Low-Carb Meals, Spanish Food Revolution, Fat Fallacies

Though the hours remain 8am to 1pm, the Pico/Cloverfield Farmers' Market has moved as of this Saturday. The new location is at the east end of the Santa Monica Airport, at the intersection of Centinela and Airport Drive.

Evan Kleiman will be hosting an all-tomato dinner this coming Thursday, September 11. Call 323-936-9086 for more information and reservations.

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Will Clower is the author of The Fat Fallacy: The French Diet Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss.

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Linda Gassenheimer is the author of More Low-Carb Meals in Minutes, published by Bay Books.

Creole Chicken with Quick Brown Rice and Watermelon Cubes
Makes 2 servings.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup diced green pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cups no sugar added chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3/4 pound roasted boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Hot pepper sauce

Heat olive oil in a medium-size non-stick skillet on medium-high heat and add onion, green pepper and garlic. Saute 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and chicken to pan. Simmer 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover dish. When rice is ready, divide it on 2 plates, spoon chicken and sauce over rice and pass the hot pepper sauce.

Quick Brown Rice
Makes 2 servings.

• 1 cup 10-minute quick-cooking brown rice
• 1 cup water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat and add rice. Boil 5 minutes. Cover with a lid and let stand 5 minutes, or follow package instructions. Fluff with a fork and add salt and pepper to taste.

Greek Shrimp with Feta Cheese
Makes 2 servings.

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 3/4 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a medium-sized non-stick skillet on medium-high heat and add the onion and garlic and tomato. Saute 3 minutes. Add shrimp and sprinkle cheese and oregano on top. Saute 3 minutes, turning shrimp to make sure they are cooked on both sides. Remove from heat, cover with a lid, and let sit 2 minutes, or until cheese melts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide on two plates.

Romaine and Fresh Cabbage Salad
Makes 2 servings.

• 2 cups shredded, washed, ready-to-eat cabbage
• 2 cups shredded, washed, ready-to-eat romaine lettuce
• 2 scallions, sliced (1/3 cup)
• 1 tsp dried dill
• 2 Tablespoons no-sugar-added oil (olive or canola) and vinegar dressing

Combine cabbage, lettuce, scallions and dill in a bowl. Add dressing and toss well. Serve on chilled plates.

Savory Sage Chicken with Italian Zucchini and Tomatoes
Makes 2 servings. Savory Sage Chicken

• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 2 tsp dried ground sage
• 2 six-ounce roasted, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry Vermouth
• 1/4 cup water

Mix together flour, sage, salt and pepper to taste. Roll chicken mixture, pressing flour into chicken on both sides. Heat a medium-size non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and cook 1 minute per side. Remove to a plate and raise heat to high. Add Vermouth and water and reduce for 2 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken.

Italian Zucchini and Tomatoes
Makes 2 servings.

• 1/4 pound zucchini, sliced (2 cups)
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges about the same size as zucchini
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 Tablespoons shredded part skim milk Mozzerella cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place zucchini and tomatoes in microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Add oregano, cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well.

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These summer recipes and menu are from The Minimalist Entertains, published by Broadway Books.

Mark Bittman suggests serving beer or an ice-cold rose wine with this barbecue menu. He suggests grilling and eating shrimp, then grilling and eating steak and corn. If salad is a must, add a tossed green salad with vinaigrette.

Soy-Dipped Shrimp
Makes 8 servings.

• 2 Tablespoons medium-hot paprika
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or to taste

Start a grill fire. Mix paprika, peanut oil, salt and pepper and drizzle over shrimp. When fire is moderately hot, grill shrimp, turning once, until done, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix soy sauce, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and cayenne; adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve shrimp hot with sauce.

Grilled Skirt Steak With Thai-Style Sauce
Makes 8 servings.

• 1 garlic clove
• 1 small hot chile, stemmed and seeded, or more to taste
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice, or more to taste
• 1/3 cup nam pla (Thai fish sauce, which is available at many markets in Houston and at Asian groceries)
• 3 pounds skirt steak, in 2 pieces
• Salt, if necessary
• 1/2 cup minced fresh mint leaves

Start a charcoal or gas grill; if using charcoal, the coals should be quite hot and the grill rack no more than 4 inches from the heat source. While grill is heating, combine garlic, chile, sugar, lime juice and nam pla in a blender or food processor and blend until nearly smooth; or mince garlic and chile and combine them with sugar, juice and nam pla. Set sauce aside.

Grill steak until medium-rare, about 3 minutes per side. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning, including salt, if desired. Just before serving, stir in mint. Serve meat with sauce on the side.

Grilled Corn
Makes 8 servings.

• 8 ears fresh corn
• Melted unsalted butter (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Start a charcoal or wood fire, or preheat gas grill. Shuck corn. Grill corn, turning occasionally. When some kernels char a bit and others are lightly browned -- 5 to 15 minutes, depending on heat of grill -- corn is done. Brush with melted butter if you like, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pineapple-Ginger Sorbet

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon very finely minced fresh or candied ginger, or 1 teaspoon dried ginger
• 4 cups pineapple puree

Whisk sugar and ginger into puree and freeze in an ice cream machine, according to directions. Serve immediately.

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Russ Parsons is a food writer for the Los Angeles Times Food Section. He spoke about El Bulli Restaurant in Spain and the new cookbook by Ferran Adria.