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Here are the tastingspoons players. I’m in the middle (Carolyn). Daughter Sara on the right, and daughter-in-law Karen on the left. I started the blog in 2007, as a way to share recipes with my family. Now in 2023, I’m still doing 99% of the blogging and holding out hope that these two lovely and excellent cooks will participate. They both lead very busy lives, so we’ll see.

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BOOK READING (from Carolyn):

As soon as it came out, I ordered Spare, by Prince Harry. I’ve always been interested in the Royal Family. And I’m old enough to remember when Queen Elizabeth was crowned – my mother and I watched it on tv, in those early days of television. I admired her throughout her long life. What you learn in this book is how abominably Harry and Meghan have been treated. We all know the Royal Family has a company of people who “handle” them, called “the firm.” These people control what everyone in the R.F. does, when, who is present, who can take a vacation where, and some of them give permission for journalists to photograph, in somewhat private spaces, in return for leaving them alone for awhile. The paparazzi, and the photojournalists are ruthless. Absolutely ruthless and relentless. I cannot imagine having to live with that kind of low-life awaiting  your every move. It could break anyone, as it did Diana. I’ve never been a fan of Charles, and this book doesn’t endear him to me. I’ve never been a fan of Camilla, either. There’s a lot of verbiage given over to outing many people in the R.F. Betrayals on many levels. I devoured it, but then I’m an Anglophile of the first order.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. Usually I don’t seek out short stories. I might have purchased this book without realizing it was. There aren’t that many stories – each one gets you very ingrained in the characters. I love her writing, and would think each story in this book could be made into a full-fledged novel. I was quite taken with the main characters in each and every one of them. Since each story is different, I can’t describe one, without describing all of them; no space for that. With each story I was very sad when I realized it was the end, leaving you hanging. I wondered if these were stories Lahiri wrote hoping they would transcend into a full length novel, but she grew bored, or couldn’t quite flesh out more. But I always felt there could/would be more. I wanted there to be more.

A Lantern in Her Hand, by Beth Streeter Aldrich. A very interesting and harrowing story of early pioneer days in the Midwest (Nebraska I think); covered wagon time up to about 80 years later as the heroine, Abbie Deal, and her husband start a family in a small town. On land that isn’t lush or reliable. Many years of drought, winds, grasshoppers. The story is a novelized one of Aldrich’s own family roots. It’s full of good old-fashioned family values and is a record of some difficult Midwest pioneering history.

The Messy Lives of Book People, by Phaedra Patrick. From amazon’s page: Mother of two Liv Green barely scrapes by as a maid to make ends meet, often finding escape in a good book while daydreaming of becoming a writer herself. So she can’t believe her luck when she lands a job housekeeping for her personal hero, mega-bestselling author Essie Starling, a mysterious and intimidating recluse. The last thing Liv expected was to be the only person Essie talks to, which leads to a tenuous friendship. When Essie passes away suddenly, Liv is astonished to learn that her dying wish was for Liv to complete her final novel. But to do so Liv will have to step into Essie’s shoes. As Liv begins to write, she uncovers secrets from the past that reveal a surprising connection between the two women—one that will change Liv’s own story forever.

Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr. I’m a fan of this author and relished reading his book about a year in his personal life, with his wife and very new, newborn twins. Doerr was given an auspicious award – a year of study in Rome, with apartment and a stipend. There are four chapters, by season. You will laugh and cry with him/them, as they have to work very hard to survive days and nights with crying babies that will not settle down. As he escapes to his study lair, if only to get away from the babies, sometimes to nap because he was up all night. Those of us who have had fussy babies know what this feels like. He suffers greatly because the “great American novel” isn’t coming to him. He feels the year wasting away from the standpoint of the award. The time in Rome was wonderful, and he and his family enjoy many wonderful visits to city high points, to stand in awe at old relics. I loved every bit of this book – so well written. If you’ve ever been to Rome you’ll enjoy it all the more.

Kristin Hannah’s Distant Shores is quite a read. Some described it as like a soap opera. Not me. Interesting character development of a couple who married young. She put her own career/wants/desires aside to raise their children. He forged ahead with his life dreams. The children grow up and move on. Then he’s offered a huge promotion across the country. She’s torn – she doesn’t want to be in New York, but nothing would get in the way of his career. They try to make the marriage work from separate coasts. The wife begins to find herself again, re-igniting her own passions. Lots of family dynamics.

