The Art of Cuisine

Icebox Key Lime Pie

Icebox Key Lime Pie Authentic Key lime pie used to be a simple, no-cook dessert—but it contained raw eggs, a no-no in modern times. We wondered if we could develop an eggless refrigerator recipe as bright and custardy as the original. Here’s what we discovered:

In lieu of using egg yolks, we found the right ratio of instant vanilla pudding, gelatin, and cream cheese thickened our pie filling into the perfect, smooth consistency. Don’t be tempted to use bottled lime juice—tasters thought it tasted “artificial.” A full cup of fresh lime juice produced a pie with bracing lime flavor. Lime zest added another layer of flavor, and processing the zest with a little sugar offset its sourness and eliminated the annoying chewy bits.

Icebox Key Lime Pie Serves 8 to 10

Test Kitchen Discoveries

Be sure to use instant pudding that requires no stovetop cooking for this recipe. We use regular supermarket (Persian) limes-tasters thought bottled lime juice lacked depth of flavor. We much prefer our easy homemade crust to store-bought versions.

Crust

8 whole graham crackers , broken into smaller pieces

2 tablespoons sugar 

5 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted   (I use Smart Balance Butter)

Filling

1/4 cup sugar 

1 tablespoon grated lime zest

8 ounces cream cheese , softened    (I use low fat)

1(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk   (I use low fat)

1/3 cup instant vanilla pudding mix 

1 1/4teaspoons unflavored gelatin 

1cup fresh lime juice from 6 to 8 limes

1teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse crackers and sugar in food processor until finely ground. Add melted butter in steady stream while pulsing until crumbs resemble damp sand. Using bottom of dry measuring cup, press crumbs firmly into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate. Bake until fragrant and browned around edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool completely.

2. For the filling: Process sugar and zest in food processor until sugar turns bright green, about 30 seconds. Add cream cheese and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Add condensed milk and pudding mix and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Stir gelatin and 2 tablespoons lime juice in small bowl. Heat in microwave for 15 seconds; stir until dissolved. With machine running, pour gelatin mixture, remaining lime juice, and vanilla through feed tube and mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

3. Pour filling into cooled crust, cover with plastic, and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, let pie sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing.

How-to-CookTip of the Week: Key Limes vs. Persian Limes

Key lime aficionados praise the fruit's distinctive flavor and fragrance compared with those of conventional Persian limes, but we wondered if our tasters could tell the difference. We sampled both varieties plain and in Key lime bars. Tasters were split over which variety made the better bar—until they considered the amount of work involved: for a half-cup of lime juice, we had to squeeze three Persian limes. With Key limes, it took almost 20! But  would presqueezed, shelf-stable bottles of Key lime and regular lime juice do in a pinch and level the playing field? To find out, we went back to the tasting lab.

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It's so easy to overeat in the summer. We fire up the grill at every opportunity and cook numerous steaks, hot dogs, and burgers; we prepare mounds of macaroni salad and potato salad; and we present huge dessert plates of decadent fudgy brownies and ice cream for dessert. Yet it is possible to have low fat cookouts and picnics without giving up flavor. So get ready togrill, or spread your picnic blanket, and enjoy some healthier, low fat summerfoods.

Let’sstart with low fat summer cookouts:

Hot Dogs or Hamburgers?

Preferably neither—unless the hot dog is a lower fat,lower sodium, nitrite-free turkey dog, or the burger is made from lean groundbeef or lean ground turkey. Here's how to make low fat burgers. Or why not tryvegetarian burgers?

Topyour low-fat burgers with reduced-fat cheeses or a small amount ofstrong-flavored cheese. Have plenty of dark, leafy lettuce leaves, tomatoes,onions, avocado, and salsa toppings available. For condiments, have light orfat-free mayo on hand, as well as mustard, ketchup, steak sauce, hot sauce,pickles and relish. Use whole-grain buns.

