Friday, August 22, 2008

Any mustard-lovin' fools out there?

At last count, there were more than a dozen kinds of mustard in our 'fridge. It is, by far, the favorite condiment in our house. Stone ground, Dijon, Creole, horseradish, spicy brown.... yeah, there's some plain yellow mustard in there, too, but it can't compare with the little jars of Hickory Farms sweet-hot mustard.

The mustard sermon (the seed is in the Bible, you know) is inspired by the idea that people trying to add flavor to food without pumping on calories can turn to mustard.

How so? Well, it makes a fine rub for pork, lamb, chicken and salmon. It's the base of many of my summer salad dressings. It livens up potato salad, and, when combined with fat-free sour cream and fat-free mayonnaise, adds some spunk to a healthy version of potato salad.

On a quasi-related note, it comes to our attention that French's is looking to get The Skinny on Mustard with a recipe contest:

"Did you know that mustard is the healthiest condiment? Just by replacing mayonnaise with mustard on all your sandwiches over a 12 week period, you could save the equivalent of 8640 calories- that’s almost 2 1/2 pounds! In addition to adding flavor without the fat, mustard also has several other nutritional benefits like naturally occurring omega 3’s and selenium, a healthful element which may protect the body from cancer. Mustard also contains several antioxidants such as circumin."

Never heard of circumin? Join the club. But if you've got some mustard trickery in your kitchen, pass it on.

Do you have “The Skinny On Mustard?” If so, then French's wants to hear from you. Maybe you use mustard in the secret sauce for your family’s favorite roast chicken? Maybe you’ve found a dip that uses mustard instead of sour cream to cut calories, but that’s just as tasty as the original recipe. Enter the French’s “Do You Have the Skinny on Mustard” Contest and Win Big!!!

Entering is easy. Submit a recipe to French’s “Do You Have the Skinny On Mustard” contest by logging onto or mail to French’s/c/oBHGPR 546 Valley Road Upper Montclair, NJ, 07043, postmarked no later than December 31, 2008. The recipe must not exceed 400 words. A prestigious panel of judges including The Next Food Network Star finalist, Kevin Roberts, Chef Armand Vanderstigchel, author of Wings Across America and The Adirondack Cookbook, French’s Test Kitchen directors and other well known foodies will test the top twenty recipes and make final selections.

One grand-prize winner will receive a Day at the Spa for two and a one-year supply of French’s Mustard. Ten runners-up will win American Express gift checks ($100 each). See official rules for more details on the contest. Recipes will be evaluated based on quality, creativity, originality and appropriateness of the entry to be used in connection with the French’s Brand.

“Eliminating mayonnaise in food is a good way to reduce fat and calories immediately,” recommends Janet Andreas, French’s Test Kitchen Director. “We all know that if it doesn’t taste good we won’t eat it, but by choosing leaner cuts of meat and incorporating fresh herbs, spices and flavorful condiments such as French’s Mustard to everyday recipes, making healthier food choices will be that much easier.”


LIME CHICKEN WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA

Prep Time:15 min.
Cook Time:10 min.
Marinate Time: 1 hour
5tbsp. Honey Mustard, divided
4tbsp. thawed frozen limeade concentrate, divided
1tsp.ground cumin
4(5 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2cups chopped fresh pineapple
1/2of a large red bell pepper, chopped
3 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1.MIX 3 tbsp. mustard, 3 tbsp. limeade concentrate and cumin in plastic food storage bag. Add chicken; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours.
2.STIR together pineapple, bell pepper, cilantro and remaining 2 tbsp. mustard and 1 tbsp. limeade concentrate in medium bowl.
3.GRILL chicken over medium heat until no longer pink in center. Serve with salsa.
Makes
4 servings
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: 243 Calories, 4 g Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 78 mg Cholesterol, 30 g Protein, 21 g Carbohydrates, 2 g Dietary Fiber, 149 mg Sodium.

SAVORY GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN
Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 20 min. Marinate Time: 1 hour

1 large navel orange
1/3 cup Spicy Brown Mustard
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. salt free grill seasoning blend
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/4 lbs. pork tenderloin, fat trimmed
1/3 cup light sour cream
1/8 tsp. salt

1. GRATE rind and juice orange; reserve juice. Combine mustard, vinegar, seasoning blend, oil and orange rind in small bowl. Reserve 2 tbsp. mixture. Pour remainder into food storage bag.
2. ADD pork; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours. Discard marinade.
3. GRILL pork over medium-high heat about 20 min. or until no longer pink in center (155°F internal temperature). Let rest 10 min. before slicing.
4. MIX reserved 2 tbsp. mustard mixture, sour cream, salt and reserved juice. Serve with pork.

Makes 4 servings
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: 207 Calories, 7 g Fat, 3 g Saturated Fat, 83 mg Cholesterol, 30 g Protein, 3 g Carbohydrates, 0 g Dietary Fiber, 324 mg Sodium.

SHRIMP & VEGGIE WRAPS
Prep Time: 12 min.

1/2 cup light herb cheese spread, softened
2 to 3 tbsp.Spicy Brown Mustard
4 (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas, heated
1 cup watercress, washed and large stems removed
3/4 lb. largecooked shelled shrimp, tails removed
1 small yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
3/4 cup shredded carrot

1. BLEND together cheese spread and mustard. Spread on tortillas, leaving a 1-inch border.
2. ARRANGE watercress, shrimp, pepper and carrot in center of each tortilla, dividing evenly.
3. ROLL up tortillas tightly. Secure with toothpicks. Cut in half to serve.
Makes, 4 servings
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: 306 Calories, 9 g Fat, 3 g Saturated Fat, 181 mg Cholesterol, 25 g Protein, 30 g Carbohydrates, 3 g Dietary Fiber, 587 mg Sodium.

GRILLED PORTOBELLO PESTO SANDWICHES
Prep Time: 12 min. Cook Time: 10 min.

3 tbsp., Spicy Brown Mustard or Horseradish Mustard
1/4 cup packed basil leaves
5 tbsp. light Italian salad dressing, divided
4 medium portobello mushrooms, stems removed (about 1 lb.)
2 large red bell peppers, cored and quartered lengthwise
1 medium sweet onion, sliced 1/2-inch thick
4 small whole wheat hoagie rolls, split

1. BLEND mustard, basil and 2 tbsp. dressing in mini food processor.
2. GRILL and turn mushrooms, peppers and onion over medium heat for 8 to 10 min., brushing mushrooms with remaining 3 tbsp. dressing.
3. LAYER vegetables on bottom of rolls. Drizzle with basil mixture. Cover with top of rolls.

Makes 4 servings
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: 291 Calories, 5 g Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 12 g Protein, 51 g Carbohydrates, 10 g Dietary Fiber, 546 mg Sodium.

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