thing, literally, is knowing how to make nutritious, appealing meals with as little cooking as possible!  When it’s too hot outside to fire up a grill, who wants to stand over a hot stove, or even eat  warm food?

The trick is to limit any actual cooking to tasks requiring little supervision, and combine as many of them as possible.  For example, if the week’s menu includes a chicken salad one day, a dish requiring hard-boiled eggs another and a pasta salad on a third, boil the meat and the eggs in the same pot, finish by using the hot water to cook the pasta.  Then simply refrigerate them until needed. That’s the basis of 3 meals in less than 1hr. and no further cooking needed. Even vegetables can be added with other items and kept chilled for later use, though I prefer frozen ones or to blanch fresh for, say Pasta Primavera, done in a microwave

The microwave is a great alternative to the stove for many things, especially in hot weather, but although it reheats meat well, it tends to toughen it cooked from raw. Another option, when a heat wave is forecast, is to prepare a turkey breast and/or a ham to have chilled, ready to cut for different recipes.  To see more salad recipes, check the slider on our Home Page and consult the Archives.

Whichever way you choose to greet the heat, the following dishes will make it more comfortable, even enjoyable. All need only  good artesian bread, so stop at the market bakery and load up or to insure freshness, check my recent post on breads, though it will put you in the kitchen longer.

A few tips on cooking the ingredients for these salads ahead:

• Boil chicken with bone in. Boneless chicken meat tends to curl unattractively. Rule of thumb, a thigh per serving but 2 large split breasts can do 3 with other ingredients.
• Boiled eggs are easier to peel fresh from the pan. Run under cold water, crack shell all over with a spoon and peel. Store refrigerated in water in a covered container. They keep for several days, so cook a batch at once.
• Italians swear by cooking pasta in stock. When the chicken is finished, scoop it out and use the water for pasta.  Drained and drizzled with a bit of oil, pasta will keep, salad ready, for several days in the fridge.

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Shrimp Louis: Serves 4
1 ½ lb. head Romaine lettuce-torn In bite sized pieces
4 hardboiled eggs-quartered
@ 1lb. cooked shrimp with tails—allow about 6-12 per serving depending on size
Dressing
½ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
Pinch mace or nutmeg
Ketchup
Stir the above well in a cup and add Ketchup to equal 1 cup
Toss the romaine in a bowl with 2/3 cup of dressing. Divide among plates and arrange the shrimp over the top. Drizzle with remaining dressing and decorate each plate with 1 quartered egg.

Poached Salmon with Dill Sauce: Per serving
1 Salmon fillet or steak
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
2 Tbs. sour cream
½  tsp. dried dill weed
½ cup frozen cut green beans
1 medium tomato –roughly chopped
Garlic powder, salt and pepper
1 Tbs.oil

½ tsp. dried basil

Fill a pan 1/3^rd  with water, add beans. Bring to a boil add salmon and poach 5-8 min. at a simmer. Turn off heat. Remove fish, run under cold water and remove skin and bones, if needed. Place on a plate, covered with plastic wrap and chill. Drain beans and run under cold water. Mix beans with tomato, oil, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste then chill. Mix mayo and sour cream with  dill and chill, serve on top of salmon with tomato-bean salad on the side.

Tuscan Bean Salad; Serves 2—For more, simply double (leftovers make good brown bags)
(1) 6 oz. can of tuna- drained-solid or chunk white preferred—oil or water optional
(1) 15 oz. can cannellini beans – or navy or Great Northern white beans – drained
2 Tbs. salad or canola oil
1Tbs. balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice
¼ cup fresh basil leaves-chopped or 1 tsp. dried
Oregano-to taste- optional
Whisk the last 6 ingredients in a bowl. Stir in the beans and tuna. Allow to sand a few minutes for the flavors to meld, or refrigerate up to 8 hrs.

Excellent served on spinach leaves, and accompanied by tomato wedges or small whole grape tomatoes.

Tuna with Pasta – 4 Servings
½ lb. (1/2 box) tricolored corkscrew pasta
(1) 5 oz. can solid white tuna
½  cup sliced ripe olives
1 small green bell pepper julienned
2/3 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
4 sliced green onions
1 Tbs. capers – optional –minus heavy green tops
Lettuce or baby spinach leaves
Bottled dressing to taste-a vinaigrette, Italian, Greek  or Caesar Or make ½  the vinaigrette recipe under Pasta Primavera.

Put all the salad ingredients, except the pasta and lettuce, in a bowl and drizzle with 1 Tbs. lemon juice. Allow to marinate 5 min. Add cooked pasta and gently toss with dressing. Marinate chilled 8 hr. or overnight, tossing occasionally. Serve well chilled over lettuce or spinach leaves.

Sashimi Salad – 4 servings.
This is one of my few uses for Sashimi, or fish processed to imitate shellfish. There are several brands the most famous label is Louis Kemp.
1 lb. package of sashimi-imitation crab or lobster
1 small head iceberg lettuce, or 1 lb. Romaine
1 medium onion halved and in thin rings
2 cucumbers peeled and seeded, cut in chunks
Salt and pepper
2 Tbs. oil
Bottled Russian, Catalina or French dressing to taste – OR-
2/3 cup mayonnaise and 1/3 cup ketchup with a ½ tsp. ground mace-optionally use nutmeg
Toss the lettuce, onion, cucumber, and sashimi in a bowl with the oil. Pour over the bottled dressing to taste, or the home made Russian dressing. Serve chilled.

