Healthy food has come a long way. It’s not like it was when my high school friends went on celery and cottage cheese diets. Now heart healthy foods are recognized to be one we crave like walnuts, avocados, dark chocolate, cherries, grapes and olives. These are only some of the 40 “super foods” highlighted in the WomenHeart’s All Heart Family Cookbook.

I’ll admit I’m not crazy about the name of the book, but the recipes are absolutely gorgeous. I’ve bookmarked Escarole and Bean Soup, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Grilled Tuna with Wasabi Cream, Peach Blueberry Shortcakes and Orange Pistachio Cake. Check out the Warm Steak and Orange Salad recipe!

Warm Steak and Orange Salad

Serves 4
Heart healthy ingredients: 5

Fresh orange juice, sherry vinegar, and olive oil make a fantastic vinaigrette for a salad of greens, sweet orange pieces, and thin slices of grilled flank steak. A sprinkling of olives adds a piquant touch. If you’ve only eaten olives from a can, give some fresh ones a try. Delicious kalamata (or calamata) olives, which hail from Greece, contain monounsaturated fats that increase “good” HDL cholesterol and reduce plaque buildup in the arteries.

1 flank steak, about 8 ounces
1⁄2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 oranges
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 bag (5 ounces) mixed greens
1 medium red onion, cut into slices and separated into rings
10 kalamata olives, pitted and quartered

1. Coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Preheat the grill or broiler. Season the steak with the pepper and salt.

2. Grill or broil the steak, turning once, for 8 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers 145°F for medium rare. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes longer, if desired, for medium (160°F) or well-done (165°F). Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing

3. Meanwhile, with a small paring knife, cut off the top and bottom of each orange. Place cut side down on a cutting board and cut down around each orange to remove the skin, white pith, and outer membrane. Over a large bowl, cut between the membranes to release the sections, placing the sections in a small bowl and

allowing the juices to drip into the large bowl. Squeeze the membranes over the large bowl to release the juice and discard.

4. Add the vinegar and mustard to the juice in the bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil until emulsified. Add the greens and onion and toss to coat well. Evenly divide among 4 plates. Top each with one-fourth of the sliced steak, orange sections, and olives.

Per serving:
168 calories, 44 calories from fat, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 2 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 19 mg cholesterol, 421 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 14 g protein

The gift of good health is priceless. This Mother’s Day you could give mom the cookbook or a more deluxe gift basket that includes:
• WomenHeart’s “All Heart Family Cookbook”
• Clos du Bois 2005 Sonoma Reserve Merlot
• Clos du Bois 2007 Rosé
• Red silicon spatula
• Rustic brown wicker gift basket

It’s an $85 value, yours for just $74.99. Place your order online by midnight, Tuesday, May 6th to ensure delivery by Mother’s Day.

——–Amy Sherman

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What is it about a little dollop of whipped cream on top of a dessert that makes it so appealing? It dresses up even the simplest fresh fruit or cake. But I always have the same problem when it comes to whipping cream. I only need a little bit to garnish a dessert but I end up buying at least a half pint container and throwing at least some of it away. For the occasional use, nothing beats fresh whipped cream and no fake cream will do.

Having whipped cream on hand enables you to make fun snacks like this one developed by pastry chef Gale Gand. It’s a colorful layering of strawberry jam, pineapple chunks and mandarin oranges topped with whipped cream - good for snacking or dessert using nothing more than pantry staples.

Pineapple Cornucopia
Makes: 5 servings

5 teaspoons seedless strawberry jam
10 slices of fresh pineapple or 1 can (20 oz ) pineapple slices packed in juice, drained
Whipped cream
1/2 can (11 oz ) mandarin oranges, drained

Spread 1 teaspoon strawberry jam in the bottom of five 4-ounce custard cups. Cut each pineapple slice into 5 sections.

Place pineapple slices around the bottom of each cup. Add a serving of whipped cream in the center. Tuck 5 mandarin oranges in a pinwheel around edge of the whipped cream. Serve immediately.

For convenience sake, you can’t beat a product like Reddi-wip, which unlike some brands is actually made with real cream. The packaging allows you to keep it fresh in the fridge much longer and only use what you need. No more tossing out half used pints of whipping cream!

To win one of three fabulous prize packages sponsored by Reddi-wip, just leave a comment with your favorite way of using whipped cream. It could be with fruit, cake, cookies, ice cream– anything (PG rated) goes!

- 1 signed copy of Gale Gand’s Short & Sweet:Quick Desserts with Eight Ingredients or Less
- 12 Reddi-wip free coupons
- 2 Reddi-wip branded bowls
- 1 red silicone muffin pan

Each prize package is worth $100. Leave you comment today to win!

THE CONTEST IS NOW OVER AND NO MORE COMMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED

NEW CONTESTS ARE POSTED ALL THE TIME, SO STAY TUNED!

