Kale and Grain Salad

Over the past year, my husband and I have gotten really into weight lifting. Recently, we started seeing a personal trainer, who explained that "what you eat is everything" and sat us down for a nutritional consult.

Her rules are strict: no pasta, no cereal, no bread, extremely limited sugar intake (and sugar includes fruit, carrots, etc). She recommends lean proteins, sweet potatoes, lots of greens, and whole grains- the typical bodybuilder diet.

I can't stick to a diet like that too closely (I'm Italian, I love my pasta!), but I do want to try to eat a little cleaner during our weeknight meals.

This salad is my bodybuilder diet "training wheels"- I mixed couscous (a pasta) with freekeh (a serious whole grain), and added kale, snap peas, and a few shavings of Parmesan.  It was pretty good- I don't like the freekeh by itself, but blended with Israeli couscous, it made for a delicious mix of textures.

Kale and Grain Salad
1/2 cup freekeh
1/2 cup Israeli couscous
1 cup chicken stock
1 bunch kale, trimmed and chopped
1 cup sugarsnap peas
1 clove garlic, smashed
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

Vinaigrette:
1/4 olive oil
1 small shallot, chopped
2 tbsp vinegar

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add snap peas, boil one minute, then drain and rinse under cold water to set the color.

Combine 1/2 cup freekeh and 1 and 1/2 cups water in a pot. Bring to a boil, and simmer 45 minutes. (Alternately, you can buy cracked freekeh, which cooks faster. I had a hard time finding that).  Drain, and add to a serving bowl.

In a separate pot, add couscous and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, until water is absorbed.  Drain, and combine with freekeh in serving bowl.

Saute the kale, garlic, and olive oil in one of the pots until wilted, and add to serving bowl. Add sugarsnap peas as well.

Mix all dressing ingredients together and pour over freekeh/couscous combo. Using a vegetable peeler, shave some Parmesan over the top. Serve and enjoy.

*You can also make this salad with just freekeh or just couscous, to make it easier. Or swap quinoa or farro for one of the ingredients.

Steakhouse Dinner

My husband is, quite literally, the pickiest eater I have ever known. He will not eat anything that swims, he’s not huge on most vegetables, eats very little "healthy" food, and usually acts as if trying something new will kill him. 

But his favorite thing is when I make him a classic steakhouse meal:

Seared filet mignon,

with crispy matchstick potatoes,

and of course, the classic wedge salad.   

 

It's a delicious and fairly simple meal, although things can get a little smoky while cooking the steak!

Seared Filet Mignon

2 5-6 oz filet mignon steaks (about 1 inch thick)

Salt

Cracked black pepper

Oil

Two slivers of butter

Heat a cast iron pan over high heat until screaming hot. I usually do this for somewhere between 3-5 minutes.

While pan preheats, coat your steaks very generously on both sides with salt and cracked black pepper.

When ready to cook, brush the pan with a small amount of oil. Place the steaks in the pan, and allow to sear for 3 minutes.  Flip to the other side and sear until desired doneness. I do ours to 130°, which is medium rare.

Just before serving, top each steak with a sliver of butter.  Sometimes I also use a drizzle of Trader Joe's balsamic syrup.

Serves 2.

Matchstick Potatoes, adapted from Ina Garten

4 baking potatoes, peeled

Corn oil (I used almost a full quart)

Salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Fill a large pot or Dutch oven with 1 inch of oil and heat it to 350°.

Slice potatoes into thin matchsticks, using a mandolin or the shredding disc of your food processor. Drop potatoes into a bowl of cold water as you work.

When ready to fry, drain potatoes very well. In batches, drop them in the hot oil and cook 3-5 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate, and sprinkle generously with salt. Repeat.

Keep warm on a baking sheet in the 350 degree oven for up to a half hour.

Serves 2-4.

Wedge Salad

½ head iceberg lettuce

½  pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 rib celery, diced

4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped

Chives

Ranch or blue cheese dressing

Slice the half head of lettuce into four wedges and arrange on a plate.  Top with tomatoes, celery, bacon, chives, and dressing.

Serves 2.

(I think this would be much better if you made your own dressing, using a recipe like the one here, but I told you, I have a picky husband, and a blue cheese is on the no-fly list).

