Your local fishmonger should also be able to help you out with house-ground salmon burgers.

In addition to providing a delicious, meat free, heart-healthy alternative to beef, a salmon bacon burger saves on calories (MacKnights are 160 calories per patty) and cholesterol. The fat content of the salmon burgers is derived from heart healthy, monounsaturated fat.

Salmon burgers also outshine beef when it comes to protein (22 grams) and healthy omega 3s, with 3,300 mg per 3.5-ounce serving.

Cook up a delicious and healthier salmon burger. Photo courtesy MacKnight Food Group.

MacKnight’s Atlantic Salmon Burgers are one of the company’s most popular products, sourced from premium, farm-raised Atlantic salmon. The salmon bacon is produced from salmon sourced from the cold clean waters off Norway and Scotland. For more information about the company, visit MacKnight.com.

An alternative to ground salmon, but pricier:
salmon filet “burgers.” This one goes
gourmet on a brioche bun with hollandaise
sauce. Photo courtesy MacKnight Food
Group.

 
BURGER COOKING TIPS

We’ve been brewing and icing quite a few herbal teas these days, including a sprightly assortment from Pukka, a U.K. brand that is expanding in the U.S. It hits what we call the food trifecta: fair trade and sustainable, certified organic and certified kosher (OU).

To show yow much fun you can have with herbal tea, here’s a sampling of the blends (which are delicious iced or hot):

 
The company pays close attention to the quality of the plants they blend, finding the most potent, vibrant and flavorful herbs. Best sellers include Three Mint, Peppermint and Licorice, and Lemongrass and Ginger. See all of the blends at PukkaHerbs.com.

If you use ice in your iced tea, make ice cubes from the same tea as well: The flavors won’t get diluted.

We learned from Japanese and Asian-influenced restaurants that you can have lush, creamy tofu-based desserts and not even notice there’s no cream. Substituting tofu for heavy cream helps to save calories and avoid cholesterol. It produces recipes that support kosher, lactose-free and vegan diets. It’s also less expensive than cream, and is available in organic and conventional varieties.

Erin Dow of Guiding Stars shared how to make a heavy cream substitute from soft (silken) tofu.

“Abstaining from heavy cream, regardless of the reason, can pose a serious challenge in the kitchen,” Erin notes. “Its thickening power, its silky rich mouth feel, and the flavor-balancing power of its fat content, are tough to replicate with plant-based alternatives. But for certain applications, a substitute made with silken tofu can help. The recipe is simple.”

RECIPE: SOFT/SILKEN TOFU “HEAVY CREAM”

 
Soft/silken tofu heavy cream is a great substitute for pastry creams and other desserts, quiches and chocolate truffles and for thinning out frostings and dips. Use it to add body to sauces, gravies and smoothies. Extra firm or firm tofu is used for scrambles, kabobs, stirfries and other mains.

And pudding—chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, etc.: Tofu substitutes easily for cream. The following recipe is dairy free and cholesterol free. It’s a companion to the tofu chocolate mousse recipe we published last year for National Chocolate Mousse Day.

It was created by Debi Mazar & Gabriele Corcos, hosts of Cooking Channel’s show “Extra Virgin.” Budino is the Italian word for pudding.

RECIPE: TOFU CHOCOLATE BUDINO

Ingredients For 6 Servings

No cholesterol, no lactose. Photo courtesy Cooking Channel.

Preparation

1. COMBINE sugar, water, and cocoa water in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and cool slightly.

2. MELT chocolate in a glass bowl set over a saucepan of lightly simmering water.

3. PLACE all ingredients in a blender and purée until completely smooth. Divide the chocolate mixture among ramekins and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
 
ABOUT TOFU

Tofu was first created from soybeans more than 2,000 years ago in China. While lots of tofu and soy sauce are consumed, approximately 85% of the world’s soybean crop is processed into soybean meal and vegetable oil.

In Japan, edamame (immature soybeans), miso (soybean paste), natto (fermented soybeans) and kinako (roasted soybean flour) are popular foods. Soy milk, tempeh and textured vegetable protein are increasing in popularity in the U.S.

If you’re ingredient-conscious, look for organic tofu, made from sustainably grown, non-GMO soybeans. Commonly used tofu processing aids such as defoamers, bleaches and preservatives are not used in organic tofu.

