Chayote Salad

Posted on July 22, 2016 by melsmosaic

As it’s been so hot recently, wanted to make a refreshing salad that pairs with Mexican food. Remembered a great one from a Mexican cookbook I have, Mexico The Beautiful Cookbook: Authentic Recipes from the Regions of Mexico. It’s with chayote squash and pretty simple. The hardest part is peeling the squash.

Ingredients

2 lb (1 kg) chayotes (vegetable pears/chokos)
salt
6 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

Directions

-Place the chayotes, unpeeled, in a large saucepan. Cover with water, add a pinch of salt and cook, covered, for 30-40 minutes or until they can easily be pierced with a fork. Drain and let cool for 5 minutes. Peel the chayotes, cut in half, then cut each half into 3 or 4 strips. Chill.
-Combine the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano. Stir well and correct the seasonings.
-Before serving, mix the chayotes with the dressing, top with the onion and sprinkle with more oregano if desired. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Very refreshing, easy to make and pairs well with tuna steaks, salsa and guac, too! Oh, and margaritas, of course.

Brussels Sprout Salad with Toasted Sesame Vinaigrette

Posted on July 22, 2016 by melsmosaic

Need a nice refreshing salad with these crazy hot summer temps? There is a great one from the March issue of Food & Wine. It’s Brussels Sprout Salad with Toasted Sesame Vinaigrette. The brussels sprouts aren’t cooked so it’s a nice cold salad. And it’s lactose free and gluten free.

Ingredients

1/4 cup white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
1 pound brussels sprouts, very thinly sliced
1 Pink Lady apple—halved, cored and thinly sliced
1 medium shallot, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced
1 serrano chile—stemmed, seeded and very thinly sliced (I didn’t use this)
1/2 cup chopped mint
Black sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a small skillet, toast the white sesame seeds over moderately low heat, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a blender and let cool. Add the lemon zest and juice, then add the vinegar, garlic and honey and puree until a chunky paste forms, about 1 minute. With the machine on, gradually add the olive oil and puree until nearly smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the vinaigrette into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Add the brussels sprouts, apple, shallot, chile and mint to the dressing and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Garnish with black sesame seeds, if using, and serve right away.

It was so nice and crunchy with the sprouts and the apples, and so nice and cold. Perfect with the crazy hot temps!

New veggie salad

Posted on July 12, 2016 by melsmosaic

Found a new recipe to try from a recent issue of Health magazine, Tomato, Cucumber and Green Bean Salad with Walnut Dressing. Sounded perfect for these hot days.

Ingredients

1/3 cup broken walnut pieces
1 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed, cut into 1-in. lengths (grabbed the frozen ones from Trader Joe’s)
Salt
6 ounces grape tomatoes, halved (that quantity seemed low, almost doubled it)
1/2 cup thinly sliced (lengthwise) red onion
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, halved lengthwise and cut into 1⁄4-in. slices (added more)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (I accidentally grabbed flat leaf parsley)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

Preparation

1. Combine walnuts, garlic and salt in a food processor and blend until finely ground. (If preferred, walnuts, garlic and salt can be pounded into a paste with a mortar and pestle.) Combine walnut mixture, oil and vinegar in a salad bowl and whisk until blended. — I ended up with a nice paste.

2. Cook green beans in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain well, rinse with cold water, spread on a dish towel and pat dry.

3. Add green beans, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, cilantro, dill and mint to walnut dressing and toss to blend.

Very refreshing. As mentioned, I grabbed parsley instead of cilantro, so it can likely taste even better than it did. Nice for hot summer days.

Raw artichoke & herb salad

Posted on December 26, 2015 by melsmosaic

Another one of Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook recipes I recently made as part of Christmas Eve dinner was the Raw artichoke & herb salad. I took the super easy way out and did canned artichoke hearts though…