Next project, fancy sauces for the steak. Anyone have any good recipes?

Southwest Salad

I like to always serve a salad with a meal. My favorite foods tend to be carb-heavy and laden with cheese, so I always need something fresh and crisp to counterbalance that.

For last year's Cinco de Mayo, I came up with this Southwest Salad. It's a pretty hearty one that could easily become a main dish with the addition of chicken or shrimp. A little bacon wouldn't hurt either. 

Southwest Salad

2 heads of romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup frozen corn, defrosted

1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Large handful tortilla chips, or bag of tortilla salad strips

Chipotle ranch dressing (you can buy, or add some chipotle powder and lime juice to your favorite ranch dressing)

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, black beans, corn and cherry tomatoes.  Line bowl with tortilla chips.  Serve with chipotle ranch dressing.

Winter Slaw

I know we're all ready for spring, but the truth is there's still no spring vegetables or anything out there. It might feel warmer today, but I'm still in winter eating mode. 

I saw this on a recent rerun of Barefoot Contessa and thought it looked delicious, although it’s possible I was confusing the salad with its creator, Tyler Florence. 
 

Either way, it was simple, not too heavy on the ingredients, and the perfect accompaniment to a light Monday night dinner after boozing and hitting restaurants all weekend. 

 

 

Winter Slaw, from Tyler Florence

Serves 6-8

 

6 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, cored

6 large kale leaves, rib removed

½ small head radicchio, cored

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup good olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 cup dried cranberries

1 6-oz chunk of good Parmesan cheese*

 

Cut the Brussels sprouts, kale, and radicchio into very thin strips and combine in a bowl. 

 

Whisk together lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Pour on the dressing and add cranberries.

 

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the chunk of Parmesan into thin shards.

 

Toss, and serve relatively soon. This can’t be made in advance as the lemon juice will change the color of the greens.   

 

 

*If it comes in a green can it is NOT good!!! Buy a real chunk of Locatelli, imported from Italy, and grind that shit yourself. Don’t get me started on Parmesan.

Shrimp and Israeli Couscous Salad with Basil Oil

I am one of those people who look at a picture or title in a cookbook, and then decide what the recipe is without actually reading it. I am the polar opposite of my mother, who will line up every last teaspoon of ingredients in little bowls before proceeding. The only time I ever really follow a recipe is with baking. 

I really shouldn’t do this, since I could be missing out on great recipes, but a lot of times I invent something pretty damn good. 

This is one of those recipes. I was flipping through a Mario Batali cookbook when I came upon a recipe for shrimp with white beans and mint oil.  I wanted to make it for dinner, but inspection of my pantry revealed I was missing some key ingredients, namely, the white beans and mint, as well as some rosemary called for in the recipe.  

So I subbed couscous, and oregano, and basil, and came up with this, a quick and easy weeknight dinner. (Seriously. I know it has three parts and that basil oil sounds like a project, but this whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes). 

Shrimp and Israeli Couscous Salad with Basil Oil
12 jumbo shrimp
1 ½ cups Israeli couscous
1 ¾ cups chicken stock
4 cups arugula
Zest of one lemon
¼ cup kalamata olives, chopped

For the vinaigrette:
Juice of one lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp dried oregano
Splash red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your broiler to high.  

Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients and set aside. Adjust according to your taste, I like mine a bit on the tangy side, but if you don’t, just use more oil and less lemon. 

Combine couscous and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer 8-10 minutes until done. 

While couscous cooks, combine arugula, lemon zest, and olives in a serving bowl and line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange shrimp on it, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Broil for a minute or two on each side, until pink. 

When couscous is done, pile in the center of serving bowl. Drizzle couscous and arugula mix with lemon vinaigrette, then top with the broiled shrimp. Drizzle shrimp with basil oil, recipe follows.

Serve immediately.

To serve as a cold salad, refrigerate and cool everything separately so that arugula doesn’t wilt, and combine before serving.  

Basil Oil, from Epicurious:
½ cup basil leaves
¾ cup olive oil
Flaky sea salt

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. While it boils, fill a bowl with ice water. 

When boiling, drop your basil leaves in for 30 seconds or so, just until they turn bright green. Lift them out and drop immediately into ice water to stop the cooking, then drain and arrange on paper towels to dry. 

