How to Roast Fruit, Vegetables, Fish and Meat

Roasting is a ridiculously easy cooking technique.  It takes little supervision or fuss.  That makes it perfect at this busy time of year.  And you can cook several items at once. A roasted entrée with sides of roasted vegetables is a great combination.  You can even finish the meal with roasted fruit served with ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce.

Fruit roasts at a lower temperature than other dinner elements so I roast the fruit first.  I use chef Jeremy Tower’s method.  He roasts halved pears and apples rubbed with a tiny pinch of salt on beds of sugar (about 1/8 inch deep) on a parchment-lined, rimmed cookie sheet.  It takes about an hour at 350˚F.  Fruit is done when it is easily pierced with a sharp knife and the sugar is caramelized.  Slip a spatula under the fruit and set it on a large dish to cool.  Serve sliced fruit for dessert or breakfast with yogurt and granola or put sliced, roasted fruit in a salad with some dried cranberries and blue cheese.  Roasted fruit keeps for several days refrigerated.  It is a good "make ahead" item or a great way to have your oven do double duty when something else is in the oven at 350˚F. 

To roast vegetables, crank the stove to 425˚F and chop a medley of vegetables into bite-sized pieces.  Good combinations are peeled winter squash, potatoes, beets and carrots with a thin coating of olive oil, salt and pepper plus some sprigs of thyme or rosemary.  Or try chopped cauliflower, celery, broccoli, mushrooms and zucchini dressed with olive oil, crushed garlic clove and low-sodium soy sauce.  Place the vegetables on a foil lined metal roasting pan or glass baking dish.  If you’d like the vegetables to steam first, cover with foil for the first 20 minutes then remove the top foil, stir the vegetables and roast for another 20-30 minutes until they are tender and lightly browned. Brussels sprouts rank as our favorite when roasted.  Steam halved sprouts with a bit of water until tender then toss drained sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a roasting pan.  Roast for about 15 minutes at 425˚F, turning occasionally.  Don’t discard the little leaves that will inevitably fall off during steaming.  These roast up into little crispy chips that act as an instant garnish to the finished dish.

What to roast alongside your vegetable medleys?  Thick fillets of fish like sea bass, haddock, tuna or salmon would be nice with soy sauce-infused roast vegetables.  Add the fish during the last 10-15 minutes of roasting.  Fish only needs minimal prep.  I like a touch of olive oil or butter with good squeeze of lemon.  On white fish, chopped tomato (fresh or sun-dried in oil) and chopped parsley are good flavor builders.  For the meatier fish, tuna and salmon, a light glaze of low-sodium soy sauce or miso is terrific.  No need to turn fish over during roasting. It is ready when the meat flakes. 

Small or individual cuts of meat like a hot roasting oven. Try pork tenderloin marinated in slurry of a tablespoon of mustard, 1-2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup water (pat dry before roasting). Pork tenderloin takes 18-22 minutes at 425˚F.  Test with a meat thermometer for an internal temperature of 160˚F.  Thick cuts of steak can be roasted too.  Sear both sides of seasoned steaks in a skillet with a little oil until nicely browned and then place the (oven-proof) skillet in the oven to finish.  Rare (135-140˚F) takes just 8-10 minutes more for a one and half inch thick steak.  Medium about (150˚F) 12 minutes and well-done (160-165˚F) is ready in 15 minutes.  Remember to let the meat rest before cutting and serving.

Whole chickens need to roast at lower temperatures but dark chicken parts can stand a higher heat in a roasting pan with a light coat of oil and a little water or broth.  Plan on 20-30 minutes for thighs/leg quarters.  They are ready when the internal temperature reaches 165-170˚F.  Your oven may run hot so start checking at 20 minutes using a meat thermometer.  If the outside is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil.

Roasting is a pure foods method that allows food to taste like itself.  Use a light touch with seasonings to keep the main ingredient’s flavor forward.  And if you oven has room, save yourself some time (and lower your energy bills) by cooking a double batch of vegetables or meat.  Use the vegetables in soup or mixed with grains the next day.  Slice the extra meat for sandwiches and skip the cold cuts for a few days.

4th of July Fruit Salad

Just a thought....

Sweetheart Chicken Salad

This chicken salad is easy to make at any time of the year and especially welcome as the days begin to get longer.  The recipe stands on its taste alone but also gets points for heart health.  It has no mayonnaise, uses lean chicken breast meat and delivers antioxidants via dried cherries and pecans.  Cap that off with a little fiber from the pears and celery.

Serve it on warm rolls, wrapped in lettuce cups or alongside some cottage cheese (the pears form a nice taste bridge to cottage cheese).

You can use fresh, poached or roasted pears in the recipe.  We love it with our roasted pears recipe and our 20-minute poached pears recipe but you can use canned pears in juice.  (Rinse them off if in syrup.)

Sweetheart Chicken Salad
Serves 3

2 cups  cooked, chopped skinless chicken breast
2 small pears, peeled and chopped (canned, roasted, poached or raw)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Dressing:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper

Method

1. Place all chopped ingredients in a large bowl-- chicken, pears and celery.  
2. Roughly chop cherries if large.  Add to mixture with pecans.
3. Make dressing: combine vinegar and mustard in small bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and whisk to emulsify.  Slowly add remaining oil as you continue to whisk to create a creamy dressing.  Stir in salt and pepper to taste.  Use a heavy hand with the black pepper; it compliments the tart cherries and mustard.  Pour over the chicken mixture and toss to coat.  
4. Let chicken salad stand about 15 minutes to meld before serving.  Recipe can be made up to a day ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.

Valentine's Day note: If you are poaching or roasting fresh pears, make a few extra for dessert.  Drizzle with chocolate sauce and serve with some vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt for a sweetheart dessert. 

Apple & Pear Sauté

Slivers of unpeeled pear and apple skin add a festive note.

