Hatch Chiles are here!!!

Image via Wikipedia

Well it’s that time again, Hatch Chile Season! If you know nothing about Hatch Chiles, you might think, “What is the big deal?” For those of us that have experienced Hatch chiles, it is a much awaited time.

The Hatch Chile festival is scheduled for Labor Day weekend. There are many events, a parade, the crowning of the Chile Pepper Queen and roasting of the chiles using gas powered roasters, either hand cranked or motorized.

Hatch is known as the Chile Capital of the world. The village of Hatch is located in the Rio Grande Valley. The high desert climate, low humidity and rich soil make it an ideal location for growing chiles. The green chile harvest has started and continues until the red chile harvest or until the first frost of the year.. The chiles are grown on family farms, not commercially and interest in Hatch Chiles has grown through word of mouth, not through marketing campaigns.

Location, soil, the long growing season and altitude in Hatch, New Mexico account for the quality and unique and much sought after taste of Hatch Chiles. The village only encompasses 3.1 square miles with just under 1700 people. The people of the area make a modest living. The 2000 census showed the median income for a family was $23,819.

Hatch chile refers to varieties of chile grown in the area. There are a number of chile varieties ranging from Mild to Extra Hot. Big Jim, a popular variety is considered mild to medium but there are many variations of heat within the heat range. Hatch chiles are those that are grown in the town of Hatch. During the Green chile season Mexican chiles are often marketed as Hatch chiles, so it is important to choose a reputable organization that sells authentic, Hatch grown chiles.Whole Foods and Central Market in Texas carry Hatch Chiles during the season. I believe they are reputable sources of the real item.

Capsaisin is what makes the chiles hot. It is found around the stem, membrane and seeds, the most potent heat is in the membrane. Water will not quell the heat from a chile. Yogurt and Milk are the best heat neutralizers, so if you are unsure of your reaction, keep some around.

Interesting to note, Capsaisin is found in many pain relieving products. There is evidence that capsaisin can deplete Substance P in sensory nerve terminals. Substance P is associated with initiation and transmission of painful stimuli. Studies have shown a benefit to those with Diabetes Neuropathy, Arthritis, Psoriasis and other conditions.

Chiles have excellent nutritional value with loads of B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Calcium, Potassium and Vitamin A. The chiles are best used roasted and peeled. You can either buy them this way or roast and peel them yourself. If choose to do it yourself, remember to wear gloves and “DO NOT”…and I mean “DO NOT” rub your eyes!!! Now that’s a hot tamale!

I can think of a million uses for roasted green chiles. I just love them. Add them to a grilled cheese sandwich. Include them in your homemade guacamole. Add some chopped green chiles to your mayonnaise with a squeeze of lime juice and use on sandwiches (chicken or veggie sandwiches are good choices). Make a green chile sauce to go over breakfast burritos. A grilled cheeseburger (meat or veggie) can be topped with some strips of roasted peeled Hatch chiles. Green chile pesto has many uses, over pasta, on crackers or used as a topping for burgers. Central Market makes some wonderful pesto. I have included their recipe if you aren’t in a place where you can visit the store.

Of course there are some traditional uses, Green Chile Stew with Pork (or the non-traditional Vegetarian Green Chile Stew with Tempeh) Green Chile Cornbread and Green Chile Enchiladas.

I hope you will check out the stores in your area and try a few dishes with the Hatch Chiles. If you can’t find a store that carrys them, you can order the Chiles on line. Usually you have to buy them in bulk but I found a supplier that offers them in smaller 5lb packages. They will roast and freeze them for you too. That way you can use them year round http://www.newmexicocatalog.com/html/fresh_green_chile.html .

Hatch Chile Pesto
recipe courtesy of Central Market in Dallas:

Six mild to hot Hatch chiles, or a combination to suit your taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup roasted chopped pecans
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (or more to taste; I use a whole lime)
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

Roast the chiles first, and de-vein and de-seed them. Combine the chiles and the cheese, cilantro, garlic, pecans, lime juice and salt in a food processor until everything is finely chopped. Add the olive oil slowly until all the ingredients become a smooth paste. At this point you can use it right away or you can freeze it for later use.

Hatch Guacamole
The bacon makes this guacamole unique. I suggest you try it if you are a meat eater. You can use pork or turkey bacon.

