Food

Put this tasty Middle Eastern platter together in minutes Having people over for drinks doesn’t have to be an onerous project. Serving Middle Eastern appetizers called Mezze can be an easy and delicious solution for last-minute entertaining. Many of the tasty ingredients can be kept in your pantry or freezer for spontaneous, stress-free entertaining. You can buy stuffed grape leaves, bright pink pickled turnips (they are delicious), olives, and even canned hummus and baba ghanousch at many good groceries or a Middle Eastern market. You can keep mini pita in your freezer to add to the plate. I added feta cheese, but no one would miss it if you didn’t.

I recommend draining the oil from the grape leaves and then covering them with a bit of fresh lemon. Fresh lemon perks up many canned or pre-made things from the shops and makes them “your own”. Remember darlings, so few people entertain any more, so making an effort these days is always appreciated. Get some wine, beer and bar basics. Don’t forget lots of cocktail napkins. Get good ones, they are everywhere these days. Coloured cocktail picks or fancy bamboo picks are good too, if you aren’t using forks. And if you don’t have a good ice bucket, get one - and plenty of ice. Handsome buckets in aluminum cost a song at a big box store or online. And you’ll want some non-alcoholic mixers too! Have fun - it’s a party! And don’t forget some snazzy music on your iPod or CD player. Keep it soft and sexy!

I like to make my own hummus. It takes only minutes and tastes fresh. It is easy with cans of organic chick peas kept in the pantry. Most people love it.

Hummus

In a food processor or blender, add:

1 or 2 crushed cloves of garlic
1 can of can of rinsed organic chick peas

Juice of two lemons

½ cup sesame oil

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tbsp chicken stock, preferably organic. Add it slowly to thin the hummus to your taste. It lightens it and does not add calories.

1 tsp salt - or to taste

½ tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Blend until smooth

Taste and correct seasoning

Decorate the top of the hummus with a little paprika or some olives.

A snap to make with ingredients from Chinatown This is a unique dish for entertaining — perfect for when you are in hurry or on a budget. Since the duck comes from Chinatown, you can make an exotic-sounding dish with little or no work in less than 20 minutes. The fresh lemon and Dijon dressing works with the rich flavour of the duck. Lots of vegetables and a few nuts add crunch and freshness. You can leave out the nuts out if you don’t care for them or have allergy issues. This dish has always been a huge with my guests. Serve it with a plate of fresh fruit or green salad, as you prefer. For a party, it is easy to pick up a dozen or so spring rolls to reheat and serve with drinks, when you buy the duck.

For 4

Cook 2½ cups of wild rice in chicken stock. Follow package directions.

Cut up your Chinese roast duck into small pieces and place them in a foil-lined pan to reheat and crisp the skin. Place in 450f /225c oven for seven to eight minutes. Make sure the duck doesn’t burn. Do not let the store cut the duck. They will cut through the bone with the cleaver and make it hard for guests to eat. You can easily pull it apart with your clean hands and cut it up in five minutes.

Drain and rinse the wild rice. While it is cooking and the duck is heating, wash and chop attractively:

5-6 green onions, sliced on angle. Keep some of the green tops aside for garnish and shred finely.

1 red pepper, diced.

1 yellow pepper, diced.

Toss vegetables and the warm rice and duck together.

Add any sauce that came with the duck.

Add dressing slowly — do not overdress. Leftover dressing may be used on a green salad.

Dressing:

½ cup fresh lemon

½ cup good olive oil

1 tbsp. sesame oil

1 large clove of crushed garlic

2 tsp, Dijon mustard

Mix

1 dash of any hot sauce or ¼ tsp. cayenne – optional

Add to finished salad:

2 tbsp: fresh chopped basil, parsley or cilantro.

2 tbsp almonds or pine nuts (optional).

2 tbsp French fried onions/shallots from the Asian market or Durkee.

