Jicama Salad

Have you tried jicama?  It is a crisp, white fleshed tuber with almost a bland taste.  The crispy part is what is important.  It can easily be added to any salad to brighten up other vegetables.  When cut into small sticks, it has the consistency of water chestnuts.

We have had two salads this week with this crisp vegetable.  Just peel and cut and add vegetables that you have in your refrigerator.  Then, a quick vinaigrette and you have a very nice salad.

Jicama Salad
recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay

1 large jicama, julienned
2 large carrots, julienned
1 cup red onion, finely sliced
1/2 red pepper, julienned
1/2 yellow pepper, julienned
1 tomato, julienned
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of cayenne
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Combine jicama, carrots, red onion, both peppers, tomato in a medium bowl.  Whisk together lime juice, vinegar, honey, olive oil and cayenne and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the cilantro and let sit for 30 minutes.

I know that there are several of you out there who proclaim you do not like cilantro.  I truly believe it is one of my favorite herbs.  As with all things that taste strange to you, I only put this thought into your mind.  Give it one more try.  Cilantro and lime together to a perfect combination.  I really think you will like this salad.

Spelt/Farro Salad

Back in December of 2008, when my blog was just starting and there were very, very few readers, I posted a favorite salad recipe.  I just put it together again and feel it needs repeating.  This is very good and very healthy.

After a trip to Italy where we found "farro" on the menu a lot, I did some searching to find out more about this grain.  It is very similar to "spelt" and often, in the US, you can find it by the name spelt..  I usually get a large bag of it when I am at Whole Foods.  It looks sort of like barley, cooks the same way, and to me, smells like oatmeal while it is cooking.

Starting tomorrow, we will again be volunteering at Disney for the Children's Miracle Network Golf Classic which means we leave home before 6 a.m. and get home after 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.  That means a quick, hearty, simple dinner will be necessary in the evening.  I made a large batch of this salad as it "cures" nicely.  I also used what was available in my refrigerator this morning, so most anything goes.

Spelt/Farro Salad

In salted water, boil farro for 40-45 minutes.  Drain and let cool.  In the meantime, dice into small pieces, tomatoes, zucchini, radishes, spring onions, red bell pepper, and finely chop parsley.  Mix with the cooled farro.

Make a vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic, touch of honey and salt and pepper.  Blend and mix into the salad.  Enjoy.

Salade de Gésiers

As the weeks are quickly creeping by until our trip to France, I am getting my mind in the mood.  Thinking food, mostly.

This precious can has been sitting in my pantry for quite a while.  I guess, just waiting for the right moment.  It seems, that moment arrived this evening. 

Parlez vous français?  Ya, I know, I don't either, much.  After 10 weeks of French lessons, The Trout and I should be doing so much better.  I blame it on my German background.  I seem to take the English word and translate it to German first and then try to put it into French.  Very time consuming and not very productive.  But, we have definitely learned a lot. 

Gésiers d' oie are goose gizzards.  Don't get that look on your face.  You really have to try them.  This evening we ate them the same way we ate them in the Dordogne.  In a salad...a beautiful way to enjoy this tasty part of the goose.  In fact, every time I see them on a menu in France, I order them...they are that good.  Tender, sweet and tasty.

I boiled a couple of Yukon gold potatoes and let cool to room temperature.  Added them to some mixed greens and then opened the can of gizzards.  I cut them into smaller pieces and sautéed them in their own goose fat until slightly crisp.  I removed them and scattered them on the salad.  I then added some red wine vinegar to the goose fat and let it cook up and then poured the hot mixture onto the salad for the dressing.  Truly, I believe you need a true love for French food to really enjoy this.  

This trip we will not be in the Dordogne, but Provence.  The gésiers will not be as available, but I still have hopes to find a can to bring back home to the pantry.



Lamb Chops with Cherry Marsala Sauce

The Trout found this recipe on Blue Kitchen blog and since we had the dried cherries in the pantry, lamb chops in the freezer, rosemary growing outside the door, this sounded perfect for a Sunday dinner.

I also found out that February is National Lamb month.  As far as I am concerned, every day could be national lamb day.  We really love it.

