Ellen Haas has already had something to say about how your family eats. As a consumer advocate with Public Voice and as under-secretary of agriculture for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services from 1993 to 1996, Haas was a well-known figure involved in such issues as food safety and the development of nutritious school lunch programs. Now her attention has turned to the private sector, with the launch of a health-oriented Web site and a new cookbook, “Great Adventures In Food” (St. Martin’s, $25).
Aimed at developing healthful food habits for consumers, especially families, the book is a mix of straightforward recipes, produce guides and nutrition advice.
But this is no dry text; one of the selling points of “Great Adventures” is Haas’ collaboration with leading American chefs.
Though most of the 100 recipes here are the work of food consultant Bonnie Moore, respected chefs from such restaurants as Chicago’s Printers Row and Frontera Grill, New York’s Union Square Cafe and San Francisco’s Greens provided creative support from soup to dessert.
We especially liked the grilled chicken from Todd English of Olives restaurant in Charlestown, Mass. The yogurt marinade and the sprinkling of fresh herbs made the chicken moist and sprightly, and it balanced nicely with a citrus-flavored tomato chutney.
Also terrific was the poached halibut dressed with an herb vinaigrette, from Eric Ripert of Le Bernadin in New York. Suited for company or a pleasant light meal any time, the recipe was marred only by too much vinaigrette: It calls for a cup when less than half of that would have sufficed. The tomato chutney, too, was far more than needed for four servings; it seemed designed more as a side dish than a garnish. More careful recipe testing or editing would have helped these otherwise fine dishes.
Nor does the layout of the recipes serve the book well, with the ingredient list and instructions often confusingly run together. There are no photographs.
The bulk of the recipes are family-friendly, including dishes for barbecued pork chops with pecans and sweet potatoes; chicken stew with mushrooms and pearl onions; and “Groovy Applesauce,” a honey-sweetened concoction that encourages a family apple-picking outing “for a fresh taste and fun times.”
The book seemingly wishes none but the best intentions for the health of cooks and diners everywhere. But “Great Adventures” also means to promote Haas’ Web site, FoodFit.com, and vice versa.
One annoying example is the book jacket’s praise-heavy blurbs from chefs Alice Waters and Joyce Goldstein, along with George L. Blackburn, associate director of nutrition at Harvard Medical School. All three are on the advisory board of FoodFit.com, and Waters and Goldstein have contributed recipes to the cookbook. In the past, a consumer pro like Haas would have dismissed such a self-serving ploy right away.
TODD ENGLISH’S GRILLED CHICKEN MARINATED IN YOGURT AND HERBS
WITH CHUTNEY
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 32-34 minutes
Marinating time: Overnight
Yield: 4 servings
From “Great Adventures In Food.”
For the marinated chicken:
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the chutney:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced
4 large tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup tomato juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
To cook the chicken:
4 marinated chicken breasts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1. For the marinated chicken: Mix all the ingredients except the chicken in a large bowl.
2. Add the chicken to the mixture and coat evenly.
3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
4. For the chutney: Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and tomatoes and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the currants, vinegar, and juices, and cook until reduced by one-third, about 12-15 minutes.
6. Add the jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add the salt and set aside. (The chutney can be made ahead and refrigerated for several days. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
8. To cook the chicken: Preheat the grill.
9. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper.
10. Place the chicken on the hot grill and cook until the juices run clear, 6-8 minutes per side.
11. Garnish the chicken with the mint, cilantro and onions. Serve with rice and the chutney on the side.
Nutrition information per serving (calculated by the Tribune):
Calories ………… 480 Fat …………. 9 g Saturated fat .. 2.2 g
% calories from fat .. 17 Cholesterol .. 145 mg Sodium …….. 730 mg
Carbohydrates …… 43 g Protein …….. 58 g Fiber ………… 5 g
ERIC RIPERT’S POACHED HALIBUT IN A WARM HERB VINAIGRETTE
Preparation time: 16 minutes
Cooking time: 6-8 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
From “Great Adventures In Food.”
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup Basic Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon finely diced shallots
3 cups prepared fish stock or water
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Sea salt to taste
4 halibut steaks, about 8 ounces each
Freshly ground white or black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil, optional
1. Place the mustard in a mixing bowl and whisk in the vinaigrette and shallots. Pour into a small saucepan and set aside.
2. Bring the stock, white wine vinegar, and 1 teaspoon sea salt to a boil in a 10-inch pot. Season the halibut with salt and pepper on both sides. Add the halibut to the pot and adjust the heat so the liquid just simmers.
3. Remove the steaks from the liquid when done (5-7 minutes for rare steaks, longer for medium). Discard the poaching liquid.
4. Add the herbs to the saucepan containing the vinaigrette and warm over low heat.
5. Pull the skin off the halibut and place each steak in the center of a plate. Spoon the vinaigrette over and around the fish.
Test kitchen note: We found that only 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette was needed for the recipe. Save the remainder for another use, if desired.
Nutrition information per serving (calculated by the Tribune with 1 cup vinaigrette):
Calories ……. …. 750 Fat .. …. 69 g Saturated fat …. 10 g
% calories from fat .. 83 Cholesterol .. 95 mg Sodium ……… 260 mg
Carbohydrates ….. 1.5 g Protein ……. 30 g Fiber ……….. 0.1 g
BASIC VINAIGRETTE
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cup
From “Great Adventures In Food.”
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Place all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well.
2. For safekeeping: This can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 1 week. Shake well before using.
Nutrition information per tablespoon (calculated by the Tribune):
Calories …………. 90 Fat ……….. 10 g Saturated fat … 1.4 g
% calories from fat .. 99 Cholesterol .. l0 mg Sodium ……….. 0 mg
Carbohydrates ….. 0.1 g Protein …….. 0 g Fiber …………. 0 g
