On Friday, October 15th, local radio station Sunny 95 hosted the Taste of Home Cooking School Expo at the Aladdin Shrine Center in Easton. The event was filled with giveaways, samples, drawings, prizes and a lot of cooking. Scents of garlic, chicken, and herbs wafted down into the crowd as they watched the chef Cheryl Cohen prepare ten dishes in under two hours. Although healthy cooking was not the theme of the night (throughout the night she said things like, "You could use milk instead of half-and-half, but why?"), there were many well-balanced, vitamin-packed, low-fat recipes presented.
From five-thirty to seven, vendors handed out business cards and samples. King Gyros offered excellent samples of a garlicky hummus and pita triangles. Dublin's Sugar Inc. Artisan Teas & Bakery, who sells 100% organic baked goods, offered samples of deliciously unique Red Velvet cupcakes colored with raspberry and beet juices. They also serve fair-trade teas and gluten-free options. Westerville's Sweets by Yvette, who specializes in sugar-free treats, gave out macaroons and chocolate popcorn. A sample of Kitchen Basics (a company from Brecksville, Ohio) Chicken Stock was also given to each guest. The broth is all natural, low in sodium, contains no MSG, and has five grams of protein per serving (compared to one gram in other brands).
Around seven-thirty, Chef Cohen began preparing a feast of food while sharing helpful hints along the way. She showed the audience how to make everything from a breakfast of upside-down french toast and an appetizer carrot soup to main courses like beef stir-fry, chicken balsamico and sausage-stuffed peppers, and a french apple pie for dessert. Even though some of the recipes were higher in calories, most could be modified easily, for example, by using milk instead of cream, or using chicken sausage instead of pork. The audience was also presented with excellent ideas for gluten-free party mixes using corn and rice Chex.
Dino Tripodis from Sunny 95 emceed the cooking expo, cracking jokes while drawing for prizes in between recipes. Chef Cohen ended the night by giving away the food she made to audience members. For tips, recipes, and to find out more about Taste of Home and the Cooking School Expo visit www.tasteofhome.com and see where the show will be next.
The recipe below was inspired by the Expo.
Apricot & Anything Stir-fry Serves 4
This quick, healthy dinner is designed to use ingredients you find at the farmers market or whatever you have on hand, and can be made meaty or vegan, and gluten-free.
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup all-fruit apricot jam
2 TBSP cornstarch
3/4 cup broth (chicken, beef or veggie) (recommended, Kitchen Basics)
2 TBSP soy sauce
1lb of protein (Beef, chicken, pork, or firm tofu), cut into chunks
1 TBSP canola oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups of mixed veggies, sliced (recommended: carrots, broccoli, peppers, green beans, summer squash, asparagus)
Cook rice according to package directions. As rice is cooking, whisk together jam, cornstarch, broth and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Heat oil in large skillet or wok over medium heat. Salt and pepper protein, add to the pan, stirring occasionally. Cook until browned, about five minutes (tofu doesn't take as long). Add onions, garlic and veggies and cook a few minutes more, until tender but still crisp. Add sauce, bring to a boil, stirring often until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.
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