Oh, William! by Elizabeth Strout. Lucy Barton is divorced. But she’s still sort of friendly with her ex. It’s complicated. Out of the blue he asks her to go on a trip with him to discover something about his roots. They go. And of course, they’re taken for a married couple most of the time. Lucy laments the things she loved about her ex, William. Hence she says “Oh, William” more than once. They encounter some very funny circumstances, and she guides him along, lamenting again, “Oh, William,” again. I don’t think she ever says it TO him, however. Very funny book. Sweet. Elizabeth Strout is a gifted writer.

Tidelands,  by Philippa Gregory. It tells the tale of a peasant woman, Alinor (an herbalist and midwife), who lives barely above the poverty level, trying to raise two children, during the time of great turmoil in England, the rancorous civil war about Charles 1. Her husband has disappeared. The feudal system at the time isn’t any friend to Alinor. In comes a man (of course) who is a priest, but to the Catholic king, not the Protestant people, and everything Catholic is abhorred and suspect. A fascinating read, loved every chapter.

Read Reminders of Him, by Colleen Hoover. A page turner of a story. A young woman is convicted of a crime (young and foolish type). Once released her sole purpose is to be a part of her daughter’s life. Hoover has such a gift of story-telling and keeping you hanging on a cliff.

The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty. Oh my goodness. The wicked webs we weave. How in the world did the author even come UP with this wild story, but she did, and it kept me glued. Sophie walked away from her wedding day, and always wondered if she made the wrong decision. Then she inherits his aunt’s house, back in her home town, where the quizzical Munro baby disappearance provides a living for many of his family. Sophie moves there, only to have to unearth all the bad stuff that happened before. Quite a story.

Very funny and poignant story, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, by Elizabeth Taylor (no, not that one). Mrs. Palfrey, a woman of a certain age, moves into an old folks’ home in London. It’s a sort of hotel, but has full time elderly quirky residents. You get to know them all, and Mrs. Palfrey’s subterfuge effort to show off her “grandson.” I might not have ever picked up this book, but one of my book clubs had us read it, and I’m ever so glad I did.

For one of my book clubs we read Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus. This book is so hard to describe. Elizabeth is a wizard at chemistry and struggles to be recognized for her intelligence and research. She meets a man at her company who is brilliant too. They make quite a pair. They have a child, then he suddenly dies. Her work isn’t taken seriously, so she leaves her employment and becomes an overnight phenom on a cooking show where she uses the chemical names for things like sodium chloride, etc. You go alongside her struggles, and her raising of her daughter. LOTS of humor, lots to discuss for a book club.

Horse. Oh my, is it a page turner. Loved it from the first page to the last. Sad when it ended. It’s a fictional creation but based on a real racehorse owned by a black man, back in the 1850s. Technically, the story is about a painting of the horse but there are many twists and turns. If you’ve ever enjoyed Brooks’ books in the past, this one won’t disappoint.

The Book of Lost Names, by Kristin Harmel (no, not Hannah). Certainly a little-known chunk of history about a woman who becomes a master forger during WWII to help get Jewish children out of France. Not easy to read, meaning the difficulty of anyone finding the means and place to DO the forgery and right under the noses of the Nazis. Really good read.

Liane Moriarty’s first novel, Three Wishes, follows the travails of adult triplets, so different, yet similar in many ways. Two are identical, the third is not. So alike, and so not. It takes you through a series of heart-wrenching events, seemingly unrelated, but ones that could bring a family to its breaking point and test the bonds of love and strength.

Recently I’ve read both of Erin French’s books, her cookbook, The Lost Kitchen, and since then her memoir, Finding Freedom. About her life growing up (difficult) about her coming of age mostly working in the family diner, flipper burgers and fries (and learning how much she liked to cook). Now she’s a very successful restaurant entrepreneur (The Lost Kitchen is also the name of her restaurant) in the minuscule town of Freedom, Maine. She’s not a classically trained chef, but she’s terrifically creative. See her TV series on Discover+ if you subscribe.

Migrations, by Charlotte McConaghy. To say that this book stretched my comfort zone is the least of it . . .think about a time in the not very distant future, when global warming has done it’s worst and nearly all animals are extinct.

Jo Jo Moyes has a bunch of books to her credit. And she writes well, with riveting stories. Everything I’ve read of hers has been good. This book, The Girl You Left Behind, is so different, so intriguing, so controversial and a fascinating historical story. There are two timelines here, one during WWI, in France, when a relatively unknown painter (in the style of Matisse) paints a picture of his wife. The war intervenes for both the husband and the wife.

Eli Shafak’s Island of Missing Trees. This book was just a page turner. If you’ve never read anything about the conflict in Cyprus (the island) between the Turks and the Greeks, you’re in for a big history lesson here. But, the entire story centers around a fig tree. You get into the head/brain/feelings of this big fig tree which plays a very central part of the story. You’ll learn a lot about animals, insects (ants, mosquitos, butterflies) and other flora and fauna of Cyprus.

