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Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 6 Issue 67 - April 6, 2004 Chef2Chef Recipe Club Member Forum: http://forums.chef2chef.net -------------------------------------------------- Hello Recipe Club, I love spinach, it's one of the first crops to go into the ground each spring around here. It's a cool weather crop, so we plant for a spring and a fall harvest. Spinach is most definitely good for you. It is extremely rich in carotenoids, including beta-carotene and lutein, and contains quercetin, a phytochemical with antioxidant properties. Spinach is rich in vitamins and minerals, especially folic acid, vitamin K, magnesium, and manganese. It contains more protein than most vegetables. That's why Popeye liked it so much! Raw spinach is a tasty addition to most salads, but to get the full benefit, eat it cooked some of the time. Cooking makes much of spinach's nutritional properties easier for the body to absorb. Most of the spinach you buy in the store comes from Texas or California where it grows well in the cooler months of winter. If you are buying spinach, look for smaller leaves and thin stems. Thicker stems could mean over grown spinach which could be tough and bitter. Spinach should also have a nice clean fresh smell, never musty. I also recommend that you always wash your spinach well in running cold water, especially if you are buying it in bunches as opposed to the cleaned bagged type. -------------------------------------------------- Recipe Club, You can always win cool stuff at Chef2Chef.net Chefs, Caterers and Personal Chefs…No More Masking Tape! Win a New DayMark Label Applicator and 6000 dissolvable labels. A $131 value. Four winners each month. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=408 Do you need a brand new Chef Knife? Chef Revival is giving away five 7 inch Santoku-Granton Knives on April 30th to some lucky Chef2Chef.net Recipe Club members. Register for a chance to Win! http://ads.chef2Chef.net/goto.php?id=36 Register to win a copy of the Chef of the Month, Mario Batali's cookbook, Babbo. A must have for your cookbook collection http://marketplace.chef2chef.net/sweep/ Sign up for a FREE Subscription to Food Arts Magazine. The Magazine for the Foodservice and Hospitality Industry. U.S. residents only. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=242 -------------------------------------------------- Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing Ingredients: 4 cups fresh spinach 1/2 cup fresh or canned (drained) bean sprouts 1 (4 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained & sliced 1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 hard cooked egg, sliced 1/8 cup cooking oil 1/8 cup ketchup 1/8 cup vinegar 1/8 cup finely chopped onion 1 tbsp. barbecue sauce 1 tbsp. sugar 1 tbsp. steak sauce 1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce 3 strips bacon Preparation: Tear spinach into bite size pieces, add bean sprouts, water chestnuts, mushrooms, cheese and eggs. Cover and refrigerate. Combine oil, ketchup, vinegar, onion, barbecue sauce, sugar, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce in glass jar, cover and shake well. Refrigerate. Cook bacon in skillet until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons bacon drippings. Stir in dressing mixture and cook over medium heat until mixture simmers. Add bacon to salad. Pour dressing over salad and toss lightly, but well. -------------------------------------------------- Welcome to Simply Saffron. Saffron is the dried stigmas of the flower ‘crocus sativus Linnaeus'. Its vibrant colour and beautiful aroma provides the perfect complement to all cuisine. Simply Saffron specializes in the sale of Sargol saffron, the finest and purest saffron in the world. If you are interested in acquiring any other specie of saffron then please contact us and we will endeavour to help you. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=411 -------------------------------------------------- Spinach-Phyllo Rolls Serves 4. Ingredients: Non-Stick Oil Spray 4 sheets thawed phyllo dough 8 slices Swiss cheese 2 cups baby spinach leaves, 1 cup drained, chopped, jarred roasted red peppers 1 tbsp. sesame seeds Preparation: Preheat oven to 400. Coat a large baking sheet with your choice of butter, oil or nonstick spray. Unfold the phyllo and place 1 sheet on waxed paper. Coat so it won't stick. Top with remaining sheets, covering lightly with olive oil or nonstick spray. Arrange the cheese, spinach and peppers on top of the phyllo. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut crosswise into 4 equal strips. Starting with a short edge, roll up each jelly-roll style. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let rest for about 5 minutes. Cut each roll in half. -------------------------------------------------- Pepper-Passion.com "Pepper-Passion is a source for gourmet Sea-Salt and Peppercorns including our exclusive "Talamanca De Caribe" organic Black Pepper. We are also the creator of the Aphrodite Salt & Pepper Mill and other unique signature designs handcrafted from rare and exotic tropical hardwoods. A perfect gift with lasting value for any occasion." http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=401 -------------------------------------------------- Spicy Sautéed Spinach Ingredients: 1 or 2 bunches spinach, about 1 lb. after removing stems 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 lg. onion, finely sliced 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger 1 tsp. cumin seeds 1/2 tsp. black cumin seeds, opt 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. ground coriander 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric 1 tsp. chili powder, opt 1 tsp. salt, or to taste Preparation: Wash spinach well in several changes of cold water and remove stems. Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion until golden, then add garlic and ginger and fry, stirring, for a further minute or two. Add seeds, ground spices and salt and mix well, then turn in the spinach with only the water that remains on the leaves after washing. Toss in the spicy mixture, then turn heat very low and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until spinach is cooked. You may need to add a little more water to prevent spinach sticking to pan. -------------------------------------------------- Revolutiontea.com A Revolution in Taste and Quality. Revolution Tea is proud to offer an assortment of the highest quality full-leaf tea crafted to suit the taste of today's palate. Our premium teas are available loose or in the nylon Infuser and Pyramid Tea Bag(TM). These innovative brewing systems combine the convenience of a traditional tea bag with the flavor quality of full-leaf tea, enabling even the most discriminating tea drinker to enjoy loose-leaf tea in a bag. Drink it in(C). http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=393 -------------------------------------------------- Chicken, Spinach, and Raspberry Salad Serves 6 Ingredients: 3 cups cubed cooked chicken, chilled 1 pint washed raspberries 1 can Mandarin Oranges, drained 1/3 cup sliced almonds 20 ounces washed and trimmed baby spinach leaves 1 1/2 cups Raspberry Vinaigrette ( Recipe Below ) Preparation: Combine chicken, raspberries, orange wedges and almonds in a bowl. Place a bed of spinach on 6 chilled plates and top with chicken mixture. Drizzle with Raspberry Vinaigrette. Serve at once. Makes 6 servings. Raspberry Vinaigrette Ingredients: 4 tablespoons raspberry vinegar 4 tablespoons raspberry jam 2/3 cup canola oil Preparation: Blend the vinegar and the jam in a covered blender for 10-15 seconds, then add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. -------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS, Comments, Technical Support: http://forums.chef2chef.net |