Old-Fashioned (but not for long)

I like the look of Carrot-Raisin Salad and the sweet hit it gives on my plate that is otherwise all about savoury food.  What I dislike is the deli-style mayonnaise-based carrot-raisin salad that is typically the version that springs to one's mind.  To update this old classic, citrus and raw ginger give this dish a fresh and zesty new lease on life.

Carrot-Raisin Salad
(from Clean Food by Terry Walters, pp. 56 - with some modification by me)
Serves 4

1/4 cup nuts or seeds (try walnuts, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts)
3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
4 cups boiling water
Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
Juice of 2 oranges
Zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

Toast nuts or seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant and toasted shaking the pan occasionally to avoid burning (approx. 5 minutes).  Remove from heat and let cool. OR skip this step and just sprinkle raw nuts or seeds on top of the salad before serving.

In a large bowl, combine carrots and raisins.  Cover with boiling water, let sit for 30 seconds, drain, rinse with cold water and drain completely.  Stir in juices, zests, ginger, and salt.  Refrigerate until cold.  Sprinkle with the toasted (or raw) nuts or seeds just before serving (otherwise they'll get soft and lose their crunch).

Yes, Broccoli Stalks!

I always buy organic broccoli so I'll be dammed if I'm going to pay all that money and then throw away the stalk.  To use it, all you have to do is use your vegetable peeler to peel away the tough outer layer.  I usually cut the broccoli stalks quite thin if I want them raw for a salad (say, 1/8-inch thick) or thicker (say, 1/4-inch thick) if I plan to put them alongside the broccoli florets in my steamer.  They're also great added in a stir fry!  And, hey, what do you know...it takes like broccoli!

Broccoli Stalk, Celery, and Radish Salad
(Fine Cooking magazine, Issue #117, pp. 39)

3 or 4 large broccoli stalks (from 2 to 3 lb. broccoli)
6 medium radishes, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 celery heart (about 3/4 lb.), trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal (including the leaves)
1/3 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved with a vegetable peeler (about 3/4 cup)

Using a paring knife or vegetable peeler, peel away the tough outer layer of the broccoli stalks, leaving only the tender interiors.  Trim the tough ends of the stalks (about 1/2 inch), halve the stalks lengthwise if they are more than 1 inch in diameter, and slice the stalks on the diagonal about 1/8-inch thick.  Transfer to a medium bowl

Add the radishes, celery, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and toss to combine.  Serve garnished with the shaved Parmigiano.

Summer Grain Salad

As most of you know, I'm a big fan of Fine Cooking magazine.  They often publish a master recipe that provides you with lots of flavour options so you can create your own recipe that suits your tastes.  The June/July 2012 issue (issue #117) has a Summer Grain Salad recipe that allows you to do just that.  Below is the recipe I created to pair with black bean veggie burgers for dinner tonight.

Summer Grain Salad: Sandra-Style
(serves 8-10)

2 cups quinoa
Kosher salt
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 cup oil-paced artichoke hearts, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 cup celery, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 cup red and yellow peppers, cut into medium dice
1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve.  Put into a medium size pot and add enough water to cover the quinoa by 1 inch.  Add a pinch of Kosher salt and bring to a boil over medium heat; then cover, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for another 5 minutes.  Remove lid and transfer the quinoa onto a rimmed baking sheet to cool completely at room temperature.

Prepare the chopped vegetables and herbs.


For the dressing, put vinegar, olive oil, tahini, salt and pepper in a jar and blitz with immersion/stick blender.  Add the lemon zest and whisk to combine.  

Place cooled quinoa in a large bowl and fluff with a fork to break up clumps.  Add the vegetables, herbs, and approximately half of the dressing.  Toss and taste.  Season with more dressing and/or salt and/or pepper as needed.

Let the salad sit at room temperature and season with more dressing (and salt and pepper, if needed) before serving.

