Garlic-infused lemon salad dressing is robust and excellent for any bold salad. The strong flavor balances nicely against the light texture of this dressing.
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/8 cup or 2 Tbsp Parmesan Reggiani, finely grated
1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed from 1 -3 lemons
Salt and pepper
Directions
Finely mince garlic. The garlic should be fine enough it blends into the dressing. If desired, use a garlic press to crush garlic prior to mincing to achieve a fine texture.
Squeeze juice from lemons to get 1/3 cup. The amount of juice and acidity will vary. Taste the lemon juice to determine if slightly more or less lemon juice will be needed. For highly acidic lemons, add part of the lemon juice at the beginning to make dressing. Add the remainder to get desired lemon flavor.
Place oil and lemon juice in a salad dressing shaker or bowl where dressing can be whisked.
Add minced garlic and cheese.
Add pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Shake or whisk dressing until well mixed — if not, the garlic and cheese may settle as seen in the picture below.
Notes
Use the best olive oil available for salad dressings. An extra virgin olive oil that is fruity and peppery is my favorite for salad dressings and dipping.
I buy a Parmesan-Reggiano that is cut from a wheel. I bought pre-packaged Parmesan that was expensive and was disappointed. It made a big difference in the flavor balance of the salad dressing and the taste of the finished dressed salad.
An easy to make salad with few ingredients that delivers a crunchy texture with sweet and salty flavors. It goes well with meat, fish, and pasta dishes.
The salad ingredients below are for a two-person salad. Increase the salad ingredents for a larger salad with more servings.
Salad Ingredients
2 small bunches romaine lettuce
1 pear
1/3 C Manchego cheese shaved
Dressing Ingredients
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C lime juice
4 t maple syrup(real)
1/2 C Fromage Blanc or sour cream
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t red pepper flakes
Directions
Wash and dry 6 whole romaine leaves. Line salad bowl with 6 romaine leaves. You may need more romaine leaves for a larger bowl.
Chop remaining lettuce and place in bowl.
Make a light dressing such as a the dressing above or use a vinaigrette.
Toss lettuce with dressing.
Add Manchego and pears. Drizzle light amount of dressing over the top and serve.
Pear, Romain & Manchego Salad
How to Serve
We served this salad as part of an easy-to-fix meal with grilled steak, roasted fingerlings, lemon sorbet and fresh blueberries. Big flavors, little cleanup.
Notes
Use firm pears to add more texture. The Manchego should be an aged manchego that easily slices.
The dressing was made with Fromage Blanc which is a fresh cheese. Sour cream may be substituted, but will increase acidity. Balance acidity with more or less maple syrup.
Whipped egg whites coddling a yolk. A different approach to traditional bacon and egg breakfast.
Ingredients
Eggs
Directions
Heat oven to 350º F Foil cover baking sheet
In small bowl separate white from yolk. Place yolk in small bowl. I used the hand method of separating the two.
Whip the egg white until firm peaks form. Butter the foil. Place whipped whites on baking sheet and tease hole in middle to hold the egg yolk. Bake the white for 5-10 minutes, Add yolk carefully not to break it and cook about 5 minutes. Serve.
Note:
Changes I would make: add herbs or other seasoning to white while whipping.
I opt out of cloud eggs for a traditional recipe. I would not try this again. Pretty presentation though.
An easy to make refreshing frozen dessert that is tart yet sweet. It pairs well with fresh fruit.The younger set love crisp cookie sorbet sandwiches.
Ingredients
2 C water
2 C sugar
16-20 limes
1 T lime zest
Directions
Products and Tools needed
Sugar,water,limes, a juicer, microplane, and ice cream/yogurt maker*
Simple Sugar
In small pan add 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water. Do not stir. Bring water to boil. Then simmer for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. This maybe made days ahead of time and refrigerated.
Making Sorbet
Place Cuianart Yogurt bowl in freezer 24 hours before making sorbet.
Zest limes using microplane. After zesting, juice limes and add juice and zest to the simple sugar. Mix and then place in freezer 2-3 hours.
Place yogurt/ice cream bowl onto ice cream maker and add sorbet mixture. Place paddle into bowl and add lid and turn on. Churn for 20 – 30 minutes.*
Remove frozen sorbet from maker and serve or place in covered container in freezer for further snacking.
Serve with favorite fruit or perhaps an ice cream sandwich. We served on Cinco de Mayo spritz cookies.
Happy eating!
Notes
*Sorbets can be made without a ice cream maker. Place sorbet in shallow container. Freeze then remove and fork smash. Continue this step until desired consistency is achieved,
*Length of time on machine depends on how cold the sorbet/sherbert mixture is before placing in freezer bowl. I have had sorbets that were done in 7 minutes and some that took 40 minutes.
A fantastic and hearty winter stew with red wine and potatoes. Great for a couple of meals.
Ingredients
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 c flour
2 lbs beef cut into 2 inch sections
4 T olive oil
1 T soy sauce
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 c red wine
3 c beef stock
2 carrots, cubed
1 onion, cubed
8 small potatoes, cut into eighths
1 tblsp herbs de Provence
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
Directions
Trim fat off beef. Season with salt and pepper and then toss with flour.
