Dancing Spoon

Super Bowl Skewered Shrimp

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Asparagus Skewered Shrimp
This is another easy recipe but looks great on any buffet. I’ve used these a lot on parties and they always have a good wow factor. Estimate for 2-3 shrimp per person and that’ll help you figure out your quantity.

Ingredients

1 lb 21-30 P&D’s (See Below)

Pencil asparagus-1 spear per shrimp

¼ cup olive oil

1 lemon - zested

S&P

P&D's Get medium sized peeled and deveined shrimp (P&D’s). 
You want to get what’s known as 21-30’s, which means you get between 21 & 30 shrimp per pound. (Pretty obvious now that I told you right?)

Directions

1. Rinse the shrimp under cold water and drain.
2. Cut each asparagus spear 2 inches from the tip and shave a piece from the end as if sharpening a pencil (I’m showing my age now!)
3. Lay each shrimp flat on your cutting board and form into a U shape.
4. Using a small paring knife pierce the shrimp through the main body, place the asparagus through the hole, shaved end first. See Photo.
5. Once all the shrimp are skewered refrigerate until needed.
6. Mix olive oil, lemon zest, S&P together in a small bowl.
7. To cook: Brush skewers with lemon olive oil and grill on hot grill pan or if you prefer cook in the oven for 10 minutes on 400 F (200C).

TIP Don’t toss the remaining asparagus. Even without the tips they’re great in soups, salads, stir-frys or simply sautéed.

Slainte!

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Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

thehealthyirishman.com

Copyright © 2008 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved.

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Roast Sausage & Fennel

Fare Winter

by David Shepherd

Roast Sausage & Fennel
This recipe is a no-name mid-winter weekend comfort food special (think Sunday Football in front of the TV), ideal for being a fast, one-pot prep, ready to roast in the time it takes you to chop. Nothing fancy here, not a lot of thought required; the ingredients are left deliberately chunky, cacciatore style. The fennel is what separates this dish from an otherwise fairly typical preparation. Roasting it releases a subtle sweetness, a pleasing counterpoint to the licorice flavors this vegetable is known for, as well as to the boldness of the hot sausage. Overall, the roasting time gives you to the time to get ready for the big game. If you've got a crowd coming, over double the recipe. Use a disposable roasting pan for easy post-game clean-up.

Ingredients
Serves 2-4.

3-4 small to medium Yukon Gold potatoes
1 lb. good-quality Italian sausages (a mix of hot and sweet is good)
1 small fennel bulb, stalks discarded, trimmed
1 small red pepper
1 small zucchini
1 small Valida onion (though yellows or Spanish will suffice)
4-5 oz. large whole mushrooms
3-4 large garlic cloves
3-4 tablespoons of cooking-quality olive oil
Dried Italian seasoning
Dried rubbed sage
Dried rosemary
Salt, pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400°

1. Rough-peel the potatoes, if at all. Slice into thick steak-fry shape. Repeat with the fennel, and the pepper and zucchini. Cut sausage links into 1” pieces. Cut mushrooms into thick slices. Coarsely chop garlic and slice onion. Tranfser the pile into a very lightly oiled roasting pan (I take a quick wipe with a paper towel moistened with olive oil; a light spritz of an olive oil cooking spray would also work) large enough to hold everything (I use a large glass Pyrex, but any roasting pan will do); make sure all ingredients are more or less evenly distributed. Season with salt, pepper and very healthy pinches of dried herbs to taste.

2. Drizzle with olive oil; do not stir to mix. (Note: you could hold out the zucchini and perhaps the mushrooms as well for the first 20 minutes or so of roasting, because they’re not as robust as the other items. But it’s not absolutely necessary. The zuke will break down a bit, but remember, this is a no-worries dish, so who cares?)

3. Place pan on rack in center of oven. Roast for 30-35 minutes, remove, stir ingredients, loosening any that might be sticking to the pan, return to the oven for another 40 minutes. Roasting time is dependent on your oven, of course. Figure 75 minutes, and adjust accordingly. Everything should be nicely browned and crisped at the edges of the pan.