4 Haas avocados Halved, Seeded and Peeled
Juice of 1 lime
½ tsp ground cumin
5 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled (Optional, Vegetarians can substitute either imitation bacon bits or toasted pine nuts)
2 Hatch Chiles Roasted, Peeled, Seeded and Chopped
1 tbl chopped cilantro
Salt to taste (optional)
Blue Corn Chips

Mash avocado with lime juice and cumin. Add bacon or pine nuts, green chiles, cilantro and salt. Mix to combine. Serve with Blue Corn Chips.

Brunch Burritos

1 10 oz Package fresh spinach, washed, stems removed and chopped
½ package mushrooms cleaned and sliced
½ cup chopped onion
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
¾ cup Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
Juice of ½ a lime
1 Tablespoon toasted Pinion (pine) nuts
4 medium flour tortillas (lowfat, lard free preferred)
1 Cup Homemade "Green Chile Sauce" (http://www.recipezaar.com/Chuys-Hatch-New-Mexican-Green-Chile-Sauce-40666 Vegetarians will have to use substitutions) or Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (available in some groceries and at Whole Foods market)

Sauté’ onion and mushrooms in the oil until onion is translucent. Add the fresh spinach and cook until it is just wilted. Add the pinion nuts and lime juice.
Divide mixture among the flour tortillas and fill them. Top with ½ a cup of the Jack Cheese divided. Roll the tortillas then wrap each in aluminum foil. At this point you can put them in a crock pot set on warm until ready to serve your guests.
Heat Green Chile sauce and when ready to serve pass out the Burritos and top with Chile Sauce and extra Jack cheese. A Mango Margarita would pair well with this.

4 servings

Popsicles: Not just for Kids!

Image by grebo guru via Flickr

It’s hot out there! This time of year I start craving cold things, ice cream, sorbet, popsicles, shakes and just plain cold water with lots of ice. A number of years ago, I came up with a more healthy solution to my desire for high fat ice cream when I needed to cool off.

I bought fresh juices and made them into my own homemade popsicles. I see a lot of recipes for popsicles using a sugar syrup, but I haven’t felt the need to use syrup when the Natural Juices are great. The syrup does make them less “icy” but if I don’t need to add sugar, I don’t.

You can find Popsicle molds sometimes at Target. More recently I found some at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Of course Amazon has them as well.I prefer the round ones, but if you like your popsicles rectangular, there are molds for that too.

My favorite juices are by R.W. Knudsen. You can find them at Whole Foods or many Supermarkets. Pineapple Coconut is my all time favorite, but Guava Strawberry and Simply Nutritious Morning Blend packed with Vitamins and Minerals are also great choices.

Of course, over time, I have started finding other uses for my Popsicles. Most recently I decided to try making my Mona Vie dose of the day into a Popsicle. In addition to the antioxidants in it, the Mona Vie Active has Glucosamine and it tastes a whole lot better than the other liquid forms I have tried . Frozen, it is a great grab and go pop and I find I am more consistent with the Mona Vie popsicle rather than the juice alone. (For a Mona Vie distributor, link to this site www.monavie.com and use this distributor number 579716. My sister is my distributor!!)

I also came up with another idea, using the Popsicle plan for my after workout recovery drink. Blend in advance, freeze and you have them as needed. My favorite is Whole Foods brand Chocolate Soy Protein Powder blended with non-fat milk, banana and strawberries or blueberries (or both). If I want it a little sweeter, I add a teaspoon of maple syrup or honey. Freeze these and you have your recovery drink ready to go in a nice little icy package.

A Mango Lassi recovery drink pop is good also, fresh mango, Vanilla Soy Protein Powder (yes, soy…the vegetarians favorite!), Low fat or Fat Free Milk, Soy Milk or Vanilla Yogurt and a dash each of Cardamom and Ginger. Add a little honey if you want. Throw in an after workout meditation and you will be ready for Nirvana (or at least more relaxed and recovered!).

Now all of my ideas aren’t healthy but often healthier than not. My “less healthy” treat, I came up with because I had bought a bottle of KeKe brand Key Lime Liqueur
and there are only so many times when I want to make Key Lime Martinis. I filled the mold ¾ of the way to the top with Pineapple Coconut Juice then finished it with the Key Lime Liqueur. The Liqueur settled at the bottom and was a pretty green contrast to the white juice. The Liqueur stays a little softer than the juice, but it tastes great and you have just enough of an alcohol hit to make this a real “adult” indulgence.

