Crunchy Turnip, Apple, and Brussels Sprout Slaw

Posted on March 16, 2015 by melsmosaic

I attempt to try food I ‘don’t like’ at least once a year. But the other day I came across a recipe with something I just sort of dismiss because you don’t have the easy attempt or common offer to eat it, it’s not many people’s favorite and it’s not staring at you in the grocery store — turnip(s). So, when I was having a couple friends over for dinner the other night and preparing a veggie meal, this was a great time for me to give these guys a try.

The recipe I opted for is from Bon Appetit’s January issue — Crunchy Turnip, Apple, and Brussels Sprout Slaw. Well, since this is from the January issue, the main ingredient is not in (high) season right now. Luckily Whole Foods had it (this was after a couple other stops when I was debating changing my menu).

Ingredients

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 small white turnips, peeled, cut into matchsticks — apparently one the size of a softball, which is ‘normal’, is equivalent to 2 small
1 medium sweet-tart apple (such as Pink Lady), cut into matchsticks — I couldn’t find one, so did the happy medium — some Granny Smith, some other Red one
4 oz. brussels sprouts, leaves separated
1 teaspoon poppy seeds, plus more — gotta love Whole Foods bulk section!

Whisk lemon juice, oil, and ginger in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper.

For the turnips and apple, I went to town with the V-slicer, with the attachment to make those beautiful matchsticks. Oh I love the kitchen!

Add turnips, apple, brussels sprouts, and 1 tsp. poppy seeds and toss to coat. Serve slaw topped with more poppy seeds.

Quite the salad. There was such a nice crunch to all of it, and the dressing was delicious. I love that since the key ingredients were in matchsticks they weren’t overwhelming. I ate turnips again!!! Had I not known there was turnip in there, wouldn’t have been able to tell you. Could almost have been jicama. One thing I’m surprised about is that this is published in the January issue since it’s a no-cook, cold salad. The only thing I could think is on the turnip being more of a winter root veggie. Thoughts? I will definitely save this for summer.

Rice Salad with Pecans, Fennel, and Herbs

Posted on March 9, 2015 by melsmosaic

Was flipping through a (sort of) recent Bon Appetit issue the other day (January 2015) and came across a recipe that looked tempting. With the ‘warm’ weather — I’m talking upper 50s and sunny after 8″ of snow last week — it was just far too appealing. It’s essentially a no-cook recipe, which was a bit off for a January recipe.

Red Rice Salad with Pecans, Fennel, and Herbs

1 cup red rice (I used the priceless Trader Joe’s microwave rice)
1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
2/3 cup pecans, divided
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and finely chopped tender stems
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Toasted pistachio oil or almond oil (for serving; optional)

Directions

Cook rice according to package directions. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet; let cool.

Meanwhile, toss fennel and onion with 2 tablespoons lime juice in a large bowl and let sit, tossing occasionally, until lime juice is almost entirely absorbed, 10-15 minutes.
So at this point, since it had to be thinly sliced, it was time to pull out the V-slicer/mandolin. Had such a great time!

Coarsely chop 1/3 cup pecans; finely chop remaining nuts. Laziness here, bought them that way — and, a heck of a lot cheaper for some reason. Cook in olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low until golden brown, 5-10 minutes. Let cool.

Add rice and pecans to fennel mixture along with remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and toss to combine. Gently fold in cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with pistachio oil, if desired.

*Do ahead: Rice salad (without cilantro) can be chilled up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.

This salad was mouthwatering. I did not expect it to be this good. Wow. It could also easily be made with quinoa and/or another nuts. Will be a perfect summer recipe. Wow, delicious.

Some tahini here, some lemon there, and kale everywhere!

Posted on February 18, 2015 by melsmosaic

Had some friends over for dinner and was going on an Asian theme. Was making some stir-fry like chicken dish and was looking for a salad to go with it. I found a great Cooking Light recipe to pair with it based on a whole page of kale salad ideas they had.

I went with the Tahini-Lemon Dressing — quick, easy and refreshing!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon tahini

2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 cups thinly sliced stemmed Lacinato kale

3/4 cup cooked quinoa (I did not include this)

Prep:

Combine water, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, soy sauce, and pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Add kale (and cooked quinoa; toss) — I did this in a more normal salad way. After making the dressing, I dressed the salad/kale.

Delicious, I’m addicted. I’ve made it twice since they’ve been over. And the dressing keeps/holds well, so you can make a good amount and just keep it in the fridge.

Beet Me!

Posted on February 18, 2015 by melsmosaic

Found some lonely beets the other day that I had to use. Didn’t find anything exciting while researching recipes, so decided to just throw some stuff together.

