Gazpacho Sorbet

I was invited to join in the 5 Star Foodie Makeover 2 months ago.  A group of foodies that prepare their version of a dish, based on a theme that our hosts Natasha and Lazaro come up with each month.  This month's theme is Chilled Soups, with a twist.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

Summertime is the perfect time for ice cold soups and a favorite of mine is Gazpacho.  About 8 years ago I came up with this recipe while chatting with a chef friend of mine on Chef2Chef a site I use to frequent.  After perfecting it, I've taught it in my in-home culinary classes with rave reviews.  So today I decided to share it.

I love gazpacho - it always hits the spot on warm days, while still being very nutritious.  But when the temperature soars into the 100s, the forecast for this weekend, my Gazpacho Sorbet is the most satisfying meal you can eat.  It nourishes without making you feel too full on a hot summers day.

Before making this recipe I would suggest reading it from start to finish.  Each of the five quick recipes can be made in advance, although I prefer serving the sorbet just out of the ice cream machine - the texture is more velvety then.

Grilled Shrimp with Gazpacho Sorbet

Sorbet

1 clove roasted garlic, smashed *
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1 pound tomatoes (I used Campari)
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
1/4 cup chopped sweet onions (I used a small onion, rather than a 1/4 of a large)
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, and chopped
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. vodka
2 Tbsp. Simple syrup **
2 Tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

Add all ingredients in a blender and puree. 

Chill for about an hour then place into ice cream maker. 

Mix in ice cream maker approx. 20-30 minutes and serve.  Best served when freshly made.

Serve in a martini glass, shrimp tail out, sorbet in the middle, dressing drizzled all over.  

Can garnish with a sprig of cilantro.

Grilled Shrimp

Jumbo shrimp, peeled, leaving tail on and devein

Olive oil

S&P

Clean and rinse shrimp and toss in olive oil to coat with S&P.  Place on grill 2-3 minutes per side or until turns pink.  Set aside until sorbet is done.

* Roasted Garlic – Take entire head of garlic and cut off top exposing tips of garlic.  Place head of garlic in heavy duty foil, drizzle olive oil over top and add a pinch of S&P and seal tightly. Put in 375 degree oven for 1 hour.  May be stored in refrigerator for up to a week.  To use, squeeze out cloves as needed.

**Simple Syrup = 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water.  Bring to a low boil in saucepan for about 2 minutes until sugar dissolves.  Can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.

Notes:  

• If you prefer your sorbet to be a different color use yellow tomatoes and yellow peppers. 
• If you don't feel like roasting the garlic you can place it in the blender raw and it will be more prominent.  Roasting mellows and sweetens the taste of the garlic.

Cilantro Pesto

1 cup chopped cilantro (packed)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

¼ cup light olive oil or to desired consistency

¼ cup pine nuts

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1-2 cloves garlic

Combine ingredients in blender and drizzle over shrimp, seafood or pasta.

 I hope you enjoy this refreshing appetizer/soup!

Fruit and Nut Natural Nutrition Bars

It wasn't until two weeks ago while running errands and feeling famished, that I stopped into Starbucks to get some iced green tea when I spotted Kind Bars, a fruit and nut natural nutritional bar.  Realizing that I didn't have time to stop and grab a bite anywhere, I decided to try one.  WOW!  They were fantastic with just the right amount of fruits, nuts, chew and satisfaction.  That little bar kept me full the rest of the afternoon.  I was shocked!

When I finally made it home my mission was to find a recipe for these.  I searched online and viewed a variety of recipes and even tried them, but none had the right combination of ingredients to keep them held together.  One claimed to be perfect and others had testified, but it had Brown Rice Syrup in it, an ingredient I recently wrote about.  So decided not to try this version.

Besides loving the flavor my main goal was to find a granola-like or nutrition bar that I could make to take while biking or hiking through the mountains where I'll be soon.  Typically I go on 3-4 hour bike rides and 4-5 hour hikes, so a nutritional bar is the perfect fix for a tired, hungry body in the middle of the mountains.  At $4+ a pop for a bar I'd prefer making my own, that is, if it's not going to take all day.

The first batch I made had all the right ingredients

BUT

just didn't hold together well.

The second batch I made, I added oats, 7-whole grain cereal and peanut butter, subbing out honey for Lyle's Golden Syrup..  This one turned out perfect.  If you're a fan of peanut butter, I think you'll like this.  Next time I'm going to try it with Lyle's Golden Syrup, a favorite of mine.

In addition, I chopped the nuts rather than leaving them whole, which only made it easier to slice but IMO looks prettier left in one piece.

I hope you like this quick, easy, tasty and nutritious bar.  It's a perfect snack when you're on the run!

Fruit & Nut Natural Nutrition Bars

serves 8

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats (I used Quaker Old Fashioned Oats)
¼ cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp almonds, chopped (I used slivered)
1 Tbsp pistachios, chopped
½ cup water
½ Kashi 7-Whole Grain Puffs
¾ cup creamy peanut butter (I used low sodium, organic)
½ cup honey (next time I'm using Lyle's Golden Syrup because I like it)
1 cup mixed dried fruit (I used, Plum Amazin's, strawberries and apricots), roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine oats, seeds, and nuts.  Spread onto a foil lined sheet pan, and bake until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan bring water to a boil, then remove from the heat.  Add the Kashi cereal letting it absorb the water, about 5 minutes. Stir in peanut butter and honey, returning saucepan back to the stove on a  medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the fruit, oats, seeds and nuts into the peanut-butter mixture, blending all together with a rubber or silicone spatula, until ingredients are evenly coated.

4. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.  Pour the mixture into the pan, and using your spatula, press into a uniform thickness. 

5. Cover and move the pan to the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours.

6. Cut into 8 equal sized bars. Wrap individually in wax paper, tied with twine for traveling or enjoy straight from the refrigerator.

These bars will keep at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Note: Remember this is simply a blueprint of a recipe that worked for me.  Now you can tweak this recipe to suit your taste, or allergies, and make your own unique bar.  Please share your results.  I'd love to hear them.

ENJOY!!!

Squid Injects Sperm into Women's Tongue

I just read this article in the Huffington Post about a women who ordered squid at a restaurant in Korea and got more than she bargained for.  Apparently this isn't an isolated incident, it has happened before.

For those eating squid at restaurants you may want to consider how it's prepared before ordering.  Click here to read the Huffington Post article.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Grilled Salmon Burgers & More for Father's Day!

Father's Day is Sunday and many of you will have family over to BBQ for the occasion.  However, it's also bathing suit season and even though you might like to indulge in the burgers and ribs, you're really trying your best to watch the fat intake.  So what can you do when the menu is burgers and chicken, or ribs and chicken and you want fish?  Salmon Burgers to the rescue!

In addition to the other fare you're serving why not add something healthy like Salmon Burgers along with Sweet Potato Fries, chilled Watermelon, Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad and of course dessert - Chocolate Cups filled with Ice Cream Sundae?  OK so the dessert has a few more calories but YOU could use fat free yogurt in them.

I love these burgers and if you're a fan of salmon you will as well.  They're moist, delicious and so simple to prepare.   A one pound skinless fillet of salmon will make 4 nice size patties to pop on the grill or if preferred on the stove top or oven.  Check out this recipe and I think you'll agree these Salmon Burgers need to find a place on your Father's Day menu.

Salmon Burgers with Spicy Yogurt Sauce
serves 4

Ingredients:

Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cup Greek Yogurt (I used 0% but use whatever you like)
• 1/2-1 tsp. of Sriracha Sauce
• 1/4 tsp. Sesame Oil

Blend ingredients together.  Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

If prefer a milder sauce blend the Greek yogurt with 1/4 of the cucumber and a sprig of fresh dill.  Blend in processor or blender, chill until ready to serve.

Salmon Burger:

• 1 pound salmon fillet, skinned, cut in half
• 2 shallots, peeled and quartered
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (use whatever type you have on hand.  I used fat free)
• 1/2 cup Panko crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)

Toppings:

• 4 Whole Grain Hamburger buns
• 4 crisp lettuce leaves
• sliced tomatoes
• ribbon sliced English cucumber (with mandoline, cut cucumber in 1/2 and ribbon slice)
• Yogurt Sauce

Directions:

•  In a food processor, combine all  ingredients and pulse until well combined, leave slightly chunky like hamburger meat.
•  Form into 4 equal patties. (Spray patties with non-stick spray to avoid sticking to grill.)   

    

•  Preheat the barbecue for medium-high heat grilling. Cook the burgers 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until just cooked through the center and golden brown. Alternately, in a large saute or grill pan add 2 Tbsp. of canola oil and turn to medium heat. Place the burgers in the pan and saute for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until just cooked through the center. 
• Put a lettuce leaf and 2 slices of tomato on the bottom bun, place the burger on top, adding 2 ribboned, sliced cucumbers then top with yogurt sauce.  Place bun on top and serve.  YUM!!!

Sweet Potato Fries:

• Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
• Peel and slice 3 Sweet Potatoes.  Cut into wedges or using a mandoline cut into matchsticks.
• Line a sheet pan with heavy duty foil and spray with non-stick spray. 
• Lay sweet potato slices on pan and place in oven for approximately 20-30 minutes or until cooked how you like.  (My husband likes them crispy).

Here's another healthy burger you might like to try.

Happy Father's Day!  Have a great weekend!

Video: How to Make Chocolate Cups

Since posting Special Dessert for Dad on Monday, I've had several people email me, asking exactly how to deflate the balloon, and wishing they could view a live demonstration.  Originally I recorded a video while making these, but had trouble uploading it due to size.  After receiving these emails I decided to shorten the length to share with you.

I hope after viewing "How to Make Chocolate Cups," you will feel more confident creating them in your kitchen and even inviting your kids and grandkids to help.

For written step-by-step instructions view Special Dessert for Dad.

Remember, the possiblities are endless for these cute little cups.  Sprinkle colors, drizzle with other chocolates, and fill them to your hearts content.

Here's the video: "How to Make Chocolate Cups"

Enjoy!

If you make these please share your creations!

Special Dessert for Dad!

Father's Day is this coming Sunday.  It was always one of my favorite days to celebrate and show my dad just how special he was to me.  We'd put on the old Big Band music, his favorite, and my sisters and I would all take turns dancing with our night and shining armor - OUR DAD!  He was the best, and for those of you still fortunate to share this day with him "do it up chocolate" as my daddy would say!

Since I always like to make a fuss about those near and dear to me, my dessert is sure to put a smile on your dads face and everyone else gathering around the table.

This dessert is so simple to prepare.  However, if you want to make it all from scratch (chocolate cups, ice cream, topping), then start several days ahead and assemble everything just before serving.

The results: A fun dessert with infinite possibilities. 

I hope you enjoy it!

Chocolate Cups Filled With Anything You Desire

10 ounces dark chocolate chips

8 small balloons (water bomb style)

Set aside a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Blow up 8 balloons (about 4 to 5 inches in diameter when fully inflated).

In a medium microwave-safe bowl add the chocolate and microwave in 30-second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth.

Spoon 1 teaspoon melted chocolate onto prepared pan to form a small disk.

Dip balloon in the bowl of melted chocolate, coating about one-third of the balloon. Rock balloon from one side to another, going about 1/2 way up, forming a scalloped or tulip effect.

Place dipped end on chocolate disk. Repeat with remaining balloons and chocolate. Transfer the pan to the refrigerator to set, about 30 minutes.

To release air from the balloons, pinch each balloon just under the knot, and cut a small hole in the surface between your fingers and the knot. Gradually release the air; if air is released too quickly, the cups may break.

Carefully peel the deflated balloons from the chocolate cups, and patch any holes with the remaining chocolate.

If desired, heat up some white chocolate to drizzle over the hardened chocolate cup for more pizazz!

Return the chocolate cups to the refrigerator until ready to use.

Note: You can make the chocolate cups up to 5 days ahead. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To Serve:

Fill chocolate cups with your favorite treat.  I've filled ours with frozen vanilla yogurt, Heath bar, non-pariels, topped with chocolate sauce and whipping cream.

Other variations:

Strawberry, Raspberry or Chocolate Mousse

Favorite Candy
Homemade ice cream
fresh berries

What will you fill yours with?

Enjoy!

Mango Sorbet over Pineapple Carpaccio with Raspberry Sauce

In April I was invited to join the 5 Star Makeover Challenge.  A group of bloggers that come up with culinary topics each month, for members to create dishes and share at the end of the month.  In April the topic given was Restaurant Wars.  Members were divided up into teams of 3 and each team was asked to create a theme or use a specific ingredient, plus name their restaurant. We had until June to present it.

Our team elected to do a menu of Raw Food and the name of our restaurant was "Eating In The Raw."  Unfortunately due to circumstances out of our control, we had to bow out of the event.  However, since I already put my dish together, I decided to share it with you today. You can view other team creations here.

We were to make an appetizer, entree' and dessert.  I was elected to make the dessert.

The raw food diet is based on the belief that the most healthful food for the body is uncooked. Although most food is eaten raw, heating food is acceptable as long as the temperature stays below 104 to 118 degrees Fahrenheit (the cutoff temperature varies among those in the raw food community).

Cooking is thought to denature the enzymes naturally present in food. According to raw foodists, enzymes are the life force of a food, helping us to digest food and absorb nutrients. If we over consume cooked food, our bodies are forced to work harder by producing more enzymes. Over time, a lack of enzymes from food is thought to lead to digestive problems, nutrient deficiency, accelerated aging, and weight gain.

I decided to make a Mango Sorbet and after a bit of research I came up with this dish.

Mango Sorbet over Pineapple Carpaccio with Raspberry Sauce

serves 4-6

Sorbet Ingredients:

4 Mangoes

juice of a lime (about 4 teaspoons)

zest of a lime

1/3 cup Agave Nectar

2/3 cup Pure Coconut Water

Pineapple, sliced paper thin on a Mandoline

Raspberry Sauce Ingredients:

6 ounce container Raspberries, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons Agave Nectar

1 1/2 teaspoons water

Directions for Mango Sorbet:

Peel the mangoes and cut the flesh away for the pit.(Facts about and directions for cutting a mango).

Cut the flesh into chunks and put them in a blender with the next 4 ingredients.  Puree the mixture until smooth.  Taste, and add more agave nectar or lime juice if desired. 

Chill the mixture for about 2 hours then place in ice cream machine and swirl according to manufacturers instructions. 

  

Can serve immediately or remove from ice cream machine and place in a plastic container with lid and place into the freezer until ready to serve.  Let set out for about 15 minutes to soften before serving.

Raspberry Sauce Directions:

Puree the raspberries, water, and agave nectar in a food processor until smooth.  Then, strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.  Press the solids against the strainer to get as much of the sauce as possible.  Pour into a squirt bottle if you have one, this makes decorating the plate with the sauce easy.  The raspberry sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Pineapple Directions:

Cut off top and bottom of a fresh pineapple, then cut off the sides just leaving the flesh.  With a mandoline, starting at the top or bottom slice 1/8-1/4 inch slices.  (You may need to shape the sides of your pineapple to fit the top of the mandoline so the pineapple can slide easily). 

Plating this Dish:

Lie one slice of pineapple at one edge of the plate then slightly overlapping add 2 more slices.  Place the 4th slice on the opposite edge of the plate lying flat. 

Place a scoop of Mango Sorbet on the flat piece of pineapple.  Drizzle with Raspberry Sauce.  Serve.

Each component of this dish is delicious on it's own and can be served numerous ways, so let your creativity flow.  If you prefer not to use agave nectar where it's used in this recipe you could substitute honey or sugar (double the amount of sugar). 

Enjoy!

Virtually No Fat Banana Bread

                              

                             
May was such a crazy month, I feel like I've barely had time to post anything.  My daughter graduated from college up in Boston.  All of us attended and spent a wonderful weekend together as a family.  Then back to St. Louis, just in time to have carpet replaced in our home.  It was exhausting work especially since I had to clean out some of the closets, mine in particular, which was stacked with cookbooks, and culinary magazines.  I hate throwing those away but many were pitched. 

My new resolution is to order those that I read frequently online and delivered to my inbox, where I can view the magazine on my PC or iPad.  It's a great way to eliminate stacks of magazines.  Instead places like Zinio store them by date and even provide a yearly index.  I hopeful that this will resolve my hoarding of culinary magazines.

My last post was a week ago Friday where I created a Feijoas Curd Trifle using homemade Virtually No Fat Banana Bread, a recipe I created many years ago.  I mentioned there, that I'd share the recipe in my next post.  I usually call this fat free banana bread but actually bananas have approximately 1 gram of fat along with a host of health benefits and eggs have some fat too.  So I decided a better name would be Virtually No Fat Banana Bread.  Wouldn't you agree?

You may remember that my family insists on fat free everything even though I tell them it's not always the best option.  With that in mind I modified my old favorite banana bread recipe to be figure friendly - it's so moist and delicious!  Honestly, no one would ever know it's virtually fat free.  Although there's sugar in it, I've reduced the amount initially used, by half.   I'm sure you could substitute agave nectar (using 1/2 the amount of the sugar) or honey, although I've never tried it with this particular recipe.

Once you make my Banana Bread, I know it will become one of your favorites.

Virtually No Fat Banana Bread
makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

1/2 cup applesauce (I used Musselmans Natural Unsweetened)

3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 (6oz) container fat free Vanilla yogurt (I used Dannon)
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (the skins on mine were black - best flavor when very ripe)

Cream applesauce and sugar; add eggs and salt and mix well. Add flour, soda and yogurt and mix well. Add bananas blending well into the mixture.

Note: At this time if you wanted to add any chocolate chips or nuts you can blending well.

Grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray one regular size loaf pan; pour mixture into pan and bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the bread pulls away from the sides of the pan and toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done.  If top of bread starts getting too brown place foil over top. 

This recipe can be doubled.

If you want to use plain yogurt or some other flavor then feel free to do so. The best part about cooking yourself is that you can modify a recipe anyway you like.

Enjoy!