Finally, I made a strawberry sorbet pop based on a recipe I found in Sunset Magazine (April 2007). I made a simple syrup with ½ cup white sugar and ¾ cup of water. I heat the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Cool then add ¾ tablespoon of Orange Flower water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

I take a pint of fresh, sweet strawberries, stem removed and put them in a blender. Blend, adding syrup to taste. If you want an elegant sorbet you can run the berries through a fine strainer to remove the seeds before adding the syrup. I went for a more rustic dish by skipping that step. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

The Sunset Recipe used Rose Water in place of the Orange Flower water but I didn’t have it on hand. I am sure that would taste great too! You could probably add a little chopped basil for a more sophisticated flavor or use honey in place of the syrup. If you use the honey, I would leave out the orange flower water and use an orange extract otherwise the honey may overpower the delicate orange flower water.

I hope these ideas will motivate you to come up with and make your own popsicle combinations. You can layer different flavor and colors, make lime pops and serve with a tequila to dip in. The ideas and flavor combinations are endless.
Stay fit, stay cool, and don’t forget to exercise!

A Healthy 4th of July BBQ

Image by Asten via Flickr

Independence Day is upon us. The grills are being cleaned and readied for the BBQ master. Shoppers are buying up the potato salad, macaroni salad and cans of baked beans from the groceries.I thought I might offer you a different option this year to lighten things up.

Back in the days when I was a Carnivore, my husband and I tag teamed making Turkey Burgers. They were a little trickier on the grill since they didn’t have all that fat to bind things together. We settled on him either being “very” careful turning them or using a grill basket which was much better. I have also added some egg or egg white to the burgers to bind them and that works pretty well too.

In my more domestic days I made fresh hamburger buns. Wow! Those really added a lot to the meal. If you can get some good buns from a bakery, not a grocery, I suggest you do.

Instead of heavy fat laden potato salad or the butter loaded scalloped potatoes my mother used to make, I make Buttermilk Herb Scalloped Potatoes. The Buttermilk is lower in fat. When cooked, it adds a very tangy cheesy texture to the potatoes. The herbs give the dish a fresh from the garden taste.

Then there is the macaroni salad. Now don’t think I am inhuman. I love my mother’s macaroni salad, mayonnaise and all but I have an alternative that I love equally. I got the idea while dining at Dakota’s restaurant in Downtown Dallas. They made a WheatBerry Salad with minced vegetables, blue cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette. I make it that way at times, but when my Albanian heritage kicks in, I make a Dilled Wheat berry Salad with minced vegetables, mint and Feta cheese. I dress it with the traditional fresh squeezed lemon and olive oil. The oil I use sparingly.

A bit outside the box, my Butter Beans Oreganato taste great and may help you add some of your own “Fireworks” to the occasion :).

So this year, try something outside of your comfort zone. These may not be “American” per se, but we are a melting pot in America and this "4th of July"
(or sometime this summer) I hope you try these recipes. I think you will like them and they are good for you too!!

Red Carpet Turkey Burgers

For the burgers:

1 lb “lean” ground turkey
1 ½ tsp liquid smoke (hickory if you are from the East, Mesquite if you are from Texas)
1-2 Jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped
1 Shallot minced
1 Garlic clove peeled and minced
S& P to taste
1 egg or 2 egg whites optional
4 Good quality hamburger buns
Garnishes:
1 small green or red pepper cut in strips
Lettuce
Grated low fat Cheddar or Swiss cheese
Country Dijon Mustard

Preheat a BBQ grill. Combine all the burger ingredients and mix. Gently form the mixture into 4 burgers. Place in a lightly oiled grill basket or very carefully on the prepared grill (remember to oil the grill before heating it so you don’t burn your eyelashes off!!)

Grill until cooked through turning once. Don’t try turning them multiple times or they will fall apart and you will be eating turkey hash!!