Garden Chef’s Salad – 4 dinner servings
6 cups iceberg or romaine lettuce torn
1 small cucumber, peeled, in thin slice
1 medium red onion in thin slices
2 medium tomatoes in large chunks
1 carrot sliced thin
6 radishes, without tops, sliced thin
1 large stalk celery -diced
1/3 cup each, cooked ham, chicken and cheese, either Swiss or cheddar, in 1 inch sliced pieces
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste+ 1 tsp. sugar
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
Juice of ½ a lemon
½ tsp. garlic powder

Parmesan cheese -optional rather than including cheese in the salad.
Place all the vegetables, except the lettuce, in a bowl. Toss with oil vinegar, dried herbs, salt pepper, and sugar. Cover with lettuce and top with lemon juice and garlic powder. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 min. Toss well, then add meat and cheese to gently incorporate, and more oil if needed. Optionally garnish with grated Parmesan if using.

Bean Sprout with Beef– 4 servings
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup pea pods or snow peas- cooked to crisp-tender and sliced on the diagonal
2 cups peeled cucumber cut into matchsticks
½ cup sliced radishes
4 green onions sliced
6 cups torn romaine lettuce leaves
8 oz. sliced roast beef or steak—leftover or Deli
Dressing:
¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. sesame oil
2 Tbs. rice vinegar or white vinegar
1 ½ minced pickled ginger or 1 tsp. minced candied ginger
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds—as garnish
In a blender or jar, thoroughly combine all the dressing ingredients. Line the plates with the lettuce, then divide the bean sprouts equally on top. Arrange the vegetables in equal amounts on top of the sprouts and drizzle the dressing  equally over them. Lay the curled beef slices on top and garnish with the sesame seeds.  .

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad:  4 Servings
This is one of my very favorite dinner salads. Can be served in a bowl or plated individually.
1 ½  cups cooked chicken meat in bite sized pieces—leftover turkey or duck can be substituted.
6 cups romaine or iceberg lettuce
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped walnuts-toasted is best
½ cup crumbled feta cheese—blue can also be used
@ 1/3 cup bottled raspberry and nut –walnut or pecan – dressing
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the lettuce in a bowl, or on a plate, then add, in order, the cranberries, chicken, nuts, salt and pepper, dressing and last the cheese, which doubles as a garnish. Don’t toss—present layered. Then toss.

Chicken and Fresh Fruit Salad: Serves 4
2 cups cubed meat or 4 thighs, breasts or mixed —see above for cooking tips
½  lb. seedless grapes, halved—I like red for the color or pitted cherry halves
½  cup thin celery slices
½ cup equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream
1 tsp. curry powder and 1 Tbs. chopped fresh herbs to taste. I prefer cilantro
Combine everything well. Chill and serve on a bed of lettuce. Garnish with fruit and herbs.

Both these chicken salads go well with green beans or asparagus, boiled to crisp tender, and drizzled with vinaigrette while warm, then chilled until ready to serve.

Garlic- Another Spring Crop And Global Favorite

We’ve been talking about spring produce lately and of all spring crops, garlic possibly has the longest history and is the most universally known and loved. Native to Central Asia, now found globally, related to the onion, it’s been used in cooking and medicinally for over 7,ooo years.  The Egyptians, Romans and Greeks valued it highly and its distinctive flavor has played a feature role in every major cuisine since, and some not-so –famous ones too.  The Algonquian Indians named the meadows around Lake Michigan “Garlic Place” or “Chicago” and the name stuck when the town was built in the early 1800s.

Garlic’s medicinal applications were soon over-shadowed by its culinary ones but they do still persist. Originally it was thought to cure poxes and dropsy. Through WW II it was used as an emergency antiseptic. Today it’s sold powdered in pill form to reduce cholesterol, and believed to be a cancer preventative.

The taste is most assertive when chopped raw. Heating mellows it, and to tame the taste even further in cooked dishes, refrigeration does the trick. However, otherwise avoid refrigeration, it encourages rot. Garlic is best kept in a cool, dry, dark place and checked often because not only does it easily mold but it will shrivel to nothing as its juices evaporate. Always buy bulbs heavy for their size, firm and with no sign of mold or sprouting.

To loosen the cloves, place the head on a hard surface and press down on the root end. To peel the cloves:

• Fold them in a dish towel and rub vigorously
• Drop in a pot of boiling water for 45 sec. Squeeze the clove and the skin pops off.
• Place the blade of a large knife over the clove and smack it forcefully with the heel of your hand, the peel pops off
• Microwave the head on high for 1 min. turning halfway through. Let cool and slip the skins off. Sautee leftover cloves in oil to cover for 5 min. and store in the refrigerator for 1 week. Later use the oil for salads.

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To chop garlic, lay the clove flat and julienne it lengthwise, then lay it on its side and thinly slice it again, then slice it crosswise into fine dice. An easier way to break up a garlic clove for cooking is to mash it. Put it in a garlic press, peel and all, the meat goes through, the peel is left behind and the press is easily cleaned with a toothbrush. Garlic juice has a sticky quality. In fact Italian jewelers use it to repair cracks in opaque stones like jade and quartz. To keep the knife moving smoothly as the garlic is chopped, sprinkle with salt, about 1/8^th tsp. per 3 cloves will do.

