Chef Jeff

Tomato Soup — Rustic-Style

A few years ago, I was asked to give a cooking demonstration in UND's Wellness Center as part of a "Go Red" event during National Heart Month, which happens to be February.

I considered it quite an honor, since Kim Holmes, owner of Sanders 1907 restaurant in Grand Forks and chef extradordinaire, also was participating. I don't recall what he made, but it was something red, which was the theme, and of course, it was quite tasty.

The organizers asked me if I would make a Rustic Italian Tomato Soup, which contained tomatoes, navy beans, fresh basil, olive oil and garlic, among other ingredients.

I have made the soup a couple of times since, but not recently. I tucked the recipe away and hadn't looked at it until this past week. I made the soup again Monday night, as part of my East Grand Forks Community Education men's cooking class. I served it along with some Czechoslovakian Cabbage Soup. Both were a hit.

Since it's February and Heart Month to boot, I've decided to share that recipe, along with another for Tomato Bread Soup.

Go Red!

Rustic Italian Tomato Soup
1 16-ounce package frozen mixed bell pepper strips (may be labeled stir-fry mix)
1 14½-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 14- or 15-ounce can fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 15½-ounce can no-salt-added navy beans, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil (extra-virgin preferred)
¼ teaspoon salt
In a food processor or blender, process the bell peppers, undrained tomatoes, broth, beans, basil, parsley, vinegar, oregano, garlic and red pepper flakes until slightly chunky or smooth. Pour into a large saucepan with broth. Bring to a boil over heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the flavors are blended. Remove from the heat. Stir in the oil and salt. Ladle into soup bowls.
Yield: Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional information per serving: 136 calories, 3.5 grams fat (0.5 grams saturated, 0.5 grams polyunsaturated, 2.5 grams monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 215 milligrams sodium, 22 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams sugars, 5 grams fiber, 5 grams protein.

Tomato Bread Soup
1-pound loaf country-style bread
3 pounds Roma tomatoes (or 2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, drained)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Vegetable stock, water or tomato liquid
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Fresh basil leaves
Remove and discard bread crusts. Cut bread into 2-inch chunks, spread on a baking sheet and toast lightly in a 200-degree oven. Peel, seed and chop the tomatoes. Set aside.
Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium-low. Cook onion and garlic until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, raise heat to medium and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until pieces break up. Add 1 to 2 cups stock, stir in bread and simmer another minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into warm bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with cheese and basil. Pass more cheese at the table.
Yield: Serves 8.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 347 calories, 37 percent of calories from fat, 14 grams fat (4 grams saturated, 6.5 g monounsaturated), 13 milligrams cholesterol, 13 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 539 milligrams sodium.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 2/09/2010 at 8:07 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: chef jeff, jeff tiedeman, recipes, rustic italian tomato soup, soup, tomato soup

Buffalo Wings

The other day, a co-worker of mine, Megan LaPlaca, was wondering if I knew of any recipes for baked buffalo wings. Like a lot of people, she likes the tasty appetizers, which probably will found at many a Super Bowl party Sunday, but not the idea of deep-frying them.

After a little bit of research, I found the following recipe at allrecipes.com. Leesah, who submitted the recipe, said this about it:

 "These easy-to-make hot wings are crispy without being fried. Always yummy to snack on. They only take 10 minutes for prep but need to be refrigerated for about an hour so the flour coating is firm. You can add more cayenne or use a higher hot sauce to butter ratio if you like them spicier! Enjoy."

So, for those of you want to try your hand at making your own wings, here's the recipe, along with another that offers three cooking methods, inlcluding deep-frying.

Baked Buffalo Wings
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
20 chicken wings
½ cup melted butter
½ cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot)
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with cooking spray. Place the flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and salt into a resealable plastic bag and shake to mix. Add the chicken wings, seal and toss until well coated with the flour mixture. Place the wings onto the prepared baking sheet, and place into the refrigerator. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce in a small bowl. Dip the wings into the butter mixture and place back on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and crispy on the outside, about 45 minutes. Turn the wings over halfway during cooking so they cook evenly.

Buffalo Chicken Wings
3 pounds chicken wings (about 16), separated into wings and drumettes
6 cups vegetable oil if deep-frying
1½ teaspoons cayenne
Salt to taste
FOR SAUCE:
¼ cup canola oil or ¼ cup melted unsalted butter
3 to 4 tablespoons hot sauce such as Frank's or Goya
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
FOR BLUE-CHEESE DRESSING:
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 ounces (about ½ cup) crumbled blue cheese
4 celery ribs
For the wings: In a large (5- to 6-quart) deep heavy pot, wok or deep-fat fryer, heat oil until a thermometer registers 375 degrees. Rinse wings, pat dry and season with salt and cayenne. Carefully lower 6 or 7 wings into oil and stir occasionally until golden and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on size. With a slotted spoon, transfer wings to paper towels. Fry remaining wings, returning oil to 375 degrees between batches.
For the sauce: In a large skillet, heat oil over moderately low heat; stir in hot sauce and salt and pepper. Set aside. Add cooked wings to sauce and toss. Serve chicken wings hot, warm or at room temperature with dressing and celery sticks and hot sauce on the side.
For the dressing: In a bowl, whisk mayonnaise and sour cream and stir in blue cheese (dressing will not be smooth). Dressing may be made 8 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Cut celery into thin sticks. Soak in a bowl of ice and cold water at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Yield: Serves 4.
To broil wings: Rinse chicken wings; pat dry and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil and oil it. Place wings on baking sheet in a single layer and broil 6 inches from heat source until golden brown, and cooked through, rotating sheet occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.
To bake wings: Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Use same seasonings and preparation as above. Bake until golden brown, and cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving (not including oil used for frying): 668 calories, 82 percent of calories from fat, 61.3 grams fat (13 grams saturated, 20.9 g monounsaturated), 122.5 milligrams cholesterol, 25.6 grams protein, 4.1 grams carbohydrates, 1.2 grams fiber, 775.5 milligrams sodium.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 2/05/2010 at 8:18 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: baked buffalo wings, buffalo wings, chef jeff, chicken, jeff tiedeman, recipes, super bowl food, super bowl party food

Heart-Healthy Muffins

For years, the Food and Drug Adminstration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been telling us that diets rich in whole grains and low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

It's a message that has been heeded by a lot of people — but not enough. Since February is American Heart Month, I thought it might be a good time spread the word.

I'm pretty conscious of the risk of cardiovascular disease. Back in November 1993, at the age of 42, I suffered a stroke. Luckily, the lasting effects of it have been pretty minor. Since then, I've done quite a bit to reduce the risk factors for heart and cardiovascular disease. I've lost about 40 pounds, quit smoking, exercise regularly and changed my eating habits.

