Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Brie and Me

Yesterday, I brought a recipe that I invented (I always say that) to my sales meeting and it reminded me of how easy and fun working with Brie cheese is! Brie is a creamy pale yellow cheese with a white edible rind. The first time I worked with Brie, I took a vegetable peeler (similar to my avocado mishap) and peeled off the white rind. Imagine my surprise when I heated that brie and it flattened and oozed all over the place! It was such a terrible chore mopping up the melted oozy brie with my french bread! The really bad part? The 5lb weight gain, experienced by me. Cooks Tip: Never eat a Brie alone. Only serve when you have at least 6-8 brie-loving people with you. 

I soon learned that the rind is not only edible but it can be a delicious component to the brie experience! It's functional as well, as it tends to hold the whole thing together when heated ... Brie is the easiest and in my opinion, one of the most impressive appetizers to bring to a party or serve at your own. There are several ways to serve it that I will give you recipes for.

Brie
Naked Brie 
Naked - Just put it on platter and serve with crackers. Room Temperature is the best way to serve it. I love to use a large platter and add a couple different types of cheeses, crackers or bread crisps and even some grapes. When having a party, you always want to have at least one or two "no brainer" recipes where you have little to no prep.And this is the perfect option.

Brie with topping
Jalapeno Pepper Jelly on Top of Brie





Covered - So many ideas here! You can go simple with a sauce poured over the top. Heated or not. Sometimes I just heat the sauce. If you really want to infuse the flavor of the sauce, cut the wheel of brie in half horizontally and put one half of brie on platter, pour sauce over that piece, top with second half, then add more sauce to the top. Favorite Sauces from The Pampered Chef: Raspberry Habanero and Spicy Pineapple Rum Sauce. Another idea for this one is to chop fruit and or nuts and layer. My two favorite ways to serve this is either in a small round covered baking dish OR I also love to take my baking stone, slice bread brushed with olive oil and circle it around the brie so that when it OOZES it gets trapped by the bread!

Bread Traps the Oozy Brie
Some of my favorite flavor combinations are: Apple-Cranberry, Pepper-Pecan (Jalapeno pepper jelly) or my latest favorite: Apple Pie, where you layer a can of apple pie filling... yum.

Wrapped - I have seen crescent roll used or puff pastry. In this situation you would wrap it like a present and then bake in the oven. Delicious served with apple or pear wedges. See Picture and Recipe below.

mini fillo cups, Mini phyllo cups
Fillo or Phyllo Shells
Chunked - My all-time favorite "vehicle" for desserts or appetizers alike is the phyllo cup. Also known as "fillo" shells. They are pre-made and ready to go. LOVE THESE!  If you cube the brie and add some chopped apples, a little honey... toast in the oven and enjoy.

So for all of you that prefer actual recipes with real amounts and measurements this sections is for you...

Covered 
Tangy Pepper-Pecan Brie
Ingredients:
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and seeded  **
1/4 cup apricot preserves **
1 - 4-inch round (8 ounces) Brie cheese with rind, room temperature
1 loaf (16 ounces) French baguette Vegetable oil
**If you want, instead you can skip the jalapeno and apricot and instead use a Jalapeno pepper jelly.

 Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coarsely chop pecans using Chef's Knife. Chop jalapeño using Food Chopper. In Small Batter Bowl, combine jalapeño and preserves; mix well using Skinny Scraper.

2. Cut Brie in half horizontally using Utility Knife. Place one half of Brie, cut side up, onto center of Large Round Stone with Handles. Spread half of the apricot mixture evenly over bottom half of Brie using Small Spreader. Top with half of the pecans and remaining half of Brie, cut side up. Spread remaining apricot mixture over Brie; sprinkle with remaining pecans.

