The custard is flavored with vanilla, but can also be flavored with lemon or orange, rosemary, lavender, chocolate, Amaretto, Grand Marnier, cinnamon, coffee, liqueurs, green tea, pistachio, hazelnut or coconut.
Now, I was a scaredy-cat and thought Crème brûlée was too difficult for me, the everyday home kitchen cook. I was wrong. It's not difficult at all.
Sweet Crème Brûlée
Serves 6
Ingredient:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup light cream
4 large egg yolks, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar, plus additional 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
In a large saucepan, bring cream to a boil, and allow to boil for approximately 30 seconds. Remove from heat and pour over egg yolks and vanilla extract, whisking rapidly.
When yolks and cream are fully incorporated, return to saucepan and cook over medium heat, until mixture is thick and coats a metal spoon. Do not bring mixture to a boil.
Pour equally into 6 ramekins and refrigerate overnight.
Before serving, sprinkle each ramekin with sugar; preheat oven broiler to highest temperature setting, placing ramekins under broiler to caramelize sugar on top. It is important to do this quickly so the custard remains cool and the sugar burns fast. You may also use a creme brulee torch, which can be purchased online or at your local ichen supply store.
Serve with your favorite seasonal berries and enjoy.
Nutritional Information (amount per serving)
Calories 324; Carbohydrates 211g; Cholesterol 211mg; Fat 29g; Sodium 39mg; Protein 2g
Difference between sweet and savory is that one reflects a sugar sensation and the other does not. A salad is savory, but it could include sweet slices of strawberries or a sweet salad dressing, which makes the salad both sweet and savory. For the home kitchen cook, you want to include a little sweet with savory flavors in the meal to satisfy the tastebud senses.
There will be looks of envy from the meat-eating crowd when you serve this colorful and delicious entrée of bell peppers stuffed with mushrooms, carrots, spinach, quinoa and cashews. For a beautiful presentation, choose a combination of green, red, orange and yellow bell peppers.
Savory Roasted Bell Peppers Stuffed Quinoa
Serves 4 to 7
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped carrots
7 bell peppers, 1 cored, seeded and chopped; tops removed and reserved from remaining 6 then cored and seeded
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 pound baby spinach
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup roasted cashews
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until transparent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes more.
Add carrots and chopped peppers, cook until just softened, then add parsley and spinach (in batches, if needed). Let spinach wilt then stir in cinnamon, cumin and cooked quinoa and toss gently to combine. Add salt, pepper and cashews and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Set aside to let filling cool until just warm.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking pan; set aside.
Divide quinoa mixture evenly among remaining 6 bell peppers, gently packing it down and making sure to fully fill each pepper. Top each pepper with its reserved top then arrange them upright in prepared pan. Cover snugly with foil and bake, checking halfway through, until peppers are tender and juicy and filling is hot throughout, about 1 hour. Transfer to plates and serve.
Nutritional Information (amount per serving)
Calories 260; Carbohydrates 36g; Cholesterol 0mg; Fiber 6g; Fat 10g; Sodium 150mg; Sugars 6g; Protein 9g
Sources: Egglands Best Sweet, Whole Foods Market Savory
When meal planning choose a portion from each food group. Typically, most adults need 6 to 11 servings of grain products per day; 3 to 5 servings of vegetables; 2 to 4 servings of fruit each day; 3 cups of dairy products every day; and 2 or 3 ounces per day of meat which equals 2 servings.
Sensible portion sizes and limited number of servings keep even the most decadent sweet and yummy desserts part of a balanced diet.