Panza...whaaa?

At a July 4^th cookout a few years ago, I tried the most unique creation ever to hit my tastebuds...panzanella. Panzanella is Italian for bread salad.  I had heard Giada speak of this on an episode of her Food Network show, but at the time the combination of the words bread and salad sounded less than appetizing.  But, as with all generalizations in the English language, words don`t always refer to what we think they do.  Salads aren`t always a bowl of green leaves and bread doesn`t always refer to a baked loaf.  Panzanella uses bread (traditionally foccacia or French bread) that has been cut into cubed and toasted in a skillet or in the oven.  (Think: croutons) This is then thrown in a bowl with fresh summer vegetables and herbs and tossed in a vinaigrette.  Traditionally, it uses somewhat stale or old bread, but I think that part is pointless and doesn`t effect the texture much because it ends up being toasted any way. It`s the perfect side dish for a summer meal and it kills two birds with one stone in terms of meal components: vegetable and bread.  I listed two recipes today, one being the link to The Barefoot Contessa`s traditional Panzanella recipe that my Mom and I found and doctored up a bit.  We took away the capers and the cucumber, added freshly grated parmesan cheese, and increased the Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar.  The other is an original concoction: Dessert Panzanella with Lemon Curd Whipped Cream, using pound cake instead of bread.  (Might wanna spend a few extra hours in the gym for that one...) In terms of toasting methods, I found that toasting French bread in a skillet worked the best.  However, with the pound cake being so crumbly in the dessert version, I`d suggest using the oven. 

Panzanella: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/panzanella-recipe/index.html

*Nutritional Spotlight: Olive oil!  Most people know that olive oil has a positive effect on the body, but they don`t know why.  I`ve heard everything from “It`s a healthy oil and has fewer calories than butter” to “You can eat as much of it as you want and you won`t gain weight!”....WRONG. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat.  The proven health claim is that this type of fat can lower LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.  This is aka “bad cholesterol”. Butter is a saturated fat...the kind that raises your LDL and total cholesterol (BAD). The confusion sets in with calories.  Olive oil, although it is not a trans-fat or saturated fat, still contains a lot of calories per tablespoon, 120 to be exact.  This is just as many calories as canola oil has.  It`s also as many calories as butter contains (depends on the brand of butter, but usually 100-120 kcals/Tbsp). CALORIES are CALORIES...whether they contain a health benefit or not.  You gain weight from eating too many of them and in terms of weight, your body does not make the discrepancy between good calories and bad calories.  But in terms of the effect of good and bad calories on your health, that`s why I`m writing this blog. :-D

Dessert Panzanella with Lemon Curd Whipped Cream

3 cups cubed pound cake

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 cups fresh strawberries, quartered

1 stick melted butter (Yep, I know...just do it!!)

For the sauce:

½ c lemoncello

½ c creamy poppyseed dressing

1 Tbsp honey

juice from 1 lemon

For the whipped cream:

1 c heavy cream

1/4 c sugar

1 small jar lemon curd (found on the baking aisle)

1 chilled glass bowl 

Heat the oven to 375°

Arrange cubes of pound cake on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Toast in pre-heated oven until the cake pieces resemble croutons: a golden-brown and crispy. Remove and set aside to cool.

*TIP: Freezing the pound cake after it has been cubed and before it is toasted reduces the likelihood that it will crumble on you.

 In the chilled glass bowl, whip the cream and sugar together until the consistency is stiff and makes peaks when you lift the mixer out of the mixture (I`m lazy and use a mixer...you`ll break your arm if you use a whisk). In a separate bowl, empty the entire jar of lemon curd.  Beat the lemon curd until it reaches a creamy stage.  Gently fold the curd into the whipped cream so as not to deflate the cream.  Set in the fridge to chill.  

*NOTE: If you want to bypass having to whip the cream, combine 1 tub of thawed Cool Whip with 1 jar of lemon curd.  

Next, whisk together lemoncello, dressing, honey, and lemon juice until well combined.  Set aside.  In a large bowl combine berries and pound cake croutons.  Pour lemoncello sauce over the mixture and toss to coat.  Chill for 1-2 hours before serving to let the berries and cake marinate.  Lastly, serve with a dollop of the lemon curd whipped cream. 

*Nutritional Spotlight: ....Due to the high fat content of the pound cake and the high sugar content of the lemon curd, eat this in moderation :-)