Here’s what I cooked on TV

Here’s the Quick Take recipe I prepared today on WKYT-TV’s 27 Newsfirst at Noon. My cooking segment airs between 12:35 and 12:40 p.m. Fridays on WKYT, then becomes available on Kentucky.com at 1 p.m.

Sausage and peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage
2 medium onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 small red bell peppers, seeded and sliced ¼ inch thick
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2⁄3 cup dry white wine, or chicken broth
6 sprigs thyme
Couscous, cooked according to package directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, turning once, until it starts to brown, 5 minutes. Add onions, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring for 4 minutes. Add bell peppers and garlic, and cook until they are just soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in wine or broth and thyme. Transfer skillet to oven. Roast until sausage is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Spoon sausage, vegetables and pan juices over couscous.

Famous Grand Hotel foods are at Meijer for a short time

Beginning Sunday, Meijer will carry food items inspired by the historic Michigan resort, Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

Meijer will create a summer-long Grand Hotel section within the store to offer more than a dozen products that carry the Grand Hotel brand name.

Among the selections will be Grand Hotel Caramel Corn (available in two varieties), six flavors of Grand Hotel Ice Cream, fudge sauce, and a number of home and garden products ranging from bocce ball and croquet sets to wildflower seed tins. The branded merchandise will be available at Meijer from May through July.

Founded in 1887, Grand Hotel is the world’s largest summer-only hotel and has been the setting for several motion pictures.

Save money by cooking at home

I heard on the radio this morning that more people are cooking at home. Although food prices are rising, we still can eat cheaper at home than at a restaurant if we plan ahead. And learn some cooking skills.

We’ve gotten lazy in the kitchen because it is so much easier to pick up a fast meal on the way home from work. Food prices are on the increase for restaurants too, so we need to become smarter consumers.

• First, you must make a list. Last week, I spent $145 at the grocery store and had ingredients for only one dinner. For Christmas, I made my daughters a pad of shopping lists to hang on the refrigerator door. They planned meals, and stuck with their list, for a while. They admit it worked when they used it.
• Go through the refrigerator, freezer and pantry and look at what you already have.
• Buy the store’s own brand. Meijer has store brands for almost every item in the grocery.
• Buy produce in season. For those fruits or veggies that are not in season, buy frozen. Frozen and canned fruits and veggies are picked and processed at the height of flavor and cost less than their out of season counterparts.
• Shop wisely. The more food is prepared for you (marinated meat or chopped vegetables) the more you’ll pay.

Set up your pantry with basic spices and dry goods that you like. If you haven’t cooked for a while, here are some reminders of what you’ll need from How to Boil Water from Food Network Kitchens.
Kosher salt
Whole black peppercorns (and a grinder)
Red pepper flakes
Dried herbs (your favorites)
Italian seasoning
Garlic-pepper grinder
Ketchup
Mustard
Hot sauce
Jelly
Salsa
Worcestershire sauce
Vegetable oil
Extra-virgin olive oil
Vinegar
Canned chicken broth
Peanut butter
Honey
Pasta
Canned tomatoes
Rice
Oatmeal
Canned beans
Couscous
Canned chiles
Tomato paste
Bread crumbs
Roasted peppers
Sun-dried tomatoes
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Sugar (white and brown)
Pure vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Get started

• Read the recipe through before you start cooking, looking at both timing and ingredients.
• Timing: An oven takes about 20 minutes to preheat; a large pot of water can take up to 15 minutes to boil. Save time by turning on the oven or putting the water on before you change out of your work cloths and start prepping for dinner.
• Ingredients: Assemble everything you need before you start cooking; lay it all out in bowls on a pan or tray for mobility and easy access.
• Set up your cutting board equal distance from the stove and sink for rapid rinsing and chop-and-drop. Put a damp paper towel underneath the cutting board to keep it in place.
• Keep salt, pepper, seasonings and cooking oil you’re using within arm’s reach.
• Keep a bowl for peelings and trimmings at your workspace to minimize trips to the garbage can.
• Do similar activities at once. If you’re making a salad, first peel all your veggies, then chop all of them.
• Clean as you go.

