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


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Blueberry Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps & More Wrap Recipes

September 4, 2013 at 8:09 am · Filed under Appetizers-Hors d’Oeuvre, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetables-Salads-Herbs

Lettuce wraps garnered attention for a while, but seem to have faded from view. So here’s a reminder:

Let lettuce take the place of tortillas, bread, and other refined-carb, low-nutrition sandwich wrappers. Turn them into lunch or snack fare—or as in the photo, hors d’oeuvre.

Lettuce wraps are fun food. You’ll get family members to eat more fiber and snack healthier. You can even create a groovy hors d’oeuvre.
 
 
LETTUCE WRAPS: PICK YOUR FILLING

First decide on your filling(s):

  • Traditional sandwich fillings: egg, chicken, and tuna salad
  • Vegetarian fillings: avocado vinaigrette, caponata, carrot salad, cucumber salad, hummus, raw or grilled vegetables, tofu salad, etc.
  • Fancy fillings: crab salad, shrimp salad; sliced beef, lamb or pork with appropriate condiments
  • Optional garnishes: capers, chopped nuts, fresh basil or dill, sliced olives, and/or pimento (roasted red peppers)

    •  
    Use romaine hearts or Boston (bibb) lettuce for the wraps.

  • Tear the top portion of romaine leaves into a manageable length; reserve the rest of the romaine for a green salad.
  • Fill, garnish, and serve.
    		•   

    Lettuce wraps are fashionable, appearing here at a red carpet party in New York City, filled with crab salad and accompanied by Champagne. Photo © Adam Sung | Chandon USA.
     
    The following recipe is a fusion of a lettuce wrap and a tortilla wrap. The tortilla—whole wheat for better nutrition—makes things a bit neater, but is optional.
     
     
    > The history of blueberries.

     


    Lettuce and tortilla wraps (recipe and photo © U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council).    		   RECIPE: BLUEBERRY CHICKEN SALAD WRAPS

    While domestic blueberries are still in markets, add some of the high-antioxidant, zingy nuggets to wrap sandwiches.

    Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup finely chopped celery
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups diced cooked chicken
  • ¾ cup fresh blueberries
  • 6 large lettuce leaves
  • 6 (6-inch diameter) whole-wheat tortillas
    		•
     
    Preparation

    1. COMBINE yogurt, mayonnaise, celery, and salt in a medium bowl. Gently stir in chicken and blueberries.

    2. MAKE a stack of tortillas separated by damp paper towels, and warm in the microwave: Microwave on high until hot, 30 to 60 seconds.

    3. PLACE warm tortillas on the counter. Top each tortilla with a lettuce leaf. Scoop about ½ cup chicken-blueberry salad on each lettuce leaf.

    4. ROLL each tortilla into a cylinder. Cut each in half or thirds. Secure with toothpicks, if desired. Serve immediately or wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate.
     
     

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    TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Honey Goat Cheese

    September 4, 2013 at 7:30 am · Filed under Cheese-Yogurt-Dairy, Top Pick Of The Week

    At a recent trade show, we tasted hundreds and hundreds of products. Our favorite was honey goat cheese.

    Fresh goat cheese logs and tubs of honey goat cheese spread are available in supermarkets nationwide. Producers from Coach Farms to Montchevre make it.

    While these products mix honey into the milk during the production process, you can create your own variation at home. Just drizzle honey over a conventional log of goat cheese.

    It’s simply delicious at breakfast, lunch, dinner and for dessert. It’s special for entertaining. It’s a winner.

    Read the full review to see why we’re in love with honey goat cheese, where to find it and how to serve it.
     
    MORE ABOUT GOAT CHEESE

  • Getting Your Goat: all about goat cheese; the different types of goat cheese and why goat’s milk is different.
  • THE NIBBLE’s Cheese Section: cheese terminology, a glossary of cheeses, the history of cheese, how to taste cheese and reviews of our favorite cheeses.
    		•   
    You can buy goat cheese already mixed with honey, or drizzle honey over regular goat cheese. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.
     

      

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    RECIPE: Mini Mice Cookies

    September 3, 2013 at 8:37 am · Filed under Cookies-Cake-Pastry, Food Fun, Recipes


    We love these meeses to pieces. Photo
    courtesy CalRaisins.org.    		   These mini mice cookies are “no eek, no squeek,” say the folks at California Raisins.

    MINI MICE COOKIES

    Ingredients For 24 Cookies

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup raisins, finely chopped
  • 48 slices natural almonds (about 1/4 cup)
  • 3 ounces semisweet chocolate mini chips
  • 4 black licorice laces (each about 30 inches long)

    • Preparation

    1. MEASURE flour and salt into a small bowl and whisk together; set aside. In another bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter on medium-high until creamy, about 2 minutes.

    2. ADD sugar, gradually, beating until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and egg, separately. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, one-third at a time, beating after each addition until well blended.

    3. KNEAD or stir in chopped raisins. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces, shape into flat disks and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours.

    4. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

    5. SHAPE mice: For each one, shape 1 tablespoon dough into an oval ball and then use a skewer to make nose and eye sockets. Gently press a mini chocolate chip into each eye socket and press an almond slice into dough on either side behind eyes for ears. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

    6. BAKE at 350°F until light golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool slightly.

    7. ADD tails: Divide each licorice lace into 6 pieces, about 5 inches long. Then, with a skewer, make a hole about 1/2-inch deep into round end of each ball and insert piece of licorice lace for tails. Set aside to cool on rack. Store in airtight container.
     
    Find more raisin recipes at CalRaisins.org.

    Find more of our favorite cookie recipes in THE NIBBLE’s cookie section.

      

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