This Pineapple Sorbet is a wonderful blend of cooked and raw pineapple, Meyer lemon juice, and honey. Straight out of the ice cream machine it has a wonderfully soft texture and the sweet taste of a field ripened pineapple.

4 cups fresh pineapple, diced
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
6 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice, about 2 lemons
1/2 cup water

If you don’t have Meyer lemons you can use 3 tablespoons Eureka lemon juice and 3 tablespoons orange juice. My suggestion is to buy lots of Meyer lemons when in season, juice them, and freeze the juice in 1/4 or 1/2 cup portions.

In a blender puree 2 cups of the diced pineapple with all of the sugar and half of the water. Pour the mixture into a small sauce pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Place the remaining pineapple, water,
the honey, and lemon juice into the blender and puree. Combine all of the ingredients in a 1 1/2 quart container, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Freeze according to your ice cream machine manufactures instructions. While the Pineapple Sorbet is in the ice cream machine place the empty 1 1/2 quart container into your freezer. When the Pineapple Sorbet is ready, serve it immediately, or place it in the frozen container and store in your freezer.

Garnish with diced pineapple or shredded coconut or both!

Sorbets are best served straight from the machine, so time your meal accordingly. Depending on your machine, a thoroughly chilled base takes about twenty minutes to freeze.

Recently Brighter Planet held a cooking contest, Mastering the Art of Sustainable Cooking. Participants were asked to share tips and experiences about reducing their environmental impact in the kitchen. I entered a piece in the Planning Dinners with Creative Use of Leftovers category, because it gave me the opportunity to create a menu of leftovers based on one of my all-time favorite dishes, Roasted Chicken.

The title of my entry was, One Chicken, Two People, Three Meals. I know, really corny, but the point I was trying to get across is you can create multiple meals from a single source.

Here is my entry:

Day One: Roast Breast of Chicken.
Roast a whole chicken and prepare a meal of sliced breast of chicken, roasted garlic and root veggies.

Day Two: Chicken Salad.
Use the chicken thighs in a garden salad.
Preparation for day three: Remove the meat from the legs and the rest of the bird. Use the bones to make a broth.

Day Three: Chicken Risotto.
Use the leftover chicken meat and broth.

Energy Saving Tips for Roasting:

1. Let your oven do double duty by roasting or baking other foods that can be reheated or used in other recipes later in the week.

2. Most modern ovens are very well insulated and will continue to maintain oven temperature long after they are turned off. So, let your food “coast” in the oven for the last few minutes by turning the oven off 10 to 20 minutes before removing your food.

My entry was quick and to the point and earned me a Stonyfield Farms gift basket which was filled with lots of cool stuff from Stonyfield Farms. As one of the five finalists I will also have the chance to win a Kindle DX.

Here are the links to the recipes:

Roasted Chicken
Ginger-Red Curry Dressing
Chicken Salad with Ginger-Red Curry Dressing
Chicken Risotto with Roasted Red Peppers
Chicken Broth

Update: Sunday, January 24th, 2010
On Friday afternoon Brighter Planet announced the winners of the Art of Sustainable Cooking contest. I was selected by the judging panel as one of five contestants to win an Amazon Kindle DX; for my entry in the Menu and Dining category. Be sure to download your free PDF copy of the Brighter Planet Mastering the Art of Sustainable Cooking Guide.

A very big thanks to Carolyn Barnwell and everyone at Brighter Planet, and the contest Judges:
Alice Waters
Chef; author; Founder, Chez Panisse Foundation; Vice President, Slow Food International
Amy Trubek
Chef and local food pioneer, Vermont Fresh Network
Ana Sofia Joanes
Director & Producer, FRESH
Bill McKibben
Author and journalist, co-founder 350.org
Gary Hirshberg
Founder and CEO, Stonyfield Farms
Lisa Gosselin
Editorial Director, Eating Well Magazine
Patti Prairie
CEO, Brighter Planet
Zachary Cohen
Food television writer & producer, Farm to Table

Not only will you have wonderful meal you’ll be rewarded with the exceptional aroma of roasted chicken. With the exception of fresh baked bread, there are few culinary endeavors that can top the aroma of a roasting chicken. Roasted chicken is one of my favorite comfort foods, and it lends it self to a host of leftover possibilities.

1 whole roasting chicken
1 whole lemon, cut into eights
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Bring the chicken to room temperature (this will reduce the cooking time and ensure even cooking). Pre-heat your oven to 400º. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, clean out the cavity and stuff the chicken with lemon. Combine the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a mortar and crush with the pestle, mix in the olive oil. Gently loosen the skin of the chicken by inserting your finger between the skin and the meat. Spoon the seasoning oil one teaspoon at a time between the skin and the meat, working it into the legs and thighs by massaging the outside of the skin. Massage any unused oil over the outer skin. (Don’t forget to wash your hands.) Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the your instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 165º. Cooking times may vary depending on the size of your bird and the true temperature of your oven.

Sweet and spicy, this Ginger-Red Curry Dressing goes with Asian inspired salads and doubles as a dipping sauce.

1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1 teaspoon scallion, white, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped
1 tablespoon red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
5 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Emulsify all of the ingredients with a food processor, blender or stick mixer.

Napa cabbage and mung bean noodles form the base for this spicy-sweet chicken salad.

1 1/2 ounces dried mung bean noodles, soaked
1 cup roasted chicken thigh and leg, pulled
4 cups Napa cabbage, julienne
1 small carrot, julienne
1/4 med red bell pepper, julienne
1 scallion, julienne, green only, use the white fo the dressing
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, whole

Soak the mung bean noodles in hot water for 15 minutes or until soft. Julienne the Napa cabbage and vegetables and set aside. Pull the chicken meat from the bone and shred by hand. Combine the cabbage, noodles and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the Ginger-Red Curry Dressing. This recipe will serve two as a entree or 4 as a starter.