Another option you could try instead of the liquid smoke is using Hoisin sauce and substituting sweet green pepper for the Jalapeno. You could top this with sautéed shitake mushrooms and Light Swiss Cheese

Buttermilk Herb Scalloped Potatoes

3 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes (or large redskin potatoes) sliced in ¼ inch strips
¼ onion chopped (or more to taste)
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour (white is ok too)
1 ½ tsp each dried thyme and rosemary crumbled
S&P to taste
1 ½ Tablespoon good quality Parmesan or Romano Cheese not the flavorless stuff
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 tablespoon Smart Balance margarine or margarine made with yogurt
Pinch of Paprika

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x11 loaf pan. Toss the potatoes with the whole wheat flour, salt and pepper and herbs. Layer half of the potatoes in the loaf pan. Top with chopped onion then repeat with another layer. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and dot the potatoes with Smart Balance or the Yogurt based margarine. Pour Buttermilk over all then sprinkle with Paprika
Bake (uncovered) for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until potatoes are tender.
Enough for 4 as a side dish.

Wheatberry Salad

1 cup dried wheatberries
2 cups water
1 Chicken or Vegetable bouillon cube (optional)
½ red or sweet onion, minced
1 medium carrot; minced
½ red bell pepper, minced
1 ½ oz feta cheese crumbled
Handful of fresh cleaned spinach torn into small pieces

Dressing:

1 ½ tablespoons fruity olive oil
½ large juicy lemon
1 tsp dill weed or 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped fine
½ tsp dried mint crumbled or 1 tsp fresh mint minced (fresh is best here)
S&P to taste

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add bouillon if you want. Add wheatberries, bring to boil then reduce heat and cook covered for 45-50 minutes until done but still chewy. Toss with a fork then let cool.

When cooled, add remaining ingredients except the dressing ingredients (onion through spinach). Mix. Add olive oil and dill. Mix to coat the berries with the oil. Squeeze the lemon over the salad and mix again. Add salt and pepper. Taste and make any adjustments to the dressing.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make this with the Blue cheese instead, substitute the Blue Cheese for the Feta. Omit the dill, and mint and substitute balsamic vinaigrette for the lemon and oil. I love it this way too and it might be more “American”.

Butter Beans Oreganato

1 Can Butter Beans
½ lemon
½ Tablespoon Olive oil
¼ Teaspoon dried oregano crumbled
S&P to Taste

Heat Butter Beans in a pan on the stove or bowl in the microwave. When hot add the olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper and mix gently. Squeeze the lemon over all and mix again. Serve warm.

Have a Happy, Healthy and Safe 4th....and don't forget to exercise!!

The Herbalist

I love to garden and I love growing herbs. When I owned a house, my backyard was my herb garden. At one time or the other I have grown; Lemon Thyme (the best), Basil, Dill, Lavender that smelled incredible after a rain, Epazote a Mexican herb , Mexican Marigold Mint, Mint, Lemon Balm, Cilantro (that spread all over the yard), Salad Burnet, a cucumber flavored herb, Sage( which I never had much luck with), Lemon Grass, Curry Plant(good but toxic in large amounts), Nasturtium (the flowers are great in a salad) and even Bay leaf.

The thing I love most about growing herbs is picking and having them fresh for whatever meal I am preparing. Herbs and spices add so many flavors to a meal. I would like to share with you some of the uses I have come up with over the years. I will include some information and simple ideas for using herbs. Some of these will be very familiar to you, others may be new.

In Dallas there is a Nursery in Highland Park, Northhaven Gardens http://www.nhg.com/
that carries a variety of herb plants. If you are local to the area, you might check it out and try your hand at a few of the more unusual herbs. I use fresh herbs unless otherwise stated.

Here is a rundown of some of my favorites:

Chervil- This is a very delicate, mild licorice flavored herb. It is in the parsley family. I have found it fresh at the Grocery, WholeFoods or Central market in the packages you find in the fresh vegetable area.

My favorite use, I learned from my chef/friend Wade. He sliced fresh radishes added a dollop of good quality unsalted butter (European or Danish is best), topped it with a sprig of Chervil and a little good quality salt. That’s all there is to it and it is great.

I also like to make Chervil butter to add to fish, veggies or to use with scrambled eggs. Mix one stick of softened butter with 1/3 cup of chopped chervil.

Lavender is my favorite scent, but as a culinary herb it must be used sparingly or it will taste like soap. It is used in making Herbs de Provence.

You can buy a good quality Herbs de Provence and mix it with some fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Put some of the marinade aside for use in grilling and the rest you can use as a marinade for Tuna or Salmon. Marinate it for at least 30 minutes. Grill the fish to desired doneness, basting with the reserved marinade. You can serve it as is or with some lemon (low fat) mayonnaise on toasted buns.