Along side this beautiful lamb chop in cherry sauce was a lettuce salad with a lemon vinaigrette and wild rice which we bought while traveling through northern Minnesota last summer to attend a wedding.  Wild rice is not a true rice, rather a seed of a grass.  It has a wonderful nutty taste and can be quite expensive.  It goes wonderfully with wild game or poultry also.

We really liked this sauce.  We did change it a bit and were very happy with the end results.

Lamb Chops with Cherry Marsala Sauce

1/3 cup dried tart cherries
4 lamb loin chops, about 1 inch thick
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot or scallions
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup dry Marsala wine

Place the dried cherries in a small bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let rest 15 minutes and then drain.

Grill the chops to your liking, cover and let rest until the sauce is done.  "Blue Kitchen" sautèed the chops on the stove top.  We prefer grilling them.

Melt butter in a pan and sautè shallots until just tender, about 3 minutes, stirring to avoid burning.  Add garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring until fragrant, 30 seconds.  Add broth and Marsala to skillet.  Stir in cherries and cook for 2-3 minutes, until sauce is slightly reduced and thickened.  I did add another pat of butter at the end to add some body, flavor and gloss to the sauce.

Spoon sauce over the lamb chops.  A very nice change for a perfectly grilled lamb chop.  Other than the kitchen looking like the 'perfect storm' had hit it, we did enjoy this Sunday dinner. 

Salade Lyonnaise

The Trout found a great recipe in the New York Times and tonight was the night to try it. Unfortunately, to find frisee lettuce in central Florida is kind of a challenge. We did see some at Whole Foods in Tampa, but it was $2.99 for a very small bunch and we would have needed at least three for this salad. So, we kept searching. I am very frugal.

Thought Arugula would work fine, but settled for an endive. It turned out alright, but Arugula would probably have been the better choice. So, let me tell you what we did.

Salade Lyonnaise

4 cups of torn frisee or other strong tasting greens, washed and dried

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

about 1/2 pound good slab bacon or pancetta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 shallot, chopped or 1 tablespoon chopped red onion

2 to 4 tablespoons top-quality sherry vinegar

1 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Salt

4 eggs

Freshly ground pepper

1. Put frisee or other greens in a large salad bowl. Put olive oil in skillet over medium heat. When hot, add bacon and cook slowly until crisp all over, about 10 minutes. Add shallot or onion and cook until softened, a minute or two. Add vinegar and mustard to the skillet and bring just to a boil, stirring, then turn off the heat.

2. Meanwhile, bring an inch of salted water to a boil in a small, deep skillet, then lower heat to barely bubbling. One at a time, break eggs into a shallow bowl and slip them into the bubbling water. Cook eggs for 3 to 5 minutes, just until the white is set and the yolk has filmed over. Remove each egg with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towel.

3. If necessary, gently reheat dressing, then pour over greens. They should wilt just a bit. Toss and season to taste. Top each portion with an egg and serve immediately. Each person gets to break the egg.

This was a lovely light summer dinner. We did serve it along side a crab cake. I did not make the crab cake. It was purchased at Costco, Phillips brand, and we really like them a lot.

Our black bean salad

I can't believe I have never posted anything about our most favorite salad, but after searching today, it seems that this one slipped by. It is a Black Bean Salad that we have been making for years and we really love it.

The recipe is so simple, it is not a recipe. I simple add corn, either fresh, cooked, corn on the cob or out of a can, black beans that are rinsed, sliced green onions, red peppers, a jalapeno, lots of cilantro , a sprinkling of salt and olive oil. Let this marinated for a short time and serve along side a steak or chops or chicken, etc.

We love this so much. I hope you will try it.

Oh no...I forgot to mention a very important ingredient. Lime!! Squeeze lots of lime juice onto the salad. It is the topper!!

Salad Nicoise

For many, many years, a favorite light dinner in our kitchen has always been Salad Nicoise. Salad Nicoise is a French composed salad of lettuce, tuna, green beans, hard-cooked eggs, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, olives and anchovies topped with a vinaigrette. Tonight we had just that accompanied by a rose' wine from France. Light, filling and very tasty. The Trout added a touch of Agave nectar for sweetness to the vinaigrette and it was perfect. We have been using Agave a lot in place of sugar and have been real fans.