*The Fine Print: To be eligible to win, you must be aged 21 or older, and a resident of the US.Only one entry per person. A winner will be chosen from commentors’/entrants’ names on Friday May 9th, 2008 9am PST. Chances of winning depend on number of entrants. Winners will be notified via email, at which point Glam Editors will request their mailing address to send their prize.

——-Amy Sherman

Technorati Tags: giveaway, contest, reddi-wip, whipped cream, recipe, pineapple

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This coming Monday is Cinco de Mayo which is not Mexican Independence Day but instead commemorates a victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It’s celebrated in this country with margaritas and Mexican food.

You probably already have a great margarita recipe. If not, check out the one posted here recently. To go with your margarita, how about something tropical and tasty? We’re thinking mango, as in a chicken mango quesadilla. Recipe courtesy of the Mango Board. Visit their site for more recipes and tips.

Chicken Mango Quesadilla
serves 4

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 dried ancho/pasilla chile pepper, stemmed and seeded
4 burrito size flour tortillas
6 ounces thinly sliced Jack cheese
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
¼ cup minced red bell pepper
¼ cup sliced green onions

Mango Salsa:
1 large peeled, pitted, and chopped mango
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup minced red onion
½ tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
½ tablespoon lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cook chicken on a lightly oiled grill over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side or until lightly charred and cooked through. Let cool slightly and cut into bite size strips. Puree the tomato sauce and dried pepper in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add grilled chicken to pan and toss well to coat; season to taste with salt.

Place flour tortillas on a flat surface. Top half of each tortilla with equal amounts of cheese, mango, bell pepper, green onion and chicken; fold over tortilla. Cook in a large skillet on both sides until cheese is melted and tortilla is crisp, about 5 minutes on each side. Serve with mango salsa. Mango Salsa: In a small bowl, stir together mango, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.

———Amy Sherman

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In the past few years we’ve grown accustomed to finding fresh salmon on the menu. But this year the salmon season was cut short. After a series of public meetings and hearings, the Pacific Fishery Management Council decided not to permit any commercial and sport salmon fishing from Cape Falcon in Oregon to the Mexican border. No one knows why the Sacramento chinook salmon populations have declined, but until they reach sustainable levels again it’s time to explore cooking and eating other fish varieties.

Halibut comes from the icy waters off the coast of Alaska. It has a delicate flavor, snow-white color and firm texture. It can be baked, broiled, fried, poached, barbecued or even “cooked” in lime juice in a ceviche, and works with all kinds of sauces. It is an excellent source of protein and minerals, low in sodium, fat and calories.

Ceviche makes a great first course and couldn’t be easier to make. This halibut ceviche recipe comes from Chef Liz Ozanich at McCormick & Kuleto’s in San Francisco.

Coconut Lime Alaskan Halibut Ceviche
serves 8

1 pound fresh Alaskan halibut
1  1/2 lemons, zest and juice
1  1/2 limes, zest and juice
1 ounce fish sauce (Vietnamese or Thai style)
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 ounce Chinese chili garlic paste
6 1/2 ounces canned coconut milk (unsweetned)
1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger

Slice the halibut into small bite size slices. Whisk together all the rest of the ingredients and marinate for at least 4 hours in a non-reactive bowl in the refrigerator. Serve with plantain chips or tortilla chips.

——–Amy Sherman

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Your mom deserves the best. What would you do for her on Mother’s Day with a $1000 budget? Perhaps you could treat her to brunch at her favorite restaurant, sign her up for personal yoga lessons or hire house cleaners for several months.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW OVER AND NO MORE COMMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. PLEASE COME BACK IN MAY FOR THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO WIN A PRIZE!

The theme for this giveaway is “healthy living.” In the comments section, tell us a little bit about mom and what you would do to celebrate Mother’s Day, if you won the prize. One entry will win a $1000 American Express gift certificate.

The prize is sponsored by Eggbeaters. You’ll find their lower fat and cholesterol product made from real eggs and their egg white product right near cartons of eggs in the supermarket. Now, in time for Mother’s Day, they have a new product which uses yolks for flavor, but still has much less fat, calories and cholesterol than whole eggs.

Here’s a yummy recipe, that uses Eggbeaters. It would make a nice yet healthy brunch for mom, don’t you think?

