Cherry Time

Cherries are available year round, enjoyed dried, frozen or as cherry juice. They are used lots of ways in: smoothies, desserts, salads, granola and entrees. The benefits of cherries include: one of the highest levels of powerful antioxidants compared to other fruits, cherries appear to aid in diabetes control, arthritis sufferers routinely consumed the fruit to help soothe their symptoms and they may play a role in reducing inflammation and risk factors for heart disease.

This year the cherry blossoms were a great treat for the senses, both sight and smell, but now the cherries are ripe and it’s time to really enjoy this super food. I’ve included a couple of recipes and the USDA’s nutritional chart. A great web site for lot’s more recipes and information is; http://www.choosecherries.com

Cherry/Mango Salsa
Try over grilled or broiled chicken breast, salmon or venison steak for a healthy entrée.

Ingredients:
1 ripe mango seeded, peeled and chopped
1 cup cherries, pitted
1 tsp. ea. chopped fresh mint, basil and cilantro
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
jalapeno, to taste, minced
Directions
In a mixing bowl toss all the ingredients together.

Cherry Sauce
Try over roast pork tender loin or duck breast.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup cherries
2 tbsp. orange marmalade
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Put oil in a skillet and sauté onions in until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, cherries, orange marmalade, and vinegar and. Bring to a boil; boil rapidly on medium heat until broth is reduced by half.

Cherries (sweet, edible parts)
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Energy 60 kcal 260 kJ
Carbohydrates 16 g
- Sugars 13 g
- Dietary fiber 2 g
Fat 0.2 g
Protein 1.1 g
Vitamin C 7 mg 12%
Iron 0.4 mg 3%

Source: USDA Nutrient database

Salsa Fresco

Yield: 2 cups


This ain’t no canned “made in New York city” salsa, and it ain’t made for “women, kids or sissies”. Forgive me ladies, I was just using a couple of my favorite lines, the latter from a brown bagged chile mix that I use by Texas chicken farmer and former race car builder and driver Carroll Shelby. Kids probably won’t like it and I’m not worried about sissies and besides which salsas should never be canned or jarred for that matter. Salsa is quick and easy, it only has five basic ingredients and no cooking involved. Conclusion, forget the canned stuff. You can make this salsa as hot as you want it by increasing the amount of chiles or variety, some are hotter than others. An excellent read and information source on chiles is “The Great Chile Book” by Mark Miller. Hint: I use canned tomatoes for their good red color, consistency and juiciness, unless I have peak of the season, vine ripe, home grown ones.



1 can(14.5oz. ) tomatoes
1 cup onion, chopped small
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, leaves only no stems
1 or 2 serranos, jalapenos or your favorite chile, stemmed and quartered
2 tbsp. lime juice, about 1 lime
salt, to taste



Place the chile(s) in a food processor or blender and process until the chiles are minced. Add the tomatoes with their juice and process until chopped finely, but not smooth. Remove the mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the cilantro, onions and lime juice. Stir to blend and season to taste with salt.

TG
06/89

Leg & Thigh Cacciatore

Serves 4
Chicken “cacciatore” [kah-chuh-TOR-ee] is Italian for "hunter," this American-Italian term refers to food prepared "hunter-style," and indicates the chicken is simmered in a well seasoned tomato sauce with onions, bell peppers, various herbs and sometimes wine. My version is made with legs and thighs so the meat is moist and tender. Too many times in restaurants I’ve had this served with dry, overcooked breast.

I could watch Giada de Laurentiss cook any thing, so I’ve included a link to a video of her cooking chicken cacciatore at the food network.

2 med. onions, sliced vertically about ½ inch wide
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 chicken legs and thighs
1 can (16oz.) tomatoes, chopped
1 can (8oz.) tomato sauce
1 med. green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 stalk celery, sliced in ¼ inch slices
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp, dried rosemary, crushed
¼ cup dry white wine, Pinot Grigio would be a good choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large, oven proof skillet cook the onions and garlic in oil over medium heat until onions are tender. Remove the onions and garlic; set aside. Add more oil if needed to the skillet, place the chicken skin side down cook until nice and brown. Remove the chicken and set aside. Return the onions and garlic along with the tomatoes and their juice, plus the remaining ingredients to the skillet, stir to mix. Add the chicken, skin side up on top of the mix. Bake for about 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked and skin is crisp. Serve over pasta, rice or polenta and with a glass (or two) of the same type wine you cooked with. Also pass a good crusty, rustic bread for sopping up the sauce.