Here is a link to a recipe for a cheese spread that uses fresh lavender blossoms and other herbs. The pretty purple flowers make a very nice presentation. You can always use low fat cream cheese for this. http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/3653/cream-cheese-with-herbes-de-provence-and-garlic

Rosemary- The stems make great skewers for grilled fish and the sprigs can be used as basters with a marinade. When you have a sore throat, hot rosemary lemonade can be very soothing. Heat a cup of water in the microwave (or on the stove) as you would for tea. Squeeze a half of lemon in it, add honey to sweeten it and steep a sprig of rosemary in the lemonade for a few minutes. Remove the sprig and enjoy. I also have made a similar tea with culinary lavender or with sugar infused with lavender.

Dill- Ok, my Albanian heritage comes out when I think of dill. You can cook salmon on the stove with lemon, butter and fresh or dried dill (or bake it topped with lemon and dill butter). You can make a cucumber salad with mayonnaise, white wine vinegar and dill ( also add cherry tomatoes and slices of sweet green or red pepper). I also use dill in making stuffed grape leaves in the Spring and add fresh sprigs of dill to Greek salad which I mentioned in an earlier post. I plan on making a salmon, potato and dill chowder. Sounds like a good combination.

Salad Burnet- Ok this one may not be too familiar and not so easy to find. I would check a nursery that has a variety of herbs. They may carry this one. Salad Burnet is a cucumber flavored herb. It is parsley like and the cucumber flavor is very subtle. I have used it in a recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook for Flounder Florentine. Basically you sauté onion, chopped spinach, and dill until the spinach wilts. Here I make my own addition of some chopped salad burnet. Mix in chopped toasted almonds and lemon juice, cool then spoon over flounder filets. Roll up, put in an oiled baking pan and bake at 375 until the fish flakes.

Oregano- We think of it as an Italian herb but it is also in Mexican and many other cuisines. If you haven’t eaten fresh Oregano, please try it, very different. A good use for it is in a sandwich of lightly toasted Rosemary bread, sliced ripe tomatoes, sliced sweet green peppers, feta or cheddar cheese, mayo and fresh oregano. If you have to add luncheon meat go at it but it is great as a veggie sandwich.

Bay Leaf- When I went to the Culinary Institute they had a bay tree growing out front. We would plan our menu then go out and pick the leaves fresh from the tree for cooking. My favorite use for bay leaf is Turkish Swordfish Kebabs. You have to first soak the bay leaves (especially if you buy then dried). You then alternate the fish, bay leaves and lemon wedges onto the skewers. Drizzle with olive oil, season and grill on high heat, turning until done.

Sage- You most likely think of Thanksgiving when you think of sage, however I like it in a stew of sliced potatoes, onion, tomatoes, wine, vegetable (or chicken) broth and fresh peas topped with Parmesan. I suspect you could add some chicken to make this a meal.

Basil-Well we all know a lot about this herb. It is the all time best with tomato dishes, whether sliced, sauced or otherwise. I like to make a pesto with Basil, toasted walnuts, really good parmesan not the flavorless stuff and olive oil. I sauté scallops then add the pesto a squeeze of lemon and serve over angel hair. Yum!

Well that is enough to take in for now. I will continue with other herbs and recipes in subsequent posts.
I would love some feedback on this blog, your cooking ideas and things you would like me to write about.

Enjoy.

On a visit to Dallas last year, I had a very special date at Roy’s, a terrific Hawaiian Fusion restaurant. The meal was wonderful as was the company and atmosphere.

Roy Yamaguchi was born in Tokyo and attended the Culinary Institute of America in NY at the age of 19. In 1988 after having worked in LA and opened his first restaurant there, Roy relocated to Honolulu. He opened the first Roy’s restaurant which brought him much prestige and accolades.

In addition to his delicious East-West Cuisine, he has a signature cocktail that I would like to share with you. He calls it the original Hawaiian Martini. It goes well with Asian or Hawaiian food. I am including an easy menu that I believe, pairs well with it.

The drink may also pair well with Caribbean and Florida fare. No matter what, it is a great drink!!