Probably the hardest of all those changes was to starting eating healthier. But with a little perserverance, I've managed to do a pretty good job. And one of the changes has been to add more whole grains into my diet.

I've discovered that not only swapping refined grains for whole grains such as brown or wild rice, bulgar and barley gives me more nutrients and dietary fiber in my diet, the foods they are used in taste delicious and add an exotic flair to any meal. And more importantly, they low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

According to the USDA's Food Pyramid, we should have six to 11 servings a day of whole grains. One of the easiest ways to do that is to add whole-wheat flour to your baked goods.

A good example is the following recipe for Whole-Wheat Blueberry Muffins. Whole wheat flour is higher in fiber than regular flour. And the low-calorie blueberries add flavor and keep the muffin moist, besides also being high in fiber, potassium and vitamin C. And they contain pterostilbene, a compound that appears to be effective in lowering the bad forms of cholesterol.

Whole-Wheat Blueberry Muffins
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
3 egg whites
½ cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper baking cups. Stir together flour and whole-wheat flour. Measure out 1 tablespoon flour mixture and sprinkle over blueberries; toss to coat evenly and set aside. Stir baking powder and salt into flour mixture; set aside.
Beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in egg whites until well-combined. Stir in milk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, blending just until moistened. Stir in blueberries. Spoon into muffin cups, filling nearly to the top of each cup. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Yield: 12 muffins.
Approximate nutritional analysis per muffin: 198 calories, 26 percent of calories from fat, 6 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 14 milligrams cholesterol, 32 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 240 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 2/04/2010 at 8:47 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: blueberries, chef jeff, jeff tiedeman, muffins, recipes, whole grains, whole wheat flour, whole-wheat blueberry muffins

Hot and Sour Tilipia with Rhubarb Sauce

The other days while looking through the freezer, I came across some rhubarb that we had frozen last fall. Most of the time, the frozen rhurbarb is used in a pies or crisps, but I was wondering what other tasty use we could find for it.

My search for a rhubarb recipe ended when I came across the following from McCormick, the spice people, in an e-mail. The rhubarb is used in a sauce for a hot and sour tilapia entree.

While the recipe calls for some spices and herbs from McCormick's Gourmet Collection, I don't think they are necessary. You could just go with its less expensive product line or a regular store brand.

The recipe also contains Thai Kitchen's Sweet Red Chili Sauce, which is sure to kick the dish up a notch or two. I'm familiar with this sauce and highly recommend it.

As for the tilapia, it's a mild, white fish that's available year-round and is very affordable. Your best choice is tilapia grown in the U.S. in environmentally friendly systems. I like to avoid farmed tilapia from China and Taiwan, where pollution and weak management can be a problem.

Tilapia is a very good source of protein and potassium, as well as an excellent source of phosphorus, niacin, selenium and vitamin B12. It also won't add many calories to your diet and contains no carbohydrates.

Hot and Sour Tilapia with Gingered Rhubarb Sauce
GINGERED RHUBARB:
1 cup frozen sliced rhubarb
1 8-ounce can pineapple chunks in juice, drained
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons Thai Kitchen Sweet Red Chili Sauce
½ teaspoon McCormick cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Collection roasted ground ginger
1 tablespoon McCormick Gourmet Collection toasted sesame seed
1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Collection Sicilian sea salt
¼ teaspoon McCormick coarse ground black pepper
1½ pounds tilapia
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Rhubarb Sauce, microwave rhubarb in medium microwavable bowl on high 1 to 2 minutes or just until thawed. Add pineapple, lime juice, chili sauce, cilantro and ginger; toss to mix well. Set aside.
Mix sesame seed, sea salt and pepper. Brush fish with oil. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture.
Grill over medium-low heat 4 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with Gingered Rhubarb Sauce.
Yield: Servees 6.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 204 calories, 8 grams fat, 9 grams carbohydrates, 52 milligrams cholesterol, 460 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber, 24 grams protein.
 

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 2/03/2010 at 10:12 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: chef jeff, frozen rhubarb, jeff tiedeman, pineapple, recipes, rhubarb, rhubarb sauce, sauces, sweet and sour, tilapia

Hittin' the Sauce

For the past several years, I've haven't been known to imbibe. But on Monday night, I found myself hitting the sauce.

Don't get the wrong idea. My adventure with the sauce was part of a East Grand Forks Community Education class at Senior High School. Actually, it was the first of three beginning cooking classes for men. The goal of the class is to give men who don't have a lot of experience with cooking an introduction into something that always used to be the domain of women, although this has been changing in the past decade or so.

Granted, there are some men who like to cook, but the majority of them do most of it on a grill. The kitchen is a foreign place to them.

When asked by Greg Leigh about teaching the class, I thought segments on sauces, soups and salads would be a good place to start. Since then, I've decided to drop the salad class in favor of one focusing on meat.

On our first night, I mixed up an easy homemade barbecue sauce that was complemented with some pulled pork and pheasant and served on small buns. I also talked about a couple of other sauces that are simple to make and wouldn't be hard for novices.

Among the other sauces that I talked about was a meatless marinara, which can contain any number of fresh vegetables, including carrots, peppers and mushrooms. Or it can be strictly tomatoes, tomato paste and sauce with onions, garlic and celery.

Here are a couple of variations of that sauce that will elevate a box of pasta to the heights of culinary excellence.

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
1 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes, crushed, with the juice
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 large onion, peeled and cut in half
Salt
Put all ingredients in a saucepan and cook, uncovered, at a slow but steady simmer, for 45 minutes, or until the fat floats free from the tomatoes.
Stir from time to time, mashing any large pieces of tomato in the pan with the back of a wooden spoon. Taste and correct for salt. Discard the onion before tossing sauce with pasta. Yield: About 2 cups of sauce, enough for 1 to 1½ pounds of pasta.
Note: Serve the sauce with grated Parmesan.

Italian-American Meat Sauce
½ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
½ small onion, peeled but intact
1 14-ounce can tomato paste
4 ounces (1 tomato-paste can's worth) red wine
4 leaves fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
2 pounds meatballs or Italian pork sausage, browned in a skillet
Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until golden brown. Remove and discard. Add tomato paste and stir into oil. Fill tomato-paste can with wine, swish it around to get excess paste, and pour into pot. Add basil, salt and pepper, turn heat up and stir until liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Add canned tomatoes to the pot, rinsing out each can with water and adding that water (about 2 cups) to the pot. Adjust heat so sauce simmers slowly, and cook, with the lid askew, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick and silky, 1 to 1½ hours. Add browned meat and cook for up to an hour longer.
Serve sauce with pasta and place the meatballs or sausage on a separate platter.
Yield: Makes enough sauce for 1½ pounds pasta.