If you’re a fan of Kazuo Ishiguro, you’ll find his newest book a league apart. Klara and the Sun. It takes place in the near future when we humans can go to a store and buy an AF (artificial friend). These robotic humanoid “things” have knowledge and personalities.

Also read Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. Ohhh my, such a good book. I couldn’t put it down. Whatever you do, do not read the ending before you start the book. I’ve never understood people who do this. The book chronicles the day a mom just ups and disappears. The grown children come back home, in panic. The dad isn’t much help, and he becomes the prime suspect of foul play. There is no body, however.

Amor Towles’ new book, The Lincoln Highway: A Novel. Literally it’s a page turner. I think it’s still on the best seller list. A young man, Emmett, is released from a youth work camp (back in the day) and is returned home (by the camp warden) following the death of his father, to find that the home they’d lived in was in foreclosure. His mother abandoned them years before. His intent is to pick up his 8-year old brother and they will head off for Texas.

If you’d like a mystery read, try Dete Meserve’s The Space Between. It’s just the kind of page-turner I enjoy – a wife returns to her home after being away on business for a few days, to find her husband missing and what he’s left for her is an unexplained bank deposit of a million dollars, a loaded Glock in the nightstand, and a video security system that’s been wiped clean.

Read Alyson Richman’s historical novel called The Velvet Hours. Most of the book takes place in Paris, with a young woman and her grandmother, a very wealthy (but aging) woman who led a life of a semi-courtesan. Or at least a kept woman. But this grandmother was very astute and found ways to invest her money, to grow her money, and to buy very expensive goods. Then WWII intervenes, and the granddaughter has to close up her grandmother’s apartment, leaving it much the way it had been throughout her grandmother’s life, to escape the Nazis. Years go by, and finally answers are sought and found. An intriguing book, based on the author’s experience with an apartment that had been locked up similarly for decades, also in Paris.

Susan Meissner is one of my favorite authors. This book, The Nature of Fragile Things tells a very unusual story. About a young Irish immigrant, desperate to find a way out of poverty, answers an ad for a mail order bride.

Also read Rachel Hauck’s The Writing Desk. You could call this a romance. A young professional, a writer of one successful book, has writer’s block. Then she’s asked to go to Florida to help her mother (from whom she’s mostly estranged) through chemo. She goes, hoping she can find new inspiration.

One of my book clubs has us reading Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library: A Novel. What a premise for a book. About a library you can whiz to in the middle of the night and discover other lives you could have lived. And experience them. To find out the answers to those questions we ask ourselves sometimes, “I wonder what would have happened if I’d . . . .” taken that other job, gone out with that guy, taken that trip.

James Shipman has written an intriguing book, It Is Well: A Novel, about a man who has lost his wife. And about a woman who has lost her husband. But their relationship stalls, big time, because the guy made a promise to his wife, and he feels duty-bound to honor it.

I wrote up a post about this book: Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World: The Twin Towers, Windows on the World, and the Rebirth of New York by Tom Roston. Go read the full write-up if you’re interested. The book is a complete history of the famous restaurant on the 107th floor of one of the Twin Towers.

Also recently finished The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. The book goes backwards and forwards in time, from the 1600s in London with the day-to-day lives of a group of Jews (who had to be very careful about how they worshiped) to current day as an old house is discovered to hold a treasure-trove of historical papers.

I’m forever reading historical novels. The Lost Jewels: A Novel by Kirsty Manning is a mystery of sorts, going back in time in London in the time of aristocrats and their jewels (pearls, diamonds, gems of all kinds) sometimes made it into the hands of the digger or a maid.

Not for the faint of heart, Boat of Stone: A Novel by Maureen Earl tells the true tale of some misplaced Jews at the tale-end of WWII who ended up on Mauritius.

Colleen Hoover has written quite a book, It Ends with Us: A Novel, with a love story being the central theme, but again, this book is not for everyone – it can be an awakening for any reader not acquainted with domestic violence and how such injury can emerge as innocent (sort of) but then becomes something else. There is graphic detail here.

Erin Bartels wrote quite a complex story in The Words between Us: A Novel. We go alongside a young girl as she goes to high school, trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to be anonymous (because her mother and father are both in prison), taking on a fake name.

Nicolas Barreau’s novel Love Letters from Montmartre: A Novel  is very poignant, very sweet book. Seems like I’ve read several books lately about grieving; this one has a charming ending, but as anyone who has gone through a grave loss of someone dear knows, you can’t predict day to day, week to week. “Snap out of it,” people say, thinking they’re helping.

