Wok n Woll

Grilled bison kebabs

To celebrate warm summer days and easy entertaining here's a lean dish that's long on flavor. Bison, available at many supermarkets, is gaining in popularity for its rich, meaty flavor, nutrient density and lower fat content. When cooked to medium-rare, bison yields a tender texture.

Ground bison also makes a terrific lean, yet juicy, burger or meatloaf.

For the kebabs, choose thick rib-eye bison steaks (the cuts are labeled the same as beef), and cut them into large uniform pieces. A generous sprinkle of salt, allowed to penetrate the cubes for an hour or more, enhances their flavor.

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A simple " salsa" of tiny tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, chives and lots of golden garlic really gilds the lily. Warm wedges of rustic bread topped with fontina cheese make a great accompaniment.

Grilled bison kebabs with pine nut-chive salsa, spinach

Prep: 30 minutes
Marinate: 1 hour
Cook: 16 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless rib-eye bison steaks, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large head garlic, separated into cloves, peeled, finely chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 package (5 ounces) fresh spinach, rinsed, patted dry

1. Sprinkle steaks with salt in large glass bowl; toss to mix. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

2. Soak six or eight 12-inch-long wooden skewers in water 1 hour, or use metal skewers. Put currants into a small dish; add very hot water to barely cover. Let soak 10 minutes. Drain.

3. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until warm. Add garlic. Simmer until garlic is barely golden, about 5 minutes. Add pine nuts; cook until nuts are golden, 3-4 minutes. Stir in drained currants, tomato halves, vinegar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper. Remove from heat; stir in chives.

4. Prepare a grill for medium-hot heat. Rinse the bison; pat dry. Thread cubes onto the skewers (do not the pack the meat tightly together). Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place the skewers over the hottest section of the grill; cook 1 minute. Turn; cook 1 minute. Move the skewers to a cooler portion of the grill; cook until medium-rare, about 6 minutes. Arrange the spinach on a large serving platter. Put the bison skewers on top. Spoon the pine nut salsa over the kebabs.

Nutrition information:
Per serving: 430 calories, 47% of calories from fat, 23 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 94 mg cholesterol, 21 g carbohydrates, 37 g protein, 658 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.

Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune

Herb Biscuits

Breakfast is the most important meal. Aside from lunch and dinner. The dietitian insists it kick-starts the metabolism. The parent believes it improves concentration. The rest of us swear it eases that inevitable condition: morning.

Herb biscuits

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Several grinds pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up
1/2 cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing tops
1/3 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons chopped herbs (mix chives, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram)

Mix:
Whisk together flour, salt, pepper, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. Drizzle in buttermilk and cream; shower with herbs. Mix gently with a fork until dough just comes together.

Shape:
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a 1-inch thick rectangle, about 8-inches-by-4-inches. Use a pizza cutter to divide into eight 2-inch square biscuits. Brush tops with buttermilk.

Bake:
Slide into a 400-degree oven and bake until golden and firm, 15 minutes. Enjoy warm with fried chicken or tepid as the bedrock of a glorious sandwich.

Leah Eskin is a Tribune special contributor. Contact her at leahreskin@aol.com

Strawberry Marshmallow Mousse

Strawberry Marshmallow Mousse

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bels: Desserts and Ice Creams, Fruit, Marshmallow

This recipe was really easy, quick to make and tasted wonderful. The combination of the delicate flavour and pleasant tartness of the strawberries with the creaminess and sweetness of the marshmallows is unbeatable!

• 280 g Fresh strawberries, halved if large 
• 25 g Vanilla sugar 
• 100 ml Water
• 140 g Mini marshmallows 
• 200 ml Double cream

1. Put all but 3 strawberries into a pan along with the water and the sugar. Over a medium heat, cook strawberries until soft enough to mash, about 3 minutes. Take off the heat and squash the berries, using a fork, until pulpy. Add the marshmallows, then stir them into the hot strawberries until they dissolve. Leave to cool. 
2. Whip the cream until it holds its shape. Fold the cream into the cooled strawberry mix, then spoon into one bowl or separate pots and chill for about 2 hours, or until set. Cut the reserved strawberries in half and use to decorate.

Skillet Pasta Puttanesca

This recipe courtesy of Christine's Cuisine

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves , minced
• 2 anchovy fillets , rinsed and minced (optional, but important for flavor)
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups water
• 12 ounces ziti (3 3/4 cups)
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped coarse
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees.

2. Combine oil, garlic, anchovy, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch, ovensafe nonstick skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add crushed tomatoes, water, ziti, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until ziti is almost tender, 15 to 18 minutes.

4. Stir in wine, Parmesan, basil, and olives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over ziti. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes. Serve.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated

Blueberry Shortcake

When the summer months come, I find it almost impossibly hard to resist buying fresh blueberries by the double basketful. Thank goodness they're such good brain food! (These days my brain needs all the help it can get. Unlike with strawberries, where all you have to do is cut them and sprinkle them with sugar, to get the blueberries juicy enough for shortcake it works well to cook them, just a little, with sugar. This way more juices are released. This recipe makes a lot of blueberry topping. If you find you have leftover, it's great over ice cream, or better yet, pancakes.

