Making Decorative Cucumbers

To make a more pleasing to the eye entree, gear it up with decorative cucumbers. 


Peeled Cucumber


To start with, cut off both ends of a cucumber with a potato peeler or a kitchen knife. Make sure you peel the whole cucumber. Slice in halves. Take out seeds of the cucumber by loosening with a knife and removing with a spoon. Slice into 1/4 inch thick slices, creating half moons. You can also create slices similar to donut holes by cutting the ends off, peeling, then cutting in half, but not lengthwise. Then carefully remove the pulp with a knife. Slice in circles.


Unpeeled Cucumber


Cut off both ends of a cucumber with a potato peeler or a kitchen knife, but this time, do not peel the whole cucumber. Slice in halves. Take out seeds of the cucumber by loosening with a knife and removing with a spoon. Slice into 1/4 inch thick slices, creating half moons. You can also create slices similar to donut holes by cutting the ends off, peeling, then cutting in half, but not lengthwise. Then carefully remove the pulp with a knife. Slice in circles.


Striped Cucumber


Cut off both ends of a cucumber. With a potato peeler, peel one strip all the way down the cucumber. Move over about the width of the strip you just peeled and leave the skin in tact. Then peel again, then leave the skin again, causing a striping effect all the way down the cucumber. Slice cucumber into 1/4 inch thick rounds.


To Julienne your cucumbers, here'e a video more a more precise instruction:

Goodluck!

Summer Sizzling BBQ Recipes

Thanks to Kraft Canada, these BBQ recipes are sure to hit your grill and sizzle your summer with fabulous tastes and aroma.


Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon

You need

• 1 untreated cedar plank (14x7x1 inch)
• 1/2 cup Kraft Calorie-Wise Sun-Dried Tomato & Oregano Dressing
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, finely chopped 1 salmon fillet (2 lb./900 g), 1 inch thick

Directions

Immerse plank in water, placing a weight on top of plank to keep it submerged. Soak at least 4 hours or overnight. Heat barbecue to medium heat. Mix dressing, parsley and tomatoes; set aside. Brush top of cedar plank with 1 Tbsp. oil; top with fish. Place on grate of barbecue; cover with lid. Grill 10 min. Brush fish with dressing mixture; grill 10 min. or until fish flakes easily with fork. 


Foil-Packed Fish Florentine 

You need 
 

• 4 pieces white Fish Fillets, such as haddock, halibut or cod (1 lb.)
• 1-1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 4 cups fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup Philadelphia Herb & Garlic Cream Cheese Spread 1/4 cup Kraft Signature Sun-Dried Tomato & Oregano Dressing  

 
Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. After cleaning and cutting fish fillets in half crosswise to make 8 pieces. Mix rice and water; spoon evenly onto centres of each of 4 large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Top each with 1 fish piece; divide 1/4 each of the spinach and cream cheese over top. Top with remaining fish pieces and dressing. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place foil packets in single layer in 15x10x3/4-inch baking pan. Bake 15 min., or until fish flakes easily with fork. Remove packets from oven; let stand 5 min. Place 1 packet on each of 4 dinner plates. Cut slits in foil with sharp knife to release steam before opening.  

Make Your First Salt-Free Sauce

Garlic and onion are known healthy. They even make great substitutes for salt in savory recipes. There are actually plenty of salt-free blends that are free of salt but does not necessarily mean sodium-free. If you are watching your salt intake on a low-sodium diet, this simple mix can be your first one without the use of salt.


Ingredients

• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1-1/4 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1-1/2 teaspoons white pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Procedure

Whisk together garlic  powder, thyme leaves, oregano, onion powder, paprika celery seed, white pepper, mustard, lemon peel, and black pepper in a small bowl until well-combined.

Funnel into a dry glass container and seal tightly. Store away from heat and light. Freshness remains within 6 months. Perfect on meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables and even fruits.

My First Spicy Chicken Wings Recipes

I have made these wings at least a half dozen times and my friends have raved about them! I am always ask to bring them to picnics and to office gatherings. The more I cook these spicy chicken recipes, the more I master the recipes. 

Every time I make this recipe at home, I can't remember having any leftovers. Sometimes I make it not too spicy so the kids can enjoy.  It's a kind of messy to bake it in the oven,but I did line the pan with foil for easy cleaning, and with the marinade, I added 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for an extra kick. I also heated up the marinade for a dipping sauce which was also spicy.                                                                         

                                                                             Recipe 1

·              4-5 lbs. chicken wings

·        1/2 stick margarine

·        10 shakes Tabasco

·        1 bottle Durkee hot sauce

·        2 tbsp. honey

·        2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Heat the cooking oil in a heavy pan and deep fry chicken wings for 20 minutes. Drain. Combine all other ingredients to form a sauce. Dip chicken wings and let set in sauce. Dry and arrange in a serving dish. Serve.

