Lee a North Shore News - 39 Grilling brings out vegetables’ flavors THE FRUGAL GOURMET IN THE ancient world vegetables seem to have been more important than they have been during our recent past. We took to canning and freez- ing virtually everything, and our appreciation of fresh foods seem- ed to wane. But we are back, and with a vengearice. I dislike canned vegetables of any kind, particularly those special sins. called canned aspara- gus and canned beans. How could you, why would you; your mother never liked them either. In our time even frozen are bet- ter, out the fresh are the best. When you consider what you get for your money per pound in fresh vegetables you realize they are much cheaper than any kind of meat. Grilling is a wonderful way to bring cut the flavor of fresh vegetables. Instead of boiling or microwaving everything, try bring- ing out your stove-top grill and cooking vegetables with a bit of infused olive oil. Remember that a grili is dif- ferent from a griddle in that the grill has ridges so the food does _ not lie flat on the cooking surface. A griddle, on the other hand, is simply a fiat cooking surface. A stove-top grill is great for grilling peppers and other vegetables right on top of the burner. It is also. called an “asador,”’ and it works very well. If you are grilling outdoors on a barbecue, invest in a couple of grill racks. Choose one or two sizes of these racks for grilling on top of the barbecue. They are NEWS photo Cindy Goodman INSTEAD OF boiling or microwaving everything, try bringing out your stove-top grill and cooking vegetables with a bit of infused olive oii. especially helpful in cooking small 1% cup coarsely chopped basi! vegetabie slices. GRILLED TOMATOES Ripe tomatoes that ere still a bit firm work best for this. Remove the core from a tomato and cut it in half crosswise. Brush the tomato with some In- fused Oil for Grilling Vegetables and Fish (recipy: below). Baste the tomato with the oil while grilling. Grill just until they are hot and tender, but not oversoft. Serve immediately. INFUSED OIL FOR GRILLING VEGETABLES AND FISH Infused oils for cooking and grilling are very ‘‘in’’ at the mo- ment. This one is from one of the young chefs at Kaspar’s by the Bay, a fine restaurant in Seattle. The chef, Steve Miller, is diligent and well-trained, insightful and hardworking. And why not? His boss, chef Kaspar, is Swiss. He is good! You can also use this refreshing oil as a dip for your french bread or as a topping for your baked potato. You will think up other uses I am sure. 2 cups olive oil % of 1 lemon peel only, coarsely chopped leaves. Y% cup coarsely chopped parsiey 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed Combine ali ingredients in a small bow! or jar and allow to stand at rcom temperature for 2 hours. Brush vegetables with the oil when grilling. The oil will keep for several days in the refrigerator. HINT: When buying olive oil, consider the use. You should probably buy a good extra-virgin oil for salads and a medium grade for pasta. For deep-frying, grill- ing and normal cooking, buy the stuff by the gallon at an Italian or Greek grocery. The merchant will help you so that you do not feel obligated to use the wrong oil at any time. GRILLED ACORN SQUASH i love acorn squash, but the on- ly way I had it as a child was baked. Try grilling this wonderful vegetable. . Cut an acorn squash into ‘-- inch-wide rings crosswise. Remove the seeds from the rings and brush with Infused Oil For Grilling Vegetables and Fish (recipe above). Grill both sides over medium heat until tender. Baste with the oil while grilling. Do not have the heat too high or the outside will color and burn before the midale is tender. GRILLED EGGPLANT { reatly think eggplant is one of the most delicious vegetables available. Many Canadians turn up their noses at this great purple egg-shaped jewel, but | think they would be quickly converted if they would simply learn to cook this vegetable properly. The secret to getting rid of the bitterness is to salt the flesh and allow it to drain for about a half hour. The salt is then rinsed from the eggplant and you are ready to cook. This works every time. Try the following dish on your barbecue as well as your kitchen grill. Cut an eggplant into %-inch Slices crosswise. Sprinkle both sides of the slices with salt. Place the slices in a colander and allow