Interview with Chef Jacques Pepin

I enjoyed meeting Chef Jacques Pepin at a recent culinary arts convention I attended. My library is full of his books. His two most recent books are Fast Food My Way and Jacques Pepin More Fast Food My Way. We played the interview on my radio show (KLIN-AM 1400 at 10 am Sundays). You can listen to it here.

Lineup for Sunday June 26 Radio Program

Here's what's coming on Sunday's program.  Listen at 10:00 a.m. on KLIN 1400 AM or online. http://www.klin.com/http://www.klin.com/

•    Around the table from Buy Fresh Buy Local Billene and Richard Nemec
•    The Path of the farmer
•    Mike and Joe Heartland Seafood’s LLC. Fisherman from Alaska on sustainable fishing
•    What’s is season Salmon Halibut  
•    Recipes Poached Salmon with Caper Sauce, Halibut wrapped with Prosciutto, Fingerling Potatoes with lemon
•    Recipe contest for Baked Beans

Black Bean and Brown Rice Risotto Recipe

Chef Judy Gilliard
Servings: 12

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups brown rice, medium-grain
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 1/2 cup dry vermouth
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 cups black beans, cooked

1. Heat oil and sauté onion until soft.
2. Add rice, red chili flakes, black pepper and sauté over medium-high heat until all rice is coated with oil.
3. Add vermouth and stir until absorbed.
4. Add chicken broth one cup at a time until the rice absorbs liquid. (Have extra water ready in case you need it.) Cook until rice is tender, stirring constantly. Stir in chopped pepper and cook them only until crisp tender, to add more texture to the risotto.
5. Add cooked black beans, parsley and Parmesan cheese and fold in.

Per Serving : 286 Calories; 7g Fat (21.2% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 302mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

Line-up for Sunday, June 19th

Judy a la carte Sunday morning 10amCT on 1400 KLIN 

Around the table is Jo Taylor Chairman of the Culinary Department at Southeast Community College and Chef Jaques Pipen.
Recipe of the week for Father’s Day Baked Beans
Listen live http://www.klin.com/

News: My Live Radio Show on KLIN

I'm so excited!  This Sunday, June 12th, I begin my new live radio show, "Judy a la Carte" at 10 a.m. Central Time on KLIN 1400AM in the Lincoln, Nebraska, area, or streaming online at: http://www.klin.com/

I'll be interviewing local chefs and foodies, plus sharing lots of recipes and cooking tips, and calls from YOU, the listeners!  See you on Sunday!

This week's line-up:

• What’s in Season…asparagus
• Around the table with Chef Sean Carmichael from Chez Hay
• Chef Robert Irvin Food network Dinner Impossible 
• Recipe of the week Black Bean and Brown Rice Risotto

Here's a Handy Tip for Celery Sticks

Tired of those annoying strings in the celery?  Here's a handy tip: Take a vegetable peeler and lightly "peel" the strings off the top of your celery sticks before serving.  It's quick and easy, and it will make your celery much more pleasant to eat.

Try it the next time you make celery for your family, or when you bring veggies and dip at a party.

Mushroom Risotto Recipe

If you like mushrooms, you'll love this risotto. The chili peppers give it just a bit of a bite. Easy to make and wonderful to eat. I purchased the ingredients for this at Leon's Gourmet Grocer.

Servings: 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups short-grain rice
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry vermouth
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 16 ounces mushroom, sliced and cooked

Heat oil and sauté onion until soft. Add rice, red chili flakes, black pepper and sauté over medium high heat until all rice is coated with oil. Add vermouth and stir until absorbed. Add chicken broth 1 cup at a time until the rice absorbs liquid. (Have extra water ready in case you need it.) Cook until rice is tender, stirring constantly. Add cooked mushrooms, parsley and Parmesan cheese and fold in.

Per Serving : 295 Calories; 5g Fat (17.4% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 360mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

Schaefer's Jenn-Air Professional Kitchen

Today I enjoyed cooking in Schaefer's Jenn-Air Professional kitchen. This classy kitchen has a nice feel to it, and the cooktop is clean and smooth--a real pleasure to use. The gas range is also available in the kitchen. The culinary center oven is programmable for many uses. I found it incredible easy to use and versatile.

Best Baked Beans Recipe

This isn't your ordinary baked beans recipe.  It's low in sugar, and the bourbon makes it unique.

Servings 4

• 1 teaspoon grape seed oil
• 1 medium carrot, chopped fine
• 2 stalks celery, chopped fine
• 1/2 small onion, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon honey , local
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups great northern beans, cooked
• 1/4 cup Red Stag bourbon, optional
• 1/4 cup catsup

Heat olive oil in a skillet, add carrots, celery, and onion and sauté until soft.  Add honey and stir until caramelized. Mix in cayenne pepper. Add Bourbon (optional) and stir over medium heat for 1 miuten.  Add catsup and mix in. Add beans and gently mix in.Place beans in 4 crocks or 1 casserole dish, cover and bake for 30 min in a 350 degree oven

Per Serving : 201 Calories; 4g Fat (20.4% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 204mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Food purchased from Leon's Gourmet Grocer and prepared in a kitchen at Schaefer's.