Yield: 2 Servings

Ingredients:
2 or 3 large globe artichokes (1 1/2 lb/700 g in total) (used 2-3 cans of artichoke hearts)
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cups/40g arugula
1/2 cup/ 15 g torn mint leaves
1/2 cup/ 15 g torn cilantro leaves
1 oz/ 30 g pecorino toscano or romano cheese, thinly shaved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Prepare a bowl with water mixed with half of the lemon juice.2. Remove the stem from one artichoke and pull off the tough outer leaves. Once you reach the softer, pale leaves, use a large, sharp knife to cut across the flower so that you are left with the bottom quarter. Use a small, sharp knife to remove the outer layers of the artichoke until the base (or bottom) is exposed. Scrape out the hairy “choke” and put the base in the acidulated water. Discard the rest, then repeat with the other artichokes. Drain the artichokes and pat dry with paper towels. Using a mandoline (or a large, sharp knife), cut the artichokes into paper-thin slices and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Squeeze over the remaining lemon juice, add the olive oil, and toss well to coat. You can leave the artichoke for up to a few hours if you like, at room temperature. (So I just sort of skipped this whole part and simply opened cans of artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed them).

When ready to serve, add the arugula, mint, and cilantro to the artichoke and season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Toss gently and arrange on serving plates. Garnish with the pecorino shavings.

What a delicious combination of flavors, between all ingredients. Another one that will totally be made again!

Avocado, Hearts of Palm & Heaven

Posted on November 25, 2015 by melsmosaic

When you read a recipe where all ingredients are ones that you absolutely love, you must make it. I found this Avocado–Hearts of Palm Salad in Health magazine and had to try it ASAP. And, it could not be easier to put together.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large ripe avocado, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup drained, coarsely chopped canned hearts of palm (about half a 15-oz. can) — I used more than half a huge jar from Costco
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lime zest and juice, garlic and salt until combined.

2. In a medium bowl, combine avocado, hearts of palm, cilantro and scallions. Pour dressing over avocado mixture and gently fold together. Season with additional salt, if desired.

This was just so good. Definitely needs that salt. So fresh, so delicious. I ended up making it two days in a row for appetizers. Served it with crackers.

Pickled Grapes? and a salad…

Posted on November 16, 2015 by melsmosaic

New magazine, new recipe. A recent one I ripped out of Bon Appetit just had to be tested…Radicchio Salad with Pickled Grapes and Goat Cheese. What the heck do pickled grapes taste like? And it was interesting when reading through the recipe because you use black vs. red grapes.

Ingredients

½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 star anise pods (great to get in bulk, they didn’t even weigh anything, they wouldn’t even charge me at Whole Foods)
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, chopped
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, divided
1 cup seedless black grapes, halved if large
8 cups torn or sliced Treviso and/or Chioggia radicchio
2 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup unsalted, roasted almonds, chopped
2 ounces aged goat cheese, crumbled (about ⅓ cup) (yeah, lactose free)

Prep

-Combine vinegar, sugar, star anise, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, 2 tsp. salt, 2 Tbsp. orange juice, and ¼ cup water in a medium bowl or glass jar; stir (or cover and shake) until sugar and salt dissolve. Add grapes and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes.
-Toss radicchio in a large bowl with oil, 3 Tbsp. strained pickling liquid, and remaining 1 Tbsp. orange juice; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter and scatter drained pickled grapes, almonds, and goat cheese over top.

This was pretty simple to make and had some great flavors, as well as being so fresh! Would be nice over the holidays. Enjoy.

Do Ahead: Grapes can be pickled 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Kale and Garlic = Perfect Match

Posted on September 12, 2015 by melsmosaic

As usual, flipping through food magazines looking for recipes. I now tear out the recipes that look good vs. dog-earring them. I then clip them on the baker’s rack in my kitchen and have to make them. So part of last night’s dinner was Kale Salad with Garlicky Panko from Food & Wine. Hmmm…kale, delicious and garlic, delicious X2.

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/2 cup panko (Trader Joe’s has great stuff)
Kosher salt & Pepper
1 bunch curly kale (I was lazy and grabbed the bag of stuff from Trader Joe’s — can you tell where I shop?)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (the blocks of stuff from Trader Joe’s are great, and real Feta is from sheep’s milk so lactards can eat it safely)
6 fried eggs (optional) — I threw some shrimp on top vs eggs

Preparation

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in the panko and cook, stirring, until golden and crisp, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate to cool.
Cut the stems from the kale and tear the leaves into pieces. In a bowl, whisk the vinegar with the remaining 1/2 cup of oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the kale; massage with the dressing using your fingers. Season with salt and pepper and toss. Transfer to a platter, top with the feta, garlic panko and fried eggs, if using, and serve.

