Monday, June 21, 2010

My...what big feet you have!

Happy First Day Of Summer!


Mediterranean Tuna Antipasto Salad

Packed with protein and fiber, this tuna and bean salad is ready in a flash. Serve with warm, crusty bread or pack it in a pita for a sandwich. For an extra kick, add a pinch of crushed red pepper or cayenne.

4 servings
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 15- to 19-ounce can beans, such as chickpeas, black-eyed peas or kidney beans, rinsed
  • 2 5- to 6-ounce cans water-packed chunk light tuna, drained and flaked (see Note)
  • 1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
  • 4 teaspoons capers, rinsed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice, divided
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 cups mixed salad greens


PREPARATION

  1. Combine beans, tuna, bell pepper, onion, parsley, capers, rosemary, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl. Season with pepper. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil and salt in a large bowl. Add salad greens; toss to coat. Divide the greens among 4 plates. Top each with the tuna salad.

TIPS & NOTES

  • Note: Chunk light tuna, which comes from the smaller skipjack or yellowfin, has less mercury than canned white albacore tuna. The FDA/EPA advises that women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children consume no more than 6 ounces of albacore a week; up to 12 ounces of canned light tuna is considered safe.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 326 calories; 17 g fat (2 g sat, 11 g mono); 17 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrates; 22 g protein; 10 g fiber; 652 mg sodium; 681 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (160% daily value), Vitamin A (100% dv), Folate (42% dv), Potassium & Iron (20% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 1/2 lean meat, 2 fat


Food for Thought


A better sandwich....

There's more to making a sandwich than slipping something between two slices of bread. Elevate your sandwich into a "sammich" following advice from our experts. Get ready to dig in!

There's an art to making a sandwich and with a little imagination and a few tips, your sandwiches can go glam. We went to the pros for help. Follow their advice and you'll have one tasty sandwich. Master their advice, and that sandwich just might be elevated to a sammich.

"Don't be afraid to experiment with unique combinations for your own signature sandwiches," said Chris Martone, the executive chef for the Subway restaurant chain. He shared a list of dos and don'ts for making sandwiches (see graphic).

Jeff Mezzetta is president of G.L. Mezzetta Inc., purveyors of olives, peppers and other specialty foods. He's also one of the judges in the company's Make That Sandwich contest (makethatsandwich.com), which runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. He agreed that a little fiddling can reshape the sandwich landscape.

"You have the celebrity chefs and all the cooking shows, and people had been eating out when the economy was good. Now people are not eating out as much, but they still want that creative product at home. So by adding a few items, you get that creative adventure, even with that sandwich you bring to work every day."

"You know what the most popular sandwich is in this country?" he asked. "Grilled cheese. The sandwich that won (the 2008 contest) is called Spanish-style grilled cheese. Slices of French bread, Manchego cheese, serrano ham or prosciutto. We add roasted pepper strips, sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, extra-virgin olive oil, crushed garlic, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika and some parsley and a panini press. That one we made at probably 12 to 15 (restaurant) shows; every time we made it, it was a huge hit."

What's becoming popular is a salty/spicy/sweet combination in sandwiches, he added.

"A good (sandwich) combination is any meat that goes with goat cheese or feta, and roasted peppers and diced kalamata olives. You put that in a sandwich, man that's good. That combination of feta cheese and roasted peppers is delicious, then you add the kalamatas, you get that sweet/spicy goodness. And salty."

Dos and don'ts for sandwich-making
(from Chris Martone, the executive chef for Subway restaurants)

Don't start a food fight: Ingredients should complement one another. Combining too many complicated ingredients or too many contrasting flavors will cause your ingredients to fight it out, with no clear winner.

Don't use bread with an attitude: Certain breads are great tasting and have a nice crust, but they're not always the best choices when it comes to stuffing them with your favorite sandwich ingredients. Bread that is too tough can make eating your sandwich a messy chore.

Don't forget that some ingredients just don't get along: While bread is one of the most important parts of a sandwich, it can be an overpowering bully to some of your ingredients.

Do use cucumbers: Cucumbers are no longer limited to those tiny tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off. They're great for adding texture and crunch and for the cooling effect they have on spicy ingredients.

Do keep your cheese away from the bread: If the cheese is next to your bread, without anything separating them, it can get absorbed into the bread and you will lose the flavor and texture of the cheese. This is especially true for highly seasoned breads and soft, mild and delicate cheeses.

Do allow great tastes to get together: Always have your sauces touch the proteins (meats, fish, cheese). Sauces and condiments are meant to enhance the flavor of your protein and work best when they are together. If not, you might not get the desired taste sensation.

Do choose the right ingredients: Always choose great quality ingredients to make great tasting sandwiches.

whageman@tribune.com

Orange-flavored shortcakes with strawberries, cream


Try this classic dish with a citrus twist!

It's a great dish that's practically unavoidable this time of year, when the markets are full of fragrant strawberries just begging for whipped cream and a bite of something crunchy.

Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Orange-flavored shortcakes:
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (about 1 large orange)
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
2 hard-boiled egg yolks
3/4 cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
Coarse sugar for dusting (granulated sugar can be substituted)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a food processor bowl, pulse together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold cubed butter and the egg yolks and pulse together just until the mixture has the texture of lightly moistened cornmeal. There may be a few pea-sized chunks of butter remaining; that's fine.

