| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: "The
Amazing Stir Fry"
> Wine Appreciation:
Angove's Nine Vines Shiraz Viognier 2007
> Food Funnies:
Signs You're Watching the Wrong Cooking Show
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Olive
Garden's Penne Senese
* Pork
Tenderloin with Sage Cornbread Crust
* Chicken
Breast Spanaki
* Poached
Salmon with Mustard Sauce
* Steak
and Chimichurri Toasts
* Broad
Bean Risotto
* Indian
Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes
* Strawberry
Shortcut Cake
Healthy
Eating:
Low Carb: Cheddar
Pancakes
Diabetic: Peanut
Butter-Coconut-Raisin Granola Bars
Low Fat: Low
Fat Taco Casserole
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This Week's Cooking Tips
========================
* If a recipe calls for 1 cup sour
cream, you may substitute
1 cup cottage cheese blended
until smooth with 1 tablespoon
lemon juice and 1/3 cup buttermilk.
* When using fresh herbs such as
dill, chives, parsley, etc.,
hold them together in small
bunches and snip with kitchen
scissors. It is a lot faster
this way, and you'll find the
herbs will be light and fluffy,
not bruised and wet as they
often get when chopped.
* When going on a picnic, keep sandwiches
from becoming soggy
by packing lettuce and condiments
in separate containers.
Add them to sandwiches just
before serving.
* Thaw fish in milk for fresher flavor.
* You can correct greasy gravy by
adding a little baking soda to it.
More
Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary
Quiz (Answer at the bottom of page)
One of the most well known Indian
dishes is Tandoori chicken.
The Tandoori style of cooking is
a specialty of which Indian state?
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Quote of the Week:
"Strength is the
capacity to break a chocolate bar into
four pieces
with your bare hands -- and then eat just
one of
the pieces."
- Judith
Viorst
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Subscribe
to the VJJE Recipe Weekly - It's fun and it's free!
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
March is: National Nutrition Month
National Frozen Food Month
National Peanut Month
National Sauce Month
National Flour Month
National Noodle Month
March 21 - National French Bread Day
March 22 - National Bavarian Crepes Day
March 23 - National Chip and Dip Day
March 24 - National Chocolate Covered Raisins Day
March 25 - National Lobster Newburg Day
March 26 - National Nougat Day
March 27 - National Spanish Paella Day
March 28 - National Black Forest Day
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Make
Your Favorite Restaurant and Grocery Foods At Home!
> World Famous Recipes!
> Make Them Fresh! Save Money!
> Over 400 Recipes For Brand Name
Foods!!
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The Amazing Stir Fry
by John
Havel
Stir frying is one of the quickest
and healthiest way to prepare
a meal and is easily adapted to
most cooking styles. There are many
advantages to eating stir-fried
foods.
First, oil is kept to a minimum.
Secondly, the food is cooked on
high heat thus preserving its natural
flavor and texture. Stir fries
are also great fun to make. The
sizzling and the energetic jostling
of food within the large surface
area of your wok makes for an
evening of frolic in the kitchen!
And then of course, it's just
plain easy cooking which is what
this is all about.
The process is simple. Keep your
ingredients chopped and ready and
handy. Prepare sauces in advance.
Start with sauteeing garlic and/or
ginger in hot oil. Add your choice
of meat, cook until almost done,
and remove to the side. Add your
veggies that take the longest to
cook and work your way down to those
that don't. Add some sherry and
then a sauce that thickens at the
last minute and you're ready to
serve.
One of the things I like best about
stir frying is that you can
pair pretty much any meat with almost
any vegetable. Think of the
possibilities! Beef, pork, chicken,
lamb, or seafood with broccoli,
green beans, onions, snow peas,
bean sprouts ... the choices are
limited only by your imagination.
The main rule to remember is that
in order for the food to cook evenly,
quickly and aesthetically,
the pieces must all be as close
in shape and size as possible.
You can't have a good stir fry without
using high heat. This is why
a wok is used. The shape produces
a small, hot area at the bottom
which allows some of the food to
be seared by intense heat while
using relatively little fuel. Curved
sides allow a person to cook
without having to "chase the food
around the pan" since bite-sized
or finely chopped stir fry ingredients
usually tumble back to the
center of the wok when agitated.