Here’s a 20-minute dish to help you get back in the kitchen.
Chicken & asparagus
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons oil
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal
3/4 cup chicken broth
Steamed white or brown rice

Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. In a wok or frying pan over high heat, warm the oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry until golden on the outside and opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the green onions and stir-fry until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ginger, lemon juice, zest, and garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the asparagus and stir-fry just until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the broth and fish sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 minute to heat through. Spoon the rice onto individual plates, top with the chicken and asparagus and serve with a green salad.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Weeknights.

Today’s TV recipe is salt and pepper shrimp

Here’s the Quick Take recipe I prepared today on WKYT-TV’s 27 Newsfirst at Noon. My cooking segment airs between 12:35 and 12:40 p.m. Fridays on WKYT, then becomes available on Kentucky.com at 1 p.m.

Salt and pepper shrimp
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add oil, salt, pepper, onion and ginger. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Serve over steamed rice. Makes 4 servings.

Dietitian debunks food myths

There’s really not one trendy diet that people are talking about right now. It seems we’re more into healthful eating habits than following the Cookie Diet or the Jungle Effect.

What’s still disconcerting to nutritionists is inaccurate information that’s passed along from unreliable sources.

Dietitian Kathy Belcher of Louisville is setting the record straight on nutrition and provides tips for eating better despite our busy schedules. “Nutrition advice is so often contradictory and some nutrition myths linger for years,” said Belcher, who is program director for the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association.

“It’s important to remember that nutrient-rich foods, such as brightly colored fruits and vegetables, low fat milk, cheese and yogurt, lean meats and whole grains are always the best choice for a healthy diet. Forget food folklore and remember that almost any food can fit into a healthy diet as long as it’s portioned properly,” she said.

One of the topics on Belcher’s spring media tour is “Busting common nutrition myths.”

Here are some myths she’d like to bust.
Eating carbohydrates causes weight gain.
“The bottom line is excess calories and inactivity cause weight gain — not carbohydrates It’s about focusing on getting more nutrition from carbohydrates.Read the label and buy 100 percent whole grain breads, cereal and pastas,” she said.
Dairy foods are fattening.
“So many teen girls and women who are concerned about weight are ditching the dairy. They sip on flavored water or diet sodas or juice drinks, but the bottom line is a glass of fat-free milk is 80 calories, less than a juice drink, plus milk contains calcium and eight other vitamins and minerals,” Belcher said.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthier than frozen or canned.
“It is a fact that just-picked vegetables and fruits have more vitamins and minerals than frozen or canned if you eat them right away. However, it’s fiction to think that frozen and canned vegetables are not healthy choices. Canned tomatoes contain lycopene, which is better absorbed in the body after it is processed,” she said.

Taking vitamin and mineral supplements is just as effective as maintaining a healthy diet.
“We need to be thinking food, not pharmacy. Popping a supplement cannot replace that healthy food. Nature’s disease fighting foods such as citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, whole grain breads and low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt are packed with vitamins and minerals that can’t be matched with a synthetic pill,” Belcher said.

Eating sugar causes diabetes.
Diabetes is a lack of insulin in the body. If you have diabetes, then you must limit the sugar. “We’re seeing an increase in the prevalence in diabetes, especially in younger people,” she said. That could be from an increase in soft drink consumption, which causes an increase in weight which is a risk for diabetes.

The myth that nuts are fattening still lives.
In the early 90’s everybody was counting fat grams and nuts were almost out. When the high protein diets were at their peak, nuts were great again, although some people were overdosing on nutrs. Nuts are a very healthy part of our diets. The problem with nuts is we eat too many. One serving of nuts will fit in an Altoids box.

Here is a recipe from the Dairy Association.

Mango-curry chicken salad

2½ cups (½-inch pieces) grilled skinless, boneless chicken breasts
¾ cup plain, nonfat yogurt
1 teaspoon curry
¼ cup cubed mango
1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
¼ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
¹∕3 cup Mozzarella, cut into small cubes

Grill chicken breasts, cut into small pieces and set aside. In a medium bowl, blend yogurt and curry with a whisk and stir in chicken, mango, cranberries, walnuts and Mozzarella. Mix well and serve on lettuce leaves if desired.
Each serving: Calories: 350; Total Fat: 10g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 80mg; Sodium: 160mg; Calcium: 20% Daily Value; Protein: 34g; Carbohydrates: 32g; Dietary Fiber: 2g

It’s the same menu each year, but with jazzed up recipes

I’m a discussion leader for Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) and on Sunday, I had a luncheon for the members of my group.

