Perfect Pairings
May 14, 2008 – as published in the Beacon News and Naperville Sun
By Bill Garlough
Springtime signals a time of change. As the outside temperatures warm up, we shift our meals from heartier fare to lighter cuisine and our wine choices follow suit.
Red wine selections move to lighter pinot noir, beaujolais and rosé. White wines are popular in warmer weather, as they offer a cool, lighter and more refreshing beverage choice. Another shift is the role of salads which can move from a starter course to the main entrée.
About dressings
As our tastes become more adventurous, salads now can contain a variety of exotic greens and ingredients, like toasted nuts, unusual cheeses, fresh fruits, lettuces and herbs that create more flavorful experiences. The following are general salad guidelines.
• Creamy style dressings pair well with light to medium-bodied dry white wines, such as pinot grigio, soave classico and chardonnay with good acidity, which help balance the richness of creamy dressings.
• Traditional, acidic vinaigrettes overpower the acidity level of many wines, creating a less favorable pairing. The acidity of a homemade vinaigrette can be reduced by using a milder vinegar such as an Asian rice wine vinegar or a slightly sweet balsamic vinegar. Also, increasing the amount of oil in the dressing will reduce the acidity.
• Adding fruit puree (raspberry puree as an example) or fruit juice to a homemade vinaigrette in place of up to half of the vinegar helps soften and balance the flavors. Here are some classic combinations: raspberry, cherry – pinot noir; citrus – sauvignon blanc; apple, pear – riesling.
If you are using a bottled vinaigrette (not a creamy dressing), you can add a splash of the wine you’ll be drinking directly into the vinaigrette, to help connect the flavors.
Food, wine pairings
Here are some of my favorite main course summer salads: • Cold pasta salad with grilled salmon, chopped sweet onion and fresh green peas mixed with a creamy dill dressing. Rieslings complement the flavors of both salmon and dill and its slightly sweet acidity provides a perfect balance with this dressing.
• Grilled chicken caesar salad pairs well with an acidic style of Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio as they can stand up to the bold flavors of garlic and anchovies.
• Caprese salad, a combination of sliced, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, is a perfect way to enjoy our homegrown or farm stand-fresh tomatoes. The somewhat bland mozzarella helps offset the high acidity of the tomatoes, allowing for a balanced white, like pinot gris, to pair well. When basil leaves or pesto are added to this salad, a crisp sauvignon blanc is a nice choice, as its herbaceous nature pairs well with basil.
• Asian chicken salad is popular and offers distinctive flavors of rice wine vinegar and sesame oil (add red pepper flakes to turn up the heat). Kabinett riesling’s crisp acidity and sweetness balance these Asian flavors and helps counter the spicy characteristics. Also, an Alsatian gewürztraminer is another good choice, with its spicy, sweet and lychee nut notes.
Asian Sesame Dressing
Here’s a dressing recipe that is easily made at home. This flavorful dressing created by My Chef Catering can be used on greens, cabbage or as a marinade for chicken or firm fish such as tuna.
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
½ cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar (not sweet or seasoned)
1/4 cup soy sauce (can use low sodium if you prefer)
4 tablespoons honey
¼ cup water
Place all ingredients in a one quart glass jar (or at least 1 pint size). Cover the jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well until all ingredients are mixed. Remove the lid and place the jar in the microwave. Heat for one minute just to ensure the honey is dissolved. Place jar in refrigerator with lid off until completely cool. Place lid tightly on jar and shake well before serving. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Serves 18.
Bill's Picks
Tiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio - Italy: $14
Chateau Ste. Michele Indian Wells Chardonnay – Washington: $15
Kesseler Kabinett Riesling – Germany: $16
Sterling Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc – Napa Valley, Calif.: $14
Trimbach Gewürztraminer – Alsace, France: $18
Allegrini Soave – Italy: $14
For more from Bill Garlough's Perfect Pairings visit My Chef.
