Cooking Tips With Kiwi Cuisine

Stemming from its British Colonial heritage, culinary culture in New Zealand has long been characterized by straightforward fodder such as steak and fries, fish and chips and baked meats. However, driven by the demands of increasingly sophisticated tourists to the region and influenced by both Asian and Pacific flavors, New Zealand cuisine has quickly evolved to cater to gourmet tastes. Today's New Zealand menus combine the incredibly fresh produce, meat and seafood with an eclectic mix of indigenous plants and exotic vegetables to create complex, flavorful dishes. 

Fortunately, travelers heading to these dreamy, green islands in the South Pacific don't have to wait long to indulge in a Kiwi feast. For example, Air New Zealand offers a gourmet New Zealand-inspired menu for passengers traveling in its Business Premier and Pacific Premium Economy classes. Designed by world-renowned consultant chefs, an array of authentic options are paired with fine native wines to offer travelers a glimpse of the country's culinary culture before they even hit the ground. 

For a sample of New Zealand cuisine at home, try this recipe handpicked by one of the consultant chefs from Air New Zealand and currently available on all flights originating from North America.

New Zealand Glazed Snapper and Arugula Salad with Vanilla Saffron Aioli

Serves 4

• 4 vine-ripened tomatoes
• 12 baby gourmet potatoes
• 4 medium fillets of fresh snapper
• 1 cup fresh arugula

Place tomatoes on a tray of rock salt in the oven at 320° F and roast until skins begin to split. 

Remove from oven and keep warm. Slice potatoes into thin slices and pan fry in olive oil with sea salt till golden and crispy.

In a large pan, fry the snapper (sprinkled with sea salt) skin-side-down until golden. Turn the fillets over to finish cooking the fish. To stop the fillets from curling up, use a fish slice to press down on the fillets as soon as they go in the pan. Hold for 20 seconds at the start.

Toss arugula in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of New Zealand or regular extra-virgin olive oil.

Arrange potato slices on warmed dinner plates and squeeze "circles" of vanilla saffron aioli around the potatoes. Place snapper on top with arugula and roast tomato to the side. Brush with lemon caramel and serve while hot.

Vanilla Saffron Aioli

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground New Zealand or regular saffron
• 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 6 oz. grape seed oil

Boil the vinegar and saffron together. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and rub the seeds into fine salt. If using vanilla extract, skip this step. In a bowl, whisk vanilla salt or extract onto the yolk, whisk in vinegar and slowly add in the oil, whisking well. Place in a bottle until ready to use. This makes it easy to serve and will keep in the fridge for up to four days.

Lemon Caramel

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Juice of 1 lemon

Boil sugar, water and salt till golden caramel in color. Remove from the heat and cool slightly before carefully stirring in the lemon juice. Use a pastry brush to coat the snapper fillets.

This authentic New Zealand dish can help spice up your menu.

Cherries Recipes

In the summer, life is a bowl of cherries. The long, warm days have produce sections brimming with big, juicy, sweet cherries. To promote the nutritional benefits of fresh produce, there's the Pick of the Season, a public health initiative spotlighting seasonal fruit and vegetables, with recipes this quarter for cherries, a produce selection that travels from the great Northwest right to you.

Besides the great taste, cherries are also low in calories-only 90 calories for 1 cup-and contain no fat, sodium or cholesterol. However, they pack in some great nutrients, including vitamin C, fiber and potassium. So whether they're Bing or Rainier, this beautiful fruit is a crowd pleaser. Delicious in a recipe or by the handful, for dessert or a midday snack, you can enjoy cherries all season long and beyond.

There are so many ways to add cherries to your favorite recipes, like in cherry-stuffed grilled chicken, cherry and hazelnut salad, cherry clafouti and this cherry smoothie:

Cherry Smoothie

• 1 cup light vanilla yogurt
• 3/4 cup pitted fresh or frozen sweet cherries
• 1/2 cup drained canned mandarin orange sections (canned in juice, no sugar added)
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in blender; blend until smooth. Pour into a tall glass; serve immediately. 

Recipes like this one reflect the food values inherent in the Weight Watchers philosophy-that eating should be satisfying, as well as healthy.

Canned Pears Recipe

Milder weather not only means blue skies and blooming flowers, it's the start of outdoor gatherings. It's also a great excuse to switch up the menu. Salads and kabobs are favorites during warmer months and canned fruit can easily enhance a recipe. Canned Bartlett pears are always ripe, ready to eat and contain virtually no fat or cholesterol. So next time you host a get-together, add a little sweetness to the feast with this pantry staple. Try serving Blueberry, Pear and Apricot Salad with Almonds or Barbecued Pear and Chicken Kabobs to family and guests. 

Blueberry, Pear and Apricot Salad With Almonds

Makes 12 Servings

• 1 can (15 ounces) Bartlett pear halves in extra-light syrup
• 1 can (81/4 ounces) Bartlett pear halves in extra-light syrup
• 1 can (15 ounces) blueberries in light syrup
• 1 can (83/4 ounces) apricot halves in extra-light syrup
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, roasted

Drain both cans of pear halves; slice into bite-sized pieces. Drain apricots; halve. Drain blueberries; divide among salad plates and arrange; arrange pears and apricots as well. Top salads with lemon juice and almonds; serve.

Nutritional information (per serving): Calories: 78, Protein: 1.5g, Carbohydrates: 14.5g, Fiber: 1.5g, Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 6mg. 

