(10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare)
By Lisa Messinger
Food and Cooking at Creators Syndicate
Thinking of sewing Dad something for Father's Day? Why not sew him a festive menu instead. By "threading" one ingredient through a plan for everything from appetizers to dessert, you'll not only be making an impressive cohesive spread, but saving money on your grocery bill (especially when choosing on-sale seasonal ingredients like watermelons that were recently selling for as low as 10 cents a pound or always reasonably priced eggs) as well as time when preparing the feast.
That's what's most important on Father's Day, isn't it, not being confined to the kitchen or backyard grill, but being able to participate in activities with Dad. That's the result when, for example, your batch of watermelons shows up in the form of a seafood salad, steak kebabs, marinated green beans and a dessert ice with the kick of cayenne pepper.
Food preparation at any time of year can be easy, nutritious, inexpensive, fun - and fast - as the following split-second sensations prove. They take just
10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare. The dishes are delicious proof that everyone has time for tasty home cooking and, more importantly, the healthy family togetherness that goes along with it! Another benefit: You effortlessly become a better cook, since
there are no right or wrong amounts. These are virtually-can't-go-wrong combinations, so whatever you choose to use can't help but draw "wows" from Dad whether inside your kitchen or outside on your patio.
QUICK MENU 1: WATERMELON
Appetizer
One Wicked Watermelon Salad
Gently combine chunks of watermelon, tangerine, cooked shrimp, cooked scallops, goat cheese, fresh cilantro and low-fat vinaigrette dressing.
Entree
Can-Do Watermelon-Steak Kebabs
Marinate one-fourth the number of steaks as diners for at least one hour in a combination of watermelon juice, fresh lime juice and freshly ground black pepper. Grill steaks until completely cooked. Carefully cut into bite-sized chunks and thread unto skewers with chunks of watermelon, green bell pepper, pineapple and cocktail onions and serve immediately at room temperature.
Side Dish
Go Green with a Touch of Red
Drizzle sliced fresh green beans and slivered almonds with watermelon and grapefruit juice and season with cumin, freshly ground black pepper and salt substitute.
Healthy Dessert
Win at this Watermelon Shell Game
Cut seedless small "personal size" watermelons (as supermarkets often call them) in half, scoop out pulp and reserve shells wrapped in refrigerator. Place in a nonreactive bowl, mash and gently combine the watermelon mush and its juice with a dash of fresh lime juice, dash of fresh orange juice and cayenne pepper. Freeze, stirring occasionally, until icy and slushy, which is a Sicilian granita. Serve in the reserved shells topped with sweetened coconut and finely chopped pistachios.
QUICK MENU 2: EGGS
Appetizer
Dad's Truly Devilish Eggs
When mashing the filling for deviled eggs for adults include a drizzle of spicy ale, cayenne pepper and a dash of cooked refried beans. Serve accompanied by a bowl of beer nuts.
Entree
Real Men's Quiche
Top a store-bought quiche Lorraine with chopped "candied" bacon (bacon that's been coated lightly in maple syrup and caramelized in the pan while frying), finely diced jalapeno peppers (wearing latex gloves while handling and not touching your eyes during or afterward) and chopped pecans. Place in oven until quiche is thoroughly heated, with the last minute or two in broiler to best heat the topping, watching that it doesn't burn.
Side Dish
Tiny Scrambled Brown Rice Balls Good Enough for the Big Boys
Prepare quick-cook brown rice according to package instructions and combine with small amount of non-trans fat margarine, freshly ground black pepper and thinly shredded scrambled eggs that have been seasoned with salt substitute and a dash of curry powder. Use a melon baller or teaspoon to shape into small balls and serve three with each entree.
Healthy Dessert
Power Pudding for Pop
The best chocolate and other puddings, when cooked, are made with multiple fresh egg yolks. To your homemade recipe or store-bought version, add crushed toffee peanuts, dried cranberries, chunks of raspberry-filled dark chocolate and a dash of almond extract.
QUICK TIP OF THE WEEK: Reading the nutrition counts on restaurant menus, when available, can be valuable - and lead to surprises. What, for example, would you think is more caloric, a citrus-filled, leafy green salad or a large baked potato stuffed with a variety of cheeses and grilled chicken? At one major family dining chain, the potato came out to significantly less than the salad, which is loaded with dressing and packed with nuts and avocados. Straight calories, though, of course are never the only decision makers. Nuts and avocados are "good fats" when it comes to avoiding the saturated ones. Perhaps ordering dressing on the side would be a solution or eating half and bringing half home for another meal - and at least you won't have fooled yourself that you ordered a low-calorie salad, when it was surprisingly more than 1,000 calories per serving. Surveys have been showing that, even when nutrition counts are posted, like they've been required to recently in New York, that many diners are ignoring them. Unfortunately, it's a valuable tool to bypass.
Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food and nutrition writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the National Council Against Health Fraud and author of seven food books, including the best-selling The Tofu Book: The New American Cuisine with 150 Recipes (Avery/Penguin Putnam) and Turn Your Supermarket into a Health Food Store: The Brand-Name Guide to Shopping for a Better Diet (Pharos/Scripps Howard). She writes two nationally syndicated food and nutrition columns for Creators Syndicate and had been a longtime newspaper food and health section managing editor, as well as managing editor of Gayot/Gault Millau dining review company. Lisa traveled the globe writing about top chefs for Pulitzer Prize-winning Copley News Service and has written about health and nutrition for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Reader's Digest, Woman's World and Prevention Magazine Health Books. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.