Refreshing Bites

I love having a little nibble with a drink before sitting down to dinner with friends, but it's difficult to find an easy appy recipe that's simple to prepare and isn't going to fill everyone up before the meal.  These little cucumber-feta-olive-tomato skewers are just the ticket!  The recipe originally hails from a complimentary booklet I received through my Fine Cooking magazine subscription a couple of years back.  I make these time and time again because they're fresh, flavourful, and fast!  It isn't cooking, it's food assembly.

Greek Salad Skewers

(serves 4-6)

One-quarter English cucumber
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 lb. feta cheese, cut into 16 small cubes
8 pitted Kalamata olives, halved
8 ripe grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Cut four 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices from the cucumber and then quarter each slice. Set the cucumber pieces on a large serving platter and season with 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Top each with a piece of feta and then an olive half. Stab a toothpick through a tomato half and then thread through one of the cucumber stacks, pushing the toothpick down to secure it. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with some more black pepper, and serve.

Indian Salad

A good friend of mine gave me a lovely Indian cookbook by Noorbanu Nimji called A Spicy Touch (Volume III) - a fusion of East African and Indian cuisine.  It contains many wonderful recipes and the Avocado, Mango & Almond Salad served up a treat when I was invited to friends for dinner that asked if I could bring a salad to match up with the Indian main course they had planned. The sweetness of the fruit combined with the crunch of the peppers and subtle flavour of the avocado make this salad sing.

Avocado, Mango & Almond Salad
(A Spicy Touch by Noorbanu Nimji ~ with some slight changes by me)
4 servings

Salad:
2 cups mixed salad greens (washed well and dried well)
1 mango, ripe but firm, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 green bell pepper, julienned
2 oranges, segmented
2 avocados, diced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup green onions,chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Dressing:
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Arrange the salad greens in a large, shallow bowl or serving platter.  Arrange the mangoes, bell peppers, and oranges on top of the salad greens.  Peel and chop the avocado and place in a small bowl.  Immediately cover with the lemon juice to prevent the avocados from browning.  Arrange the avocado on top of the salad and sprinkle with the green onions.

Put all of the ingredients for the salad dressing in a jar and shake well.  Pour the dressing over the salad and garnish with the toasted almonds.  (To toast slivered almonds: put the almonds on a baking tray and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Toast for about 7-10 minutes or until the nuts are a very light, golden colour shaking the pan halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and transfer to a plate until ready to use.)

Earth Bowl

This is a favourite little lunch of mine when I want something fresh, quick, and satisfying.  Best part is you just  chop and throw everything into a bowl and dig in!

Earth Bowl
(Enlightened Eating, Caroline Marie Dupont)

1 apple, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
small handful of dried currants or raisins or blueberries (or fresh blueberries, if available)
6 walnuts, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds
Juice of 1 orange

CORN-ucopia Salad

(image from Flickr)

For good energy I find it essential to team up proteins with carbs. And so nice to know that you don’t have to rely on animal proteins all the time – or even beans for that matter. The protein provider here is a grain: quinoa. If I haven’t mentioned it before, please keep quinoa in your freezer to ensure maximum freshness. It does have a high oil content so can certainly turn rancid.

With it being summer, corn is bountiful and beautiful so is showcased well in this salad with notes of sweet, citrus & heat. Great combo!

The recipe hails from that wonderful cookbook from the wonderful restaurant of the same name ‘Rebar’ (in Victoria, B.C.) with further direction from me regarding the type of salt to use.

Quinoa Corn Salad
1 cup quinoa
1-1/2 cups water
½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
2-1/2 cups corn, removed from cob
1 small red onion, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
½ red pepper, finely diced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup chopped cilantro
3 scallions, minced
2 tablespoons finely minced chives
1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste

Place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly with cold, running water (this will remove any bitterness). Bring water to boil in a small pot, add the quinoa and salt and bring to a boil again, Cover and reduce heat to low for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep the pot covered for an additional 5 minutes. Strain off any excess liquid (if any) and spread the quinoa out to cool on a cookie sheet while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Steam or lightly sauté the corn until just tender and then cool to room temperature. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss. Season with additional salt, pepper, or hot sauce to taste. Serve with fresh lime wedges