In a blender or food processor, combine basil and oil and puree. Remove to a small bowl, add sea salt to taste, and set aside. Will last 3 days in fridge. 

You can adapt this method for most leafy herbs- parsley, mint, tarragon, etc.

Fennel and Orange Salad

 

I love this wintery, refreshing salad as a change of pace from typical mixed greens. It’s my take on the classic Italian combo of fennel and orange- I added arugula to make it a little more “salady. This can be prepared in advance, and dressed just before dinner, plus it’s elegant, making it perfect for a dinner party. 

 

Fennel and Orange Salad

Serves 4

4 cups arugula

2 blood oranges, peel and membrane removed, sliced horizontally

1 small bulb fennel, very thinly sliced

¼ cup kalamata olives, sliced

Olive oil

Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

 

Pile arugula on a serving platter or in a bowl.  Arrange fennel on top, then orange slices. Scatter kalamata olives on the top.  Can be refrigerated for an hour or so at this point. (Too much longer and the acid in the orange may break down the arugula). 

 

Just before serving, dress with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and pepper to taste.

Black Rice Salad

I was flipping through the healthy recipes in January's Bon Appetit, and stopped dead in my tracks at this gorgeous black rice salad on one of the pages. It looked delicious against bright orange squash, green onions, and purple microgreens.  I knew I had to make it for dinner.

I didn't have all the ingredients on hand, so I changed the recipe up significantly. It was the look I was after more than the squash and rice flavor profile. You can click here for the original, or read on for my version.

Fun fact, black rice is loaded with antioxidants, making it not only prettier, but also healthier, than white rice. (another fun fact, white rice is my #1 least favorite food).

Black Rice Salad with Carrot Slaw
1 cup black rice
2 carrots, sliced into thin matchsticks
1/2 a head of raddicchio, sliced into thin ribbons
1/4 cup chopped red onion (you could use scallions instead)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare rice according to package directions. Just a heads up, this type of rice can take around 35 minutes.

While rice is cooking, slice your carrots into thin matchsticks and slice the radicchio into thin ribbons. Combine carrots, radicchio, onion, and parsley in a bowl, and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together oils, soy sauce, vinegar, and salt and pepper.

When rice is ready, place in a serving bowl. Combine with carrot mixture, and drizzle with dressing. Serve hot or at room temperature.

To make ahead, you can prepare and refrigerate rice, carrot mix, and vinaigrette separately, and combine just before serving. If you let the rice and carrots sit together for too long, the carrots absorb a little of the black color.


Enjoy!

Kale and Grapefruit Salad

My husband is a super picky eater. He won’t eat anything that lives in water, he’s wary of new things, won’t touch berries, can’t stomach eggs- it goes on and on.  One of the few things I've gotten him to into though is kale- and that's only the Tuscan kind, not your curly grocery store kale, and only raw in salad form, not cooked.  Okay though, I’ll take it. 

So we eat a lot of kale salads and I’m always on the hunt for ways to change it up. I saw this grapefruit and avocado salad in a recent issue of Cooking Light, and I had to try it.

Turns out, we can add grapefruit and avocado to Mr. B’s no fly list. 

But if you have a less picky palate, try this salad out. It’s a nice change of pace and a really delicious side dish.  The original recipe calls for hearts of palm and artichokes, I left those out because I had none on hand, but I'm sure they would only improve it.

Kale, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad, adapted from Cooking Light
Serves 2-4 as a side

2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp lime zest
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bunch Tuscan kale, cleaned and chopped
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
1 avocado, sliced
1 grapefruit, cut into segments

Whisk first six ingredients together in a bowl.

Combine kale, onion, avocado, and grapefruit in serving bowl. Drizzle dressing over and toss to combine.

With kale salads, I like to let it sit about 15-20 minutes so the dressing can tenderize the kale a little. But you could serve it immediately too.

Enjoy!

Cape Cod Chopped Salad

This salad is ridiculous. It’s so good, and my photos are not doing it justice.  I expected to hate it, since I hate sweet/savory combos and this salad has both maple syrup and dried fruit, but I was genuinely surprised at how great it was. The dressing flavors blend together and have a wonderful depth, and the combo of arugula, nuts, blue cheese, and bacon is absolutely delicious. 

