Blueberry Icebox Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie; 6 to 8 servings
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
5 cups fresh blueberries, picked over for stems, or 5 cups frozen blueberries (divided use)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 prepared crumb crust (recipe follows)
Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir the mixture until it is smooth. Combine 3 cups of the blueberries, the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium-size saucepan.
Bring the pot to a boil, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thickened. Cook an additional 2 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter and remaining 2 cups of blueberries. Scrape the filling into the prepared crust. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until the filling is completely set, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
Slice and serve with dollop of whipped cream.
Graham Cracker and Oatmeal Crumb Crust
Makes one 9-inch pie crust
11 whole graham crackers (to yield about 1 1/3 cups crumbs)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup old-fashioned (not quick-cooking) rolled oats
3 tablespoons firmly packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the graham crackers in the work bowl of a food processor and process them until they are finely ground. Combine the crumbs, butter, oats, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl and stir until the mixture is moistened.
Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate and all the way up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly with your fingertips so it is even and compacted. Bake the crust until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Let it cool completely before filling it. (The crust may be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month.)
Anise Cookies
Makes about 50 cookies
3 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon anise extract or 3 tablespoons anise seed
Beat eggs with electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating constantly. Continue to beat for 20 minutes (very important). Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture. Beat in anise extract.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 1/2 inch apart onto well-greased baking sheet. Let stand overnight (or at least 8 hours), uncovered, to dry out. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven about 10 minutes or until cookies are a creamy golden color, not brown on the bottom. Remove to a rack and cool.
Tester Laura Reiley's comments: "Beating the mixture for 20 minutes may seem excessive, but you are making a kind of meringue that will yield a cookie with a nice, shiny gloss.
"Try to make cookies round by using 2 spoons and transferring the dough between the spoons before dropping the dough onto the baking sheet. If any little points stick out, make them smooth with your finger. The resulting cookie is soft, shiny and deliciously aniselike in flavor.
"I would not use the anise seed instead, as the little hard seeds would really change the texture of the cookies."
Grilled Pineapple With Vanilla-Cinnamon Ice Cream
Serves 6
ICE CREAM:
1/4 cup milk
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
PINEAPPLE:
1 pineapple
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Mix the milk, ice cream, brown sugar and cinnamon together and refreeze, preferably overnight.
Skin pineapple, cut into six 3/4 -inch slices and remove cores. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger and coat the slices with the mixture. Grill pineapple over medium-high direct heat for 5 minutes or until the brown sugar caramelizes and grill marks appear. Remove the slices from the grill and serve topped with the ice cream.
Note: To help prevent the ice cream from melting too quickly on the pineapple, freeze the ice cream as solidly as possible and allow the pineapple slices to cool somewhat before serving, or plate them separately.
- Adapted from "Southern Living Magazine," September 2001
Peanut Noodles With Chicken
Makes 4 servings
8 ounces fettuccine
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup natural-style peanut butter
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Combine chicken and bell peppers in a colander. Drain pasta over chicken mixture; let stand 5 minutes. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; add garlic and ginger. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently; add water, peanut butter, hoisin sauce, vinegar and chili sauce. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring with a whisk. Combine chicken-pasta mixture and sauce in a large bowl; toss to coat. Stir in onions and cilantro.
Watermelon Juice
2 servings
2 cups watermelon chunks, seedless
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup cold water
5 ice cubes
juice of 1 lime (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve over ice.
-- Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, Border Grill, Santa Monica, Calif.
Watermelon Lemonade
4 servings
6 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded
1/4 cup raspberries
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
Place watermelon, raspberries and water in blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher. Stir in sugar and lemon juice until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
- National Watermelon Promotion Board
Pineapple-Rum Turkey Kebabs
Makes 4 servings
3/4 pound turkey breast tenderloin steaks, cut 1/2 inch thick, or boneless turkey breast
1/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
3 tablespoons rum or unsweetened pineapple juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon grass or 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges
3 plums or 2 nectarines, pitted and cut into thick slices
2 cups fresh or canned pineapple chunks
hot cooked rice with green sweet pepper slivers (optional)
Cut turkey into 1-inch squares. Place turkey in a self-sealing plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For marinade, combine the 1/3 cup pineapple juice, the 3 tablespoons of rum or pineapple juice, the brown sugar, lemon grass or lemon peel and oil. Pour over turkey. Seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Drain turkey, reserving marinade. In a small saucepan, bring reserved marinade to boil. Boil gently, uncovered, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. On four 12-inch metal skewers, alternately thread turkey and onion, leaving about a 1/4 -inch space between pieces. Alternately thread plums and pineapple onto 4 more skewers.
Grill turkey and fruit kebabs on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals until turkey and onion are tender, turkey is no longer pink and fruit is heated through, turning once and brushing occasionally with the heated marinade during the last half of grilling. (Allow 12 to 14 minutes for turkey and onion and about 5 minutes for fruit.) If desired, serve over hot cooked rice.