Of course, my version isn’t exactly the recipe at Roy’s. They use only Maui pineapples and Skyy Vodka and Stoli Vanil Vodka. When it comes to pineapples, I take what I can get but much prefer the Sugar Sweet Pineapples from Costa Rica. You can often find them at Costco and they are just as good for eating as they are for this drink. If you have Skyy and Stoli, great, but if not I am sure there are other good brands that will work too. I have also considered using White Rum and Vanilla Rum in the recipe. The best garnish I have seen not only includes a chunk of Pineapple but also a purple orchid, very pretty!

This is the recipe that Roy’s in Orlando has published. I have seen another version where they use sugar syrup or add more pineapple juice (for the light weight drinkers like me!), but this is the authentic recipe and the easiest too! You will need a large glass jar.


R O Y ' S H A W A I I A N M A R T I N I
Roy's Orlando-Orlando, FL
Adapted by StarChefs

Yield: approximately 12 (4-ounce) servings
 1-1/2 (750 mL) bottles Skyy Vodka (or 4-1/2 cups)
 1/2 (750 mL) bottle Malibu Rum (1-1/2 cups)
 1/4 bottle Stolichnaya Vanil (3/4 cup)
 1 pineapple cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
 1/4 cup sugar
Layer the pineapple wedges into the jar. Pour in the remaining ingredients and allow the pineapples to marinate for at least two days. To serve, ladle approximately 4 ounces of the liquor into a stainless steel shaker half filled with ice. Shake 30 times, and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a wedge of marinated pineapple and enjoy!

Honey Teriyaki Salmon

If you are in Texas, an easier version of this recipe can be made with the Teriyaki Marinade that you find at Central Market. It is their label and is syrupy and sweet. There is no need for any honey added as this would make a great marinade by itself.

1 lb Salmon Filet (1 inch thick)
1 cup of Teriyaki Marinade
3 tbl Honey (maple syrup might be good too but less authentic)
Marinate the salmon in the teriyaki in a Ziploc bag for several hours.
Preheat a grill on high and oil the grill using the safest method you come up with (which isn’t spraying oil onto the grill unless you need shorter eyelashes and bangs).

Place salmon meat side down and grill approximately 5 minutes then turn over skin side down. Brush on some honey and cook for 5 more minutes until done.

Note: Fish should be cooked 10 minutes per inch normally, so if your fish is a different thickness, adjust accordingly.

Snow Pea Medley

Sauté Snow Peas, Sliced Red Bell Pepper and if you can find it a Maui Onion (Vidalia or Bermuda Onions are equally sweet) until done. Add a dot of butter and a splash of soy sauce, and then serve.

Some nice cooked short grain brown rice would round out the meal.

Dessert can be as simple as some pieces of Mango, Pineapple, Papaya and Guava or any combination you can find fresh. If you want something more decadent you can try ice cream.

Ben and Jerry’s makes a Chocolate Macadamia Ice Cream while Hagen Daz makes Mango or Ginger Ice Cream and Baskin Robbins makes Nutty Coconut.

Kilohana! Enjoy!

Easy and Healthier Snacks

I often feel challenged when I am asked to bring a snack or appetizer to a party or if someone comes over on short notice. I need to come up with some easy snack that doesn’t keep me in the kitchen or that travels well.

I love to serve “out of the box appetizers” to get away from the normal Nachos or Cheese Spread or Artichoke Spinach dip. I don’t mind cheese but many appetizers have too much, so I try to find recipes that have just a little cheese. I also try to avoid the heavy fare that makes you feel like you ate three times your calories and fat allowance for the week!

Let’s face it, people snack on crap a lot of times. It’s easy, it’s fast, it’s filling and you can pick most of it up at the store without much preparation. Well that is just not my style, so I would like to share with you some fairly easy choices that are “out of the box”. I have tried to remember where I found these ideas and listing them if I know them.

Puffed Wild Rice
Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. You can spray it lightly with cooking spray or keep it dry Add a handful of wild rice and heat, shaking the pan like you are making popcorn, until the wild rice puffs. Sprinkle with salt or garlic salt and serve. You can also add this to the next recipe for popcorn and serve them together. I have also served them mixed with toasted nuts.

Italian Seasoned Popcorn
Buy a jar of popcorn instead of buying the prepared Microwave popcorn. Put ¼ cup of popcorn into a brown paper lunch bag. Fold to close and put in the microwave fold side down. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until you hear the popping slow down.