Fully Loaded

This Broccoli Slaw/Salad is fully loaded. It has so much going for it that it's hard to put it into a single category: slaw, salad, side dish, full-meal deal. The dressing has a nice surprise of using the dried spice ground fennel (sometimes labeled as ground anise). A lot of slaw recipes I have do call for thinly shaved fennel so interesting to still incorporate it, but in the dried variety. Another nice surprise is the flax seed oil in the dressing. As you likely know by now, I like to incorporate this oil in my diet, but need to camoflauge it because I can't stand the taste! There is quite a bit of chopping involved with this recipe. I make shorter work of this by utilizing my much underutilized food processor - and even get to use some of the slicer attachments! So without further adieu, here's the recipe:

Broccoli Delight
(recipe from Enlightened Eating cookbook with some modification)

Dressing:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons flax oil
1 tablespoon honey (or agave nectar if you have it)
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (or any salt you have, but preferrable unrefined)
1/2 teaspoons ground fennel

Vegetables:
2 cups broccoli, chopped medium fine
3/4 cup red cabbage, chopped medium fine
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely sliced
1 carrot, quartered lenthwise and sliced
1 apple, cored and diced small
1/2 cup currants (or raisins)
1/2 cup pecans (or other chopped nuts)
1/2 cup feta cheese, diced small (optional)

Combine dressing ingredients in the bottom of a large bowl. Add vegetables and toss to combine.

Mmmmarvelous Mmmmushroom Burgers

I found an incredibly simple recipe for Portobello Mushroom Burgers on the website http://www.allrecipes.com/. Portobellos are SO meaty you really forget you’re not eating meat at all. Another great recipe to use to reduce the amount of animal protein in your diet.

Portobello Mushroom Burgers
4 portobella mushroom caps
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the mushroom caps, smooth side up, in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the mushrooms. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or so, turning twice.

Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Brush grate with oil. Place mushrooms on the grill, reserving marinade for basting. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until tender. Brush with marinade frequently.

For side dishes I served mixed greens with leftover dressing from Sunday night (see blog for salad dressing recipe) and a Chickpea and Cherry Tomato Salad with Cilantro Dressing. I was lucky enough that someone gave me a whack of cherry tomatoes from their garden just that morning so took the liberty of enjoying their freshness right away.

Chickpea and Cherry Tomato Salad with Cilantro Dressing
(recipe from Clean Food by Terry Walters with some modifications)
2 pounds cherry tomatoes
3 cups cooked chickpeas*
4-5 scallions, chopped

Dressing:
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 large bunch cilantro (about 1 cup)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut tomatoes in half and place in large bowl with chickpeas and scallions.

Put all dressing ingredients in a jar and process with an immersion/stick blender.

Pour dressing over salad, toss to coat, and serve.

*This is when it’s handy to have cooked chickpeas that you’ve cooked up a large batch, portioned, and put in your freezer – or use canned.

A Friend for Dinner

We had a dear ex-neighbour visit and stay for dinner tonight. I decided to go with my tried-and-true salad recipe Green Salad with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette for our first course. And for the entree, my favourite way to prepare chicken on the barbeque: paillard style (see blog dated July 18 for recipe). As sides I served a Warm Nugget Potato Toss with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette and steamed green beans finished with a good dousing of lemon juice and a handful of slivered almonds.

Green Salad with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette
(recipe from Barefoot Contesssa Family Style with some modification)
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 extra-large egg yolk at room temperature (or 1 tablespoon mayonnaise)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
Salad greens or mesclun mix

Put all dressing ingredients in a a jar and mix using an immersion/stick blender.
Toss the greens with enough dressing to moisten and serve immediately.




Warm Nugget Potato Toss with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
(recipe from Vancouver Sun newspaper, date unknown with some modification)
Salad:
2 pounds small nugget potatoes (unpeeled)
1/3 cup slivered fresh basil
salt and pepper
Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil from bottled sun-dried tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup slivered, drained sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)

Salad: Scrub potatoes. Cook in large pot of salted boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes or until just tender, drain, reserving 1 tablespoon potato water for vinaigrette. Put potatoes in large bowl.