White Bean and Salsa Huevos Rancheros
Makes:5 servings (2 filled tortillas each)

1 can (10 oz each) diced tomatoes & green chilies, drained
3/4 cup chopped red onion, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 slices turkey bacon, cut into bite-size pieces
1 can (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup Egg Beaters with Yolk or 4 whole eggs
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 white corn tortillas (6 inch), warmed
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese

1. Prepare salsa by combining drained tomatoes, 1/4 cup of onion, 1 tablespoon of cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and honey in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add turkey bacon and remaining onion. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until bacon is cooked and onion is tender. Stir in beans and remaining cilantro; heat through.
3. Add eggs and pepper. Cook without stirring until edges and bottom begin to set, about 2 minutes. Lift cooked part and gently turn to scramble. Continue cooking until eggs are set.
4. Fill each warm tortilla with about 1/4 cup egg mixture, 1 tablespoon salsa and 2 teaspoons cheese. Serve immediately.

——-Amy Sherman

Technorati Tags: eggs, egg beaters, brunch, mother’s day, contest, recipe, giveaway

*The Fine Print: To be eligible to win, you must be aged 21 or older, and a resident of the US. Only one entry per person. A winner will be chosen from commentors’/entrants’ names on Wednesday April 30th, 2008 at 9 am PST.Chances of winning depend on number of entrants. Winners will be notified via email, at which point Glam Editors will request their mailing address to send their prize.

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Did you know that April is National Grilled Cheese Month? Paired with tomato soup, nothing says comfort like grilled cheese sandwiches. Visit this website for a month’s worth of grilled cheese sandwich recipes.

I like this one, adapted from Jones Dairy Farm and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board that uses two kinds of cheese, ham and fresh spinach leaves.

Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich with a Twist

2 slices marble rye bread or pretzel roll
1 tablespoon honey-Dijon mustard
1 slice (1 ounce) Gouda Cheese
2 deli style ham slices
2 very thin slices red onion or caramelized onions* (optional)
4 to 6 fresh spinach leaves, washed and patted dry
1 slice (1 ounce) Dill Havarti Cheese
1 teaspoon butter, melted

Spread bread slices with mustard. Layer Gouda, ham, onion, spinach and Dill Havarti between bread. Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush top and bottom of sandwich lightly with Butter; place sandwich in skillet and cook about 3 minutes per side until bread crisps slightly and Cheese begins to melt.

*Note: For caramelized onions, cut a small onion in half and slice thinly. Melt 1/2 teaspoon Butter in a skillet. Add onion slices, a pinch each of salt and sugar; cook and stir over medium-high heat about 5 minutes or until the onion begins to brown. Add 1 tablespoon water and continue cooking on medium-low heat 10 to 15 minutes or until the onion is a deep golden brown.
——Amy Sherman

Technorati Tags: grilled cheese, sandwich, cheese, ham, gouda, havarti, recipe, easy

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Passover begins this Saturday night, April 19th, 2008. It’s a Jewish holiday celebrated by families and shares many of the same themes as Easter like Spring, redemption and rebirth as well as liberation and freedom.

Like most holidays Passover has lots of traditional foods, such as matzo ball soup, hard-boiled eggs and matzah, a type of flat bread. The holiday kicks off with two dinners in a row, where the story of Passover—the exodus from Egypt is told. The main dish of the dinner is often brisket, a delicious and succulent type of pot roast perfect for larger groups. Here’s a recipe adapted from Chicago caterer, City Provisions that uses red wine, mushrooms and dried cranberries. Serve it with plenty of mashed potatoes.

Passover Brisket
serves 8-10
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 cup organic beef broth
1/2 cup cranberry juice
3 Tablespoons potato starch
1 large yellow onion, sliced
3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 4-5 pound brisket, trimmed

6 ounces large Portobello mushrooms, dark gills scraped away, caps thinly sliced
6 ounces of cremini or button mushrooms, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
Kosher salt and cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 300°F.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk wine, broth, cranberry juice and potato starch. Pour into large roasting pan. Mix in onion, garlic and rosemary. Sprinkle brisket on all sides with Kosher salt and pepper. Place brisket, fat side up, in roasting pan. Spoon some wine mixture over the brisket. Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty foil.

Bake brisket until very tender, basting every hour, for about 3 hours. Remove from oven, transfer brisket to plate; cool 1 hour at room temperature.

Thinly slice brisket across grain. Arrange slices in pan with sauce, overlapping slices a bit. (Cover and refrigerate. To save time on the day of, the brisket can be made a day or two ahead of time)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Surround the brisket with the mushrooms and cranberries in the sauce. Cover pan with foil. Bake about 30 minutes or so, until the mushrooms are tender and brisket is heated through

Transfer sliced brisket and sauce to platter and serve.  Garnish with a few more of the cranberries.

—–Amy Sherman

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You know what would be amazing with this season’s fresh juicy strawberries? Creamy Rice Pudding Cake. It’s a recipe from Lori Longbotham’s latest book, Luscious Creamy Desserts. This little cookbook is the latest in a series that also included Luscious Lemon Desserts, Luscious Berry Desserts and Luscious Chocolate Desserts.