Remove and carefully open because there will be steam in the bag. Pour into a bowl and top with a light spray of butter or margarine, Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of Italian seasoning. Mix together and serve.

There are lots of seasoning variations so be creative.


Yogurt Cheese with Pita
Bon Appetit Magazine May 1995
This comes from the Israeli port, Caesarea

Cheesecloth

4 cups plain yogurt (not low or nonfat)
1 tsp sesame seeds
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp dried summer savory
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp ground cumin
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
Toasted Pita bread triangles

Set a strainer over a large bowl but make sure it is not touching the bottom. Line the strainer with 4 layers of cheesecloth that overlap the edges by about 4 inches.

Spoon yogurt into the strainer. Gather and fold the cheesecloth over the yogurt. Refrigerate for 8 hrs or overnight. The liquid will drain and the yogurt will thicken.

Combine sesame seeds, salt, summer savory, cayenne and cumin in a small bowl. Open the cheesecloth and using a rubber spatula transfer the drained yogurt to a nice serving bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over it. Sprinkle on some of the sesame seed mixture then serve it with the Pita Triangles. You can add some cured olives too if you like.

I buy the natural yogurt or Bulgarian yogurt at Whole Foods Market. You can also lightly grill the Pita with just a bit of garlic butter brushed on it before serving.

Asian Guacamole with Wonton Crisps
Sunset Magazine
Alot of Groceries carry these ingredients now

1 tbl black sesame seeds or regular (the black ones I found at World Market or Asian Stores)
1 large ripe firm avocado (3/4 lb) The Florida Avocados might be best. They are bigger and are not as high in fat
1 tbl shredded pickled ginger
3 tbl seasoned rice vinegar (or 3tbl cider vinegar with 1tsp sugar)
½ tsp wasabi powder
Won Ton Crisps (recipe follows)

Fry sesame seeds in a frying pan over medium high heat until the seeds start to pop. Set aside and cool.

Peel, pit and dice avocado into a bowl. Add ½ tsp sesame seed, ginger, vinegar and wasabi and mix it together gently. Transfer it into a pretty serving bowl and serve with the Won Ton Crisps

Won Ton Crisps

4 tbl butter or butter flavor cooking spray
20 wonton skins
Any seasoning you might like, you could use the sesame seed and a little kosher salt for this use.

Preheat oven to 375degrees
Melt the butter and brush some on a rimmed baking sheet (or spray the cooking spray). Cut each wonton skin in half to make a rectangle. Arrange closely together on the baking sheet, but don’t overlap. Brush the tops lightly with butter or spray with the cooking spray.

Sprinkle on the sesame seeds and kosher salt if preferred. Bake at 375 for 5-6 min until golden and crisp. Repeat until all are done.

Variation:
You can also make these as a stand-alone snack by brushing with butter then topping with Italian seasoning and Parmesan before baking.
I haven't tried this but you could try sprinkling it with chili powder and a sharp cheddar for a Mexican crisp
Another variation:
For a sweet crisp, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking.

Cherry Bruschetta
BHG Magazine

Mix 1 cup coarsely chopped, pitted light or dark sweet cherries with 2 tablespoons red or green jalapeno jelly. Mound on slices of lightly toasted French bread or leaves of butterhead lettuce. Top with a little crumbled blue cheese and sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of toasted slivered almonds.

They suggest you can use a paper clip to pit the cherries if you don’t have a cherry pitter.

Ok, this one is my favorite. My friend Wade showed me this.
Fresh Radishes with European Butter and Chervil

Get a bunch of pretty colored radishes or just the red ones if that is all you find. Slice them a little thick. Buy some European butter (you can find Danish butter at Whole Foods) and put a little of the cold butter on each radish slice. Top with fresh chervil if you can find it (this is really good!) or if not a little minced chive. Serve with salt or sprinkle a little kosher salt on each.

Stuffed Mushrooms
This is a cinch to make:

Buy a package of Herbed Boursin Cheese. (I think it comes in light). Use it to fill 6 canned mushroom caps then put a sprig of parsley on top.

Here is my addiction:

Sweet Spiced Pistachios
Lebanese Cooking by Susan Ward

2 ½ cups shelled salted pistachios
2/3-cup superfine sugar
1 tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Place the nuts in a skillet without any oil, and heat until they are golden, stirring frequently. This takes about 5 minute. Sprinkle over the sugar, then the spices and continue to stir until the sugar is melted and the nuts have caramelized.

