Recipe News: Healthy Recipes: Summer Vegetable Soup

"With summer heading toward its waning stages, enjoy the best of the farmers’ market or your garden by creating a tasty vegetable soup enhanced by a combination of herbs.

Brown rice is the best choice from the paddies because it hasn’t been hulled and refined, retaining its fiber and nutrition and producing a slightly nutty taste. For the best leeks, look for large white bases that are not slimy, dried out or browning.

Celery, rich in vitamin K, originated in the Mediterranean and was used as a medicinal herb. The ancient Greeks called it selinon, and it’s mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey, which dates back to 850 BC. Available year round, the most common variety is the pale green Pascal. Purportedly, it was introduced to the United States when a Dutch immigrant arrived in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with a sack of celery seeds in the 1870s. Cooking softens it and celery provides a wonderful texture to the soup.

The dill, an ingredient in many Scandinavian and German dishes, is in the same family of plants as anise, fennel, cilantro, caraway and cumin. Pungent and aromatic, it adds a decidedly refreshing taste to the mixture. The thyme contributes a somewhat lemony, earthy flavor."

Includes recipe for:

• Summer Vegetable Soup

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Recipe News: Fresh black bean and corn salsa

"Two things that appear on my dinner table just about every night in August, are corn and tomatoes.

This late summer duo is reaching it’s prime right now and I never tire of enjoying them on their own, or paired together in a multitude of recipes.

This week I’m turning to Mexico for inspiration for two recipes. The first is a zesty salsa and the second a salad recipe featuring tomatillos along with tomatoes.

Canned black beans form the backbone of the salsa recipe. The addition of fresh, diced tomatoes, corn, green pepper, jalapeno and fresh cilantro make this salsa filling, yet vibrant and flavourful.

This salsa is much more substantial than the variety that is made primarily with tomatoes. I like to serve this version with corn tortilla chips, or it can be the base on which to place a grilled piece of fish or chicken."

Includes recipe for:

• Fresh Black Bean and Corn Salsa

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Recipe News: Blueberries abound in sweet, savoury recipes

"Just recently I was visiting my sister when i spied a bowl of fresh blueberries on her kitchen table.

I casually popped a handful in my mouth and couldn't believe the burst of tart sweet flavour that sent my tastebuds into the stratosphere! I surrendered to the lush texture and wonderful mouth feel these gorgeous little balls of blue gave me, and I devoured the whole bowl.

It turned out I did myself a world of goodness as, according to the BC Blueberry Council, blueberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, a good source of dietery fibre and they contain substances that have antioxidant qualities. And that's just for starters. And — at only 80 calories per cup, there's no feeling blue when you bite into this blue food! Enjoy the following recipes courtesy of BC Blueberry Council. (Blueberrycouncil.com.)"

Includes recipes for:

• SALMON AND BLUEBERRY SALAD WITH RED ONION VINAIGRETTE


• FROSTED BLUEBERRY-BANANA SOUP


• POWER-PACK GRANOLA BARS


• ON-THE-GO BLUEBERRY TRAIL MIX


• BARBECUED BLUEBERRY GRUNT


• MIXED BERRY ALMOND CRISP

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Recipe News: BBQ Salmon With Cucumber-Mashed Potatoes

"Today’s recipe utilizes the unusual combination of potatoes and cucumbers, for barbecue salmon served on top of cucumber-mashed potatoes that have a little dill. As a restaurant item, this combination was super-popular, and the texture is really nice because the diced cucumber is folded in just before serving."

Includes recipe for:

• BBQ Salmon With Cucumber-Mashed Potatoes

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Recipe News: Family Meals Matter: Summer foods with a twist Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/02/2122391/family-meals-matter-summer-foods.html#ixzz0vUky1R9T

"If the summer heat has lulled your family into a culinary stupor, it's time to wake up your taste buds! This week we're featuring recipes that use familiar summer foods in delicious but unexpected ways.

Take the cucumber, for instance. This summer staple comes alive this week in Cucumber and Black Eyed Pea Salad paired with grilled Ranch Chicken. Wrap up the meal with Aunt Dotty's Rhubarb Pie where a creamy custard sauce balances sweet-tart fruity flavors."