Heat olive oil in a deep pan. Shake off excess flour and add beef when oil is hot. The burner should have a medium heat where you hear a sizzle when adding beef, but should not be so high that the oil and flour burn. Consider using a dutch oven style pan. Do not overcrowd the pan or you will steam the meat.
Brown beef cubes on all side. If the bottom of the pan appears to lack oil, add a small drizzle sound the bottom – about a teaspoon.
Pull the pan off the burner, remove the beef. If you are doing multiple batches, then quickly clean burned bits off the bottom and add a little more oil to the pan. Put the pan back on the burner and heat the pan again. Removing bits of burned material from the bottom of the pan removes burned flavor from the dish.
Complete each batch. Remove all beef from the pan and then add wine, soy sauce, and stock. Scrape bottom of pan with wood spoon. Do not scrape with a metal spoon. Bring liquid to a boil.
Add the beef to liquid and let simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until the beef is tender. Turn the burner down to simmer. Put the lid on to keep liquid from evaporating. You may need to add an additional 1/2 to 1 cup of stock during the cooking period.
Add other ingredients and cook for 20 minutes in an uncovered pan. The dish is done when potatoes are fork-tender.
If thickened sauce is desired. remove beef, potatoes, and carrots to a bowl. Cook sauce over medium heat while stirring occasionally to desired thickness. Add back in the meat and vegetables.
A salad of traditionally more bitter greens dressed in a sweet lime dressing paired with creamy blue cheese and ripe pears. A salad that is crunchy and has bitter and sweet overtones with a creamy finish.
Ingredients
5 ounces arugula*
1/2 head radicchio chopped
1 pear sliced or cubes
1/2 C blue cheese(Point Reyes Bay Blue)*
Dressing
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C lime juice
1/2 C fro age
4 t maple syrup(real)
1/2 C fromage Blanca or sour cream
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t red pepper flakes
Directions
Dressing
Place ingredients into salad dressing shaker and emulsify by shaking. Set aside
Salad
Place arugula and radicchio in salad bowl. Add pears and blue cheese. Drizzle dressing toss and serve.
Notes
Pecans or bacon crumbles added are a complimentary addition.
*Our groceries have an abundance of organic greens that are affordable, arugula being one.
*Point Reyes Bay Blue is a mild blue made from cows milk. It’s a cheese that pairs well with fruits like pears. As a substitute in the salad I would use a Roquefort or Gorgonzola. As an aside when traveling I like the Seattle International Airport because it has an artisan cheese shop that is called Beechers. Instead of spending time waiting for a flight I am sampling and buying cheese for my use or as gifts.
Fish tacos are a family favorite. We like blackend instead of batter fried fish. We traditionally grill our fish. The slaw is crisp and seasoned to compliment the fish. Crema adds acidity and creaminess. Blackened fish with crunchy slaw nestled in a soft corn taco shell is irresistible.
Ingredients
1 1/2 poundcod filets sliced into 1 inch pieces
2 T canola oil
Blacken Seasoning
1 T smoked paprika
1 t cumin
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
2 t thyme
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt
Slaw*
1/2 head of red cabbage shredded
1/4 head green cabbage shredded
6 T cilantro chopped
1/3 C chopped onion
1/2 Serrano chili diced
Dressing
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 t cumin
3 T cilantro chopped
1 T shallot diced
1/2 lime juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Crema
1/2.C crema / sour cream*
2 T lime juice
1 t chopped shallot
1/2 Serrano diced/optional
2 T cilantro chopped
3 T mayonnaise
Directions
Heat grill to 375-400º F 8-10 tacos
In small bowl combine blackened seasoning ingredients.* Lightly oil grill pan. Using pastry brush lightly oil one side of fish and sprinkle on blackened seasoning. Turn over and oil season other side. Place on grill and cook about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove.
Slaw
Mix slaw dressing Ingredients in small bowl.
In medium bowl add shredded cabbage , cilantro, onion, and chili. Toss and add dressing and mix. Let marinate 30-45 minutes
Crema
Mix ingredients together in small bowl and marinates for 30 minutes. Place in serving dish.
Wrap 8-10 taco shells in foil and place on top shelf of grill to heat.
Assemble
Place taco on serving dish and add slaw and fish and top with slaw. Drizzle taco with crema. Serve with rice and Mexican black beads. Redand/or green salsas and hot sauce on the side,
Notes
*Crema is sold in loca Mexican groceries and in Safeway/Carrs stores.
*Chopped radish can also be added.
* If you want to use premixed seasoning ;Paul Prodhomme has a blackened seasoning for fish.
We are more heavy handed with chilis.
We have access to fresh fish regularly. We use this recipe for salmon, halibut, cod, and rock fish.
Stuffed cabbage with ground beef, bell pepper and rice
I saw Julia Child and Jacque Pepin make stuffed cabbage on PBS. With care and attention to preparation and seasonings, I was able to follow the recipe and understand why this unique recipe was the focal point of the show. The flavor of the cabbage was delightful and very tender. I modified ingredients to my taste preference, but most interesting was freezing the cabbage for ease of preparation. I used gentle seasonings so the cabbage flavor was not hidden.