Of course, the wine again. A beautiful rose' from 2008 from a village near Nimes.

Salad Nicoise is not new to use. In the picture below, you see me in 2005 in the village of Vaison la Romaine after a day at the market. We were seated on the balcony of a restaurant. The salad nicoise that day was huge and it was our total lunch. Beyond that wall is the river with a visual monument to the war dead.

Vaison la Romaine, in the area of Provence, is a beautiful city filled with Roman ruins. With just a tiny bit of imagination, one can see Julius Caesar walking the streets, the traders selling their wares, and the people, the many Roman people doing their daily routines. We loved this city and would love to go back some day. Besides, the market with all the spices, fruits, grains, meats, vegetables and Provencal wares for sale is enough to make anyone want to go back. I found beautiful tablecloths and placemats from Provence that we love to use for our dinners with guests.

Salad number 3?

Are these people crazy? Another salad...with avocado? Well, this one is very, very good. We did a lot of tweaking on one of Ina Garten's recipes, "Grilled Tuna Rolls". The rolls would have been wonderful, but we eliminated the bread and made a beautiful salad.

Grilled Tuna Rolls
compliments of Ina Garten

good olive oil
1 pound very fresh tuna steak, 1 inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lime, zest grated
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 tsp. wasabi powder (we used Sriracha sauce)
5 dashes hot sauce (Tabasco--again an extra squirt of Sriracha)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 firm Hass avocado, diced
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced scallion
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
9 hot dog rolls, grilled or toasted
1 bunch baby arugula (we used spring greens)

Heat a grill and brush both sides of tuna with olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill tuna to your desired doneness. Can be seared in a dry saute pan over high heat.

For the dressing, whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, wasabi powder, soy sauce, hot sauce, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Toss the avocado in the dressing and then add the tuna, red onion, scallion and sesame seeds. Line the rolls with the arugula leaves and fill with the tuna mixture.

Because we did not want to eat the rolls, we simply tossed all in a bowl and had a wonderful dinner salad. The dressing was very, very good. As you can see in the photo, we also added some tomato and chopped radishes. This will definitely be on the menu again.

Another great salad

Found another good salad recipe for tonight. KalynsKitchen.com is a great spot to find recipes on the South Beach diet. You do not have to be dieting to eat these, because they are great at any time. Tonight's salad was excellent and, of course, as with all salads, your imagination is your best ingredient.

Salad with Tomatoes, Avocado, Feta, Shrimp and Caper Vinaigrette
Recipe adapted from Greek Salad with Avocado, Shrimp and Caper Vinaigrette from Nick's Fishmarket Maui featured in Bon Appetit
Magazine, March 2009

The title of this recipe is enough to turn people off. Don't stop now!!

Dressing (enough for 6-8 salads but make it all so can have the salad a few times)
4 oz. capers with juice (about 1/2 cup)
2 T. minced roasted red pepper from a jar
2 T minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Put capers with liquid, minced roasted red pepper and minced parsley in a food processor with steel blade and pulse 20-30 seconds. Place in a small bowl. Stir in Dijon and red wine vinegar and then whisk in olive oil, a little at a time, until vinaigrette is emulsified.

Salad (2 servings)
1 large handful shredded romaine lettuce
1 avocado, diced
3-4 small tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled Feta
1/2 cup cooked salad shrimp
Small amount of sweet onion

Put chopped romaine lettuce into salad bowl and add 2 T dressing and toss until lettuce is well-coated. Add chopped avocado, tomatoes, shrimp along with 1-2 T. more dressing and toss gently. Top with the crumbled Feta.

I never buy the cooked salad shrimp. Tiger shrimp and white shrimp are always available and I simply boil in a pot with a good dose of Old Bay Seasoning. Shrimp cooked this way will taste like shrimp and not like soggy, watered shrimp.

We really enjoyed this salad. We made enough that it was our main entree. Chicken could be substituted. This will certainly be made again. See a pattern of avocado here?