Includes recipe for:

• Cucumber and Black Eyed Pea Salad


• Ranch Chicken


• Aunt Dotty's Rhubarb Pie

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Recipe News: Oddfellows Whoopie Pie Bake-off's 'Best Traditional' winners share their recipe

"Last week, we covered the baked good all-stars of the first (annual?) Whoopie Pie Bake-off held at Oddfellows.
We asked the winners of the "Best Traditional" category, seven-year-old Eliza Dworkin and a-little-bit-older Robin Wehl Martin from the team entry, Chef Eliza and Sous Chef Robin, if they would share their secrets and winning recipe with CHS. Here's the recipe but, sadly, the teammates delivered none of their secrets other than that Robin is celebrating her birthday this week. Happy birthday, Robin. Enjoy some pie."

Includes recipe for:

• Classic Whoopie Pie

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Recipe News: Trading Post: Berry, berry good recipes for summer entertaining

"Need a few more recipes for summer entertaining?

The berry cake recipe here is a favorite of Doris Bachman of Roanoke. The colorful mix of berries, gelatin and yellow cake is inverted onto a platter and can be topped with whipped topping or ice cream.

Next is a grilled pork tenderloin recipe from Toni McCue of Springfield. It’s topped with a strawberry salsa, but it’s not limited to summer."

Includes recipes for:

• Upside Down Berry Cake


• Pork Tenderloin With Strawberry Avocado Salsa

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Recipe News: Mom recipes: new takes on chicken

"It may be summer, but that doesn't mean that you have to fire up the grill when chicken is on the menu. The following recipes are new twists on a staple protein."

Includes recipes for:

• Chicken Piccata Salad


• Creamy Jalapeño Chicken

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Recipe News: Stir-fry cookbook is more than just recipes

"Stir-frying is so seemingly commonplace these days that many of us surely botch it up out of sheer mindlessness.

In a masterful book, Grace Young reveals stir-frying is “a cooking method of great subtlety and sophistication.” She gives you all the advice and instruction you need to stir-fry at home, from choosing the right wok to gauging the proper heat to buying the right ingredients at the market.

There are more than 100 recipes here — clearly written and detailed; you’ll get the requisite hand-holding to stir-fry your way to a delicious dinner."

Includes recipe for:

• Chinese Jamaican Jerk Chicken Fried Rice

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Recipe News: Easy cheesy recipes

“Katy Power teaches her students that the key to cooking great-tasting, nutritious meals day after day is to keep it simple.

The majority of teenagers have simple tastes and the underlying goal in a household is to make sure there are plenty of basic ingredients available so that meals and snacks can be prepared and cooked when needed.

We have included a number of simple recipes suitable to make as a snack, lunch, or for dinner over the school holidays, when the students need something to occupy their time and satisfy their appetite.

Our Mini Cheese Muffins and Cheesy Rolls are ideal for the junior cooks as well as the older teenagers. The Cheesy Rolls are a popular South Island variation of cheese on toast while the mini muffins offer a small serving size that is great as a healthy snack between meals. All recipes are a good source of protein, calcium and healthy carbohydrates and are easy and quick to make.”

Includes recipes for:

• Mini Cheese Muffins
• South Island Cheesy Rolls
• Macaroni Cheese with Bacon and Mushrooms

Full article here.

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Recipe News: Try fast-fix recipes that begin with deli-roasted chicken Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/07/06/2315874/try-fast-fix-recipes-that-begin.html#tvg#ixzz0swHR3NSk

"Looking for a way to get out of the kitchen to enjoy summer activities with friends and family?
Here's a secret for cooks looking for time-saving shortcuts that won't compromise the taste of homemade meals. Fully cooked, roasted chicken sliced to desired thickness at the deli counter can save hours of preparation time for dishes calling for roasted chicken as an ingredient.
By substituting chicken that's already been slow-roasted and seasoned when bought sliced at the deli, meals can still have the homemade taste of roasted chicken even if the cook has spent the day at the beach, on the golf course or in the garden.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/07/06/2315874/try-fast-fix-recipes-that-begin.html#tvg#ixzz0swHXzTox"

Includes recipes for:

• Chicken lettuce wraps with barbecue dressing


• Chicken gazpacho sandwich


• Pulled chicken and tomato-vegetable soup

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Recipe News: Recipes that are subtly strawberry

"Maybe it's because they are the first fruit of summer. Or perhaps it's because they know how drop-dead gorgeous they are.