Quick Tomato Sauce
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 sprig fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon of either, dried (optional)
1 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Film the bottom of a skillet with oil and add garlic and herbs, if using. Turn heat to medium and cook until garlic just starts to color, but doesn't brown. Add tomatoes and a big pinch of salt.
Crush the tomatoes with a potato masher. Bring contents of pot to a brisk simmer and cook until thick.
Give the sauce a good grinding of pepper and taste for salt. Fish out the garlic and herbs before serving.
Yield: Makes about 2 cups, enough for 1 to 1½ pounds pasta.

Ragu Bolognese
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 carrots, finely chopped (about 1½ cups)
3 ribs celery, finely chopped (about 1½ cups)
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
1 large onion, finely chopped
Salt
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound ground veal (or another pound of beef)
Freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup dry white wine (optional)
2 cups whole milk
1 28- or 35-ounce can tomatoes
Place butter, oil, carrots, celery, parsley, onion and 1 teaspoon salt in a large, heavy Dutch oven. Cover and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fat begins to sizzle, then uncover and cook until vegetables soften, become translucent and lose some of their brightness. (Vegetables should not brown; you may have to turn heat down to low.)
Still over medium to low heat, add meat, another teaspoon of salt, a good grinding of pepper and nutmeg. With a large spoon, break up meat, smearing it against the bottom of the pot, so it's well integrated with the vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, until meat loses all of its raw color and begins to look a bit granular, about 10 minutes. Add wine, turn heat up to medium high, and cook, stirring constantly, until wine is evaporated and the bottom of the pot looks almost dry, about 10 minutes.
Pour milk into pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer slowly until the milk evaporates, about 45 minutes. Stir frequently — especially toward the end — and make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Add tomatoes, crushing them with your hands before adding them to the pot. Rinse out the tomato can with about a cup of water and add to pot. Turn down heat to a very low simmer; bubbles should only occasionally break the surface. Cook for 3 hours uncovered.
Yield: About 2 quarts.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 2/02/2010 at 8:19 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: chef jeff, east grand forks community eduction, jeff tiedeman, marinara sauce, ragu bolognese, recipes, sauces, tomato sauces

Reuben Sandwich Casserole

A lot of people are familiar with Reuben sandwiches. For those of you who aren't, they're the ones that are made with sauerkraut, corned beef (sometimes pastrami), Swiss cheese, Thousand Island dressing and rye bread.

I've had my share of restaurant Reubens over the years,  but my preference always has been the homemade variety.

Just the other night for supper, Therese fixed a variation of the old standby. She called it a Reuben sandwich casserole. She got the recipe from a co-worker of hers, Mary Sphlical. Basically, it's a Reuben sandwich that is baked in the oven like a casserole.

Following is a recipe for the casserole, although I'm not sure if it's exactly the same as the one we used. This one was printed in the Lifestyle section of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette back in 2002.

A couple of things cooks will like about the recipe are how the melted Swiss cheese helps the bread cubes stick in place and the sauerkraut on the bottom layer ensures that servings are easy to get out of the casserole dish.

Also, find a recipe for a slimmed-down version of the Reuben that was featured in the Kansas City Star in 2007.

Reuben Sandwich Casserole
1 32-ounce bag sauerkraut, well-drained
1 pound deli-style corned beef, chipped
8-ounce bottle Thousand Island dressing
1 pound sliced or cubed Swiss cheese
12 slices rye bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a layer of sauerkraut on the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch casserole. Top with a layer of corned beef. Pour the dressing evenly over the beef. Sprinkle on the cheese to cover.
In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the melted butter to coat, then press the bread cubes gently onto the cheese layer. As the cheese melts, it will help the crispy bread cubes adhere.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut into portions.
Yield: Serves 6 to 8.

Slimmed-Down Reuben Sandwich
2 slices EarthGrains Pumpernickel Rye bread
2 tablespoons of homemade Thousand Island dressing (recipe follows)
4 slices Sara Lee Corned Beef
¼ cup well-drained sauerkraut
2 Kraft Swiss 2 percent Milk Singles
Cooking spray
Heat a griddle to 350 degrees. Spread 1 tablespoon of dressing on 1 slice of bread, then layer on the corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. Spread the remaining dressing on the other slice of bread and put the sandwich together.
Spray the griddle lightly with cooking spray and cook the sandwich for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is browned and crisped.
Serve immediately.
Yield: 1 sandwich.
Approximate nutritional analysis per sandwich: 415 calories, 12.3 grams fat, 39 grams carbohydrates, 2,164 milligrams sodium, 4.1 grams fiber.

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
1 cup light mayonnaise
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/8 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Blend all ingredients in a bowl, then refrigerate the dressing in a sealed container for 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
Yield: Makes about 1¾ cup dressing.
Approximate nutritional analysis per 2-tablespoon serving: 75 calories, 3.3 grams fat grams, 2 grams carbohydrates, 114 milligrams sodium, 0.1 grams fiber.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/29/2010 at 7:37 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: chef jeff, corned beef, jeff tiedeman, recipes, reuben sandwich, reuben sandwich casserole, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, thousand island dressing

Get the Blues

We have a bowl of oatmeal just about every morning. One of Therese's favorite things to do with hers is to add some fruit. During the summer, she uses fresh raspberries. Recently, she's been into raisins.

Another of her favorites is frozen blueberries. She'll be happy to know that the most-recent issue of Health magazine have named wild blueberries as one of the Top 10 Superfoods for Women. Specific health benefits highlighted include improving motor skills, preventing memory loss, lowering blood pressure and fighting wrinkles.

This recognition comes on the heels of several additional studies that also have found and/or promoted specific health benefits offered by wild blueberries for both men and women (including guarding against cell damage associated with heart disease, cancer, damage from stroke, Alzheimer's disease and the effects of aging).

Another nice thing about wild blueberries is the frozen version is just as nutritious and tasty as fresh ones. 

Blueberries aren't just for snacking or using in your morning bowl of oatmeal. They go great in salads such as the following that also contains grilled chicken breasts, strawberries and gouda cheese.