3. Using Bread Knife, cut baguette on a bias into twenty-four 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange baguette slices around Brie; spray with oil using Kitchen Spritzer.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until baguette slices are golden brown and Brie begins to soften. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve using Bamboo Spreader. Yield: 12 servings Nutrients per serving: Calories 230, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 38 g, Protein 6 g, Sodium 400 mg, Fiber 2 g

Cook's Tips: Wear plastic gloves when working with jalapeño peppers. The juice from the peppers can create a burning sensation on the skin. For a simple garnish, slice a jalapeño pepper in half lengthwise using Petite Paring Knife. Brush cut surface with apricot jam. Place next to Brie before baking. This recipe can also be prepared on the Large Bar Pan, if desired. Camembert cheese can be substituted for the Brie, if desired.

Variations: Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Brie: Substitute 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, patted dry and chopped for the apricot preserves. Substitute 1 tablespoon prepared basil pesto for the jalapeño pepper and 1/4 cup pine nuts for the pecans. Proceed as recipe directs.
(C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd

Baked Brie with Apples & Cranberries
Prep time: 15 minutes
1/2 cup chopped apple (½ medium apple)
1/4 cup sliced natural almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon Pantry Korintje Cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1 round (8 ounces) Brie cheese (about 4 inches in diameter)
Crackers or cocktail bread slices

Preheat oven to 350° F. Coarsely chop apple with food chopper. Combine apple, almonds, cranberries, brown sugar and cinnamon in small batter bowl; mix gently. Stir in butter just until ingredients are moistened. Cut Brie in half horizontally using utility knife. Place one half of Brie, rind side down, on small bar pan. Spoon half of the apple mixture onto bottom half of Brie, spreading evenly. Top with remaining half of Brie, rind side up. Spoon remaining apple mixture over top. Bake 12-15 minutes or until cheese is soft and just begins to melt. Serve with assorted crackers or cocktail bread slices.
(C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd


Apple Pie Brie 
Apple Pie Brie
1 can Apple Pie Filling
1  x 4 in wheel of brie (8oz)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Cinnamon, just a dash
Toast points, bagel chips or crackers
Cut wheel of brie in half horizontally. Using small covered round dish, like a cocotte, place bottom half of brie, cut side up, in dish. Top with half of the pie filling (if using a small can) if you have a large can, a dollop is enough. Then finish by placing the last half on top. Repeat with another dollop. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and cook covered in microwave for 2-3 minutes. Open lid, and sprinkle with dash of cinnamon. Cinnamon toast cut in quarters is a nice option, but any cracker or spoon will do.

Chunked 
Honey-Apple Brie Bites
Fillo cups, phyllo cups,
Honey-Apple Brie Bites
Ingredients:
1 lemon
1 cup (250 mL) toasted walnuts
2 medium red baking apples such as Jonathan (2 cups/500 mL finely diced)
1/4 cup (50 mL) honey
1  4-in. (10-cm) round (8 oz/250 g) Brie or Camembert cheese
2 pkg (1.9 oz/53.86 g each) prepared mini phyllo shells (30 shells total)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Zest lemon using Microplane(R) Adjustable Grater to measure 1 tsp (5 mL) zest. Coarsely chop walnuts using Food Chopper. Finely dice apple using Santoku Knife. Combine zest, walnuts, apple and honey in Classic Batter Bowl; mix gently. 
2. Cut Brie into thirty 1/2-in. (1-cm) cubes using Utility Knife. Arrange phyllo cups on Large Sheet Pan. Place one Brie cube into each cup. Using Small Scoop, top Brie with a level scoop of apple mixture. Bake 6-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Yield: 30 servings Nutrients per serving: (1 appetizer): Calories 60, Total Fat 3.5 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 6 g, Protein 1 g, Sodium 15 mg, Fiber 0 g U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving (1 appetizer): ½ starch, ½ fat (½ carb)
Cook's Tips: To finely dice apple, slice off one side of apple, avoiding core. Thinly slice apple lengthwise; cut slices into thin strips. Finely dice strips.  (C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd

Wrapped 
Crescent-Wrapped Brie by Pillsbury
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 round (8 oz) Brie cheese
1 egg, beaten
Heat oven to 350°F. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate crosswise into 2 sections. Pat dough and firmly press perforations to seal, forming 2 squares. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut crosswise into 2 rectangles. Pat dough to form 2 squares. Place 1 square on ungreased cookie sheet.

