An Even Dozen

Today, we present a collection of random recipes that have been sitting in one or another of my e-mail inboxes for a while now.

Puff Pastry Straws

Makes about 20 straws

1 sheet of puff pastry (thawed)
Flour to dust your work surface
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg to make an egg wash
Cayenne pepper

Take the puff pastry out of the package and put it on the counter about an hour before you want to start. You need it to soften up so it's easy to unfold without it cracking apart.

Lightly dust your work surface with the flour. Roll out your dough until it measures the size of a cookie sheet (11 X 17 inches or so). Just keep it in a rectangle shape as you roll. Take your egg and crack it open in a small bowl, then mix it with a 1/2 cup of water. Mix the two together with a fork until they're well jumbled. Take a brush (a pastry brush or, in a pinch, your barbecue brush will do) and spread some of the egg wash across the dough.

Spread your shredded cheese across half of the dough. Sprinkle with cayenne to taste. Fold the other half of the dough over the shredded cheese so the two sides come together. ( the pastry should now measure about 11 X 8 inches). Squish the dough down gently just so the two sides stick to each other.

Spray your cookie sheet with oil (plain or butter flavor).

Take a pizza cutter and cut long strips of dough. Each strip will be about 1/2 inch wide. When you've cut all of the strips, you are going to start putting them on the cookie sheet. Pick each one up and twist it at few times by holding one end in each hand and twisting opposite directions, just two or three twists. Then place the twisted straw on the cookie sheet and press down on the ends so the straw doesn't untwist. This sort of "sticks" the straws to the cookie sheet so they stay still while cooking. Place the straws an inch or more apart on the cookie sheet because they "grow" while they cook. You might have to do at least two batches from one sheet of pastry.

Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 10 to 12 minutes. Watch for the straws to get lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. You want them to firm up, but don't leave them on the cookie sheet until they are fully cool or they will stick. (Five minutes on the sheet ought to do it.) Then run your spatula along the length of the straw to loosen it, and pick it up with your fingers or a tong and put it aside to finish cooling.

Bean Dip with Horseradish

Serves 8

2 cups cooked beans (Cannellini, pinto or Great Northern; if using canned beans, drain and rinse first)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp prepared horseradish
2 scallions, trimmed and minced
Salt to taste

Combine beans, olive oil, horseradish and scallions in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, adding a little water if necessary. Season with salt to taste.

Fresh Berry Sangria

Makes about 2 quarts

1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup hulled, halved fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon Splenda or sugar substitute or sugar
1 1/2 cups white cranberry juice
1 bottle (750 ml) chilled rose wine
1 cup sparkling water, as desired

Wash berries. In a pitcher, combine all berries, Splenda, and cranberry juice. Let sit 1 hour. Stir in wine and sparkling water to make as bubbly as you like. Serve chilled.

Grilled Chicken Breast with Grilled Vegetables

Serves 4
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half (about one pound total)
1 large zucchini
1 large yellow squash
2 portobello mushrooms
2 red bell peppers
1 fennel bulb
2 heads of endive
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine
1/2 cup fresh basil, shredded
1 Tbsp. dried oregano or 2 tsp fresh and chopped fine
1/4 cup olive oil
1 head red leaf lettuce, chicory or escarole
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat grill. Cut zucchini and yellow squash in half. Cut each half into wide flat planks about 1/8" thick. Remove stems from mushrooms and slice to same thickness as squashes. Remove stem, core, seeds and ribs from peppers and cut to the same width as squash planks. Cut fennel bulbs into eighths or sixteenths keeping root end on to help hold slices together. Cut endive in half lengthwise. Toss vegetables together with about 2 tsp. of salt, a couple pinches of ground black pepper, oregano, oil and garlic.

Pound chicken between pieces of plastic wrap to uniform thickness and season both sides of each breast with salt and pepper. Place chicken on grill and cook a few minutes per side. The meat should release easily from the grill when ready. In a separate area spread vegetables out on grill, working in batches if necessary.

