NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
December 9, 1999
Parties always seem livelier and more memorable when there's new food to sample. I can still recall my excitement the first time my eyes fixed on a hollowed-out round loaf of bread, its center having been transformed into cubes for dipping into what filled the cavity: a thick, creamy, colorful spinach dip.
Likewise, the first time I spied a nicely arranged platter of dolmades, stuffed grape leaves, I knew I was in for a treat. The grape-leaf bundles glistened, nestled amid thin slices of sauteed red pepper and toasted pine nuts, and the aroma of the savory filling--ground lamb, rice, onions, minced lemon peel and garlic--greeted me several feet away. Since then I've enjoyed cinnamon-scented dolmades with a rice, currant and toasted almond filling served at room temperature and cold cheese-filled dolmades.
Another interesting appetizer is elegant yet easy to make if you use packaged, frozen puff pastry sheets instead of making your own. A friend first introduced my wife Nicki and I to the idea of wrapping a sheet of puff pastry around a wheel of brie cheese and then baking this duo until the puff pastry is golden brown. When cut into serving pieces, the brie oozes invitingly. Our friend put apricot marmalade on top of the brie before sealing the puff pastry around the cheese. The combination of the flaky crust, the apricot sweetness and the brie creaminess was the perfect companion to the white wine we were sipping at the time.
Of course, a savory version of puff-pastry-wrapped brie would work too. I can imagine topping the cheese with thin, diagonal slices of green onion and shavings of smoked salmon. A zesty onion relish would make another tongue-tantalizing topper, as would a savory tapenade, which is a blend of olives, capers, onions, lemon juice, olive oil and perhaps anchovies or sun-dried tomatoes--all pureed into a salsa-like consistency.
There's no doubt in my mind that food novelties make nice "decorations" for a holiday buffet line. The recipe that follows is easy to make, and it certainly qualifies for being novel in my cookbook. For brunch, Party Toast would go well with mulled cranberry juice.
Party Toast
Yield: about 18 slicesIngredients:
a 1-pound loaf of French bread, cut into ½-inch slices
¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup apple butter
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
4 ounces grated sharp Cheddar cheeseProcedure:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly spread butter or margarine on one side of each bread slice, place slices on baking sheet, buttered side up, and bake until edges are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Allow bread to cool slightly. Meanwhile, combine apple butter and walnuts in a small bowl. Spread mixture on toasted side of bread slices and top with cheese. Place toast on baking sheet and bake at 400 F until cheese is bubbly, about five minutes. Serve warm.
What's Your Take on This, Julie?
Extra nibbling during the holidays can add a few pounds to your frame--6 pounds on average--according to a national survey. But it is possible to enjoy the festivities without having to double your New Year's resolutions.
First be realistic. If weight loss is a personal goal for you, don't choose the holidays as a time to pare pounds from your frame. Instead try to maintain your current weight. Sample and enjoy the holiday goodies, but watch your portion size.
Since measuring cups and scales aren't available at holiday buffets (at least not any I've attended), here are some visual aids to help size up servings based on the Food Guide Pyramid. A 3-ounce serving of meat is the size of a deck of playing cards; a half-cup of vegetables, pasta, rice or fruit is about the size of a tennis ball, an ounce of cheese is about the size of four dice; a medium potato is about the size of a computer mouse; and a teaspoon of fat is about the size of the tip of your thumb.
If you're the holiday chef, there are simple substitutions and methods to trim fat and calories from your dishes. Try using reduced fat cream cheese in place of the full-fat version. Use low-fat yogurt or reduced-fat sour cream in place of regular. Whip chilled evaporated skim milk instead of whipping cream as a topping. Try light mayonnaise instead of regular. Drain excess fat from cooked meat. Steam, bake or broil instead of frying.
Bakers, take note: using lower-fat spreads in cookie recipes is not a good idea, unless you like flat, unusually-shaped Santa cookies or lopsided drop cookies.
Balance holiday treats with extra physical activity. Make it a goal--perhaps even a resolution--to meet the Surgeon General's recommendations for 30 minutes of moderate activity on five days or more each week (but be sure to check with your physician before beginning an exercise program). As a guide, remember that 30 minutes of moderate activity burns about 150 calories.
Most people recognize that physical activity can reduce heart disease risk, but recent results from a 10-year study of about 6,100 men, ages 35 to 60, showed that walking to work reduced their risk of high blood pressure. Longer walks led to more health benefits. True, the Midwest winter climate is not always conducive to outdoor walks, but you might want to find an indoor place to walk such as a school gym, barn, machine shop or local mall.
Researchers also have shown that physical activity can cut your risk of gallstones, and for those with diabetes, it can help control weight and lower blood sugar levels. If you're diabetic and you choose to exercise, be sure to talk to your physician about the right exercise for you. Once you get the go-ahead, always warm up and cool down before exercising. Check your blood sugar before and after exercising. Drink plenty of water before you exercise and have a snack handy in case blood sugar drops.
This week's recipe will help you "toast" the holidays but won't set your diet reeling. A slice of Party Toast contains 170 calories and 6.8 grams of fat.
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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187
Click here for a pdf version of this graphic. (30KB b&w recipe)