This isn’t all you need to know
about stir frying by a long shot,
but it's a good start. The sort
of stir fry you will make out of
using this method is one that has
a sauce that is highly flavored
from multiple reductions and a single
deglazing. The sauce will not
be plentiful, but will instead glaze
the food ingredients and cling
tightly to them. The intense flavor
more than makes up for a lack of
sauce. This is the way a lot of
Chinese homestyle cooking is done,
with very little, but very flavorful
sauces.
Beef with Broccoli
==================
3/4 pound flank steak
Marinade:
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Other:
4 tablespoons oil for
stir frying, or as needed
3/4 pound fresh broccoli
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dry sherry
Sauce:
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Cut the beef across the grain into
thin slices. Add the marinade
ingredients and marinate for about
15 minutes.
While the beef is marinating, prepare
the other ingredients. Cut the
broccoli flowerets into small pieces
and cut the stalk diagonally
into thin slices. In a bowl, mix
together the sauce ingredients.
Heat the wok. Add 2 tablespoons
oil to the heated wok. When the oil
is hot, add the minced garlic and
stir fry until golden brown. Add
the beef in one layer to the bottom
of the wok. Don't touch it for
about 45 seconds. Then, stir fry
until it changes color and is
nearly cooked through. Remove and
set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok.
When the oil is hot, add the
broccoli. Stir fry for about 3 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons sherry and
cover the wok quickly. Cook, covered,
for about 2 minutes. Add beef
back to the wok to briefly reheat.
Add sauce mixture and stir until
thickened. Serve immediately with
hot white rice.
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Personalized
Chef Coats!
Kick it up a notch with
a touch of class! Create a
personalized and professional
look in your kitchen.
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This Week's Wine Selection
==========================
Angove's Nine Vines Shiraz
Viognier 2007 Price: $12
Deep red with inky hues, this medium
bodied wine is bursting with
aromas of spicy black pepper with
apricot notes. On the palate the
wine shows soft warm characters
and fnishes with rich fruit flavours.
Serve With:
Smothered Filet Mignon
======================
4 (6 ounce) filet mignon
steaks
seasoned salt to taste
cracked black pepper
to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin
olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon
mustard
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups onion slices
1 teaspoon white sugar
4 ounces blue cheese,
crumbled
Season steaks with seasoned salt
and black pepper, and arrange in
a single layer in a large baking
dish. In a bowl, whisk together
olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard,
and rosemary. Pour mixture
over filets, and turn to coat. Marinate
for up to 30 minutes.
While you are marinating the meat,
melt the butter in a skillet
over medium heat. Cook onion slices
in butter until soft, then stir
in sugar. Continue cooking until
onions are caramelized. Set aside.
Preheat grill for high heat on one
side, and medium heat on the
other side. Lightly oil the grill
grate. Place steaks on the hot
side of the grill, and cook for
10 minutes, turning once. When the
steaks are almost done, move to
the cooler side of the grill. Top
each filet with a quarter of the
caramelized onions and blue cheese.
Close the lid, and continue cooking
until the cheese is melted.
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FOOD
AND COOKING MOUSEPADS!
Brighten up your desktop with
a tasty looking mousepad! We
offer hundreds of different styles
covering many popular themes!
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FOOD FUNNIES: Signs You're
Watching the Wrong Cooking Show
==========================================================
8. It's hosted by the pimple-faced
teen manning the shake machine.
7. The fat lady has sung, and the
other fat lady has bitten the
head off a live bat.
6. "Today we're preparing a Chuck
Roast. Let's have a big round
of applause for Chuck."
5. Great Italian Chefs, Great Italian
Food. You don't speak Italian.
4. Tony Soprano's Recipe For Rat
Pork Sausages: First, take one
whacked wiseguy and
cut him up into....
3. Who would have known the "Tin
Chef" followed a homeless man on
his search through
garbage cans, gathering ingredients for his
showcase meal?
2. The Naked Chef is a big hairy
guy wearing nothing but a spatula.
... and the #1 Sign You're
Watching the Wrong Cooking Show ...
1. "The Head Chef! Starring Jeff
Dahmer."