INGREDIENTS

Berries

• 5 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch cinnamon

Biscuits

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• Pinch cinnamon
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 7/8 cup (1 cup minus 2 Tbsp) heavy whipping cream
• 1 large egg*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Heavy cream for whipping

*The egg is optional. Including the egg will result in a less crumbly shortcake biscuit, but either way, with or without egg, is good.

METHOD

1 Place blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon into a medium saucepan. Heat until the sugar has melted and the mixture is just barely coming to a simmer. Use a potato masher to mash up the berries a bit, to release the juices. Remove from heat and let come to room temp.

2 Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl stir together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the small cubes of butter, and use your fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, with pea-sized pieces of butter still intact.

3 In a small bowl mix the egg, whipping cream, and vanilla extract. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture into it. Stir with a fork just until the dough barely comes together. Do not over mix or your biscuits will be tough.

4 Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Form the dough into a large pancake shape, about 3/4 to 1-inch thick. Using a pastry round (or the lightly floured ridges of drinking glasses) cut into biscuit forms and place 1 1/2-inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat. You can also cut the biscuits into squares if that's easier. The the dough is too soft to work with, put it in the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes first.

5 Put the biscuits in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until they have risen and are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a baking rack.

Serve the berries spooned over biscuits that have been broken open, and top with whipped cream.

Serves 6-8.

Turkey bacon burger turtle

Grilled garlic, orange guacamole

Grilled garlic and orange guacamole

Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 jalapeno or 2 serrano chilies
1 small red onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 ripe avocados, halved, pitted
1/4 cup (loosely packed) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 small oranges, peeled, segmented, halved
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds, optional

1 Prepare a grill for medium-hot heat. Lay the garlic and chili on a perforated grill pan. Lightly brush both sides of the onion slices with oil; place on the grill pan. Set the pan on the grill grates; cook vegetables, turning, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

2 Chop the onion and chili; scoop into a large bowl. Remove the charred papery skin from the garlic. Work the garlic into a coarse paste with the side of a knife or in a mortar. Add to the onion and chili. Scoop the avocado flesh into the bowl; add the cilantro. Coarsely mash everything together. Stir in orange pieces.

3 Taste and season with the lime juice and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt. Scoop into a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole. Refrigerate up to 2 hours. Sprinkle with the almonds just before serving.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 145 calories, 67% of calories from fat, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 11 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 151 mg sodium, 6 g fiber.

Devilish shrimp

Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 tapas

-- Adapted from "Fiesta At Rick's." You can make the sauce a day ahead.

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
8 dried guajillo chilies, about 2 ounces, stemmed, seeded
1/4 teaspoon each: dried oregano, ground pepper, ground cumin
1 cup fish broth or chicken broth, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons hot red pepper sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound shelled, deveined raw shrimp

1. Roast the garlic in an ungreased heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes; cool. Peel. Meanwhile, open the chilies flat; toast chilies on another side of the skillet a few at a time, pressing them with a metal spatula until aromatic — about 10 seconds per side. Cover the chilies with hot water in a small bowl; soak 30 minutes, stirring often. Drain.

2. Combine the oregano, pepper and cumin in a food processor or blender. Add the drained chilies, garlic and 1/2 cup of the broth. Blend to a smooth puree, scraping every few seconds, adding a little more liquid if needed. Press through a strainer into a bowl.

3. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the puree; cook, stirring constantly, until it reduces into a thick paste, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup broth; partially cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 20-30 minutes. Add the hot sauce. Add more broth to bring the sauce to a medium consistency. Add sugar and salt.

4. Meanwhile, prepare a grill for high heat. Place shrimp on skewers, if desired, or in a grill basket. (If using wood skewers, soak in water 20 minutes first.) Spoon about 1/2 cup of the sauce into a small bowl. Lightly brush shrimp with the sauce in the bowl. Grill shrimp until cooked through and pink, turning once, about 3 minutes. Pour sauce from the Dutch oven into a serving bowl; serve with the shrimp.

Nutrition information:
Per serving: 91 calories, 33% of calories from fat, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 112 mg cholesterol, 2 g carbohydrates, 13 g protein, 639 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.

Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune

Covered Bridges of Parke County Indiana

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Gazpacho with avocado

Total time: 20 minutes, plus optional chilling time

Servings: 4

1 cup packed fresh bread crumbs

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Water for soaking the bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic

1 pound ripe avocados (about 3), peeled and chopped

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

11/2 teaspoons salt

Chopped green onion, for garnish

Chopped tomato, for garnish

Chopped cilantro (optional), for garnish

1. Soak the bread crumbs in water to cover until softened. Drain off the excess water (reserve the water to thin the soup if desired) and place the bread in a blender with the garlic. Purée until smooth. Add the avocados and lemon juice and purée. Blend in the oil and salt. Thin the soup, as desired, with the reserved water.

2. Serve the gazpacho at room temperature or chilled. Garnish each serving with chopped green onion, tomato and cilantro.

Each of 4 servings: 315 calories; 3 grams protein; 20 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams fiber; 26 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 2 grams sugar; 1,008 mg. sodium

Taco Cheesecake

And now for something completely different!!