How silly of me to doubt the Queen (Ina Garten).

Try this classy salad out, it’s perfect for Thanksgiving!

Cape Cod Chopped Salad, from Ina Garten  

For salad:
8 oz bacon, cooked (to make life easier, I use the pre-cooked kind)
8 oz baby arugula
1 large Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
½ cup toasted walnut  halves (I used hazelnuts)
½ cup dried unsweetened cranberries
6 oz blue cheese, crumbled

For the dressing:
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp grated orange zest
2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
2 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp maple syrup
Kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup olive oil

Toss all salad ingredients together in serving bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. You can prepare these a few hours ahead of time and keep them separate.

When ready to serve, toss the salad with enough dressing to moisten (you may not need to use all of it). Serve immediately.

Presentation: Caprese Salad

It’s been said a lot and I have to agree: you eat with your eyes first. A five star meal doesn’t stand out as much if you serve it in a fast food way. My mom loves to tell the story of my grandmother’s friend Josephine, who was fond of serving crappy cuts of meat and chicken at dinner parties.

 “Josephine made shit, but always put it out on her best china platters and set a nice table, and everyone loved it! Meanwhile your aunt Millie was the best cook, but no one ever commented because she would just dump it from the pan onto a plate.”

Thanks to food blogs and Pinterest, I think people, at least unconsciously, pay more attention to how food looks. So many of my friends have “Entertaining” pin boards, which feature nothing but elegantly arranged cheese boards and cute little appetizer buffets.

 

So I thought I’d start a series of posts called Presentation, where I’ll highlight easy ways to make your dishes look better. The focus will be on simple tricks, so that you don’t spend as much time arranging as you did cooking. I’ll post whenever I have ideas, and to start, here’s a pretty way to serve the classic Caprese Salad.

 
 Here’s my tips:

• Try using various colored tomatoes. I went with red and yellow heirlooms, but I think adding in Green Zebras would make a big impact too.  Use a mix of large tomatoes and small cherry ones too, as the flavor is different, and the visual impact is better.
• When serving large groups, I use Belgioso mozzarella cheese. It comes pre-sliced, which makes life easier, and since you can purchase a double pack in Sam’s Club for around $10, it’s also cost-effective. Of course, if you live near a good Italian deli, get their fresh mutz, or spring for delicious, creamy burrata.
• To assemble, slice your tomatoes about the same size as your cheese. Going around your platter in concentric circles, place a slice of tomato, slice of cheese, slice of basil, over and over till you’ve filled it in. Add some halved cherry tomatoes and torn basil leaves in the center.  The platter can be assembled a couple of hours ahead at this point.
• Garnish just before serving- use loads of fresh basil, big pieces of flaky sea salt, and a bright olive oil. My dad buys me fancy balsamic for my birthday each year, so I added a few drops of that as well.   

Antipasto Salad

I love this recipe from Giada’s Everyday Pasta book. She combines antipasto and pasta into one delicious salad, perfect for fall’s upcoming football parties.

Feel free to swap out or change ingredients- the sundried tomatoes can easily become roasted red peppers, salami can become pepperoni, or add Provolone, mozzarella, artichokes - whatever you love!

Here is the recipe, with my changes:

Antipasto Pasta Salad, adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

For the vinaigrette:
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

For the Pasta:

1 lb cavatappi, rigatoni, or fusilli pasta
6 slices Genoa salami, cut into strips
6 slices smoked turkey, cut into strips
1 cup arugula
½  cup fresh basil
¼ cup grated Parmesan
½ a bunch of asparagus (about 10 spears), chopped in thirds
¼ cup tbsp sundried tomatoes (I prefer the ones packed in oil)
¼ cup kalamata olives

Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender. I don’t like raw garlic, so I sautéed mine in the oil, removed it, and just whisked everything together with the flavored oil.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt water and add pasta. Cook according to package directions, about 8-10 minutes. Two minutes before the pasta is done, add the asparagus. Drain, and rinse both under cold water.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing. Serve at room temperature.  This can be made a few hours ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

For an attractive presentation, I mixed my pasta with half the dressing, and arranged each ingredient in a stripe on top of the pasta, Cobb salad style.  I sprinkled the Parmesan cheese and poured remaining dressing over that.