Bill Garlough is a Level 1 Master Sommelier and an owner of
My Chef Catering in Naperville, the winner of the U.S. Chamber's 2007 Small Business of the Year award. Bill can be reached at
My Chef or
wineparings@mychef.comkobba
By Free Vegetable Recipes
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp canola oil, 3 Tbsp raspberry wine vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 1/2 tsp granulated sugar, 1 lb chicken breast, boneless and skinless, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch black pepper, 1 large head romaine lettuce, 2 medium green onions, sliced, 1/2 pint raspberriesPrepare Dressing:
1 In a small bowl combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and sugar. Stir till sugar is dissolved.
Place in fridge while preparing the salad.Prepare Salad:
1 Take the head of lettuce and separate the leaves. Place the leaves in cold water in the sink or a large bowl to soak for a couple of minutes. Then rinse the leaves and shake off the excess
water. Tear the leaves into pieces and place in a large bowl. Wash and slice the green onions
and place in bowl with lettuce. Gently rinse the raspberries and place on paper towels to dry
and set aside.
2 Rinse the chicken breast and pat dry with paper towels. Season chicken with a pinch of salt and
pepper. Place on a small broiler rack and broil until the chicken is cooked. Cut the chicken into
strips.
3 Take the dressing out of the fridge and stir. Pour over lettuce and green onions in bowl and toss until leaves are well coated with dressing. Add cooked chicken strips and toss into salad. Place raspberries on top of salad and gently toss so as not to crush raspberries. Serve.Servings: 6Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 1 serving, Amount Per Serving, Calories 186.27, Calories From Fat 74.16, Total Fat 8.43g, Saturated Fat 0.80g, Cholesterol 43.85mg, Sodium 204.03mg, Potassium 513.84mg, Carbohydrates 9.26g, Dietary Fiber 4.05g, Sugar 4.28g, Sugar Alcohols 0.00g, Net Carbohydrates 5.21g, Protein 19.16gCooking Tips:
If you are unable to find raspberry wine vinegar you may substitute red wine vinegar. It will not
be exactly the same but will still be good.
Raspberries are delicate so the less you handle them the better. Add them at the very end and
toss gently so they retain their shape. If you are unable to get fresh raspberries you may use
partially thawed frozen ones.
Note: This recipe is copyrighted by the author.
By Free Vegetable Recipes
It is common belief that low calorie and vegetarian recipes have to challenge your palate. The truth is, however, they can be just as delicious as your favorite dishes. Now, I am about to share with you two such recipes, and you can just give them a try to convince yourself.
1. Vegetarian Black Bean Burgers
You will need the following ingredients to prepare for this recipe:
* 1 can of black beans
* 1/2 of an onion
* 1/2 cup of flour
* 2 slices of bread
* 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon of onion powder
* 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
* salt and pepper
To prepare, follow the steps below:
a) Dice the onion, then saute it for about 4 or 5 minutes until soft.
b) Pour the black beans into a large bowl and mash them until they are almost smooth.
c) Add to the mashed black beans with the sauteed onions, garlic powder, onion powder, and seasoned salt.
d) Crumble up the sliced bread and add them to the mixture.
e) Add the flour to the mixture, a few tablespoons each time. Keep stirring after each addition.
f) Add a small amount of oil into a frying pan, and heat it up.
g) Scoop some of the mixture out of the bowl with your hands, and shape it into a pattie that is about 1/2 thick.
h) Fry the patties until they are firm.
Have a try and you will be amazed at the wonderful taste of the burgers.
2. Tofu Scramble
If you have ever tried vegetarian diet, you will know that tofu is always used as a meat substitute. And, the tofu scramble which we are about to try can be served as a wonderful substitute for scrambled eggs.
You need these ingredients:
* 1 block of tofu, drained and press
* 1/2 yellow onion
* 1/2 green pepper
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon onion powder
* 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
* 2 teaspoons oil or margarine
Here are the steps for cooking:
a) Cut the tofu into one inch cubes, and then use a fork to slightly crumble it.
b) Dice your onion and bell pepper.
c) Add some oil or margarine to a skillet set to medium-high.
d) Add the onion, green pepper and tofu to the skillet. Cook for 4 or 5 minutes.
e) Add to the skillet with garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast.
f) Cook the tofu scramble for 6 or 7 minutes, stirring frequently. When it is done, pour onto a plate and enjoy.
You can treat a tofu scramble like what you would do with scramble eggs, adding vegetables of your choice, like tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and carrots.