Vinaigrette: In glass jar, place all salad dressing ingredients except sun-dried tomatoes, and blend with an immersion/stick blender. Then stir in sun-dried tomatoes.

Drizzle vinaigrette over warm potates, toss gently to coat. Add basil, toss gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to platter and serve warm.

Sensational Salads

This evening I decided to go with two great salad standbys:

Quinoa Tabbouleh (see blog of July 29 for recipe)

and

Chickpea, Carrot & Parsley Salad (see blog of August 5 for recipe)

In addition, I cut up some cubes of feta cheese to serve on the side and steamed some broccoli - fresh from my friend's garden. To the steamed broccoli, I just lightly drizzled some organic toasted sesame oil.

And there you have it!

Salad Duo

I'm not one that enjoys a gloppy mayonnaise dressing; however, when something can taste this good, I'm glad to make an exception. And you can have a lighter hand with the dressing so its not excessive.

Curried Chicken Salad
(Recipe from Barefoot Contessa - Family Style cookbook by Ina Garten with amendments)

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup Major Grey’s chutney

3 tablespoons curry powder

1 cup medium-diced celery (2 large stalks)

1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)

1/4 cup raisins

1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews

Rub the skin of the chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Barbeque until the chicken is cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and dice the chicken in large bite-size pieces. For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, wine, chutney, curry powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth. Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Add the celery, scallions, and raisins, and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Add the cashews and serve at room temperature.

This next salad recipe can feature either cabbage or broccoli - totally up to you. It offers up all the right flavours: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent, and pungent.

Cabbage Delight

(Recipe from Enlightened Eating cookbook by Caroline DuPont)

Dressing:

2 tablespoons apple cider viengar

1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 tablesppons flax oil (or hemp oil)

1 tablespoon honey

1 to 2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt

1/2 teaspoon grond fennel

Vegetables:

2 cups green cabbage (or broccoli) chopped medium fine

3/4 cp red cabbage, chopped medium fine

1/4 cup sweet onion, finely chopped

1 rib celery, finely sliced

1 carrot, quartered lengthwise and sliced

1/3 cp fresh parsely, choppped

1 apple, cored and diced small

1/2 cup currants or raisins

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (or 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds)

1/2 cup raw cheese, diced small (optional)

Combine dressing ingredients in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Add vegetables and toss to combine.

Perfect Summer Pasta Salad

A number of years back, Fine Cooking magazine provided a great master recipe for Summer Pasta Salad. The formula is basically 1/2 pound pasta, 6 cups vegetables, 1 cup vinaigrette, and 1 or 2 add-ins (e.g. fresh herbs, red onion, olives, or capers) and cheese (optional). The combinations are endless. Here's the version I made for dinner this evening to accompany some buffalo burgers we previously grilled then froze for a later occasion (see my blog dated July 31 for the burger recipe).

Summer Pasta Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette
Serves eight to 10 as a side dish or four as a main dish
(Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking magazine, issue 65)

For the Vinaigrette

1-1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup fresh, finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, 3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic, 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad

Kosher salt, 3/4 lb. green beans trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths, 1 cup frozen peas (or fresh), 1/2 lb. dried farfalle pasta (or campanelle, cavatappi, or other short, chunky pasta shape), 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup carrots (cut into thin match-sticks, 2 to 3 inches long), 1-14 oz. can artichoke hearts (rinsed and quartered), 1-14 oz. can chick peas (rinsed), 3 or 4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, 1 cup fresh mozzarella (diced), freshly ground pepper.

Make the vinaigrette:
Put the basil, olive oil, Parmigiano, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and lemon zest in a blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Make the salad:
Put 4 to 6 quarts of salted water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Drop the green beans into the boiling water and cook until the beans are just crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the beans from the water with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain and cool. Drop the peas in the water and cook until just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes for fresh peas (frozen peas only need a minute or so to thaw them). Remove the peas from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Drop the fresh corn (cut from the cob) into the boiling water and cook until just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the corn from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Gently blot the corn, peas, and beans dry.