But strawberries have a show-off way about them. Look at me with my fancy whipped cream cap, I'm the center of attention in shortcake!

Hey, don't I deserve top billing in strawberry-rhubarb pie!

Strawberries, can you for once be more modest, more subtle?

To fully appreciate the spectrum of their range, I sought out recipes that recast these fruits from the lead to supporting role."

Includes recipe for:

• Strawberry Butter


• Whipped Cream Biscuits


• Ginger-Berry Spinach Salad


• Strawberry BBQ Sauce

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Recipe News: Turn up the heat with spicy Thai dish

"Soaring summertime heat always sends me in search of spicy food.

Maybe it’s the idea that at least if I’m heating myself up on the inside, I have some kind of control over my body temperature, whatever the thermometer says outside.

I know that many of my friends turn to the grill rather than heat up the kitchen, but I have a confession to make. Unless my husband has volunteered to cook outside, I’m going to be at the stove. The one time I tried to light a grill by myself I nearly burned off my eyebrows. I resolve to overcome that little stumbling block this year, but for now, I am safely indoors, cooking up Thai food.

The nice thing about this dish is that much like a stir-fry, it really doesn’t take long to cook and you’re not going to be using many pots (just one for the pork and a second one to cook the rice).

So if you have all of your ingredients prepped before you get started, you can throw your dinner together in no time and still have time to relax with your cool beverage of choice (mine seems to be iced jasmine tea at the moment).

A note on the spice level: When I made this for my mother, who has always enjoyed fiery dishes, she was glowing (Southern ladies don’t sweat, you know, they glow), and her nose was running. That was with two jalapenos and a generous squirt of sriracha sauce.

I’ve modified the recipe to make it a bit milder, but by all means, reduce the sauce or leave it out altogether if you’re concerned."

Includes recipe for:

• spicy thai pork tenderloin

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Recipe News: Focaccia bread recipe is a quick meal to make; adding veggies to it makes it healthier

"A quick and easy recipe with an amazing aroma and topped with healthy vegetables, it's little wonder focaccia is such a popular bread. Sometimes considered the predecessor of the modern pizza, the name is derived from the Roman phrase panis focacius, meaning flat bread cooked on a hearth.
The vegetable topping enhances the taste and appearance of the dish. The mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, olives and onion provide excellent nutritional value. The tomatoes, for example, contain vitamin C and the antioxidant lycopene."

Includes recipe for:

• Herbed Veggie Focaccia Bread

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Recipe News: summer lunches

"The summer is hectic with play dates, summer camps and swim lessons, so it’s important to be prepared when it comes to feeding your children lunch. Eating out can become a financial drain on the family and it also prevents your kids from new and different food experiences that the summer allows them to have.

Chicken Skewers

Summer is the perfect time to introduce new foods to your children. It’s easier for you to find something new they like when you’re with them and can offer lots of options throughout the day, rather than risk sending them to school with a new food they’re unsure about. At school, there’s usually a light snack and lunch and without something you know they’ll eat, a bad lunch could leave them hungry, tired and disinterested in learning.

This summer keep your kids on a meal and snack regimen to ensure they’re getting the most out of every day. Meals should consist of a protein, starch, fruit and vegetable and a snack should consist of a protein and a grain. Treats are something completely different. Those are the wonderful decadent sweets of summer that we all remember as being one of the best parts. Kids need treats and need to feel like kids, but in moderation. Don’t let the treat be the meal."

Includes recipes for:

• Fish Tacos


• Mini Chicken bar-be-que Pizza


• Beef and Chicken Skewers


• Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps


• Quesadillas with turkey, Swiss cheese, tomato and a light pesto


• Hawaiian skewers with pork tenderloin, pineapple, green pepper


• Black bean and tofu tacos


• Sausage, mozzarella and tomato sauce stuffed hoagies


• Pulled pork on a whole wheat bun


• Chicken Salad in a pita pocket with cucumbers

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