(NAPSA)}—Americais turning up the heat on cooking. That’s because homecooking enthusiasts are cooking more than ever, using high-heat cooking techniques suchasstir-fry- _ ing, sauting and ovenroasting to create their signature dishes. When preparing to cook at higher temperatures, there are certain items that are essential for creating meals that really sizzle. Food and wine expert Ted Allen recommends kitchen essentials such as a razor-sharp 8” chef’s knife and a sharpener to preserve its edge over time; a large, heavy stainless steel saut pan; soft cutting boards in both wood and plastic; an instantread digital thermometer to ensure that meats are thoroughly cooked; and tongs, preferably with siliconebasedtips. One important thing to remember when working with higher heats is to use a specially formulated no-stick cooking spray, such as PAM Professional”, that resists residue build-up on your cookware. Here are sometips for cooking with some of the most popular high-heat methods: Stir-Frying—Asian-inspired style of cooking where food is tossed and stirred in a large skillet or wok over high-heat. Recipes should be simple and colorful. Chop all ingredients into uniform size. Make sure to spray the pan with PAM Professional before heating the pan and adding ingredients. Never overcrowd the pan; cook in batches, if necessary. And season with a small amountof soy sauce or broth while stir-frying, if additional liquid is needed. Sauting—Cooking quickly at medium-high-heat in an open pan, turning once. Use tender cuts of meat, such as beef, chicken or pork. A great combination: saut food first for color and texture, Dishes cooked at high-heat, such as these seared scallops, have their natural flavors sealed in with exquisite color and texture. then finished in the oven. Oven Roasting—Cooking that usually involves beef, chicken or pork, roasted in the oven in dry heat at high temperatures. Bring food to room temperature before roasting to cook evenly. Roast meats in a rack over a drip pan to ensure good air circulation around meat. Spraying chicken and turkey with PAM Professional before roasting adds color and crisp texture to the skin. Spray a rimmed baking sheet to roast vegetables; spray the vegetables and toss with favorite herbs andspices. For more high-heat cooking tips and recipe ideas, visit the PAM Website at www.pam4you.com. Seared Scallops on Mixed Greens with Citrus Vinaigrette Makes6 servings Vinaigrette: 3 Tbsp. fresh orange juice 1 Thsp.fresh lime juice 1 Thsp. seasonedrice vinegar 1 tsp. minced garlic 1 tsp. grated lemon peel 1 tsp. grated orange peel 2 tsp. Gulden’s Zesty Honey Mustard % cup olive oil % tsp. koshersalt % tsp. ground black pepper Finished Salad: 1% poundsscallops (about 18 scallops), muscle tabs removedand patted dry 1 tsp. koshersalt % tsp. ground black pepper PAM Professional No-Stick Cooking Spray 74 cups mixed greens (about 15 02.) 1 orange, segmented Prepare vinaigrette by whisking orange juice, lime juice, rice vinegar, garlic, lemon peel, orange peel and mustard together in medium bowl. Slowly add half of olive oil drop-by-drop to mustard mixture, while whisking con- stantly. Then add remaining oil in a slow steady stream. Season with % teaspoon of salt and % teaspoon of black pepper; set aside. Season scallops with remaining salt and pepper. Spray 10inch skillet with cooking spray. Heat over high heat until hot. Add half of scallops to pan (to avoid crowding) and sear 2-3 minutes on each side, or until scallops are opaque andfirm to touch; internal temperature should be 145F. Remove from pan, keep warm. Repeat with remaining scallops. Toss salad greens with vinaigrette. Place equal amount of dressed greens on 6 dinner plates. Place 3 scallops on the side of each salad; garnish with orange segments. Serve immediately.
