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June 6, 2011
10-Second Recipes: Power Pudding for Pop and Other Secrets of a Makes "Cents" Dad's Day Menu 
(10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare)
By Lisa Messinger Food preparation at any time of year can be easy, nutritious, inexpensive, fun - and fast - as the following split-second sensations prove. They take just 10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare. The dishes are delicious proof that everyone has time for tasty home cooking and, more importantly, the healthy family togetherness that goes along with it! Another benefit: You effortlessly become a better cook, since there are no right or wrong amounts. These are virtually-can't-go-wrong combinations, so whatever you choose to use can't help but draw "wows" from Dad whether inside your kitchen or outside on your patio. QUICK MENU 1: WATERMELON Appetizer One Wicked Watermelon Salad Gently combine chunks of watermelon, tangerine, cooked shrimp, cooked scallops, goat cheese, fresh cilantro and low-fat vinaigrette dressing. Entree Can-Do Watermelon-Steak Kebabs Marinate one-fourth the number of steaks as diners for at least one hour in a combination of watermelon juice, fresh lime juice and freshly ground black pepper. Grill steaks until completely cooked. Carefully cut into bite-sized chunks and thread unto skewers with chunks of watermelon, green bell pepper, pineapple and cocktail onions and serve immediately at room temperature. Side Dish Go Green with a Touch of Red Drizzle sliced fresh green beans and slivered almonds with watermelon and grapefruit juice and season with cumin, freshly ground black pepper and salt substitute. Healthy Dessert Win at this Watermelon Shell Game Cut seedless small "personal size" watermelons (as supermarkets often call them) in half, scoop out pulp and reserve shells wrapped in refrigerator. Place in a nonreactive bowl, mash and gently combine the watermelon mush and its juice with a dash of fresh lime juice, dash of fresh orange juice and cayenne pepper. Freeze, stirring occasionally, until icy and slushy, which is a Sicilian granita. Serve in the reserved shells topped with sweetened coconut and finely chopped pistachios. QUICK MENU 2: EGGS Appetizer Dad's Truly Devilish Eggs When mashing the filling for deviled eggs for adults include a drizzle of spicy ale, cayenne pepper and a dash of cooked refried beans. Serve accompanied by a bowl of beer nuts. Entree Real Men's Quiche Top a store-bought quiche Lorraine with chopped "candied" bacon (bacon that's been coated lightly in maple syrup and caramelized in the pan while frying), finely diced jalapeno peppers (wearing latex gloves while handling and not touching your eyes during or afterward) and chopped pecans. Place in oven until quiche is thoroughly heated, with the last minute or two in broiler to best heat the topping, watching that it doesn't burn. Side Dish Tiny Scrambled Brown Rice Balls Good Enough for the Big Boys Prepare quick-cook brown rice according to package instructions and combine with small amount of non-trans fat margarine, freshly ground black pepper and thinly shredded scrambled eggs that have been seasoned with salt substitute and a dash of curry powder. Use a melon baller or teaspoon to shape into small balls and serve three with each entree. Healthy Dessert Power Pudding for Pop The best chocolate and other puddings, when cooked, are made with multiple fresh egg yolks. To your homemade recipe or store-bought version, add crushed toffee peanuts, dried cranberries, chunks of raspberry-filled dark chocolate and a dash of almond extract. QUICK TIP OF THE WEEK: Reading the nutrition counts on restaurant menus, when available, can be valuable - and lead to surprises. What, for example, would you think is more caloric, a citrus-filled, leafy green salad or a large baked potato stuffed with a variety of cheeses and grilled chicken? At one major family dining chain, the potato came out to significantly less than the salad, which is loaded with dressing and packed with nuts and avocados. Straight calories, though, of course are never the only decision makers. Nuts and avocados are "good fats" when it comes to avoiding the saturated ones. Perhaps ordering dressing on the side would be a solution or eating half and bringing half home for another meal - and at least you won't have fooled yourself that you ordered a low-calorie salad, when it was surprisingly more than 1,000 calories per serving. Surveys have been showing that, even when nutrition counts are posted, like they've been required to recently in New York, that many diners are ignoring them. Unfortunately, it's a valuable tool to bypass. Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food and nutrition writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the National Council Against Health Fraud and author of seven food books, including the best-selling The Tofu Book: The New American Cuisine with 150 Recipes (Avery/Penguin Putnam) and Turn Your Supermarket into a Health Food Store: The Brand-Name Guide to Shopping for a Better Diet (Pharos/Scripps Howard). She writes two nationally syndicated food and nutrition columns for Creators Syndicate and had been a longtime newspaper food and health section managing editor, as well as managing editor of Gayot/Gault Millau dining review company. Lisa traveled the globe writing about top chefs for Pulitzer Prize-winning Copley News Service and has written about health and nutrition for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Reader's Digest, Woman's World and Prevention Magazine Health Books. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.
Posted by Staff at 6:00 AM |