Recipe Swap: Recipes that make meals just peachy

We are still in peach season, and if you have not been cooking with peaches, now is your chance. I have found recipes for you to use peaches in ways you might not have thought of. Because peaches are so naturally sweet, they make delicious sauces and beverages. The possibilities are endless when it comes to using fresh peaches. Our thoughts often don't take us to entrees; it is usually desserts. So today I challenge you to cook outside the peach dessert box and enjoy these delicious recipes while the harvest is abundant.

Fruit and Ham Chef Salad

1 peach, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

1 (10-ounce) package mixed salad greens

2 cups cubed cooked ham

2 peaches or nectarines, peeled and sliced

2 cups blueberries

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup raspberries

In a blender or food processor, combine 1 sliced peach and orange juice. Cover and blend until smooth. Fold in whipped cream and refrigerate. On serving platter, arrange salad greens. In large rows, arrange ham, peaches, blueberries, celery and raspberries over the greens. Serve with the dressing. Serves 4.

Peach and Shrimp Stir-Fry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/2 pound broccoli, stems diagonally sliced, florets cut into bite-size pieces

1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and sliced

2 fresh peaches, sliced

3 green onions, diagonally sliced

Glossy sauce

To make the sauce, blend together the following:

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup sherry

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger root, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

Stir until well combined.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok or large skillet. Add shrimp and stir-fry until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from wok. Set aside. Add 1 tablespoon oil and stir-fry broccoli until tender-crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add shrimp, water chestnuts, peaches and onions to wok and heat through. Stir in glossy sauce and cook just until thick and glossy.

Peach Parmesan Chicken

4 halves boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon tarragon

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup finely ground bread crumbs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons butter

3 fresh peaches, sliced

4 tablespoons white wine

Place chicken breasts between layers of waxed paper and pound to 1/8-inch thickness. Spread mustard on one side of chicken and top with prosciutto. Roll up chicken breasts and secure with toothpicks. In separate shallow dishes, mix flour with tarragon and bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese. Dip chicken roll-ups in flour mixture, then in egg, then in bread crumb mixture. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in an 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Place roll-ups in pan and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Add peach slices. Melt remaining butter and mix with wine. Sprinkle over chicken. Bake 15 minutes more. Serve with pan juices. Serves 4.

Grilled Pork Chops with Peach BBQ Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated

1 1/2 cups canned tomato sauce

1/2 cup quality peach jam

2 peaches, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1 to 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 pork chops, 6 to 8 ounces each, trimmed of fat

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion. Cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and ginger. Cook about 2 minutes more. Stir in tomato sauce, peach jam and peaches. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar to taste. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Let cool. Pour half the barbecue sauce into a shallow baking dish. Add pork chops, turning to coat both sides. Reserve remaining sauce. Grill pork chops on a medium-hot grill or grill pan until chops are well marked and cooked through, at least 5 minutes per side. Baste chops with barbecue sauce. Rotate during cooking from the hottest part of the heat to the perimeter to keep chops from burning. Remove from grill. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with the remaining reserved barbecue sauce that has not been in contact with raw meat.

Peach Tortellini Salad

1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini

3 cups sliced fresh peaches

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into match sticks

1/4 cup basil peach vinaigrette (see below)

4 cups mixed fresh salad greens

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Rinse until cool. Drain well. In a medium bowl, combine tortellini, peaches and red pepper. Chill until ready to serve. Drizzle vinaigrette over mixture. Toss gently. Place salad greens on large serving platter or 4 individual salad plates. Arrange peach tortellini mixture over greens. Makes 4 servings.

Basil Peach Vinaigrette

1/4 cup quality peach preserves

1/4 cup cinder vinegar

1 tablespoon seeded, finely minced jalapeno pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped basil

1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in bowl of food processor or blender, process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. Yields 1 1/4 cups.

Peach season will be over in just a couple of weeks, so get them while you can and enjoy them in just about any possible way you can imagine. Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.