Because I have a different group of women each year, I always prepare the same menu for this end of the year fellowship. It’s easy and fool-proof.

I serve chicken salad, baby greens and fresh strawberries tossed with a fruit vinaigrette, Sister Schubert’s dinner rolls, and a homemade dessert. This year I tried two new recipes for a flourless chocolate torte and strawberry lemonade.

Here’s how I make chicken salad: I buy rotisserie-cooked chickens from Sam’s Club. I mix the chopped chicken with light mayonnaise, chopped red grapes, toasted pecans, a teensy bit of dried onions, and several grinds of McCormick’s pepper/garlic seasoning.

I usually buy a raspberry vinaigrette to pour over the salad greens, but found a new product I wanted to try. I bought Wish-Bone Bountifuls Berry Delight salad dressing. It’s a sweet and tangy vinaigrette made with bits of blueberries, raspberries, cranberries and cherries.

Using a recipe from a magazine as inspiration, I made a strawberry lemonade punch. I poured a small amount of the mixture into stemmed glasses and placed the glasses in the freezer. When the guests arrived, I added ginger ale just before serving.
Here’s how I made the strawberry lemonade: In a large pitcher, empty the contents of a can of frozen lemonade, adding the recommended number of cans of water. The recipe called for a jar of strawberry syrup, but since I didn’t have that, I had to improvise. I found a jar of strawberry preserves in the refrigerator, which I warmed in the microwave, then added to the lemonade mixture.

Here’s the recipe for the torte.

Flourless chocolate torte
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, plus extra for greasing
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
3 large egg whites, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Grease the paper and sides of the pan, then dust with cocoa powder.

In the top of a double boiler, combine the chocolate and the 3/4 cup butter. Set over barely simmering water and melt, then whisk until well blended. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, with a mixer set on medium-high speed, beat together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt until pale and very thick. Gradually pour in the chocolate mixture and continue beating until well blended.

In deep, clean bowl, using a mixer on medium-high speed, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until medium-firm peaks form. Scoop half of the egg whites onto the chocolate mixture and fold them in gently. Fold in the remaining whites just until no streaks remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake the torte until it puffs slightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out very moist but not liquid, about 35 minutes. Do not overcook. Let cool on a rack for 30 minutes.

Run a small knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert onto a flat plate. Lift off the pan and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Using a thin-bladed knife, cut the cake into small slices, dipping the knife into hot water and wiping it dry before each cut. Makes 10 servings.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Dessert

Today’s TV recipe

Today’s Quick Take recipe I prepared on WKYT-TV’s 27 Newsfirst at Noon is a simple spinach quiche. My cooking segment airs between 12:35 and 12:40 p.m. Fridays on WKYT, then becomes available on Kentucky.com at 1 p.m.
This quick recipe is ideal for a Derby Day brunch.

Simple spinach quiche
1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust (from a 15-ounce package)
2 12-ounce boxes frozen spinach soufflé, thawed
4 eggs, beaten
6 ounces grated Swiss cheese
Freshly grated black pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll pie crust and press it into a 9-inch pie plate. Combine the spinach soufflé, eggs, cheese and pepper in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell. Bake until set in the center, about 45 minutes.
Source: Real Simple

We’re trying to copy The Mouse Trap’s famous pimento cheese

John and Janet Phelps moved to Charleston three years ago from Kentucky and they’ve been trying to find pimento cheese similar to what is served at The Mouse Trap on Tates Creek Road. “My wife truly loves this product,” John said.

Because The Mouse Trap won’t share its recipe, we sent him some pimento cheese recipes from our readers. But nothing came close. A few days later, John wrote back to tell us he had found a similar recipe. “I found it with the help from a wonderful lady in Charleston,” he said.

Here’s the recipe. Try it and let us know it you think it’s similar.