Recipe 2

 

·        5 lbs. bag chicken wings

·        1-2 sticks butter

·        12 fl. oz. Louisiana Pre Crystal Hot Sauce

Heat the cooking oil in a heavy pan. Deep fry chicken wings until golden. Drain on paper towel. Combine the hot sauce and melted butter. Transfer into a pan or crock pot. Add chicken wings to sauce and heat thoroughly. Arrange in a serving dish and serve warm.

Tsai Ming's Cranberry Hoisin Chicken Rice

This chinky-eyed versatile Asian chef with heart of gold works from TV shows "Simply Ming", to charity to actual cooking, has never failed to fascinate his clientele. His creative West cooking styles opened doors with not just foods, but a personal approach of pursuing a balanced lifestyle focusing on his healthy East-West style of cuisine.

I'm sure you too will get fascinated with his hoisin-taste-of-home light recipe for all ages, it's his Cranberry Hoisin Chicken Rice.

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs, skin on
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 bunches scallions, sliced, save 1/4 cup of green scallions for garnish
2 cups jasmine rice
1 cup red wine
1cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup hoisin
3 cups water
Canola oil for cooking
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Place an oven-proof casserole with a tight lid over medium-high heat and coat very lightly with oil. Season the chicken thighs and color on all sides, set aside.

2. In the same vessel now filled with tasty chicken fat, sauté garlic and scallions, then add the rice, season and sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Deglaze with red wine and reduce by 3/4.

3. Add the cranberries, hoisin and water and check for flavor. Add back the chicken, bring to a simmer, cover and transfer to oven for 20-30 minutes. Let rest out of oven for 10 minutes, then serve family style.

4. Serves 4.

Ignite your palate with more of Ming's East-West style dishes.

Wild Flour Bread

Do you want something unique for your bread?

One of the best bread escapade I have had is the wild flour bread experience. This is the sound of organic sourdough breads, biscotti and scones, in a cup of white chocolate, double chocolate, espresso, hazelnut, ginger, apricot... you name it!

Producing bread in a wood fired oven makes especially thick crusts. Sour dough does not necessarily mean sour but rather breads that are risen only with organic sour dough (fermented flour and water). This is not just great-tasting but very healthy and breads that can last until tomorrow or the next day.

There's this Wood Fired Brick Oven Baked Bread Bakery & Organic Garden, located in Freestone, California near Sebastopol who have breads arrive by the hundreds, they make make up to 900 loaves daily and sell only in that bakery! You can imagine that. Generally they have 10 to 12 kinds of bread daily. Each day the variety of breads changes. Like wine tasting, they sample all of their breads so that you can experience a huge variety of tastes.

That's making the breads in wood-fired oven. I have been thinking of baking my own thick-crusted bread, or the wild flour breads but I still have to decide whether or not to get my own brick oven. Well, there sure is a better way to get this ancient baking technique to my kitchen.

So, the next time you travel California, this wood-fired baked oven bread bakery can be a great stop. I have been there a couple of times and thick-crusted bread are truly fun!

Chef John Folse's Louisiana Shrimp Scampi

Chef John Folse is a cooking master and a culinary diplomat. He is very famous for his teaching that only the freshest food yields their true flavors. He defines Louisiana food as the marriage of both the rich, complex Creole cuisine, and the country-style Cajun cuisine presented in a conventional plate.

John Folse was born in Louisiana, and raised in a family of sugarcane farmers and great cooks. At a young age he has learned to utilize ingredients from the swamp floor pantry. His inate culinary imagination inpired him to season raw ingredients with his passion for Louisiana culture and cuisine, then he would cook his creation in his cast iron pots. He became very famous for his teaching that only the freshest food yields their true flavors.

Treat yourself in this famous Louisiana brown shrimp scampi. Top it on your pasta, rice, fish or chicken. You decide.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds (20-25 count) Louisiana shrimps, peeled
1/2 cup flour
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Tabasco Pepper Sauce to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup shallots, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh oregano
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup parsley, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions:

Combine flour, salt, and peppers in a medium mixing bowl and blend thoroughly. Dust shrimps evenly with seasoned flour and set aside. In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until edges are golden. Add the shrimp, shallots, basil and oregano. Occasionally turn shrimp on each side until pink and curled. Add the mushrooms and parsley, and deglaze with white wine. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4.