As mentioned, cooking tames garlic’s assertiveness, so for a more mellow or subtle flavor, sauté it briefly in oil before adding to a dish. This is especially helpful in seasoning cold foods and/or dishes like salads and spreads. Raw garlic can be baked when added to other dishes, but by itself, it’s usually sautéed or roasted, although the Chinese do fry it. The sauté is done in oil not butter, preferably over low heat, because butter browns quickly and garlic needs time to turn golden. Well browned or burnt garlic is bitter. Only enough oil is needed to allow it to turn easily for even cooking and never add it to hot oil. To roast garlic:

• Place one or several heads in a baking dish, adding enough oil to come halfway up the side, cover with foil and bake at 325 deg. for 1 hour.
• Place the head upside down in a baking dish, add 1/8 inch of milk, cover and microwave for 7 min. Turn right side up, drizzle with ½ tsp. oil and bake in a 375 deg. oven for 20 min.
• OR buy a clay garlic roaster and use as directed. Alternately get a small clay flowerpot (NOT glazed) and matching saucer–about 3-31/2 inches high. Trim a wine bottle cork to fill about 2/3 of the drainage hole – leaving the small space open to vent. Remove outer leaves and slice the top off a head of garlic, exposing the tips of the cloves and place it on the saucer. Pour over 1 Tbs. olive oil. Cover with the pot as a lid, and microwave on high 1 min. Depending on power of your machine may need a bit more time. Squeeze the garlic cloves into a bowl and mash or use as is. Store in a glass jar, refrigerated with oil. Later use the oil for salads.

Once the garlic is roasted, you can squeeze the cloves out and spread them on bread, keep them in oil in a jar in the refrigerator for a few weeks or mash them into a paste. The paste can be used as a spread, flavoring for sauces, rice dishes, dressings, dips etc. or spooned under the skin of poultry before cooking, or on meat as it grills.

Garlic does leave an odor. To remove it from a cutting board, scrub with baking soda mixed with enough water to make a paste. To remove the odor from hands, rub them with a piece of stainless steel, a spoon, knife or pot will do, under running water or scrub with lemon juice and salt. To cleanse the breath, chew parsley, drink lemon juice with honey or eat lemon or lime sherbet.

As for commercially available forms of garlic, I find jarred cloves are more decoration than flavor. They look well whole or sliced in a dish but need reinforcement for impact.  For me, Garlic Salt is too light on garlic and too heavy on salt. Chopped dried garlic has a bit more taste but can turn a dish ‘grainy’ if not rehydrated enough, unless you want a crunchy texture. Dried sliced is slightly better and holds up well in cooking but may need some reinforcement to achieve desired flavor. My go-to is Garlic Powder. It incorporates into a dish as smoothly as pureed, the flavor can be controlled. And it’s easy to use; a little sprinkle on roasting chicken or in many cream sauces adds ‘that finishing touch.’ A bottle on the pantry shelf is always welcome. In fact it can be an alternative choice in most recipes if you don’t want to work with fresh, including several of the international recipes below. I choose them to show garlic is truly a global food.

Indian Chutney:  1 ½ cup yield
2 cups cored and chopped apples
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup raisins
2 minced garlic cloves
1/3 cup vinegar
¼ cup EACH brown sugar and water
1 Tbs. curry powder
½ tsp. EACH salt and ground ginger
1/8 tsp. Each cinnamon and cloves
2 Tbs. candied citron*
Cook everything together in an uncovered pot over low heat for 50 min. stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Cool and put in jelly jars. I cover the top with paraffin.  Stored in a cool, dark place this will keep for 1 year.
*Available in supermarkets and some Dollar Stores before Christmas.

Mexican Artichoke Salad: 8 servings ½ cup each
(2) 16 oz. cans artichoke hearts drained and halved or 8 medium artichokes
¾ cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. dried basil
1 Tbs. sugar
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup olive oil
Fresh greens
If using fresh artichokes, remove the outer leaves, slice about ¼  off the tops, peel the tough outer layer from the stems, cut in half and remove the fuzzy choke.  Add to boiling water to cover, with a little lemon juice and salt, cook for 45 min. Drain and cool.  Combine all the other ingredients in a jar, shake well and pour over the artichokes. Allow to marinate, chilled at least 1 hour before serving. Toss gently and serve over sliced greens. This goes best over heartier greens, spinach or blanched kale, with stems removed.

Italian Garlic Alfredo Sauce: Serves 4
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk
½  cup half and half
1 ¼ cups grated Parmesan
8 mashed , roasted garlic cloves
¼ tsp. pepper
2 chopped scallions
12 oz. cooked pasta
Bring milk and ½ and ½ to a light simmer. Stir in 1 cup cheese and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and mix in garlic, pepper and scallions. Toss with cooked pasta and garnish with remaining cheese. Serve hot.

French Garlic Soup: Serves 6-8
3 quarts water-optionally use canned vegetable broth for all or part
2 cups EACH sliced carrots, diced potatoes, diced onion
1 Tbs. salt
2 cups cut green beans-frozen is fine
2 cups canned white beans like Navy
1/3 cup strand pasta like spaghetti broken in pieces
1slice stale white bread – crumbled
1/8 tsp. pepper
Pinch saffron

Pistau
4 cloves mashed garlic
6 Tbs. tomato puree
¼ cup chopped fresh basil or 1 ½ Tbs. dried
½ cup grated Parmesan
¼ to ½ cup olive oil
Boil first 3 ingredients for 40 min. Add the next 6 and cook for 20 min. Meanwhile make the Pistou. Place first 4 ingredients in the bottom of the soup tureen or serving bowl and mix to a paste with a wooden spoon. Whisk in the oil by the drop until the consistency of a sauce. When soup is cooked, whisk in 1 cup then stir in the rest. Serve soup with rounds of toasted bread brushed with olive oil.

American Garlic Flavored Fish Steaks: For (2) I inch steaks
2 Halibut, Swordfish, Marlin or Tuna steaks about 1-1 ½ inch thick
2 cloves garlic minced
6 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. EACH salt and pepper
1 Tbs. lemon or lime juice
Chopped parsley
Mix all the marinade ingredients and steep the fish 1 ½ to 2 hours. Grill or broil fish about 4 inches from heat source 4-7 min. per side, depending on thickness of the steaks. Use the marinade to baste occasionally. Heat the balance of the marinade, serve as sauce over the fish and garnish with parsley.