Choose Lean Meats or Fish

Marinated chicken breast, halibut, scallops or shrimp aredelicious low-fat grilling fare. Salmon is another great option. While fattierthan other fish, it has heart-healthy fats that can easily fit in with ourlow-fat eating plans. Just monitor portion sizes, and eat low-fat side dishesand condiments. If you're eating chicken, cook it with the skin on, but removeit before eating.

Opt for lean cuts of beef. Flank steak, filet mignon, top loin or round are goodchoices. Use marinades to add flavor and also to tenderize the meat. Lean cutsof pork and lamb are fine, too. For lean, read “loin.” Trim all visible fat before cooking.

As important as it is not to undercook your food, be careful not to char your meat either, as two cancer-causing agents, Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) and PolycyclicAromatic Hydrocarbons (PCAs), can form in the presence of fat and extreme heat.This is another good reason to use marinades, as the marinade forms a barrier between the meat and the heat.

Marinades and Rubs

The key to succulent, flavorful meat is the marinade or rub.Use heart-healthy monounsaturated oils in your marinades or for brushing food.Olive oil and canola oil are excellent choices.

Make your own marinades where possible. This helps control the fat and sodium content. It needn’t be complicated—a basic blend of oil, lemon or lime juiceand herbs is all you need as a base. For an Asian accent, use some reduced-sodium soy sauce, grated ginger and garlic. For a Southwestern flavor,use cumin, chiles, and cilantro. Honey with mustard is another simple yet flavorful option. If you’ve got ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and molasses, make your own barbecue sauce, too. Give it some heat with some hotsauce.

One caveat, however: be sure to remove excess marinade from the meat, as too much can cause flare-ups on the grill and burn the meat, which negates the protective benefit of the marinade. Marinades with a high sugar content—yep, that Barbecue sauce, for instance, should be used only in the last 5-10 minutesof cooking.

Kebabs

Not only are kebabs delicious, they are also a great way to eat vegetables and balance your meat consumption. You can eat your steak, but perhaps less of it when it’s competing for space with some delicious chunks of vegetables. Thread pre-soaked wooden skewers with your choice of meat or firm fish, alternating with vegetables such as zucchini, cherry tomatoes, peppers,red onion and mushrooms. Brush with a low fat marinade of your choice and grillaway. Grill vegetables by themselves, either on skewers or in a basket. Brushwith a little balsamic vinegar to enhance the flavor. This months June Newsletter has several healthy Kebabs recipes.

Sign up for my newsletter and you will receive some healthy low fat grilling recipe and over a 100 more healthy fish, chicken, Beef, pork, and many side dish receipes that the whole family will love. You get cooking tips and step by step instructions on How To's in the Kitchen and at the Grill. Sign up Today!

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WEEKLY KITCHEN TIP: Get a Grip

When ever I can't get the top off of a jar, I place a thick rubber band around the lid.(The supermarket bands used on bunches of asparagus and broccoli work well.) The extra traction makes it easy to open anything from a sticky jar of molasses to a stubborn jar of pickled jalapeño. Those rubber dishwashing gloves work nice too, but I find the rubber band is the quickest.

From The Art of Cuisines Test Kitchen

Curious as to how canned enchilada sauces would stack up against our homemade version, we tried three supermarket brands: None could compete with our homemade recipe. Our tasters were even children. Our first prices winner from our adult tasters was canned Enchilada Sauce was La Victoria Mild Enchilada Sauce. Which had enough spiciness but was not over powering and what we liked was it did not have a watery consistency. The Second winner for adults but first for children was Old El Paso Mild Enchilada Sauce. Adults found this to be too mild but were not too watery in consistency. The children liked this sauce because of its mild sweet flavor. Our third place and last place was Las Palmas mild enchilada sauce. This had a too watery of a consistency which made the enchiladas soggy and was overly spicy which over powered most of the flavor of the dish. The children would not even eat these enchiladas with this sauce. All children just pushed the plate away saying too spicy.