Pimento cheese

1 pound block American cheese
1 pound block Swiss cheese, (get from your grocers deli) shredded
1 small jar pimentos
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Enough mayonnaise to make wet (half a cup to one cup)
1 to 2 tablespoons seasoning mix
Seasoning mix:
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (not salt)
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon white pepper

Put all ingredients in large bowl. Mix well with hands.

Calistoga Cafe is open. Yeah!

Bob and I stopped at the new Calistoga Cafe for dinner last night and didn’t have to wait in line. Anytime a new restaurant opens in Lexington, there’s a line out the door the first week or two.

Calistoga Cafe opened Monday at the corner of Winchester Road and Sir Barton Way. This is the first Calistoga to be built outside of Florida, and it has a huge, comfortable patio that I’m sure will be packed as soon and the word gets out.

Orders are placed at the counter and even though there’s a menu board for selections, it’s a good idea to pick up a menu, grab a table and then order. You’ll need to read the descriptions of the salads and sandwiches, or you’ll be changing your mind several times.

Bob ordered the Italian meatball melt on Asiago cheese baguette. The meatballs were tasty, but it was the bread that made this sandwich outstanding. I ordered the soup and half salad combination. Six soup selections change daily.

Wednesday’s selection was French onion, broccoli cheddar, chicken noodle, tomato basil, white chicken chili, and Harvest mushroom bisque. Salad selections included Cobb, chef, Pacific ahi with an Asian sesame dressing, and tomato & buffalo mozzarella. I chose the Cobb salad, which was served with a very nice bleu cheese dressing. Best of all, the cafe serves Gold Peak sweetened green tea.

Breakfast is served from 6:30 to 11 a.m. and selections include omelettes, bagels, and oatmeal. But it was the cinnamon roll that tempted me. So I got up a few minutes earlier this morning so I could stop on my way to work and buy a cinnamon roll. It definitely was worth the … hmm … several hundred … calories.

I hope they get a lot busier because if the parking lot is full, I won’t be tempted to stop on my way to work every day.

Calistoga has several designated parking spots for carry-out and an outside window for quick pick-up. Take a look at the menu online at www.calistogacafe.com and call ahead at (859) 543-8642. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

There’s only one “real” hot Brown

As we approach Derby Day, many people want to serve traditional Kentucky recipes.

Raye Ann Thomas is planning a Derby brunch and she wanted an authentic Kentucky recipe for a hot Brown. “I am a native …know an “official” hot brown when I see/or eat one !! … too many deviations out there !! Our foremothers would cringe !!! MOST don’t include the country ham !!! - and a LOW-FAT one ????? — PPLLEEAASSEEEE.” she said.

The first hot Brown was created by Fred K. Schmidt, a chef at the English Grill at The Brown Hotel in Louisville, about three or four years after the famous hotel opened in 1923. The band there would play from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., and dancers would order food during the midnight break.

The usual fare: ham and eggs. The cooks wanted something new.

Chef Schmidt had an idea for an open-faced turkey sandwich with Mornay sauce. At the time, turkeys were only used at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The sandwich was broiled, with two strips of bacon and some pimento added for color.

There are many versions of the hot Brown. Some cooks take shortcuts and use deli turkey slices, city ham, and a cheese sauce. The best ones have country ham slices. The Engine House Deli in Winchester makes it with toasted white bread, sliced country ham and sliced turkey — covered with white cheddar cheese and country Mornay sauce (sausage gravy).

Here is the original recipe from The Brown Hotel in Louisville.

The original hot Brown
4 ounces butter
Flour to make a roux (about 6 tablespoons)
3 to 3 1/2 cups milk
1 beaten egg
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 ounce whipped cream (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Slices of roast turkey
8 to 12 slices of toast (may be trimmed)
Extra Parmesan for topping
8 to 12 strips fried bacon