Flavour fresh from the garden in this tasty tart This is one of my favourite summer recipes. Tomatoes are at their peak now - sweet and fresh, bursting with flavour. The tart, a type of quiche, bursts with flavour. While this is not a diet recipe, I make it with 2 percent or skim milk, and a scant half cup of grated cheese. The fresh tomatoes and herbs pack so much flavour that rich ingredients are not needed. I make my own pâte brisée, but you can buy what you like. Sometimes I add a few spoonfuls of black truffles in oil for more decadant treat or some sauted mushrroms. Both are optional.

This makes a perfect summer lunch with a beautiful salad and perhaps a fresh ear of corn for heartier eaters. Summer is the time to set your table from the garden!

Tomato tart

One 9-inch pie crust. Make your own, or roll out a pre-made one into a glass dish. You can use a frozen type in the foil pan.

Sauté 1 medium onion, but do not brown it. Spread the cooled onion in the bottom of your tart.

Grate a half-cup of any hard cheese: Cheddar or Swiss are good, or even Grano Padano.

Optional: 2 tbsp. of sliced black truffles or 1/2 cup sauted mushrooms.

In a measuring cup, break 4 eggs and beat them with a fork and 1tsp of salt and pepper, and 1 tsp of fresh thyme or ¼ tsp. of dry thyme. Add milk to make 2 cups of liquid in total. Pour the eggy mixture over the cheese. Top with thinly-sliced rounds of fresh tomatoes arranged nicely. Place the tart in a hot 400/220 oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat and bake for 40 minutes at 300/180 until the eggs are set. Cool slightly.

This is nice baked in a removable bottom tart pan if you have one.

Serve with a green salad spiked with fresh basil.

A touch of salt, a kiss of sweet, and the tart smack of lime - perfect! There is nothing more refreshing than a cool summer salad. Watermelon is usually served for dessert, but it becomes savory and fresh in this salad. Make it in minutes, and serve it with chicken, fish, or beef — anything you can toss on a grill. It is particularly delicious with spicy grilled prawns. I like it for lunch too, and then I simply add more feta.

Serves 4-6

Combined:

4 cups of cubed watermelon

3 cups of peeled and cubed cucumber.

If you wish, use small pickling cucumbers or English cucumbers, and then seeding is unnecessary. It is also optional to peel English cucumbers, if you scrub the peel well.

½- ¾ cup diced sweet onion

Juice from 2 limes squeezed over.

Toss

Salt to taste and add just a dash of cayenne if you wish.

Do not make the salad too much in advance. An hour or two is fine, but if you do more, it will not look or taste as it should.

Place the well-chilled salad on a platter or in individual serving dishes.

Sprinkle with 1 cup of crumble feta. Use a nice creamy type.

Optional: Top with fresh mint or lemon thyme.

Try a Scarlett O'Hara It’s no secret that I enjoy a cocktail. I like a nice glass of cold white wine or a sparkling glass of champagne. Then again, there are times that nothing but a well-made mixed drink will fill the bill. Southern Comfort was invented in New Orleans in 1874. It’s a mix of fruit, spice, and whiskey that’s used in many classic cocktails. Here are two chic cocktails that are not too sweet and easy to make.

Scarlett O’Hara

2 ounces Southern Comfort

2 ounces cranberry juice

Juice of half line

Shake or stir over ice and garnish with a wedge of lime

Black Widow

2 ounces of Southern Comfort

¾ ounce dark rum

Juice from ½ lemon

1 tsp of simple syrup or extra fine sugar

Shake over ice and pour into a chilled martini glass

Looks sinful, but it's not! This week I am going to share secrets and a decadent but “skinny” recipe from “The Bikini Chef”. Susan Irby AKA “The Bikini Chef” is the real deal. She knows how to squeeze calories out of a recipe and leave the flavour. I was shocked at how good and "skinny" they were. In her book, Substitute Yourself Skinny, she shows to keep the taste and cut the calories with simple substitutions.

Substitute Yourself Skinny has 175 super-slimming recipes that are sometimes down right decadent. Many are familiar favourites.