What side can I bring?  Add a recent potluck, our hostess added sauteed apples to a group dinner whose center piece was pulled port.  It was a hit that's inspired me to create a simple and fast Apple & Pear Sauté to accompany all kinds of pork over the holidays.  The key is to create a savory bridge from the fruit to the meat.

Use firm apples for cooking like Macoun, Winesap, Pink Lady or  Granny Smith varieties.  Pears tend to be less firm than apples so you will put them in the pan second but check your pears and if they are quite firm, add all the fruit at once.  Bosc pears are generally a firm pear and you can also use Anjou or Bartletts.  At this time of year, we are often the lucky recipients of sweet Comice pears which are  terrific paired with a tart apple variety.

Herbs like thyme and a little balsamic vinegar provide the savory bridge.  Try to use fresh herbs in this dish.  If you do not have thyme, try a small amount of fresh sage. Oregano would also work.  A drop of honey and butter bring it all together. 

Apple & Pear Sauté
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 apple, partly peeled, cored and sliced
1 pear,  partly peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme

Method

1. While your roast rests, melt butter in a wide skillet over medium heat.  Add the apples and cook until they are beginning to soften. Gently stir with a wide spatula.  This will take 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the pears and continue to cook, stirring gently to turn fruit.
3. Add balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.
4. Lower the temperature and cover the skillet.  Cook for a few minutes more, until fruit is soft but not breaking down into small pieces.  The slices should keep their shape.  
5. Just before serving toss in fresh thyme.  

 Serve immediately as a side to pork dishes.  

Any leftovers of this quick fruit sauté pairs nicely with cheese.  Serve at room temperature in a small bowl next to the cheese platter.

Croissant Strawberry Shortcake

Presentation can make a simple, pure dessert shine.  For example, supermarket croissants can be split open like butterflies to make open-faced strawberry "shortcake" desserts.  This is lovely because the croissants are not sugary sweet and will let the lingering summer berry flavor star.

To cut a croissant into a convincing butterfly, use a long bread knife to cut from the inner part of the curved pastry.  Stop cutting about 3/4 of an inch from the far edge to create a small hinge.  Open the croissant and warm the butterflied croissant in a toasted oven.  We toast them just enough to brown the edges and crisp the cut edge of the pastry's layers. Serve topped with a 1/2 cup of yogurt, a tablespoon of strawberry jam and 1/2 cup fresh, sliced strawberries. 

Farmers Market Nectarines

Nectarines are overflowing their baskets at farmers' markets and its hard to resist this true taste of summer as the days grow shorter.  With an abundance of ripe fruit in the house we needed something fast that would compliment stone fruits at their peak.  Try this for breakfast or a snack-- sliced nectarines with good quality ricotta cheese drizzled with honey.  Whole grain bread goes with the ensemble perfectly.

If you have fresh basil in your garden, add a sprig to your breakfast plate.  Basil loves nectarines and so will you.

Tropical Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is perfect hot weather food.  No cooking and lots of flavor.  You already know how to make the usual tabbouleh, cracked wheat soaked in water and tomato juice and garnished with tomatoes, cucumbers, lots of mint and parsley and a good dash of lemon juice and high quality olive oil.  Now try a tropical version with fruit juice, pineapple, mango, scallions, cilantro and mint. 

Tropical tabbouleh goes really well with any grilled food and I've been bringing it to the office for a light lunch on steaming hot days.  I soak the wheat in its liquid overnight in the refrigerator then add fruits and herbs.  Most recipes call for soaking for an hour and that is fine if using bulgar wheat in your recipe.  If using cracked wheat, plan on at least three hours or more to get the grains to swell to a nice, chewy consistency.

Tropical Tabbouleh
Yield: about 2 cups, recipe can be doubled

Ingredients
1/3 cup cracked wheat (bulgar wheat may be substituted)
2/3 cup liquid (combination of water and fruit juice such as apple or pineapple juice)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch salt
1 cup chopped fruit--any combination of fresh pineapple, mango, jicama, Asian pear*
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
1/4 cup fresh, chopped mint

Method

1. Mix wheat, water, juice and salt in a bowl or resealable container that can hold about one quart.
2. Cover and store in refrigerator until wheat has absorbed the liquid and had softened.  Plan on 1-3 hours.  
3. Stir in fruit, scallions, red pepper and herbs. Taste and add additional salt if needed.  

*Tip: try using a fresh fruit salsa as the fruit in this recipe.  Many markets sell healthy ones like mango salsa that already have some onion and bell pepper too.

Fruit Kebabs

Fruit salad is a fun picnic food that can be made more transportable and user friendly by making it into kebabs.  No serving spoons needed and no problem if no one has remembered to bring forks. 

Thirst quenching and not bad with a brownie or cookie, fruit kebabs survive transport without oxidizing and look as appetizing as they taste by using a few simple techniques. 

• When shopping for fruit, be sure to pick up a lemon or two.  Squeeze lemon juice over your cut fruit and rub the plate with the squeezed lemon to protect your fruit.  
• Cut fruit into large bite-sized chunks so they do not break off the wooden skewers.
• Thread pineapple chunks on first.  They coat the entire skewer with an acidic base that will prevent fruit from browning at the skewer core.  Fresh pineapple will hold its shape better than canned.
• Select ripe yet firm fruits with a wide color variety.  Here bright green kiwis add a new color group to the platter.
•  Use lemon zest and mint to garnish the kebabs.  

For these kebabs we used:
2 cups cubed pineapple
2 medium-large nectarines
4 apricots
2 kiwis
2 cups strawberries
16 wooden skewers

If it is difficult to find several fruits in season, pick two fruits and alternate.  Red strawberries and yellow pineapple cubes, green kiwis and pale orange peaches, purple grapes and creamy white pears (really nice with some soft cheese alongside).  Don't for get the lemon!