Blueberry Salad
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil for grill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup blueberry vinaigrette (recipe follows), plus extra for grilling
1 large head of romaine lettuce, shredded
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
¾ cup blueberries
8 to 10 strawberries, sliced
½ cup shredded aged gouda
Prepare grill. Rinse chicken breasts under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. When ready to grill, brush grill grate with olive oil. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and arrange breasts in same direction on hot grate.
Grill for 2 minutes. Using tongs, rotate breasts 45 degrees and grill for 2 to 4 additional minutes. Turn breasts, brush cooked side with blueberry vinaigrette and grill, rotating breasts 45 degrees after 2 minutes. Remove breasts to a platter and cool.
When ready to serve, toss lettuce with vinaigrette in a large salad bowl. Arrange almonds, blueberries, strawberries, cheese and chicken breast on lettuce, season with salt and pepper and serve.
Note: To toast almonds, spread nuts on a baking sheet and bake 3 to 4 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
Blueberry Vinaigrette
¼ cup champagne vinegar
¼ vanilla bean
¼ cup honey
1 cup blueberries
2 tablspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 medium shallot, diced
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup olive oil
1 cup corn oil
1 tablespoon shredded fresh mint
Pour vinegar into a small saucepan over medium heat. Split vanilla bean. Scrape seeds into vinegar and add vanilla bean to vinegar. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and reduce vinegar/vanilla mixture by half. Remove (and discard) bean, cool mixture and reserve.
In a blender, combine vinegar, honey, blueberries, lemon juice, shallot, salt, mustard, lemon zest and black pepper and blend until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and corn oil.
With blender on low speed, slowly drizzle oils into blender until smooth. Stir in mint. Transfer vinaigrette to an airtight jar and refrigerate at least 2 hours before using. Vinaigrette may be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks; shake before using.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/28/2010 at 8:39 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: recipes, blueberries, chef jeff, jeff tiedeman, salads, wild blueberries

Super Healthy Chili

It would be a safe bet to assume most people who are hosting a Super Bowl party will have chili on the menu. And you can be sure that no two of them will be exactly alike.

That's the way it is with my chili. Some has meat. Some doesn't. Some has beans. Some doesn't. Some is tomato-based. Some isn't.

In my versions that have meat, it could be ground or chunked, preferably bison, venison or elk. Sometimes, it's chicken or pheasant. And if it's a chili with beans, they could be kidney, red, black, garbanzo, navy or pinto.

As you can see, I believe in variety.

Another thing that's important to me is eating healthy, which brings me to an interesting chili recipe that came via e-mail from registered and licensed dietitian Susan Burke March, author of "Making Weight Control Second Nature: Living Thin Naturally." 

Susan is a certified diabetes educator who has authored more than 400 articles, has served as chief clinical nutrition manager at Mount Sinai Hospital in Queens, N.Y.,  is a media spokesperson for the Florida Dietetic Association and recently completed a two-year elected position as secretary for the Weight Management Dietetic Practice Group, a professional practice group of the American Dietetic Association.

Along with the chili recipe, Susan offered some tips for healthy football-friendly fare if you’re planning a Super Bowl get-together. Among them:

Here is Susan's chili recipe, which looks like a winner.

Susan’s Weight-Wise Chili
1 pound 97 percent lean ground beef or turkey or firm tofu, drained
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 28-ounce can tomato puree (no salt added)
1 15 ounce-can each kidney beans, white beans and pinto beans-rinsed and drained
3 small-medium baking potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
2 tablespoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups water
In a large, nonstick saucepan over low-medium high heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until just softened.
Add the onion and pepper and cook 2 more minutes; then add the ground meat or crumble in the tofu: cook about 5 minutes.
Drain off fat if using meat; add pureed tomatoes, canned beans, potatoes, seasonings and water.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for approximately 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
For thinner chili, add a cup of broth, wine or water.
Serve with a tossed salad.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/27/2010 at 10:25 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Tags: chef jeff, chili, jeff tiedeman, making weight control second nature living thin naturally, recipes, super bowl, super bowl party, susan burke march

Traditional Mexican

I haven't been to the new Mexican restaurant in Grand Forks, Mi Mexico, but from most of the comments to a poll question on the Herald's Web site, it sounds like a pretty good place to eat.

I'm a big fan of Mexican food, especially the traditional kind. Don't get me wrong, there are some really good dishes at the other Mexican restaurants in town, but none of them really features authentic Mexican food.

A few years back, there was a traditional Mexican restaurant in East Grand Forks, and I really enjoyed the food there. But after less than a year, it went belly up. The food there reminded me of some I had eaten years ago at a mom-and-pop place in Topeka, Kan., and another in Grand Junction, Colo., where my brother and sister-in-law live.

For those of you who can't wait to check out the Mi Mexico's traditional food, here's a recipe for sopes, corn tortillas filled with a spicy black bean spread, roasted chicken, lettuce and cheese.

Although they are usually served as appetizers in Mexico, this adapted recipe for sopes is a meal in itself.

Mexican Sopes
2 teaspoon canola oil
½ cup diced red onion
4 6-inch corn tortillas
½ cup black bean dip
1 cup ready-to-eat, shredded lettuce
¼ cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey jack cheese
¾ pound roasted or rotisserie chicken breast, skin and bones removed
1 cup tomato salsa (your choice)
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the diced onion until it starts to shrivel, about 2 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
Return the skillet to the burner over medium heat. Add the tortillas and warm for half a minute. Turn them over and spread with the black bean mixture. Sprinkle each with onion, then layer with lettuce, cheese and chicken. Remove to dinner plates. Spoon salsa on top or serve on the side.
Yield: Serves 2.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 489 calories, 21 percent of calories from fat, 11.3 grams fat (3.2 grams saturated), 105 milligrams cholesterol, 52.8 grams protein, 44.1 grams carbohydrates, 10.2 grams fiber, 1,210 milligrams sodium.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/26/2010 at 8:57 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink

Tags: appetizers, chef jeff, jeff tiedeman, mexican food, mi mexico, recipes, sopes

A Bowl of Green

Chili always is good bet when the weather turns nasty. Nothing tastes better than a bowl of some piping hot chili when the wind is blowing new-fallen snow around, making for blizzard conditions.

I'd be making chili today if Therese hadn't made a tasty batch yesterday. Hers isn't quite as spicy as mine, but it's pretty darned good, especially when she puts cornbread on top of it like she did.

My idea of chili is a lot different than that of most people. I think something can be chili if it has beans in it. (Texans won't agree.) And you don't have to have red meat to make it chili. (My editor doesn't agree.) To me, there's nothing wrong with chicken or turkey in chili.

