Category Archives: ~Dinner

Hearty Baked Pork and Apple Stew

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Hearty Baked Pork and Apple Stew

2   pounds pork shoulder (fat trimmed), cut into 2-inch chunks
1   large (3/4 Ib.) onion, chopped
1/2   cup water
1/2  cups regular-strength beef broth
1  cup apple butter
1   large (1/2 Ib.) bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
1%   cups sliced carrots ‘/2   cup sliced celery
3   large (l’/2 Ib. total) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

Place pork, onion, and water in an ovenproof 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat. Cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes; stir occasionally. Uncover and stir often until moisture evaporates and pan drippings are dark brown, about 5 minutes.

Add broth and apple butter; stir to free browned drippings. Bake, covered, in a 350° oven for 30 minutes. Stir in bell pepper, carrots, celery, and apples. Continue to bake, covered, until meat is very tender when pierced, about 1 hour longer. Serves 6.

Per serving: 316 cal. (23 percent from fat); 20 g protein; 8.2 g fat (2.6 g sat.); 42 g carbo.; 97 mg sodium; 63 mg chol.

Warm Cioppino Salad

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Warm Cioppino Salad

1/2   pound extra-large shrimp (26 to 30 per lb.), shelled and deveined
3  tablespoons olive oil
2   cups !4-inch-thick slices mushrooms
2   cups 14-inch-thick slices zucchini
1   can (14Y2 oz.) tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2   cups drained pitted black ripe olives
Dressing (recipe follows)
3   quarts lightly packed, rinsed and crisped fresh spinach leaves
1/2   pound shelled cooked crab In a 10- to  12-inch frying pan over
medium-high heat, stir shrimp in oil until pink, about 2 minutes. Lift out and set aside. Add mushrooms and zucchini to pan; stir often on medium-high heat until zucchini is tender-crisp to bite, about 3 minutes.

Return shrimp to pan; add tomatoes, olives, and dressing; stir often until hot. Put spinach in a wide bowl; pour hot mixture over greens, top with crab, and mix gently. Serves 6.

Per serving: 231 cal, (47 percent from fat); 20 g protein; 12 g fat (1.7 g sat); 14 g carbo.; 693 mg sodium; 85 mg chol.

Dressing. Mix /4 cup lemon juice; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire; and 1 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano leaves, and minced garlic.

Blueberry Tid-Bits

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Here are a few nuggets of information to help you make the most of this glorious fruit.
• Blueberries belong to the same family as the wild huckleberry or azalea.
• The powdery gray-blue bloom on the sur­face of the skin helps the small berry retain its moisture after harvest.
• Blueberries do not ripen further after they’re picked.
•Blueberries aren’t as perishable as other berries and will keep about a week if handled properly. Place them in a plastic container and refrigerate as soon as possi­ble. Don’t wash berries until you’re ready to use them. (Added moisture will hasten growth of mold.)
•Washing blueberries before freezing results in toughening of their skin.
• A pint of blueberries serves four people generously.

Successful Frying

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•The secret is using the right oil. Smoke point is the temperature at which fats and oils begin to smoke, indicating they’ve begun to break down. The higher the smoke point, the better it is for frying. Lard and some vegetable oils such as corn, canola, safflower, and peanut are good choices. Shortening is not suitable for high-temperature frying.
• Moisture and food particles break down oil, so don’t reuse it more than twice. If you see smoke, discard the oil, and start over.
• Achieving and maintaining proper oil temperature is a must. If it’s not hot enough (often caused by overcrowding), the food soaks up oil, leaving it greasy. Too hot, and the outside burns before the inside cooks, creating food that’s soggy.
• Use heavy-duty aluminum, stainless steel, or cast-iron cookware for even heat distribution and the retention of high temperatures. Iron speeds up the breakdown of oil, so when using cast-iron cookware, it’s best to use the oil only once.
• Choose cookware that’s large enough to leave at least 3 inches between the surface of the oil and the top of the skillet or Dutch oven.
• Always allow the oil to return to its proper temperature between batches. We like to use a candy thermometer, which can handle high temperatures and be attached to the side of a large skillet or Dutch oven for instant readings.
• Make sure food is dry. Adding moist food to hot oil will cause spattering and popping.

Perfect French Fries – EVERYTIME

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Choose low-moisture, high-starch potatoes such as russet or Idaho. For crisp fries, wash the cut, uncooked strips in several batches of cold water until the water is clear. However, for the crispiest fries, we found the double-fry method hard to beat. Frying strips twice in the same oil at different temperatures gives you fries like no others. This recipe, using the double-fry method, received our highest rating.

FRENCH FRIES
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
PREP: 30 MIN., FRY: 7 MIN. PER BATCH

Potatoes cut into strips are the crispiest of the potato shapes.

4 pounds russet or Idaho potatoes, peeled

Vegetable oil Salt to taste

CUT potatoes into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

POUR vegetable oil to a depth of 4 inches in a Dutch oven, and heat to 325°. Fry potato strips, in batches, until lightly golden, but not brown, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Drain strips on paper towels. HEAT oil to 375°. Fry strips, in small batches, until golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Drain on clean paper towels. Sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.

CRINKLE-CUT FRIES: Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch-wide strips with a waffle cutter. Fry as directed.

WAFFLE CHIPS: Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick slices with a waffle cutter. Fry as directed.