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Chicken Bruschetta
(makes 4 servings)

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• ½ teaspoon salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (8-ounce) package pre-sliced mushrooms
• 1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced (about 5-ounces)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chopped plum tomato
• ½ cup chopped red onion
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup (1-ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
  

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Combine garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl; sprinkle chicken with garlic powder mixture. Place the chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray, and broil for 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove the chicken from pan, and keep warm.

3. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, mushrooms, zucchini, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, tomato, onion, basil, and vinegar; sauté 3 minutes. Serve the vegetable mixture over chicken; sprinkle with cheese.

Tomato Mozzarella Salad
(yield: 6-8 servings)

• 3 large tomatoes, sliced
• 8 ounces mozzarella, sliced
• ¼ cup olive or vegetable oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup minced fresh basil
  

On a large serving platter, alternate tomatoes and mozzarella slices. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, salt and pepper; shake well. Drizzle over tomatoes and mozzarella. Sprinkle with basil.

Rainbow Pasta Salad
(yields 12-14 servings)

• 1 package (16-ounces) tricolor spiral pasta
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• ½ cup chopped tomato
• ½ cup chopped cucumber
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 can (15¼ ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 jar (6½ ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and halved
• 1 bottle (8-ounces) Italian salad dressing.
  

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl; add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Almond Angel Food Cake with Crème Anglaise
and Macerated Strawberries
(yield: 16 servings)

Strawberries:

• 8 cups sliced strawberries
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
  

Cake:

• ¾ cup slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup sifted cake flour
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 10 large egg whites
• 1¼ teaspoons cream of tartar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1½ teaspoons almond extract
  

Crème Anglaise:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 8 large egg yolks
• 3½ cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. To prepare strawberries, combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill 3 hours.

3. To prepare cake, place almonds and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Sift together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt into a bowl. Combine the almond mixture with flour mixture, and set aside. Beat egg whites in a large bowl at high a speed of a mixer until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Add ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg white mixture, ¼ cup at a time; fold in. Fold in almond extract. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, and spread evenly. Bake at 325° for one hour or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.


4. While the cake is baking, prepare the crème anglaise. Combine 2/3 cup sugar and yolks in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk until blended. Gradually add milk to the pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook over medium heat until mixture coats the back of a spoon (about 8 minutes), stirring constantly. Immediately pour mixture into a bowl; stir in vanilla. Cover and chill (the mixture will thicken as it cools).


5. Invert cake pan, and cool for 40 minutes. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert cake onto plate. Serve with strawberries and crème anglaise.


Macerated strawberries (berries that have been soaked or marinated in a liquid) add color and a fruity burst. You can also try this with blueberries or raspberries.



Almond Angel Food Cake – Folding gently incorporates the beaten egg whites into the dry ingredients, which gives angel food cake its light, airy texture. To fold, “cut” down the center and up the sided of the bowl with a rubber spatula, gently combining the two mixtures.




Crème Anglaise is a custard sauce thickened solely with egg yolks (no starch), giving it a silky, smooth texture. The trick with egg yolks is to get them to thicken without turning into scrambled eggs. To do this, cook the sauce over low to medium heat, stirring constantly. When the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove from heat—it’s done.