4. Remove, let it sit for 5-10 minutes; just slightly cooled, more of the flavors become noticeable, I think. Serve with a nice big hunk of crusty Italian bread, a glass of a simple quaffing red, and you’re in business.

This dish is fine as it is, and, despite the potatoes, it makes a great sandwich, too, on that same loaf of Italian. It’s also open to interpretation: substitute something, if you’d like--green pepper for the red, change up the seasonings, add a dash of red pepper flakes for extra heat, maybe toss in some chopped black olives 15 minutes before roasting is complete. As I said, it’s a casual dish. Truth of it is, the leftovers are probably better in flavor than when everything first comes out of the oven, but you’ll be hard-pressed to leave enough left over to find out.

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Super Bowl Mini Sliders

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Mini Beef Sliders
Imagine a bite sized burger well: that’s all there is to it. You can lower the fat content by buying a good quality minced beef.

1. The easiest way to portion is to use a ¼ cup measure for each burger.
2. Each burger will weigh between 2-3 oz each, which means you’ll get approx. 4-5 sliders per lb.

TIP You can do this ahead of time and refrigerate until grill time.

3. After you portion all the meat, season each burger with S&P.
4. Preheat a grill pan or your BBQ on medium high heat.
5. Once ready, cook burgers for 3-4 minutes each side for medium.

The toppings are up to you so don’t be afraid to get creative. I love to add caramelized onions on mine. You can serve with or without buns. Where do you find little buns for little burgers I hear you ask? Call your local bakery and ask for mini/slider burger buns as I do and you’re all set. These are great for kids, too.

Slainte!

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Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

thehealthyirishman.com

Copyright © 2008 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved.

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Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

Ordinary Out of the

OOO by Kate Krukowski Gooding
Roasted Red Jalapeno
Cream Cheese Dip
It is almost Super Bowl Sunday and I am creating delicious, with a little healthy mixed in, dips for the big day. The spicy jalapeno’s with a little cream cheese and honey smooth out the texture and makes this dip a great spicy combination for beer.

Ingredients
Serves 2-4

1 16-ounce jar roasted jalapeno’s, drained and chopped
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups chickpeas, drained
4 garlic cloves
¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
½ lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Serve with man size Mexican chips or Texas Toast.

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You can find Kate Gooding's book, Black Fly Stew - Wild Maine Recipes at Foodie's Emporium! Click here. Kate has published three cookbooks: Wild Maine Recipes and Simple Gourmet Lamb with Side Dishes and Wine Pairings. She is currently is working on her one in the Black Fly Stew series – which carries and an international flair.

More information at www.blackflystew.com

And visit Foodie's Emporium for Unique Kitchen items!

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"Hands-off" Wines

Wine About

by Eric Olson
Just sitting at my computer and looking at all the very well made wines on our shelves. Not saying that it's because of me but, more appropriately, just better wine making generally.

The wines coming from Europe, beset by the falling dollar, are staying up with expectations due, I believe, with great overall quality. Many more options available also, as the smaller importing companies are looking everywhere for quality and wine makers that understand a hands off technique of wine making. Hands-off, meaning non interventionist — tend to the vineyard and the sorting table, then back off and let nature perform its magic. Let nature give you what the vintage will produce and leave the brand building to the venture capitalists, because what we really want is continued uniqueness in our glasses not sameness.

There is not a wine ever made that you and I would always want. The thrill of opening a bottle of wine is in our expectations of discovery and diversity: I want to taste the French earth, Italian air, Spanish sun and, Sonoma fruit. 

