| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: New-World
View on Summer Salad
> Wine Appreciation:
Las Colinas del Ebro Garnacha Blanca 2008
> Food Funnies: Problems
With the Star Trek Food Replicator
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Panera
Bread Caponata
* Teriyaki
Pork Tenderloin
* Barbecued
Beef Brisket
* Grilled
Salmon with Lime Butter
* Deviled
Fried Chicken
* Grand
Macaroni and Cheese
* Chicken
Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
* Blackberry-Peach
Crisp
Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Irish
Lace Cookies
Diabetic: Sweet
and Sour Stir-Fry
Low Fat: Summer
Fruit Rice Cakes
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This Week's Cooking Tips
Improvising a Main-Dish Salad:
When you're inventing your own salads,
it's easy to be inspired by
fresh summer produce--and hard to
make mistakes if you follow a few
general rules.
Match assertive greens (arugula,
dandelion, chicory, endive, frisee
and radicchio) with strong-flavored
dressings and hearty ingredients,
such as beef or sausage.
Coat milder greens (romaine, Boston,
Bibb and red-leaf lettuces,
as well as mung bean, alfalfa and
sunflower sprouts) with subtle
dressings that won't overpower them.
Play with textures and temperatures:
cool, lacy greens with warm
goat cheese in crisp phyllo or just-grilled
beef with citrus.
For tossed salads, use ingredients
of similar size and weight;
heavy items will fall to the bottom
of the bowl as you toss.
Serve salads based on starches,
such as pasta, rice, potatoes,
bread or grains, at room temperature,
not chilled (unless they
contain mayonnaise).
Don't be afraid to use meat, seafood
or poultry straight from
the grill. More
Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
(Answer at the bottom of page)
Braai-ing (barbecuing)
is a way of life in South Africa so it's
not surprising that kebabs
are sold just about everywhere. However,
many South Africans call
them something else. What?
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Quote of the Week:
"If toast always
lands butter-side down, and cats always
land on
their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the
back of
a cat and drop it?"
- Steven
Wright
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Subscribe
to the VJJE Recipe Weekly - It's fun and it's free!
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
August is: National Catfish Month
National Water Quality Month
August 14 - National Creamsicle Day
August 15 - National Lemon Meringue Pie Day
August 16 - National Rum Day
August 17 - National Vanilla Custard Day
August 18 - National Ice Cream Pie Day
August 19 - National Soft Ice Cream Day
August 20 - National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day
August 21 - National Spumoni Day
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THE E-COOKBOOKS LIBRARY -
ALL YOU NEED TO COOK IT RIGHT!
Discover
Over 100 World Class Cookbooks!
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New-World View on Summer
Salad
by Mark Bittman
You can take a corn and tomato salad
in a number of directions, but
at the end of the day it shouldn’t
be much more than a dish you can
make perfectly only in mid- to late
summer, and one that showcases
its primary ingredients.
If this kind of salad has any roots
at all, they are Californian.
Made as described above, it smacks
of the Bay Area in the 1980s, when
American ingredients were heralded
but the cooking was most strongly
influenced by classic French and
20th-century Italian.
All of which makes my version here
a tad more authentic: it marries
our native corn and tomatoes with
chili and avocado, two other New
World ingredients. It also uses
cilantro and lime, neither of which
are native but both of which have
become staples of Mexico, the
American Southwest and much of the
rest of the hemisphere.
Enough of the justification: this
is just plain good. At the end,
you’ve got meaty smokiness from
bacon; that incredible sweetness of
corn; the fruity acidity of tomato;
the tender, smooth fattiness of
avocado, and the sharpness of chili.
It’s a summer winner, one that
you shouldn’t even try after the
first frost.
Pan-Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad
=============================
1/4 pound bacon, chopped
1 small red onion,
chopped
4 to 6 ears corn, stripped
of their kernels (2 to 3 cups)
Juice of 1 lime, or
more to taste
2 cups cored and chopped
tomatoes
1 medium ripe avocado,
pitted, peeled and chopped
2 fresh small chilies,
like Thai, seeded and minced
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh
cilantro, more or less
Cook bacon in a large skillet over
medium-high heat until it begins
to render fat; add onion and cook
until just softened, about 5 minutes,
then add corn. Continue cooking,
stirring or shaking pan occasionally,
until corn begins to brown a bit,
about 5 more minutes; remove from
heat and let cool for a few minutes.
Drain fat if you wish.
Put lime juice in a large bowl and
add bacon-corn mixture; then toss
with remaining ingredients. Taste,
adjust the seasoning and serve
warm or at room temperature.
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Brighten up your desktop with
a tasty looking mousepad! We
offer hundreds of different styles
covering many popular themes!
