Four-Star Meal From Food Network Star

(CBS)  Claire Robinson left a career in corporate America behind to follow her true calling.

Turns out it was a good move.

These days, she's the host of not one, but two Food Network Shows, "5 Ingredient Fix" and "Food Network Challenge."

And now, another career milestone: Claire accepted "The Early Show Saturday Edition""s "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge and tried to make a standout three course meal for four on our paltry budget of $40.

Not on that - her chef's hat was automatically entered into our "How Low Can You Go?" competition, in which the "Shoestring" chef with the lowest ingredients cost gets invited back to cook our year-end holiday feast!

"Early Show" Recipes Galore!



MENU
• Mixed Green Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
• Buttermilk Pecan Chicken
• Minted Squash Orzo with Feta
• Mini Strawberry Mascarpone Tarts

FOOD FACTS

Raspberries: Considered by many the most intensely flavored member of the berry family, the raspberry is composed of many connecting drupelets surrounding a central core. There are three main varieties - black, golden and red, the latter being the most widely available. Depending on the region, red raspberries are available pretty much year-round, with the peak season from May through September. Choose brightly colored, plump berries sans hull. If the hulls are still attached, the berries were picked too early and will undoubtedly be tart. Avoid soft, shriveled or moldy berries. Store in a moisture proof container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. (Source: Food Lover's Companion)

Orzo: Tiny, rice shaped pasta, often used in soups. (Source: Food Lover's Companion)

Squash: Squash varies widely in size, shape and color. Generally, they're divided into two categories - summer squash and winter squash. Winter squash have hard, thick skins and seeds. The deep yellow to orange flesh is firmer than that of summer squash and therefore requires longer coking. Winter squash varieties include acorn, buttercup, butternut, hubbard, spaghetti and turban. Winter squash is best from early fall through the winter. (Source: Food Lover's Companion)

Feta: One of the world's oldest cheeses, feta has been made in Greece and other Balkan countries for centuries. Though traditionally made of sheep's or goat's milk, today large commercial producers often use cow's milk. Because it's cured and stored in brine, feta is often referred to as pickled cheese. White, crumbly and rindless, feta is usually pressed into square cakes. It has a rich, tangy flavor, contains from 45 to 60 percent milk fat and can range in texture from semisoft to semihard. (Source: Food Lover's Companion)

RECIPES

Greens with Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (1/2 pint) fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup pomegranate juice, plus more, if needed
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups mixed greens, washed and dried

METHOD:

Put the raspberries, mustard and pomegranate juice into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow steady stream, until a smooth emulsified dressing has formed. Season the dressing with salt and pepper, to taste. (If the dressing is too thick, add another tablespoon of juice.)

Place half of the dressing in the bottom of a large chilled salad bowl and top with mixed greens. Toss when ready to serve and garnish salad with additional raspberries.

Note: Leftover vinaigrette can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

FOR MORE RECIPES, GO TO PAGE 2.

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page »

[thesevenveils]

Why, why would someone think that a chicken breast needs to be tenderized. The bird it came from is not even a year old and hardly has had any time to mature in size, much less in flavor and any real muscle definition. For the cost of that buttermilk she could have bought 1 more chicken breast. What a waste of buttermilk, there are a lot of things that could have been made with that buttermilk.

And if she had bought bone in, skin on breasts and prepped them herself she probably could have bought 1 breast per person.

Bah

[thesevenveils]

2 boneless breasts are going to feed 4 people. Give a working man a half of a chicken breast and stand back for the fireworks. This menu was made for runway models. She should be disqualified because her meal doesn't meet the calorie minimums for a dinner.

[thesevenveils]

1 cup of dried orzo and a single squash? And why so much feta cheese for so little. Maybe the dish should be renamed Feta with orzo sprinkles and squash decoration.

[tinkin3]

This chicken recipe is really yummy, but the pecan/panko mixture does not stay on while it cooking. I generally use egg, which helps keep the breading on whatever I'm cooking. I may have to try it again, but use egg somehow.

[netsmash]

i totally agree. Can you please give an option to only print out the recipes? It would make life a whoile lot easier

[atwestjr]

The recipes for this espisode were on three (3) pages. However, to print them out, I had to use fifteen (15) pages of paper. Can you reset your system so that I only get the receipes and not the news items or the material on the last two ()2 pages.

[slriceherbst]

I agree that having to print the excess information is a waste of paper. I can, however, cut down on the waste by doing a print preview and only print the pages I want. I was able to get it down to 9 pages, which is better, but still too much.

[thesevenveils]

There is a marvelous ability of the majority of computers today. It is called Copy and Paste. This will solve your problem in a jiffy.