Cuban Garlic Citrus Sauce: Yield 1 cup
5 cloves  minced garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. orange juice
½ tsp. EACH dried oregano and ground cumin
2 Tbs. water
Ground pepper and preferably Kosher salt to taste.
Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Cook garlic and cilantro until just beginning to brown, about  2-3 min. Add the juices, herbs and water, boil for about 2 min. until juices mellow. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool to room temperature before using. Store, refrigerated in an airtight jar. Shake well before using, Keeps for 7-10 days. Use on roasted or grilled poultry or pork.

7 Great Strawberry Desserts

It’s time for strawberries, the other, more popular spring fruit. Though they are available year ‘round, strawberries, especially local, in season bring a smile to the face and brighten the day. They promise warm sunny days, longer and more relaxed, offering the chance to get outside and have fun. My children thought of our annual pick-your-own trip to a near-by farm as concrete proof that the school year was ending and vacation about to start. They looked forward to it as a holiday to celebrate. Perhaps our reaction to strawberries isn’t just due to weather change though. Read on–

Today strawberries are valued all over the world, for their color, smell, taste and decorative qualities, but the earliest mentions of them in Roman texts is mainly for medicinal uses. By the 14^th century the fact that they could be easily transplanted from the woods where they grew wild and cultivated in gardens made them popular, but still for medical purposes. In the mid 14^thcentury Charles V, of France, kept over 1,200 plants for his personal use. Ironically, they were believed, among other complaints, to relieve depression.

Strawberries were a widely harvested crop in England, Germany and France by the 16^th century, but it wasn’t until they were introduced with cream at the court of Henry VIII that they gained culinary status.  However, the wild, wood strawberry though very sweet is tiny and fragile. In the 18^th century, Fragaria Virginiana, the North American species, was introduced to Europe and the modern strawberry was developed in Brittany. Technically, it isn’t really a berry, but an ‘aggregate, accessory fruit’ for several reasons but briefly, because the seeds are on the outside.

Unlike its seasonal companion, rhubarb, strawberry flavoring is found in products from cough drops to cosmetics, but the fruit is especially popular in sweets.  I think everyone reading this probably has a favorite dessert. Just in case you all want to try something new this year while they’re in season, I’m offering 7 easily made recipes, all of which my family has sampled and liked.  So enjoy strawberries while they’re here. They’re not only good, but according to history, good for you. Have a Strawberry Day as my kids called it!

Strawberry Mousse; Serves 6
1 pkg. frozen sliced strawberries**
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup sugar**
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs.  Curacao – optional
Thaw berries and drain, measuring liquid. Add Curacao, if using and enough water to equal 1 cup. Add gelatin and soften for 5 min. then add 1 cup boiling water and stir to dissolve. Add berries and cool the mixture for 30 min. until slightly thickened. Beat the cream until slightly thickened; add vanilla and gradually add the sugar beating ‘til thick. Fold the cream into the berry mix and pour into a fancy mold*. Freeze until firm. Kept frozen this mousse lasts as long as ice cream.

* Rinse the mold with water first leaving a light coating on the inner surface.
**If using fresh fruit, wash, hull and slice or chop an equal size into a bowl. Try to get the pieces of comparable size. Allow to stand in 2 Tbs. sugar until juices are released and proceed as directed. Optionally deduct the extra 2 Tbs. sugar from the ½ cup listed in ingredients.

Strawberry Ice; Serves 6
2 quarts strawberries
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups water
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Dash cayenne pepper
Wash, hull and chop berries. Place in a bowl with the sugar and let stand for 3 hrs. to draw the juice. Buzz blend and drain by squeezing through a double thickness of cheese cloth. Mix in remaining ingredients and freeze in refrigerator trays until almost frozen, stirring occasionally. Pour into a chilled bowl, and beat well. Return mixture to trays, or if preferred a mold, cover with a wrap and freeze until firm. Like the mousse, this dessert keeps as long as ice cream in the freezer.

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Pie; Serves 6-8
9 inch baked pie shell—commercial is fine
(1)3 oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 pts. Strawberries- washed and hulled
¾ cup sugar
3 Tbs. cream
2 Tbs. cornstarch
Pineapple juice
Blend the cheese and cream until smooth and spread over the pie shell. Select the best berries and slice them. Chop the rest and let stand with the sugar until juicy, then mash and rub through a sieve. Mix the mashed berries with the cornstarch to a paste and add enough pineapple juice to equal 1 ½ cups. Cook stirring constantly over medium heat, until thick and transparent. Cool and pour ½ the mixture into the pie shell. Cover with the sliced berries and pour on the rest of the cornstarch mixture. Chill well.

 Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
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Baking Powder Drop Biscuits for Shortcake
2 cups flour
¾ tsp. salt
¼ cup + 2 Tbs. shortening
1 cup milk
2 Tbs. sugar
Extra sugar and cinnamon for topping
Mix dry ingredients, cut in shortening until crumbly, stir in milk all at once. Drop by tablespoons, several inches apart, onto a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with sugar and cinnamon. Bake in a preheated 450 deg. oven for 10-12 min. until light brown. Cool slightly, remove from pan and cool completely.
To serve, slice in 2 layers and fill with sliced strawberries which have been marinating in sugar long enough to have rendered their juice.* Top with whipped cream or ice cream.
* A splash of Curacao added to the marinating strawberries is good.