Tres Leches Cake for Sarah

Our next portable dessert for picnics and potluck dinners is a Tres Leches Cake, the famous "three milk" cake of Mexico.  This cake is easy to make and only requires a few ingredients.  If you are really short on time, you can serve the cake without the leches with sliced fruit.  It tastes like a giant, cloud of a lady finger.  But try to take the time to let the sweet milks soak in to make this classic dessert.  We topped ours with fresh strawberries for a very international strawberry shortcake variation.

To travel with Tres Leches Cake, leave the cake in its pan swelled by the soaking liquid.  Smear on whipped cream and pack your rinsed strawberries on the side.  Cover the cake and hit the road. Add the finishing strawberry touches once you've arrived. 

Tres Leches Cake for Sarah
Serves 6-8
Two small cake pans (7-8 inch diameter) or one large 9X13

For the cake:
4 eggs
½ t vanilla
½ cup sugar
1 cup + 2 T cake flour (or 2 cups all purpose flour)

For the tres leches filling
½ can sweetened condensed milk (6-7 oz)
½ can evaporated milk (6-7 oz)
4 oz whole milk (or cajeta, a sweet milk cooked until caramelized)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups whipped cream (use about 1 tablespoon sugar for every cup of cream)
1 pint strawberries, sliced

Method

1. Separate egg whites from yolks.  Place the egg whites in a large bowl.  Place the egg yolks into a medium bowl.  
2. Beat egg yolks on medium high until they are pale yellow and thickened, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and beat another minutes.   
3. Beat the egg whites on medium for 4-5 minutes, until they form soft peaks. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium-high until stiff peaks form.  
4. By hand, using a wide spatula, stir half of flour into the egg yolks.  
5. Add egg yolk mixture to egg whites in larger bowl.  Gently fold together, adding remaining flour by scattering flour over batter, a spoonful at a time.  To fold, using the side of your spatula, cut down the middle of the batter then turn the spatula to comb along the bottom of the bowl with the flat side. Lift and turn the batter over onto itself.  Repeat this gentle action to incorporate the lighter egg white mixture into the denser egg yolk mixture.  The result is a very light, foamy batter.  
6. Pour the batter into prepared baking pans and bake 13-15 minutes until the top is light brown and the cake is starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Cake can be cooled at this point and the filling liquid added the next day.  It is also nice to fill the cake while it is warm—not hot.  Let cool at least 15 minutes.  Prick cake with a fork and pour filling all over cake.  Soak, refrigerated, at least one hour before serving.  Top with  whipped cream and strawberries.

How to Peel an Orange

Part 1
I was never the child known for bringing an orange to school in my lunch bag.  I was barely the child who brought lunch to school. 

When I did convince my mother to pack a lunch for me in a TV sitcom-inspired tin lunch box with matching thermos, my enthusiasm waned at lunchtime.  The food looked unappealing.  Worse, at the end of the school day I could never recall where I had left my half empty thermos.  It was often found under the seat of an overheated car by a sibling who had been unlucky enough to open it up and get a whiff of old milk.   I can still remember the smell of the thing when it was handed back to me to clean.  And, the face of the person handing it back.  I'd promise myself this would be the last time I would try to bring lunch to school.

And then I’d sit near one of the children who brought oranges to school.  They peeled back the skin with deftness and dexterity and unleashed a scent that no perfume could ever match.  Even the 1960’s hit among the pre-teen set, Love’s Fresh Lemon fragrance, was no match for the smell of a freshly peeled orange. 

Inspired, I would bring just an orange to school.   It would lay forgotten at the bottom of a paper bag (lunch boxes were no longer invested in for me) until someone else was peeling back the pockmarked orb and spraying essential orange oil into the atmoshere of our classroom.  I should find that orange, I would think.  They are heavenly. 

Heavenly they may have smelled but my peeling technique was brutish.  Chips of pith embedded themselves under my strong thumbnails where I’d dug in too deep.  Juice squirted out and upwards into my hair, onto my peter pan collar and mostly onto notebook paper where it would pucker the paper and make the blue lines wavy.  A napkin was never at hand; I was a child after all.  It tasted wonderful but the sensory pleasure was mitigated by the sticky trail I left behind and around me.  After a time, it was more pleasurable to enjoy oranges vicariously. 

Part 2
I studied in England during my junior year.  Among the friends I made was a classmate from my college.  I had never met her before.  We’d spent two years on the same small New England campus without ever coming across one another.  And I would have known.  She was an orange eater.  During Spring break, while we rode trains across Europe, she taught me to peel an orange the way her grandmother had taught her.  

Her grandmother was born in Poland.   She and her son survived Auschwitz and that is the short and less painful version of how my friend came to be born in Chicagoland.  Earlier that year, my friend went to the Auschwitz-Berkenau camp that had only recently been opened to the public.  It was hard to talk about.  Instead, she showed me how to peel an orange. 

The key is to use a knife, the old-world, European way.  For my friend’s grandmother, eating fruit without utensils would have been ill mannered.  Fruit was eaten at the dinner table after a meal.  This elegant approach was adapted to train travel using a folding knife. 

The knife does not need to be a sharp one.  I frequently use a plastic knife.  The blade only needs to penetrate through the bright orange skin and sink into the bitter pith.  Carve a circle at the top and bottom of the orange, the poles of your orange planet.  Next, draw the knife down from pole to pole creating longitude lines.  You can create a line for each orange section but you only really need four or five cuts.

With your orange scored, each neatly cut quadrilateral of orange peel will come away with ease.   You will still smell the orange oil as you pull back on the skin and break through the zest to reveal uninjured orange segments.

Every time I peel an orange, I imagine my friend's grandmother,  a petite and iron-strong lady I would never meet.  I imagine her elegant, in furs and polished nails, peeling an orange with a skilled hand as she thinks about a time when peeling and eating an orange was child's play. 

This is how to peel an orange. 

Tacos al Pastor for Sarah

Chili-marinated pork tacos with pineapple are known as Tacos al Pastor in Mexico.   They are a satisfying cold weather dinner that will assure you that the warmer months are on their way.  We made them recently with our friend Sarah- recently back from working in Mexico-- and her sisters.  

