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Topical Currents

Sandra Gurtierrez author of Empanadas: The Hand Held Pies of Latin America

05/26/16 - Syndicated food columnist Linda Gassenheimer, Special wine correspondent Fred Tasker and WLRN hosts Joseph Cooper and Bonnie Berman interview Sandra Gurtierrez author of Empanadas: The Hand Held Pies of Latin America.She talks about why empanadas are so popular all over the States and explain the different types and their cultural significance.  

~~Dinner in Minutes~~

Layered Shrimp Pasta Salad – quick, cool and great for Memorial weekend.

  This is a no-cook, 15-minute, supper perfect for a holiday weekend or anytime. Plump shrimp layered with vegetables and dressed with a light vinaigrette dressing makes a cool, colorful salad.

To make this meal fast with a homemade touch, I doctor up a low-fat bottled vinaigrette with added chopped onion and tarragon. You can find fresh, chopped or diced onion in the produce section of the market.

For a quick side dish, sprinkle slices of whole grain baguette with grated Parmesan cheese to make crisp crostini.

Fred Tasker’s wine suggestion: This light, crisp dish would go well with a light, crisp pinot grigio.

RECIPES

LAYERED SHRIMP SALAD

3 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing

1 tablespoon diced or chopped onion

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

3/4 pound cooked, medium-size peeled shrimp

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 bag washed, ready-to-eat mixed baby greens (about 2 1/2 cups)

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced

2 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen

1 medium tomato, sliced

Mix reduced-fat dressing, onion and tarragon and set aside.

Place shrimp in a small bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon dressing.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Arrange salad greens in the bottom of a salad bowl. Place a layer of cucumbers on top.  If using fresh corn on the cob, cut the kernels off and sprinkle corn over cucumber slices or add defrosted corn.  Drizzle 1 tablespoon dressing over these vegetables. Place a layer of shrimp on top and drizzle remaining dressing over the salad.   Arrange the sliced tomatoes around the edge of the bowl.  Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper, to taste.  Makes 2 servings.

PARMESAN CROSTINI

Olive oil spray

1/2 whole grain French baguette, sliced on the diagonal into 6 rounds

2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat broiler or toaster oven.  Spray olive oil over bread rounds.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.  Place in broiler about six inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese starts to melt.  Makes 2 servings.

 

NUTRITION INFORMATION

LAYERED SHRIMP SALAD:Per serving: 358 calories (17 percent from fat), 6.8 g fat (1.2 g saturated, 1.6 g monounsaturated), 260 mg cholesterol, 41.3 g protein, 37.1 g carbohydrates, 5.7 g fiber, 291 mg sodium. PARMESAN CROSTINI: Per serving: 214 calories (30 percent from fat), 7.2 g fat (1.8 g saturated, 4.0 g monounsaturated), 4 mg cholesterol, 6.9 g protein, 30.3 g carbohydrates, 2.0 g fiber, 352 mg sodium.

SHOPPING LIST

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s Dinner in Minutes.

To buy: 1 small container diced/chopped onion, 1 bottle dried tarragon, 3/4 pound cooked, medium-size peeled shrimp, 1 bag washed, ready-to-eat mixed baby greens, 1 cucumber, 1 package frozen corn kernels or 2 ears fresh corn, 1 medium tomato, 1 whole grain French baguette and 1 piece Parmesan cheese or grated Parmesan cheese.

Staples: Reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing, olive oil spray, salt and black peppercorns.

 

Helpful Hints

  • Any type of bread can be used for the crostini.
  • Buy good quality Parmesan cheese and grate it or chop it in the food processor. Freeze extra for quick use.  You can quickly spoon out what you need and leave the rest frozen.
  • Any type of salad greens can be used.
  • Using a glass bowl makes salad a visual treat.
  • Place frozen corn kernels in a colander and run hot water over them to defrost them quickly.

Countdown:

  • Make dressing.
  • Make salad.
  • Make crostini.

 

Copyright © Linda Gassenheimer

Linda Gassenheimer is the author of 20 books including her newest, The Flavors of the Florida Keys and Fast and Flavorful: Great Diabetes Meals from Market to Table.  Follow Linda on Twitter: @LGassenheimer, Facebook: Linda Gassenheimer

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WLRN Radio's Joseph Cooper says producing and hosting Topical Currents is the most rewarding experience of his long radio career, which began at the University of Missouri School of Journalism in the 1970s.
Richard Ives came to WLRN in September 2000 to begin a new career in radio. Born in Fort Lauderdale, his family moved to Long Island, New York, where he grew up. After graduation from college and an unsatisfying stint in a job that, as he puts it, "paid the bills but for which I had no passion" he found himself contemplating a midlife career change after being laid-off.