TG

06/09

Nicoise Salad

Or as the French would say Salade Nicoise (pronounced nee-swaz)

The salad is named for it’s city of origin Nice, France. It was made famous in the USA by the host of the 1960’s TV show “The French Chef”, Julia Child. The ingredients can very, but typically include: new red potatoes, haricots verts (small thin green beans), hard-cooked eggs, canned tuna, olives (nicoise olives), capers and optional anchovies, lettuce is a debated, but some times included ingredient. The ingredients are arranged by group, like a Cobb salad. The salad is served with a classic Dijon vinaigrette.

Our version makes one notable change, the tuna is fresh seared Ahi.

Serves 2

Salad

2 Ahi tuna steaks, about 6 ounces each, seared to your liking

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and either halved, quartered, or sliced

2 small new red potatoes, boiled and sliced
2 small ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into quarters

¼ small red onion, sliced very thin, or chopped

4oz. fresh green beans, stem ends trimmed and blanched, tender crisp
4oz. salad greens
6 olives, your choice, but pitted

2 tbsp capers, rinsed
several anchovies (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Have all the ingredients prepped and ready to assemble. Divide the salad greens on two individual plates, arrange eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, onion and green beans artistically by groups. Top the salad with tuna steaks, olives, capers and anchovies( if using). Season with salt and pepper. Pass dressing on the side.

Dressing

4 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ cup wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. juice from capper jar
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/8 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. thyme
1 ½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Place all the ingredients, except the oil into a blender and blend for 30 seconds, with the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

TG

06/09

Scotch Eggs

Serves 6

File this under traditional Scottish pub food and quick &

easy favorites. Scotch eggs make a great brunch item, equally great for picnics, tailgates or whenever. Serve them warm or cold, with mustard, catsup or any of your favorite sauces. I like mine with a blend of catsup and A-1. Thank you flickr for supplying the picture.

1 lb. bulk breakfast sausage
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, Tip: medium size eggs work best
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
½ tsp. ground sage
1 tbsp. mustard, preferably Dijon
salt and pepper
flour, for dredging
3 raw eggs, divided use, 2 beaten
breadcrumbs, dry are traditional but fresh, multi grain even panko
are good alternatives
vegetable oil (for deep frying)


Mix sausage, parsley, sage, mustard and 1 raw egg in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Place flour in a mixing bowl. Place beaten eggs in another mixing bowl. Place bread crumbs in yet another mixing bowl. Divide the sausage mixture into 6 patties. Roll the hardboiled eggs in flour. Using wet hands completely wrap and cover an egg with a sausage patty, trying to retain an egg shape. Make sure you have no holes and the seams are sealed. Repeat with remaining hardboiled eggs and patties. Roll and coat wrapped eggs first in the flour, then in the beaten eggs and then in the breadcrumbs. Press crumbs firmly into the sausage. Deep fry the scotch eggs at 325 degrees until the coating is deep brown, about 6 minutes. Remove eggs from oil and drain on paper towels. Enjoy!

TG
06/09

The Beauty of Catfish

Dirty, ugly, bottom feeder (wild) vs. farm raised? Go for the farm raised, not any better looking but a whole lot better and safer for you. Pluses: mild sweet flavorful taste with a flaky texture, inexpensive (compared to some other fish), healthy, only about 100 calories per 3 ounce serving and provides about 25 % of your daily protein requirement, considered eco-friendly and sustainable. I love the traditional southern fried version but I'm supplying a healthier recipe here. The Catfish Institute has a hundred more flavorful recipes that prove their slogan “ The real beauty is in the taste”.

Broiled Catfish
Serves 4

3tbsp. Maggi or soy sauce
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. liquid smoke flavoring
¼ tsp. garlic powder
4 farm raised catfish fillets
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your broiler. Combine Maggi, lemon juice, liquid smoke and garlic powder in a small bowl, add fillets to marinade and let sit for 5 minutes. Place fish on broiler pan, season with pepper and broil 3 inches from heat for about 5 minutes, basting frequently until fish flaks easily.