Now, are you convinced that low calorie and vegetarian recipes can be just as tasteful as the non-vegetarian ones? Simply give the two recipes a try. In fact, there are thousands of people out there who are enjoying delicious and healthy vegetarian diet every single day!
By Free Vegetable Recipes
Copyright (c) 2009 Christine Szalay Kudra
Using a recipe search engine can be very useful if you are keen to make your own recipe creations. If you can think of two ingredients which will be nice together, the odds are that there is already a recipe somewhere using that ingredient combination.
You can do a recipe search by cuisine, by ingredient or by course. Perhaps you want inspiration for Indian recipes, Italian recipes, pasta recipes, salad recipes, or appetizers. The beauty of using a recipe search is that you can choose exactly the kind of meal you want to use as your inspiration.
How to Adapt a Recipe
If you are capable of following a recipe, you are capable of creating your own. The best way to start off is by tinkering with an easy recipe that you know you like.
You might have a favorite meat or fish dish. How would that dish taste if you added some Thai spices or served it with pasta and sauce instead of with the baked potatoes or rice you normally use?
You can combine your favorite parts of different recipes to make one new one. For example, if you have a favorite recipe for grilled chicken and a winning white wine sauce recipe, you can use a recipe search to find the perfect vegetable side dish to complete this meal.
Of course, a recipe search engine is not capable of creating brand new recipes itself but you can adapt recipes you find and make them your own.
Tips for Creating Recipes
Do not expect every creation to be amazing. It can happen that you use a flavor in a recipe and find that it just does not work out. If that should happen, just chalk it up to experience and try a new approach the next time.
Rather than create a new spice blend and rub it over a whole chicken, why not make a new spicy sauce and cook the chicken separately. That way, if the spice blend comes out wrong, you have not ruined an entire chicken.
The only things required for inventing recipes yourself is a creative streak and a bit of bravery. You do not need to be a gourmet chef or have extensive food knowledge.
Start simply, rather than attempting to create an elaborate meal from scratch. This might mean you change the kind of cheese in a recipe and a few of the vegetables. It might mean you use Chinese spices in a fish dish instead of the Italian spices in the recipe.
Perhaps you have tried this already. Perhaps you have been partway through a recipe before and suddenly realized you do not have one of the ingredients. Maybe you substituted the ingredient with something you did have. This is a form of recipe creation because your dish differed from the recipe and was unique.
Using a recipe search engine is the best way to get started because you can explore different kinds of recipes and do a recipe search by ingredient if you have an idea of what you want to use.
Whether you are a busy mom like me or someone who loves to try new foods and new flavor combinations, you can try your hand at adapting existing recipes. Once you have found a recipe using the <a href="
http://www.recipedirectory.org/" rel="nofollow">best recipe search engine you can get to work, tweaking the ingredients or add new flavors. This is how delicious meals are invented and you can have plenty of fun along the way.
Start your search for dinner now at:
http://www.recipedirectory.orgscottsdale interior design
By Free Vegetable Recipes
Home cooking network - a Pandora box for all the goodies. A never before array of recipes are a rare collection of specialties form all over the world. It can serve all sorts of individual needs that are vegetarian, quick & easy, traditional, etc. For more help visit to: www.atkins-diets-recipes.com.Ranging from gourmet to the simpler ones, these recipes can be broadly divided in to 4 heads. These are as follows:Unlike the regulars such as brochette or deviled eggs, Home Cooking Network offers the individuals an opportunity to try various cuisines. Chinese, Mexican, French..... The list is amazing!For spicy pre meal snacks check out the Mexican & Chinese appetizers.Soups make great appetizers and attribute to quite a healthy meal. If beef & chicken recipes do not tickle your taste bud being a vegetarian, look out for the vegetable soups such as carrot soup. For playing off the league try your hand with the French onion soup.Whether appetizers or a meal, salads are just perfect for all of us. And for the lazy ones, these are far simpler & quicker recipes to opt from. They take almost no time, don't believe me, and try potato salad or pasta salad! For some adventure & experience go for the Mexican salad.Do you want to be different this time? For more detail go to: www.cooking-groundbeef.com.Choosing the main course could be rather hard but with Home Cooking Network, the choices are endless.In place of the plain steak, try some corned beef or beef casserole, or the beef stroganoff.Recipes enlist things as simple as the grilled chicken to something special like the low crab recipes and the chicken cordon bleu.This can be defined in many ways as per one's own perception. Home Cooking Network consists of many recipes that can be used as main course, appetizers, desserts or just simple snacks. These recipes are representatives of different cultures likeDesserts are surely delicious end to the meals. Home Cooking Network believes in trying different recipes that are new, uncommon and easy to cook.Greek, Mexican and Pilipino desserts form a major chunk of the list.ii. Alongside it enlists all time favorites like pies. Among pies, Home Cooking Network contains recipes for key lime, fruit filled and pecan pies.Among vegetarian cuisines, Home Cooking Network offers various new & exquisite recipes like:To tickle your taste buds further, Home Cooking Network's recipes include many other categories to serve any purpose you have on mind that is a festive treat pleasing a cherished guest or thanking a friend, or simply sharing a relishing moment with the family. These recipes might be time consuming but the time is all the worth. Its rich culinary list includes:
By Free Vegetable Recipes
There are so many good reasons to reduce the amount of sugar in the foods that we eat. Processed sugar, especially in the amounts that we eat it here in the United States, is a major contributor to obesity, and provides very little substantive nutrition for the number of calories that it delivers. While it is easy to reduce sugar in some aspects of your diet, there are some sticking points. If you love to bake, for instance, you’ll find that just cutting out the sugar in many recipes will result in a failed recipe. In many recipes, sugar is more than just a sweetener. It provides texture, contributes to browning and may serve to help other chemical processes happen.That does not mean you have to give up on baking if you want to cut out sugar. There are a number of tips that can help you reduce sugar in your favorite cakes, cookies and other sweet baked goods and still enjoy them. These tips are helpful for cooking with sweeteners such as Splenda Granular.AmountIn some recipes, sugar is important for the structure and texture. This is especially true in candies and confections like nougat, and in frostings and sweets. For best results, you really can’t replace the entire amount of sugar with a sugar substitute. You can generally replace about 25% of the sugar called for in the recipe. If you must cook completely sugar free, then try recipes that use other natural sweeteners for flavor and sweetness.Volume/HeightIf your cakes, breads and muffins don’t rise as high when using a granulated sugar substitute, try adding ½ cup of nonfat dry milk powder and half a teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of sweetener that you use.Bake your cakes and muffins in smaller pans. Instead of 9 inch round cake pans, use 8 inch pans with two inch high sides.TextureCookies and cookie bars often need brown sugar for their texture. If you want to keep that chewy-crunchy bite, you’ll probably need to keep the brown sugar, and only replace the white sugar with a sweetener.Experiment with your favorite recipes. You can get excellent results by replacing the sugar and much of the fat with applesauce or fruit purees. The best choice for fruit purees? All natural baby food, for more details visit to www.chicken-wing-cookbook.com with no sugar, salt or preservatives added. Bananas, peaches, prunes, carrots and sweet potatoes are all great choices for dense cakes, cookie bars and muffins.Cookies made with artificial sweeteners often don’t spread well when they bake. To help them bake better, use a fork sprayed with cooking spray to flatten each cookie slightly before placing them into the oven.Jams and jellies often rely on sugar to help activate pectin in recipes. You may need to use some extra fruit pectin to help your fruits set up properly if you are using an artificial sweetener, or going au natural.If your sugar free baked goods are coming out a bit too dry, for more details visit to www.chef-123.com try adding a bit of thinly sliced or grated zucchini to the recipe. The flavor is neutral, but it will add moisture to your breads, muffins and cakes.Pick the Right SweetenerSome sweeteners react badly to heat. Aspartame, for instance, loses most of its sweetness during baking, so sweeteners that use aspartame should be confined to recipes where you can add the sugar at the end of the cooking – puddings, frostings and the like.FlavorUse flavor enhancers to emphasize sweetness in recipes. For instance, an extra teaspoon of vanilla per cup of sugar substitute will bring out the sweetness. Hone or molasses in quick breads and muffins will add a bit of a flavor boost. Other possibilities for enhancing flavors include lemon and orange zest, almond flavoring, and butter flavoring.AppearanceSugar free baked goods often look pasty and uncooked because sugar caramelizes during baking to give everything a golden brown color. You can simulate the browning by spraying the surface of the batter or dough with a bit of cooking spray before putting it in the oven.Other ways to simulate browning include adding cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter.Most granular sweeteners do not appear to get as creamy and smooth, when mixed with butter, margarine and shortening and it may even separate when you add eggs. It won’t affect the final product; just continue on with the recipe.Cooking with YeastSugar substitutes won’t activate yeast, so if you’re making yeast breads with a sugar substitute, you’ll need to retain at least two teaspoons of sugar in the recipe, or replace the sugar with another natural sweetener like molasses or honey.Adjust Bake TimesBaked goods cooked with granulated sweeteners may bake more quickly than the recipe dictates. Check cakes 7-10 minutes before the recipe’s bake time, and brownies, quick breads and cookies 3-5 minutes before the recipe says it will be done. Remember that sugar free recipes may not brown during baking and rely on other indicators.