Products Tested

First Place for Adults: La Victoria Mild Enchilada Sauce

Second Place for Children: La Victoria Mild Enchilada Sauce

First Place for Children:  Old El Paso Mild Enchilada Sauce

Second Place for Adults: Old El Paso Mild Enchilada Sauce

Third Place for Adults: Las Palmas Mild Enchilada Sauce

Children would not eat: Las Palmas Mild Enchilada Sauce

WEEKLY KITCHEN TIP: Safe Grating

Professional Metal Mesh Glove

When grating cheese or vegetables with a boxgrater, I wear a clean dishwashing glove or a metal mesh glove. It keeps my knuckles from getting scraped if I get too close to the grater, and it helps me keep a grip on the food. When I'm finished, I just wash my hands with the glove still on to removeany residue.

Or just use Dishwashing Gloves

What Is the Difference Between Baking Soda & Baking Powder?

Question: What Is the Difference Between Baking Soda & Baking Powder?

Answer: Both baking soda and baking powder are leavening agents, which means they are added to baked goods before cooking to produce carbon dioxide and cause them to 'rise'. Baking powder contains baking soda, but the two substances are used under different conditions.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. When baking soda is combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient (e.g., yogurt, chocolate, buttermilk, honey),the resulting chemical reaction produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that expand under oven temperatures, causing baked goods to rise. The reaction begins immediately upon mixing the ingredients, so you need to bake recipes which call for baking soda immediately, or else they will fall flat!

Baking Powder

Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate, but it includes the acidifying agent already (cream of tartar), and also a drying agent (usually starch).Baking powder is available as single-acting baking powder and as double-acting baking powder. Single-acting powders are activated by moisture, so you must bake recipes which include this  product immediately after mixing. Double-acting powders react in two phases and can stand for a while before baking. With double-acting powder, some gas is released at room temperature when the powder is added to dough, but the majority of the gas is released after the temperature of the dough increases in the oven.

How Are Recipes Determined?

Some recipes call for baking soda, while others call for baking powder. Which ingredient is used depends on the other ingredients in the recipe. The ultimate goal is to produce a tasty product with a pleasing texture. Baking soda is basic and will yield a bitter taste unless countered by the acidity of another ingredient, such as buttermilk. You'll find baking soda in cookie recipes. Baking powder contains both an acid and a base and has an overall neutral effect in terms of taste. Recipes that call for baking powder often call for other neutral-tasting ingredients, such as milk. Baking powder is a common ingredient in cakes and biscuits.

Weekly Kitchen & CookingTip: Spring Produce Guide

Take-along tips for buying, storing and savoring the season's freshest fruits and veggies. Catch all the best spring produce, like peas, rhubarb, and radicchio. For Produce Guide.

Get great spring Recipes:

Spring Brunch Ideas

Salmon Wrapped Aspargus Salad                                     Video

Blueberry Soup                                                               Video

Shrimp Scampi in a Low Fat Lavender Cream Sauce           Video

More Spring Recipes

WEEKLY KITCHEN TIP: What's the Best Way to Store Basil?

Basil will wilt if kept on the counter for more than a few hours, but the refrigerator can turn basil black and slimy. Is there a secret to keeping basil stored in the refrigerator fresh? We stored basil in unsealed zipper-lock bags(to prevent build up of moisture, which can cause basil to turn black), both wrapped in damp paper towels (our method for most leafy greens), and all by itself. After three days in the refrigerator, both samples were still green and perky. But after one week, only one storage method kept the basil fresh. Use GreenBags will keep herbs and veggies fresh for weeks if not months. Some supermarkets sell these bags too. Places like Raley's, Wal-Mart and Target.

Spring for Brunch Enjoy the first warm days of spring with an alfresco brunch, starting with this crowd-pleasing Potato Pie.

As the weather warms up, ease into spring with simple, laid-back menus that are just right for company. Taste the season with our easy brunch, try out spring crostini and punch ideas and pack up a picnic with your favorite stars.