A gorgeous vegetable tart. Photo courtesy
Stasty.com.

The masterpiece was created by a U.K. blogger, Vicky (no surname provided) of Stasty.com.

“Carrying on from my Rose Apple Tarts [see below],” says Vicki, “I decided to make a similar savoury version using bright coloured vegetables—courgettes [zucchini], carrots and aubergines [eggplant]. It turned out to be very pretty, but it did take a lot of work and patience! It’s a good one to make if you have a glut of vegetables in the summer, and a bit of time on your hands :).

“For this tart,” Vicky continues, “you could equally experiment with different fillings (e.g. an egg/quiche filling) and a variety of other vegetables (butternut squash, beetroot, etc.)

“There are so many exciting colour, flavour and texture combinations you can play around with for this tart….I think miniature [tartlets] with beetroot and goat cheese would be great as a starter. Some of the tougher vegetables like beetroot, you may need to blanch/par cook.”

Ready to create your own “art tart?” Here’s how Vicky did it: the recipe.

The vegetable tart was inspired by Vicky’s Rosey Apple, Custard & Jam Tarts, miniature tartlets which she adapted from a recipe in The Great British Bake Off.

So let’s take a closer look at the lovely rose tarts—actually, apple, custard and jam tartlets (a tart is a multi-portion dish; a tartlet is an individual portion).

“In truth, they were a little tricky to make and there was a lot of apple slicing involved!” says Vicki. I did harbor some doubts as I surveyed the enormous mound of apple slices in front of me.

“However it all worked out in the end and my work paid off. These tarts are definitely worth the effort if you fancy something a little bit special.”

You can tell from this photo exactly how special they are. Here’s the rose tart recipe.

LOVE PASTRY?

Check out the different types of pies, tarts and pastries in our delicious glossary.
  

[1] Cool off with coffee liqueur and ice cream. Here’s a recipe that also includes vodka, from Onion Rings And Things (photo © Onion Rings And Things).

[2] You can make this float with coffee or vanilla ice cream…or a scoop of each. Here’s the recipe for this homemade coffee ice cream (photo © Baked By An Introvert).

> National Kahlúa Day is February 27th.

> National Coffee Day is September 29th.

> The history of Kahlúa is below.

> Kahlúa cocktail recipes.

> Famous Kahlúa cocktails: Black Russian, White Russian, Russian Iced Coffee.

> More Kahlúa cocktails.
 
 
RECIPE: KAHLÚA ICE CREAM FLOAT

Ingredients

 
If it isn’t strong enough for you, add some vodka.
 
 
Preparation

1. ADD Kahlúa to the bottom of a tall glass. Add two scoops of ice cream.

2. TOP with soda, pouring slowly. Serve with a straw and a spoon.
 
 
PARTY TIME

How about a shot of tequila, rum, vodka, or liqueur in your float or ice cream soda? It gives new meaning to the concept of an ice cream social.

Turn it into a party: Pick a date, choose your “menu” from these recipes and invite the guests!

Those who don’t consume alcohol can enjoy their ice cream soda “virgin.”

In the 17th century, a family recipe for a coffee liqueur was created. Rum-based, it was spiced with vanilla.

It wasn’t until the 1950s that the family decided to commercialized the recipe, and the Tia Maria brand was born [source].

But before Tia Maria was launched to the public, Kahlúa was launched in Veracruz, Mexico, when the Alvarez brothers, local coffee roasters, and a local businessman, Señor Blanco, decided to combine efforts.

The Alvarez brothers suggested adding coffee flavor to a liquor Blanco was in the process of developing. The spirit developed by Blanco in 1930, was changed by a chemist, Montalvo Lara, and has been manufactured since 1936.

The Black Russian cocktail was invented in Belgium in 1948 or 1949. The White Russian Cocktail wass invented in Oakland, California in 1955 [source].

How is Kahlúa made?

 
What does “Kahlúa” mean?

As homage to coffee’s Arabic origins, the name Kahlúa” derives from the word “kahwa,” which is Arabic slang for coffee.

The brand, which is now owned by Pernod Ricard, sold 160 million cases worldwide in 2018 [source]. It is #1 coffee liqueur.

Visit Kahlua.com for more information.