The following chili recipe doesn't contain beans but does have chicken. It's not quite as spicy as I'd prefer, but you can kick it up a notch by adding some jalapenos.
Green Chili with Chicken
8 New Mexico or poblano chilies
2 jalapeno chilies (optional)
¼ cup olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 14-ounce cans chicken broth|
1 14½ ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup whipping cream or half-and-half
2 tablespoons cornmeal
Chopped chilies, crumbled Mexican cheese, chopped onion, minced cilantro, salsa
Heat the broiler or a heavy skillet over medium heat; roast the chilies, turning, until blackened on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plastic or paper bag; set aside to cool. Peel away blackened skins. (It's OK if some charred bits remain.) Seed chilies; chop. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in onions, garlic and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into ½-inch square pieces; transfer to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring once or twice, until chicken is opaque, about 8 minutes.
Add chicken broth, tomatoes, oregano and reserved chilies. Increase heat to high; heat to a boil. Cover; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 50 minutes. Stir in cream and cornmeal; cook 10 minutes. Pass the garnishes at the table.
Yield: Serves 6.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 299 calories, 43 percent of calories from fat, 14 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 66 milligrams cholesterol, 13 grams carbohydrates, 29 grams protein, 780 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/25/2010 at 8:24 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Tags: chef jeff, chili, cornbread, jalapeno, jeff tiedeman, recipes

Shrimp — It's in the Bag

Sometimes when looking for an idea of what to fix for supper, the first place I head is the freezer. A lot of times, there are things in there that I've forgotten about.

Actually, I should say freezers because we have four.

Why four, you might ask. Being an avid hunter and gardener, I need a lot of space to store things. While I do can some of my veggies, they all can't all be saved using that method. And even though I'd like to preserve some of my game the same way, that has happened yet.

The other day, when perusing one of our freezers, I came across a couple of packages of frozen shrimp that was bought when they were on sale at my neighborhood supermarket about a month ago.

Frozen shrimp is great if you don't have a lot of time. A bag will thaw quickly in a bowl of cold water and with a some seasoning and a quick saute, will go with just about anything.

So, with this in mind, I started to look for recipes. The following is what I decided to try. It's a dish with roots in North Africa and makes use of three spices that appeal to me — coriander, cumin and turmeric.

North African Spiced Shrimp
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1 to 2 dried red chili peppers, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled
Juice of 1 large lime
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
Mix coriander, Aleppo pepper, cumin, ginger and turmeric in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil; stir to combine. Add shrimp; toss to coat. Marinate 15 minutes, or in refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat; add shrimp in batches, discarding marinade. Cook until browned and opaque throughout, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer cooked shrimp to a large bowl. Toss with lime juice; season with salt.
Yield: Serves 6.
Note:Can be served with rice.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 166 calories, 37 percent of calories from fat, 7 grams fat (1 grams saturated fat), 224 milligrams cholesterol, 1 grams carbohydrates, 24 grams protein, 343 milligrams sodium, no fiber.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/24/2010 at 8:47 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: chef jeff, jeff tiedeman, recipes, shrimp

A Classic Combo: Cabbage and Sausage

One of my favorite things to eat is any kind of sausage and sauerkraut. For example, I find it hard to resist a brat with sauerkraut when it's available at a sporting event or summer picnic. Occasionally, I'll have throw a ring of elk sausage in my Rival Crock-Pot with some homemade sauerkraut.

I really like that combination of sausage and cabbage. I think it's one of the classics. Maybe that because of my northern European heritage. But maybe not. I know a lot of people who share my fondness for the two.

Recently, in one of my Chef Jeff One Byte at a Time items in the daily Herald, I featured a hearty cabbage skillet supper recipe that also contained sausage. As is the case with some of the recipes in the column, I hadn't tried it yet but had hoped to sooner rather than later.

A couple of days after it was in the Herald, a women who exerices at my gym, Shirley Kieffer, told me she fixed the recipe and really liked it. That sealed the deal. I had to make the dish soon.

And when I did, we weren't disappointed. Therese said it reminded her of a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe she used to make. The only changes I made to the following recipe were to slice my sausage into thin pieces and sprinkle a bit of balsamic vinegar over the dish when it was served. We also had some toasted sourdough bread on the side to sop up some of the tasty juices.

If you're a fan of sausage and cabbage, you have to try this recipe. If you're not, I'll guarantee you will be after sampling it. And it's a perfect dish to kick the winter blahs.

Hearty Cabbage Skillet Supper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 16-ounce package coleslaw or 6 cups finely shredded cabbage
¼ to ½ cup chicken broth
1 apple, peeled, diced
4 precooked sausages
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; add onions. Cook, stirring often, until onion softens. Add cabbage, ¼ cup of broth and apple. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in caraway seeds, salt and pepper to taste. Arrange cooked sausages over cabbage. Add more of broth if needed. Cover; cook 5 minutes. Uncover; cook until broth is reduced, about 2 minutes; do not let veggies burn.
Yield: Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 241 calories, 50 percent of calories from fat, 14 grams fat, 45 milligrams cholesterol, 17 grams carbohydrates, 15 grams protein, 407 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.
 

 

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/22/2010 at 8:06 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: recipes, cabbage, chef jeff, jeff tiedeman, sauerkraut, sausage

'Fabulous Bean Soup'

Any day is a good day for soup. And if you add fresh bread to the mix . . .

Our Relay for Life committee sponsored a soup and bread fundraiser this week. Featured soups included tomato, chicken tortilla, vegetable beef and my Czechoslovakian cabbage. We raised more than $200. It was a nice way to celebrate Soup Month.

Recently, I solicited Herald readers to send my any good bean soup recipes. So far, I've received only one, but it looks pretty good. It came to me from Lorraine LeBlanc of Grand Forks. She wrote:

"If you want to try a fabulous bean soup, here's a great recipe from Ginger Tryznka, who's the librarian at Valley Middle School. The lentils make it creamy. Most of the beans can be found at Amazing Grains, or if you can't find one, just leave it out. The bean mix can be packed into bags and given to friends, or buy less of each."

The soup contains about dozen kinds of beans as well as three kinds of peas and barley. Apparently, Ginger likes to purchase a pound of each ingredient, mix them and then put them in pint jars, which is what is called for in one batch of soup. I can't wait to try some.

Here's Ginger's recipe, along with the list of beans and peas she uses. 

Ginger's Fabulous Mixed Bean Soup
1 pint bean mixture
1 tablespoon salt
Water to cover bean mixture
8 cups water
1-pound ham hock (optional)
1 teaspoon ginger
1 large onion, chopped
Salt to taste
1 28-ounce can tomatoes, whole or diced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Wash 1 pint of bean mixture (see list below). Cover with water. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Soak overnight. Drain beans and rinse. Put in large pot with 8 cups of fresh water, ham hock and ginger. Cover and simmer 2 hours. Add onion. Simmer another ½ hour.
Add tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic clove and red bell pepper. Remove ham hock, cut meat into small pieces and return to soup. Simmer until ready to eat.
Yield: 3 quarts.
Note: For vegan, use vegetable broth, onion, garlic, extra salt, and maybe a dash of Tabasco sauce.
Bean Mixture
For 17 pints, mix 1 pound of each: black beans, baby lima beans, navy beans, great northern beans, small red beans, kKidney beans, mung beans, barley, Anasazi beans, lentils, black-eyed peas, green split peas, yellow split peas azuki (or adjuoki) beans and pinto beans.
 