Place cheese on center of dough. With small cookie or canapé cutter (creative cutter) cut 1 shape from each corner of remaining square; set cutouts aside. Place remaining square on top of cheese round. Press dough evenly around cheese; fold bottom edges over top edges. Gently stretch dough evenly around cheese; press to seal completely. Brush with beaten egg. Top with cutouts; brush with additional beaten egg. Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Pillsbury Crescent Wrapped Brie

Be Sure to LIKE me on Facebook - go to Let's Get Cooking ... with Kathy Gilmore 

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

It's not all roses...

I was just reading a Facebook post by a colleague. This was someone who was needing a pick me up after a show-gone-bad. I believe one of the show's low-lights had something to do with screaming children running around her in circles during the demonstration. If you have ever had a host say to her guests, "just bring the kids!" it can be kind of a crapshoot. It reminded me though that there are a lot of jobs that have "those moments." How about Day Care Providers, Dairy Queen Owners, Teachers, Pediatricians, Magicians, Photographers and Clowns, just to name a few? Dance instructors, Camp Directors, Dental Hygienists and Youth Ministers... I'm sure they have had their fair share of moments gone awry!

One of my friends got into a debate about the Teacher strikes in Chicago and it got a bit heated. Some were pro and some were con and some of the comments were just plain ugly. I think the lowest point in the debate  (after the name calling) was the grammar corrections. Seriously? Grammar corrections on a FB post?  The whole thing reminded me that what's important to remember is there are drawbacks to each person's job, and hopefully they are paid accordingly.It's not our place to judge and compare. While I agree with the "none of us have it easy" attitude, I also fully support the right to fight for your benefits. One of my friends works in the inner-city where many children come from abusive homes or homes where the parents don't support anything the school is trying to accomplish. But seeing the rewards of helping mold and inspire someone living in that situation might make that worth it. But why would I deny her the right to fight for her benefits? Ya, I wouldn't go there.

Now, me I prefer to spread cream cheese on a crescent roll and help spread the mission of family meal time through the sale of vegetable peelers. Don't judge. So yes, I still go in to the house that has 15 Little Tikes Climbers in the front yard, or the third floor apartment with no elevator. And if i get up the nerve to rally all my workers for better pay, benefits or conditions, back off, ok?  God Bless America!

Monday, August 13, 2012

Cool as a Cucumber

Hello friends! It's been a busy summer being the at-home mom of three tween to teens. And I have been thinking of all sorts of blog topics, but with little time to write!  I have certainly shared with you many stories that end up with a mess, or a botched recipe, so much so that I'm guessing I am resembling some old  "I love Lucy" episodes. So, I am taking a slight break from that. I have a twist on the blog...inspired by my booth at a farmer's market. It's held weekly on Wednesdays and I have been enjoying seeing my customers, friends and my awesome buddy, Betsy at the booth next to me. Each week at the Market I have been trying to focus on a different food or specifically fruit or vegetable. And for those that aren't near a market, you may just be inspired to pick up the veggie of the week at your supermarket or else, if you are lucky enough to grow these in your garden... well hurray for you:

This week it's not just any old vegetable: it's a Super Food! Yes, it's the CUCUMBER!

Some of the MANY Health benefits of cucumbers *1
Hydration: Keeps you hydrated, regulates body temperature and flushes out toxins!
Skin Care: High water content, and vitamins A,B,C and minerals are all great for skin, and help reduce water retention, diminishing puffiness and swelling.  That must be why you always see the ladies at the spa with cucumber slices on their eyes!
Cancer fighter: the lignans found in cucumbers have been recently linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and several cancers.*2*3
Stimulates hair growth AND keeps your nail health tip top - keeps them from splitting and cracking! And that is JUST a Few of the benefits. WOWZA -that is some amazing stuff!

