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SMORGASBORD _eRESS.REPUBLICAN - PI ATTRBI IDPiU M V THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2,1995 PAGE G3 Seafood dinners simple with surimi products Does the prospect of cooking a seafood dinner at home make you want to abandon ship? If so, you'll be glad to know that preparing a delicious seafood meal can be a snap, thanks to a tidal wave of surimi seafood products now available in supermarkets across the coun- try, What's surimi? It's a seafood alternative that's been swimming in popularity since it was first developed in Japan about 1100 A.D. Basically, it's fish — most often Alaskan pollock fillets, a lean, white-fleshed fish very similar to cod. Within just a few hours of being caught, the fish is cleaned, filleted, minced, washed and then flavored and shaped to resemble such seafood favorites as crab, lobster and scallops. Surimi seafood is pre-cooked, pasteurized and ready to eat straight from the package, which makes it extra easy to incor- porate into a wide variety of dishes, both hot and cold. SURIMI TIPS • Substitute surimi seafood in any of,your shellfish dishes. It works well in salads, tacos, pasta dishes, fajitas, sandwiches, soups, stir-fries, quiches, omelets, dips, spreads, cas- seroles and on pizza. • Remember that surimi seafood is already cooked. It's ready to go into cold dishes. For hot dishes, just heat and serve. • Unopened surimi may be kept for up to two months in the refrigerator. Once opened, it should be used within four days. vor blends well with many other foods, so you can use it in your, favorite salads, soups, sand- wiches and stir-fries with great results. It's also the perfect com- plement to pasta dishes and tastes equally delicious with red, white or other sauces. You can use surimi seafood in just about any recipe that calls for fresh seafood. So how does surimi seafood stack up nutritionally? With to- day's emphasis on low-fat, low- cholesterol foods, surimi is a healthful and economical choice. Surimi is low in calories, low in cholesterol and high in protein. Surimi is also low in fat — in fact, some brands of surimi is totally fat free. Surimi has a few other advan- tages over fresh seafood that you should keep in mind. First of all, there's no waste with surimi, and it costs much less. Simply said, you get more — a lot more — product for your money. Second, while some types of fresh seafood can be found only at certain times of the year, surimi is readily available all year long. And finally, surimi can be stored unopened in the refrigerator for as long as two months, which means it's easy to keep on hand for preparing quick, healthy, great-tasting meals. So the next time you're ready or lobster flakes or chunks 6 to 8 oz. linguine or other favorite pasta as desired 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine sweet-fla -1- cup whipping cream Y2 cUp sliced green onions with tops V% cup Swiss or bleu cheese Vi cup Parmesan or Romano cheese Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. While pasta is cooking, cook garlic and oregano in butter in saucepan, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add tomato; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes, or until tomato is cooked through. Add remaining ingre- dients; mix well. Cook over me- dium heat, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted and sauce is hot. Place hot cooked pasta on serving plate; top with sauce. . Makes 3 to 4 servings. Scallop Pasta 1 package (8 oz.) surimi scallops 1 lb. angel hair pasta 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 small green bell pepper, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp. dried oregano 2 cans (16 oz. each) diced tomatoes Salt and pepper to taste Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. While pasta is cooking, combine oil, in a board and get out the surimi. You'll have a perfectly delicious meal in no time. Use the recipes featured here, and see how quick and easy a seafood meal can be. Creamy Two-Cheese Seafood Linguine 1 package (8 oz.) surimi crab tender. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper; bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat; sim- mer for 10 minutes. Add scallops and simmer 3 minutes. Serve warm sauce over pasta. Top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Seafood Stir-Fry 1 package (8 oz.) surimi crab flakes 1 Tbsp. oil IV? cup oriental-style vegetables V2 tsp. garlic powder Va tsp. ground ginger 2 Tbsp. soy sauce or seasoning packet from vegetables Heat oil in skillet. Add crab and vegetables and stir over me- dium-high heat, for 2 minutes. Add seasoning. Stir well, Cook 1 minute more. Serve immediately. Makes 3 servings. Holiday Seafood Dip 2 packages (8 oz. each) reduced-fat cream cheese 1 package (8 oz.) surimi crab» flakes 2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion . 1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 4 to 5 drops hot pepper sauce Vi cup finely chopped walnuts Paprika Stir the cream cheese until _alightly softened. Blend in re-* maining ingredients except walnuts and paprika. Spread mixture in a 9-inch pie plate. Top with walnuts and sprinkle with paprika. Baked uncovered at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes until lightly browned. Makes about 4 cups dip. Lobster Ocean Bisque 1 package (8 oz.) Louis surimi lobster chunks 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of potato soup 1 can (8 oz.) whole kernel corn, undrained 1 cup milk 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley Combine all ingredients except parsley in 2-quart saucepan. Heat on medium about 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. Makes 4 (1 cup) servings. Quick Seafood-Spinach Dip 1 package (8 oz.) surimi crab or lobster flakes or chunks, shredded 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine V2 tsp. dired basil, crushed V* tsp. freshly ground black pepper Vs tsp. ground red pepper to taste 1 package (12 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed and drained Vi cup grated Parmesan 7 cheese Cook garlic hrbutterin sauce-- pan over medium heat for 1 minute; stir in basil and peppers. Add remaining ingredients. Heat through, stirring frequently. Serve warm with crackers or Melba toast. Makes about 2V2 cups dip. '•V& ,-i \rSa Low-fat Spaghetti Carbonara AP Photo This recipe cuts spaghetti fat By Th« Associated Prms Low-fat Spaghetti Carbonara is a contemporary version of a traditional recipe. This creamy egg-- and cheese-based dish is traditionally flavored with bacon. The recipe below cuts the fat by using egg substitute and turkey bacon. -Despite the whittled-down fat and—eholesterol content of this recipe — which weighs in at under 30 percent calories from fat — this dish has maintained the richness and flavor of the classic recipe from which it was adapted. Low-Fat Spaghetti Carbonara 1 lb. spaghetti or thin spaghet- ti, uncooked 6 oz. turkey bacon, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed % cup dry white wine 1 cup egg substitute Vi cup fresh parsley, chopped V3 cup grated Parmesan cheese Salt and freshly ground pep- per, to taste C o o k pas ta a c cor din g to package directions. .While pasta is cooking, cook the bacon and garlic in a small saute pan over medium-low heat until the garlic is aromatic and the bacon is lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine, increase heat, bring the wine to a boil apd cook until it has reduced -by about half. Pour mixture into a large serving bowl and. let it cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the egg substitute and the parsley. When pasta is done, drain it well and add it immediately to the bacon mixture. Add Parmesan cheese and toss quickly. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve. Makes 4 servings. • Nutrition facts per serving: 364 cal. (26 percent calories from fat), 22.2 g pro., 37 g carbo., 10.9 g fat, 822 mg sodium, 34.7 mg chol. Recipe from: National Pasta Association Test Kitchen, Time for fall cider harvest and all goodies made with it Saffron adds taste, color to dish By Th« Associated Pros By SUZANNE MARTINSON Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Take down a glass you can see through. Pour in a splash of the velvety brown liquid. Slosh it around a little. Take a deep sniff, sip and taste. It's cider-slurping time. Cider Facts: • It's the smaller apples that traditionally go into cider, or- chardists say. The top apple grades, U.S. Extra Fancy and U.S. Fancy, with plu-perfect color and shape, are sold as eating ap- ples. • Most growers agree that the best cider is made from a blend of sweety and tart apples — rather than from a single variety. If the cider you bought this week seemed more flavorful than the gallon you purchased in August, you're probably not im- agining it. Tom Davis, who calls himself of Sally's Cider Press near Har- mony, Pa., says cider changes from the beginning of the season to the end. \After a frost, you get sweet cider,\ he says. \Early in the season we have Mclntosh and Paula Red, a very early ap- ple that doesn't make as good a cider. Now we're tending more toward Gold and Red Delicious, Russet, Winesap and Rome.\ As Davis talks, the cider press goes \Bam! Bam! Bam!\ in the background. Maybe it's pressing apples from their own trees at Miller's Apples. \October is the prime time,\ Davis says. The apple growers control what apples go into the cider, but they can't control what goes out onto the^airwaves about it. Last * year, ^idery was incorrectly im- plicated m an E. coli case in WashingtfinState. \It took us almost a year to learn that the two cases turned out hot to bel linked to cider,\ * says Julia Dalk of the Interna- tional Apple Institute, a trade group n McLean, Va. \The lab work just came back. There were no food-borne illnesses linked to cider last year.