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/21/2010 at 7:59 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: bean soup, chef jeff, gingers fabulous mixed bean soup, jeff tiedeman, recipes, soup, soup month

Old-Fashioned Pot Roast

You can hardly beat an old-fashioned pot roast dinner. There's nothing like coming home and walking into a house that's filled with the aroma of a roast and vegetables slow-cooking.

I just love it when were having an elk roast with potatoes, carrots, potatoes and a little onion and Therese calls to tell me that the house smelled so good when she came home from work.

At exercise this morning, the subject of roasts came up. Joan Dondoneau, who along with her husband, Vern, go to the same fitness facility as me, wanted to know what would be better, a roast marinated in bourbon or one in burgundy pepper. She said there was an advertisement in the paper from a local supermarket for both.

My preference would be the one in burgundy, since wine is a favorite of mine when I make a roast. About a half-cup of wine along with the juice of my canned carrots makes an excellent base for gravy, I told Joan.

I like to fix my roast in a Dutch oven, but for the busy cook, a slow cooker is just the ticket. You can put all the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning before work and come home at night to a wonderful meal. And if you have a slow cooker with a removable insert, you could even assemble this on a weeknight, chill it overnight and turn it on before you go out for the day.

Here's a recipe for a pot roast dinner using a slow cooker. f you don't have one, you can make this in a Dutch oven and cook in the oven for about 2½ hours at 325 degrees.

Old-Fashioned Pot Roast
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 beef chuck roast, 2½ to 3 pounds, trimmed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup beef or chicken broth
2 tablespoons quick-mixing flour, such as Wondra
8 red potatoes, halved
8 small carrots
2 yellow onions, quartered
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Combine the all-purpose flour, salt and pepper to taste in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the meat; seal. Shake until evenly coated.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the meat. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the broth and quick-mixing flour in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer the meat to a slow cooker.
Arrange the potatoes, carrots and onions on top of the meat; pour in the broth mixture and vinegar. Cover; cook on low until the meat is very tender, about 8 hours. Skim off fat.
Yield: Serves 8.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 578 calories, 33 percent of calories from fat, 21 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 98 milligrams cholesterol, 54 grams carbohydrates, 42 grams protein, 560 milligrams sodium, 6 grams fiber.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/20/2010 at 10:20 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: chef jeff, pot roast, recipes, roasts, slow cookers, slow-cooking jeff tiedeman

Pie for Pie Day

Have you made a pie lately? If you the answer is no, Saturday might be the perfect day to do so. That's because it's National Pie Day.

But if you're unsure that you can do it, the American Pie Council (www.piecouncil.org) offers tips, award-winning recipes and discount coupons on its Web site that can help anyone bake a homemade pie.

The APC, an organization committed to maintaining America's pie heritage (it offers personal, professional and commercial memberships) even suggests sharing a a homemade pie with a friend, a soldier or loved one as a way of saying thanks.

And if you really want to get serious about pies, there's the three-day APC/Crisco 2010 National Pie Championships on April 23 to 25 in Orlando, Fla. Last year, more than 170 judges graded pies created by 138 bakers who entered 465 commercial, 130 professional and 266 amateur pies.

Emile Henry USA, makers of the finest quality ceramic bakeware and gourmet cooking products, has returned for as the "Official Pie Dish" of the National Pie Championships. Each junior, amateur and professional competitor receives an Emile Henry ceramic pie dish, valued at $45 each. Best of Show winners in the amateur and professional divisions will each win $5,000, a new Sears Kenmore range and a Crisco gift basket, while the top winner in the Junior Chef division receive a $2,000 Crisco college scholarship and a Crisco gift basket. First-place ribbons and bragging rights will be awarded to Commercial Division winners.
To enter, APC members pay $15 per pie entry for amateurs and $20 per pie entry for professionals. Nonmembers pay $35 per pie entry for either category. Junior entries are free. 
For more details, to become a member of the APC or to register for the National Pie Championships, go to APC's Web site.

Here is a recipe that was an amateur Best of Show winner.

Peanut Butter Pie
CRUST:
1 1/3 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
2 tablespoons sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1/3 cup melted butter (unsalted)
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until blended; pour into a 9-inch pie dish sprayed with Crisco cooking spray. Press into the bottom and sides; bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool.
PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:
¾ cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup Jiff creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons softened butter (unsalted)
¼ cup chopped peanuts (save small amount for garnish)
Mix first 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Spread into the bottom of cooled pie shell and sprinkle with peanuts.
FILLING:
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon Pillsbury All-Purpose Flour
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
¾ cup Jiff Peanut Butter
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
6 small (0.55 ounces) frozen Peanut Butter Cups, chopped
In medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt over medium heat. Gradually stir in milk until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in 1 cup of hot filling into the beaten egg yolks. Return all to saucepan, stirring constantly. Return to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and peanut butter. Let cool, fold in 5 chopped peanut butter cups. Pour into cooled pie shell. Garnish with whipped topping and remaining chopped peanut butter cups and remaining chopped peanuts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOM’S CHEERY CHERRY CHERRY BERRY PIE

Crust:

One and one-half cups of flour
One-quarter tsp baking powder
One-half tsp salt
One tsp sugar
One-half cup Crisco shortening

Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer on medium speed swiftly until crust appears “pea like.” Carefully sprinkle ice cold water in crust mix until it just starts to be fully moistened and gathers together. Pat into disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least one half hour. Roll out on floured surface and make and crimp piecrust. Freeze until ready to use.


Filling:

Four and one-half cups Montmorency tart cherries –frozen
One cup sugar
One-quarter cup cornstarch
One-half tsp real almond extract
One tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
One-half tsp orange zest
One-half cup dried Michigan cherries
One and one-half cups of frozen blueberries

Combine frozen cherries, dried cherries, sugar, cornstarch. Stir constantly on med-hi heat until boiling. Add blueberries. Boil for one minute or until thickened. Add almond extract, lemon juice and zest. Pour blueberries in bottom of pie shell and pour cherry mixture over them.

Crumb Topping
One cup sugar
One cup all purpose flour
One-quarter tsp salt
One stick butter softened

Mix together all crumb topping ingredients by hand or a pastry blender until crumbly.

Cover filling with crumb topping. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to one hour or until filling is bubbling over crust.

