Stress Free Cooking
by
Barbara Seelig Brown's
Lifestyle Designs

Kitchen Equipment

"Greater" Christmas Gifts from Your Kitchen

by Barbara Seelig Brown

Did you ever wish you could give a Holiday Gift from your kitchen? Here's a quick easy way that you can. There is a kitchen tool on the market that is inexpensive ($14-16) and will be used over and over by the recipient.

The item is the Microplane Greater Zester. The Greater Zester is the handiest tool you can have around. You can now zest citrus, grate cheese, or spices in no time and clean up is a breeze. The Greater Zester can even go into your dishwasher! This is a tool that has taken us from avoiding recipes containing zest, or anything grated, to feeling confident about trying them.

The Greater Zester was designed after a "hardware" store rasp and is made of kitchen grade steel. It was only marketed in Canada until a very insightful cooking school owner, Suzi Mines O'Rourke, started marketing it in the US. Once Suzi became familiar with the zester, she knew she had to share it with the rest of the food world.

This item makes a wonderful hostess gift by tying it up with some holiday cellophane and a beautiful bow. For gift giving, a zester with some recipes and a Meyer lemon or a piece of Parmegiano Reggiano ($14.99 lb.), is always welcome. You can get more elaborate by adding the rest of the ingredients for a recipe such as the pasta, garlic, olive oil, some candles, and a bottle of wine. There are as many options available as you can think of.

Here are some quick recipes that make great use of the Greater Zester.

Pasta with Broccoli & Parmegiano Reggiano

Serves 4-6

1 pound Penne or Ziti pasta
1 head Broccoli or Broccolini, cut into florets after steaming*, save steaming water, if desired
1/2 C. Parmegiano Reggiano
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
Olive Oil
Chicken or Vegetable stock, approximately 1 C.
White wine or vermouth, approximately 1/2 C.
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Equipment: Vegetable Steamer, Large Sauté Pan

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Steam whole broccoli until crisp tender. *Cut into florets after steaming to maximize nutritional value.

Sauté garlic in olive oil until soft. Add pasta and broccoli along with white wine, stock or broccoli steaming water, salt and pepper.

Heat thoroughly and cook gently 3-5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Let diners grate additional Parmegiano Reggiano to taste.

ŠBarbara Seelig Brown, all rights reserved

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

2 C. sugar
1/4 C. canola oil
1 tbs. minced lemon zest
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 C. plain non-fat yogurt (or lemon yogurt)
1/2 C. non-fat cottage cheese
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C. all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
2 Tbs. poppyseeds, divided
4 Tbs. light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

Equipment: 10-inch tube pan, blender

In a large bowl, cream sugar, oil, and zest and 1 Tbs. poppy seeds. Add the egg and egg whites and mix completely.

Put the cottage cheese in the blender until smooth. Combine with yogurt. Blend with sugar and oil. Add vanilla.

Slowly add the flour and baking powder, stirring until blended.

Lightly spray or wipe a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable oil, then dust with flour. Pour 2/3 batter into pan.

In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, brown sugar and remaining 1-Tbs. poppy seeds. Sprinkle over the batter. Pour in the remaining batter.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes clean.

ŠBarbara Seelig Brown, all rights reserved

Stress Free Cooking by Barbara Seelig Brown's Lifestyle Designs

Kitchen Equipment

Stress Free Cooking
by
Barbara Seelig Brown's
Lifestyle Designs