By Free Vegetable Recipes
This Memorial Day cook up some lip smacking delicacies for your friends and family. Show off your culinary calibers and soak in all the praises showered on you. Its summer!!! And Memorial Day is the right occasion to treat your taste buds to some sizzling barbecue, steaks, grilled potatoes, pies, desserts, salads and much more. Barbeque undoubtedly tops the list. If you’re planning a Memorial Day cookout or a special Memorial Day barbecue party this year here’s a list of items to include in your menu.
• A succulent barbecue
• Steaks
• Bacons
• Delicious Chicken preparations (anything will be gorged on)
• Grilled Asparagus
• Corn on the Cob
• Roasted potato salads or shrimp salads
• Grilled Zucchini
• Cream and cheese sandwiches
• Baked beans
• Strawberry Melon Wedges
• Pork Ribs
• Hotdogs
• Burgers (lamb, chicken…anything!)
• Strawberry Cream Pie
• Lemonade (a real refreshing idea)
• Sundaes
• Special Memorial Day Cake (top it with blue syrups, white cream and red cherries to give that patriotic flavor in it)
• Memorial Day pies (don’t forget the blueberry and raspberry toppings)
• Tomato Tarts
If the kitchen is your lab and you love to experiment around with some cool recipes this summer, here are a few you might just try out. What’s better than to start off with a yummy salad recipe –
Spinach & Strawberry Salad
Ingredients:
• One 9 ounce package of baby spinach leaves
• 1 1/2 cups of sliced strawberries
• 1/3 cup toasted almonds
• 3-4 sliced green onions
• Olive oil
• White Balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper ( to taste)
Instructions:
• Toast the almonds on a pan in the oven at 300 degrees F for a few minutes (they brown quickly) or place the almonds in a small skillet over medium heat until toasted (shake the skillet a few times while over the heat to toast evenly)
• Make sure to remove any stems from the spinach and place the leaves in a salad bowl with the green onions
• Drizzle with a little olive oil (just enough to lightly coat the spinach)
• Place the bowl in the refrigerator until serving time
To serve:
• Rinse the strawberries just before tossing the salad, dry them and slice them
• Add the toasted almonds and sliced strawberries to the salad bowl and sprinkle with white balsamic vinaigrette to taste
• Add a little salt and fresh ground pepper and toss the salad and then plate
And who can ignore a BBQ recipe on Memorial Day. Here’s one to check out –
BBQ Steaks
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt ( to taste )
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 (1/2 pound) beef rib eye steaks
In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, olive oil, ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, salt, liquid smoke and cayenne pepper.
Place steaks in a shallow, nonporous dish, and pour marinade over steaks. For optimum flavor, rub the liquid into the meat. Cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high to high heat. Grill steaks for 7 to 8 minutes per side on a lightly oiled grate.
And here’s one for the burger lovers –
Wasabi Salmon Burgers
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder
• 1 pound salmon fillet
• 2 each scallions
• 1 each egg
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
Whisk soy sauce, wasabi powder and honey in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
With a large chef's knife, chop salmon using quick, even, straight-up-and-down motions (do not rock the knife through the fish or it will turn mushy). Continue chopping, rotating the knife, until you have a mass of roughly 1/4-inch pieces. Transfer to a large bowl. Add scallions, egg, ginger and oil; stir to combine. Form the mixture into 4 patties. The mixture will be moist and loose, but holds together nicely once the first side is cooked.