Strawberry Crisp: Serves 18-20 (Recipe courtesy of The Cake Doctor)
6 cups fresh strawberries, or (2) 16 oz. bags whole frozen
1 box plain yellow cake mix
1 cup butter – cut in ½  inch pieces
Whipped Cream or ice Cream for topping –optional
Hull strawberries and place in the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking pan* Sprinkle ½ the cake mix over the berries and scatter ½ the butter pieces over that. Repeat the layers. Place the pan on the center rack in a preheated 350 deg. oven and bake 60-65 min. until crisp on top. Remove and cool on a wire rack for 10 min. Spoon warm into bowls and top with cream or ice cream.
* Leftovers will keep in glass, covered and refrigerated for 1 week, but only 1 day in metal. If baked in metal, transfer to a glass or ceramic container within a day.

Strawberry-Blueberry Pizza; Serves 14-16
4 cups fresh strawberries – washed and hulled
3 cups fresh blueberries – washed
1 roll shortbread cookie dough
¾ cup apricot jelly + 3 Tbs. water
2 cans whipped cream
(1) 12 inch pizza tin
Roll out the cookie dough to fit the pizza tin, leaving a bit of an edge to fold over making a rim, if possible. Prick a few times with a fork, cover with waxed paper and pie weights (raw rice will do), and bake according to package directions. When cool, place the fruit decoratively over the top, slicing any large strawberries so they appear of even size. Melt the jelly in the water over low heat until it’s a smooth liquid. While still hot, spoon evenly over the fruit to give a glazed appearance. Chill well and serve with whipped cream topping.

Angel Nests: 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 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.

16 Cooking And Kitchen Tips For 2016

In looking at my blog listings, I realized that I’m way overdue for a post offering simple kitchen tips to make your life easier. I try to give helpful advice in all my posts, but it’s been far longer than I thought possible since I’ve devoted an article to nothing but helpful hints alone, unrelated to a central theme. So, with apologies for the oversight, here we go. I promise I won’t wait so long in future to add more.

If you want to see the other posts I’ve written on tips, go to the site archives. Just click Table of Contents on the page header and look for “Tips” in the blog title listings.

1. Lightly oil the threads of a jar or bottle with ‘sticky’ contents (honey, jam, syrup etc.) when first opened. It will always open easily. This trick makes measuring utensils easier to use as well.
2. Keep a supply of large plastic lids (coffee, whipped topping, Deli items etc.) When mixing batters or other sticky items, they can be cut to fit the bowl and used as scrapers to transfer the contents. They are easy to clean or disposable.
3. If covering rising batter, baked goods or a garnished casserole to be cooked later, lightly spray the plastic wrap with cooking spray and it won’t stick to the contents.
4. If working with rising dough, put it in a rectangular pan. It’s much easier to roll into a desired shape.
5. To prepare salads ahead, separate and wash the leaves of the greens, lay them out on a clean kitchen towel and loosely roll it up. They will keep fresh and dry in the refrigerator for 2 days, ready to be tossed
6. Use a can of compressed air spray to clean a pasta machine or coffee grinder. It works as well for them as it does for the computer.
7. When oranges are in season, don’t throw away the peels, chop or zest and freeze them. This way you have the fresh flavoring handy all year.

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8. To give plates a ‘pro presentation’ with swirls of sauce around the rim, or to make line design or write on cakes and other items, put the sauce or icing in squeeze bottles. Even well washed ones that held condiments will do and they’re disposable.
9. Canned frosting can be heated in the microwave (about 30 sec,) to form a glaze to pour over a cake. It can also be heated in a squeeze bottle, upside down, to make it flow for easy use. It cools to its regular texture.
10. When cooking or chilling stuffed bell peppers, to keep them upright, stand them in a tube pan. Just remember, if the pan is non-reactive, to add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar to the water to prevent discoloration.
11. To cut jalapenos, slice a piece off the end to stand them up, and trim the sides away, as you would a bell pepper. Then the core and seeds can be removed in one piece.
12. An easy way to mix meatloaf or a recipe with similar ingredients is to put them in a plastic bag and kneed it. It’s even neater if you give the inside of a bag a squirt of cooking spray first.
13. To quickly soften chilled or frozen butter, cut it in pieces, put it in a plastic bag and roll it with a rolling pin. This way it’s an even texture for mixing into other ingredients, such as cake batter. To cut butter into ingredients, as for pie dough, freeze it, then grate it into the bowl and toss with the flour.
14. Fresh ginger root keeps best frozen. It can be peeled and grated easily, or cut into thin slices and frozen for chopping later.
15. When cooking rice and other grains, place a clean, folded towel between the lid and pot. It keeps the moisture from dripping back into the pot and making the grain soggy. I buy the disposable micro-fiber ones from the Dollar Store, use them to clean the kitchen later and toss them.
16. Plastic or glass cutting boards are great for meat, especially for poultry with the issue of salmonella, because they can be cleaned and sterilized. However, good wooden ones are a wise investment. They last for a lifetime and more. I use one I made for my mother in kindergarten. The design on the front is intact, but the back has a groove worn into it, because it’s just the right size for small tasks and handy to store. A medium sized board, 11” x 15” with a nice grain can do double duty in the kitchen and to present a loaf of artisanal bread at dinner. A larger board is essential to roll pastry or knead dough, but can also plate a cold roast for a casual meal. You can get creative with wooden boards too. I bought a blank clock face in a crafts store. It just fits the center of a dinner plate and makes a great cheese or fruit server of any plate. To maintain a polished surface, rub occasionally with cooking oil; otherwise just wipe the boards down with water and a little soap if needed. Be sure they’re dry before storing them.

Rhubarb Is A Real Taste Of Spring

Before I begin this week’s post, I want to introduce you to our new comments box. I do apologize, I was not aware that a former tech had disabled the old one. My apologies if I didn’t answer before. It won’t happen again.