Another very quirky book, that happens to contain a lot of historical truth is The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World: A Novel by Harry N. Abrams. Set in Japan just after the tsunami 10 years ago when 18,000 people died. At a private park miles away, some very special people installed a phone booth, with a phone (that didn’t work) at the edge of the park, and the survivors of the tsunami began wending their way there to “talk” to their deceased loved ones. Very poignant story.

No question, the most quirky book I’ve read of late, a recommendation from my friend Karen, West with Giraffes: A Novel by Lynda Rutledge. Back in the 1930s a small group of giraffes were brought across the Atlantic from Africa to New York, destined for the then-growing San Diego Zoo. The story is of their journey across the United States in the care of two oh-so-different people, both with a mission.

Riveting story of post-WWII- Japan in Ana Johns novel, The Woman in the White Kimono: A Novel. About a young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American serviceman.

Also read Rishi Reddi’s novel, Passage West: A Novel with a very different take on the migration of Indians (East India) to the California agricultural lands east of San Diego during the 1920s and 30s.

Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, but the Mary Morris book, A Very Private Diary: A Nurse in Wartime tells the true day to day life of a young Irish girl who becomes a nurse, in England, France and Belgium in the midst of WWII and immediately after the war.

Could hardly put down Krueger’s book, This Tender Land: A Novel. Tells the harrowing story of a young boy, Odie, (and his brother Albert) who became orphans back in the 30s. At first there is a boarding school, part of an Indian (Native American) agreement, though they are not Indian. They escape, and they are “on the run.”

Just finished Kristin Hannah’s latest book, The Four Winds: A Novel. What a story. One I’ve never read about, although I certainly have heard about the “dust bowl” years when there was a steady migration of down-and-out farmers from the Midwest, to California, for what they hoped to be the American Dream. It tells the story of one particular family, the Martinellis, the grandparents, their son, his wife, and their two children.

Brit Bennett has written quite a book, The Vanishing Half: A Novel. It’s a novel, yet I’m sure there are such real-life situations. Twin girls are born to a young black woman in the South. Into a town (that probably doesn’t exist) that prides itself on being light-skinned blacks.

What a book. The Only Woman in the Room: A Novel by Marie Benedict. A novelized biography of Hedy Lamarr, the famous actress.  Very much worth reading.

Also read The Secret of the Chateau: Gripping and heartbreaking historical fiction with a mystery at its heart by Kathleen McGurl. There are two stories here. The historical part is just prior to and up to the French Revolution, and the second in current day as a group of friends purchase a crumbling chateau. Very interesting. I love historical novels like this, and this one in particular does have quite a mystery involved, too.

Also finished reading Sue Monk Kidd’s recent book, The Book of Longings: A Novel. It is a book that might challenge some Christian readers, as it tells the tale of Jesus marrying a woman named Mary. I loved the book from the first word to the last one. The book is believable to me, even though the Bible never says one way or the other that Jesus ever married. It’s been presumed he never did. But maybe he did?

Jeanine Cummins has written an eye-opener, American Dirt. A must read. Oh my goodness. I will never, ever, ever look at Mexican (and further southern) migrants, particularly those who are victims of the vicious cartels, without sympathy. It tells the story of a woman and her young son, who were lucky enough to hide when the cartel murdered every member of her family – her husband, her mother, and many others. It’s about her journey and escape to America.

Also read JoJo Moyes’ book, The Giver of Stars. Oh gosh, what a GREAT book. Alice joins the Horseback Librarians in the rural south.

Frances Liardet has written a blockbuster tale, We Must Be Brave. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Although the scene is WWII England, this book is not really about the war. It’s about the people at home, waiting it out, struggling with enough food, clothing and enough heat.

William Kent Krueger wrote Ordinary Grace. From amazon: a brilliantly moving account of a boy standing at the door of his young manhood, trying to understand a world that seems to be falling apart around him. It is an unforgettable novel about discovering the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God. It’s a coming of age story.

Follow the River: A Novel by James Alexander Thom. This one is also based on the history of a woman (married, pregnant) who was captured by the Shawnee, during the early settlement days east of the Ohio River, about 1755. And her eventual escape.

A Column of Fire: A Novel by Ken Follett. It takes place in the 1500s, in England, and has everything to do with the war between the Catholics and the Protestants, that raged throughout Europe during that time, culminating in the Spanish Inquisition.

My Name Is Resolute by Nancy Turner. She’s the author of another book of some renown, These is my Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 (P.S.). Resolute is what I’m discussing here. It’s fiction, but based some on a true story. Resolute, as a young girl from a privileged life on a plantation in Jamaica, was taken captive by slavers, eventually ended up in Colonial America.