While vegetables cook, rinse and pat dry fresh greens and chop into bite-sized pieces. Mound greens on plates beside chicken and grilled vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Simple Summer Soup

2 1/2 cups tomato or vegetable juice
1 cup peeled, seeded, finely chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold.

Grilled Asian Salmon

Serves 2

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 center-cut salmon fillets, about 5 oz each

In shallow glass dish, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, and vinegar. Add salmon; turn to coat. Marinate, refrigerated, for 30 minutes to 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat grill (medium-high heat); lightly oil grill. Place fillets on grill, skin-side up. Grill about 5 minutes per side. Fish is cooked when a thin knife blade inserted in center reveals that the pink flesh is almost opaque. Serve warm.

(Note: If you are going to use thinner fillets, cut from the tall end of the salmon, keep in mind that they can easily overcook on the grill. Salmon skin cooks to a tasty crispiness, so keep the skin on when grilling.)

Lemon-Caper Chicken

Serves 4

1 Tbsp olive oil
4 thinly-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4oz each)
Salt and pepper
4 tsp whole-wheat flour, divided
1 medium shallot, minced
2 Tbsp drained capers
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Warm oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pat chicken breasts with paper towels to thoroughly dry. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then lightly coat with flour, using about 1 tsp for each breast.

Lay chicken in skillet; cook 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown, gently pressing down on breast to ensure equal browning. Reduce heat to medium. Turn breasts; cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove breasts to a serving platter.

Reduce heat to low; add shallots and capers to skillet. Cook 30 seconds, stirring. Add broth and juice, cook 1 minute, until incorporated and thickened, stirring. Stir in parsley; pour sauce over chicken. Serve immediately.

Mexican Coleslaw

Serves 2

2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
4 cups shredded cabbage (about one head: mix different kinds of cabbage for different colors and tastes)

In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar, oil, garlic and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the cabbage, stir well and refrigerate.

Eggplant Rounds

1/3 cup minced onion
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 small eggplants cut into 1/3 inch thick slices
1/3 cup slivered almonds

Combine all ingredients except eggplant slices and slivered almonds in bowl or food processor. Mix well and adjust seasonings to taste. Place eggplant slices on greased cookie sheet and spread mayonnaise mixture evenly on each slice. Top with slivered almonds. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until browned.

You can vary the presentation of this starter depending on how long you cook the eggplants. If you take them out as soon as the cheese beings to brown then you will have warm and gooey rounds. If you let the eggplant slices stay in the oven for a few more minutes then you will have a much firmer result.

Sauteed Scallops with Lemon Sauce

2 pounds scallops
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup dry white wine
Juice of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/4 cup crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Saute scallops in olive oil for 5 - 10 minutes. Combine cornstarch, wine and lemon juice and zest and stir until cornstarch is nearly dissolved. Add this mixture along with dill and bacon to scallops and stir until mixture thickens. Serve immediately. Sea scallops are usually larger and have more flavor than the smaller Bay scallops but the choice is really up to you.

Fettuccini with Broccoli

1 pound fettuccini
1 cup evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh broccoli
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook fettuccini until just al dente. Drain fettuccini and return to pot. Add remaining ingredients, mix well and cook on low heat until nice and warm then serve. Use the broccoli tops and the peel the skin off of the stalks and cut them in thin slices like waterchestnuts.

Baked Alaska

1 quart ice cream in block form
1 one inch piece sponge cake
5 egg whites 1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup sugar

Make sure cake is larger on all sides than ice cream block. Place cake on piece of tinfoil. Place ice cream block on top of cake. Cut cake so that it is approximately 1 inch wider than ice cream on all sides. Cover cake/ice cream combination and freeze for one hour or until firm. Beat egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar until mixture forms soft peaks. Add sugar and beat into stiff peaks. Place cake and ice cream on baking sheet. Spread egg white and sugar mixture all over cake and ice cream and seal at edges all around. Bake in 450 degree oven for about 3 - 4 minutes until golden brown. Slice and serve right away.