Return the water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook just until al dente, following package instructions. Drain the pasta thoroughly by shaking it in a colander and immediately pouring it out onto a rimmed baking sheet. Toss the pasta with the olive oil to prevent sticking.

Transfer the cooled pasta to a large serving bowl. Add the beans, peas, corn and remaining ingredients and toss. Add just enough vinaigrette to moisten the pasta, taking care not to overdress it (you may not need it all). Add the scallion and cheese and toss again. Let the salad rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and then taste the salad again. If necessary, add a little vinaigrette and salt and pepper. Serve as soon as possible.

Just for the Halibut

We had some amazing fresh halibut that we received from friends who purchased it right off the boat. So fresh and beautiful - it really doesn't need to be fussed with. For Grilled Halibut just a generous sprinkling of salt and a few minutes per sideon the grill is all it needs. To accompany it, a little tomato salsa and a bulghur wheat Tabbouleh as the side dish. Simple, straightforward, and satisfying.

Tabbouleh Salad
(recipe from Rebar cookbook)
1 cup bulghur
1-1/4 cups boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 bunch of Italian parsley
1/4 cup fresh mint leves
1 small red onion

Combine bulghur and salt in a bowl and stir in the boiling water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap for 20 minutes. Uncover and fluff the grains with a fork. Let cool to room temperature

Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and seasonings. Set aside.

Wash stemmed parsley, shake off excess water and dry on a clean kitchen towel. Mince the parsley, mint leaves and red onion. In a serving bowl, combine cooled bulghur, prepared herbs and onion. Pour dressing over the ingredients and toss thoroughly. Let the salad rest before serving (30 minutes), or wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Hail Caesar!

When I eat this salad I feel like I'm on the deck at Bridges Restaurant enjoying the view with the wind in my hair. I'm not sure exactly how food can transport you to other times and places, it just does and who am I to question?

After yesterday's post it got me thinking what recipes I revisit the most and I immediatly thought of this Grilled Chicken & Arugula Caesar Salad with Grilled Croutons. From an issue of Fine Cooking magazine (issue 65 - which dates it back to July 2004), this salad is one of the better Caesar variations I've made. The recipe below is exactly as the magazine published it, but read 'my note' below for some insights and tips.

I hope this recipe sweeps you up and carries you to your own happy place.

Grilled Chicken & Arugula Caesar Salad with Grilled Croutons

4 oz. baby arugula (about 5 cups loosely packed), washed and dried
2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
4 oil-packed anchovy fillets
2 large cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1/4 tsp. black peppercorns
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
1/2 cup fresh, finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1-1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 3 large), rinsed and patted dry
4 slices French baguette, cut 1 inch thick on an extreme diagonal (6 to 8 inches long)
Cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (optional)

Heat a gas grill to medium high. Put the arugula in a large bowl, cover with a damp paper towel, and refrigerate. In a blender, combine the lemon juice and zest, anchovies, garlic, and peppercorns with 6 Tbs. of the oil, 1 Tbs. of the mustard, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Blend thoroughly until most of the peppercorns are well broken up and the dressing is emulsified. Add 2 Tbs. of the grated Parmigiano and blend to incorporate. Leave the dressing in the blender.

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the remaining 1 Tbs. mustard and 3/4 tsp. salt. Brush the bread with the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and season with salt. Grill the chicken, covered, until golden grill marks form, 5 to 6 min. (for even cooking, rotate the chicken 90 degrees halfway through cooking each side). Flip the breasts and continue to cook, covered, until golden grill marks form and the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 6 min. Let rest on a cutting board for 5 min. Grill the bread until dark around the edges and golden brown in the center, 1 to 2 min. per side. Slice the chicken thinly on an angle. Cut each bread slice into 10 cubes. Pulse the dressing in the blender; add a little of it to the arugula, just to coat.