Makes one 9-inch pie; 6 to 8 servings
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
5 cups fresh blueberries, picked over for stems, or 5 cups frozen blueberries (divided use)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 prepared crumb crust (recipe follows)
Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir the mixture until it is smooth. Combine 3 cups of the blueberries, the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium-size saucepan.
Bring the pot to a boil, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thickened. Cook an additional 2 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter and remaining 2 cups of blueberries. Scrape the filling into the prepared crust. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until the filling is completely set, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
Slice and serve with dollop of whipped cream.
Graham Cracker and Oatmeal Crumb Crust
Makes one 9-inch pie crust
11 whole graham crackers (to yield about 1 1/3 cups crumbs)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup old-fashioned (not quick-cooking) rolled oats
3 tablespoons firmly packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the graham crackers in the work bowl of a food processor and process them until they are finely ground. Combine the crumbs, butter, oats, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl and stir until the mixture is moistened.
Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate and all the way up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly with your fingertips so it is even and compacted. Bake the crust until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Let it cool completely before filling it. (The crust may be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month.)
Anise Cookies
Makes about 50 cookies
3 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon anise extract or 3 tablespoons anise seed
Beat eggs with electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating constantly. Continue to beat for 20 minutes (very important). Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture. Beat in anise extract.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 1/2 inch apart onto well-greased baking sheet. Let stand overnight (or at least 8 hours), uncovered, to dry out. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven about 10 minutes or until cookies are a creamy golden color, not brown on the bottom. Remove to a rack and cool.
Tester Laura Reiley's comments: "Beating the mixture for 20 minutes may seem excessive, but you are making a kind of meringue that will yield a cookie with a nice, shiny gloss.
"Try to make cookies round by using 2 spoons and transferring the dough between the spoons before dropping the dough onto the baking sheet. If any little points stick out, make them smooth with your finger. The resulting cookie is soft, shiny and deliciously aniselike in flavor.
"I would not use the anise seed instead, as the little hard seeds would really change the texture of the cookies."
Grilled Pineapple With Vanilla-Cinnamon Ice Cream
Serves 6
ICE CREAM:
1/4 cup milk
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
PINEAPPLE:
1 pineapple
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Mix the milk, ice cream, brown sugar and cinnamon together and refreeze, preferably overnight.
Skin pineapple, cut into six 3/4 -inch slices and remove cores. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger and coat the slices with the mixture. Grill pineapple over medium-high direct heat for 5 minutes or until the brown sugar caramelizes and grill marks appear. Remove the slices from the grill and serve topped with the ice cream.
Note: To help prevent the ice cream from melting too quickly on the pineapple, freeze the ice cream as solidly as possible and allow the pineapple slices to cool somewhat before serving, or plate them separately.
- Adapted from "Southern Living Magazine," September 2001
Peanut Noodles With Chicken
Makes 4 servings
8 ounces fettuccine
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup natural-style peanut butter
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Combine chicken and bell peppers in a colander. Drain pasta over chicken mixture; let stand 5 minutes. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; add garlic and ginger. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently; add water, peanut butter, hoisin sauce, vinegar and chili sauce. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring with a whisk. Combine chicken-pasta mixture and sauce in a large bowl; toss to coat. Stir in onions and cilantro.
Watermelon Juice
2 servings
2 cups watermelon chunks, seedless
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup cold water
5 ice cubes
juice of 1 lime (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve over ice.
-- Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, Border Grill, Santa Monica, Calif.
Watermelon Lemonade
4 servings
6 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded
1/4 cup raspberries
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
Place watermelon, raspberries and water in blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher. Stir in sugar and lemon juice until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
- National Watermelon Promotion Board
Pineapple-Rum Turkey Kebabs
Makes 4 servings
3/4 pound turkey breast tenderloin steaks, cut 1/2 inch thick, or boneless turkey breast
1/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
3 tablespoons rum or unsweetened pineapple juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon grass or 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges
3 plums or 2 nectarines, pitted and cut into thick slices
2 cups fresh or canned pineapple chunks
hot cooked rice with green sweet pepper slivers (optional)
Cut turkey into 1-inch squares. Place turkey in a self-sealing plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For marinade, combine the 1/3 cup pineapple juice, the 3 tablespoons of rum or pineapple juice, the brown sugar, lemon grass or lemon peel and oil. Pour over turkey. Seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Drain turkey, reserving marinade. In a small saucepan, bring reserved marinade to boil. Boil gently, uncovered, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. On four 12-inch metal skewers, alternately thread turkey and onion, leaving about a 1/4 -inch space between pieces. Alternately thread plums and pineapple onto 4 more skewers.
Grill turkey and fruit kebabs on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals until turkey and onion are tender, turkey is no longer pink and fruit is heated through, turning once and brushing occasionally with the heated marinade during the last half of grilling. (Allow 12 to 14 minutes for turkey and onion and about 5 minutes for fruit.) If desired, serve over hot cooked rice.