The Olive Oil Hunter News #37

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Ancho Chiles: Sweet and Smoky

While hot peppers are related to each other, poblano and ancho chiles are closer than most. Poblanos are large, mild, green chiles that originated in Puebla, Mexico. Anchos are simply poblanos that have been ripened and dried. They’re named for their shape—“ancho” chile literally means wide chile in Spanish. Still relatively mild and fruity, ancho chiles take on a smoky taste that adds another layer of flavor to recipes. You can use them whole, often after reconstituting with a soak in water—once softened, purée them for a great sauce base. Or you can remove the stems and seeds and grind them to a fine powder—add some extra virgin olive oil and you have the start of a great marinade. Use a sprinkle instead of black pepper to season scrambled eggs or sautéed snap peas.

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

How to Create Grill Marks

Here’s a simple trick to getting appealing crosshatches on grilled foods—from burgers to bruschetta to cauliflower “steaks.” Place the food directly on the grill and let it sear until it lifts up on its own, usually in a few minutes—less for bread, more for raw meat. Give the food a quarter turn (think of the hands on a clock moving from 12 to 3). Sear that side again for a few minutes. Then flip the food and repeat the steps for grill marks on the other side.

For Your Best Health

Outdoor Cooking Safety

Cooking and eating outdoors are two of the pleasures of warm months, but be sure to take your safe cooking practices with you when you go outside.

Keep raw food away from cooked food, just as you would in the kitchen. You might set up separate stations on your patio. If you bring burger patties to your grill on a platter, wash the platter in hot, soapy water before you use it to hold the cooked burgers.

Want to use marinade as a sauce? Divide the mixture as soon as you make it—use half to marinate food, and save the other half separately to pass later with the cooked dish. Always marinate foods in the fridge—keep them there until you’re ready to grill. Have disposable wipes handy to clean up spills.

Because bacteria multiply faster at temperatures between 40°F and 140°F, keep hot food hot at or above 140°F, and cold food cold at or below 40°F. It’s not safe to keep cold or hot food out for more than two hours, or more than one hour if the outdoor temperature is above 90°F. If you’re having a party that will go for a long time, bring out and/or cook small, fresh batches of food over the course of your event rather than all out at once. One easy trick is to keep your serving dishes on a bed of ice in a cooler or shady area. Drain off water and add more ice as it melts. Use an instant read thermometer to take the guesswork out of cooking times and help eliminate any bacteria. Hamburgers should register at 160°F and chicken at 165°F. Steak, pork, and other red meats are safe when cooked to 145°F.

Fitness Flash

Everyone Into the Pool!

Hands down, swimming is the one aerobic exercise that doesn’t feel like work. (No, floating around on a noodle doesn’t count.) The water cushions your body, so it’s a gentle workout—great if you have joint issues. Swimming taps every muscle, yet it’s forgiving if you don’t have the form of Michael Phelps. And it can ease stress and give you a mental boost even greater than a runner’s high. If it’s been some time since you swam vigorously, a refresher course on the various strokes will quickly get you “in the swim.” To find out more, check out the website of U.S. Masters Swimming—if you don’t have access to your own or a community pool, use its tool to find a swim club near you to get started.