Some good examples are in the shop right now:
French earth? Alain Corcia, Bourgogne Pinot Noir: pretty, polished, near perfect. $14
Italian air? Erbaluce di Caluso: indigenous white grape with wild flowers, savory mineral finish. Discover this diversity. $16
Spanish sun? Camins del Priorat: Broad, rich, balanced. $26
Sonoma fruit? Stuhlmuller Chardonnay: lime, apples, elegant. $26

The Cotes du Rhones continue to be exceptional. They’re a perfect wine for winter stews, roasts and fireplaces.

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Soiree Bottle-top Wine Decanter
The Soiree is a wine accessory that fits into any standard corked wine bottle, and comes with an extra gasket that will work with any screw cap bottle; allowing you to pour, without dripping, directly through the Soiree. Once you place the Soiree in the wine bottle, the Soiree aerates your wine as you pour it. The Soiree allows you to decant just the portion of wine you want - a glass or a carafe. The Soiree can also be used to pour the wine into a decanter, further expediting the "opening" of your wine. Soiree fits securely into any wine bottle allowing you to pour, without dripping directly through the Soiree. In using the Soiree to aerate your wine, you will notice the subtleties and character of the wine emerge immediately upon entering your glass. Soiree delivers a truly open wine just by pouring through it!

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Maine Sea Scallops

Ordinary Out of the

OOO by Kate Krukowski Gooding
Maine Sea Scallops with Tarragon and White Wine Sauce
It is scallop season here in Maine and the scallop haul looks plentiful so far this year. I picked up fresh scallops this morning. I first went to my spice and herb cabinet and then to the wine cellar. As I rummaged through our whites I found this 2007 bottle of white from Kindred Wines composed of 37% Marsanne, 37% Roussane and 26% Viognier grapes. I felt this would be perfect and so delectable, and it was.

Ingredients
Serves 2-4

1 pound Maine Sea Scallops
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper, to taste
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
½ lemon, juiced
1 large shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup butter
½ teaspoon tarragon, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven broiler. Cooking spray a 9 x9 baking dish.
2. Dry scallops, brush with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Place scallops in baking dish.
3. Combine chicken broth, white wine, lemon juice, garlic and shallots in a small skillet. Heat over medium heat until most of the liquid has been reduced. Stir in butter and tarragon.
4. Broil scallops 2 minutes per side or until scallops are opaque. Serve scallops hot with white wine sauce.

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You can find Kate Gooding's book, Black Fly Stew - Wild Maine Recipes at Foodie's Emporium! Click here. Kate has published three cookbooks: Wild Maine Recipes and Simple Gourmet Lamb with Side Dishes and Wine Pairings. She is currently is working on her one in the Black Fly Stew series – which carries and an international flair.

More information at www.blackflystew.com

And visit Foodie's Emporium for Unique Kitchen items!

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Eat Your (Winter) Salad

Tips Tasty

by Anna Tourkakis
Eat Your (Winter) Salad
As temperatures remain in the chill zone for several more weeks, salads may not be on the menu. Instead soups, casseroles, and long braised stews are cooking. These typical winter comforts can be high in ‘energy density’ better known as calories. Unless you shovel all the snow in your street, that energy may be stored as fat on your body that will have to be ‘run off’ in the spring. One way to prevent storage of those sticky calories is to add a tasty light salad to a meal.

Salads can vary from just leafy greens to complete meals.

A green salad contains only green leafy vegetables (lettuce, spinach, arugula, mesculin, etc.). Simple salads have one main ingredient, raw or boiled, such as a tomato salad or a potato salad. When salads include grilled or roasted ingredients, they are referred to as warm salads. A complete meal salad offers elements typically expected in an entrée, such as a protein and a starch.

Lettuce is often the foundation of salads and you can usually find several varieties at your store. Here’s a Lettuce Rundown:

• Iceberg lettuce stays crispy after being cut or prepared.
• Bibb lettuce, also known as Boston lettuce, has pliable tender leaves with a velvety texture.
• Romaine lettuce has a strong green flavor and coarse deep green straight leaves.
• Leaf lettuce, red or green color is mild in flavor with crisp fluffy leaf edges.
• Mesculin is a mixture of baby greens.
• Arugula has a strong peppery taste and strong flavor, best used as an addition.

