Fresh Family Recipes

As the theme of this issue of Madeworthy is education and learning, we thought it fitting that our Fresh Family Recipe contributors are teachers.

Foil Baked Ginger Sesame Alaskan Salmon

Dr. Anne VanBeber is a professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences in TCU’s College of Science and Engineering. This recipe is from the Moist Heat Lab in her Gourmet Cooking Class. “Cooking in foil traps the heat and cooks quickly with steam... Fish has minimal connective tissue and will easily get tough if cooked by heat that is too high.”

Ingredients

4 slices of yellow onion, separated into rings

2 medium carrots, shredded or cut into julienne strips

1 pound Alaska salmon fillet, preferably wild-caught (thawed if frozen)

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

4 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°.

Center the onion slices and carrots on a sheet of heavy-duty foil measuring 12 by 18 inches. Top with the salmon. In a small bowl, combine the ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Pour over the salmon. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap and seal the foil to form a packet.

Place the packet on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 16 to 20 minutes. The salmon is done when it flakes when poked with a fork. To serve, open the foil packet and place salmon, onions, and carrots on a bed of fresh spinach. Sprinkle with additional seasoned rice vinegar, if desired.

Serves 4.

Steamed Broccoli Almandine

This is another recipe from Dr. VanBeber’s Moist Heat Lab. She said, “When cooking vegetables with moist heat, you have to learn to add flavors with herbs, spices, and other aromatics because there is no browning to add flavor. Browning occurs [only] with dry heat cooking.” Other labs in the class teach knife skills, dry heat cooking, the use of herbs, and sushi rolling. Students also plan a guest reception, create delicious "small bites," and invite a mentor to join them. The course’s final project is an "Iron Chef/Mystery Bag" lab where students work in teams to create a meal without recipes and with required surprise ingredients.

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh broccoli, washed and cut into uniform pieces

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 ounce sliced almonds

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Sprinkle the broccoli lightly with salt and pepper and place into a steamer basket over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Steam until tender but slightly crisp, approximately 3 minutes. While the broccoli is steaming, melt the butter in a sauté pan. Add the almonds and garlic and cook until the almonds are lightly browned. Arrange the broccoli on a platter for service, sprinkle with the lemon juice, and drizzle with the almonds and butter. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Raspberry Soufflé with Raspberry Coulis

This recipe comes from the Culinary Institute of Fort Worth. Many people see the word “soufflé” and panic, but really, a soufflé is just a baked custard with lofty aspirations. Be sure to have the ingredients for the soufflé at room temperature. This ensures more volume in the beaten egg whites and easier incorporation of all ingredients.

Ingredients

For the soufflé

¼ cup butter, softened

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (divided use)

1 cup fresh raspberries

2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur

5 egg whites (remember, room temperature!)

A pinch of cream of tartar

For the raspberry coulis

2 cups raspberry purée (Editor’s note: thaw and purée a bag of frozen, unsweetened raspberries, then strain)

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

For the soufflé

Preheat the oven to 375º. Ensure that your oven racks have plenty of space for your soufflé to rise about 1 to 2 inches.

Prepare 8 soufflé ramekins by rubbing softened butter on the interior (all the way up the sides of the ramekin) and then sprinkling approximately ½ cup granulated sugar into the ramekins so that it coats all sides of the ramekin evenly, discarding the excess sugar.

Using a fork, smash the raspberries until they are all broken down and a chunky purée begins to form. You may strain the seeds out or keep them as a matter of preference. Add the raspberry liqueur to the purée and combine. Set the mixture aside.

Build the meringue by whipping the egg whites in a mixer until foamy. [Editor’s note: make sure that your mixing bowl and beater are scrupulously clean, as any little bit of oil will keep the whites from whipping into a foam.] Slowly add ¾ cup sugar and continue to whip just past soft peak. “Soft peak” means that when you turn the whisk or beaters upside down, the peak is just starting to hold. It folds back into itself after a second or so.

Fold raspberry mixture and egg whites together carefully to retain as much volume as possible. [Editor’s note: I find it helpful to stir in about 1/3 of the egg whites into the raspberry mixture before adding in the rest of the egg whites. This allows for easier incorporation while allowing for maximum volume.]

Load batter into ramekins until they are almost completely full. Place the filled ramekins on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes.

For the raspberry coulis

While the soufflés are baking, combine the ingredients for the coulis and simmer in a small saucepan until the granulated sugar is completely melted, and the mixture is smooth (about 10 mins).

Remove the soufflés from the oven, drizzle with the raspberry coulis, and serve immediately. Makes 8 soufflés.

- lllustrations by Trish Wise

The elementary years are a crucial time in a child’s development, and mentoring programs can provide support and encouragement as well as academic tutoring. Students in Fort Worth ISD have access to several mentoring and tutoring programs, such as Kids Hope USA.

Kids Hope USA began in 1995 with the somewhat daunting idea to transform lives, one child at a time. Founder Dr. Virgil Gulker reached out to sociologists, educators, health care professionals, law enforcement, and child development specialists, who agreed that there was a need to fill the relational void in children’s lives. Thus, the idea of “one child, one hour, one church, one school” was born.

Kids First USA’s mentoring begins with local churches committing to a relationship with an elementary school in need of mentors. The churches provide caring adults who agree to meet with a child for one hour a week.

In Fort Worth, several churches participate in Kids Hope USA. First United Methodist Church joined the program in 2005 and has maintained a close relationship with T.A. Sims Elementary School for the past 18