It might seem impossible, but it’s already June. Time for
graduations, weddings and barbeques. Bees, sunburns, beer and the
beach.
It might seem impossible, but it’s already June. Time for graduations, weddings and barbeques. Bees, sunburns, beer and the beach.
In two short weeks, it will be Father’s Day, a day to honor the guy who drives you crazy and takes good care of you, all at the same time.
Isn’t that the truth? My dad was a jokester, which was a riot when our family was alone. But toss in a crowd of people and I didn’t think his jokes were very funny. What father of a teenager has not heard this two-syllable word: “Daaa-aaaad!”
Now, watching my husband with our girls, I know the special kind of heck I put my dad through (and that’s putting it nicely).
Dads truly deserve medals. But instead, how about some public recognition for Father’s Day?
To honor Dads, we’ll run a special Jenny’s Kitchen the week before Father’s Day. Entering is simple: Just answer one or more of the following questions and mail, fax or e-mail them to me by Friday, June 11.
All ages are welcome, and if you send a photo, I’ll run as many as I can.
Answer one or more of the following questions:
1. Dad’s name, age, city of residence.
2. Your name and phone number.
3. My dad makes me laugh when he …
4. When we have time, my dad and I like to …
5. He is special because …
6. He likes to cook/bake/barbeque _____ for our family (include the recipe, if you can).
7. My dad’s hobby is ________. Describe …
8. I am proud of my dad because …
9. Enclose a picture if you have one.
Mail to: Jenny’s Kitchen, P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, 95021. Fax to: 776-7804. E-mail: jd****@****ic.com. Don’t forget the deadline: Friday, June 11.
• Peanut-lover breakfast: Here’s a new take on the traditional PB&J sandwich from the National Peanut Board: turn it into French toast. It was a little sweet for me, but I think peanut butter and jelly lovers would think they’d gone to heaven. The peanut butter gets a little melty and warm and blends in with the jam – no syrup needed. This would be a special treat for Saturday morning cartoons.
PB&J French Toastwich
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp. vanilla
2 T. creamy peanut butter
1 T. jam or jelly
2 slices whole wheat (or white) bread
1 T. butter
In a shallow bowl, beat egg, milk and vanilla. Make a peanut butter sandwich. Melt the butter in the skillet. Dip the sandwich into the egg mixture on both sides. Grill in butter until golden brown on both sides. Cut into edible portions and serve with a fork.
• Summer salad: I love the combination of beans, corn and onions. This salad recipe from McCormick Spices calls for grilling the corn, which gives it a lovely smoky flavor.
Use more or less of the spices, depending on your personal taste. You can chill this overnight, making it a perfect party addition.
Tex-Mex Grilled Corn Salad
2 ears fresh corn
2 T. olive oil
2 T. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. chile pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
2 green onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Grill corn. Cut kernels off ears.
Combine olive oil, vinegar and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix well. Add corn and remaining ingredients; toss with dressing to coat.
Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or overnight. Toss before serving.
Makes 6 servings.
• RSVP: Reader Janet Topel from Morgan Hill bought one of my recommended beginner cookbooks, “Mediterranean Cooking,” by Lesley Mackley, and found this vegetarian recipe. She says the vegetables were tender and flavorful, the perfect foil for the couscous. This could also be served alongside roasted meat or chicken.
Vegetable Couscous
3 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 (14 oz.) can tomatoes, chopped
1 1/4 cups vegetable stock
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of saffron strands
4 baby eggplant, quartered
8 baby zucchini, trimmed
8 baby carrots
Salt
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained
6 oz. pitted prunes
1 2/3 cup couscous
3 T. chopped fresh parsley
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until soft. Add cumin and paprika and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, stock, cinnamon, saffron, eggplant, zucchini and carrots. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook 20 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
Add chickpeas and prunes and cook 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put couscous in a bowl and cover generously with boiling water. Leave 10 minutes and then drain thoroughly and fluff up with a fork. Stir parsley and cilantro into vegetables. Heap couscous onto a serving platter and spoon vegetables on top. Spoon over a little sauce. Serve remaining sauce separately.
This week’s tip
To clear a grease-clogged sink, pour in 1 cup each of baking soda and salt, followed by 2 quarts of boiling water.
Notes
• Fruit fun … Fruit consumption in the U.S. rose from 101 pounds per person in 1970 to 135 pounds in 2000, the last year of the survey.
• Shrimp quick … The Food and Drug Administration recommends eating shrimp within a day of purchasing it. You should also remove the heads of whole shrimp if you will be storing them in the refrigerator for longer than a couple of hours. Shrimp with heads are more perishable because the head contains all of the vital organs and the majority of the digestive system.
• Best pasta … Good pasta is hard to find, unless, of course, you make it yourself. Most people don’t have time for that on a regular basis. My favorite is by A.G. Ferrari Foods and can be found at either the Ferrari stores, online, or locally at the Nob Hill deli department. Pasta contains two main ingredients: water and either standard flour or the coarsest part of the wheat (semolina). High quality pastas contain durum wheat semolina, which has a very low percentage of starch and a high percentage of protein. Many varieties of A.G. Ferrari Foods’ pasta contain around 13 grams of protein per serving. Besides that benefit, it also cooks up perfectly into tender strands.
• End note: “Cheap no good. Good no cheap.” ~ Anonymous
Happy cooking!
