THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2003
FOOD
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 11
Spring can bring new dishes to dinner
Tastes of fresh mint tea, crisp sugar-snap peas and ruby-red strawberries cross the minds of many in spring. Just thinking of biting down into a citrine-colored mango immediately makes mouths water.
With the outstanding tastes of this season's produce, other colorfully peak items that can be found in the local grocery store include thyme, mint, dill, chives, lemon grass, limes, mangoes, papayas, strawberries, bananas, pineapples, coconutts, red potatoes, cauliflower, beets, radishes, peas, avocados, mushrooms, baby leeks, sweet onions, spinach and seafood such as halibut, red snapper, yellow-fin tuna and more.
It's almost serendipitous to notice these spring foods at the local market, but with all the fresh delicious fruits, vegetables and herbs, it's now the time to create some springtime sensations, such as a spinach and mozzarella quiche or a grilled portabella mushroom sandwich. The possibilities are endless.
So why not get into the spirit of things and cook up a warm-weathered favorites. To get your taste buds soaring, here is one of my all-time favorites; Red snapper with an orange, lemon-mango puree accompanying a tomato, basil and feta orzo pasta followed up with a piece strawberry lemon cake.
Red Snapper with an Orange,
Lemon, Mango Puree
2 Files of red snapper or sole
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into cubes
1/3 cup of orange juice
1/3 cup of lemonade
1/4 cup of water
1 tablespoon of minced garlic chives
Salt and pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a blender, puree mango, orange juice,
lemonade and water until smooth. Scoop aside.
1. In a blender, puree mango, orange juice, lemonade, and water until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat for five minutes. In the meantime, score the skin side with 2 shallow crosses.
Place fish in the pan and sauté about two minutes on each side or until cooked through.
3. Place fish on a serving platter, drizzle sauce over the fish and sprinkle with chives.
Enough for two servings.
Tomato, Basil and Feta Orzo Pasta
EAT THIS
1 cup of orzo pasta
4 roma tomatoes diced and deseeded
2 tablespoons of chopped basil
1 garlic clove sliced
1/2 cup of feta cheese
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Christina DiGiacomo cdigiacomo@kansan.com
1. Cook the orzo according to the package directions. Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Add tomatoes and garlic and let cook about five minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and tender. Take off the heat and toss in the basil.
2. Once orzo is done cooking, drain the pasta and add to the tomato mixture. Place back on the heat and add the feta cheese until slightly heated. Serve into a large bowl and top with extra feta.
Luscious Lemon and Strawberry Cake
1 lemon cake mix
3/4 cup of sugar
3 tablespoons of corn starch
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of water
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon of butter
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
Cool whip
15 to 30 whole strawberries, sliced
15 to 30 whole strawberries, sliced
1. Make lemon cake mix according to packaged directions, set aside and let cool.
2. In a small saucepan mix in sugar, cornstarch, salt and water. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Boil one minute.
3. Place egg yolks in a small bowl, Take a spoonful of the cornstarch mixture and add to the egg yolks. Stir quickly. Keep adding more of the mixture into the egg yolks and stir. (This makes the egg yolks the same temperature as the cornstarch mixture, thus not allowing the eggs to scramble.) Place the rest of the eggs into the mixture in the saucepan. Then stir in butter, lemon juice and peel, just until butter is melted. Let cool.
4. In the meantime, run a knife around the sides of a pan to loosen cake. Remove cake from pan and let cool. With a serrated knife, cut cake in half widthwise. Place one layer of cake onto a plate. Spread about 1/2 of the lemon mixture on top of the layer and arrange sliced strawberries on top of the lemon filling. Add next cake layer and spread rest of the lemon mixture over the top of the cake. Spread the Cool Whip over the entire cake and garnish cake with remaining strawberries.
14 to 16 serving
14 to 16 serving
DiGacomo is an Apple Valley, Minn., senior in
communication studies. She studied at Dante Aligheri cooking school in Florence, Italy.
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