Although there’s a variety of tender, young, greens available in early spring, there is only one fruit mature enough to eat at that time, rhubarb. It’s followed about a month later by strawberries but rhubarb is a true symbol of the new season. It’s a bundle of contradictions, though, from its sweet-tart taste to the fact that people either hate it or love it. A perennial vegetable, native to the Orient, related to sorrel, it’s only occasionally used as such in some Asian dishes and a few Eastern European ones. The rest of the world considers it a fruit. In fact the U.S. Department of Agriculture classified it as one in 1947.

Rhubarb looks like red celery, but it’s harvested stalk by stalk, not by the bunch, leaving the roots, which along with the leaves are toxic, in the ground, to rejuvenate.  Inedible raw, it can be steamed, baked, canned and makes a wonderful jelly. It’s often served ‘stewed’ as a fruit with breakfast or as a dessert after dinner, but not mixed into cereal, salads, or eaten as a snack or accompaniment to meat as are other fruits. Field grown rhubarb, available only in spring, has bright red slender stalks which are less fibrous and slightly sweeter than the hothouse variety, available all year, with wide, thick pale to deep pink ones.

A common spring sight in markets and kitchens until the mid to late twentieth century, I hadn’t realized that it had become a rarity until several years ago when I wanted to make the Rhubarb Kutchen recipe below. I couldn’t find it in regular markets and ended up in a boutique produce ‘farm’ one. Possibly its decline in favor is due to the fact that it requires sugar to be acceptable and sugar has become a bad word in food preparation. However, new verities have been developed which are sweeter and hopefully will revive rhubarb’s popularity. I’ve been glad to see it in my supermarkets again the past few years. It is unique and deserves a place in our menus.

Rhubarb doesn’t ripen after harvesting, and should have stiff stalks and fresh looking leaves when bought.  Keep it wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator and use within three days. The quickest way to cook rhubarb is to ‘stew’ it, which is not exactly accurate. It’s actually simmered or ‘steamed’ gently in a double boiler. However, for any recipe, the stalks should be trimmed of the leaves, which are toxic, washed and cut in 1 inch dice. The celery-like ‘strings’ will soften in cooking, especially if cut on the diagonal, and need only be removed from the largest of stalks.  Rhubarb should be cooked over low heat, never boiled or overcooked because it loses body in the process. It has a high water content, so some recipes call for a little water while others call for none. It also has a high pectin content which allows it to gel nicely for a sauce or compote.

One pound of rhubarb yields about two cups cooked.  Always use a non-reactive pot; aluminum turns it grey and gives it a metallic taste. Also, it should be kept covered because it oxidizes in the air One fun part of working with rhubarb is that it combines well with other fruits, especially ones that share its season, like strawberries and cherries, or have a similar texture such as fresh pineapple.  Directions to make these changes are quite simple; just exchange another fruit for half the amount of rhubarb in any recipe. The only adjustment that may be needed is in the amount of sugar, which is a matter of personal taste. See the Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie below.

So if you see rhubarb in your market in the next few weeks, give it a try. Incidentally, one of the reasons that it was so linked to spring was because it was considered a tonic. Its mild cathartic properties were said to rid the body of winter’s ills. In any case, I’m a big fan and with the current flavor preferences, I think you will be too.

Steamed Rhubarb I: Yields 4 cups = 4 servings alone
2 lbs. rhubarb cut in 1 inch pieces
1 ½-2 cups sugar
2 tsp. lemon zest (optional)
½ cup water –optional
Place all the ingredients in the top of a double boiler, cover and cook over medium-low heat until fruit is tender, about 10 min.

Steamed Rhubarb II: Serves 6
4 cups cut rhubarb
1 cup sugar
Proceed as above but don’t stir. This requires less sugar and no water allowing the rhubarb liquid to moisten the dish.  I haven’t tried it but the lowered sugar amount may be more acceptable.

Serve alone, as a topping for ice cream, with meringues or whipped cream.

Baked Rhubarb Yield 4 cups= 16 dessert toppings or 8 compotes*
2 lb. rhubarb cut in 1 inch pieces
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Toss rhubarb and dry ingredients in a non-reactive 9 x 12 baking dish. Drizzle with juice and bake 30 min. covered. Uncover and bake 10 min. more or until rhubarb is tender. Bring to room temperature then chill.

*Due to the pectin in rhubarb this sets when chilled and can be used for;
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2. Top pound cake layers with this, adding a dab of whipped cream for a quick dessert
3. Shortcake-Spread over biscuits or sponge cake shells
4. Compotes-Place crumbled gingersnaps in the bottom of a goblet fill ½ way with rhubarb, repeat layers again. Chill well and serve topped with whipped cream.

Rhubarb Crisp:  A fluted pan gives a nice presentation
Fill a 9 inch unbaked pie shell with
4 cups rhubarb cut in 1 inch pieces
Mix to form crumbs:
½ cup melted butter
1 ½ – 1 ¾ cups sugar
¾ cups flour
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. nutmeg or cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
sprinkle the crumbs over the fruit and bake in a 400 deg. bake in a preheated oven 30-40 min. until topping is crisp and fruit bubbles. Cool on a rack; serve warm or chilled with whipped cream or ice cream.