 

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/19/2010 at 9:09 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: american pie council, chef jeff, jeff tiedeman, national pie championships, national pie day, pies, recipes

Beef and Broccoli

We had one of our favorite dishes last night, something called broccoli with rigatoni, which is seasoned with a little garlic and pesto. It was a meal I'd been planning on having for a day or two.

I'm a big fan of both pasta and the vegetable a former president of ours said he'd never, ever wanted to see a spring of on his plate, whether he was on Air Force One, in the White House or anywhere else in the land.

Our grandson, Rakeem, was over for supper, and although he is a big pasta lover, he's never been into broccoli. But I have to says he's not like a lot of other kids. He does eat his share of vegetables, but broccoli hasn't been one of them —not until this meal.

I did cook up a ring of elk sausage for him to eat, and along with some crusty bread and a banana. It was a fairly nutritious meal. But when Therese asked  him if he wanted to try the broccoli and rigatoni, he nodded in approval, much to our surprise.

While not eating a ton of the broccoli, he did manage a couple of good bites of it. I complimented him for his willingness to try something new, and later Therese said if you put enough garlic on something it will taste good.

That got me to thinking about other ways I could get Rakeem to eat more vegetables. The idea I came up with was to combine them with something else he likes — meat, seasoned with garlic.

Here's a stir-fry recipe that I'm going to try out on Rakeem. I'm betting Therese's observation will hold true.

 

Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce
1½ pounds beef sirloin tip, thinly sliced
1 egg white
¼ cup rice wine
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 to 6 cups small broccoli florets, about 3/4 pound
½ cup water
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 cloves garlic, chopped
Place beef slices in a large food storage bag. Whisk together the egg white, rice wine, 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch and baking soda in a small bowl; pour over beef. Seal; turn bag to coat beef with marinade. Refrigerate 1 to 3 hours.
Heat a large saucepan of water to a boil; add broccoli. Cook 30 seconds; drain. Set aside. Mix remaining teaspoon cornstarch, ½ cup water, oyster sauce, remaining 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, sugar and pepper to taste in a bowl; set aside.
Heat wok over high heat. Add oil; heat until very hot. Add beef in batches; stir-fry until meat is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to bowl.
Discard all but 2 teaspoons of the oil; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic. Cook, stirring, until garlic softens, about 30 seconds. Stir in the water-oyster sauce mixture. Add to wok, heat to a boil; cook 1 minute. Stir beef and broccoli back into wok. Cook to heat through, about 1 minute.
Yield: Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 317 calories, 38 percent of calories from fat, 13 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 73 milligrams cholesterol, 9 grams carbohydrates, 40 grams protein, 635 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.

 

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/14/2010 at 8:42 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: beef and broccoli, broccoli, broccoli stir-fry, chef jeff, jeff tiedeman, pasta, recipes, stir-fry, stir-fry recipe

The Perfect Ham and Bean Soup

I'll always have a special place in my heart for bean soup. I think it was my dad's favorite soup. While the one of his that I liked the best was the vegetable beef, I'm pretty sure that his bean soup was the one he preferred the most.

I've been thinking about bean soup lately. On Sunday, we took my mom out for supper at the Irishman's Shanty in Crookston, and I had a wonderful cup of ham and bean soup. And just this morning, a fellow exerciser, Marian Moen of Grand Forks, told me that she had made a pot of bean soup with a leftover ham bone. I think my mouth started to water when she shared this information.

I fancy myself as a good soup-maker, but a good pot of bean soup always has seemed to elude me. And I'm not really sure why. Mine just never seems to be as good as the one my dad used to make.

So, this Soup Month, I'm on a mission to make a good batch of bean soup. I'm going to scour cookbooks and the Internet to come up with just the right combo. If you have any suggestions, let me know.

In the meantime, here's one recipe that I'm going to look at closely.

White Bean and Tomato Soup with Ham
2 slices bacon
1 onion, diced
1 rib celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 10-ounce bag baby spinach, cut into thin slices
½ teaspoon each: red pepper flakes, allspice, salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 14½-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 28-ounce can white beans, drained
¾ cup chopped cooked ham
5 sage leaves, minced
5 sprigs each, minced: thyme, parsley
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until just crisp, turning several times, about 4 minutes. Remove bacon; crumble. Set aside.
Add onion and celery to skillet; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in spinach; cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with red pepper flakes, allspice, salt and black pepper.
Add chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, ham, sage, thyme and parsley. Cook until flavors blend, about 20 minutes.
Yield: Serves 6.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 206 calories, 21 percent of calories from fat, 6 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 11 milligrams cholesterol, 31 grams carbohydrates, 17 grams protein, 1,467 milligrams sodium, 10 grams fiber.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/13/2010 at 9:38 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink

Tags: bean soup, chef jeff, ham and bean soup, jeff tiedeman, recipes, soup

Muffaletta

A friend of mine is heading down to New Orleans this week. I can't wait until she returns and tells me about the food adventures that she experienced. I'm sure they will be the highlight of her trip.

I'm a bit envious. I've never been to New Orelans but some day hope to make it, especially to try the local cuisine. To me, New Orleans is all about food. Some of my favorite dishes (gumbo, jambalya, seafood boil, po' boy) are indigenous to this city that's at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Another dish that I'd like to try that has its roots there is the muffaletta, a round, hollowed bread that usually is stuffed with ricotta and layered with ham or cappicola, mortadella, salami, mozzarella and provolone cheeses and is served with a signature garlicky green olive and marinated vegetable salad. The muffuletta is said to have originated at the Central Grocery on Decatur Street in the French Quarter in 1906.

Here's a recipe for the sandwich and salad, which will have to do for me until I make it to Naw'lins.

Muffaletta
FOR THE OLIVE SALAD:
1 7-ounce jar pimiento-stuffed olives, sliced
1 6-ounce jar marinated vegetables
3 whole roasted pimientos, diced
3 to 6 cherry peppers or pepperoncini (optional)
2 cloves of garlic, minced fine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons liquid from olive jar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
FOR THE SANDWICH:
1 round loaf Italian bread
Olive oil
¼ pound each of sliced cappicola or ham, Genoa salami, mortadella, provolone and mozzarella cheeses
Shredded lettuce and sliced tomato (optional)
Combine all the olive salad ingredients in a glass bowl, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Split the bread in half horizontally. Remove excess bread if desired. Brush both cut sides with olive oil. Layer meats and cheeses on the bottom half. Top with olive salad, then the top of the bread. If desired, wrap in foil and heat 25 minutes in a 300-degree oven. Open and add lettuce and tomato if desired. Press top back on lightly and slice into eighths.
Yield: Serves 8.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 362 calories, 58 percent of calories from fat, 23.4 grams fat (8.5 grams saturated, 11.2 grams monounsaturated), 44.1 milligrams cholesterol, 18.8 grams protein, 19.4 grams carbohydrates, 1.5 grams fiber, 1,616 milligrams sodium.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/12/2010 at 7:38 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Tags: chef jeff, gumbo, jambalya, jeff tiedeman, lump crab, muffuletta, po boy, recipes, seafood, seafood boil

Appetite for Olives

Did you know that olives are one of the world's oldest foods known? They are thought to have originated on the Mediterranean island of Crete between 5,000 and 7,000 years ago before spreading to Egypt, Greece, Palestine and Asia Minor.

