The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (127 page)

2.
Melt butter in a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Remove skillet from heat; set aside. Whisk together egg yolks, flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl until pale and thick; set aside.

3.
Put egg whites and a pinch of salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into yolk mixture. Using a large rubber spatula, spread mixture evenly into reserved skillet. Bake until omelet is almost set but still soft, about 6 minutes.

4.
Sprinkle goat cheese and mint over half the omelet. Top with asparagus and a layer of ham. Fold plain half over filled half. Bake until cheese has melted and omelet is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Cut into 4 wedges, and serve.

healthy pepper hash

SERVES 6

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 red onion, cut into ½-inch dice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

1 medium Idaho potato (about 9 ounces)

3 assorted bell peppers, seeds removed, cut into ½-inch dice

6 ounces button mushrooms, stems trimmed, cut into ½-inch pieces

8 ounces ground turkey

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup dry sherry

2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock, skimmed of fat

1 teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

6 large eggs (optional), poached or fried in a nonstick skillet with cooking spray

1.
Heat the butter in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrot. Peel the potato, and then cut into ½-inch dice. Add to the pan. Cook until the vegetables soften and begin to brown, 6 to 7 minutes.

2.
Reduce heat to medium; add the bell peppers and mushrooms, and cook until the vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

3.
Add the turkey; sauté until cooked through. Sprinkle with the flour; stir to combine.

4.
Add the sherry; scrape any browned bits from the pan. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the stock, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and paprika; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook until the liquid thickens and reduces by half. Stir in the parsley. Serve hot, topped with egg, if using.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 243 CALORIES, 11 G FAT, 249 MG CHOLESTEROL, 18 G CARBOHYDRATE, 309 MG SODIUM, 16 G PROTEIN, 3 G FIBER

slab bacon and cheddar cheese broiled grits

SERVES 4

¼ pound slab bacon, diced

2 cups whole milk

1 cup stone-ground grits

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1¾ cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

1.
Scatter bacon in a dry skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until barely crisp, about 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat.

2.
Combine milk and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Cover, and cook over medium-high until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add grits and ¾ teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly until grits thicken, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, until thick, about 20 minutes. Cook, stirring constantly, until creamy and soft, about 15 minutes more. Remove from heat.

3.
Heat the broiler. Stir in ½ teaspoon pepper, reserved bacon and bacon fat (if desired), and 1¼ cups cheese, and stir. Transfer to a small baking dish or cast-iron skillet, and scatter with remaining ½ cup cheese. Broil until cheese is brown, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.

drinks

SUMMER DRINKS

limeade

MAKES ABOUT 2 QUARTS; SERVES 6 TO 8

For spiked drinks, pour 1 ounce vodka over ice into each glass before topping with limeade.

1 cup sugar

1½ cups fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges, for garnish (14 to 16 limes total)

1.
Heat the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, 5 to 6 minutes.

2.
Stir together the lime juice and 5 cups water in a large pitcher; stir in the sugar syrup. Refrigerate until cold (or up to 2 days in an airtight container). Garnish each serving with a lime wedge.

orange lemonade

MAKES 7 CUPS

To make a fizzy version of this recipe, use seltzer or sparkling water.

¾ cup sugar

1½ cups water

4 cups fresh orange juice (about 12 oranges)

1½ cups fresh lemon juice (about 9 lemons)

Ice, for serving

2 oranges, washed and thinly sliced

1 lemon, washed and thinly sliced

1.
Make the sugar syrup: Combine the sugar and the water in a small saucepan over medium heat, and stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool completely. (To cool the syrup more quickly, plunge the saucepan in an ice-water bath, and stir frequently until cool.)

2.
Combine the sugar syrup, orange juice, and lemon juice in a large pitcher or punchbowl. Stir to combine. Add the ice and sliced oranges and lemons, and serve immediately.

homemade ginger beer

MAKES 16 CUPS

This ginger beer is very spicy. Adjust the amount of lime juice and sugar to your taste.

2 pounds ginger, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 gallon boiling water

1½ cups fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)

1½ cups superfine sugar

Place the ginger in the bowl of a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large pot or bowl, and add the boiling water. Allow to stand for 1 hour. Drain through a fine sieve lined with a double thickness of damp cheesecloth. Discard the solids. Add the lime juice and sugar, and stir to dissolve.

creamy orange shakes

SERVES 2

1 cup ice cubes

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice (1 to 2 medium oranges total)

¾ cup vanilla ice cream

½ cup orange sherbet

½ cup milk

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Blend all the ingredients in a blender until the ice is crushed and the mixture is smooth. Divide between 2 glasses.

peach tea punch

MAKES 2½ QUARTS

Almost any type of fruit nectar can be substituted for peach with equally delectable results. We especially like the exotic flavor of mango.