Divide the arugula among four plates and sprinkle with a little Parmigiano. Toss the chicken with the remaining dressing and arrange over the arugula. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano and arrange the croutons and tomatoes (if using) around the salad.

My Note: I've got a great blender, but it still isn't up to the job of breaking down whole peppercorns. So before they go in the blender, I roughly pound the whole peppercorns in my mortar and pestle. A cast-iron skillet, rolling pin, or any blunt instrument wouldly likely do a fine job too.

I've made this salad with romaine lettuce, when there has been no arugula available, and leave out the anchovies more often than not as they aren't a pantry staple for me so I seldom have them on-hand. Regardless of these small adjustments, this recipe works well.

Repeat

I don't know how it happened, with all the meal ideas out there I ended up making the same meal as I did back on July 6 - Greens with Soba Noodles (see blog of July 6 for recipe). I guess you can't go wrong with lots of fresh veggies, soba noodles, and an Asian-style dressing. The protein in the July 6 recipe came from cashews, but tonight I went with raw tofu. It was still tasty, but I noticed the diced tofu soaked up a considerable amount of the dressing so it wasn't as "well-dressed" as usual. However, still every bit as satisfying and lots of leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Sandra's Kitchen Nightmares

Move over Gordon Ramsay, it should read, "Sandra's Kitchen Nightmares". It isn't often that I have a complete disaster in the kitchen, but it happened tonight. There was leftover risotto in the back of the fridge and I thought it would be a lovely treat to coat them in panko bread crumbs and fry them in a little olive oil. WRONG. I guess the water content was too high in the risotto (they had cherry tomatoes in them) and they didn't hold together well and then almost completely disintegrated when I flipped them to brown the other side. I fished them out of the saute pan and threw paper towels over them to absorb as much excess oil as possible, but my Risotto Cakes looked more like Risotto Splats. Thank goodness there was leftover salmon in the fridge to have for dinner. As an accompaniment: green salad with the house dressing from Fresh restaurant from their cookbook Refresh. Here's the dressing recipe for you - and I promise you won't be able to taste the flax seed oil (see my blog dated July 12 re the Maple Balsamic Dressing and the utmost importance I place on not being able to discern the taste of flax seed oil). As you can see by the measurements it makes quite a bit of dressing, but it keeps well in the fridge (for about 5 days) so I'm sure you'll go through it.

House Dressing from Fresh Restaurant

(with some modifications)

3/4 cup olive oil (sunflower oil is good here too)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup flax seed oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon tamari

1/4 teaspoon raw sugar (I use sucanat, but feel free to use honey, agave nectar or other natural sweetener).

1/4 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Put all ingredients into a blender cup or jam jar and blitz with your immersion/stick blender.

Saturday Summer Supper

Well, part of tonight's dinner - the main course - you already know about. The salmon, potato salad, and corn all appeared in previous blogs (July 14 for the salmon and the potato salad, and July 18 for the corn). Tonight's first course was a no-cook soup made extra-easy with the assistance of the food processor, and goes like this:

Cucumber-Yogourt Soup with Avocado (serves 4)
(from Fine Cooking magazine, Issue #59, page 56)
1 large sweet white onion, peeled and quartered
1 pound of cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into big chunks
1 medium-size ripe avocado
1-1/2 cups plain yogurt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 to 2 cups cold water
Freshly ground black pepper

Put the onion chunks in the food processor; pulse to chop finely. Scoop into a sieve, rinse under cold water; and set aside to drain. Put the cucumber chunks into the food processor; pulse to chop finely. Add the drained onion and pulse to combine. Set aside 3/4 cup of the cucumber-onion mix to stir into the soup at the end. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the pulp and drop it into the food processor with the remaining cucumber-onion mixture. Add the yogourt, olive oil, garlic, cumin, and salt. Puree until fairly smooth. Using a sharp knife, slice the basil and mint leaves into shreds and then stir them into the soup along with the lemon juice, 1 cup of cold water, and the reserved cucumber-onion mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Before serving, check for consistency, gradually adding another 1/2 to 1 cup of cold water to thin the soup, if necessary. Add more lemon juice and salt if needed and serve.