Melt butter and enough flour to make a reasonable roux (enough to absorb all of the butter). Add milk and Parmesan cheese. Add egg to thicken sauce, but do not allow to boil.
Remove from heat. Fold in whipped cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.
For each hot Brown, place two slices of toast on a metal or flameproof dish. Cover the toast with a liberal amount of turkey. Pour a generous amount of sauce over the turkey and toast. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Place entire dish under broiler until the sauce is speckled brown and bubbly. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of bacon on top and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Over the years, chefs have add their personal touch to the recipe. Peggy Hiegert was chef at The Brown in 1985 when she used this recipe.
Peggy Hiegert’s hot Brown
1 stick butter
8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated Romano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup sherry
2 egg yolks, whipped
4 toast points, halved diagonally
Turkey slices, from breast
4 tomato wedges
4 strips bacon
Parsley for garnish

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter. Sprinkle with flour while stirring, using just enough to make a tight consistency. (You might not need it all). Cook while stirring until paste is golden and dry.
Stir in half-and-half and cream and cook until the flour taste is gone. Stir in the cheeses. Add the sherry, which has been boiled for 30 seconds to 1 minute to cook out the alcohol and continue stirring until sauce has a thin consistency and the cheese is melted.
Strain the hot sauce into a bowl or another saucepan. Add the whipped yolks and blend well. Sauce may be reheated, but must not boil. Line 2 ovenproof single-serving dishes with 2 toast points, turkey and generous covering of sauce. Run under broiler until lightly browned. Remove and place 2 wedges tomato and 2 strips bacon, crossed, on each sandwich. Garnish with parsley. Serve hot. Makes 2 servings.

This version of the hot Brown is from Shakertown’s Welcome Back to Pleasant Hill cookbook.
Shakertown’s hot Brown
4 slices of bread, toasted
4 slices of turkey or chicken
8 slices of bacon, slightly cooked or 4 slices thinly sliced country ham
1/2 cup American cheese, grated
1/2 cup sharp cheese, grated
Cream sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
Salt and cayenne to taste
1/4 teaspoon curry powder if desired
1/4 cup American and 1/4 cup sharp cheese, grated and mixed

Melt butter. Add flour, salt, cayenne and curry if desired. Stir constantly until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add milk, stirring all the while until smooth. Return to heat and cook slowly until thickened. Stir in cheeses until melted.
To assemble place turkey or chicken on toast in four ovenware dishes and cover with cream sauce. Top with grated cheese then bacon or ham. Place under broiler (about 6 inches) and broil slowly until bacon is cooked. Serve hot from broiler. Makes 4 servings.

This recipe is from Cissy Gregg, who was food editor of the Louisville Courier-Journal in the late ’40s and ’50s. After reading it, you can understand why the simpler hot Browns came into being.
The first instructions are to simmer a hen in water seasoned with a few peppercorns, salt and bay leaf. When tender, cool in the broth. After cooling, cut the breast into thin slices.

Hot Brown sandwich
Bechamel sauce
1/3 cup butter or margarine
½ medium-sized sliced onion, minced
1/3 cup flour
3 cups hot milk
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of red pepper
Sprigs of parsley, optional
Dash of nutmeg
Melt butter or margarine in a saucepan. Add onion, and cook slowly until light brown, about 15 or 20 minutes. Add flour, and blend until the flour makes a smooth paste with the minced onion in it. Add milk and other seasonings, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes all together. Strain. If sauce isn’t to be used immediately, stir occasionally to keep a crust from forming on top.

Mornay sauce:
2 cups bechamel sauce
2 egg yolks
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
4 tablespoons whipped cream
Heat bechamel sauce, and combine with egg yolks. Stir constantly, and remove from heat as soon as it starts to boil. When hot and thick, add cheese and butter or margarine. The sauce must not boil or it will curdle.
Then, for every 1/2 cup sauce that is to be used for the sandwich, fold in 1 tablespoon whipped cream. Here, it would be 4 tablespoons. Fry as many strips of bacon as the number of sandwiches you are making. Saute a mushroom cap for each sandwich.
To assemble, cut the crusts off 2 slices of bread for each sandwich. Toast bread. Put 1 slice of toast in an shallow oven-proof dish. Lay slices of chicken on top of toast. Cover with a heaping portion of the sauce. Place in very hot oven or under broiler until sauce takes on the glow of a suntan. Cut the extra slice of toast diagonally, and put the tips at each end. Top with bacon strip and mushroom. A little more grated cheese mixed with bread crumbs can be sprinkled over the sauce.