The Shepherd’s Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape by James Rebanks. This is a memoir, so a true story, of a young man growing up in the Lake District of Northern England, who becomes a shepherd. Not just any-old shepherd – actually a well educated one. He knows how to weave a story.

 

Tasting Spoons

My blog's namesake - small, old and some very dented engraved silver plated tea spoons that belonged to my mother-in-law, and I use them to taste my food as I'm cooking.

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Posted in Salads, Veggies/sides, on January 27th, 2023.

Love those haricot verts. One of my favorite vegetables.

A post from Carolyn. A few  years ago I was enjoying a dinner out with friends, and the waiter came to our table to tell us about the specials. He listed off several, then got to the last one and said the entree was served with harr-eh-cot-vertz. It was like scratching your fingernail on a blackboard. Oof. I quickly told him how to pronounce it – hair-eh-co-vehr. I don’t think he believed me because he gave me a rather blank look. I said, “next time you’re in the kitchen, go ask the chef.” He did, and came back later to say yes, I was correct. He asked me again how to say it and he painstakingly wrote it down on his little waiter notebook. Why exactly we don’t called them “baby green beans” I don’t know. For a long time (years ago) these beans were certainly considered “gourmet,” not ordinary, and were hard to find. I suppose it’s like a lot of French culinary words that have become part of our English speaking – like Bouillabaisse, or fondue, baba au rum, and others. How about boeuf bourgignon. There is no English translation of bourgignon. Hence, haricot verts, friends! I’m not a French speaker, but any good home cook will learn some French as they learn to cook and bake!

Just in case you don’t see them regularly in your market, they’re really just young green beans, plucked before they get big or woody or tough. Trader Joe’s sells them for a very good price in a little 12 ounce package. They’re all cleaned and trimmed. I used 3 packages for this salad/side dish.

The recipe came from David Tanis, the acclaimed chef and author. He worked at Chez Panisse for awhile, and currently writes a weekly column for the New York Times. This recipe came from an article in Food & Wine magazine a few years back.

The green beans are cooked just until bite-tender and cooled. The original recipe had you prepare dried white or cannellini beans, but I’m too lazy – I buy canned. But since there were seasonings in the dried beans as they cooked (onion, bay leaf and thyme) I decided to add onion powder, powdered bay leaf and dried thyme to the salad dressing instead. It was an easy substitution. I made the salad dressing the day before and let it sit out on my kitchen counter overnight, so the flavors would blend. The cannellini beans were drained and rinsed, then I combined just a bit of the dressing in with the beans and they sat in the frig overnight. When I was ready to serve, I scooped the beans down the center of the platter, then the haricot verts around the outside, sort of haphazardly, then drizzled the dressing over everything, using my hands a little bit to distribute the dressing on the beans. If you want to toss the dressing thoroughly with the green beans, do it separately then put them on the platter. I garnished the platter with some halved cherry tomatoes (mostly for color) and a bunch of chopped Italian parsley.

Everything for this was prepped the day before – in this case I was taking it to someone else’s home – so I just put everything into a big tote bag (separately) and composed the salad at serving time.

What’s GOOD: a lovely, different side veg or salad, however you want to think of it. The dressing was really nice. I’d definitely make this again, if only for the color/photo factor. I had several nice comments about the salad when it was served. Certainly there are different textures here – the soft cannellini beans and the just crisp-tender green beans. And the shallot vinaigrette was really delicious.

What’s NOT: only that you need to start a bit ahead, although you certainly could make this and serve it immediately. I wanted the salad dressing to meld a bit; that’s all.

printer-friendly PDF and MasterCook file (click link to open recipe)

* Exported from MasterCook *

Haricot Verts and Cannellini Beans with Shallot Vinaigrette

Recipe By: Adapted from David Tanis, Oct 2018
Servings: 12

30 ounces canned cannelini beans — drained and rinsed
2 pounds haricots verts — trimmed
DRESSING:
2 large shallots — minced
2 garlic cloves — minced
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon powdered bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme — crushed in your palms
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
GARNISH:
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes — halved
1/4 cup chopped parsley

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the haricots verts until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the beans and spread them on a towel-lined, large rimmed baking sheet to cool.
2. In a lidded jar, combine the shallots, garlic, onion powder, powdered bay leaf, dried thyme, mustard and both vinegars. Add a pinch of salt and let the vinaigrette stand for 10 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Allow dressing to rest at room temperature for 2-3 hours or overnight to meld flavors. If time allows, combine the drained and canned beans with about 3 tablespoons of dressing and refrigerate until time to serve.
3. Arrange cannellini beans on a large platter and drizzle about 2 tablespoons dressing over them. Decoratively arrange the green beans around the platter and drizzle the remaining dressing on them. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle top with parsley and cherry tomatoes.
Per Serving: 143 Calories; 9g Fat (58.6% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 211mg Sodium; 2g Total Sugars; 0mcg Vitamin D; 30mg Calcium; 1mg Iron; 198mg Potassium; 68mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Pasta, Salads, Veggies/sides, on January 13th, 2023.