I've always liked olives. It doesn't matter if they're stuffed, with or without pits, alone or in other dishes. When we were kids, there always was a fight for the stuffed variety. I remember at family get-togethers, Grandma couldn't keep the stuffed olive bowl full because most of the grandkids loved them so much. 

Today, I'm still a big olive fan. Oftentimes, I'll head out to the 32nd Avenue Hugo's in Grand Forks, where they have a very good selection of olives near the deli. And at work, toner Lori Weber-Menke always seems to have a large jar of olives in the refrigerator in the photo department that I manage to dip into every once in a while.

Olives are pretty nutritious, too. They are concentrated in monounsaturated fats and a good source of vitamin E. The monounsaturated fats have a protective effect on our cells, and combined with antioxidant protection offered by vitamin E, can lower the risk of damage and inflammation. In addition to vitamin E, olives also contain a variety of beneficial active phytonutrient compounds including polyphenols and flavonoids, which also appear to have significant anti-inflammatory properties.

Jann Larson of Reynolds, N.D., got me thinking about olives recently. In an e-mail, she said that if I wanted to try something good that a jalapeno pimento olive from Mable's Taste of Home in Fargo, a Pride of Dakota favorite, would be just the ticket. Jann says she enjoys just stopping by the fridge and opening the jar for just one olive some days.

By the way, Mable's, which is available around the select stores (the closest to Grand Forks is the Community Center at the Air Force base with several outlets), has many other products including raspberry jalapeno dipping sauce, sweet mustard, jams and jellies, syrups, jalapeno products, tea and cappuccino, pancake and scone mixes and more.

Here's a recipe that I came across in my olive research. It looks perfect to try someday when I've picked up a pile of olives.

Fried Stuffed Olives
10 green Portuguese olives stuffed with peppers
30 queen manzanilla olives stuffed with pimientos
3 ounces Portuguese or Spanish sardines packed in olive oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
¾ cup Japanese (panko) or other toasted bread crumbs
Canola oil for deep-frying
Drain the olives and pat dry. Place the Portuguese olives on a plate.
With a toothpick, extract the bit of pimiento from each queen manzanilla; discard (or chop and mix with the stuffing). With your fingers, take bits of sardine and stuff into each. Place them on the plate.
Place three shallow soup plates on a work surface. From left to right, fill them with the flour, the eggs and the bread crumbs.
Working in batches of 5 olives, roll them in the flour with your left hand, then dip them in the egg with your right hand. Lift them out and roll in the bread crumbs with your left hand, pressing each olive gently to make sure the crumbs adhere evenly. Place on a plate. (The olives may be covered with plastic film and refrigerated for up to a day.)
Heat about 2 inches of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it reaches 350 degrees, lower about 5 olives into the hot oil with a slotted spoon. Fry, moving them gently with the spoon until they are golden brown, less than 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining olives. Serve hot.
Yield: 40 olives, about 8 servings.

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/08/2010 at 8:44 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: appetizers, chef jeff, jeff tiedeman, mables taste of home, olives, pride of dakota, recipes, stuffed olives

Mushroom Magic

Mushrooms are one of those foods that you either love or hate. And for the people who don't like them, it's usually a texture thing.

Fortunately, I'm not one of those mushroom haters. In fact, I often buy mushrooms when they are on sale just to go looking for new recipes.

Some people consider mushrooms a "superfood" because they have great flavor, you get a good bang for you buck, and they are very nutritious and versatile.

Mushrooms are a leading source of the antioxidant selenium and the only fruit or vegetable with vitamin D. They also have been proven to help strengthen your immune system. And for those of us who are constantly watching our waistlines, mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free and very low in sodium, making them perfect for weight management goals.

One way people might consider using mushrooms is as a meat substitute. That could be an effective method for reducing daily caloric intake while still feeling full and satiated after meals.

For those texture people who want to take advantage of mushrooms' health benefits, consider a vegetable chopper. I have a pasta-topping recipe (Mama and Michael's Meat Sauce) that calls for mushrooms and carrots, which is a favorite of our family. The first time we had it, I used a vegetable chopper (on both vegetables) because I knew my grandson wouldn't go for big chunks of mushrooms.

Guess what? He loved it.

I hoping for the same results with the recipe for Mushroom Taco Mac, which came via e-mail from Mushroom Council and mushroominfo.com. It takes only 5 minutes to prepare, is ready in 15 to minutes and costs only $1.60 per serving.

Mushroom Taco Mac
4½ cups water
1½ cups dried whole grain elbow pasta, enriched (substitute penne or other types of pasta if preferred)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced or quartered
4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix, low sodium (if available)
½ cup prepared salsa
1 cup reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, shredded
Add water to pot and bring to a boil. Add pasta, cook uncovered for 10 to 13 minutes, or until pasta has reached desired firmness.
While pasta is cooking, heat a saute pan on medium, add oil and swirl to coat the bottom of pan. Add mushrooms and 2 teaspoons taco seasoning mix, saute 5 minutes.
When pasta is done, drain water and return to pot. Heat on low while stirring in salsa, mushrooms and remaining 2 teaspoons taco seasoning mix for 2 minutes or less.
Divide into four portions, top each with ¼ cup of shredded cheese.
Yield: Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 440 calories, 11 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 20 milligrams cholesterol, 550 milligrams sodium, 11 grams dietary fiber, 20 grams protein.

Mama's and Michael's Meat Sauce
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 28-ounce cans ready-cut tomatoes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon thyme
10 fresh mushrooms, diced
In a saucepan, heat oil and lightly brown onion, carrot and garlic.
Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper and sugar. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
While sauce is simmering, brown ground beef in skillet over medium-high heat, drain off fat.
Add meat and thyme to tomato mixture. Cover and simmer ½ hour, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and cook another 10 minutes.
Yield: About 2 quarts.
 

Posted by: jtfoodedit on 1/07/2010 at 8:20 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: chef jeff, jeff tiedeman, mushroom taco mac, mushrooms, recipes, tacos