to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse the slices with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the slices with Infused Oil For Grilling Vegetables and Fish (recipe above). Grill over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes on both sides. Baste with the oil while grilling. Contrast colors in orange pasta salad 6 cups (1.5 L) cooked pasta, drained (2 cups/500 mL each of three types of pasta, such 2s bow ties, spinach or reguiar spiral-shaped pasta and/or spaghetti twists)* 3 oranges, peeled, cut half-cartwheel stices 1 cup (250 mL) cooked aspara- gus, cut into 2-inch (5 cm} lengihs** % cup (50 mL) vegetable or salad oil Grated peel of 2 orange 2 tablespoons (30 mL) freshly squeezed orange juice Juice of 4 lemon into 1 tablespoon (15 mL) honey 1 teaspoon (5 mL) Dijon mustard Salt and pepper to taste In large bowl, combine cooked pasta, orange half- cartwheel slices and asparagus. In small bowl, ‘whisk together oii, orange peel and juice, lemon juice, honey and mustard. Pour over and mix well with pasta ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. _ Chill. Toss well before serv- ing. Makes 8 servings (about 9 cups/2.25 L). * Cook pasta according to package directions for time and amount to yield 2 cups (S00 mL) each, cooked. ** Cooked green beans or broccoli flowerets ‘can be substituted for asparagus. Nutrition information for one -- 39.7 grams .» 3.1 grams 0 milligrams «oe U1 milligrams Vitamin C ......... soe. 68% RDI Carbohydrates . Fibre .......... Cholesterol] New low-cal sweetener created from real thing inquisitive TAKE ONE hot muggy day. Add a tall glass of iced tea with a slice of lemon and lots of ice. Ahh, how it.refreshes and cools. And if you prefer your iced tea sweet, you might also add a low- calorie sweetener that’s new on the market. It’s sucralose, a new food in- gredient. You’il find it in stores under the trade name of Splenda, a white granular powder, some- what finer than regular sugar. Splenda is a good example of how our food supply is changing because of advances in techno- logy, It’s the first low-calorie sweetener created by modifying the real thing — sugar. The process of research col- laboration started in 1976 between researchers in carbohydrate chem- © istry at Queen Elizabeth College in London, England and Tate & Lyle, the world’s leading sweetener company. The process of changing sugar to the substance sucralose inten- sifies the sweetness to 600 times that of sugar. And because sucralose is not broken down as it travels through the body, it’s con- sidered calorie-free. In Canada, the development and marketing of Splenda is now a joint venture between Toron- to-based Redpath Specialty pro- ducts (a division of Redpath Sugars) and McNeil Consumer Products (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson). As a table-top sweetener, Splenda is available in small packets. A few grains contain the equivalent sweetness of two teas- poons of sugar, but Splenda has only two calories a teaspoon, ver- sus 14 for sugar. And those calo- ries come from maltodextrose, a starch that’s mixed with sucralose to add body. Its makers claim Splenda leaves no bitter aftertaste, and tests show that sucralose doesn’t cause cavi- ties. Research studies also indicate that it is non-carcinogenic. As nearly all sucralose is elimi- nated from the body within 24 hours, it can’t accumulate in body tissues with extended use. if you want more than a fow- calorie sweetener for beverages, it’s of interest to learn that this one doesn’t break down when heated. So Splenda behaves like sugar in baking. It’s available both in packets and in boxed granulated form for use in calorie-reduced cooking. The added maltodextrin means that Splenda can be substituted cup-for-cup with sugar in many recipes. Baking is most successful if Splenda is sifted with the dry in- gredients, and the fat is creamed longer than usual to add extra air. For more information about bak- ing, call the Splenda information line, 1-800-561-0070. The 15-year gap between its discovery and its introduction to the public is a measure of the rig- orous testing which must be followed in developing and ap- proving a new product for the Canadian market. Scientists and marketing experts have been listening to consumers. Have they granted your wish for low-calorie muffins, cheesecake and cookies? If you’re concerned about calories, consider Splenda.