Oh so delicious. Served warm – it could be an entree, or a pasta side salad.

A post from Carolyn. Looking at this recipe, I might not have given it much attention. Kind of regular-type ingredients (pasta, sausage, broccolini, tomatoes, cheese). Not exactly ho-hum, but when you put them all together, it’s quite a tasty dish. This came from the December cooking class with Phillis Carey. She’s a Southern Italian (actual Sicilian) and she said this recipe comes from Puglia (pronounced poo-lee-ah). For me, the Italian sausage makes it a stand-out, but the creamy addition of ricotta cheese on top gave it a silky finish too. The grape tomatoes are roasted for 20-25 minutes until they’re just at that peak of plumpness and about to fall apart. Do save a little bit of the pasta water as you’ll want to add some of it at the very end to give the pasta a bit more smoothness.

If you have all the ingredients, you could probably make this in less than 30 minutes, start to finish.

What’s GOOD: the combo is really delicious and filling. For me it’s the Italian sausage that gives it a wonderful taste. The tomatoes add umami flavor too, and you get in some veggies with the broccolini. Altogether wonderful.

What’s NOT: nothing at all – easy to make.

printer-friendly PDF and MasterCook file (click link to open recipe)

* Exported from MasterCook *

Pugliese Orecchiette with Broccolini, Sausage and Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Recipe By: Phillis Carey, cooking instructor, Dec. 2022
Servings: 5

16 ounces grape tomatoes
3 cloves garlic — minced (divided use)
1 pinch red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil — (divided use)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound Italian sausage — casings removed
8 ounces orecchiette pasta
8 ounces broccolini — chopped into 1/2″ pieces, or use spinach
1 1/2 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese — grated fresh
1 whole lemon — zest and juice
1/2 cup ricotta cheese — whole milk type

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss grape tomatoes with 1 clove garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, 2 T olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Spread in pie plate and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until tomatoes are blistered and they release some of their juices; set aside.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Add orecchiette and cook to al dente (take 3 minutes of time off the time listed on the box). Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 T olive oil, and sausage; cook, breaking up until meat is brown, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a plate, keeping the fat in the skillet. Add remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add broccolini and cook until crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low.
4. Add pasta and sausage to skillet along with grated cheese, lemon zest and juice and a general few turns of black pepper. Stir in a few tablespoons of the pasta water if needed. Toss in the roasted tomatoes, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with a dollop of ricotta cheese on top and sprinkle with more grated Parm. Serve warm.
Per Serving: 856 Calories; 51g Fat (54.4% calories from fat); 48g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 123mg Cholesterol; 1395mg Sodium; 6g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 949mg Calcium; 4mg Iron; 794mg Potassium; 787mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Salads, on December 23rd, 2022.

What a nice, refreshing salad – perfect for the holidays, too.

A post from Carolyn. In early December I attended my first in-person cooking class with Phillis Carey, my favorite cooking instructor. All through Covid she taught via zoom, and if I couldn’t taste the food, why bother, was my motto? After three years, it was so fun to see her (and her cooking friend Diane Phillips) and to eat a treasure-trove of new things. This was one of the recipes I really liked.

Phillis’s heritage is Sicilian, so her recipes were more Southern Italian. This salad could be made ahead up to the point of tossing it. Prep the fennel ahead and the fresh oranges (let the fennel marinate in the orange/juice to keep it from turning brown). Have the arugula part all ready to dress, and toss at the last minute.

The dressing is just slightly different – lemon juice and white wine vinegar, a tetch of honey, and EVOO. Easy to make ahead too. You may also add olives – Phillis added Kalamata, but she also suggested Castelvetrano (I’d prefer those). Your choice, however. The olives add some color to the salad in addition to a punch of flavor. Castelvetrano olives are a ripe olive, very mild, not acidic/bitter like Kalamata. Arugula is everywhere now in the grocery stores, so that wouldn’t be hard to find. You could use baby spinach, I suppose, but it wouldn’t be authentic. I may make this salad for Christmas or New Year’s Eve. One or the other. If you can find blood oranges, that would make an ever prettier platter of salad. Sometimes they’re available around the holidays. I haven’t seen them lately.