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Olive Garden's Penne Senese
===========================
1 lb. penne pasta,
cooked according to package directions
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup extra virgin
olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onions,
chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 lb. mushroom, sliced
6 Italian sausage links,
casing removed
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons
white wine
2 tablespoons all-purpose
flour
1 quart heavy cream
1/4 lb. prosciutto
ham, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh
sage (or 1 tsp dry)
1 tablespoon fresh
parsley (or 1 tsp dry)
1/2 lb. grated Parmesan
cheese
Salt to taste
Heat pan over medium heat. Add butter
and allow to melt. Add oil,
onions and garlic. Reduce heat and
cook for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms
and sausage. Cook until pink is
no longer visible in sausage.
Add white wine and bring to a boil.
Whisk in flour and let cook for
1 minute to remove flour taste.
Add remaining ingredients. Bring to
a boil, lower heat and simmer for
10 minutes, or until sauce reaches
desired consistency.
Add cooked, drained pasta to pan
with sauce. Toss well. Transfer
to large serving platter and garnish
with fresh basil, sage and
additional parmesan cheese, if desired.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Pork Tenderloin with Sage Cornbread
Crust
=========================================
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive
oil
1 tablespoon unsalted
butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup crumbled corn
muffin, or 2 corn toaster cakes, crumbled
1 teaspoon finely chopped
fresh sage
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon
mustard
Preheat oven to 425F. Pat pork dry
and sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick
skillet over high heat until
hot but not smoking, then brown
pork, turning, about 4 minutes.
Transfer to an oiled shallow baking
pan.
Add butter to skillet and cook garlic
over moderate heat, stirring,
until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Remove pan from heat and stir in
crumbs, sage, and salt and pepper,
to taste.
Spread mustard over pork and pat
half of seasoned crumbs onto
mustard, then sprinkle with remaining
seasoned crumbs. Roast in
middle of oven until an instant-read
thermometer inserted diagonally
2-inches into meat registers 140F,
10 to 15 minutes. (Check after
15 minutes to see if crumbs are
getting too dark; if they are, tent
loosely with foil.) Transfer to
a cutting board, then tent loosely
with foil and let stand 10 minutes
before slicing.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Chicken Breast Spanaki
======================
1/2 cup olive oil
2 stalks fresh green
onions, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound frozen spinach,
washed, squeezed to remove excess water
1/2 cup fresh dill,
chopped
2 whole eggs
1 pound feta cheese,
crumbled
1 tablespoon ground
pepper
8 large chicken breasts
Olive oil
Lemon
Oregano
Pour olive oil in pot over medium
heat and add both types of onion.
Saute for 1 minute, and then add
spinach. Saute for approximately
10 minutes.
Preheat the broiler. Pour spinach
mixture in a bowl and cool. Add
dill, eggs, feta and pepper to spinach
mixture and mix very well.
Butterfly chicken breasts and fill
with spinach/feta mixture. Close
the breast and broil for 10 minutes
on each side. After 15 minutes,
douse chicken breasts with olive
oil, lemon and oregano, and serve.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Poached Salmon with Mustard Sauce
=================================
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 green onion, chopped
2 6-ounce 1-inch-thick
skinless salmon fillets
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Chopped green onion
tops
Bring wine and onion to simmer in
heavy large skillet. Add fish,
cover and simmer until fish is just
cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Transfer fish to plates. Tent with
foil to keep warm. Add cream to
skillet and bring to boil. Boil
until reduced to sauce consistency,
stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
Mix in mustard. Spoon sauce
over fish. Sprinkle with green onion
tops.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Steak and Chimichurri Toasts
============================
1 cup packed fresh
parsley
3/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine
vinegar
2 tablespoons dried
oregano
2 teaspoons ground
cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried
crushed red pepper
2 (1-pound) pieces
flank steak
1 (16-ounce) thin French-bread
baguette, cut into 40 slices
Additional olive oil
Blend parsley, 3/4 cup olive oil,
vinegar, oregano, cumin, 1
teaspoon salt, minced garlic, and
crushed red pepper in processor
until smooth. Place meat in large
glass baking dish. Sprinkle with
salt and pepper. Brush meat with
2 tablespoons chimichurri sauce.
