Sharing & Caring ~ Spotlight on Curtis Stone

It’s been a super busy month for Curtis Stone. Besides a quick trip he took back to Australia for Mother’s Day, the chef has travelled to some great cities in the USA including New York, San Francisco, and this last weekend was in Las Vegas to host the Miss USA pageant. He has also appeared on The Biggest Loser Ranch where he taught contestants how to cook more healthfully, and was also lucky enough to be chosen by Donald Trump as a contestant himself on The Celebrity Apprentice.

Celebrity Apprentice

Curtis Stone’s mission on the show was to raise money for people who don’t have enough to eat with his charity, Feeding  America. While not chosen as one of the final two in the competition, Curtis appears tonight on the Season Finale of  The Celebrity Apprentice, helping Holly Robinson-Pete with her final challenge in developing a new flavor of Snapple for Autism Awareness.

The Biggest Loser

Curtis appeared on the Biggest Loser last week to help finalist Daris revamp the menu at his favorite Ribs Restaurant in Ardmore, Oklahoma, creating new healthy but flavorful options t the regular fried fare and fattening side dishes.

Expect to see more of Curtis on the Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda, on future seasons of The Biggest Loser, and keep up with his travels by following him on Facebook and Twitter @curtis_stone.

EXCLUSIVES CURTIS STONE RECIPES

Mediterranean Style Burger with Caper Yogurt Sauce and Portobello
Serves 4
8 portobello mushrooms, stemmed and cleaned
1 tablespoons olive oil
20 ounces 1% extra lean ground turkey
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1/2 red onion, medium dice
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
1 large tomato, medium dice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup 4 ounces fat free yogurt
1 teaspoon extra fine capers, drained
4 cornichons, chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped rough

Preheat a grill or grill pan on medium high heat. Rub the portobellos lightly with the olive oil and season with black pepper. Place on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until tender and cooked through. Remove the mushrooms from the grill to a plate lined with paper towels to catch any excess moisture.

In a large mixing bowl combine the turkey, thyme, and garlic and mix well to combine. Portion the turkey into four 5 ounce patties about 3/4 inch thick. Grill the turkey patties for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165F in the center of the patties. Remove burgers from the grill and let rest for 4 minutes.

Mix the red onion, bell pepper, and tomato in a medium mixing bowl. Add the red wine vinegar and mix well, season with black pepper. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, capers, cornichons, and parsley and mix well.

To serve, place a Portobello mushroom with the stem side up on a serving plate. Place a burger on top of the mushroom and top with the vegetable mixture followed by a spoonful of the yogurt sauce. Top with another Portobello, stem side down. Repeat with the remaining four burgers, and serve immediately.

Nutrient Analysis – per serving: Calories 280, Total Fat 6g, Sat Fat 1g, Chol 60mg, Sodium 330mg, Total Carb 18g, Fiber 4g, Sugars 9g, Protein 39g

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Lime and Cilantro
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, chopped rough
1 clove garlic, chopped rough
1 red jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups cooked black beans
2 cups fat free low sodium chicken stock
Lime juice, to taste
1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek-style yogurt
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Add the oil and sweat the shallot for 1 minute. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and cumin and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the beans, chicken stock, and cream and bring to the simmer. Let simmer for 5 minutes and transfer soup to a blender.

Working in batches, puree the soup until smooth and return to a medium saucepot on medium heat. Season the soup to taste with salt, pepper, and lime juice.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls, drizzle some yogurt over the soup and garnish with the chopped cilantro.

Nutrition Facts: Calories  160, Total Fat g  4, Sat Fat g  0.5, Cholesterol mg  0, Sodium mg  230, Total Carb g  23, Dietary Fiber g  8, Sugar g  1, Protein g  10

Green Bean and Grilled Onion Salad with Feta
4 servings
12 ounces fresh thin green beans (haricot verts), ends trimmed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, cut into 1/4 inch round slices
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces low fat feta cheese
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar

Preheat a barbecue grill for medium high heat. Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they are crisp-tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the green beans to a large bowl of ice water and let cool completely. Drain well and transfer the green beans to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and pat dry to remove any excess moisture. Brush the red onion slices with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the onions on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until lightly charred and slightly tender. Remove the onions from the grill and cut into bite size pieces, medium dice.

Whisk the oil, shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the green beans andbeans and onion and toss to coat. Tear the cheese into large pieces and scatter them over the green beans. Mound the mixture on a platter. Drizzle with the vinegar and serve.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 90, Total Fat g 4.5, Sat Fat g 2, Cholesterol mg 10, Sodium mg 430, Total Carb g 9, Dietary Fiber g 3, Sugar g 4, Protein g 6

Smoked Trout Dip
Serves 8
1 pound smoked trout, skin and pin bones removed
3/4 cup plain non fat Greek-style yogurt
1 tablespoon capers
5 cornichons, small diced
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
1 tablespoon dill, chopped fine
Lemon juice to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, flake trout into large chunks. Add yogurt and mix well. Mix in capers, cornichons, parsley and dill and mix well. Add lemon juice to taste and season with black pepper, if necessary add salt but be careful since trout is quite salty on its own. If mixture is too dry add a bit more yogurt and adjust seasoning if necessary.

To serve, place dip in a serving bowl and serve with fresh vegetables to dip.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 120, Total Fat g 4, Sat Fat g 1, Cholesterol mg 45, Sodium mg 75, Total Carb g 2, Dietary Fiber g 0, Sugar g 1, Protein g 18

~ by thetotaleffect on May 23, 2010.