And for dessert.....

I realized I hadn't yet made any ice cream while writing this blog. And here we are in the middle of summer (how did that happen?). So here it is, from my foodie hero, Ina Garten, a rich and beautiful chocolate treat:

Deeply Chocolate Gelato

(2008, Ina Garten, with some modifications)

2-1/4 cups whole milk

1/3 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (recommended: Pernigotti*)

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (recommended: Bernard Callebaut)

4 extra-large egg yolks

2 tablespoons Kahlua (or other coffee liquer)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Large pinch kosher salt

*I can only find Pernigotti cocoa powder at the Williams-Sonoma store (at 15th & Granville) although I'm sure you must be able to find it down Commerical Drive although I've never looked for it there. The price tag isn't for the faint of heart. At $16 a tin it ain't cheap, but worth every penny. I promise you'll never go back to your grocery store cocoa powder.

Heat the milk, cream and 1/2 cup of sugar in a 2-quart saucepan, until the sugar dissolves and the milk starts to simmer. Add the cocoa powder (no need to sift) and the chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Pout into a heat-proof measuring cup (to make it easy to pour later).

Place the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and very thick (if you don't have an electric mixer, I would suggest beating vigoursly with a wooden spoon. You don't want to use an electric mixer as you would then beat air into the mixture which would have disastrous results in the freezer). With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot chocolate mixture into the egg mixture (and I mean slow -- you don't want to end up with chocolate scrambled eggs!). Pour the egg and chocolate mixture back into the 2-quart saucepan and cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. A candy thermometer will register about 180 degrees Farenheit (don't allow the mixture to boil!).

Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and stir in the Kahlua, vanilla extract, and salt. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard and put in the fridge to chill completely. (Or if you're short on time, place the bowl in an ice bath and stir to chill completely or at least to kick-start the chilling process and then put it in the fridge to completely chill).

Pour the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. Freeze in a covered container. Allow the gelato to thaw slightly before serving.

As a garnish, add a vanilla pizzelle wafer to make it feel molto Italiano (very Italian!).

A Trio of Salads

SALAD #1: I couldn't resist the fresh peas at the veggie store today so decided to make them a part of the dinner menu and spent the afternoon shelling them while listening to an old Louie Prima album.

Peas with Lemon, Mint, and Scallions
(Recipe from Fine Cooking Web site, with some modification)
Kosher salt
8 oz. shelled fresh peas (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large scallions (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon packed finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper

Fill a large saucepan half full with water and 2 tsp kosher salt and bring to a boil. Drop the peas into the boiling water and cook until just tender (taste one or two), 2 minutes for smaller peas, 3 minutes for larger, older peas. Begin timing immediately; don’t wait for the water to return to a boil. Use a mesh strainer to transfer the peas to a dish towel or a few layers of paper towels to drain. Discard the water the peas were boiled in, but reserve the pot.
Melt the butter in the reserved saucepan over low heat. Add the scallions and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream, half of the mint, the lemon zest, 1/4 tsp of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until it thickens slightly and a wooden spoon leaves a wide path when scraped across the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. Add the peas and stir until they’re heated through and well coated with the sauce, 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat, taste for salt and pepper, and serve immediately, garnished with the remaining mint.

SALAD #2: I felt like adding a little pasta to tonight's meal so the orzo with all the pantry staples (canned artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, tuna) fit the bill nicely. I buy the Raincoast brand of canned tuna. It's expensive, but the quality is worth it. It's the equivalent of having a tuna steak in a can.

Lemony Orzo with Tuna and Artichoke Hearts
(recipe from Fine Cooking magazine, issue #100, with some modifications)

Kosher salt

1-1/2 cups dried orzo

1 tablspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup vegetable stock

1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (soaked in hot water to rehydrate, drained and thinly sliced)

1 5-oz. can water-packed solid white tuna, drained

3 tablespoons sour cream

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package timing until al dente. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the vegetable stock. Return the skillet to the heat and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes and cook just until tender and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Off the heat, gently stir in the tuna.