You can plate individually, or make a big platter of it with the oranges and olives and fennel piled on top of the arugula, kind of centered. If I do that for the holidays I’ll take a picture of it!!

What’s GOOD: love the acid (lemon juice/vinegar and olives) vs. sweet (honey, oranges). It’s a simple dressing, but perfect for arugula. What a pretty salad it makes. And nice that it can be made ahead up to the point of dressing it. A winner.

What’s NOT: nothing, really – easy to do.

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Sicilian Winter Orange and Fennel Salad

Recipe By: Phillis Carey
Servings: 4

DRESSING:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup EVOO salt and pepper to taste
SALAD:
3 whole blood oranges — or regular, or a mixture
2 cups arugula
1 whole fennel bulb — trimmed, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olives — Kalamata or Castelvetrano

NOTE: If making ahead, slice oranges and add fennel to keep fennel from turning brown. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
1. Dressing: whisk lemon juice, vinegar and honey together in a medium bowl. Whisk in EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.
2. Trim off and discard peel and white pith from oranges. Slice crosswise into thin rounds and set aside. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Toss arugula and fennel with enough of the dressing to moisten. Arrange on a plate or platter with orange slices and olives. Drizzle with more dressing and serve.
Per Serving: 271 Calories; 19g Fat (60.8% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 96mg Sodium; 21g Total Sugars; 0mcg Vitamin D; 93mg Calcium; 1mg Iron; 474mg Potassium; 50mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Salads, on October 10th, 2022.

What an unusual salad – good, earthy flavors.

A post from Carolyn. I keep forgetting to write who is posting, but then I’m the one who is doing nearly all of it. My daughter and D-I-L are just too busy with other things. I didn’t begin writing this blog until 12 years after I retired, so I get it.

Anyway, I needed to prepare a salad to take to a potluck luncheon, and my aim was to avoid a special trip to the grocery store. Flipping through my recipes this one popped up – I had sweet potatoes, I had wild rice, and I had Feta, a fresh Bosc pear and Italian parsley. Everything I needed. Fresh lemon juice I had stored in the freezer (my wonderful, bountiful Meyer lemon tree has young budding fruit right now, small and hard nuggets, undeveloped), and maple syrup was in the frig.

First I began cooking the wild rice – I think it took about 40 minutes – using nothing but rice, water and a bit of salt. I let it cool in the water it was in, then I drained it. Meanwhile, I roasted two sweet potatoes and a nice sized red onion (cut into thin wedges). If you make this, do keep the two things kind of separated on the sheet pan because likely the potatoes will be done before the onion – at least it took the onion another 20 minutes or so to caramelize and be tender. Scallions were chopped up, Italian parsley minced (save some for garnish). I toasted the walnuts too. Everything went together, the chopped up pear included, and it was ready to serve. I tossed some of the Feta in the salad and kept a little bit to brighten up the top when I served it.

What’s GOOD: I liked this a lot – the extra chewy texture of the wild rice, the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and the caramelized red onions, the acidity of the Feta and lemon juice. I could barely taste the maple syrup in it. Loved the pear in it as well. I thought it was best the day I made it, although it kept in the frig for a few days. Was this a wow dish? Uhm, maybe not, but I really did enjoy it and had comments from several of the guests at the luncheon, wanting the recipe.

What’s NOT: nothing, really, except that you need to have all of the ingredients on hand – not all the items are everyday pantry staples! Finish mixing it just before serving. It’ll keep a day.

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Wild Rice, Sweet Potato Salad with Pears and Feta

Recipe By: Adapted from a recipe in the Washington Post
Servings: 8

3 cups water
1 cup wild rice
1 pound sweet potatoes — peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium red onion — peeled, sliced into thin wedges
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large scallions — trimmed and thinly sliced
2 medium pears — cored but not peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup parsley — chopped
1 cup Feta cheese — crumbled, 2 T reserved for garnish
1/2 cup walnuts — or pine nuts, toasted, coarsely chopped, for garnish

1. Cook the wild rice: Add the water to a 2-quart pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and return to a boil, then reduce the heat until the water is barely bubbling, cover and simmer. For hand-harvested wild rice, start checking in 20 minutes. Cultivated rice may take 45 minutes to 1 hour. (If using a blend, follow the package instructions.) Once the rice is tender and just starting to split apart at the ends, drain well. Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the sweet potatoes and red onion with 2 tablespoon of the oil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Keep them somewhat separate as you may need to remove the sweet potatoes, as they roast faster. Roast until fork-tender, 20 minutes or so. Remove sweet potatoes and continue roasting onion if it’s not quite tender and caramelized. Let cool.
3. Chop the onion into bite-sized pieces. In a bowl combine the wild rice, sweet potatoes, red onion, parsley, scallions and pears. Can be refrigerated at this point for up to a day. If making a day ahead leave out pear until serving time.
4. Whisk together the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil, the lemon juice, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a small bowl, until emulsified.
5. Add Feta cheese, pour the dressing over the wild rice mixture and toss to coat. Serve topped with walnuts and reserved Feta. May also garnish with additional parsley.
Per Serving: 426 Calories; 24g Fat (49.3% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 26mg Cholesterol; 621mg Sodium; 13g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 210mg Calcium; 2mg Iron; 526mg Potassium; 284mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Salad Dressings, Salads, on June 22nd, 2022.