TG
02/88

Bistro Fare

Serves 2
This meal will make you think you should me dining in a cozy Parisian bistro, not at home cooking a 300’ish total calorie complete meal. No diet fare here, beats cottage cheese and celery sticks any day. I first made this meal in April of 1986, so the origin of is obscure to me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Sunset magazine
Menu
Poulet au Poive
Potato-Broccoli Mash
Glazed Carrots

Potato-Broccoli Mash

1 lg. (8oz.) potato, peeled and cubed
4oz. broccoli florets
¼ cup plain low fat yogurt
1 tbsp. minced green onion
salt and pepper to taste
Place the potato in a sauce pan and cover with water, bring to a boil, lower heat to medium, and cook until nearly tender. Add broccoli and cook an other 5 minutes. Drain and put in a food blender along with remaining ingredients, pulse to a mash, but not a completely smooth puree. Return to pan and keep warm until chicken is cooked.
Glazed Carrots
6 oz. baby carrots, peeled
2 tsp. low-sugar apricot preserves
1 tsp. butter
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
Place carrots in a pan and cover with water, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender. Drain carrots and return to pan. Add preserves and butter: cook to glaze carrots. Keep warm until chicken is cooked. Just before serving toss with parsley.
Poulet au Poive
8 oz. chicken breast, boneless & skinless
½ tsp. dried thyme, crumbled
½ tsp. dried tarragon, crumbled
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper, or more to taste
1 tsp. butter
1 tbsp. Cognac
Cut the chicken diagonally into 4 pieces and pound them into medallions. Combine thyme, tarragon and pepper and sprinkle over both sides of chicken. Heat butter in a large sauté pan over med-high heat. When the foam subsides, add chicken and sauté until lightly browned on bottom, 2-3 minutes. Turn and cook the other side the same way. Remove the chicken to serving plates. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the cognac, deglaze and scrape any browned bit form pan. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve with potato-broccoli mash and glazed carrots.

TG

04/86

Spinach & Sprout Salad

Serves 4

This is a another very easy and fast salad to make, especially if using pre-washed and packaged spinach and have hard boiled eggs on hand. Fresh bunches of spinach invariably are loaded with sand or dirt and require a thorough washing. Choosing “baby” spinach will give you smaller, tenderer leaves. The dressing is very good also, in fact my wife is always pleased this recipe makes extra dressing, just to have some on hand.

2 bags ( 6oz. ea.), packaged baby spinach
½ lb.fresh bean sprouts
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
5 strips bacon
2 eggs, hard boiled and roughly chopped
Dressing
2/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup catsup
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup minced onion
2 tsp. Worcestershire
salt and pepper, to taste

Slice the bacon into ¼ inch slices crosswise and fry until crisp, drain on paper towels. Divide the spinach between four individual salad plates. Top with bean sprouts, water chestnuts and bacon. Drizzle about an ounce of dressing on each salad. Garnish with chopped egg.

TG
06/91

Orange and Red Cabbage Salad

Serves 4 to 6

This is a very good salad I first served about 15 years ago and I can’t remember where I got the idea or the recipe. The whole family like so much we had it two nights in a row. I’ve included a poppy seed dressing from cooks.com that goes well with the salad

2 cups shredded red cabbage
4 lg. oranges, peeled and sectioned
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
¼ cup chopped green onions
poppy seed dressing, recipe follows


Place cabbage on individual plates; top with orange sections, pecans and green onions. Serve and pass dressing on the side.


Poppy Seed Dressing:
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
4 tsp. sugar
2/3 tsp. dry mustard
2/3 tsp. salt
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2/3 c. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. poppy seeds

Combine vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt in blender or processor; mix well. Add lemon juice. With machine running, gradually add oil. Stir in poppy seeds. Pour dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately. About 6 servings.

Tarragon and Cheese Omelet

Serves 1

Tarragon and cheese, to use an old phrase is “a match made in heaven”. The French have a love affair with omelets. French tarragon is the tarragon of choice as it has more flavor than Russian or winter tarragon. The cheese in this recipe is going to be your call, but it should be mild, soft or semi-soft, made with goats, sheep or cows milk. Cottage cheese, ricotta, yogurt cheese or cream cheese would all be good choices. Accompany this omelet with a tossed salad and you have a nice, quick lunch or lite evening meal.

2-3 eggs (your call again)
1 oz. cheese
1 tbsp. milk
1 sprig fresh tarragon
1 tsp. canola oil, olive oil is great but too heavy for this
salt and pepper to taste

Remove the leaves from the sprig of the tarragon and julienne. Scramble the eggs with the milk and tarragon. Hear the oil in a non-stick frying pan, pour in the omelet mixture and cook until eggs are set but not brown on the bottom. Now the tricky part, flip the omelet over. Spread the cheese on one half of the omelet and fold the other the half over the cheese. Slide out of the pan onto a plate and serve. Multi-grain toasts, a mimosa or a glass of champagne and you have a great brunch.