 A drizzle of dressing made with good quality oil and vinegar, herbs and spices embellishes salads’ unique flavors, textures and goodness. So, balance those wintry comfort foods with a light and refreshing salad.

For a great winter-time salad check out my Field of Greens with Black Grapes and Farmers Cheese!

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Anna Q. Tourkakis, DTR, MPA is a nutritional counselor. She teaches nutrition to food service professionals at North Shore Community College and does cooking demonstrations and healthy eating related presentations. Anna Q. Tourkakis, DTR, MPA is a nutritional counselor. She teaches nutrition to food service professionals at North Shore Community College and does cooking demonstrations and healthy eating related presentations.

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Field of Greens Salad

Tips Tasty

by Anna Tourkakis
Field of Greens with Black Grapes and Farmers Cheese
This super quick and simple salad is an interesting and tasteful combination of a few ingredients. Simple and great tasting – what creative cooking should be about!

Field of Greens with Black Grapes and Farmers Cheese
Ingredients
Serves 4

Salad
6 cups mixed salad greens
2/3-cup (6 oz) Farmers Cheese, cubed, or cottage cheese, large curd
½ cup black grapes, seedless cut in half

Dressing
2 tablespoon raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
4-tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt   
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Salad
1. Wash and tear lettuces. (Precut mixed salad greens are available at the supermarket but I prefer to mix my own. I mix green and red leaf lettuce, baby spinach and a bit of arugula or whatever is at hand. I find tender leaf greens work best.)

2. Layer greens on serving bowl. Add grapes and cheese. 

Dressing
3. Whisk together oil, raspberry vinegar, salt and pepper.
4. Pour over salad and Toss at the table.

Tip: Raspberry vinegar gives this salad a real kick; I find red wine vinegar makes a very good substitute.

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Anna Q. Tourkakis, DTR, MPA is a nutritional counselor. She teaches nutrition to food service professionals at North Shore Community College and does cooking demonstrations and healthy eating related presentations. Anna Q. Tourkakis, DTR, MPA is a nutritional counselor. She teaches nutrition to food service professionals at North Shore Community College and does cooking demonstrations and healthy eating related presentations.

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Maine Partridge Stew

Ordinary Out of the

OOO by Kate Krukowski Gooding
Maine Partridge Stew
Ruffed grouse, also known as partridge, earned its name from the patch of dark feathers on both sides of its neck that can be expanded umbrella-like into a ruff. It is the largest populations of game bird in North America.  
 
The delicious and delicate white meat is just as tasty in the simplicity of sautéed on its own or in with an accompaniment of flavors in a hearty stew. The subtle flavors of thyme, sage and rosemary in this stew compliment this game bird.

Maine Partridge Stew
Ingredients
Serves 6

2 tablespoons oil
2 onions, chopped
1 medium turnip, chunked
1 pound carrots, peeled and chunked
3 whole partridge breasts, bone-in
2 teaspoons thyme sprigs
2 teaspoons sage
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 pound red potatoes, washed and quartered
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons flour

Directions

1. Heat oil in stockpot and add onions, turnip, and carrots and toss to coat. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
2. Add Add partridge, thyme, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper and stir. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for 1 hour.
3. Remove partridge and remove meat from the bone. Add potatoes, cook 20 more minutes.
4. Combine melted butter and flour to make a roux. Add to stew and stir until combined and a little thickened. Add the partridge meat back into the pot, heat through and serve.

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You can find Kate Gooding's book, Black Fly Stew - Wild Maine Recipes at Foodie's Emporium! Click here.

Kate has published three cookbooks: Wild Maine Recipes and Simple Gourmet Lamb with Side Dishes and Wine Pairings. She is currently is working on her one in the Black Fly Stew series – which carries and an international flair.

More information at www.blackflystew.com

And visit Foodie's Emporium for Gourmet Ingredients!

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