With the cold snap most of the country has endured, a brightly flavored new taco recipe is the right distraction.  Most supermarkets carry whole chilis and if you have been wondering how to use them, this recipe is an easy introduction.  If you cannot envision yourself stemming and seeding 4 chili peppers, substitute one small can chipotle chilis in adobo and one small can green chili peppers. 

Most recipes also call for achiote paste made with annatto seeds in the marinade.  If you have achiote paste at your local market, it’s a nice authentic ingredient. If not, add a clove or two of crushed garlic instead. 

Tacos al Pastor can be found at most Mexico City restaurants where thin slices of pork are carved off a spit (trompo in Spanish) and served on corn tortillas with grilled onions and pineapple chunks.  A half pineapple tops the spit so that its juices can run down during the cooking to tenderize and baste the meat.  The marriage of sweet pineapple juices and the savory – but not too spicy—chili marinade give this taco a fresh twist. 

Tacos al Pastor
Makes 6 servings (Recipe can be halved or cooked pork can be frozen in individual portions)

Ingredients
For the Pork Marinade:
4 dried peppers—2 ancho, 2 gaulijjo
½ - 2/3 cup water
6-8 ounces pineapple juice  (small can)
Juice of one lime
½ teaspoon cumin
½  teaspoon oregano
½  teaspoon salt
optional: 1 Tablespoons achiote paste

2 pounds pork—loin, pork shoulder or butt*
12 corn tortillas
1 fresh pineapple, sliced or cubed
2 medium onions, sliced or quartered
Serve with: cilantro, salsa, avocado, extra lime, etc

*if you are grilling, use pork loin, tenderloin or pork chops.  If you are slow cooking the pork on low in the oven, use the other cuts of pork.  They are less expensive and come out really well when slow cooked.  You can also substitute chicken in this recipe.

Method(s)

1. Prepare the chilis and marinade.  Preheat oven to 325˚F.  Place whole chilies on a metal sheet or pan and bake 3-5 minutes until skin gets crisp.  Watch carefully to prevent scorching.  (Gaujillos may puff up- they are ready when they do.) Remove chilies and allow to cool.  
2. Next you will break open the chilies to remove seeds, stem, any veins that are easily pulled away.  Wear gloves or carefully wash hands and under fingernails before touching anything else, especially eyes, and going on to the next step.  
3. In a blender, combine the chili skins and water.  Puree to a thick consistency.  
4. Add achiote paste, pineapple juice, lime juice and seasoning. 
5. Prepare pork.  Cut into thin strips or, if grilling, ½ inch slices (that will be sliced into strips once off the grill).  
6. Place pork in marinade (use a large bowl or a ziplock bag).  Marinate at least 1 hour or as long as overnight. 

Three ways to cook the meat:
Grill— pork loin, tenderloin or pork chops

1. Preheat grill.  You want a medium temperature.  
2. Wipe some oil on the onion slices and grill, turning until softened and crisping.  Set aside.  
3. Wipe excess marinade from pork chops or pork slices.  Grill each piece 3 minutes per side.  Look for an internal temperature of 145˚F.  (Bonus flavor: If you have extra pineapple juice baste pork with it while it is grilling or brush it on after it comes off the grill.)  
4. Let cooked meat rest on a serving plate while you grill the pineapple slices.  Grill pineapple slices 2-3 minutes preside on medium, until grill marks are just starting to show.  
5. Wrap tortillas in foil and place on grill to warm or cook them directly over the fire using long tongs to hold your tortillas.  Keep them warm in a foil pocket or covered platter.  
6. Each taco gets pork, pineapple, onion and toppings.

Serve with: cilantro, salsa, avocado, extra lime, etc

Oven--- pork loin, tenderloin or pork chops

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.  
2. Remove pork from marinade but do not wipe off excess marinade.  
3. Place pork in a foil-lined baking pan and bake for 10-12 minutes until pork is just cooked through.  (Pork chops will take a little longer if on the bone.) 
4. When pork reaches 140˚F, remove and set aside to rest, covered.  
5. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven to warm while you stir fry sliced onion and pineapple in a hot skillet. 
6. Each taco gets pork, pineapple, onion and toppings.

Serve with: cilantro, salsa, avocado, extra lime, etc

Oven--- pork shoulder or butt.   Cook this cut of pork slow and low!  This will be the most like the pork served in Mexico. 

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F.  
2. Place pork strips and most of marinade in a baking dish or heavy, oven-proof casserole dish.  Cover dish with foil for its top.  
3. Bake pork 1 ½ to 2 hours until pork is cooked through and very tender.  When pork is ready, remove form oven to rest.  NOTE: You can also use a slow cooker for this cut of pork.  Cook on Low 5-6 hours or High 3-4 hours. 
4. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven to warm while you stir fry sliced onion and pineapple in a hot skillet.  
5. Each taco gets pork, pineapple, onion and toppings.

Serve with: cilantro, salsa, avocado, extra lime, etc 

Sarah expertly garnishes her taco.

What goes around comes around….
The dish is an authentic Mexican meal adapted from the Lebanese dish with lamb “in the shepard style.” The original dish used lamb, slow-cooked on a spit and served the cooked meat on flatbread.  Mexico uses pork and tortillas but still honors its “pastor” namesake though in some parts of Mexico, you’ll find it known as Tacos de Trompo.

In a return loop to the Middle East, there is a recently popular dish called shawarma mexici that is made with chicken and wrapped in flatbread.  A dish that started off as lamb, was transformed to match local Mexican ingredients returns to its homeland as a chicken dish. 

How to Make Three Real Foods This Week

It only takes cooking three foods this week to kick-start eating real foods all year.  They say habits take a few weeks to take hold and this is an easy one to incorporate into your routine.  Here is how to have more home cooked, real food ready when you need it. Pictured above, Potato-Corn Chowder with pre-cooked chicken breasts and bacon.