Guacamole Salad

My records show that this is the third time we have made Guacamole Salad. It is a recipe from a favorite lady of mine, The Barefoot Contessa. We have been eating more and more salads since trying to shed some weight and this one was perfect tonight with a grilled chicken breast. If I haven't done so before, due credit is given to the Trout for picking out recipes and preparing them. I am good at cleaning up and help with any baking necessary. And as we frequently say around our house, "You're the gourmet around here, Eddie!"

This is an easy recipe and we enjoy it very much. Feel free to make minor changes to make it your own as we do.

Guacamole Salad
Compliments of Barefoot Contessa at Home

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2 inch diced (we used a luscious red pepper)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup diced red onion (we used a shallot)
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2)
1/4 cup good olive oil
pinch of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (we used a squeeze of Sriracha hot sauce)
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled and 1/2 inch diced

Place the tomatoes, pepper, black beans, onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables and toss well.

Just before serving, fold the avocados into the salad. Serve at room temperature.

Just enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow. We really like salads with a lot of lime zest and juice. Lemons are also good, but limes give a more tropical flavor.

Quinoa in a salad

One blog I like to read is Katie's, Thyme for Cooking. This last week she had a salad that sounded so very good, that tonight The Trout and I put this together and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Spinach and quinoa, with yellow pepper, carrots, avocado, white cheddar and a soy balsamic vinaigrette. Instead of the stir-fry chicken she suggested, we simply grilled a steak to go with it. Very, very good.

Check out Katie's blog. She is a Midwest girl who has lived in Europe for some time, but just now settled into a new (restoring an old) home in France. Her recipe and blog can be found here. Along with this delightful meal, we had a bottle of L'Anthemtique Vacqueyras 2005 wine.

This was our Easter dinner

Though it was just the two of us, after church on Sunday, the Trout and I cooked a lovely dinner for ourselves.

We had lamb chops, which we love, marinated in olive oil, garlic and our own rosemary. Along with this I made Ina Garten's Zucchini Gratin. This was a wonderful side dish and the recipe can be found here. It is a lovely way to eat zucchini. I did substitute Emmentaler cheese for the Gruyere as that is what I had, but even Parmesan would be good in this casserole.

A favorite salad is Mediterranean Salad from Giada de Laurentiis. We make this quite often because it is such a different salad and so good. You can see her recipe here.

Along with a bottle of 2006 Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz, rated a 91 by Wine Spectator Magazine which we bought for $13 at Costco. It was a perfect wine to accompany our Easter dinner.

We both said no dessert even though we missed it, but trying to hold back on calories and would rather have the calories in the dinner than dessert. I am still trying to convince myself of this...

Dandelion Salad

Yesterday, as I was reading my blog list, I came across Ken's comments of the day at his blog "Living the Life in Saint-Aignan," (see his blog listed on the right). He was talking about dandelions in the form of wine and eating them. I have experienced them both in this way.

What he did remind me of was a spring ritual that used to take place in our home as I was growing up. Always near Easter, the dandelions would be foraged by my mother. With paring knife in hand, many women in the Amana's would go out into the yards and meadows looking for newly sprouted dandelions. They always searched for these dandelions where no dog has gone! Some ladies in the village were better at foraging than others, and they were often kind enough to share their finds.

It had to be done early before they bloomed, because then the leaves would be too bitter. The tender leaves would be separated from the outer leaves which would be discarded. Constant washing, over and over to remove all sand and dirt was necessary. And then, chopped into tiny little pieces, very tiny bits. Then placed in a colander and rinsed again and drained.

Zigorriesalat
Dandelion Salad

4 cups prepared dandelion greens
1 tablespoon diced onions
2 tablespoons bacon fat
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vinegar
3 cups hard-cooked eggs, chilled and sliced
1/3 cup cream or half and half
Dash salt and pepper

In a medium-size skillet saute onions in fat. Add flour and stir until smooth. Combine water and vinegar and pour both into skillet. Stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Placed sliced eggs in empty salad bowl. Add cooked dressing and cream. Stir and add salt and pepper. Allow dressing to cool and then toss in prepared greens.

I remember my mother always thought eating this once or twice in the spring was important as she called it an elixir after a long cold winter in Iowa.

I remember this as tasting wonderful, but it does tend to have a bitter flavor. It's always what you grew up with that makes such good memories.