Barbecued Pear and Chicken Kabobs

Makes 4 Servings

• 1 can (15 ounces) Bartlett pear halves
• 1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 kabob skewers
• 1 red, green or yellow sweet bell pepper, cut into 11/2-inch squares
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 11/2-inch chunks

Preheat grill or broiler. Drain pears, reserving juice. Cut pears into 11/2-inch chunks; set aside. In a bowl, stir together barbecue sauce, honey, mustard, garlic and 3 tablespoons of the reserved pear juice. On 4 skewers, alternate the pear and bell pepper pieces. 

On remaining skewers, place chicken pieces. Brush all skewered ingredients liberally with the sauce mixture. Grill chicken skewers over medium coals for 10 minutes (or broil for 5 minutes), brushing occasionally with sauce.

Add pear-pepper skewers; grill for 5 to 7 minutes (or broil 2 to 4 minutes) more, or until chicken is no longer pink and pears and peppers are heated through. Serve one chicken kabob and one pear kabob per serving. 

Spicy Blueberry Fruit Salsa Sparkles

Pepper in fruit salsa? If you think it sounds odd, just try this colorful salsa. Blended with blueberries and other fruit, dashes of red and black pepper add just enough heat to kindle a delicious combination.

Serve this lively flavored sauce with ice cream and pound cake, as shown here. Or try it as a side with smoked ham, grilled pork chops or chicken. 

Fresh blueberries are available year round and are most abundant in midsummer-ready to blend into smoothies, toss into your favorite chicken salad, or sprinkle over lemon meringue or cream pie. You should know that blueberries are loaded with antioxidants. Studies show that antioxidants may help reduce the buildup of cholesterol that contributes to cardiovascular disease, stroke and other age-related diseases.

Spicy Blueberry-Fruit Salsa

• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 11/2 cups diced mixed fruit (such as melon, grapes, pineapple or kiwi)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

In a small bowl, combine blueberries, mixed fruit, sugar, lime juice, lime peel, allspice, red and black peppers and salt. Serve immediately or refrigerate covered, up to 4 hours. 

Yield: 51/2 cups

Per half-cup portion: 55 calories, 0 g fat, 14 g carbohydrate.

Mildly spiced blueberry salsa adds zest to dessert.

Brown Sugar Strawberry Tart Recipe

This recipe is so simple that you'll find yourself getting creative with the berries you put on the top. The combination of the brown sugar crust, creamy filling and sweet fruit topping make this the perfect summertime treat.

PREP TIME:  30 MINUTES

COOL TIME: 25 MINUTES

YIELD: Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 12 ounces strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a food processor, whirl flour, 2 tbsp. sugar, the cornstarch, and salt until combined. Add butter and 1/2 tsp. vanilla and pulse until fine crumbs form and dough just begins to come together. Press evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-in. round tart pan with a removable rim.

2. Bake until edges are golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool on a rack, then gently push tart crust from pan rim; set on a plate.

3. In a bowl with a mixer on high speed, beat crème fraîche, cream, remaining 2 tbsp. sugar, and remaining 1/2 tsp. vanilla until thick. Spread in cooled crust. Arrange strawberries in circles on top, alternating cut sides down and up.

Make ahead: Chill, loosely covered, up to 4 hours.

Source: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/brown-sugar-strawberry-tart-10000001973710/

How Pick Store Handle Perfect Avocado

Avocados. They're not just for guacamole anymore. Delicious Hass avocados add great taste, lively color and a creamy texture to ordinary dishes, making them extraordinary. From pizza to salads to sandwiches, avocados add that little something special to your recipes. Knowing how to properly select, handle and store your avocados will ensure that they add the perfect pizzazz to your meal every time.

Selecting your avocados

• When choosing your avocados, look for delicious Hass avocados. They are known for their creamy texture, have a distinctive bumpy skin and are available year-round.

• To determine the ripeness of a Hass avocado, gently squeeze the fruit-a ripe fruit will yield to gentle pressure. Hass avocados will also turn dark green to black as they ripen.

• If you are buying avocados for future use, purchase firm fruit.

• Avoid fruit with external blemishes.

Ripening

To ripen a Hass avocado, place the fruit in a paper bag with an apple for two to three days at room temperature (apples accelerate the process by giving off ethylene gas, a ripening agent).

Storing

Ripe avocados can be stored in a refrigerator or freezer for later use.

• Mash the avocado, adding 1/2 tsp. of lemon juice per 1/2 mashed avocado to prevent discoloration.

• Lay plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mixture before covering.

• You can refrigerate the mixture for up to two days or store in the freezer for up to two months.

Handling

• Like all fruit, wash the avocado before cutting.

• Cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed.

• Twist the halves in opposite directions to separate.

• Slip a spoon between the seed and the fruit and work the seed out.

• Slip a spoon between the skin and the fruit and scoop away from the peel.

Once you've selected and prepared your Hass avocados, try them in this quick, easy recipe.

Turkey and Avocado

Sandwich Wedges

1 round flat sourdough bread loaf

2 large Hass avocados, peeled and seeded, divided

3 Tbsp. salsa

3 (6 by 11/2-inch) strips roasted red pepper

1 pound thinly sliced smoked turkey

3 thin red onion slices, separated into rings

3 pepper jack cheese slices

2 romaine lettuce leaves

Instructions:

Cut a circle out of the top of the bread; tear out the inside of the bread in the bottom section to make a shell. Mash one avocado and mix with salsa; spread over the bottom of the bread. Layer pepper strips, onions, cheese and half the turkey inside the bread. Slice the remaining avocado and place on top of the cheese. Top with lettuce and remaining turkey. Replace the bread top and press down firmly to compress ingredients. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into wedges just before serving.