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Ambrosia
For Dessert Heavenly
By R A
Chan
After weeks of holiday desserts, a simple
dish of oranges suddenly seems like heaven -- or at least
the food of heaven. Ambrosia is an old-fashioned fruit dessert
or salad. The name
is from Greek and Roman mythology and means "food of
the gods." But this dish with the
celestial name is really a down-to-earth dessert starring
oranges and a little coconut.
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| In southern USA, the dish is often put
on holiday tables as a refreshing alternative to heavier fare.
In the post- holiday season, ambrosia can be a light dessert
or a side dish for a hearty winter meal. ‘Southerners’
always add it to Thanksgiving and Christmas menus to allow them
to have the illusion that they were not in too much trouble
with their diets, because after all, 'they only had ambrosia
for dessert! The key to successful ambrosia is good oranges.
The better the oranges, the better the ambrosia. Sweet, seedless
navel oranges are the best choice. When choosing oranges, pick
fruit that is firm and heavy with no mold or spongy areas. They
don't have to be bright orange -- that could be from food coloring.
Oranges can be stored at a cool room temperature for a day or
two, but afterward they should be refrigerated, for up to two
weeks. Navel oranges are big and have tight skins, so peeling
them can take some elbow grease. After peeling the oranges,
try to remove as much of the white pith as you can with a paring
knife. |
Oranges are an excellent
source of vitamin C and contain some vitamin A.
The vitamin C begins to dissipate after the oranges
are cut or squeezed. After only 8 hours at room
temperature or 24 hours in the refrigerator, 20
percent of the vitamin C is lost.
Using fresh oranges in ambrosia is a good step toward
the higher recommended levels of vitamin C. The
new Recommended Dietary Allowance of vitamin C is
75 milligrams for women and 90 milligrams for men.
Reaching or exceeding these levels are no problem
if you include one or two servings of fruits high
in vitamin C: oranges, grapefruit, cantaloupe, kiwi
or strawberries.
Any of these fruits can be added to the traditional
basic ambrosia recipe for a touch of color as well
as taste, not to mention healthful benefits. Then,
a little orange juice is all the dressing necessary
to complement the natural sweetness of the fruit.
You'll have a dish fit for the gods. |
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Recipe
6 navel oranges
1 can (15 oz.) chunk-style pineapple (packed in
juice), drained
1 large banana, thinly sliced
2/3 cup very finely slivered dried nectarines
1/3 cup packaged unsweetened coconut
Peel 5 oranges, removing
all the white pith. Slice peeled oranges into
thin rounds, then into quarters. Place in medium
bowl. Squeeze juice from remaining orange into
bowl. Add pineapple, banana and nectarine. Toss
gently to evenly distribute orange juice. Refrigerate
until ready to serve. Distribute fruit among 8
dishes. Sprinkle coconut on top. Makes 8 servings.
Per serving: 148 calories, 2 grams total fat (2
grams saturated fat), 33 grams carbohydrate, 2
grams protein, 5 grams dietary fiber, 8 milligrams
sodium.
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Tea
can work magic in kitchen
Much as you enjoy your cup of tea, remember that
you don't need to limit your tea tasting to a
refreshing drink. Consider the possibilities of
having your tea and eating it as espoused in a
new book, "Eat Tea" (Lyons Press, $19.95).
• Peach and Ginger-Glazed Chicken Legs
Making a meal of it, as the book suggests, could
feature green tea dumplings as a first course,
followed by poached scallops with red peppers
and vanilla tea vinaigrette, rounded off with
a dessert of Earl Grey chocolate mousse.
"Once you start experimenting with tea, it's
like discovering a whole new world of cooking
ingredients," writes Joanna Pruess, co-author
of the book, along with John Harney. "Tea
is magical."
Your definition of seasonings will never be the
same, she says. "Every category of food from
snacks to desserts benefits from tea."
The book sets the scene with the basics on tea,
both for drinking and cooking. Then follow about
50 recipes for appetizers through desserts and
beverages, with stylish color photographs by Tom
Eckerle.
Pruess is a widely published food writer, consultant
and cookbook author; Harney is a master tea blender
and distributor.
The following versatile recipe includes an Asian-inspired
glaze to brush over chicken legs and thighs (or
breasts if you prefer them), which turns the chicken
into a juicy main course with a minimum of fuss.
The headnotes point out that you can skin the
legs before cooking if you prefer. "Make
a large quantity of the glaze and store it in
the refrigerator to brush over salmon or shrimp
as well as chicken."
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