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the patties and cook for 4 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until firm and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Spoon the reserved wasabi glaze evenly over the burgers and cook for 15 seconds more. Serve immediately.
Richard Dupont writes on holidays and global events like <a href="http://www.
123greetings.com/events/memorial_day/" rel="nofollow">Memorial
Day, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, valentine's Day etc. He also writes on family, relationships, religion, love and friendship. He is a writer with special interest in ecard industry and writes for
123greetings.com.
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By Free Vegetable Recipes
Sauces are known as the cornerstone of successful cooking, serving as a base for many culinary creations. Spice up your holiday fest with delicious sauce recipe ideas.
There’s nothing like a homemade sauce to give a tasty kick to your holiday dinner. Whether you are planning to serve salad, seafood, veggies, meat or fish, jazz up your meals and wake up your taste buds with these wonderful sauce recipes.
Celebrate your holidays with these delicious sauce recipe ideas and your guests will be delighted.
MEDALLIONS OF PORK W/RED WINE SAUCE
Ingredients
8 Slices boneless loin of Pork, 3 oz. each, trimmed of Fat
1 Whole clove
1/2 c. Red wine
1 Tsp. Balsamic vinegar
2 Tsp. Honey
1 Tbs. Olive oil
2 Tbs. Finely chopped shallots
2 Tbs. Butter
1 Tbs. Freshly grated ginger
1/2 Tsp. Dried thyme OR 2 Springs of fresh thyme
1 Bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Contributed to the echo by: Janice Norman
Originally from: 60 minute Gourmet, NY Times.
Directions for red wine sauce recipe served with medallions of pork: Place pork slices on a flat surface. Pound lightly with a mallet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine ginger, thyme, vinegar, bay leaf, clove, wine, and honey in a bowl and blend well. Place sliced pork in a dish and pour mixture over it. Marinate for 10 minutes. Drain the pork medallions and pat dry. Reserve marinate. Place meat in a single layer in skillet in the hot oil. Cook for 5 minutes, turn and cook for 5 minutes more over medium high heat. Reduce heat and cook meat for 2 minutes more. Transfer meat to a dish and keep warm. In skillet add the shallots and cook stirring until wilted. Add the reserved marinate and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom. Cook until marinate is reduced to 3/4 its original amount. Swirl in the butter and pour the sauce over the medallions. Remove bay leaf and sprigs of thyme before serving.
FRUITED CHICKEN SALAD
Ingredients
2 c. Cooked Diced Chicken OR Turkey
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
1 c. Diced Apples
1 c. Orange Sections
1/2 c. Halved Green Grapes
2 c. Chopped Celery
Lettuce Leaves
Directions for chicken salad recipe: Toss Chicken With Soy Sauce. Let Stand 15 Min. Mix Fruit With Celery, Add Chicken. Mix Again. Chill. Blend Dressing: 6 T. Low Fat Yogurt, 5 T. Low Cal. Mayonnaise, 4 T. Skim Milk, 2 Packets Equal, 1/4 t. Pumpkin Pie Spice. Arrange Fruited Chicken Salad On Lettuce (About 1 Cup Each) On Lettuce Leaves. Spoon Dressing Over Salad
By Free Vegetable Recipes
Light meals are key for a healthy life. Light recipes are not only easy to prepare, but scrumptious as well.
Spoil your family with these delicious and light recipes.
FLUFFY LIGHT MEAT LOAF
Ingredients
1 lb. Ground beef
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1/2 c. Oatmeal
3 Tbs. Finely chopped green pepper or celery
2 Tbs. Bran
2 Tbs. Wheat germ
1 sm. Onion, finely chopped
1 Tbs. Freshly chopped parsley
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1/4 Tsp. Finely chopped garlic
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp. Freshly ground pepper
Chili sauce
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all loaf ingredients, using your hands. Form into loaf and place in 9 X 5 X 3 loaf pan cover with layer of chili sauce (or ketchup if desired) bake 50 minutes to 1 hour. (Do not over bake since part of the secret of fluffiness is shorter cooking time.) Serve the meat loaf sliced and hot. Serves 4. Variation: Half ground veal and half ground beef can be used for the meat loaf - lower in calories.
