MAKE IT CUTE

Best Teen Chef winner Amanda Nuñez is seriously cool. Not only can she whip up a mean meal in no time at all, but she gave us some of her own recipes to pass along to all the GL gals! Sweet, right? The theme? A delicious summer dinner with dessert! We don’t know about you, but we’re hungry already…

Crisp Green Salad
Serves: 4

2 heads of romaine lettuce chopped
2 ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh off the cob corn
1 avocado diced
1 tbsp red onion finely diced
Salt and pepper to taste

•Mix together in a large bowl and top with your favorite dressing (or, make your own—see below!).

Citrus Vinaigrette

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

•Whisk or blend together until emulsified (super thoroughly mixed!).
•Drizzle over salad.

Light Summer Pasta
Serves: 4-6

1 lb penne pasta
1 bunch asparagus in 2 inch pieces
2 cooked chicken breasts cubed*
1 pint half and half
3 tbsp pesto sauce
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

•Cook the pasta in salted boiling water and add the asparagus 3 minutes before the pasta is done cooking.
•In a saucepot over medium high heat, mix together the half and half, pesto and lemon juice adding salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5-7 minutes,
•Mix with pasta, chicken and asparagus.
*You can bake boneless skinless chicken breasts yourself, or you can buy pre-cooked, already cubed chicken.

Strawberry Crème Brûlée
Serve: 6

6 egg yolks,
3/4 liter of heavy cream
3 oz sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch salt
6 oz strawberries, pureed
sugar for the top

•Preheat oven to 400 F
•Heat the heavy cream over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear.
•Whisk together the egg and sugar until combined well.
•Add the cream in small amounts so the eggs don't curdle, whisking after each addition.
•Add the strawberry puree, vanilla and salt.
•Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and pour into individual ramekins (an individual baking dish). Bake for about 30 minutes or until there is just a little wiggle in the crème brûlée.
•Allow to cool on the stove for 15-20 minutes and then put in the refrigerator.
•Once they are fully cool, put a thin layer of sugar over each crème brûlée and torch (if your parents don’t have a cooking torch, no prob! Pre-heat the broiler. Then put the ramekins between 1 and 3 inches from the heat source. Keep the oven door open slightly and watch. It should take 30 to 120 seconds to melt the sugar.)

Enjoy!

7/23/2007 11:02:31 AM