\ This hot spiced cider — made with fresh-squeezed orange and lemon juices — could be a big hit at the neighborhood's harvest potluck on a crisp fall day. The recipe comes from Trax Farms, Finleyville, Pa. Apple Wassail 1 gallon apple cider 3 tsp. ground allspice 1 tsp. ground cloves V2 tsp. ground nutmeg 4 sticks cinnamon Juice of 8 oranges Juice of 4 lemons ~ *- - •- 2 cups sugar Simmer all together for 30 minutes. (We made and kept this warm in the Crock Pot.) Can be stored in refrigerator and heated as wanted. Serve hot. This cheese ball is a favorite item at Kaelin Farm Market, Franklin Park, Pa. Ellen's CheeM Boll 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese V2 cup cider V% cup butter, melted V2 lb. Swiss cheese, shredded V% lb. cheddar, shredded Beat cream cheese, \then slowly beat in cider and melted butter. Fold in shredded cheese. Form into balls, if desired. Wrap and freeze well. Makes 3 cups or 3 balls. Let thaw before serving. Good with crackers, apple slices or chunks of cheese. This is a tasty way to eat ham. A good accompaniment is a Southern specialty, Fried Apples. Apple Cider Glazed Ham 4-5 lbi ham 2 cups apple cider . 2 cinnamon sticks Y2 tsp. (16) whole cloves V2 tsp. (16) whole allspice Vi cup honey 4 tsp. cornstarch Thinly sliced red and green apples Bake ham as directed. Com- bine apple cider and spices in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Remove spices. Mix honey and cornstarch; stir into cider. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Begin glazing 30 minutes before ham is done. Fifteen minutes later, remove ham from oven, arrange apple slices on top. (We skipped this step and served Fried Apples.) Continue to bake and glaze the ham until done. Serves 6. (Source: Trax Farms) Many Southern restaurants include these in their breakfast buffet. Fried Apples 2 quarts baking apples 2 Tbsp. melted margarine V3 cup sugar IV2 cups apple cider 3 A cup brown sugar 1 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. cornstarch 2 Tbsp. raisins In skillet, slice apples into melted margarine (we used but- ter). Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add sugar. Flip apples over, cover and simmer until tender but not mushy. Remove to serving dish and put apple cider, brown sugar, butter, cornstarch and raisins in skillet. Cook until slightly thickened and add ap- ples. Good served with ham. (Source: Trax Farms) This makes a moist, deliciously spicy cake. Unlike most pound Cakes, it has a bit of leavening. Scrip** H«w«4 N«ws Sacgea £, Deep in the heart of Spain, just 35 miles south of Madrid, lies a region where small villas dot the landscape and horse- drawn carts still travel down dirt roads. During October, rich pur- ple fields of autumn crocus await the daily harvest. Inside each crocus are three crimson stigmas. This is the raw material for what we call saffron. The fall-blooming crocus (Crocus sativus) is closely related to the spring crocus that we are more familiar with, but only Crocus sativus yields saffron. It isn't hard to see why saffron is one of the world's most expen- sive food flavorings: each stigma must be picked by hand, and it takes 80,000 flowers to yield just 1 pound of saffron. Fortunately, a little saffron goes a long way. Just a few threads dissolved in hot liquid add a rich golden color and aro- matic earthy flavor to a pot of soup or rice. The following recipe for saffron shrimp saute features shrimp, fresh grapes and brandy, all common ingredients in Spanish cuisine. There are two methods of preparing the saute: the tradi- tional method starts with soak- ing the saffron threads in warm water for about 20 minutes and then adding the mixture to the saute. The second method is much quicker: crumble the saf- fron threads between your fingers directly into the pan. The two methods produce slight variations in color and tastes. The first gives a more even flavor and the second presents a sprinkling of more intense taste throughout the dish. Both shrimp and grapes cook quickly. You'll know the shrimp is done when it just turns opaque pink. To retain the juicy crispness of fresh grapes, simply heat until warm throughout. And if you don't have saffron, tur- meric can be substituted. Saffron Shrimp Saute l A tsp. ground saffron or tur- meric 1 tsp. warm water 1 lb. shelled, deveined, un- cooked shrimp 2 Tbsp. minced shallots 2 Tbsp. butter V2 tsp. salt Dash pepper 2 cups seedless grapes, halved, if desired 3 Tbsp. brandy Cooked pasta or rice Soak saffron threads in warm water for 20 minutes. Saute shrimp and shallots in butter in large saute pan; stir in saffron, salt and pepper. Cook only until shrimp turn opaque, stir in grapes. Add brandy and heat thoroughly or, if desired, flame. (To flame, carefully light brandy in pan with a long match, being careful not to burn your hand or fingers. Brandy will ignite over entire surface.) Serve over cooked pasta or rice. Makes 4 to 6 serv- ings. Note: Soak saffron threads to improve their flavor. If saffron is used without soaking, use double the amount to V2 teaspoon. Recipe from: California Table Grape Commission Cookie math Cookie math — htndy equivalents: • 1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs equals 19 wafers. • 1 cup fine vanilla-wafer crumbs equals 22 wafers. • 1 cup fine graham-cracker crumbs equals 14 square crackers, In honor of the 10th anniversary of The Nutcracker, the North Country Ballet Ensemble, presents a Gala Celebration of the Arts Nov. 4/1995, 7:00 PM City Had Rotunda, Evening Attire Tickets available at Council on the Arts or at the door it !•> LEGISLATOR AREA 1 CL1ATUINIUUN11
