GO FOR THE ZIP, ZING AND ZEST DURING JULY AND NATIONAL HORSERADISH MONTH

(May 2008) ATLANTA, GA – “July is National Horseradish Month and with that comes the perfect opportunity to introduce some sizzle into your menu,” says The Horseradish Information Council. The Atlanta-based trade association of horseradish processors encourages horseradish consumption from sun-up to sun-down during this summer month.

Horseradish highlights:

• The 3,000-year-old horseradish plant is known as a dynamite companion to meats, such as beef, chicken, seafood and more.
• Horseradish offers a special zing that few condiments can measure up to!
• It’s also good for you - in one tablespoon of prepared horseradish, there are zero calories and zero fat.  Be sure to review the label of your favorite prepared horseradish for other nutrition information.
• Turn to The Horseradish Information Council at www.horseradish.org for the largest collection of horseradish recipes on the Web.

The next time you’re in your favorite store, grab a jar of horseradish and get creative.  You will find that horseradish creates a flavorful kick and can be used in cocktails, dips, marinades, casseroles and more.  Take a look at how hot your days and nights can be with horseradish!

Kick Off your Day with a Little Horseradish.

• Dive into a delicious Bloody Mary including horseradish.
• Slip a spoonful of prepared horseradish into a skillet of scrambled eggs.
• Try a little on your breakfast sausage.

Mid-Day Snacking Ahead...

• Fill celery stalks with a mixture of 1 cup mashed avocado and 2 tsp. prepared horseradish.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Chill.
• Create your own horseradish sour cream dip, as well as horseradish mayonnaise, horseradish butter and horseradish barbecue sauce.  Just add just enough horseradish to suit your personal taste.
• For a gourmet appetizer, blend horseradish with softened cream cheese.  Spread the mixture on thin slices of rare beef tenderloin and wrap around crisp-tender asparagus spears.

Wrap Up the Evening with an Elegant Dinner or Even a Cookout.

• Spark up beef stroganoff with a dollop or two of horseradish.
• Give corned beef brisket a new tasty tingle with a horseradish-orange glaze:  2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish, 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 C. orange marmalade, 1/2 C. mustard.
• Baste ribs on the grill with a zippy combo of 2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish, 2 Tbsp. dry white wine, 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil and 1/2 tsp. hot mustard.
• Make familiar "comfort foods" even more indulgent.  Add horseradish to mashed potatoes, meatloaf, applesauce served with pork roast and sour cream on your baked potato.

The Horseradish Information Council is comprised of eight horseradish processors working together to broaden the appeal and increase year-round usage of commercially processed horseradish and related products.  The Council’s key message to consumers and foodservice users of horseradish is that this unique vegetable root, long admired for its effects on beef and seafood, is very versatile.  Visit us on the Web at www.horseradish.org for hundreds of sizzling recipe ideas and to download the brochure, “Horseradish – The Secret Ingredient.”

Give Your Holiday Entertaining a Quick Kick
With Horseradish – The Secret Ingredient

ATLANTA, November 30 – This holiday season, surprise family and friends with a new twist on tradition.  Reach for a jar of prepared horseradish and try some fresh recipes from the Horseradish Information Council’s (HIC) new brochure, Horseradish – The Secret Ingredient.

With recipes ranging from Asian-Fused Salmon and Soft Chicken Tacos to Potato Salad and four distinctly different sauces – this brochure is the latest in a series of fresh suggestions from the Atlanta-based trade group of horseradish processors. 

“My favorite is the Classic Cocktail Sauce because you can whip it up fast to serve with shrimp,” said Pam Chumley, HIC President.  “Or you can change it up with just a few different spices to get three whole new tastes to serve with tortilla chips, egg rolls or wings.  It’s a great recipe for working moms or others who like to entertain on short notice!”

Look online at www.horseradish.org for the new recipes and hundreds of other unique ideas for using horseradish -- the secret ingredient.

Classic Cocktail Sauce

1 jar (10 ounces) chili sauce
2 – 3 Teaspoons prepared horseradish, to taste
Juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with chilled, cooked shrimp.

Mix-ins – Add to the above recipe for a fresh, new taste.  

Southwest Cocktail Sauce
   Add – 1 teaspoon cumin
              Juice of ½ lime (omit lemon juice)
              1 teaspoon chopped, fresh cilantro

Asian Cocktail Sauce
   Add – 1 teaspoon soy sauce
              ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
              1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

Buffalo Cocktail Sauce
  Add – ½ teaspoon hot sauce
             1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
             Freshly ground black pepper

Horseradish Makes Healthy Eating "A-List"

If you’re trying to lose weight, make sure horseradish, mustard and salsa are on your shopping list, advises recent guidelines on obesity from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). These condiments received high marks throughout the guidelines for their low-fat, high-flavor qualities.

NHLBI developed the guidelines with practical information on healthy eating and tips on shopping, eating and dining out. Consumers can reduce the time spent cooking healthy by using a shopping list and keeping a well-stocked kitchen. Mustard, salsa, low- and no-fat salad dressing top the list for quick low fat food items to fill kitchen cupboards. The Institute recommends horseradish, reduced-fat or fat-free salad dressing, mustard, fat-free or reduced-fat mayonnaise, reduced sodium soy sauce and salsa as convenient, low-fat condiments that can easily be added during preparation or at the table.

The first-ever federal guidelines developed by NHLBI in cooperation with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) are designed to help doctors care for overweight and obese patients – a public health problem that affects 97 million American adults – or 55% of the population.

Horseradish and Mustard May Prevent Harmful Bacteria

Next time you put horseradish on your sandwich, you’re not only spreading on good taste, but you also may be preventing foodborne illness. Horseradish and mustard oil protect against Listeria, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and other food pathogens, according to U.S. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) food technologist Henry Fleming and Oklahoma State University food chemist Brian Shofran. The reason: horseradish and mustard oil contain a pungent chemical called allylisothiocyanate (AITC). Mustard oil has 93% AITC, while horseradish has 60% of the powerful ingredient. This research was published in the Journal of Food Science (Vol. 63, No. 4 1998).