So, first the fun — taking those innocent beets and peeling them.

And getting some beautifully colored hands in return (didn’t have any gloves).

I hadn’t used my toaster oven for ages so decided to put it to good use since I didn’t have a ton of beets. Warmed that up to about 425 and then tossed the beets with some olive oil, oregano, basil and a couple other spices. Covered the toaster oven sheet in foil and put the (quartered) beets on there.

Roasted them for about 30-40 minutes, until they were done enough for me. When they were finished, I tossed them with some hearts of palm and pistachios. So good!

Grapefruit and Hearts of Palm Salad

Posted on January 18, 2015 by melsmosaic

Found this recipe in Cooking Light and it just sounded so good. Many of my favorite ingredients. It just doesn’t seem like something that would be published in a winter issue (Jan/Feb) but I’m happy it was.

Grapefruit and Hearts of Palm Salad

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil (I used olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon canola mayonnaise (nixed that)
1 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups baby kale (I chopped it)
1 1/2 cups ruby red grapefruit sections (about 2 large grapefruit)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 (14-ounce) cans hearts of palm, rinsed, drained, and cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices
1 small red chile, seeded and thinly sliced (I just used pepper flakes)
1 ripe peeled avocado, cut into thin wedges

Directions

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth.

2. Place 2/3 cup kale on each of 6 plates. Arrange grapefruit sections, onion, hearts of palm, chile, and avocado evenly over kale. Drizzle with dressing. (ok, I didn’t make it that fancy — tossed all that stuff in a bowl and dressed it).

So good! Served it with some pan-seared scallops. I could eat this every night.

Bulgur & Chickpea Salad with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette

Posted on December 25, 2014 by melsmosaic

Was at a friend’s place a couple weeks ago and she made this mouth-watering salad. Decided to make it as part of Christmas Eve dinner last night. It’s definitely one that you have to take seconds, or thirds of. I think it’s from the dressing.

Bulgur & Chickpea Salad with Cranberries, Toasted Almonds + Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette

Salad
2 cups water
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup Bulgur Wheat (I used quinoa — you can basically use any grain)
1 cup chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries (the store didn’t have them, so I used dried cherries, just as good)
1/4 cup almond slivers, toasted
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
Fresh cilantro, chopped (use as much or little as you’d like)
2 scallions, sliced thin crosswise

(last night I made half the recipe — it makes a ton)

Vinaigrette (this is the part that’s the best)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice + lime zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, smashed (though you can always use more!)
1/3 cup good quality olive oil
Pinch salt and fresh ground pepper

Bring the 2 cups of water and salt to a boil and add the bulgur. Turn down to a simmer, cover and let cook for 12-15 minutes until water is absorbed and bulgur is soft but still has a bite to it.

Toss all the salad ingredients in a big bowl until combined.

In a small bowl, combine the vinaigrette ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour half of the dressing over salad and stir to coat the salad in dressing. Taste and add more dressing as needed.

Good warm but it’s best after it sits in the fridge for an hour or two.

So, so good. And, it’s dairy free and gluten free! You can even play with all the ingredients that go in the salad. Give it the taste that you want. I could not stop nibbling on the stuff.

Avocado Salad with Peaches

Posted on October 5, 2014 by melsmosaic

Was looking for something fun, super fresh and relatively easy to make for dinner. I remembered this salad from Bon Appetit that I found a few years ago. Avocados, peaches and arugula…some of my favorites. It was the perfect thing to make and pretty simple.

Avocado Salad with Peaches
4-6 Servings

Ingredients

1/2 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (I got SUPER lazy and used liquid vanilla)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 almost-ripe avocados
8 cups arugula or sorrel
2 peaches, diced and peeled

Preparation

-Roast bell pepper (I do it on my gas stove – so easy).

-Peel and chop pepper; puree with red wine vinegar, vanilla and sugar in blender (I used the mini-prep) until smooth.

-With machine running, gradually add olive oil. Season with salt & pepper.

-Halve and pit avocados and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and place cut side down on and medium-hot grill until nicely charred, about 5 minutes (ok, so I don’t/can’t have a grill. So, I put foil over a burner on my gas stove and made it work. Creativity in the kitchen). Peel and thickly slice.

-Toss with arugula or sorrel and peaches. Drizzle dressing over top (I just toss all of it together — dressing and everything).

I served this with shrimp. Delicious!!!

Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad (Coles de Bruselas)

Posted on October 5, 2014 by melsmosaic

I was flipping through a recent copy of Shape magazine that my friend brought over because she saw a bunch of recipes that she figured I’d like. They did have several and this is the first one I’ve tried. A lot of oil and butter for Shape magazine and since I’m lactose intolerant I nixed the butter and I feel like a lot of the oil isn’t needed. I also left out the feta. The dish was very nice and provided great leftovers! I enjoyed it both hot and cold. You just can’t go wrong with Brussels sprouts.

Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad (Coles de Bruselas)

(note, I can’t find it on the site, but It was in the September or October version of the magazine (I’m thinking September))

Serves 6

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15-25 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter (didn’t use it — I’m lactose intolerant)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (didn’t use nearly that much — no need for it!)
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved though stem
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp sherry vinegar (or whatever you have handy — I used tarragon vinegar — I wasn’t buying a new bottle for that small amount)
1 cup chopped shallots (about 4-6 shallots)
1 1/2 tsp whole grain mustard
1/4 bunch fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem and chopped
1 1/2 tsp honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup canned chick peas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 orange, zested and flesh cut into segments
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 oz Feta, crumbled (optional)

Directions

1-First, I didn’t feel like chopping like chopping the shallots the night I made this, so I broke out the mini-prep! Have some fun with kitchen toys!!!

2-In large saute pan over low heat, melt butter into oil (I used a bit of oil and also sprayed the pan). Place Brussels sprouts in the pan, cut side down (that didn’t last too long). Turn the heat to medium-high. Cook until sprouts are brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer sprouts to a large bowl and season with 1/2 tsp of the salt.

3-In a medium bowl, mix remaining salt, vinegar, shallots, mustard, thyme, honey, and olive oil. Pour into the saute pan and bring to a simmer. Add beans and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

4-Add orange zest and segments, red onion and pepper to the sprouts. Pour the hot vinaigrette-bean mixture on top of the sprouts and mix well to combine. Top with feta, if desired.

This was very good and I would definitely recommend making it!

Chaat (Black Chick Pea Salad)

Posted on September 30, 2014 by melsmosaic

I was going to an event recently and there was a food theme to it. I had to do some research and a friend gave me a great recipe for a Pakistan Black Chick Pea Salad, known there as Chaat (which also refers to many snacks). Check out the Wikipedia info on it. I’d had a bite of this salad from my friends’ fridge the weekend before and it was delicious so I had to get the recipe. It was awesome to get this and translate it because it came from his mom so he was getting the true, true specs while speaking to her in Urdu and bringing it to me while applying some of the thoughts they have in the Middle East that they still use while cooking here to preserve the food. I have brought it down to simple stuff (only took a couple things out).

Ingredients:

Two cups dry black chick peas/garbanzo beans

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes

1 lemon

1 tomato, chopped

1 avocado, cut into small pieces

1/4 packet “Chat Masala” from an Indian Store

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

1 medium thin skinned potato with the skin removed after baking or microwaving

Go to a local Indian Store to get (two cups of dry) black chick peas. Rinse several times and then soak in a bowl of water overnight. In the morning, boil until they are the desired consistency and chewiness (about 1.5 hours in boiling water is needed after an overnight soak). If there is a time element, use regular Garbanzo beans/chick peas from a can in place of the black chick peas.

Directions:

While the boiling is taking place…

Bake potato (I nuked it for a couple minutes) and chop into small pieces.

Combine salt, pepper, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, and chat masala in a medium sized bowl.

Get out a second bowl and add the chick peas (once done), tomato, avocado, lemon juice, chopped cilantro. Mix together (hands work well to do this). Add the potato.

Mix the second mixture with the first mixture and adjust salt, pepper, red pepper, to taste and add lemon juice.

This salad was awesome! It can be enjoyed warm or cold, I prefer the latter. So fresh and so many flavors. Would be great for tailgaiting!!!

Arugula, Green Beans and Oranges…oh my!

Posted on June 24, 2014 by melsmosaic

Quick, easy, and tasty…that’s what I want, not only during the summer, but a lot of the time. Cooking Light had a bunch of great, quick & simple recipes in one of their recent issues and I have been trying several of them. They are good! One that I made recently had my favorite lettuce — ARUGULA! Then, green beans and oranges. I also threw some grapefruit in there. The official name of the recipe is Green Bean, Arugula, and Clementine Toss.

Ingredients

2 (8-ounce) packages ready-to-cook fresh haricot verts (aka green beans)
3 cups arugula
2 clementines (I couldn’t find them loose — vs buying a whole box, which is why I used a ‘regular’ orange and then a grapefruit)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
(I added pepper, too)

Directions

Steam haricot verts in the microwave according to package directions; halve beans crosswise. Or, steam them on the stove. I also forgot to cut them afterwards.