The key is to use passive cooking methods and to cook these pure, real extras while you are already in the kitchen doing something else.  Measuring coffee and bringing water to a boil or waiting for the coffee maker to do its thing?  Measure out some rice or a whole grain and slip it into boiling water to simmer on low.  Most grains cook within 30 minutes and can be stored in the refrigerator for tonight's healthier dinner.  Reheat in the microwave while you steam or stir fry some veggies.

Is the oven being used for dinner tonight?  Use the energy and space wisely-- add some chicken breasts or a fruit crisp to the oven and enjoy real food for dinner tomorrow night too.

Pick easy recipes that require a minimum number of ingredients and a passive cooking technique like steaming, roasting or baking.  Match the recipe's cooking temperature or cooking time to what you are already making, eg use the same oven temperature for several items.   Avoid recipes that ask you to stir, add ingredients midway through the cooking process or transfer from one cooking method to another (steaming then stir-frying). 

Make a big batch, one that can be used in different ways during the whole week.  Make eight half-cup servings of grains, four 6- to 8-ounce portions of protein or one pork tenderloin, even a whole chicken can be roasted alongside tonight's dinner and used in any recipe calling for rotisserie chicken (for half the price!). 

I. Cook a Grain
Rice, whole wheat pasta, barley, bulgur (cracked wheat), buckwheat, oats and more can be made ahead and served at dinner or form the basis of whole grain lunch bowls with steamed spinach, leftover veggies, beans and pre-cooked proteins. 
Hint: if you own a rice cooker it will also cook other grains, even oatmeal.

II. Cook a Protein
Chicken, pork tenderloin and fish can bake alongside tonight's meal in a low or medium oven.  If you are not sure how to prepare, place the protein in a shallow lightly oiled dish, season with salt, pepper and herbs and spices you like and cover with aluminum foil.  Check on fish after 8-12 minutes, chicken and pork 20-30 minutes.  Use a thermometer to make sure the food is thoroughly cooked.
Cooked proteins can be reheated gently by steaming or microwave on low power.  Or make paninis, main dish salads and quick pastas using these pre-cooked proteins.  

III. Cook a Fruit-based Dessert
Fresh or frozen berries, plums, peaches and cherries or fresh apples and pears can each be baked up in a buttered pie plate with a little honey or cinnamon sugar and topped with a combination of quick cooking oats and almond flour that's been tossed with equal parts vegetable oil and maple syrup.  Eat this for dessert or in a breakfast yogurt parfait.

Bonus Round:
Make a pot of soup the way cooks in past centuries did-- on the back burner while you are doing something else.  Simmer broth, vegetables, grains and beans into a pure, homemade soup flavored with herbs, salt and pepper.   The soup pictured above was made with extra boiled potatoes mixed with chicken broth and last summer's frozen corn.  Some chicken added protein and chopped avocado, jalepeño, cilantro and precooked bacon made it a meal. 

Red Grapefruit Cava Terrine

The most important part of this refreshing New Year's Day terrine is that you make it a day ahead so it is ready no matter what time you get up. 

Cool on the tongue and not too sweet, the terrine consists of closely placed layers of red grapfruit and orange slices held together with a nearly transparent gelatin made from the  residual juice from the fruit and a little sparkling wine.  We used Cava,  Spain's contribution to the genre, which is a great value among the sparklers.  You could also use Proseco or even ginger ale.

This is technically a jello mold but because the cirus fruit is packed so closely, you may not be aware of anything but the bright citrus flavor in an easy to eat form. Answer the call of retro with the abstract appeal of this Red Grapefruit Cava Terrine.

If you do not have a small terrine, pick up small disposable foil loaf pans at the supermarket.  They are sold in packs of 3-4 and can be reused for mini-meat loaves.   You can also make this recipe in several 1/2 cup ramekins for individual servings. 

How to Supreme Citrus
This recipe calls for 'supreming' the oranges and grapefruit which is a fancy way of saying cut away the bitter mebrane of citrus slices. This technique allows you to have slices of citrus without the bitterness that comes form the membrane and pith.  It also gathers the juice of the fruit.  If you have never supremed, check out a video to see the technique in action.  It is easier than it looks and you will get the hang of it with one or two tries.  Don't worry if your slices are not perfect.  This is a very forgiving recipe and your slices will still look great in the terrine.

To supreme fruit, use a sharp knife to cut away the pith and peel of fruit.  Over a wide bowl, hold the fruit in your non-dominant hand and carefully cut away a slice along the membrane.  The fruit will come away from the membrane quite easily.  Go all the way around the fruit until all the slices are removed.  Squeeze the remaining membrane into a bowl to collect the juice. Discard the membrane.


Red Grapefruit Cava Terrine
Yield: One 6-8 inch terrine (serves 4-6)

Ingredients
3 red grapfruits
2 oranges
1/3 cup citrus juice (reserved from sliced fruit)
1 1/2 teaspoons plain gelatin (powdered)
1/3 cup cava
optional: 1 tablespoon orange liquor, like Grand Marnier
3 tablespoons sugar
optinal: garnish: chopped cranberries, fresh mont leaves, thin citrus slices

Method

1. Supreme the citrus fruit, reserving juice.You should have 1 1/2 cups fruit and 1/3 cup or more of juice.  
2. In a small cup, combine gelatin with 2 tablespoons of juice and set aside for five minutes while you heat the remaining liquids plus the sugar in a small pot over medium heat.  
3. When the Cava mixture begins to boil, lower the heat to simmer and stir in the gelatin mixture which should be a loose solid by now.  Stir until the gelatin completely dissolves, them remove it from the heat.  
4. Lay a few slices of citrus on the bottom of the terrine.  You can add decorations at this point, remembering that the bottom layer will form the top of the terrine.  We used some finely chopped cranberries on out terrine.  Other ideas include fresh mint leaves, edible flowers or thin slices of orange or tangerine.
5. Pour some Cava gelatin on the fruit, just up to the level of the fruit.  Place another layer of citrus on top of the first and pour more Cava gelatin to the level of the fruit.  Repeat this process until you use all your fruit or come to the rim of the terrine.  We had a little extra and made grapefruit-gelatin cups in small ramekins.  
6. Make sure the gelatin is evenly distriuted by gently pressing on the top of the terinne in a few spots.  Place the terrine on a plate or rimmed pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at leat 6 hours.
7. When you are ready to serve the terrine. place the mold in a vessel with hot water for about 30 seconds to help loosen the sides.  Slide a butter knife along the inside to release the gelatin from the mold.  Place a platter on top of the terrine and flip it over.  The mold should cooperate and slide out neatly.  If it does not, place the mold back in hot water for another 15-20 seconds and give it another try. 