I could not stop eating this stuff!!! The slight bit of saltiness from the feta, the garlic in the crispy breadcrumbs. WOW WOW WOW. Try this! You will not be disappointed.

You can shave more than just legs or seconds off your race time…

Posted on August 2, 2015 by melsmosaic

…and what are you thinking? Well, I have zucchini and yellow squash in my mind! Saw another great recipe in Bon Appetit that I had to make recently…Shaved Zucchini Salad with Macadamia Nuts.

Ingredients (with some other speedbumps)

-1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I forgot to get a lemon so didn’t have the prior, but had to backup of Penzey’s dried stuff)
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
-1 teaspoon honey
-1 teaspoon soy sauce
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-1½ pounds mixed zucchini and summer squash, thinly sliced
-2 cups baby sorrel leaves or other small greens (Whole Foods had no sorrel so I went for arugula, which I LOVE anyway. And after I bought the bag of arugula vs the plastic box that I normally get, the next day I noticed there is no nutritional info on there. On the same size packaging at Trader Joe’s they have the info. Pure curiosity, what dictates fresh packaged produced needing that labeling? I couldn’t find an easy answer on the FDA website)
-3 tablespoons unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
-½ ounce Parmesan, finely grated (I cut this out because of my lactose intolerance)
-⅓ cup unsalted, roasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped (Whole Foods didn’t have a macadamia nut in sight. I opted for pine nuts)

Directions

Whisk lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, mustard, honey, and soy sauce in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add zucchini and squash, sorrel, and pumpkin seeds and toss to combine. Serve salad topped with Parmesan, macadamia nuts, and more pepper.

Another great recipe. Lots of flavor, the pine nuts definitely delivered and the arugula delivered a punch, too. Bring on salad!

Roasted Citrus and Avocado Salad

Posted on May 7, 2015 by melsmosaic

Keep finding recipes I have to try. This one was from the January issue of Bon Appetit but was far too perfect for May — Roasted Citrus and Avocado Salad. Some sweet, some sour, some heavenly avocado…

Ingredients

1 blood or Valencia orange, sliced 1/8″ thick, seeds removed (I can never find either of these…went with Navel)
1 Meyer or regular lemon, sliced 1/8″ thick, seeds removed
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer or regular lemon juice (I went with bottled)
1 bunch watercress or arugula, thick stems trimmed (love arugula!!!!)
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 avocado, cut into wedges

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°. Toss orange and lemon slices with 1 tablespoon oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper.

Roast citrus, tossing occasionally, until lightly charred in spots and starting to caramelize, 10-15 minutes. This makes the citrus flavor more complex. Let cool.

Meanwhile, combine onion and lemon juice in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper and let sit 5 minutes (onion will soften a bit and get slightly sweeter and less harsh).

Add roasted citrus to bowl with onion along with arugula and mint. Drizzle remaining 3 tablespoons oil over; season with salt and pepper and toss everything to combine and coat.
Add avocado and very gently toss until lightly dressed (you don’t want to crush the avocado). I cut my avocado into a bit more of cubes vs. slices…

This was delicious! I didn’t even add that much olive oil at the end because it was so moist. I served it with some seared sea bass and a nice Sauvignon Blanc. It’s definitely at the top of my list.

Fennel & (Raw) Asparagus Salad

Posted on May 3, 2015 by melsmosaic

Was flipping through Bon Appetit the other day and came across another recipe I needed to try. It had two of my favorite veggies in it — Fennel and Asparagus Salad. In the whole piece in the magazine, it is part of a pork shoulder cutlet recipe (I just didn’t feel like making the whole think, I had already had salmon ready to go).

1 small fennel bulb, cored, thinly sliced, plus 2 tablespoons fennel fronds
6 asparagus spears, shaved lengthwise into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the asparagus, it is never too easy to shave them. I’ve had this one veggie peeler that is supposed to be good. Have you ever seen or used one of these? I always try to give it another shot. It scrapes, cuts and just does not make anything easy.

Finally just found my good old fashioned carrot peeler. That made it much easier.

Combine fennel, fennel fronds, asparagus, onion, and parsley in a medium bowl. Toss with lemon juice and olive oil; season with kosher salt and pepper.