CHICKEN SALAD PICANTE
Ingredients
4 ea. Breasts, chicken, halves, broiler/fryer, boned, skinned
1/2 c. Dressing, bottled, ranch, fat free (works well with similar chicken salad recipes as well)
2 Tbs. Sauce, picante
1 Tsp. Chili powder, divided
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 Tbs. Oil, vegetable
4 c. Greens, salad, mixed, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 med. Avocado, peeled, halved, pitted, cut into horizontal slices
1 med. Onion, red, thinly sliced into rings
2 med. Tomatoes, cut in 8 wedges each
2 Tbs. Cilantro, chopped, OR
2 Tbs. Parsley, chopped
Directions
In a small bowl, mix together salad dressing, picante sauce, and a 1/2 Tsp. of chili powder; set aside. Mix the remaining 1/2 Tsp. of chili powder with the salt and sprinkle the mixture over the chicken. Heat the oil to a medium-high temperature in a fry pan. Add chicken and cook, turning, about 8 minutes or until brown and fork tender. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and cut horizontally into 1/2-inch slices. Place one-fourth of the lettuce on each of four serving plates. On each plate, arrange one sliced chicken breast half over the lettuce. Place avocado, onion, and tomatoes around the chicken. Drizzle 2 Tbs. of dressing over each salad. Sprinkle salad with cilantro or parsley, if desired (works well with many light recipes). Source: Chicken Cookery – 1994. Delmarva Chicken Cooking Contest : Delmarva Poultry Industries Inc., Georgetown, Delaware.
LIGHT PUMPKIN PIE
Ingredients
3 Beaten eggs
1/2 c. Firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tbs. Honey
1 Tsp. Ground ginger
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 9-inch deep-dish frozen pie, shell, thawed
1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin
6 pkg. Envelopes low-calorie sweetener
1 Tsp. Nutmeg
1 1/2 c. Nonfat milk
Whipped topping
Orange peel
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. In a medium bowl, combine all but milk.
Gradually stir in milk. Spoon mixture into pie shell and bake for 70-80 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between centre and edge comes out clean. Let cool, then garnish each slice with 2 Tbs. of whipped topping and grated orange peel.
By Free Vegetable Recipes
In the world of desserts, baking and food in general, there is nothing quite like the recipe for cheesecake. I am speaking here of the recipe for baked cheesecake, not any of the refrigerated or "no-bake" versions. Nowhere else does the home cook find the peculiar combination of sweetness, smooth texture, velvety mouth feel and overall sweet perfection? The spring form pan can give birth to wonders, if the cook is even moderately skilled and the ingredients are of proper quality.Think about the other main types of desserts. Now there's a thought project we can all get behind, right?How about pudding? It's certainly got that creamy texture, right? It's sweet (often overly so) and has, depending on what kind you make or buy has a very rich flavor. One of my favorite snacks in the world is a cup of creamy pistachio pudding. I'll confess to buying the boxed mix. However, it just doesn't compare to a slice of cheesecake. The mouth feel is not nearly as satisfying and the subtler flavors are lost under the blanket of flavorings.How about cake? Certainly cake can have an amazing array of subtle flavors. A slice of well-made carrot cake, for example, will have the sweetness of the carrots along with hints of any number of spices and undertones. But it still doesn't match cheesecake when it comes to that take-your-breath-away richness that makes you roll your eyes and sink back in your chair, for more details visit to www.cat-head-biscuit.com savoring that first luscious bite. Make sure that cold food is kept cold and hot food is kept hot. When you have a large quantity of hot food, such as a pot of soup that you want to store put the pot in a sink half-filled with ice and water.What else can we compare? How about pie? Well, let's stick to a cream pie, as that form is the closest to our cheesecake. Maybe a chess pie, for more details visit to www.chicken-wing-cookbook.com that marvel of smoothness and buttermilk flavors. Perhaps here we approach most closely to the land of cheesecake. But the egg texture of the chess pie just misses, and have you ever seen a chess pie rise to the dizzying heights a cheesecake can scale?Nope, there's just something about the recipe for cheesecake that brings for a sweet like no other. Everyone should have one in his or her recipe box.
By Free Vegetable Recipes
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