The terrine can be sliced with a serrated knife or scooped out with a wide spoon. 

Happy New Year!

Blueberries for Breakfast

This summer we uncovered a number of struggling blueberry bushes out back.  After clearing away the vines and other plants strangling them, we found one that was producing berries.  We are hoping the others bear fruit next year now that they have been unburdened of their shackles. 



It takes a while to hand pick enough berries for a cobbler or crisp.  Wild berries are much smaller than cultivated.  Though the bush had many berries, the degrees of ripeness varied wildly.  The same stem held a blue gem, a scarlet comer and several green newborns.   It was clear that it would take three or four rounds of picking to get the most out of our new find.  Once we came back with a little under a cup of berries, usually far less. 

With just a few berries, we settled on a quick breakfast treat to get the most out of our foraged berries.  We served up pre-made waffles, yogurt and berries quickly poached in pure maple syrup to make a purple syrup with lovely warm blueberries poking out.  Wild berries can be more tart than store-bought and the maple syrup strikes a natural balance of real fruit with tree sap sugars. 

Blueberry Maple Syrup

Ingredients
Blueberries
Maple Syrup - enough to just cover berries

Method:

1. Rinse blueberries, pick out stems.  
2. Place berries in a microwave safe bowl and barely cover with maple syrup.  
3. Heat on high in the microwave for 10-12 seconds.   
4. Serve over waffles, pancakes, french toast with a little yogurt or butter.  

Frozen Banana Bites

A big hit at the dessert buffet nestled next to red, white and blue cupcakes, banana bites covered in chocolate and rolled in peanuts (or coconut) satisfy a sweet tooth without being too filling.   A perfect pure bite. 

Make a few or make a party tray by cutting ripe bananas into four pieces, spearing with a popsicle or wooden skewers and freezing for 30 minutes.  Melt good quality chocolate chips in the microwave and scatter chopped nuts or shredded coconut on a plate.  Dip each banana bite in chocolate and quickly roll in coating before the chocolate hardens.  Freeze pops as they are covered.  Work in batches of 8 pieces and keep the rest in the freezer.  You will be finished in no time.  When the chocolate has hardened, cover the pops with plastic wrap until you are ready to serve 'em up. 

Ingredients for 40
Frozen Banana Bites
10 ripe bananas
1-1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped peanuts or other topping (shredded coconut, toffee chips, sprinkles, crushed cookies)
40 popsicle sticks (or 20 wooden skewers, cut in half)

Brown Rice, Dried Fruit & Nut Bars

These pure ingredient, no-bake trail mix bars are inspired by the Lärabar which are simply fruit and nuts.   A combination of a few natural ingredients like dried cherries and almonds or dates and cashews create flavor combinations that seem more complex than the minimal  number of ingredients would imply.  I found a recipe for Cranberry Pistachio ones on the outdoorsy-food-adventure blog Use Real Butter and took the technique to create a version that is a little lighter. 

My secret ingredient is Rice Krispies made with brown rice.  These are a little less sweet the the original Rice Krispies and are made in a facility that is gluten free.  The cereal replaces half of the nuts while providing a satisfying crunch. I also squeeze some extra juice into these bars.  Perhaps my pantry is drier than most.  The dried fruit drinks it up to form the nice paste that holds the bars together. 

Brown Rice Dried Fruit & Nut Bars
Yield: about 20 3-inch bars

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dates
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup Brown Rice Krispies
Zest of a 1 orange
Optional: juice of half an orange

Method

1. Line a loaf pan with wax paper or tin foil, leaving overhang on the long ends of the vessel.  
2. In a food processor, pulse the dates and cranberries until well ground.  If your fruit is very dry, add juice at this stage.  Continue to process until the fruit forms a sticky paste. Place ground fruit in a medium bowl.
3. Next, process the nuts until they are ground to the size of a grain of rice or a bit larger.  Add to the fruit.  
4. Add the rice krispies and orange zest to the fruit-nut mixture.
5. Use your (clean) hands to combine all the ingredients.
6. Once the ingredients are well combined, start to press the mixture together so that they hold together.  Add a bit more juice if needed.*
7. Press fruit-nut mixture into prepared loaf pan.   
8. Cover and freeze for one hour.  
9. The mixture will be very cold but not frozen solid.  Remove block of fruit-nut loaf from pan and slice into 1-inch slabs.  Cut slabs in half to form 3" X 1" bars.  Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.  Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap for travel.

*Our house tolerates a bit of crumble.  If you like your bars very firm, add a little extra juice.  

Strawberry Cream Cheese Panini

My mother used to make us cream cheese and strawberry jam sandwiches.   Made with tightly crumbed white bread, with the crusts cut off and perfectly square,  they added elegance to any child's tea party.  All grown up and more rustic, these strawberry and cream cheese panini provide the same flavorful delight plus a little whiff of spring during March's slow melt into sunnier days.

The filling in our panini is made with frozen strawberries that have been defrosted and macerated with a little lemon juice and cinnamon. Be sure to look for unsweetened strawberries.  You can always add a little sugar or honey if your strawberries are not as sweet as you'd like.  If you are seeing fresh strawberries that have some flavor, go ahead and use those.  The cream cheese is flavored with lemon zest.  A good quality (or homemade) strawberry jam is the only other essential ingredient.

For the bread, use a fairly plain loaf that will not compete with the filling.  Sliced plain white bread is fine and so is brioche, challah, a country loaf or french bread sliced on the diagonal.

We think of these as a daytime snack or breakfast fare, but if you are serving them after dinner try blending a little liquor into the cream cheese or the jam.  If you have some Chambord, creme de cassis or Grand Marnier you can highlight the fruit notes in the sandwich or try something more unusual but complimentary like Drambuie or Amaretto.  You won't need much, just a teaspoon or two.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Panini
Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients
3 ounces cream cheese
1 lemon
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
pinch cinnamon
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
4 slices bread
1 tablespoon butter (if using skillet method or panini press allows)

Method

1. Place cream cheese in a small bowl.  Zest the lemon and mix into the cream cheese.  Set aside. 
2. Defrost strawberries and give them a rough chop. (You can defrost strawberries quickly in a microwave.  Use half power for 2-3 minutes.)  
3. Mix in juice of quarter of the lemon (about 2 teaspoons) and a good pinch of cinnamon.  Set aside while you prepare the bread slices.  
4. If you are using a panini press, preheat it now.

If using a pannini press, follow manufacturer's directions for oiling or not oiling the surface of the bread....

• Slice the defrosted strawberries and taste one.  Sprinkle a teeny, tiny amount of sugar on them if needed.  Set aside while you prepare the bread. 
• Spread some good quality strawberry jam on one side; the flavored cream cheese on the other.  Spoon the sliced strawberries over the jam side and cover with the cream cheese side.    
• Place the cream cheese side down and close the press. Most will beep when the pannini is ready.  Remove and cut in half or in quarters to serve. 

If using a skillet....

• Place the pan over medium heat. Slice the defrosted strawberries and taste one.  Sprinkle a teeny, tiny amount of sugar on them if needed.  Set aside while you prepare the bread. 
• Spread some good quality strawberry jam on one side; the flavored cream cheese on the other.  Spoon the sliced strawberries over the jam side and cover with the cream cheese side.  
• Brush the top with some melted or softened butter.  Place the cream cheese (buttered) side down and cook until browned on that side.  
• Lightly butter the top (jam side) while the flip side grills.  Flip and cook until browned on the jam side.  Remove and cut in half or in quarters and enjoy. 

Serving suggestion: These really are terrific on their own but if you know someone who loves chocolate, a little bowl of melted dark chocoalte or warm ganache can be served along side for dipping or drizzling.

Blackberries Three Ways

Blackberries are more available than they used to be but if you don’t see fresh ones that look good, you can make these recipes with frozen blackberries.

Blackberries are great on their own.  We love them with a touch of cream on top for a really simple, pure dessert.  But did you know that blackberries (and berries) can add a sweet-tart element to roasted chicken or pork? Think of a plum sauce but even more colorful.  In fact, if you have a child who loves blue and purple food, this is one to try that uses actual food rather than food dyes.

We also seen berries in all types in bottled salad dressings and there is no reason why they cannot be made from scratch.  You will know exactly what is in every pure ounce.  And blackberies can star in really old-fashioned desserts like the one below adapted from Scotland's famous oat-stippled creamy classic, Cranachan.

Blackberries pack in the vitamin C,K plus folate and manganese.  They are also proportionately high in fiber. 

Strain the seeds or leave in for  extra fiber.

Blackberry-Glazed Chicken Thighs
Serves 2-4

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken thighs (skin-on or skinless)
½ cup blackberries
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey

Method
    1.    Place chicken thighs in a resealable bag.
    2.    Mix together blackberries, balsamic vinegar, one teaspoon of the honey and lemon juice.  Pulse mixture in a small food processor or crush berries using the back of a fork to release the juice. 
    3.    Place half the mixture in the bag and add olive oil. Marinate chicken for at least one hour (or up to 5 hours).  Add the two teaspoons honey to the remaining berry mixture and refrigerate.
    4.    Preheat oven to 425˚F.  Place a rack on a roasting pan that will fit all four chicken thighs.
    5.    Remove chicken from marinade and discard used marinade.  Let remaining blackberry glaze come to room temperature while chicken cooks.
    6.    Roast chicken at 425˚F for 20-25 minutes until thighs reach an internal temperature of 165˚F.  (If you are using bone-in thighs, you may need to cook them a little longer depending on their size.)
    7.    Remove chicken and brush cooked chicken with reserved blackberry glaze.  Allow chicken to rest five minutes before serving.
    8.    Serve with extra blackberry glaze and cracked black pepper.

Cranachan is a Scottish dessert made with double cream flavored with toasted oatmeal, whisky and raspberries.   It is hard to replicate stateside—whipped heavy cream is as close to double cream most people can get here and pinhead oats are not in everyone’s pantry either.

Click on photo for a close-up

This version uses either rolled oats or pinhead and substitutes bourbon for Scottish malt whisky.  To bring it further over the Atlantic we mix in blackberries macerated in maple syrup instead of raspberries in honey.  To give the whipped cream some rustic heft, a little plain yogurt is added in after whipping.  Finally, for a non-alcoholic version, apple cider replaces the wee dram of whisky or bourbon.

American Cranachan
Yield 4 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons pinhead oats or rolled oats
1 pint blackberries
2 Tablespoons maple syrup (or honey), divided
1 tablespoon bourbon or ¼ cup apple cider+ dash vanilla extract, boiled down to 1 tablespoon.
¾ cup heavy cream, very cold
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt

Method
    1.    Toast oatmeal in a dry skillet over medium heat.  Swirl and watch carefully.  If using rolled oats, be very careful not to burn them.  Remove from heat as soon as the color has darkened and you can smell a toasted oat scent.  You can leave them as is or chop them finely to absorb more of the cream when mixed in.  Set oats aside. 
    2.    Rinse and drain blackberries.  Place half of the berries in a small bowl and mash them with a fork.  Add maple syrup and set aside.  Berries will macerate and create a sweet berry syrup. 
    3.    Meanwhile, whip cream to a stiff peak.  Fold in yogurt. Add whisky or boiled down cider.
    4.    Set aside 2 teaspoons of oats for garnish.  Stir together remaining maple syrup and toasted oatmeal.  Fold into cream-yogurt mixture leaving most unmixed. 
    5.    Next fold in half the macerated berry mixture, again leaving large sections unincorporated. 
    6.    Place a layer of berry-maple syrup mixture in the bottom of a clear vessel—one bowl to share or four individual glasses—add a few whole berries.  Cover with a thick layer of the cream mixture.  Continue to layer until all ingredients are used.  Top with a few whole berries and sprinkle reserved oats on top.
Bonus: Heat up a little extra maple syrup to serve alongside American Cranachans.


Easiest Berry Salad Dressing There Is
Add pureed berries—raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, mixed berries—to any vinaigrette.  You can even add the pureed berries to a store bought oil & vinegar based dressing.  This is a great use for frozen berries mid-winter.  Use about 1/3 cup washed berries for each 1/2 cup of dressing.

Berry Vinaigrettes are nice on either plain salad greens or mixed salads with red onion, avocado, carrots and  spinach.  They really shine when any fresh fruits are added to the salad plate like pears and apples, dried fruits, tropical fruit and of course, berries.  

Top 5 Foods to Get More of in 2014

Skip the diets and enjoy a few big time healthy foods more frequently if you really want to feel better and stronger this year.  Here are five foods to eat more of (every day even) in the New Year.  You’ll feel satisfied enough to forego cravings for junk.  Here are some ideas to get you started and I’ll be adding more ways to use these foods in future Pure Foods Project entries. 

Avocados
Even people who know and love avocados surprised me in 2013 with their reluctance to enjoy avocados more.  High fat was sited but remember that without some fat in your diet you cannot absorb some key nutrients like Vitamin A. And avocados have the good kind of fat -- monounsaturated---that you body needs so indulge and be happy.   

Avocados can take the place of mayonnaise on sandwiches, taste amazing with burgers, especially turkey burgers, and can be chopped into some great salads and salsas. 

We put slices in soup too.  Give a simple chicken-rice soup a little south of the border flair with a spoonful of salsa, a few crumbled corn tortillas and slices of avocado.  If you have them around, garnish with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and a shot of hot sauce.

A tablespoon of mayonnaise is about 100 calories.  Replace that with ¼ quarter an avocado (double the amount of mayo) for just 80 calories and 5 carbohydrate grams.  80 calories that pack 240 grams of potassium (equal to half a banana) plus Vitamins C and B-6 and some magnesium and a touch of iron.  You even get a gram of protein.  Feeling full?  Of course, even that little amount of avocado adds 14% of the fiber you need for the day.

Beyond guacamole, here are five ways to add avocado to this week’s meals...

• Serve mango-avocado-lime salsa over grilled fish or chicken.
• Chop some into a corn side dish (hot or cold) and garnish with sliced scallions
• Make a salad with blue cheese, avocados and toasted pecans
• Add to pasta salad or better yet, toss diced avocado with hot spaghetti. It will melt into the pasta to ward off a creamy craving.
• Serve steamed cold shrimp on a cracker with a little wedge of avocado and a squeeze of lemon.

Beans
Canned, dried or working hard in food preparations like hummus and tofu, beans are a major source of plant-based protein to much of the human population.  Experts advise combining beans with another plant based protein like a grain to get the most from each. 

Include chick peas (hummus), soy beans (edamame, tofu), peanuts (a legume, look for peanut butter made from only peanuts and salt) and beans of every color in this year’s meals to keep you satisfied.  Beans are part of just about any cuisine you are into.    

Fermented Foods
New research is telling us to give ourselves a gut check.  Fermented foods may be one of our most powerful immune fighting resources we have available to us in natural form.  Next time you have a cold and reach for chicken soup, have a half-sour pickle on the side to feel better even faster.

Go beyond cucumber pickles with pickled vegetables like okra, cauliflower, zucchini and green beans.  These are especially available at Farmers Markets toward the end of summer.  Find more fermentation in dishes with:

• Sauerkraut
• Kimchi
• Tempeh
• Yogurt (try coconut yogurt)
• Miso (try white miso)
• Tamari
• Crème fraiche
• Sour cream
• Buttermilk
• Tabasco sauce
• Soy sauce
• Fish sauce

Orange Foods
Orange was on fashion runways everywhere in 2013.  In 2014, it goes into practical use on the table.

Winter is a great time to find interesting orange vegetables and starting in March citrus season hits most of the country with deals on fruit. 
Butternut squash, pumpkin, rutabaga, carrots, sweet potatoes
Oranges, peaches, cantaloupe, mangoes, apricots, kumquats, mandarins
And don’t miss out on orange beets and orange bell peppers.

Carotenoids give orange foods their color and give us better skin regeneration, immune system support and digestive and urinary tract health.  Vitamin A is the hero and, as noted above, likes a little assist from some fat to do its job. A little olive oil, a bit of avocado or some nuts go well with these foods. 

Berries
Berries get credited for preventing everything from depression to cancer to fly-away hair and joint inflammation.  Berries can fit into every meal and snack so pop some berries instead of pills. 

• Blueberries and oatmeal
• Strawberries mashed into plain yogurt
• Blackberries with a tablespoon of cream on top
• Cranberries—are they really berries?  Yes, as are grapes.  

Breakfast Apple Pie

Your homemade apple pie probably has less sugar and purer ingredients than any toaster pastry or even cereal.  Here is ours with a dollop of cranberry relish on the side. 

Use pie filling to make breakfast yogurt parfaits too.  In a clear glass layer apple or pumpkin filling with yogurt and alternate with crumbled pie crust or struesel toppings, toasted nuts and cranberry sauce.