Transfer the hot orzo to a large bowl and toss with the sour cream and lemon juice. Add the onion-artichoke mixture, 2 Tbs. of the basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to combine. Spoon into bowls, garnish with the remaining 1 Tbs. basil, and serve.

SALAD #3: Seeing as how we're having a trio of salads for dinner, I thought it was approrpriate to use a trio of lettuces to make a Green Salad. Extra veggies added included celery, yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers.

To dress the salad, just a simple Vinaigrette:

(Recipe from Enlightened Eating cookbook, with some modfications)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1-1/2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Put all ingredients together in a jam jar (or other like vessel) and blitz with your immersion/stick blender.

The lettuces are fresh and beautiful in the market so I purchased three varieties. Although I like the convenience of the Earthbound Organics boxed mixed greens, I'm finding they're not as good as they once were. Somehow, even though the sell by date is still another week or so away, there's already half-dead and limp lettuce in the box. Plus I find just after a few days there's a funny odour from the lettuce. Definitely not as good as preparing your own lettuce - and then there's the cost. Why spend $4.99 on a box of already wilted lettuce, when you can get a big, beautiful head of lettuce for 69 cents! (or a buck, tops!) When I got my red leaf, butter, and green lettuces home, I filled up three big bowls with water, separated the leaves and gave them a quick rinse under the tap, then dunked and swirled them in each of their prepared bowls and left them to sit in the water a while. Then I gently lifted out the lettuce making sure not to upset the water at the bottom of the bowl and inadvertently stir up any dirt that had sunk to the bottom, and gave each lettuce a turn in the salad spinner. For each variety of lettuce, I took some paper towel, soaked it in water, then wrung it out. I lay the damp paper towel out and put the lettuce on top and then wrapped the lettuce in the damp paper towel and popped it into a Ziploc bag making sure to press out as much of the air as possible. Then into the fridge it all went. This way whenever I want to make a salad, and especially for those weekday mornings when you don't have all the time in the world to prep lunch, you have crisp, clean salad greens at your fingertips.

Happy Anniversary, Baby

Today is our 11th wedding anniversary. Funny, but it only feels like a year or two so I guess we're doing things right.

We decided not to go out for our anniversary dinner, but instead to split the task of making a scrumptions meal to remember. I was in charge of the starter and sides for the main course and Michael was in charge of the main course protein and dessert.

For starters I made the Canlis Salad from the Canlis restaurant in Seattle. This salad was named as one of the 10 best things to eat in the U.S. I'm not quite sure about the ranking, but it was good. To me it was an update to a classic Caesar Salad. The salad consisted of Romaine lettuce, fresh mint, fresh oregano, chives, grated pecorino cheese, home-made croutons flavoured with dried oregano, thyme and garlic. There was also bacon in the salad (for this you dice the bacon in 1/4 inch cubes and using a 10" skillet bring 1 cup of water to a boil then add the bacon. Cook on a high heat until the water has evaporated, then turn the heat to low and cook another 5 minutes or so until the bacon is crispy. It certainly had a lot of flavour). The dressing consisted of 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, to which you add a whole egg (at room temperature)and gradually whisk in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. When you got a little of each ingredient on the fork it certainly made for a tasty bite.

Michael barbecued beef tenderloin prepared only with a little olive oil, Kosher salt and pepper -- divine. We seldom eat red meat so this was a rare treat. To accompany the steak I prepared grilled eggplant and cherry tomatoes sauteed with fresh herbs (basil, thyme, and Italian parsley). We washed it down with a lovely Cedar Creek Shiraz (2007) recommended by the folks at Sips (the wine store at Ironwood Mall that sells only BC wines). Although we sipped on the wine before the main course, it really came alive when eating the steak, which is what the wine aficionado at Sips told me would happen.

For dessert Michael prepared an apple pie (yes, from scratch - my husband is a great baker) and served a simple scoop of Hagen Daaz vanilla ice cream to finish. Ahhhhh, Happy Anniversary.