Ok so now you know WHY you should get your hands on a cucumber! Now what? Yes, you can just slice and eat it - but there are a lot of fun Recipes with Cucumbers in them...

Last week on my  Pinterest page  I added a recipe that I made at a recent demonstration.  It involved cutting the cucumber into 1-2 inch sections and then hollowing out the top to make a Cucumber Cup. The cups you can make from a cucumber are amazingly cool - you can fill these with a number of different fillings - from a chicken salad to a salsa - to a bacon water-chestnut filling that has teriyaki sauce in it.

Another cool idea is the baby shower favorite: Cucumber sandwiches, with a touch of dill weed (or my favorite Pampered Chef Dill Mix).  There are so many fun ideas. I thought I had invented an idea last summer of adding cucumber to your salsa - but if you do a google search you can see that many other people also agree, adding some diced cucumber to your salsa makes a COOL combination.

Cucumber Canapes is another favorite "concept" of mine - where you take the cucumber and slice on the bias (45 degree angle) and then take your decorator set and add your favorite dip. I found a fantastic dip that is more of a cheese spread than a dip, the name is Kaukana's Garden Vegetable Cheese Spread - and it's amazingly light.   I like to call it Garden Vegetable Mousse.  THAT recipe was inspired by a different one (see picture)  called: Creole Shrimp & Cucumber Canapés. 

So many ideas, so little time. Come visit me in Aurora at the West Plaza Farmer's Market - and pick up a sheet of fantastic cucumber recipes. Here is one that is delicious!

Kathy



Creole Shrimp & Cucumber Canapés
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (125 mL) ketchup
2 tbsp (30 mL) Creole Rub, divided
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped onion
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped green bell pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped celery
1/4 tsp (1 mL) hot pepper sauce
4 oz (125 g) cream cheese, softened
1 seedless cucumber
24 cooked medium shrimp (41-50 per lb), peeled and deveined, tails removed
2 tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1.  Combine ketchup, 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the rub, onion, bell pepper, celery and hot sauce in (1-cup/250-mL) Prep Bowl. Combine cream cheese and remaining rub in Small Batter Bowl; mix well. Attach open star tip to Easy Accent(R) Decorator; fill with cream cheese mixture.

2.  Cut cucumber on a bias into twenty-four 1/4-inch-thick (6-mm) slices using Santoku Knife. Pipe cream cheese mixture evenly over centers of cucumber slices. Place shrimp over cream cheese mixture; spoon cocktail sauce over shrimp. Garnish with parsley.

Yield:  24 servings

Nutrients per serving:  (1 appetizer): Calories 30, Total Fat 1.5 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Carbohydrate 2 g, Protein 2 g, Sodium 80 mg, Fiber 0 g
(C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2012


Cucumber Health Benefits taken from the following sources:

1. http://www.healthonlinezine.info/15-health-benefits-of-cucumber.html
2. http://www.naturalnews.com/035719_cucumbers_anti-aging_vegetables.html
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/cucumber.html



Friday, June 8, 2012

Summer Sunday

Summer Sundays remind me of picnics, backyard gatherings and fun parties. In my opinion, the king of all activities is catching a summer concert at Ravinia. Ravinia, if you have not been, is an outdoor theater, North of Chicago, that has pavilion seating and lawn seating.  The lawn is the way to go. It's truly beautiful. You bring your picnic, candelabra (you think i'm kidding?) haul (or rent!) your chair and table and share a meal or snack with your BFFs, while the music of the day is piped in around you, playing live in the open-air pavilion steps away.  I have seen people show up with their bag of KFC, sitting on the postage stamp patch of mulch under a tree that was all that was left because they came too late.  Sitting next to them is someone that has been there for 3 hours, sipping wine, snacking on their gourmet sampling, and sharing a beef tenderloin on real china. It's kinda funny. 

