THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods


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PRODUCT: Rick’s Picks Hot Pickle Chips & A Turkey Burger


[1] Spicy bites for snacks or garnishes (photo by Katharine Pollak | © THE NIBBLE).

Turkey Burger Recipe
[2] A juicy turkey burger (photo © Diestel Turkey Ranch).

 

Does hot weather beg for hot pickles?

Rick’s Picks, our favorite pickle-maker (read the review), has launched Hotties, crinkle-cut spicy pickle chips spiced with Thai sriracha sauce and habanero.

Sriracha sauce is a dipping sauce made of hot red chiles, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. It is named after the coastal city of Si Racha on the Sea of Thailand, where it was first produced and served at seafood restaurants.

Use Hotties hot pickle chips anywhere you’d use pickle chips. Add a bit of heat to burgers, sandwiches, eggs, and snacks with these little missiles of mild/moderate heat. Toss them into green salads for a surprise. Garnish deviled eggs.

Hotties are healthy, too: They’re low in sodium (105mg/ounce), low in calories (12 calories/ounce), and gluten-free; there is a small amount of sugar. Pickles by nature have no fat or cholesterol.

A 24-ounce jar is $7.99 at fine retailers and at RicksPicksNYC.com.

Rick’s suggests that you try them with this low-fat turkey burger (feel free to substitute beef or plant-based protein):
 
 
SPICED UMAMI TURKEY BURGER RECIPE

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of ground turkey (or choice of any ground meat)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
  • 4 tablespoons red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 egg white
  • Olive oil or other cooking oil
  • Burger buns (or serve the burger pattie atop a big green salad instead of a bun)
  • Hotties pickle slices
  • Optional: lettuce, tomato and onion slices
  •  
    Preparation

    1. TOAST cumin and coriander seeds (you can combine them in the pan).

    2. MIX gently all ingredients up to egg white. Don’t overwork the meat. Form 4-6 burgers, depending on how large you like them. Coat with olive oil.

    3. PLACE a grill pan on the stove and turn the stove on to med-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add burger patties.

    4. COOK 4 minutes per side and cover with foil as you cook.

    5. OPTIONAL: TOAST buns while burgers are cooking on their second side.

    6. ASSEMBLE the burgers with Hotties and optional lettuce, tomato, and onion slices.

    Serve with some of our Top Pick Of The Week spicy ketchup.

     
     

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    PRODUCT: Cucina Kitchen Spray

    Top-quality room sprays that are
    environmentally-friendly. Photo courtesy
    Fruits & Passion.

    For years we have enjoyed the fragrant kitchen products from Fruits & Passion, a company with boutiques in its native Canada (think Body Shop combined with Caldrea luxury home care products). The company, which competes with Caldrea, sells to specialty retailers and websites in the U.S.

    The home products in the Cucina line have never failed to please. We’ve used both the “ambiance” products (candles and diffusers, home fragrances, potpourris); and household care products (cleaning, laundry and ironing and air fragrances).

    We recently tried three of the six varieties of Deodorizing Fragrant Kitchen Spray: Coriander and Olive Tree, Ginger and Sicilian Lemon, and Pink Pepper and Anise. We’re not sure about the Sicilian Lemon, but the others filled the air with sophisticated fragrance of a lush garden or flower bouquet. You can tell that the finest ingredients are used. The water-based formula contains a deodorizing agent and fragrance.

    The Pink Pepper and Anise spray is more feminine and pretty; the Coriander and Olive Tree spray is more unisex and sophisticated. (We preferred the latter.)

    The company aims to be environmentally responsible. The sprays comply with regulations for improving air quality and reducing VOCs. They are hydrocarbon-, alcohol- and DE/DEH phthalate-free. The spray is released from the bottle simply using nitrogen, the main component of air.

    A 5.2-ounce spray is $14.00 at US.Fruits-Passion.com. Think of it for house gifts, holiday gifts and teacher gifts.

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Sweeten Middling Melons

    We think of cantaloupe as a miracle food: low-calorie and sweet, plus loaded with dietary fiber and polyphenol antioxidants. It is also a good source of folate, niacin and vitamin B6, and a very good source of vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.

    But what if you’ve bought a middling melon—cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon or other favorite—that’s lacking in sweetness?

    Don’t despair or reach for the sugar bowl. Instead, sprinkle on some non-caloric sweetener. For those who don’t use artificial sweeteners, natural agave nectar is delicious and is the lowest-glycemic natural sweetener available.

    Other options: a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, or a pinch of salt. While salt may seem counterintuitive, it heightens the flavor of foods. That’s why there’s at least a pinch of it in most recipes, including cakes and cookies.

    Not sweet enough? Fix it! Photo courtesy
    BaldorFood.com.

    Cantaloupe is a member of the botanical family Cucurbitaceae, which includes nearly all melons and squashes; and is a member of the Muskmelon family. The North American cantaloupe, Cucumis melo reticulatus, is called reticulatus because of its net-like, or reticulated, skin covering.

     

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    PRODUCT: Tofu Shirataki Noodles

    Ready-to-eat in two minutes. Photo courtesy
    House-Foods.com.

    Shirataki noodles like Miracle Noodle have been imported from Asia for a while: good news for people who want food that is cholesterol-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan. They’re very low in calories in their undressed form: a boon to dieters.

    Shirataki is made from the root of a plant (Amorphophallus konjac, a member of the yam family) that is rich in glucomannan, a beneficial type of fiber. Some studies indicate that glucomannan can play a role in blood sugar control, as well as improve cholesterol control and abet weight loss.

    Shirataki is a “good” carbohydrate, and approximates a pasta experience for only 3g of carbohydrate per four-ounce serving.

    But pure shirataki noodles can be a bit rubbery. One manufacturer found that adding tofu creates a pasta-like texture (and adds a small amount of protein).

    These tofu shirataki noodles are imported by House Foods America Corporation. The plain noodles—which can be found in angel hair, fettuccine and spaghetti varieties—can be used in any way that conventional noodles are used: in pasta dishes; with grilled fish, meat or other protein; in noodle puddings and pasta salads.

    The company also sells ready-to-eat So-Yah! tofu shirataki microwave meals, currently available in mild Creamy Coconut Curry and spicy Red Vindaloo Curry. After a 90-second zap plus a minute to cool down, they’re ready to eat. As a shelf-stable product, the individual-portion boxes can be toted anywhere, and can be stashed at work as a quick snack.

    We enjoyed both varieties. The packets have a lot of sauce, which is best used by topping the tofu shirataki with sliced chicken, pork or…grilled tofu.

    You can find a store locator on the company website, which also has a list of online vendors.

     

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Hand Off Onion Smell

    You may have seen “onion stones” in the kitchen gadget department.

    What’s an onion stone? It’s a mis-named piece of stainless steel—not a stone—shaped like a small bar of soap that removes the smell of onions from your hands when you wash your hands with it. It also works with garlic and fish odors.

    But there’s no need to clutter up the gadget drawer; you don’t need an onion stone. Just wash your hands with a large stainless steel spoon; it will do the same thing. If you have a stainless steel sink, you’ve got a whole lot of stainless steel to rub against.

    How does it work?

    It is believed that the odor-creating sulfur in the food reacts with the stainless steel, which is made of iron and chromium, and becomes neutralized.

    Slice away, then grab a spoon. Photo
    courtesy PachD.com.

    If you’re not near any stainless steel, try washing with a paste of salt and water.

     

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