Food and Cooking Mousepads
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This Week's Wine Selection
Las Colinas del Ebro
Garnacha Blanca 2008 Price: $12
The 2008 Las Colinas del Ebro Garnacha
Blanca was raised in stainless
steel tanks. Medium straw-colored,
it exhibits an attractive perfume
of mineral, spring flowers, white
peach, and melon that jumps from the
glass. On the palate it is exceptionally
concentrated, mouth-filling,
and vibrant with plenty of spicy
fruit, good depth, and a fruit-filled
finish. Enjoy it over the next two
years.
Serve With:
Sea Bass with Watercress Sauce
==========================
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable
oil
2 (8-ounce) sea bass
fillets
3 tablespoons finely
chopped shallots
1/4 cup dry Vermouth
or dry white wine
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup (packed) chopped
trimmed watercress (from 1 bunch,
about 6
ounces.)
Melt butter with oil in heavy medium
skillet over medium-high heat.
Add sea bass to skillet; cook just
until opaque in center, about
4 minutes per side. Transfer fish
to plate; tent with foil to keep
warm. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon
drippings from skillet. Add shallots
to same skillet; stir 30 seconds.
Add Vermouth; bring to boil.
Continue to boil 1 minute. Add cream;
boil until sauce thickens
slightly and coats spoon, about
3 minutes. Add 3/4 cup watercress to
sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer fish to plates. Spoon
sauce around fish. Sprinkle with
remaining 1/4 cup watercress and
serve.
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http://www.littlefivers.com =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
FOOD FUNNIES: Problems With
the Star Trek Food Replicator
8. Chocolate Mousse: It keeps producing
a cocoa replica of
Bullwinkle.
7. Ratatouille: No matter how many
times you update the
ingredient list, it
still puts in too much rat.
6. String Theory Cheese: Replicators
have no sense of humor.
5. Soup-on-a-Stick: Unfortunately,
stick food technology
plateaued in the 21st
century.
4. Apple pie like Mom used to make
it? Insufficient data on Mom.
3. Chitlins: For some reason, it
keeps giving you a steaming pile
of smelly brown stuff.
2. Never, EVER, ask it for a little
hair of the dog.
... and the #1 Problem With
the Star Trek Food Replicator ...
1. Cheez Whiz: Any attempt at artificial
manufacture of
artificial food causes
the program to lock up in an infinite
logic loop.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Panera Bread Caponata
===================
1 1/2 pounds eggplant
1/2 cup olive oil,
divided
1 cup coarsely chopped
onion
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup coarsely chopped
green bell pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons
olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 8-ounce can tomato
sauce
3 tablespoons red wine
vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped
fresh parsley
1/2 cup pitted green
olives
1 French bread baguette
Peel eggplant and dice. Saute eggplant
in 1/4 cup olive oil. Drain
on paper towels. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons
oil to pan. Saute onions,
celery, green pepper and garlic
until tender but not browned. Add
tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt,
olives, parsley and eggplant.
Mix thoroughly. Simmer gently for
20 minutes, uncovered. Cool to room
temperature for serving. Note: Caponata
can be prepared in advance
to this point and chilled until
ready to serve.
Preheat oven to 450F. Cut bread
into 3/4 inch slices. Lightly brush
both sides of bread with 1/4 cup
olive oil. Arrange slices on an
ungreased baking sheet. Bake about
5 minutes, turning once. Cool
to room temperature and serve with
Caponata.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin
===================
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive
oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon coarsely
ground pepper
2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins
In a large resealable plastic bag,
combine the first six
ingredients; add pork. Seal bag
and turn to coat; refrigerate
for 8 hours or overnight.
Drain and discard marinade. Place
the tenderloins in an
11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking pan
coated with nonstick cooking
spray. Bake, uncovered, at 425F
for 25-35 minutes or until a
meat thermometer reads 160F. Let
stand for 5 minutes before
slicing. Serve with pan drippings.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Barbecued Beef Brisket
===================
4 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon dried
marjoram
4 teaspoons granulated
garlic
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher
salt
1 teaspoon all-purpose
flour
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed
red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 (4 to 6-pound) brisket
4 handfuls mesquite
wood chips, soaked in water
In bowl, blend dry spices together
to use as a rub. Moisten brisket
with water. Coat the entire brisket
with the spice rub. Press spices
into meat with your hands. Cover
and refrigerate at least 2 hours,
preferably overnight.
Preheat a grill for indirect heat,
banking coals and soaked mesquite
wood chips in a circle around the
sides of a grill. Set a drip pan
with water in the center of the
ring. Place brisket on the grill rack
over the pan of water.
Keep cooking temperature in grill
between 180 to 220 degrees F until
done. Allow about 45 minutes per
pound until the meat reaches an
internal temperature of 160F on
an instant-read thermometer, adding
new coals as necessary.
For a sweet glaze, baste with your
favorite barbeque sauce during
the final 15 minutes of cooking.
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Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter
========================
1 large garlic clove,
chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime
juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black
pepper
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted
butter, melted
6 (6-oz) pieces center-cut
salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick)
with skin
1 1/2 teaspoons finely
grated fresh lime zest
Puree garlic with lime juice, salt,
and pepper in a blender until
smooth. With motor running, add
melted butter and blend until
emulsified, about 30 seconds. Set
aside.
Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot
charcoal (moderate heat
for gas). Season salmon all over
with salt and pepper, then grill,
flesh sides down, on lightly oiled
grill rack (covered only if using
gas grill) 4 minutes. Turn fillets
over and grill (covered only if
using gas grill) until just cooked
through, 4 to 6 minutes more.
Sprinkle fillets with lime zest
and top each with 1 tablespoon lime
butter.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Deviled Fried Chicken
=================
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons onion
powder
5 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons dry mustard
4 teaspoons cayenne
pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons ground
black pepper
1 (3 1/4 lb.) fryer
chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3 cups all purpose
flour
1 tablespoon baking
powder
1 tablespoon garlic
powder
5 cups (or more) peanut
oil (for frying)
In 1-gallon resealable plastic bag,
mix buttermilk, Dijon mustard,
1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon
salt, 1 teaspoon dry mustard,
1 teaspoon cayenne and 1 teaspoon
black pepper. Add chicken pieces.
Seal bag, eliminating air. Turn
bag to coat chicken evenly.
Refrigerate at least 1 day and up
to 2 days, turning plastic bag
occasionally.
Whisk flour, baking powder, garlic
powder, remaining 1 tablespoon
onion powder, 4 teaspoons salt,
3 teaspoons dry mustard, 3 teaspoons
cayenne and 1 1/2 teaspoons black
pepper in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass
dish. With marinade still clinging
to chicken pieces (do not shake
off excess), add chicken to flour
mixture; turn to coat thickly.
Let chicken stand in flour mixture
for 1 hour, turning chicken
occasionally to recoat with flour
mixture.
Pour oil to depth of 1 1/4 inches
into deep 10- to 11-inch-diameter
pot. Attach deep-fry thermometer.
Heat oil over medium-high heat to
350F. Add 4 pieces of chicken, skinned
side down, to oil. Reduce heat
to medium-low and fry 5 minutes,
adjusting heat to maintain oil
temperature between 280F and 300F
(oil should bubble constantly
around chicken). Using wooden spoons,
turn chicken over. Fry 7
minutes. Turn chicken over again.
Fry until deep golden brown and
cooked through, about 3 minutes
longer. Using same spoons, transfer
chicken to large rack set on baking
sheet.
Reheat oil to 350F. Repeat frying
with remaining 4 pieces of
chicken. Serve chicken warm or at
room temperature within 2 hours,
or chill up to 1 day and serve cold.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Grand Macaroni and Cheese
=======================
1 lb. fettuccine pasta
2 cups Asiago cheese
(plus 1/4 cup), grated
2 (8 oz.) containers
creme fraiche
1 cup Parmesan cheese,
grated
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh
thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh
ground pepper
Preheat oven to 375F. Cook pasta
until firm to the bite. Drain, and
reserve 1 cup pasta water. In a
large bowl, combine pasta, water,
cheese and seasonings. Gently toss
until all ingredients are mixed
and pasta is coated. Turn out into
a buttered baking dish and cover
top with 1/4 cup Asiago cheese.
Bake until golden on top, about
25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes
before serving.
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Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
==========================
6 large tomatoes
2 cups cooked and cubed
chicken
1/2 cup minced red
bell pepper
1/2 cup corn, drained
1 1/2 tablespoons minced
red onion
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons
olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon
juice
1 tablespoon chopped
fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon Dijon
mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ground black
pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Leaf lettuce or spinach
leaves
Cut 1/2-inch off top of each tomato.
Scoop out pulp from tomatoes.
Turn tomatoes upside down on paper
towels to drain.
In a medium bowl, combine chicken,
bell pepper, corn, and onion. In
a small bowl, whisk together olive
oil and next 6 ingredients. Pour
over chicken, tossing gently to
coat.
Line tomatoes with leaf lettuce
or spinach leaves. Spoon chicken
salad evenly into tomatoes. Refrigerate
or serve immediately.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Blackberry-Peach Crisp
===================
cooking spray
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 cup fresh peaches,
pitted and sliced
4 teaspoons fresh orange
juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
extract
3 tablespoons whole-wheat
flour
3 tablespoons rolled
oats
2 tablespoons brown
sugar
4 teaspoons canola
oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Heat oven to 375F. Coat four 4-oz
ramekins with cooking spray.
Combine berries, peaches, juice
and vanilla in a bowl and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine remaining
ingredients with hands until
moist and crumbly. Spoon fruit mixture
into ramekins; scatter crumb
mixture evenly over the top of each.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until
fruit bubbles and top is golden
brown.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: Sosaties
The word "sosatie" comes from
Afrikaans, meaning "skewered meat"
and "spicy sauce". A very popular
marinade for sosaties is peri-peri
sauce made from dried peri chillies.
It comes in three strengths;
hot, very hot and call-an-ambulance-my-tongue-has-just-melted!
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