1 cup crushed tortilla chips 
1 tablespoon butter, melted 
1 pound lean ground round 
1 (1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning, divided 
1/3 cup salsa 
16 ounces cream cheese 
2 large eggs 
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream 
2 tablespoon flour 
1/2 cup shredded lettuce 
1 tomato, chopped 
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper 
4 slices avocado

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Stir together crushed tortilla chips and butter; press into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Cook beef in large skillet over medium heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain, pat dry with paper towels. Return beef to skillet.

Reserve 1 teaspoon taco seasoning mix. Stir remaining taco seasoning and salsa into beef. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; add eggs and reserved teaspoon taco seasoning mix, beating until blended. Add Cheddar cheese; beat until blended.

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over crust and 1 inch up sides of pan. Spoon in beef mixture.

Combine sour cream and flour; spread over cheesecake. Bake 25 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges; release sides.

Serve warm with topping of lettuce, tomato, bell pepper and avocado.

Serves 10.

World Cat Cup

Apricot Cedar Roasted Salmon

2 T canola oil

2 jalapenos, sliced into rings

1 onion sliced thin

1 T garlic, minced

1/2 cup tequila

1/4 cup whole-grain mustard

1 cup apricot preserves

1 lime zested

1 large cedar plank

1 large salmon fillet

S&P

Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small saute pan over medium heat, heat oil. When hot, add jalapenos and onions and saute until soft. Add garlic, and saute for an additional minute or so. Deglaze with tequila.  Next add mustard and apricot preserves and bring to a simmer. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes and let completely cool.

Place parchment paper on plank, add salmon, season with S&P.  Heap cooled apricot mixture on top of salmon.  Place cedar plank on gas burner. When plank has begun to smoke, place into preheated oven.  Slide a baking sheet onto the rack below cedar plank in case the apricot mixture drips…it’s tough to clean off your oven!!

Cook salmon until medium-rare; remove from oven and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes until serving. Garnish with lime zest.

BLT Salad

1 serving
280 calories per serving

3 c chopped romaine lettuce
6 slices turkey bacon
1 c halved grape tomatoes
1 slice 45 calorie bread
2 T dressing (70 calorie)

Toast bread and let it sit to harden (about 5 minutes) and then cut into cubes. Cook bacon according to instructions. When cool, crumble up. Put lettuce and tomatoes in a bowl. Top with bacon and croutons. Drizzle with dressing.

Chocolate and Berries Yogurt Dessert

Here's a nice and easy Betty Crocker recipe...

Dive into a frosty layered dessert with fudgy cookies, whipped fluffy yogurt, hot fudge sauce and fresh berries.

Prep Time: 40 min
Total Time: 4 hours 40 min
Makes: 8 servings

1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® double chocolate chip cookie mix
1/4	cup vegetable oil
2	tablespoons water
1	egg
1 1/2	cups fresh raspberries
4	containers (4 oz each) Yoplait® Whips!® raspberry mist yogurt
1	cup whipping cream, whipped
2	tablespoons hot fudge topping
1	cup fresh blueberries . Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms. 2. On greased cookie sheet, drop dough by tablespoonfuls to make 6 cookies. Bake 8 to 11 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes, remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. 3. Meanwhile, press remaining dough in bottom and 1 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. 4. In medium bowl, fold 1/2 cup raspberries into yogurt; spread evenly over crust. Crumble cookies; sprinkle over yogurt mixture. Carefully spread whipped cream evenly over cookie crumbs. Freeze 4 to 5 hours or until firm. Remove sides of pan. 5. Drizzle 1 tablespoon fudge topping over dessert. Top with blueberries and remaining raspberries. Drizzle with remaining fudge topping. Store in freezer. Success If frozen overnight, remove from freezer; let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Nutrition Information: 1 Serving: Calories 530 (Calories from Fat 210); Total Fat 24g (Saturated Fat 11g, Trans Fat 0g);Cholesterol 65mg; Sodium 330mg; Total Carbohydrate 72g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 46g); Protein6g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 10%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 2 Starch;1/2 Fruit; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 5 *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Ginger's green chili chicken

Ginger's green chili chicken: —1 to 1 1/2lbs of already cooked chicken—I have used roasted chicken and grilled chicken breasts —1 large sweet onion ( if available ) —1 larger "Mexican" zucchini—but regular zucchini with the seeds removed will work —Corn removed from 1-2 cobs —½ tbs of olive oil —1 can of green chilis —1 can of green chili enchilada sauce —Queso fresco and chopped cilantro ( optional ) 1 ) Dice onion and zucchini; cut corn ( can be cooked or uncooked ) from cobs. 2 ) Heat a pan with olive oil. 3 ) Add onions to the hot pan first, for a few minutes before adding the zucchini and corn. Cook until the onion is translucent. 4 ) Add the can of green chilis, the green chili enchilada sauce and the chicken. 5 ) Cook for 5-15 minutes—until you're satisfied with the doneness of the vegetables and the and consistency of the sauce. 6 ) Serve with tortillas or over rice ( as shown in the photo ) ; add queso fresco as a topper/garnish.