Rhubarb Kutchen: Serves 12
1 ¾ cups  flour                                 4-5 cups rhubarb in1 inch pieces
2 Tbs. sugar                                        *Meringue*
½  tsp. salt                                            4 egg whites                                         
½  cup butter                                       ¼  tsp. salt
¼ cup chopped nuts                            ¾ cup  sugar
2 egg yolks beaten lightly                   1  tsp. vanilla
2  egg yolks                                          2 drops cider vinegar or ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
2 cups sugar
½ cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Stir together 1 ¾ cups flour, baking powder, 2 Tbs. sugar and salt, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in nuts and 2 beaten egg yolks until well mixed. Press into the bottom of an 8 x 12 inch pan. Beat other egg yolks well, stir in remaining sugar and flour, add rhubarb, and pour mixture into the pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 45mins.  Remove from oven, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Meanwhile, have made Meringue by beating room temperature egg whites until soft peaks form, add vinegar or cream of tartar and beat to incorporate, likewise with vanilla. Gradually add sugar and beat until whites are stiff and glossy.  Spread Meringue over fruit, return to oven and bake until delicately brown-about 10 min. Serve at room temperature.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie: This can be made into a Rhubarb Pie by using 4 cups rhubarb and 1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups sugar. Other fruits can also be substituted for the strawberries in equal amounts.
Crust for a covered pie
1 cup sugar
½ cup flour
2 pt. strawberries
1 lb. rhubarb – chopped
2 Tbs. butter
Gently toss sugar, flour and fruit together  and let marinate 30 min. Line a 9 inch pie plate with one layer of crust. Pour filling into shell and dot with butter. Cover with second layer of crust with holes cut to vent steam. Bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven for 35 – 40 min until bubbly and brown.

5 Great Naturally Resources Greens

Foraging for food, especially in spring, can be rewarding fun. The town where I grew up had been a farm but unlike regular developments, which level the land and immediately begin building, the founding group laid out the property grids and sold the lots independently, leaving construction to the owners.  Resultantly, some plots remained vacant ‘investment properties’. Each spring those lots yielded vestiges of the crops that once grew on them, most having returned to their wild form. There was asparagus, tiny, sweet ‘wood’ strawberries, an occasional blueberry bush and loads of ramps. Gleefully we children gathered them and ate them raw. At the edge of town there were several acres of nettles we dubbed “The Ouch Woods”. We were told the Indians had cooked and eaten the young shoots.

By the time I was 10 the lots held houses and the woods had been replaced by a school. My foraging days were forgotten until college, when I was reminded by the owner of the local pub. He gathered and cooked fiddlehead ferns and ramps each spring, reminding me how delicious natural produce can be. Once again, the memory dimmed over the years except for an occasional mention in a food magazine or a rare sighting in a boutique produce market.

Then, about five years ago a movement was started by innovative young chefs to create dishes centered around locally foraged, now called ‘resourced’ ingredients.  Scandinavia was an early leader and Australian chefs became quickly involved. Their restaurants received global reservation requests.  This may well be the guiding force behind the Millennials’ focus on making salads of grains, nuts, seeds and greens the major part of a meal, as well as their willingness to spend for the best, purest ingredients. I plan a post on this soon, but this is a generation that has grown up amid the controversy over GMOs, pesticides and exfoliants.  They want their food unchanged by science and untreated by chemicals; in other words, as natural as possible.

I’m listing 5 of the easiest items to ‘resource’, even if from a Farmer’s Market, and use in spring. I think fennel could be added to the list, because though grown commercially, it’s found wild in most countries, usually near water. See my post of March 3, 2016.

1)Fiddleheads are easiest to find in upscale produce markets and are only in season for a couple of weeks. These are the shoots of the Ostrich fern, and get their name because they are tightly coiled resembling the carved end of a violin’s neck. They are very ornamental, can be eaten raw, cook well, also can or freeze and have a flavor similar to asparagus. Like asparagus, the woody end of the stem will break off easily. If you attempt to gather them yourself, be sure they have wooly tops and a distinctive grove running down the stem.  They have a mildly toxic relative which resembles them.

Sautéed Fiddleheads
3 cups fiddleheads – stems trimmed
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil (The pub owner used butter)
½ tsp. each salt and pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fiddlehead ferns in the boiling water until barely tender, 7 to 10 minutes; drain. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the prepared fiddlehead ferns, garlic, and the salt and pepper. Cook and stir until ferns are tinged lightly brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with lemon juice
For more recipes go to:
allrecipes.com/recipe/

2) Ramps also called Spring Leeks or Wild Onions are native to North America and Canada, where they are now endangered. Often confused with scallions, having a crisp texture but a nuttier, more garlicky flavor, they can be eaten raw, cooked or pickled. They have broad, smooth, light green leaves, often with deep purple or burgundy tints on the lower stems, and a scallion-like stalk. Both the white lower leaf stalks and the broad green leaves are edible. They grow in tight groups, strongly rooted with a bulbous end.
Food writer Jane Snow calls ramps’ flavor a combination of onions and strong garlic, or “fried green onions with a dash of funky feet” which is adaptable to numerous cooking styles. In central Appalachia, ramps are most commonly fried with potatoes in bacon fat or scrambled with eggs and served with bacon, pinto beans and cornbread. Ramps can also be pickled or used in soups and other foods in place of onions and garlic, but taste milder and sweeter than either. Sautéing over a high flame with olive oil, salt and pepper enhances their sweetness and is an excellent topping for burgers.
Ramps can often be found in markets, especially in Northeastern United States. The following is a recipe for a fancier presentation. It calls for leeks, but ramps can be substituted. 6-8 should do.

Leek and Potato Bake: Serves 4
2 large leeks trimmed –equal quantity of ramps about 6 to 8
2 lb. potatoes- a more floury variety is best here – Idaho, Russet, Eastern All-Purpose
1 ½ cups light cream
6 oz. Brie cheese sliced
Trim leeks (ramps), cut across in ½ inch slices and blanch for 1 min. Pierce the potatoes and microwave for 2 min. cool and slice thin. Put half the potatoes in a shallow baking dish and spread out to the edges and cover with 2/3^rd of the leeks (ramps). Cover with the rest of the potatoes and tuck the other 1/3^rdof leeks (ramps) and the cheese around and slightly under the potatoes. Pour the cream over and bake in a preheated 360 deg. oven for 1 hour until potatoes are tender. Cover with foil if the top begins to over brown.