I love the way the book is organized. Susan knows you have goals and she makes it easier to accomplish them. She has sections such as: Jumpstart-Your-Day Breakfasts; Energizing Lunches; Thinner Dinners; Slimming Sides; Guilt-Free Snacks and Appetizers; and Deliciously Skinny Desserts. How easy does that sound, and how tempting?

The book has tips, tricks, calories counts, and nutritional information. Best of all, like all my favourite cooking "lite and right" books, it is done by a real chef, so you will want to eat the food.

Smitten for molten chocolate cake

Cutting back slightly on the amount of whipping cream and using fewer eggs are great ways to maintain flavor and texture without sacrificing the consistency of this dessert favorite:

6 tablespoons butter, plus extra for greasing

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons whipping cream

2 tablespoons plain flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease eight ramekins or custard cups with butter.

2. In the top of a double-boiler, combine the butter and chocolate, and heat until both are melted. Stir gently to combine. Stir in the whipping cream. Add the flour. Gently stir to combine.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the vanilla, eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until well combined and the mixture thickens, about eight minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture until it is well-blended. Repeat until all is combined.

4. Pour equal amounts of the mixture into each ramekin, filling about 3/4-full. Bake for seven to eight, until the edges are set and the center is jiggly.

Serves 8

Serving size 1 mini-molten cake

Calories per serving: Original recipe 451 SYS recipe 191

Calorie savings: 260

Skinny Secret: Whenever possible, use dark baking chocolate for recipes. It has a higher cocoa content, rich chocolate flavor, and less sugar. As an added bonus, it is more easily digested because it is rich in natural cocoa.

Rich ripe tomatoes and creamy egg filling with earthy black truffle in a crisp crust In the dog days of summer when tomatoes are at their ripest, I cannot resist a good tomato pie. This one is luxe with truffles. I make my own rich pâte brisée, but use whatever crust you prefer - even a store-bought one.

You can bake this ahead and reheat it, or serve it at room temperature with a salad for light summer meal. This is a light version of a quiche with two percent milk or skim milk, and using very little cheese. The flavour comes from the ripe tomatoes and truffles. It is also tasty without the truffles if you do not have them or care for them. Omit the optional bacon for a sophisticated vegetarian option.

Preheat your oven to 425F/218C

Filling for a small tart shell (shown)

3 eggs beaten in 2 cup measuring cup plus enough 2 percent or skim milk to make 1½ cups total.

Add 1tsp truffle or regular salt

Fresh pepper to taste

Add two heaping spoonfuls of truffle slices or truffle carpaccio in oil, or substitute a ½ cup cooked mushrooms with a 2 tsp of truffle oil.

Delish.

Filling for an average tart shell:

4 egg beaten, plus enough 2 percent milk to make 2 cups total.

Grate enough Swiss or cheddar cheese to lightly cover the bottom of your pastry.

Chop and sauté, but do not brown, ½ medium onion.

Cool the onion slightly, and add it to the cheese

Top the cheese with two sliced ripe tomatoes. Arrange attractively. For a large shell, use three tomatoes.

Add one slice of crisp crumbled bacon – optional.

Bake at 425F/218C for 10 minutes then reduce oven to 325F/165C and bake for 40 more minutes.

Cool slightly and serve, or let cool to room temperature and serve.

Lean beef, freah herbs and a slightly sweet and spicy sauce Back again, by popular demand: Spicy Thai beef salad. This recipe is one of our most popular and requested. It is easy-to-make, low-cal, and healthful. The type of beef used is lean and the amount minimal.

Anne Gravel, our contributing editor, added her vote for the recipe. She loves it. This tasty Thai recipe is perfect for a beginner or an experienced cook. It can be doubled, if you are feeding a couple or a family. It is fancy enough for company and a snap to make. You can leave out the fried onions if you can’t find them, or really are watching calories. Ditto for the peanut topping. Replace both with a crunchy grated carrot; you will never know the difference. There are substitutes for some of the more exotic ingredients. The recipe will be delicious with all variations. The key ingredients don’t change.