TG
06/09

Easy Fried Rice

Serves 2

This recipe uses leftover brown rice, which I believe should be one of those convenient foods you keep on hand in your refrigerator or freezer. Brown rice takes about an hour to cook so it saves a whole lot of time to have it on hand. It freezes in 1 cup, 2oz. portions nicely and very conveniently. Reheat it in the microwave, steam it or stir fry it, as in this recipe. I usually thaw it first before stir frying, but for the microwave or steaming from frozen works just fine.

1 cup cooked brown rice (white rice is traditional and substitutable but brown is healthier)
½ cup frozen stir-fry vegetables (for connivance but use what ever you want or have on hand)
2 strips bacon, sliced into ¼ inch strips
2 eggs
2 tsp. Maggi or soy sauce, preferably Maggi it has more flavor


In a non-stick pan fry the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels and set aside. Meanwhile scramble the eggs into curd size pieces, reserve. Drain all but a tsp. 1 tsp. of the bacon fat from the pan. Coarsely chop the vegetables and blanch if using fresh. Add the rice, vegetables, bacon and eggs to the pan, stir-fry one minute. Add the Maggi and stir-fry until very hot, about 2 minutes.

TG
6/08

Cucumber/Feta Salad

Serves 6

1 large cucumber
12 oz. Feta cheese, packed in brine not dry crumbled
½ cup finely chopped shallot
¼ cup lemon
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
mint leaves
salt and pepper

Peel the cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise, score the flesh of the cucumber lengthwise with the tines of a fork and scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile break up the Feta into pop corn size pieces and mix with with onion, lemon juice and olive oil.
Drain, rinse and slice cucumber crosswise into ¼ inch half moons. Combine with cheese mixture. Season with pepper. Chill about 30 minutes. Serve garnished with mint.

TG
7/90

Homemade Hummus

Serves 4

Let’s see, better and cheaper vs. more expensive and OK? I checked the local market today and a 7 ounce container of prepared hummus was $ 3.99, while the major item in hummus, garbanzo beans (15oz.) was only $.99. Choice? no-brainer and its easy to make. This recipe is an adaption from the South Beach Diet. cookbook.


1 can (15oz.) garbanzo beans, drained
¼ cup lemon juice, aproximately1 juicy lemon
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
½ cup tahini. (sesame paste), available in most quality supper markets
1 tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste


In a food processor or blender, puree all the ingredients. If the mixture is too thick, thin with water. Season with salt and pepper.


TG
04/09

Sea Scallop Ceviche

Serves 4

The South Beach Diet is a great way to loose weight and improve your cardiovascular health. This recipe is a variation on Cherry Snapper Ceviche by chef: Roger Ruch.

½ lb. sea scallops, medium dice
3 Roma tomatoes, medium dice
½ red onion, medium dice
3 tsp. finely chopped, fresh cilantro
¼ cup lime juice, approximately 3 limes
½ tsp. sambal oelek, red chili garlic paste
sea salt to taste

Soak the diced scallops refrigerated in ¾ of the lime juice for 3 hours. Drain off the liquid and discard.
Mix the scallops with the sambal oelek, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and the remaining lime juice. Season with sea salt.
Cheviche is often served saltine crackers. In the interest of eating healthy try serving it on, sliced jicama, daikon radish, harts of palm or my favorite, reduced fat Triscuits, it adds a nice crunch.

TG

06/09

Sea Scallop Ceviche

Asain Salmon Patty

Serves 4
First things first; I have to say salmon is my absolute favorite fish. I am also a salmon purist. A salmon fillet grilled med-rare is perfect as is, or maybe garnished with a little dill-butter melting on top, but that’s it. That said this recipe is a nice use of my favorite fish.

1 lb. salmon, cut into 1” cubes
1 tbs. Dijon mustard, preferably Mallies
1 tbs. lime zest
1 tbs. fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. Maggi or soy sauce
2 tsp. fish sauce, preferably 3 Crabs brand
In a food processor, pulse salmon, until coarsely ground: transfer to a bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients. Shape mixture into 4 patties.

TG
05/09