Take off the heat and spoon the nuts onto foil or a baking sheet to dry. They may clump but if you want you can break them up once they are cool.

Lasts a couple weeks in an airtight container. It doesn’t last that long in my place!!

Peaches and Red Wine Sauce
Food and Wine Magazine

I usually make this sauce with leftover Red Wine, so I end up making a half recipe. The sauce is wonderful on fresh peaches with a little not too tangy goat cheese or maybe even ricotta on the side. Of course it is great just with the peaches.

1 bottle red wine
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp allspice
1 4 inch cinnamon stick crushed
Fresh peaches (or Nectarines)
Optional: Goat or Ricotta cheese

Mix it all together. Bring it to a boil then simmer until it is reduced to syrup. Remove the solids, cool and refrigerate. Slice some nice juicy peaches and drizzle a little syrup over each. Serve with picks.

You can make this a terrific dessert by putting the sauce over ice cream and adding any berries or fruit with it. The peaches, vanilla ice cream and red wine sauce make a nice and tasty presentation.

Speaking of Fiber

When the average person thinks about adding fiber to their diet, they think of brown rice, wheat and oats primarily. After a while there is only so much brown rice or oats you can eat.


There are a lot of other fiber rich foods available. One food that has a great nutritional profile is Quinoa (pronounce “keen wah”). Quinoa is not a grain; it is actually a relative of Spinach and Swiss Chard. Quinoa was eaten by the Incas on their way to battle and has been called “the gold of the Incas” or “the mother grain”.


It is a nutritional power house, high in protein and high in the amino acid lysine which is essential to tissue growth and repair. A cup of quinoa is equal to a quart of milk in calcium content. Although not as high in fiber as some grains, it is a good source of iron, phosphorus and several of the B vitamins.


Quinoa seeds are often coated with saponin, a soap like product. As such, it should be rinsed before cooking to get rid of any saponin residue. Due to its high oil content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, it should be stored in a cool dry place.


I am allergic to oats, so I came up with this breakfast recipe . Quinoa contains no gluten so it is an option for those that are gluten intolerant. It is outrageously tasty and good for you too!


There are many things you can do to vary the recipe. You could try making a winter pudding with apples and cinnamon and walnuts, replacing the coconut extract with rum or vanilla flavor. You can use apricots and dried cranberries with whatever flavoring sounds good.. I thought next time I might add chopped mango to the mix or replace the banana with mango. In any case, the recipe is terrific just the way it is.


I use brown rice syrup http://www.lundberg.com/products/syrup/syrup_og.aspx that you can get at WholeFoods or other health stores. It has a lower glycemic index than sugar. If you don’t want to buy it, you can use white or brown sugar or even maple syrup. If you have never tried brown rice syrup, I suggest you try it. It is not overly sweet like white sugar and you will find many uses for it. I have used it in cornbread with great results.


If you want more of a soft pudding texture, only cook this for 40 minutes. I like it more loaf like so it can be sliced, so I cooked it for an hour.


One warning: Be careful…when you try this you may find yourself wanting to eat the whole batch! This is good stuff!


Tropical Quinoa Pudding


½ cup Quinoa
1 cup water
1 egg and 1 egg white
½ cup of non-fat milk (or low fat, if preferred)
Heaping ¼ cup brown rice syrup
Pinch of salt
1 tbl wheat germ (I used 2 tbl of granola because I didn’t have wheat germ)
2 tbl coconut (I used sweetened but you could also use unsweetened coconut)
½ tsp coconut extract (you could vary this with vanilla extract, coconut rum or some other tasty liqueur if preferred)
¼ cup plus 1 tbl slivered almonds (toasted)
¼ cup raisins


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the Quinoa in a fine strainer and wash it to remove the saponin residue.


Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the water is absorbed and quinoa is translucent, approximately 15 minutes.


Whisk together egg, egg white, milk, salt, brown rice syrup. Stir in cooked quinoa, coconut, wheat germ, raisins and 1/4 cup almonds.


Pour mixture into a lightly greased 8x5 loaf pan. Top with the reserved 1 tbl of almonds. Place loaf pan in a preheated 350 degree oven for an hour. Serve hot.