Another fun perk when you are sitting in the lawn, waiting for music to start, is you get to meet your neighbors. One time we were with a group and suddenly began chatting with our neighboring picnickers and the woman had told us she was a nurse. After a glass of wine (or two) I began telling her how much I admired nurses, my mother is a geriatric nurse and I appreciated what a hard job it would be to have to deal with death on a daily basis. Suddenly my husband's phone rang, and it was my mother (who was watching the children). And she said "Tell Kathy to hang up her phone, and that people don't die every day!" Apparently I had butt-dialed her and she heard our entire conversation! oops! 

Well, whether you have a Ravinia or just a park district that does a summer concert series... or whatever, the picnic is what I love! I do sell some fantastic picnic supplies in my business complete with drink holders you stick in the lawn, bowls that collapse for easy transport and if you haven't seen my cool and serve tray, you really should give me a call. But I digress... Let's talk about the best food to transport to one of these amazing opportunities. 

The Appetizers:
No festive gathering is complete with out a few pre-dinner munchies. 

BLT dip - served with crackers, bread toasts, pita chips or french bread, keep it cold in a cool server, or pack in ice and eat first. See the end for my favorite old recipe. 

Italian Skewers - skewered ahead, and put in a collapsible bowl or reusable 
(earth-friendly container) take a 4 in skewer and add a cherry tomato, 1/4 of a fresh basil leaf, fresh mozzarella chunk, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt. If you cant' find a small skewer, just do larger ones and repeat. This is a festive, attractive fun appetizer.
Fresh Veggie and Fruit tray - It's essential, because when you are sitting and snacking (and drinking) it's nice to have something that is guilt free. My favs are the crisp pea pods, carrot chips (take a slicer and your full size carrot and slice on the bias (about a 45 degree angle) and it will make you never want a baby carrot again). Now on the fruit side, grapes, strawberries and fresh pineapple. Grapes and Strawberries are a no-brainer, no mess fruit, and then you have that sweet mess of a pineapple, which of course if you have my pineapplewedger and a big cutting board... it's quick pre-event prep, that tastes so good.
The Main Course:
Stromboli is always my favorite.  What the heck is stromboli? This was best answered in Wikipedia: "Stromboli is a type of turnover filled with various cheeses, Italian meats or 
vegetables. The dough is Italian bread dough." It's basically like a calzone that is rolled 
instead of topped.  Imagine taking a raw pizza and rolling it up and baking it. Serve it by the slice. 

There are many ways to cheat and take a lot of the time out of this, like a prepared dough 
(aka- Pillsbury) or one of my favs, frozen, then thawed Rhodes brand white bread dough or pizza crust dough. And the toppings can be anything. Sandwich meat like roast beef or 
turkey and layers of cheeses. Add sauteed onions or peppers. Or make it a pizza one and 
just do marinara, pepperoni and cheeses. 

Make this ahead and serve cool, or foil it up right away and serve warm. It's great either 
way. I have a pampered chef recipe below for a darn tasty version of my stromboli.  They 
call it something different. 

I would add desserts but I've procrastinated my day job long enough... desserts next time... 
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!  Eat something fabulous and think of me. :)

KATHY



--------------------------
RECIPES 


Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Dip
8oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup Ranch Dressing
1 med. Tomato
6 slices of cooked bacon
½ cup chopped celery
2 TB chopped onion
1 tsp sugar
Lettuce Leaves
French Bread, sliced or crackers
 
Place cream cheese in Batter Bowl. Stir in dressing and mix well. Remove seeds from tomato, dice tomato (reserve a small amount for garnish), chop bacon, celery & onion and add sugar and all the veggies to cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate.  To serve, line bowl with lettuce leaves and fill with dip. Garnish with tomatoes, and serve with toasted bread slices or crackers. 

