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06/30/11 – What a Cool Kitchen!
Getting Tipsy – Cool Kitchen Ideas The thought of turning on the stove or oven, and keeping it blazing for an hour or more, is almost too much to bear. And stirring a pot of roiling anything? No thanks! It's time to lighten up with foods that evoke coolness.
Frozen cooked shrimp. It's convenient to have a bag of cooked shrimp in the freezer. Take out what you need and keep the remainder frozen. Use them for salad toppers or chop them into a salad dressed with mayonnaise, lemon juice and fresh dill. Or dunk them in cocktail sauce.
Canned tuna. Good-quality tuna, especially packed in olive oil, is quite versatile. Use it in salads and sandwiches, on a bed of lettuce with blanched green beans, hard-cooked egg wedges, tomatoes, cucumbers and capers. Sprinkle the olive oil vinaigrette over all.
Rotisserie chicken. Let the market do the cooking and you reap the benefits of well-seasoned chicken. Use it in multiple ways or simply carve and serve.
Fruit and yogurt. Take advantage of the luscious cherries, apricots, peaches, berries and plums, pairing them with yogurt in parfaits with granola, icy smoothies or just gobble out of hand to keep you hydrated.
Cold cuts and cheese. Good for wraps and salads, deli meats and sliced cheeses add flavor and protein to meals. These are excellent go-to refrigerator staples for those hot humid nights.
Canned beans. Chickpeas can be used for hummus; white beans make an excellent dip for vegetable sticks and kidney beans are delicious in salads. Lots of protein, too. Drained and rinsed, they are ready to eat. The heat is on. Now if we can just ban it from the kitchen.
History – George Foreman Grill
The George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine, commonly known as the George Foreman Grill, is an indoor, electrically heated grill manufactured by Russell Hobbs Inc. It is promoted by George Foreman, a former champion boxer. Since its introduction in 1994, over 100 million George Foreman grills have been sold worldwide.
The link between the boxer and the grill came about soon after George Foreman’s remarkable comeback when in 1994 at the age of 45 he regained the heavyweight world championship. He attributed his success at the time to his healthy lifestyle and his healthy eating which made him a perfect fit for Russell Hobbs Inc. (known as Salton Inc. at the time) who were looking for a spokesperson for their fat-reducing grill.
The “Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine” as it became known was promoted heavily with distinctive infomercials which featured George Foreman himself. A combination of his affable personality and the unique features of the product made this an instant success. Such was the popularity of these infomercials that Foreman's famous tagline "It's so good I put my name on it!"
Design - The George Foreman Grill has a clamshell design which simultaneously grills both the top and bottom surfaces, eliminating the need to flip the food being grilled. Each grilling surface is indented, angled and covered in a non-stick coating. The objective is to minimize direct contact with the food being grilled so that as much fat as possible can be drained. The drained fat is collected in a removable drip tray clearly showing the amount of fat and grease that has been drained. This concept has been marketed as a way to "knock out the fat," which is presumably a more healthy way to cook. In 2006, the George Foreman "Next Grilleration" Health Grill was launched, which features detachable grilling plates for easier cleaning.
Appetizer – Croissant Panini
Ingredients: 4 croissants, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise 4 ounces smoked Gouda, grated (about 1 1/3 cups) 8 teaspoons grated Parmesan 4 ounces Genoa salami (about 24 slices) 5 ounces arugula
Directions: Heat a panini grill or George Foreman Grill. Divide 1-ounce (1/3 cup) smoked Gouda between 1 top and 1 bottom of a croissant. Sprinkle each half with 1 teaspoon Parmesan. Top each side with about 3 slices of Genoa salami (about 1 ounce of salami per sandwich, total.)
Top 1 half of the sandwich with a small handful of arugula. Close the sandwich and continue with the remaining sandwiches. Grill the panini until the cheese melts, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Cut each sandwich into thirds. Place the remaining arugula on a serving platter. Place the warm sandwich slices on the arugula. Serve hot.
Salad – Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad
Ingredients: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 8 ounces each 2 Tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tsp. poultry seasoning, eyeball it 1 Tsp. Salt ˝ Tsp. Freshly ground black pepper 4 large eggs 8 sliced bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces 3 hearts romaine lettuce 2 lemons, juiced 2 ripe avocados, halved and scooped from skins then dice 2 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced 1 red onion, chopped 2 cups Monterey Jack, shredded (or blue cheese crumbled)
Directions: Heat a grill pan or nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Coat chicken breasts with 2 teaspoons oil, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Wash hands. Grill or pan-fry chicken 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes.
In a small pot, cover eggs with cold water. Place over high heat and bring water to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Set a timer for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, cool eggs under cold running water. Peel and chop.
Brown chopped bacon in a skillet over medium high heat. Drain bacon on paper towels. Chop 3 hearts of romaine lettuce and place in a large serving platter or salad bowl. Dress chopped lettuce with the juice of 1 1/2 lemons.
Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over lettuce. Season greens with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss diced avocados with juice of remaining 1/2 lemon, to retard browning. Halve chicken breasts and chop the meat.
To serve, arrange rows of chopped chicken, chopped hard boiled egg, crisp bacon bits, diced avocado, diced tomato, chopped red onion and shredded cheese on top of either 4 individual portions of dressed romaine or 1 large serving platter.
Put it on the Side – Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients: 2 #’s Red potatoes (about 2” in diameter), unpeeled and scrubbed 1 Tbsp. Salt 1 Bay leaf 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter melted and warm 1/2 Cup cream cheese (4 ounces), at room temperature ˝ Tsp. Ground black pepper 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions: 1. Place potatoes in large saucepan and cover with 1 inch cold water; add 1 teaspoon salt and bay leaf. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently until paring knife can be inserted into potatoes with no resistance, 35 to 45 minutes. Reserve half 1/2 cup cooking water when draining potatoes. Return potatoes to pot, discard bay, and allow potatoes to stand in pot, uncovered, until surfaces are dry, about 5 minutes.
2. While potatoes dry, whisk melted butter and softened cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth and fully incorporated. Add 1/4 cup of reserved cooking water, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, chives and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using rubber spatula or back of wooden spoon, smash potatoes just enough to break skins. Fold in butter/cream cheese mixture until most of liquid has been absorbed and chunks of potatoes remain. Add more cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed until potatoes are slightly looser than desired (potatoes will thicken slightly with standing). Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper; serve immediately.
Main Course – Pan Fried T-Bone with Mustard Sauce
Ingredients 2 pound T-bone steak (about 1 1/2 inches thick) Coarsely ground black pepper Kosher salt 1 to 2 tablespoons oil
Directions: About 1/2 hour before cooking the steak, bring it to room temperature. Preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush the steak all over with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high, add the steak and cook, turning once, until well browned, about 7 minutes for the first side, and 4 minutes on the second side, for medium-rare. Hold the steak with tongs and sear the edges. (Use instant-read thermometer inserted perpendicularly into the steak registers 125 degrees F for medium rare.)
Transfer the steak to cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the tenderloin and strip from the bone, and slice against the grain. Transfer to a serving platter and serve au natural or with Mustard Horseradish sauce.
Mustard Horseradish Sauce:
Ingredients: 3/4 cup good mayonnaise 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard 1/2 tablespoon prepared horseradish 2 tablespoons sour cream Kosher salt
Directions: Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, horseradish, sour cream, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Serve at room temperature. Yield: 1 cup
Dessert – Grilled Peaches and Cream
Ingredients: 1/4 Gallon French vanilla ice cream 1 Pint peach sorbet 2 Slightly under-ripened peaches, halved lengthwise and pitted 4 Slices Almond Pound Cake Canola oil, as needed 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar 1 Tsp. Ground cinnamon 1/4 Cup Raw sliced almonds 4 Sprigs fresh mint
Directions: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Allow the French vanilla ice cream and peach sorbet to soften at room temperature, until they can be scooped easily, approximately 20 minutes. Spread the vanilla ice cream along the bottom of a 9 X 13-inch baking dish, and layer it with the peach sorbet. Using a knife, swirl the 2 flavors together until the ice cream mixture has streaks of ice cream and sorbet. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and freeze until the ice cream firms up again, approximately 2 hours.
Brush the peaches and each side of the pound cake slices with canola oil and put them on the grill. Cook until heated through and obtain nice grill marks, approximately 1 minute per side for the pound cake and 2 to 3 minutes per side for the peaches. Remove the peaches from the grill to a cutting board. When cool, cut each piece into 4 wedges. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and the cinnamon, then sprinkle the cake and peaches evenly with the cinnamon mixture.
Add the sliced almonds to a dry skillet and put the skillet on the grill. Toast the nuts until they are golden brown and fragrant, tossing frequently, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
To serve, put 1 piece of grilled pound cake on a serving plate. Arrange 4 wedges of grilled peach on top, and finish with a large scoop of the ice cream/sorbet mixture. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Garnish them with a mint sprig and the toasted sliced almonds.
Lighten UP!!! Chinese Stir Fry – Mayo Clinic Dietitian's tip: Rice that has been cooked and refrigerated overnight (or longer — up to 3 days ahead of time) makes better fried rice because the rice tends to clump together. Before using, break up the large clumps with a spoon.
Ingredients: 1 1/3 cups water
Directions: In a saucepan, bring the water and rice to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 20 minutes.
In a large heavy skillet or wok, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the cooked rice and sauté until lightly golden. Add the green onions, salt, carrots, peppers and peas. Stir-fry until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.
Hollow out a circle in the center of the skillet by pushing the vegetables and rice to the sides. Break the egg into the hollow and cook, lightly scrambling the egg as it cooks. Stir the scrambled egg into the rice mixture. Sprinkle with soy sauce, sesame oil and chopped parsley. Nutritional Analysis - (per serving) Serves 4
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