3. Pour over 3/4 cup heavy cream and then pulse 4 to 6 times just to moisten the dough. Do not overmix or the dough will be tough.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather into a shaggy mass. Knead 3 to 4 times to make it cohesive and then pat into a rough circle 6 to 7 inches in diameter and a fairly consistent 3/4 to 1 inch in thickness.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut the circle into 6 wedges. Brush the tops very lightly with heavy cream (there should be enough left in the measuring cup) and sprinkle lightly with the coarse sugar.

6. Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake until risen and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Turn the pan around halfway through to ensure even cooking. Remove to a cooling rack.

Strawberries and assembly:
3 pints strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 cup whipping cream, beaten to soft peaks

1. While the shortcakes are baking, toss the strawberries, sugar and orange juice together in a bowl. Let stand several minutes. (If the strawberries are extremely firm, do this 30 minutes in advance.)

2. Split the shortcakes in half horizontally and set the tops aside. Place the bottoms on dessert plates and heap strawberries over them. Spoon whipped cream generously over the strawberries and replace the shortcake tops. Serve immediately with any remaining whipped cream on the side.

Nutrition information:
Each serving: 599 calories; 8 grams protein; 57 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 39 grams fat; 24 grams saturated fat; 193 mg. cholesterol; 567 mg. sodium.




Key Lime Pie Poke Cake

Ok..here's a Betty Crocker recipe...it sounds and looks yummy!


Bring the great flavor of key lime pie to a wonderful white cake. It's refreshing and fantastic!
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hour 55 min
Makes: 15 servings

Cake
1box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1 1/4cups water
1tablespoon vegetable oil
4eggs
Key Lime Filling
1can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
3/4cup whipping cream
1/2cup Key lime juice or regular lime juice
1teaspoon grated lime peel
4drops yellow food color
1drop green food color
Frosting
1container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped vanilla frosting
2teaspoons grated lime peel
Garnish, If Desired
Fresh strawberries
Key lime slices
Lemon leaves
Print these coupons...
About Concordance™

1.Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
2.In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
3.Bake 26 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. With handle of wooden spoon (1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter), poke holes almost to bottom of cake every 1/2 inch, wiping spoon handle occasionally to reduce sticking.
4.In medium bowl, stir together filling ingredients (mixture will thicken). Pour over cake; spread evenly over surface, working back and forth to fill holes. (Some filling should remain on top of cake.) Refrigerate 1 hour.
5.Spread frosting over cake; sprinkle with lime peel. Garnish with strawberries, lime slices and lemon leaves. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.
Make the Most of This Recipe
Kitchen Tips
Key lime pie is not green in color unless food color is added. If you'd prefer a greener filling in this cake, add a couple drops of green food color to the filling before pouring it over the cake.
If Key limes aren't available in your grocery store, look for bottled Key lime juice near the other bottled lime juices.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving: Calories 390 (Calories from Fat 150); Total Fat 16g (Saturated Fat 7g, Trans Fat 2 1/2g);Cholesterol 80mg; Sodium 310mg; Total Carbohydrate 56g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 41g); Protein6Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 10%; Iron 4Exchanges: 1/2 Starch3Other Carbohydrate0 Vegetable1/2 High-Fat Meat2 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 4
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Recipe with a Twist: Strawberry & Coconut Cheesecake Tarts


Try this delicious recipe for a twist on the traditional lemon meringue pie that makes individual strawberry and coconut meringue cheesecake tarts!

Lemon meringue pie is a dessert favourite all over the world. Try this recipe that takes a twist on an old-fashioned favourite. Made as individual tarts, this recipe replaces lemon with strawberry flavour and makes a cheesecake filling. The tarts are finished with a baked coconut meringue.
Recipe:
Strawberry & Coconut Cheesecake Tarts
Ingredients:

Pastry

1 ½ cups (225g) plain flour
¼ cup (40g) icing sugar
125g cold butter, chopped
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon iced water

Filling

375g cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon strawberry puree
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon strawberry essence
1 tablespoon plain flour
½ cup strawberry-flavoured jam (jelly)

Meringue

2 egg whites
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
1 cup dessicated coconut
Method:
  1. Grease six deep 10cm fluted loose-base flan or cheesecake tins.
  2. Process the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until crumbly. Add the egg yolks and and the water and pulse until the ingredients come together. Knead the pastry on a floured surface until smooth. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  3. Divide the pastry into six equal portions; roll each between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line the tins. Gently ease the dough into the tins, press into the sides and trim the edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (180 degrees Celsius fan-forced).
  5. Cover the pastry cases with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice and place on an oven tray. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and the beans; bake about 10 minutes or until the pastry is browned lightly. Cool.
  6. Reduce the oven temperature to 160 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Celsius fan-forced).
  7. Make the filling by beating the cream cheese, strawberry puree and essence, egg and egg yolk in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the flour and jam.
  8. Divide the filling among the pastry cases. Bake for about 25 minutes; cool in the oven with the door ajar. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.
  9. Preheat the oven to 240 degrees Celsius (220 degrees Celsius fan-forced).
  10. Make the meringue.
  11. Place cheesecakes on an oven tray. Rough the surface of the cheesecake with a fork; pipe or spoon the meringue over the filling. Bake about 3 minutes or until browned lightly. Cool 10 minutes before serving.
  12. Gently ease each cheesecake out of the tin and place on a plate. Place a scoop of strawberry ice cream next to each tart, garnish with a fresh strawberry and pour over some strawberry topping, if desired. Serve.

Meringue

Beat egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; gradually add the sugar, beating until the sugar dissolves between additions. Fold in the coconut.