3 tea bags

6 cups boiling water

4 cups peach nectar

1 bunch mint, trimmed and rinsed well

2 lemons, washed and thinly sliced

Ice cubes, for serving

1.
Brew the tea bags in the boiling water to make a strong tea. Discard the tea bags, and place the tea in refrigerator until chilled.

2.
Combine the tea with the peach nectar in a large serving bowl or pitcher. Add the mint and lemon slices; let stand about 1 hour in the refrigerator to infuse the flavors. Add ice cubes, and serve.

hibiscus and ginger iced tea

SERVES 8

If any drink was made for leisurely back-porch sipping, it’s iced tea. Our version is brewed from zesty hibiscus tea, which is made from copperyred hibiscus leaves and is naturally caffeine free. Ginger syrup and lemon juice add layers of flavor.

1 tablespoon thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger

¾ cup sugar

4 hibiscus tea bags

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Lemon wedges, for garnish

1.
Put 4 cups water, ginger, and ¾ cup sugar into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; add tea bags. Cover, and let steep 15 minutes.

2.
Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl set in an ice-water bath. Let cool. Stir in the lemon juice. Serve over crushed ice, and garnish with lemon wedges.

papaya-ginger smoothie

SERVES 4

2½ cups papaya (Solo or Mexican) chunks

1 cup ice cubes

²
/
₃
cup plain nonfat yogurt

1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon honey

Juice of 2 lemons

16 fresh mint leaves, plus 4 sprigs for garnish

1.
Refrigerate the papaya until very cold, at least 1 hour or overnight.

2.
Blend the papaya, ice, yogurt, ginger, honey, and lemon juice in a blender. Add up to ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is smooth and thinned to desired consistency. Blend in the mint leaves. Garnish with mint sprigs.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 102 CALORIES, 0 G FAT, 3 MG CHOLESTEROL, 22 G CARBOHYDRATE, 53 MG SODIUM, 7 G PROTEIN, 2 G FIBER

sparkling fresh lemonade

SERVES 10

1 cup sugar

2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 10 lemons)

3 cups cold sparkling water

4½ cups ice

1.
Bring 1 cup water and the sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely; refrigerate until ready to use.

2.
Put the syrup, lemon juice, and sparkling water in a pitcher. Stir in the ice.

pineapple-mint juice

SERVES 5 OR 6

1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (about 6 cups)

5 cups ice, plus more for the glasses

¼ cup sugar

½ cup loosely packed fresh mint, plus sprigs for garnish (optional)

Puree the pineapple in a blender until smooth. Pour the puree through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard the solids. Return half the juice to the blender; blend with half the ice and sugar. Add half the mint; pulse to combine. Transfer to a pitcher; repeat with the remaining ingredients. Just before serving, stir mixture and pour into ice-filled glasses. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

buttermilk-banana smoothies

SERVES 2

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 ripe bananas, cut into 2-inch-thick rounds

11 dried pitted dates

1 teaspoon honey

Pinch of salt

1 cup ice

Blend all the ingredients in a blender on high speed until the mixture is smooth and the ice is finely ground. Pour into 2 glasses.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 294 CALORIES, 2 G FAT, 5 MG CHOLESTEROL, 70 G CARBOHYDRATE, 277 MG SODIUM, 6 G PROTEIN, 6 G FIBER

honeydew granita spritzer

SERVES 6

Seltzer enlivens this effervescent drink, which consists of sweet honeydew melon puree and mouth-puckering lime juice.

6 cups cubed honeydew melon (about half of a medium melon)

¹
/
₃
cup sugar

¼ cup fresh lime juice

Lime peels, for garnish

1.
Working in batches, puree the melon in a blender. Pour the puree through a fine sieve into an 8-inch square nonreactive dish.

2.
Put sugar and ½ cup water into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Stir into melon puree. Add lime juice; stir to combine. Freeze, covered with plastic wrap, at least 6 hours (or up to 3 days).

3.
Scrape granita with a fork; spoon about 1 cup granita into each of 6 glasses. Pour ½ cup seltzer into each glass; garnish with lime peels.

spiced pomegranate punch

SERVES 6

5 pomegranates

1 cup apple cider

½ cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh ginger

¼ cup fresh orange juice, plus strips of orange zest for garnish

1.
Cut pomegranates in half. Extract juice from seeds with a citrus juicer or reamer. Strain into a medium saucepan (you should have about 2½ cups).

2.
Add cider, 2 cups water, the cinnamon stick, and ginger. Cook over high heat until simmering, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce heat; gently simmer 15 minutes. Skim any foam that rises to the surface.

3.
Discard cinnamon and ginger. Stir in orange juice. Serve warm, garnished with orange zest.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 113 CALORIES, 0 G SATURATED FAT, 0 G UNSATURATED FAT, 0 MG CHOLESTEROL, 28 G CARBOHYDRATE, 8 MG SODIUM, 1 G PROTEIN, 1 G FIBER

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