For more recipes go to:
15 Recipes to Celebrate Ramps | Serious Eats
www.seriouseats.com/2015/

3) Lambs Ears have been used in many ways medicinally for centuries but few people outside the West Indies enjoy it as food, where it is frequently made into mole verde.  Why is a mystery, because the plant is plentiful, often found in gardens and easily bought in garden centers. The leaves, especially the young, tender ones are wonderful fresh in salads. They have a bland fruity taste compared to apple or pineapple. The leaves can also be served gently steamed or dried and made into a soothing tea very like chamomile.
Easy to grow and maintain, the best way to have lambs ears handy for the kitchen is to plant them in your garden as borders. They also deter rabbits and deer.  They need no further reference. You can get growing directions where you buy them. The young leaves can be used in salads according to taste, or simply steamed or dried for tea. If you want to explore the edible uses further, refer to a Caribbean Cookbook.

4) Dandelions are the most common of these resourced items, but not the easiest to find commercially. The best bet is a Farmers’ Market where they may appear in bags. The large leaves are very tough, so choose leaves about 3 inches long, but don’t chop them or they will shrink to a sodden mess when they wilt. I’m tempted to harvest my lawn, because I fight dandelions all summer, but after so many applications of weed killer over the years, I don’t know what chemicals have seeped into the plants.
Dandelions are used for wine, but their best kitchen purpose is in salad, and never raw, always wilted. Beware they shrink as much as spinach. 2 quarts will serve 4 normal portions. Also be sure to wash them well, soil and sand tend to cling. One quick preparation is:
Dandelion Salad with Bacon Serves 4
2 quarts dandelion greens-washed and trimmed
4 slices of bacon- cooked and crumbled
Salt, and pepper,
Vinegar  of choice.
Blanch the greens in boiling water. Drain well and serve topped with bacon. Pass the condiments on the side. (Optionally, hot bacon fat can be drizzled over the greens when plated.)
I’m including a favorite family recipe for Hot Boiled Dressing which will wilt the leaves as it’s tossed. The recipe makes about 1 ½ cups dressing and covers 2 quarts of dandelion leaves with some to spare.

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This dressing is wonderful, cold in place of mayonnaise in sandwiches and salads like potato, chicken, tuna and salmon. Hot it gives a new dimension to spinach and, if you can get them, dandelions.  Young spring spinach is best but the “baby” found pre-packed all year is also acceptable. Just make sure both types of greens are well washed and the hard part of the stems is snapped off. Either salad can be garnished with crumbled bacon. Used cold with the addition of quartered hard boiled eggs it can make a meal.
3 Tbs. sugar
½ tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. paprika
1 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. butter
½ cup water
½ cup cider vinegar
2 eggs – well beaten
In the top of a Bain Marie or double boiler, whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Whisk in the next 3 and place top pot over bottom in which the required amount of water is boiling. Cook, constantly stirring, until smooth and butter is melted. Pour a little into the beaten eggs, stirring to prevent curdling, pour the rest of the hot liquid into the eggs. Then return the mixture to the top of the double boiler and cook constantly stirring until mixture is thick and smooth.
Serve hot over cleaned greens. Do not use over lettuces. All greens will wilt with the heat and lettuces don’t stand up well.
Chill leftover and use as mayonnaise or a salad dressing.

5) Nettles are the only one of these greens I haven’t eaten. So I’m giving several references for recipes and more information. It’s imperative to wear heavy gloves when handling nettles. The leaves and stems are covered with hollow hairs which inject itchy histamines upon contact.  However, those who have eaten nettles say it’s worth the effort.
Like dandelions they aren’t edible raw. Their stinging power disappears instantly when cooked, and they can be used in many ways from pureed for soups to simply steamed or sautéed.  The cooked leaves are delicate greens loaded with vitamins, tasting like a spinach-cucumber hybrid, and able to be used in any recipe calling for spinach. Beware, like dandelions and spinach the greens shrink as they wilt, so buy at least double the quantity needed.
Below is a recipe for Nettle Soup and other Nettle recipes from HuffPost Taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 small leek
2-3stalks green garlic
1 medium russet potato, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 quart water or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 bunch nettles (~1/2 pound)
Regular or greek yogurt (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until foamy. Add leeks and green garlic, stir, sauté for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add potato, water or stock and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, simmer for 15 minutes or until potato is fork-tender.
Meanwhile, remove the nettle leaves from the stem and rinse to clean. Wear gloves! Bring a pot of water to a boil and drop cleaned nettle leaves in the pot. Cook for 2 minutes. Drain and quickly put nettles in a bowl of cold water for 30 seconds. Remove and drain again.
When soup is ready, add nettle leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender, blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve soup with dollops of yogurt, if desired.

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Spring Vegetable Recipe

MORE GREAT RECIPES

Top of Form

1. Garlicky Nettle Pesto from Hogwash – Terrific tossed with a bowl of spaghetti or rubbed into spring lamb.
2. Spinach and Nettle Crustless Spanakopita from Stitch n’ Boots – A strata of nettles and spinach made rich with eggs and feta. (Gluten-free!)
3. Spring Lasagna with Asparagus, Peas, and Stinging Nettles from The Bitten Word – All the best flavors of spring in this one.
4. Nettle Gnudi from Salty Seattle – These are a cousin of gnocchi made with ricotta and wilted nettles.
5. Nettle-Mushroom Pie with Pine Nuts from Voodoo & Sauce – An easy savory pie for dinner, lunch, or brunch.
6. Nettle Aloo from Just Cook It – A hearty Indian stew with nettles, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas.