Iced-Cold Gazpacho!

I love to have soup all year round but let's face it, when the temperatures are in the 90s with 100% humidity it's a bit difficult to enjoy a piping hot cup of soup.  That's when a nice refreshing bowl of iced cold Gazpacho hits the spot.  Packed with lots of vegetables and vitamins it's just what your body is craving.

So the next time you're in the mood for a healthy meal but don't feel like standing over hot coals or cooking up something on the stove or in the oven why not whip up a batch of Gazpacho in your blender or food processor?

Here's a great recipe that's so simple.  For the best results make it a day ahead to let the flavors meld together.  I just know you're going to love this.

Gazpacho
serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup low sodium tomato juice
1 (28 oz.) can San Marzanotomatoes*
4 slices French or Italian Bread, cut into 1" slices.  Crust removed and bread slices, cubed

1 small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded and diced or 1 English cucumber
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the sherry, vinegar and tomato juice.  Set aside.

In a blender/food processor, working in batches, combine the tomatoes and bread and puree until smooth, 30-40 seconds.  Transfer to a large bowl.  In the blender, combine the onion, garlic and a little of the sherry mixture and puree until smooth.  Add to the bowl with the tomato puree.  In the blender/processor, combine the bell pepper, cucumbers and a little of the sherry mixture and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add to the bowl with the tomato puree.  Whisk in the olive oil and the remaining sherry mixture, and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least two hours. For the best results chill for 24 hours. 

Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.  Ladle into chilled bowls and garnish each serving with diced bell peppers, minced onion and croutons if desired.

*Note:  Several summers ago I traveled to Italy.  While there I took a culinary class and although they had the most incredible fresh tomatoes they used San Marzano tomatoes in their recipes.  Their flavor is superior!

Enjoy!

A Matter of Taste - Serving up Paul Liebrandt

Last  night I had the pleasure of watching an HBO documentary, by Sally Rowe, covering a 10 year span of a young, brilliant chef, genius and innovator, named Paul Liebrandt.  A master at his craft and an amazing artist. Truly a documentary you don't want to miss!

Paul's parents divorced at an early age and when asked where his passion for food came from he replies, "I didn't come from a food background at all. I grew up in London in the early '80s and I went to boarding school from the age of seven. I didn't have much of a family life and I didn't pot peas with my mother or go on the family farm and pull carrots from the ground. I had no food culture and no food aspirations at all when I was a young man. It's just something I gravitated toward organically. I can't explain why - I just did. Some people just have something they like to do and if they're lucky enough, they get to do it for a living.

The documentary starts off with Paul cutting into a pigs head with blood all over his hands, apron and the metal counter top where he is working, while photographers try to capture the action with their lenses. “This is bound to attract investment,” he says. “You want to open up a serious restaurant and they see photographs like this?” Liebrandt asserts, “No way.”

Whether you're a foodie or not this documentary draws you in from the second it starts.  To catch a glimpse of this spectacular feature, here's the trailer.


A Matter Of Taste - Trailer from Sally Rowe on Vimeo.


In this 69 minute documentary you learn about the life of this talented chef.  From my perspective he appears to have been a very lonely boy growing up in a boarding school, with nothing mentioned about his family life, who finds a passion for cooking.  He is brilliant, deep and intense, a creative genius, master of his craft, the Calder of food artistry and without a doubt on the cutting edge!  While he mentors those who work under his direction in his kitchen with a stern yet gentle hand, he is the youngest chef-owner to achieve three Michelin stars at his New York restaurant, Corton, with his co-owner Drew Nieporent. 

Rather than go into complete detail of this incredible film check it out for yourself on HBO.  It's 69 minutes that will pull you into the artistic world and inner workings of restaurant life and what it takes to be a master chef.  Paul Liebrandt shows us this through his dedication and exhaustive creations as chef-owner of Corton.

Baking Soda Tips & Uses

If you've ever baked then most likely you've used baking soda as one of the ingredients in your recipe.  However, this inexpensive box of salty powder is useful for so many things.  One of my favorites is to use it on scoured pans that I just can't clean.  Simply sprinkle baking soda in the pot, cover with water and let set overnight.  The next day, your pan will clean up like nothing ever happened.


Baking Soda also known as bicarbonate of soda , is used as a LEAVENER in baked goods. When combined with an acid ingredient such as buttermilk, yogurt or molasses, baking soda produces carbon dioxide gas bubbles, thereby causing a dough or batter to rise. Because it reacts immediately when moistened, it should always be mixed with the other dry ingredients before adding any liquid; the resulting batter should be placed in the oven immediately.

At one time, baking soda was used in the cooking water of green vegetables to preserve their color. That practice was discontinued, however, when it was discovered that baking soda destroys the vitamin C content of vegetables.

With so many uses why go out and buy those expensive spray bottles and such to clean your house when you can purchase a box for under $2 that can clean your whole house among other things. 

What you don't believe me?  Well here are 60 uses for Baking Soda but if you want to know more check out Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun, and Frugal Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of (Lansky, Vicki)


Sixty Uses Of Baking Soda


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Bicarbonate of soda or baking soda has many different uses in the household. Although much more expensive products have been developed over the years to do the same jobs, baking soda can work for you just as well, if not better. Use it in the following ways:

1. To make your own baking powder, stir and sift together 2 parts of Cream of Tartar to 1 part baking soda and 1 part cornstarch.
2. Be sure to keep an extra box of baking soda by your stove in case of grease or electrical fire. Scatter the powder by the handful to safely put it out.
3. Keep a container of baking soda in your garage as well as in your car to put out a fire. It won't damage anything it touches.
4. Baking soda will also put out fires in clothing, fuel, wood, upholstery and rugs.
5. Clean vegetables and fruit with baking soda. Sprinkle in water, soak and rise the produce.
6. Wash garbage cans with baking soda.
7. Soak and wash diapers with baking soda.
8. Oil and grease - stained clothing washes out better with soda added to the washing water.
9. Clean your fridge and freezer with dry soda sprinkled on a damp cloth. rinse with clear water.
10. Deodorize your fridge and freezer by putting in an open container of baking soda to absorb odors. Stir and turn over the soda from time to time. Replace every 2 months.
11. Soda absorbs kitty litter odors. Cover the bottom of the kitty box with 1 part soda; then add a layer of 3 parts kitty litter on top.
12. Always add 1/2 cup soda to your washing machine load.
13. Clean combs and brushes in a soda solution.
14. Wash food and drink containers with soda and water.
15. Wash marble-topped furniture with a solution of 3 tablespoons of soda in 1 quart of warm water. Let stand awhile, then rinse.
16. Clean formica counter tops with baking soda on a damp sponge.
17. Wash out thermos bottles and cooling containers with soda and water to get rid of stale smells.
18. To remove stubborn stains from marble, formica or plastic surfaces, scour with a paste of soda and water.
19. Wash glass or stainless steel coffee pots (but not aluminum) in a soda solution ( 3 tbsp. soda to 1 quart water).
20. Run you coffee maker through its cycle with a soda solution. Rinse.
21. Give baby bottles a good cleaning with soda and hot water.
22. Sprinkle soda on barbecue grills, let soak, then rinse off.
23. Sprinkle soda on greasy garage floor. Let stand, scrub and rinse.
24. Polish silverware with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rub, rinse and dry.
25. For silver pieces without raised patterns or cemented-on handles: place the silver on aluminum foil in an enamel pot. Add boiling water and 4 tbsp. baking soda. Let stand, rinse and dry.
26. Reduce odor build-up in your dishwasher by sprinkling some soda on the bottom.
27. Run your dishwasher through its cycle with soda in it instead of soap to give it a good cleaning.
28. To remove burned-on food from a pan: let the pan soak in soda and water for 10 minutes before washing. Or scrub the pot with dry soda and a moist scouring pad.
29. For a badly-burned pan with a thick layer of burned-on food: pour a thick layer of soda directly onto the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle on just enough water so as to moisten the soda. Leave the pot overnight, then scrub it clean next day.
30. Rub stainless steel and chrome with a moist cloth and dry baking soda to shine it up. Rinse and dry. On stainless steel, scrub in the direction of the grain.
31. Clean plastic, porcelain and glass with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rinse and dry.
32. Remove that bad smell from ashtrays with soda and water.
33. Sprinkle a bit of dry soda in your ashtrays to prevent smoldering and reduce odor.
34. Clean your bathroom with dry soda on a moist sponge - sink, tub, tiles, shower stall, etc.
35. Keep your drains clean and free-flowing by putting 4 tablespoons of soda in them each week. Flush the soda down with hot water.
36. Soak your shower curtains in water and soda to clean them.
37. To remove strong odors from your hands, wet your hands and rub them hard with soda, then rinse.
38. Sprinkle baking soda on your wet toothbrush and brush your teeth and dentures with it.
39. Sprinkle soda in tennis shoes, socks, boots and slippers to eliminate odor.
40. Add 1/2 cups or more of baking soda to your bath water to soften your skin.
41. Putting 2 tbsp. of baking soda in your baby's bath water will help relieve diaper rash irritations.
42. Apply soda directly to insect bites, rashes and poison ivy to relieve discomfort. Make a paste with water.
43. Take a soda bath to relieve general skin irritations such as measles and chicken pox.
44. Take 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water to relieve acid indigestion or heartburn.
45. Gargle with 1/2 tsp. baking soda in 1/2 glass of water. Freshens and cleans your mouth.
46. Used as a mouthwash, baking soda will also relieve canker sore pain.
47. To relieve sunburn: use a paste of baking soda and water.
48. Bug bites: use a poultice of baking soda and vinegar.
49. Bee sting: use a poultice of baking soda and water.
50. Windburns: moisten some baking soda and apply directly.
51. Making Play Clay with baking soda: combine 1 1/4 cups water, 2 cups soda, 1 cup cornstarch.
52. Use soda as an underarm deodorant.
53. If your baby spits up on his shirt after feeding, moisten a cloth, dip it in baking soda and dab at the dribbled shirt. The odor will go away.
54. When scalding a chicken, add 1 tsp. of soda to the boiling water. The feathers will come off easier and flesh will be clean and white.
55. Repel rain from windshield. Put gobs of baking soda on a dampened cloth and wipe windows inside and out.
56. Add to water to soak dried beans to make them more digestible.
57. Add to water to remove the "gamey" taste from wild game.
58. Use to sweeten sour dishcloths.
59. Use dry with a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.
60. Use to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from toaster. Dampen cloth and make a mild abrasive with baking soda.

And you thought I was just kidding!  To learn 500 uses for Baking Soda don't forget to check out   Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun, and Frugal Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of (Lansky, Vicki)


Happy Cooking & Cleaning!

Culinary Birthday Party!

Last night I had the pleasure of spending the evening with 11 lovely young ladies and their classroom teacher, for a Birthday Culinary Class.  They made their own homemade pizza sauce, made batches of dough that they watched rise, then rolled out to create their very own Calzone's, along with a yummy ice cream creation.   They all had a great time!

The photo above, with rolling pins in hand, the group of girls await to learn how to make homemade pizza dough.  With tons of energy their creations were finger lickin' good!

What an incredible group!  With each dish that was created they diligently pitched in and cleaned the tables, counters and floors before moving onto the next lesson.  I was so impressed with their manners and how well these budding chefs did with every dish they mastered. Each one with their own sweet personality and willingness to learn and help out, made it a fun time for all.

What a nice way to spend a Friday evening!

Happy Birthday to "E"!

GIVEAWAY - Microplane Herb Mill!

You know I'm a gadget lover, so when I find something that I think is terrific I just have to share it with you. 

I teach a lot of culinary classes and one of them is knife skills.  However, whether your knife skills are superb or not, sometimes it's nice to give your hands a break.  Prepping herbs by hand with a knife can be a tedious and difficult task.  So when I discovered Microplane's new Herb Mill I thought, WOW, this kitchen tool is fantastic and so easy to use.  Plus it's dishwasher safe which makes clean up a cinch.

Microplane’s easy to use Herb Mill cuts fresh herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro, sage and mint with hundreds of tiny scissors without bruising or blemishing. 

At just $19.95 not only is it affordable but, it  makes quick, uniform mincing of fresh herbs a breeze!  Don't take my word for it though, check out the information about it here.

If you'd like to try and win one for your kitchen here's all you need to do.

1. Post in the comments section below why you'd like to win the Microplane Herb Mill.
2. "Like" Microplane's Facebook page and post a comment saying, "I just entered to win the Microplane Herb Mill from "At Home with Vicki Bensinger" and you can too! Post a comment on my blog that you did this.
3. "Like" me on my Facebook page, if you don't already, and post a comment on my blog that you did.

One winner for the Microplane Herb Mill will be drawn at Random on June 21st, 2011.  This giveaway is open to U.S. residents ONLY!
Please be sure to enter your contact information in the event that you are the winner.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond or another name will be drawn at Random.

Don't miss your chance to win this great kitchen gadget.  It's fun and easy to use plus makes the prep work in the kitchen a snap.

Good Luck!

The WINNER of the Microplane Herb Mill is #15, Maria Paray!  Congratulations Maria!  Please contact me within 48 hours with your mailing address and phone number so that we can send you this fantastic tool!  If you do not respond during this time then another name will be drawn at Random.  Thank you for entering.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you to all that entered my Giveaway.  Stay tuned for more Giveaways in the future.  To get the latest as it's posted "follow by Email" at the top right of my blog.

Frozen Fruit Salad & Push Pops

With the weather as hot as it's been I only crave fruits, veggies/salads and fish.  It's no wonder I feel 1000 times better when I eat just that.  My energy level is higher and I feel like I can go all day long. 

So this morning for breakfast I had my typical oatmeal with cinnamon and blueberries on it and for lunch I had a fresh spinach salad with berries, slivered almonds and poppyseed dressing.  I really felt like having some chicken on top but wasn't in the mood to go out in the heat and grill some up.  So the almonds were my protein.

I love fruit and one of my husbands favorite things that I've been making for years is a frozen fruit salad.  It's perfect on a hot summers day and although much of this is made with canned fruit, (which they say is still good for you) you don't have to opt for those with heavy syrup. (The photo above was taken straight from the freezer without any thawing time).

I made this recipe but also had some push pops that I purchased from CupKates Event Design and decided in addition to pouring my salad into a Rubbermaid container and freezing it I would also add some to my cute little push pops - the kids will LOVE these!

Here's my recipe.  It's delicious, refreshing and a little sweet so if you aren't a sweet lover cut back on the sugar.

Frozen Fruit Salad and Push Pops

Ingredients:

3 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1 large can frozen orange juice
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 large can sliced peaches
1 large can fruit cocktail, drained
1 (10 oz.) package strawverries, frozen
6-8 bananas, sliced

Directions:

• Boil water and sugar for 3 minutes 
• Removed from heat and mix in 1 large can of frozen orange juice.
• Add crushed pineapple, sliced peaches, fruit cocktail, strawverries, and bananas.  Mix well.
• Pour all into a large container (I use a rectangular Rubbermaid container covered) and freeze for 24 hours.
• Take out 1 hour before serving so it becomes just slightly slushy.

To make the push pops I simply reserved some of the mixture and poured it into the push pop containers and covered them with the lids they come with.  Then pop in the freezer for 24 hours, standing up in a glass or like I did - propped up between the slats of my freezer shelves.

The push pops make it easy to eat right from the freezer.  So if you're looking for a healthier dessert to give your children, there's no doubt they will love these.  Of course, we're all adults now in my family and we have fun eating the push pops too!  It reminds me of my childhood. 

Enjoy!

Halibut with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Here's a dish I whipped up in no time at all.  Grilled Halibut with Black Bean and Corn Salsa.  Rather than making up a batch of black beans and grilling the corn which would have of course been even better, I simply used canned black beans, and frozen corn.  Of course I was in a hurry since I was running late for dinner but feel free to go the extra mile.  If you want, you can even make these into fish tacos by grilling the fish, placing it into the soft torilla and filling with the salsa.

Here's this quick, yet delicious and healthy recipe.

Grilled Halibut with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

4 (6-8 ounce) Halibut fillets
olive oil
salt and pepper

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalelpeno pepper, seeded and diced
3-4 roma tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1/2 of a small red onion diced (optional)
juice of one lime
minced cilantro for garnish, if desired

Directions:

Brush olive oil lightly on halibut and season with salt and pepper.  Grill over medium heat about 4 minutes per side.

Mix all ingredients together for salsa and set aside.

To serve: Place halibut or fish of choice on a plate and top with salsa. Or if making fish tacos, cut grilled halibut into pieces and place in a warm soft shell tortilla and top with salsa, and sour cream if desired.

Simple, delicious and healthy!