Stuffed Spinach and Sausage Roll (which I call Stromboli)

Ingredients:
1/2  pound mild Italian sausage, cooked, drained and crumbled
1  cup (4 ounces) chopped fresh whole mushrooms
1  package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1  cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
2  garlic cloves, pressed
1  egg, separated
2  packages (10 ounces each) refrigerated pizza crust
1  can (8 ounces) pizza sauce, warmed
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine sausage, mushrooms, spinach, cheese and garlic; mix well. In Small Batter Bowl, separate egg using Egg Separator; add yolk to spinach mixture, reserving egg white.
  2. Roll one pizza crust into a 12 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread half of spinach mixture over dough to within 1/2- inch of edges of dough. Starting at longest side of rectangle, roll up dough, jelly-roll fashion; press seams together to seal. Repeat with remaining pizza crust and filling.
  3. Place rolls, seam sides down, on Large Round Stone. Join ends of rolls to form 1 large ring; pinch together to seal. Lightly beat egg white using Egg Separator; brush over dough. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Spoon sauce over each serving.
Yield: 10 servings
For more recipes and ideas, email me at pcgilmore@comcast.net and I will add you on to my business E-newsletter. It's a good one!

Monday, May 14, 2012

Help! My Kale is on fire!


So I'm not sure if you remember the blog post about me, slowing turning in to Mrs. Claus? Well, I feel like I have been dieting my whole life. Sometimes more successfully than others. Anyway, I am now on this big kick about eating healthy (ya, it started today) and I'm really hoping this will turn things around for me. Since I was just posting about Chocolate on Sunday, I'm sure you are all shocked. 


I was reading in my new favorite book called, Think and Grow Thin, by Charles D'Angelo, about the good foods to eat vs. the "forbidden foods" that should only be eaten on rare occasion. I was so excited when I realized that I have all the tools to make this food. I just didn't have the food. I have been buying a lot of crap. Back in the day when I did Weight Watchers, I obsessively followed the plan, but I seriously ate 1/3 of my points every day in sweets. I lost the weight, but I did not eat healthy. Don't get me wrong, I love weight watchers and what it did teach me. And at the time I loved that I could eat all my points in brownies if I wanted to, but seriously, what was I thinking? This time, I'm just going to focus on being healthy. So off I went to Woodman's today  and 2 1/2 hours later, I have the healthiest fridge you'd ever seen. 

On to the Kale on fire, right? I read in my new book that you can make chips out of Kale (it's a leafy vegetable that most people think is lettuce). It said to bake them in the oven. BUT OH NO! I grabbed out my most fabulous Microwave Chip Maker to make some KALE Chips in the microwave. You can make Sweet Potato chips and potato chips - of which are NORMALLY on the forbidden lists, but HO HO! I CAN have these chips and I can make them in 2-3 minutes in the microwave! Luckily I had some Kale left over from when I used it for garnish at a school event. Well, to make a long story, longer, within 2 minutes the damn Kale started on fire.  Luckily I saw the sparks and grabbed it out without damage to the microwave or the chip maker. I don't know if it was the kale, or the olive oil i lightly spritzed on it, but yikes. 

The recipe worked great in the oven on my large bar pan. I did bake them for 35 minutes -and they melt in your mouth. Now if you KNOW how good Kale is for you, you might consider making a batch. 

Enjoy the recipe... and to read about the amazing health benefits of the cancer-fighting Queen of Greens... check out the article at webmd.com ...

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-kale

Baked Kale Chips
recipe image
Rated:rating
Submitted By: LucyDelRey
Photo By: CookinBug
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 20 Minutes
Servings: 6
"These are a low calorie nutritious snack. Like potato chips, you cannot stop at just eating one. They are great for parties and a good conversation topic."
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2.With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3.Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.









Tuesday, April 17, 2012

I hope it doesn't sink

I thought it was terrible when they re-released the Titanic movie a couple weeks after the Mediterranean Cruise ship sank off the coast of Italy. It only recently hit me, that maybe it was because of the 100 year anniversary! I seriously thought it was just a morbid fascination with cruise ships sinking! My bad. I may have been extra sensitive as my company's sales incentive trip is a cruise this year! Maybe?

