Cookin' with Carol recipes on NBC5 - June 2003


Pear Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

 

Serves 4

 

Sweet meets savory in this charming salad that highlights pears, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese, and is topped with a raspberry vinaigrette. A perfect first course when entertaining.

 

3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup walnut oil (or vegetable oil)

4 cups mixed salad greens

2 pears, cored and sliced

1 cup red grapes, halved

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled

 

For dressing, whisk together raspberry vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in walnut oil, until incorporated; set aside. Place salad greens in a bowl. Arrange pear slices, grapes, walnuts, and blue cheese on top. Drizzle dressing over all and serve.

 

Notes:

 

To toast walnuts, place in a baking pan and bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden.

 

(Air Date: June 14, 2003)


Crêpes

 

Serves 8

 

These thin French pancakes are very simple to make---and even easier to eat!

 

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use (for cooking crêpes)

 

Place milk, flour, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and salt in a blender. Blend until you have a smooth batter, about 1 minute. Refrigerate the batter for at least 4 hours (or overnight). Preheat an 8-inch heavy skillet, omelette pan, or crêpe pan on medium heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the skillet and wipe any excess oil with a paper towel. Add about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the batter to the pan (use a 1-ounce ladle), tilting the pan to distribute the batter evenly. Cook on medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until the underside of the crêpe is golden brown. Use a very thin metal spatula to help turn the crêpe. Flip it over and cook briefly on the other side. Remove the crêpe from the pan and repeat cooking procedure with remaining batter. Top each crêpe with 2 tablespoons of any desired sweet or savory fillings (see notes below), and fold the crêpe in half, then in quarters, or roll it jellyroll-style, and serve.

 

Notes:

 

Dust sweet crêpes with powdered sugar before serving.

 

Try these sweet fillings:

Fresh Fruit of your choice - blueberries, raspberries, or sliced strawberries, bananas, peaches, mango, papaya, etc.

Fruit Preserves - 2 to 3 tablespoons fruit preserves of your choice

Apple-Cinnamon - 3 to 4 apples, peeled, cored and diced, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Simmer all ingredients for 15 minutes or until apples are soft. Makes filling for 12 to 15 crêpes, using 2 tablespoons for each.

 

Try these savory fillings:

Ham & Cheese - 1 slice Swiss cheese (or shredded) and 2 to 3 slices shaved ham

Vegetable - 1/4 cup sautéed vegetables of your choice

 

Cook these ahead (1 to 2 days) and re-heat in the microwave, or pan-fry in a bit of oil. Cooked crêpes can be frozen, with plastic wrap between them to keep them from sticking together, for 2 to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator and re-heat in the microwave briefly.

 

(Air Date: June 21, 2003)


Skillet Scampi

 

Serves 4

 

If you think summer is hot, wait ‘til you see this shrimp scampi sizzle! But there's no need to turn on the oven for this quick and easy dish. Grab your skillet and keep the heat in the pan.

 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon dry sherry

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pinch paprika

1 whole lemon, cut into wedges

8 ounces linguine, cooked

 

In a small, non-metallic bowl, combine vegetable oil, sherry, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Add shrimp, stir to coat with oil and seasonings, cover, and let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature, or up to 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp with marinade and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until shrimp are almost cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add parsley and butter over all, and cook for an additional 1 minute, or until shrimp is cooked through. Sprinkle paprika over all to garnish. Squeeze lemon juice (from all lemon wedges) over all and serve shrimp over cooked linguine.

 

(Air Date: June 28, 2003)