Guacamole My Way Recipe

Servings: 6

• 1 1/2 cups nonfat cottage cheese
• 3 each avocados
• 3 tablespoons salsa
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Drain cottage cheese in a colander, place in food processor with steel blade and process until
smooth. Add avocado and process until desired consistency. Add salsa and cilantro and pulse 2 or 3 times. Serve with fresh chips.

Per Serving: calories; 15g Fat, (64.8% calories from fat); 9g,Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 3g, Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol;195mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1,Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit;,3 Fat.

Food purchased from Leon's Gourmet Grocer and prepared in a kitchen at Schaefer's.

Make your own Hollandaise and Bernaise Sauces

You don't need to be intimidated by Hollandaise and Bernaise sauces. It's easy to make your own.  Watch a video from one of Schaefer's kitchens, in which I show how to make your own Hollandaise and Bernaise sauces.  See the video here.

Ingrid Hoffman: Ideas for Spring Entertaining

For this video I went right to the source for some great spring entertaining ideas, Celebrity Chef Ingrid Hoffman shares some unique, money-saving ideas for spring entertaining using Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk.  Check out the video here.

House Works: Olive Oil 101

A good olive oil is like a bottle of fine wine. It all depends on where the olive is grown and how much acidity is in it. And not all olive oil is created equal. Showcase olive oils are used for fishing, dipping or making salad dressings. Other "industrial size olive oils are used for cooking. Chad Winters of Leon's Gourmet Grocer and I recently discussed olive oil in one of Schaefer's kitchens on Channel 10/11 news. Check out the video and learn more about olive oil here:

Audio: Kerry Vincent on the Royal Wedding

I recently interviewed Food Network's Kerry Vincent on Prince William's Royal Wedding Cake. She talks about the cake, "biscuits" and the changes the internet have brought:

Kerry Vincent Royal wedding cake by emwcee

Making Easter Ham Memorable

Ham is traditional for Easter. Do you want to know some tips for making an amazing ham, that really brings out the flavor. I was recently featured on KOLN/KGIN, Channel 10/11 speaking on Making Easter Ham Memorable. As always, I am working in one of Schaefer's great kitchens.

Watch the video here.

(NOTE: Recipe is on the video page or below.)

The Uses of Puff Pastry

Puff pastry allows you to make some wonderful dishes easily. My latest video on channel 10/11 that shows some easy, new uses for puff pastry, including the Asparagus Tart. (See post below).

You can watch the video here.

A Fresh Way to Serve Scallops

Scallops are a healthy way to add meat to your meal. Watch this video to learn some secrets to making great scallops, as well as a fresh way to serve them. (Think greens.)

Watch my video here.

Interview: Ted Allen, Host of "Chopped" on the Food Network

I love the show "Chopped," so I was pleased to interview Ted Allen, the host of the popular Food Network Show recently. I also recommend his book The Food You Want to Eat: 100 Smart, Simple Recipes and his DVD Uncorked: Wine Made Simple
You can order them from Amazon simply by clicking on the links or on the "I Recommend" Box to the right.

You can listen to my interviews on my website.

Listen or download my interviews here.

Ham Slices with Blueberry Sauce

by Chef Judy Gilliard
Servings: 6

• 24 ounces ham center slices, 12 slices
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/3 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, raw sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Place ham slices on rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350ºF for
10 minutes. (until warm through).

Meanwhile, for the sauce, in a small saucepan combine water and cornstarch; stir in apricot preserves, raw sugar, wine, and lemon juice. Cook and stir over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
Stir in blueberries; cook and stir 2-3 minutes more. To serve, spoon sauce on top of ham.

Per Serving : 284 Calories; 12g Fat (38.2% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber;65mg Cholesterol; 1503mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Asparagus Tart

by Chef Judy Gilliard
Servings: 8

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 pound asparagus
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, part skim milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 ounce salami slices
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out pastry on floured surface to 13x10-inch rectangle. Cut off 1/2-inch-wide strip from all 4 sides; set aside. Brush strips on one side with some of beaten egg, then press strips, egg side down, onto edges of pastry to adhere, forming raised border. Brush border with egg; reserve remaining beaten egg. Transfer to baking sheet. Chill while preparing filling.

Place asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Cut off top 2 to 3 inches of asparagus tips; set aside. Coarsely puree remaining asparagus stalks in processor. Add remaining beaten egg and ricotta.Process until thick puree forms. Transfer to bowl; stir in salami and half of the mozzarella. Spread mixture evenly over pastry. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Arrange asparagus tips over filling.

Bake tart until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per Serving : 282 Calories; 20g Fat (63.5% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 47mg Cholesterol; 259mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 3 1/2 Fat.