For 2-3 people:

One pound of thinly-sliced lean beef minute-steak or fondue beef. Salt lightly, cook quickly, and set aside to chill.

Vinaigrette:

Mix in a bowl large enough to hold the salad:

2 tbsp. Thai fish sauce. I prefer 3 Crab Brand, but any will do. It is now available in most local food shops these days. This is a key ingredient, but if you really can’t locate it and want to try this recipe, try a large spoon of anchovy paste. Dissolve it in a bit more lime juice. If a fish allergy is the problem, try adding salt to taste to the finished sauce. But do try to find it otherwise. It is a key flavour. If you can’t, you’ll still have a tasty salad;

2 tbsp. Kecap Manis (this is sweet Indonesian soy sauce) or regular soy sauce plus 1 tbsp. brown sugar or 1 pkg. Splenda;

Grated rind from one clean lime

Juice of 1½ to 2 limes

1½ inches of fresh ginger

2 cloves of crushed garlic

1 pkg. of Splenda/1 tbsp. sugar/honey

2 tsp. Kadoya Sesame Oil with cayenne, or any brand of sesame oil plus 1 tsp. cayenne, or to taste

Add the slightly-chilled meat

For a vegan version, use extra firm tofu. Slice into thin sticks. Dry and give them a quick sauté in a non-stick pan with a little oil and a clove of garlic. Cool, cube, and add to the sauce.

Cook the noodles.

Use Oriental egg noodles that come in small “nests,” one per person. Or you can use Japanese soba or buckwheat noodles, cellophane noodles, or even spaghetti, if that is what you can find. Do not overcook your noodles. They take just minutes in salted boiling water.

Rinse your noodles in cool water to stop the cooking, and drain. Toss with beef and sauce.

Add and Toss:

One thinly-sliced red pepper

One carrot, peeled and then, thinly sliced, or grated.

4-6 green/spring onions, sliced on angle

Roll and slice fresh washed and dried basil and cilantro in a technique called chiffonade. About ¼ cup each or to taste. (These herbs are key.)

Optional: 1/8 cup French fried onions from Asian shops or in a can from the grocery. Durkee is a popular western brand. I like to buy mine at the Asian grocery.

Toss the salad and chill. Serve garnished with sliced cherry tomatoes. Top with a few peanuts or some grated carrot.

This looks and smells divine. It is a perfect doubled-up for lunch the next day. I promise, you will want to eat it twice. Try it and you will be addicted.

Peach Melba a classic that is perfect for summer In the heat of summer it is often too hot to fuss with or eat complicated desserts. It is the perfect time for ice cream.

I can’t believe that one of my favourite ice creams, Häagen-Dazs is 50 years old! All vanilla-based Häagen-Dazs ice creams are made with only the best natural vanilla extract. Even today, all of the fresh cream and milk that goes into each Häagen-Dazs ice cream is typically used within 48 hours of its arrival. It’s these quality details that make it one of my favourites and perfect for serving, even for entertaining.

This summer Häagen-Dazs has brought back two classic flavours for a limited time. Chocolate Chocolate Chunk is a deliciously rich recipe that combines Häagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream with fudge chunks. Pralines & Cream infuses pure creamy vanilla ice cream with crunchy praline pecans and thick rich swirls of caramel.

For a cool classic dessert twist, make a Peach Melba with Haagen-Dazs Pralines and Cream. It is delicious made with the original vanilla too. Try Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean for a rich taste. Chef Auguste Escoffier invented the Peach Melba in 1892 or 1893 at The Savoy Hotel in London in honour the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba. It consisted of vanilla ice cream, peachesm and raspberry sauce, and is still popular today.

Peel and chill 2-3 peaches

Puree 1 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries and 1 tbsp. extra fine sugar and 1 tbsp. of orange liqueur (optional).

Place the ice cream in decorative dishes and top with peaches and raspberry sauce.