Luscious Creamy Desserts is packed with rich and decadent cakes, puddings, frozen desserts and more. If you’ve always wanted to make butterscotch pudding from scratch or custard tarts or cheesecakes or cream cakes, this is the book for you!

The Banana Cream Pie recipe looks especially good to me, I can’t wait to try it. In the meantime this recipe is a pudding that slices up like a cake and is pure comfort food but fancy enough for company.

Creamy Rice Pudding Cake
serves 8-10

4 cups half-and-half
2/3 cup Arborio or other short-grain Italian rice
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
8 strips lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water

Step 1 Bring the half-and-half, rice, brown sugar, zest, coriander, and salt to a simmer in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and cook at a bare simmer, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes, then discard the zest and whisk in the eggs and vanilla.

Step 2 Meanwhile, butter and 8-by11/2 -inch round cake pan. Heat the granulated sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, washing down the sides of the pan with a wet pasty brush if you see an sugar crystals. Boil, without stirring, and swirling the pan toward the end to even out the color, until the caramel is a dark amber color. Pour the caramel into the prepared cake pan. Let stand until cooled and hardened.

Step 3 Position a tack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 4 Pour the rice mixture into the cake pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top begins to brown but the center is still slightly jiggly. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 5 Run a table knife around the edges of the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate, taop the pan, and carefully remove the pan. Serve cut into wedges.

——Amy Sherman

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Tori Ritchie is a fabulous cookbook author and cooking teacher. You may recognize her from The CBS Early Show where she hosts Five Minute Cooking School segments. She was also host of Ultimate Kitchens for five years and has written several cookbooks including Braises & Stews: Everyday Slow-Cooked Recipes and Party Appetizers: Small Bites, Big Flavors.

What you might not know is that you can get a tried-and-true recipe sent to you by Tori every Tuesday, for free! Sign up with Tuesday Recipe and get cooking.

This recipe really caught my eye because it’s perfect for Passover. There is no flour or leavening in it other than eggs. Thanks Tori, for sharing your recipe.

Strawberry Meringue Cake

Adapted from Saveur magazine, this is the perfect spring dessert. To make the prep go faster, toast and grind the hazelnuts a day or two before and store in an airtight container.

serves 6

prep time: 30 minutes
bake time: 1 hour

6 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch salt or cream of tartar
1-1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, peeled, and ground (see note)
1/2 pound strawberries
2/3 cups heavy cream
Preheat an oven to 325°. On the back of a piece of parchment paper, draw an 8-inch circle with a pencil. Turn paper over and use it to line a baking sheet. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat egg whites with salt or cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Beat in 1 cup of the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the ground hazelnuts and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Pour meringue onto parchment sheet circle, then gently spread to the diameter of the circle.

Bake meringue for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 275° and continue to bake until golden outside but slightly chewy inside, about 40 minutes more (it may crack). Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack.

To serve, hull and slice strawberries. Whip the cream. Gently loosen meringue from parchment, then transfer to a serving platter (if it sticks to parchment, just transfer with parchment to platter and lift each portion off parchment with a spatula or cake server). Spread cream over meringue, then top with strawberries, leaving a border of meringue around the edges. Serve immediately, cut into wedges with a knife.
Note: to toast hazelnuts, place them in a pie plate and bake at 350° until skins start to crack and nuts smell toasty (18 to 20 minutes). Remove nuts and cover with a dish towel; let stand about 5 minutes to steam. Put nuts in towel and knead and scrunch towel around nuts to slough off as much skin as possible (don’t worry about every bit). Pulse nuts in a food processor until ground, but do not let turn to paste.

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It’s Friday and if your week has been anything like mine, you may be looking forward to a cocktail when 5:00 rolls around. How about something bright and refreshing and tropical? At Junnoon a highly regarded modern Indian restaurant just south of San Francisco in Palo Alto, mixologist Angelene Parr, makes this cocktail to pay homage to a most vibrant, flavorful fruit, the mango.

While this year the season for the prized Alphonso mango from India has been delayed, plenty of other types of mangoes are on the market. To learn more about mango varieties and their availability, check out the chart at mango.org.

Photo by Chris Schmauch

Bollywood Dreams
1 oz. Cruzan Mango rum
1 oz. Captain Morgan rum
2 oz. mango pulp
Splash of passion fruit juice
Juice of ½ lime

Fill a pint glass with ice. Add all ingredients. Shake. Pour into glass
Garnish with a lime

This cocktail goes great with nibbles like wasabi peanuts or mixed nuts. If you’re dining at Junnoon, you may want to try it with executive chef Kirti Pant’s Tapioca Fritters which are flavored with curry leaves, peanuts, mustard seeds and a coconut ginger chutney.

——Amy Sherman

Technorati Tags: mango, cocktail, recipe, fruit, india, restaurant, junnoon

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