Week of February 26, 2006

Fantastic Chicken Broth

1 pound boney chicken parts
1 large onion
3 ribs celery
1 carrot
1 teaspoon salt (or less - you can add more later to taste)
3 whole cloves
1 dried bay leaf
6 cups water

Quarter onion. Chop scrubbed celery and carrot into 1 inch chunks. Place chicken pieces, onion, celery, carrot, salt, cloves and bay leaf in large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add 6 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 2 hours.

Remove chicken and vegetables. Strain stock. Cool in refrigerator. Skim fat off the surface.

Freeze it in an ice cube trays, then store in freezer bags. Then you'll have individual portions that are ready to go for a quick sauces and soups.

Week of February 19, 2006

How to Make a Hearty Vegetable Stock

4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 stalks celery, tough strings peeled,stalks cut into chunks
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
1 leek, halved lengthwise and washed thoroughly
2 cloves fresh garlic
2 1/4 quarts water
Black Peppercorns and a Bay Leaf (Optional)

In a large pot, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes.

Strain stock and reserve for soups and sauces.

COOKS NOTE: Stock may be made ahead of time and frozen for a quick soup base.

For a richer and and more full bodied vegetable stock, try adding shiitake mushrooms to the above vegetables and then roast vegetables in the oven in a little olive oil until browned. Then add water to the vegetables and in a soup pot or Dutch oven and bring to a boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Week of February 12, 2006

Do you love tarts, but are looking for a way to lighten them up? Try using meringue cups - they are light, airy with a slightly sweet crunch. Fill them with fruit, pudding, flavored frozen yogurt and top with your favorite sauce.

Picture Perfect Meringue Cups
Makes 8 Meringue Cups

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Position 1 rack in bottom third and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 200°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Trace with a heavy hand, 4 circles approximately 3 1/2 inches in diameter on each parchment sheet. Turn parchment over so that marked side faces down (if you have traced heavily enough, the circles will show through to the other side).

Whisk sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat whites in large bowl until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.
Add sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until whites are very stiff and glossy, at least 4 minutes with heavy-duty mixer and 6 to 8 minutes with handheld.

Scoop enough meringue into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip to fill 3/4 full. Pipe small dot of meringue under parchment in each corner of baking sheets. Press parchment onto dots. This will keep the parchment lying flat.
Starting in center of 1 marked circle, pipe meringue in continuous spiral to fill circle completely. Pipe 1 meringue circle atop edge of base circle, forming a standing rim.

Repeat, piping 2 more circles atop first, forming meringue cup. Pipe 3 more cups on sheet, filling bag with meringue as needed. Pipe 4 cups on second sheet.
Bake meringues 3 hours without opening oven door (meringues may drop slightly). Turn off oven; let meringues stand in closed oven over-night to dry completely. Store in an airtight container. Do not stack.

Per Serving: 166 Calories; trace Fat (0.0% calories from fat); trace Saturated Fat; 3g Protein; 40g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 42mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Week of February 05, 2006

Try something different - Quinoa

Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, is not a true cereal grain, but rather the botanical fruit of an herb plant. It is treated as a grain in cooking even though it is the seed of a leafy plant that's distantly related to spinach. Quinoa, a delicately flavored grain that was a staple in the ancient Incas' diet. Quinoa has a light, delicate taste, and can be substituted for almost any other grain. It is higher in unsaturated fats and lower in carbohydrates than most grains, and the quality of its protein is roughly equivalent to that of milk. Quinoa cooks quickly, making it perfect for weeknight pilafs and hearty grain salads

Most quinoa is imported from South America, although it is being cultivated on the high slopes of the Colorado Rockies. Quinoa grains are about the same size as millet, but flattened, with a pointed, oval shape. The color ranges from pale yellow through red and brown to black. Quinoa cooks quickly to a light, fluffy texture. As it cooks, the external germ, which forms a band around each grain, spirals out, forming a tiny crescent-shaped "tail," similar to a bean sprout. Although the grain itself is soft and creamy, the tail is crunchy, providing a unique texture to complement quinoa's delicate flavor.

Since this grain is still a relatively new one, at least to the American market, you're most likely to find it in health-food and specialty stores. Large supermarkets often stock quinoa, too.