Caesar Salad and Crostini

This is a twist on the traditional Caesar Salad was created for our pregnant customers who do not want to eat raw eggs. I hope you fine it as flavorful as the traditional Caesar Salad.

10      ounces  Romaine lettuce
1/2     cup  parmesan cheese — 1/2 cup to 1 cup
2      teaspoons  dijon mustard
5      tablespoons  mayonnaise
3      skinless boneless chicken breast
3       cloves  garlic
1       tablespoon  capers
1       small  anchovy

Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 Lemon   Small Frence baguette cut into 1/2 inch slices

To make crostini, use 1 Italian loaf. Slice loaf 1/4 into desired slices. To make the spread, simply take 1 stick of butter at room temperature, 1 to 2 garlic cloves creamed and juice of half a lemon. Mix well. Spread over slices of bread and bake at 350 for 8 – 10 minutes.

Gumbo a dish for all seasons?

A lot of my friends have indicated that Gumbo should only be eaten during the fall or winter months. The people of New Orleans eat Gumbo all year round. I think that it should be eaten when ever you feel like preparing it. I plan to update my blog more frequently but I will add a separate page to deal with spiritual issues. I am currently attending seminary.

How to read labels for fat and cholesterol

Did you know?

Fat free really means – Less than .5 grams fat per serving

Low fat really means – 3 grams or less fat per serving

Low saturated fat means – 1 gram or less of saturated fat

Reduced or less fat means – At least 25% less fat per serving

Light really means – 1/3 fewer calories or 50% less fat per serving

Low cholesterol means – 20 milligrams or less of cholesterol and less than 2 grams of saturated fat per serving

Reduced cholesterol means At least 25% less cholesterol and less than 2 grams saturated fat per serving

 

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

 

Soon it will be autumn. The time of the year when the colors outside are so beautiful.  It’s a time of year when the weather in Chicago cools to a nice 60 to 70 degrees.  It’s a time of year where we tend to lean toward comfort foods. One of the foods that I like to lean toward is Focaccia bread. It’s great to eat alone or with soups and or sandwiches. It is also a very easy bread to make. It is very forgiving. You can bake it and is ready within 20 -35 minutes.  There are many variations of Focaccia, some with herbs such as rosemary or basil. I have seen some versions that include small amounts of parmesan etc. So play with this wonderful bread and make it to your liking.

Papaya Sorbet with Lemon and Creme de Cassis

 

As the summer season comes to a close so does the desire to make ice cream, sorbet and bavarians. I am already getting into my fall mood. I am looking forward to making some gumbo in the next three weeks. I hope the weather agrees with me. Well back to the sorbet. I had an ice cream dessert at a Greek restaurant which featured Creme De Cassis. Every since that day I have been making various dishes with papaya that also featured this wonderful liquer.

I have made sorbets but it can be tricky sometimes depending on the thickness of the fruit pulp and the fruit’s water content. In addition, I don’t have the instrument to measure the sorbet’s sugar content. I plan to by it soon (Baume thermometer). Well even though I didn’t have the therometer the sorbet came out great. I know traditional sorbets don’t have corn syrup as one of the ingredients but I like the texture that the corn syrup allows to develop.

To make the sorbet, I mixed the sugar and water together to make a simple syrup. I pureed the papaya in a blender until very smooth and then I strained it. I added the cooled simple syrup, lemon juice, Creme De Cassis, pinch of salt. I stored it in a tupperware dish overnight and froze it in an ice cream maker the next day. I poured it from the ice cream make and placed it in the freezer. The corn syrup allows it to get cold, firm and frozen but it doesn’t have the crystals which is how I like it. I feels so smooth.

1.5 pounds papaya
10 oz water
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoon Creme De Cassis
3 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon corn syrup
1 pinch salt

 

Orange-Lime Cilantro Sauce

 

I had the occasion of meeting with a colleague the several weeks ago for a luncheon meeting.  We had lunch in his company’s cafeteria. There were many items offered but what intrigued me the most was this orange chicken that was serve over Orzo. I can never taste anything that I like without trying to make it at home. My first attempt to make the dish was okay. I tried several times and was finally satisfied with the final outcome. The sauce for the chicken is An Orange-Lime Cilantro Sauce. The ingredients are as follows:

6 oz orange juice
I tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon on minced garlic
¾ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoon lime juice
½ teaspoon orange zest
¼ teaspoon lime zest
3 tablespoons cilantro

Mince several cloves of garlic. In a saucepan mix the remaining ingredients except the cilantro. Over medium heat reduce the sauce by 1/2. Strain through a fine strainer and return to a saucepan.  Heat until the sauce is nice and syrupy. Add the cilantro. Remove from the heat. Spoon 2-3 tablespoon over grilled chicken. So delightful.

 

Gluten Intolerance or Celiac Disease

 

Do you have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity?  If you do, it is critical that you know what products contain gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat.  Individual s that have intolerance to gluten may experience diarrhea, bloating and fatigue. For assistance with identifying gluten-free products or restaurants visit gluten.net.  The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer protection Act requires that wheat containing foods must list wheat on the label. Gluten is also present in other grains such as rye and barley.

For more info visit these sites:

Canadian Society of Intestinal Research   http://bit.ly/qx7Ks
Gluten Intolerance Group of North America http://bit.ly/1YxcAP
American Celiac Disease Alliance http://bit.ly/Tn2bh
http://glutenfreediet.ca http://bit.ly/lzfMv

I have received several requests to post gluten free recipes so in the near future I will start posting gluten free recipes.