Oh, dessert. I resist you so often and abstain from you nearly always, but you will always remain a dear, dear friend and close to my heart. And what says summer better than Strawberry Shortcake? With giant flats of strawberries practically jumping into your cart at Whole Foods for half price this is the perfect time to take advantage of the sales and dive into a shortcake. Afraid it's too much of a splurge? Well, rest assured! Below I tackle the recipe and while it won't be a healthy staple anytime soon you can now indulge without too much worry.And then, of course, one must not forget about the dinner. (Only ice cream is a suitable dessert for dinner option.) Here I use a classic French cooking technique, en papillote, or cooked in parchment paper. This keeps the fish light and flavorful without getting dried out. The vegetables cook alongside the fish, soaking up its juices and basting to come out tasty and very, very healthy. I pair the meal with North Indian spiced potatoes for a crisp side with a bit of bite.
Time: 3 hrs (less for fish and potatoes)
Difficulty: medium
Strawberry Shortcake
Make for yourself as a treat or prepare this and take it to a friend's BBQ, pool party, or beach extravaganza. Although it'll last a little while in your fridge strawberries are best fresh so make this when you'll be able to tackle it in its entirety in 2-3 days.
Time: 3 hrs (with prep time)
Ingredients:
4 c strawberries, sliced
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c margarine
1/2 c sugar
1 3/4 c flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 c skim milk
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
frozen fat free cool whip
(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)
First, a few things to prepare so the rest of the recipe can come together in a bit. Wash and slice your strawberries. Mix them with 1/3 c sugar, toss well in a bowl, and refrigerate. Let them sit at least 1 hr but up to 3 hrs. Finally, follow the instructions to thaw your cool whip.
Also crack your two eggs, throw out the yolks, and save the 2 egg whites. Set these aside to come to room temperature. (This will create a fluffiness later.) Also remove the margarine from the fridge so it can soften.
Once all of those pieces are heading in the right direction, continue! Get your oven preheating to 375. Line a springboard 9" cake pan with wax paper and spray it with cooking spray. Set it aside for now.
Place the margarine in a large bowl and cream it with an electric mixer. After about 2-3 minutes start adding the sugar, but slowly. It should take 4-6 steps to add the entire 1/2 cup. Continue beating as you add the sugar and keep beating until your mixture is light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Let me pause for a second, however. These are a couple things you will rarely find in my recipes: salt and bothering to separate while baking. But a pinch of salt IS needed here to rise properly. And as for the separating, while it makes no difference if you are making something denser like brownies, the separation here means your final shortcake will be far lighter. Failing to mix means you might beat out all of the spring and end up with a flat, dense cake. (Think the epochal Aunt Gertrude's fruitcake.)
Pour out your milk to the right measurement. Add a little bit of flour mixture to the butter mixture, then add some milk, then continue to repeat. You want to end with flour mixture. Once that is all blended add the almond extract and stir that in.
In yet another bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed. (Trust me, you do not want to do this by hand.) Beat until they are foamy, which should take a few minutes. Slowly add the 2 tbsp sugar just 1 teaspoon at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form, which will take at least 5 minutes if not more. The peaks should be able to stand up on their own without trouble.
Stir 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the batter. Then gently fold in the rest, stopping as soon as it is folded in.
Put the batter in the springboard pan you lined and greased. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top of the cake. Bake for 25 minutes or until done. Let the cake cool for a few minutes after coming out. This will make the cake shrink slightly away from the edges, making it easier to remove from the pan.
Finally, it's time to assemble. Cut the shortcake in half horizontally. Put the bottom half on a large plate with the cut side facing up. Spoon out some of the strawberry juice that has developed in the bowl with the strawberries and drizzle that over the cake. Spread half of your whipped topping on the cake and then top with half of your strawberries (avoiding taking the juice.) Place the next piece of cake (cut side down) on top. Repeat the adding of the rest of the strawberry juice, rest of cool whip, and rest of strawberries. Enjoy!
North Indian Roasted Potatoes
Time: 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients:
3 tbsp canola oil
3 lbs small red potatoes
1 3/4 tsp mustard seeds (black or yellow)
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 c fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 c fresh mint, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 limes
(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)
First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then wash your potatoes and cut them in half. (Note, always keep skins, it's healthier! And tastier!) Toss them in a bowl with 1 tbsp oil and then set aside for now.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a small pan over medium to medium high heat. Add the mustard seeds and turn to medium high. Cook until the seeds begin to pop, which will take just 1-2 minutes. You'll want to be ready because when they start to pop, they go EVERYWHERE. Quickly reduce the heat to medium low at that time and add the ginger and garlic. Stir constantly and cook for an additional minute.
Then, time for the spices. Add the salt, turmeric, and garam masala to your pan, continuing to stir. Cook for another minute. Remove from heat, turn off the stove, and pour the spice mixture over the potatoes. Toss well to ensure they are evenly coated.
Coat a large glass dish with cooking spray and spread the potatoes in a single layer in the dish. Bake for 50 minutes or until tender. Stir at a third and two thirds through to avoid one side of the potatoes baking to the pan. When you remove them from the oven, add the lime juice, cilantro, and mint and toss well again. Cut your two limes into wedges and serve them with the potatoes. The fresh juice will help to calm any spiciness.
Turbot en Papillote
As you will see, this meal results in little pouches that are perfect for picking up and eating from. I find this is really great with company since they are already neatly divided. But beware, you will always eat a packet rather than half a packet so do not overstuff them!Time: 35 min
Ingredients:
1 c carrots, sliced into thin shreds
1 c red onion, vertically sliced into rings
1 c zucchini, diced
1 tsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1 lb Turbot
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp butter
1/4 c white wine
(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)
Preheat your oven to 350. (This is when I really wish I had a giant kitchen with a double oven... one day!) Make sure all of your veggies are chopped to the instructions above.
Toss the carrots, red onion, zucchini, tarragon, and 1/8 tsp black pepper in a bowl. Then, to the side, sprinkle the rest of the pepper onto the tops of your Turbot fillets.
Cut large (about 15") squares of Parchment paper and fold in half and open again to find the center. You want the same number of Parchment squares as you have fillets. If there is one large fillet, cut it into 2-3 individual pieces. Using the fold as a guideline, evenly distribute your veggie mixture among the parchment squares.
Place the fillet over the fish on each square. Distribute the butter around the fillets, so you have 1/2 tsp-1 tsp of butter topping each fillet. Drizzle with wine that is also distributed (roughly 2 tbsp wine/fillet.) Gather up the edges of the paper and tightly roll down so the packet is firmly sealed.
Grease a baking dish or baking sheet with cooking spray and place the packets on or in it. Bake for 20 minutes. The packets should be hot and puffy if they were properly sealed. Remove from the oven, cut open a packet, and eat right away.
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