Vote for the winner in the Side dish section of our cookbook

Hi All,

Please cast a vote for one of the following 5 recipes.

The winner will receive a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, and be featured in our upcoming cookbook.

Winners will be announced one week from today, Saturday, October 11, 2003


The Recipes:

Homemade Protein Bars
posted by Safecracker

16 ounces Natural peanut butter
8 tablespoons honey
6 scoops of Optimum Chocolate whey protein powder
1 cup of uncooked oatmeal

Mix the peanut butter and honey in a bowl, microwave on full for 80 secs. Add the rest and mix together. You can add raisins/nuts etc to taste. Smooth into 13x9 tray and leave for 20 mins. Cut into 10 to 12 equal bars and wrap and store in fridge.

Now here is the breakdown on a batch of the goodies:

Protein: 254 grams
Carbohydrates: 282 grams
Fats: 236 grams

This batch gives you a whopping 4268 calories. Thats right, over 4000 Calories and 250+ grams of protein. on a low carb diet substitue honey for sugar free syrup.

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GRATIN OF PEARS IN MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE
By BumbleBeeBoogie

4 slightly ripe Bosc pears, unpeeled
1 tablespoon butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat the oven at 325 degrees F.

Quarter the pears lengthwise, core and cut the quarters crosswise into 1/4 to 1/3-inch thick slices.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pears, season with a little salt and pepper, and toss to coat with the butter. Cook for 5 minutes to soften slightly and coat the pears.

In a bowl, whisk together the mustard and cream. Add the thyme and mace and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange half of the pears in a 1-1/2 quart buttered baking dish. Pour over half of the cream mixture. Repeat, using the remaining pears and cream. Scatter the bread crumbs and chopped nuts evenly over the top; dot with bits of butter.

Bake for 1 hour or until the cream is bubbly and reduced and the crumbs are golden. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 to 10 minutes, and serve.

Serves 6 to 8.

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POLENTA WITH LEAKS AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES
By BumbleBeeBoogie

1 cup polenta *
1 49-ounce canned chicken broth (low salt, if possible) or use home-made broth
2 leaks, finely chopped, white parts only
3 oz. sun-dried tomatoes (without oil), finely chopped
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
2 cups grated smoked gouda cheese *

In a large pot, saute the leeks and sun-dried tomatoes in the olive oil until leaks are transparent and tender. Add the chicken broth and heat to a rapid boil. Slowly add the polenta, stirring rapidly to avoid lumps. Continue stirring on high heat until polenta starts to thicken. Use a long-handled wooden spoon to protect your hands from spatter burns. Reduce heat to low, cover, stirring every 5 minutes, or as needed, for 45 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Add the grated cheese, stirring for 2 or 3 minutes until the cheese is thoroughly melted and combined with the polenta mixture.

You may serve the polenta soft and hot. Or you may pour into a baking dish. The size depends on how thick you want the polenta. Refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours. When cool and completely set, cut the polenta into serving pieces.

* If you are planning to grill polenta squares, increase the amount of polenta to 2 cups and reduce the amount of grated smoky gouda cheese to 1 cup.

Polenta reheats easily in a microwave oven. Easily serves 8 persons as a side dish. Also good to take to picnics or pot-lucks.

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BROCCOLI SOUFFLE
An original recipe by BumbleBeeBoogie

1 bag frozen chopped broccoli
1 tablespoon softened butter
3 tablespoon plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup bottled roasted red bell peppers, drained and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
7 large egg whites (or the equivalent in reconstituted egg white powder)

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F.

Thaw the chopped broccoli, thoroughly drain.

Coat the inside of a 2-quart souffle dish with the butter; dush with the bread crumbs.

In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, diced red pepper.

Put the egg white into the bowl of an electric mixer with a pinch of salt and beat until stiff but not dry. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the broccoli mixture. Then fold in the remaining egg whites in three stages. Don't overmix. Spoon into the souffle dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the souffle has risen and is nicely browned. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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GARDEN RATATOUILLE WITH MINT SAUCE
An original recipe by Bumble Bee Boogie

Mint sauce:
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, minced

In a saucepan, combine the vinegar and sugar; heat until it boils and the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot syrup over the mint and let it stand for a least 1 hour. Use 1/3 cup of sauce for the ratatouille recipe.

3 cups hot cooked rice
1 small green sweet pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon vegetable cooking oil
1/2 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large yellow summer squash or zucchini (or a combination of both), sliced
1 large tomato, peeled and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional), grated

Prepare the rice according to package directions. Cover and keep warm.

In a 4-quart pot, cook the sweet pepper, onion, and garlic in the hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the squash, tomato, basil, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Mint Sauce.

To serve, top the rice with the ratatouille mixture. Offer optional Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over each serving.