My favorite salad dressing

Next to a good Caesar Salad, Pacific Rim Salad Dressing is my very favorite dressing. We came upon this years ago. In fact, the original recipe was published in the December 2001 issue of Bon Appetit.

It is the best dressing to go with seafood, be it salmon, scallops, shrimp, etc. Tonight we had grilled salmon and Romaine lettuce with Pacific Rim Dressing. It is worth the try.

Pacific Rim Salad Dressing

Juice of one lime

2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 Tablespoon lemongrass, minced

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)

2 garlic gloves, minced

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce ( we always use Sriracha)

1/2 cup olive oil

I large head romaine lettuce, torn in bite-size pieces

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine lime juice and next 7 ingredients in processor. While processor is running, add olive oil slowly and process until thickened.

Place lettuce in a large bowl. Add dressing and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

We always use Gourmet Garden Lemon Grass in a tube. Because we don't have a large Oriental community near us, this works very well and is much easier to find.

This salad with grilled salmon and a bottle of French Marsanne Viognier..it just doesn't get much better.

It's been busy

Things have gotten surprisingly busy this week. My volunteering is cutting into my free time a lot and I am making lots of lists so that I don't forget to do something.

I did put together a great salad this morning from my friend, Laurie, from Wisconsin. A Kidney Bean Salad with two cans of red kidney beans, chopped celery, green onions, red or green pepper, a tablespoon sweet pickle relish and 2 hard-cooked eggs. To this add 1 tsp. of Worcestershire, vinegar, sugar and mustard. Moisten with 1/4 cup mayo and you have a very creamy salad that is also good for you. Thanks, Laurie.

We are happy to see that the single sand hill crane that has been walking around here alone does not have a dead mate. We just saw mom and dad and we think the single one has taken off on his own and has not found a mate yet. I was very worried that one of them had been killed.

Tomorrow a friend whom I have not seen since high school is stopping by for a visit. That will be a reunion and I just hope we can squeeze everything we need to say into a few hours.

Fennel, the wonder vegetable

Tonight we had one of our favorite salads again. We did use bacon instead of pancetta because it was handy and it was alright, but we really prefer the pancetta. We love fennel, raw or cooked and this salad is often found at our house. We first saw Giada De Laurentiis make this on Food TV and we have found that almost everything she cooks is a favorite of ours. Try the fennel if you have not done so yet. I think you will find it delightful. And, of course, a Cotes du Rhone is never bad...

Caramelized Pancetta and Fennel Salad
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Prep Time:
15 min
Inactive Prep Time:
5 min
Cook Time:
10 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 servings

Ingredients
1 bulb fennel, halved and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
5 slices pancetta
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces (about 6 to 7 cups) mixed salad greens
Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, toss together fennel, pancetta, garlic, brown sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the ingredients on the baking sheet in a single layer. Cook until the pancetta is crisp and the fennel is caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, place the salad greens, crumbled pancetta, and caramelized fennel. Toss the salad with the Red Wine Vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.
Yield: scant 1/2 cup
Prep Time: 5 minutes

Thai Beef Salad

Sometimes, though rarely, we have leftover steak. We both immediately know what we want to do with it. Many years ago we found a recipe for Thai Beef Salad and we really love it for a meal.

To the leftover sliced steak, add sliced Romaine, chopped radishes, minced cilantro, sliced red onion, thinly sliced avocado, bean sprouts and lime zest. The dressing is:

Thai Beef Salad Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. lime juice

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. minced ginger

This dressing is simply pour over all the salad ingredients and then ENJOY!

Farro Salad

Several years ago on a trip to Italy, many times we came across farro on the menu. We did not know what it was, but we are always willing to try something new. We found it in soups, salads, and as side dishes. It was very good and reminded us somewhat of barley, but more flavorful. Farro was cultivated in the ancient world and is just now becoming popular again, especially in Italy.

With that memory in mind, we found we could order farro on the Internet from Chef Shop. So last night, we made a farro salad that we just could not stop eating. We cooked the farro in salted water and after it cooled, added chopped tomatoes, radishes, onions, parsley, chives, garlic and tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette made with olive oil. Very, very good. If by chance you are willing to give it a try and have a difficult time finding farro, barley can be substituted, but I doubt it would taste as good.