Well, it did remind me of  a great story Matt and I like to share about our Alaskan Cruise. It was early in the morning and Matt got up to get a cup of coffee, and find out the news of the day. As he was walking down the hall, pictures started falling off the walls, and he started getting really nervous as the ship was listing at a very unusual angle. He came back to the room in a state of alarm, and told me to get dressed, that he was certain that something was wrong. Fortunately, very soon afterward, we found out our Cruise Ship had rescued a commercial fishing boat and it's 3 fishermen that were sinking! We were the closest vessel to the sinking boat, and the fishermen got quite a reception! They were soon celebrities, and they even had a press conference and were answering questions in the ballroom. I hope if I'm ever sinking, a luxury cruise liner is the closest boat! 

So I'm thinking, how can I tie-in food to this story (cause you know how I like to do that). And so Seafood it is! And yes, lent is over, so you could have steak instead...

If you go to Confessions of a Direct Seller on Facebook and like this status - you might be Fan of the week! And a new Rub from my line will be in your mailbox soon if you are chosen! 


Homemdae Cocktail Sauce
Cause you know, you always forget to buy it! 

Classic Cocktail Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco(R) pepper sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:
1.  Combine ketchup, horseradish, pepper sauce and lemon juice; mix well. Spoon into Small Bowl.

Yield:  1 1/4 cups

Cook's Tips:  To make Classic Shrimp Cocktail, fill Medium Bowl with 4 cups of crushed ice, leaving a small well in center of ice. Press Small Bowl securely into well; fill with Classic Cocktail Sauce. Arrange cooked, peeled, tail-on shrimp over edge of bowl. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh parsley, if desired.

(C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2012

An Old Favorite of mine! 


Shrimp Wonton Cups


Ingredients:
24  wonton wrappers
1  tbsp (15 mL) butter, melted
10  oz (300 g) shelled, deveined, cooked medium shrimp, divided
4  oz (125 g) cream cheese, softened
1  garlic clove, pressed
1/2  tsp (2 mL) Worcestershire sauce
2  green onions with tops, finely chopped
1/3  cup (75 mL) grated carrot
4  oz (125 g) shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup/250 mL)
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly spray Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan with nonstick cooking spray. Brush one side of wontons with butter. Press wontons, buttered side up, into wells of pan. Bake 8 minutes or until edges turn light golden brown. Remove pan from oven.
  2. Reserve 24 shrimp; chop remaining shrimp. In large bowl, whisk cream cheese, garlic and Worcestershire sauce until well blended. Add chopped shrimp, green onions, carrot and mozzarella cheese; mix well.
  3. Fill each wonton cup with about 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the cream cheese mixture; top with a reserved shrimp. Bake 5 minutes or until wontons are golden brown and filling is bubbly. 
Yield: 24 appetizers
Nutrients per serving: (1 wonton cup): Calories 70, Total Fat 3.5 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 30 mg, Carbohydrate 5 g, Protein 5 g, Sodium 115 mg, Fiber 0 g

Glazed Peppercorn Salmon



Ingredients:
2 1/4  tsp (11 mL) coarsely ground black pepper, divided
1  orange
2  tbsp (30 mL) white wine vinegar
1  tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped shallot
1  tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
3/4  tsp (4 mL) salt, divided
6  tbsp (90 mL) olive oil, divided
4  skinless salmon fillets (4-6 oz/125-175 g each)
Directions:
  1. Place 2 tsp (10 mL) of the black pepper in (8-in./20-cm) Sauté Pan. Cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Zest orange to measure 1 tbsp (15 mL) zest. Juice orange to measure 1/4 cup (50 mL) of juice. In a small mixing bowl, combine juice, zest, vinegar, shallot, mustard, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) of the salt and toasted black pepper. Slowly add 5 tbsp (75 mL) of the oil, whisking constantly. Set aside 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the glaze.
  2. Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Brush salmon with remaining oil and season with remaining salt and black pepper. Grill salmon, covered, 2-3 minutes or until grill marks appear. Turn salmon over using BBQ Flexible Turner; brush with remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the glaze. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with reserved glaze.
Yield: 4 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 400, Total Fat 33 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 65 mg, Carbohydrate 4 g, Protein 23 g, Sodium 590 mg, Fiber 1 g