Cover steaks and remaining sauce
separately and refrigerate at least
1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450F. Place bread
slices on large baking sheet.
Brush with olive oil. Bake until
just firm, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to large platter.
Preheat broiler. Transfer meat to
rimmed baking sheet and broil
until cooked to desired doneness,
about 4 minutes per side for
medium. Transfer to cutting board.
Let stand 5 minutes. Cut each
steak along grain in half. Cut each
half crosswise against grain
into 10 slices. Top each bread slice
with 1 piece of meat. Spread
each with some chimichurri sauce;
place on platter. Spoon remaining
sauce into small bowl and place
in center of platter. Serve warm or
let stand up to 2 hours at room
temperature.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Broad Bean Risotto
==================
2 cups risotto rice
(such as arborio or carnaroli)
4 cups brown chicken
(or vegetable) stock
1 1/4 cups shelled
broad (fava) beans
1 1/4 cups peas (or
petits pois), thawed if frozen
1/2 cup freshly grated
Parmesan, plus extra shavings to serve
1 1/2 Tbsp butter,
cut into cubes
handful fresh chives,
chopped (optional)
sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper
To blanch the rice, wash the rice
in cold water and strain off. Put
into a pan with 2 cups of chicken
stock, 2 cups water and a generous
pinch of salt. Bring the liquid
to a simmer and blanch the rice for
7 minutes. Drain well and spread
out on a lightly oiled tray to cool.
To finish the risotto, place the
blanched rice in a shallow pan and
pour in just enough chicken stock
to cover. Bring to the boil quickly
and cook until nearly all of the
stock has evaporated. Taste the
risotto to see if it is al dente,
adding a little more stock if it
needs a bit more cooking. Add the
broad beans, peas, Parmesan and
butter. Cook for a further few minutes
until the beans are tender.
Season to taste. Finally add the
fresh chives, if desired.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes
======================================
1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower,
cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold
potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons vegetable
oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely
chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely
chopped
2 teaspoons minced
fresh jalapeno, including seeds
2 teaspoons minced
peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground
coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup water
Put oven rack in upper third of
oven and place a shallow baking pan
on rack. Preheat oven to 475F.
Toss cauliflower and potatoes together
in a bowl with 3 tablespoons
oil, cumin seeds, and1/4 teaspoon
salt. Spread in hot baking pan and
roast, stirring occasionally, until
cauliflower is tender and browned
in spots and potatoes are just tender,
about 20 minutes.
While vegetables are roasting, cook
onion, garlic, jalapeno, and
ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons
oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over
moderate heat, stirring frequently,
until very soft and beginning to
turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add
ground cumin, coriander, turmeric,
cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon
salt and cook, stirring
constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in water,
scraping up any brown bits
from bottom of skillet, then stir
in roasted vegetables. Cook,
covered, stirring occasionally,
5 minutes.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Strawberry Shortcut Cake
========================
1 (18.25-ounce) box
strawberry cake mix
3 cups fresh strawberries,
sliced
2 tablespoons cognac
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners'
sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
1 (3-ounce) package
strawberry flavored gelatin
Fresh strawberries,
for garnish
Preheat oven to 350F. Follow cake
directions as written on cake
mix box. Remove from oven and cool
cake completely.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine
strawberries, cognac and sugar.
Let macerate 20 minutes. Invert
and release cake onto a decorative
platter.
Whip cream with confectioners' sugar
and vanilla at medium-high
speed until it reaches stiff peaks.
Do not over whip. Mix gelatin as
directed on box. Refrigerate gelatin
mix but do not let it harden,
it should cool to a liquid consistency.
Using a straw, poke holes all over
the cake. Pour gelatin into holes
and spread over the top of the cake.
Spread layer of macerated
strawberries on top of cake. Spread
layer of whipped cream on top
of the strawberries, making pretty
swirls and ripples. Garnish with
fresh strawberries. Refrigerate
for at least 4 hours before serving.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: Punjab
A Tandoor is a clay oven in which
food is cooked over a charcoal
fire. Tandoors were also found in
excavations at the Harappa and
Mohenjo Daro settlements of the
Indus Valley civilization. Tandoori
chicken was first cooked when the
Mughals ruled India.
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