Ingredients
1 head of green cabbage or Savoy cabbage
1 large onion chopped
2 carrots diced
2 celery stalks diced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 t caraway seeds
1 T parsley chopped
3/4 pound ground beef
1 C cooked rice
Sauce
1 large onion diced
3 carrots diced
4 celery sticks diced
4 garlic cloves minced
3 T olive oil
1 14.5 ounce can of crushed tomatoes*
1 T Cento® tomato paste
1 t Italian herbs
1 bay leaf
3 C chicken broth
1 C white wine
Directions
Oven temperature 350º F serves 6-8
Core the cabbage and wrap in plastic wrap.Place in freezer for 24 hours then remove and place in refrigerator for 24 hours.
Cook rice according to package directions.* and set aside.
Remove 12 outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside. Chop the remaining cabbage up and add set aside.
In large skillet bring olive oil up to heat and add onions, carrots, celery, garlic and cook until translucent. Add tomatoes and chopped cabbage. Cook until liquid is reduced about 30- minutes.
Add rice and ground beef and combine.
Sauce
Heat olive oil in 5 quart oven proof covered pot. Add onions, carrots,celery, Italian herds and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, and broth. Bring to boil.
Assemble
Cut large sheet of aluminum foil to assemble cabbage leaves and stuffing. Lay down in overlapping circular form the 4 largest leaves. Place at least 1/3 of stuffing in center. Add next 4 leaves and repeat. Add 4 final leaves and remainder of stuffing. Pull the bottom leaves and foil up to form a firm ball. Leave a hole at the top on the ball.
Place the hole side down in the braising pot. Pour in wine and cover. Bake for 1 1/2 -2 hours. Check half way through check on braising liquid level; may have to add additional broth.
Remove from oven. Using a large spatula lift cabbage out of pot to serving tray. Remove foil and pour some braising liquid over cabbage. Count and serve. Serve with green beans and a green salad.
Stuffed Cabbage After Braising
Stuffed cabbage is delicate. Use caution with slicing to create servings. Below is an example serving.
Stuffed Cabbage Layers
Serve with peppery tomato sauce.
Stuffed Cabbage with Tomatoes
Notes
*Diced tomatoes can be substituted for crushed tomatoes.
*Organic brown rice make take longer to cook than white rice.
Freezing the cabbage was a time saving step. No par boiling the leaves. I debated between ground beef and ground turkey. The ground beef added additional flavor to the cabbage.
A flavorful tender steak with a velvety sauce that is ready to serve in less than an hour.
Ingredients
4 top blade steaks
Salt and pepper
Sauce
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 large carrot finely diced
3 large shallot finely diced
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
1 T Worcestshire sauce
3 garlic cloves smashed
1 C Madeira
1 1/2 C of Swanson’s beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T butter
1/2 C half and half
Directions
Grill 400º F
Trim excess fat from the steaks. Oil the steak lightly with grapeseed oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes per side and then move to cooler part of the grill. Close the cover and grill for about 4 minutes. At 135º the steak was medium rare.Remove steak from grill and cover with aluminum foil for 10 minutes.
Sauce
Heat olive oil and butter in the sautepan. Sauté the carrots until golden. Add onions and caramelize the carrots and shallots . Stir occasionally so they don’t burn. Deglaze the pan with half the Madeira scraping the glaze from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine. Add beef stock, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to boil than simmer until reduced by half.
Add half and half and add remaining Madeira. Season with salt and pepper. Strain sauce through a fine strainer and add butter. Stir and keep warm.
Plate steaks and pour Madeira sauce over them and drizzle the plates with extra sauce. Serve with cauliflower potato mash and green beans.
Notes
This recipe works with New York Strip steaks. The steak can be pan seared and finished in a hot oevn also. It is an easy meal that looks more fussy than it is.
Pretzels in under an hour using pizza dough. Boiling them in baking soda water and baking at a high heat gives you a traditional soft pretzel that has a crisp outside and a soft inside.
Ingredients
1 pound package of pizza crust dough or medium size dough ball from pizzeria
6 quarts water
1/2 C baking soda
1 egg yolk
3 T water
2 T pretzel salt
Directions
Oven temperature 450º F Line one large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bring large wide mouth pot or high walled skillet with water and baking soda to boil.
Sprinkle flour on large cutting board. Cut dough bowl into 8 pieces. Roll out slices to 18 inch roped. Shape them into pretzel bows.
Whisk egg yolk and water and set aside.
Drop pretzels into boiling water and boil 30 seconds per side. Using large spatula lift them out and place on baking rack. Continue until all pretzels have been boiled.
Using pastry brush apply egg yolk to the pretzels and then sprinkle salt onto the pretzels. Transfer them to baking sheet.
Bake for 10 – 15 minutes and remove to baking rack.
Serve with dips or mustard. Mine were gone in1 hour.
Note:
We have used traditional pizza dough and whole wheat pizza dough, both deliver a good pretzel.