So simple and easy to make at the last minute. Love serving anything on that tomato plate I bought in Cortona, Italy about 10 years ago, which I wedged carefully into my suitcase to bring home.

A post from Carolyn.  A week or so ago I’d bought a container of burrata cheese, with no particular plans for it. As it sat in the frig for several days, I decided one day at lunchtime that I should make a salad with part of it.

Here at left is the salad I made for lunch. I knew I wouldn’t eat all of the burrata (it was 8 ounces) but it looked so pretty on the plate. For myself I added one Roma tomato, one egg, quartered, and I opened a package of the vacuum-sealed cooked beets (from Trader Joe’s). Then I went out into my garden and cut some fresh basil, which I sliced up and sprinkled on top, then I drizzled some lemon white balsamic vinegar and EVOO on top. Finally, I added freshly ground black pepper and Maldon flake salt.

Oh my. It was SO delicious. It was so good, in fact, that I made it as a side salad (the picture at top) for dinner. I cut up the half of the burrata that was remaining, added avocado to the plate too (didn’t use the egg as we were already having a protein for dinner) and drizzled again with the same dressing. For dinner I also gathered some mint and added it to the basil.

There at right you can see the same lunch plate with the oozy burrata after I’d cut into it. Oh so good.

For dinner I’d made a ground beef casserole and it was just ho-hum, so I won’t be posting that recipe. But this salad was a hit – with me, of course, with granddaughter Taylor and with my friend Judy who came to share it with us.

What’s GOOD: everything about this was sensational. So seasonally good, the fresh oozy, gooey cheese, the tomatoes, even the beets.

What’s NOT: nothing whatsoever.

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Burrata Salad Platter

Serving Size: 6

8 ounces burrata cheese
3 Roma tomatoes — cored, sliced
3 small beets — cooked, peeled, sliced
1 medium avocado — sliced
2 eggs — hard boiled, quartered (optional)
3 tablespoons fresh basil — sliced
1 tablespoon fresh mint — sliced
DRESSING:
2 tablespoons lemon white balsamic vinegar
5 tablespoons EVOO
Freshly ground black pepper and flake salt

1. Mix up salad dressing (using white balsamic vinegar if possible) and EVOO in a small jar with a lid.
2. Arrange cheese as the centerpiece on platter. Place rows of tomatoes, beets, avocado, eggs (if using) around the cheese.
3. Shake dressing, then drizzle over the top of the salad; add freshly ground pepper and flake salt on top, then scatter with herbs. Serve immediately.
Per Serving: 320 Calories; 26g Fat (74.4% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 92mg Cholesterol; 302mg Sodium; 5g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 28mg Calcium; 1mg Iron; 405mg Potassium; 76mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Salad Dressings, Salads, on September 13th, 2021.

What a beautiful summer bounty. 

A post from Carolyn. Following Ree Drummond’s recipe for this wasn’t quite going to work for me – – as I needed to change in/out a few things. Believe it or not, I couldn’t find green beans that day. Really? So asparagus had to work. Salmon I bought at Costco, multi-colored cherry tomatoes I had; hard boiled eggs are always in my frig as well as Kalamata olives. And Romaine too. All I did was change the salad dressing from Ree’s bottled dressing with a few add-ins, to one of my favorite Caesar dressings, the Caesar Caper Parmesan that uses mayo as the base. That recipe came from Phillis Carey, many, many years ago. Only thing I did this time was add a tetch of anchovy paste, which amped-up the full-bodied garlicky flavor of the dressing.

What fun I had making this. I’d invited four women who used to work for me, decades ago, at the ad agency I co-owned. I’d been part of the hiring of each of them, and one of my jobs, always, was training new hires. We also FaceTime(d) with another one who currently lives in Arizona, and it had been about 20 years since I’d been in touch with her. We told so many stories, shared so many laughs. It was a warm day and serving a salad was a given. I’d watched Pioneer Woman make a similar one. So I used her base recipe as the start.

For me, I prepped most of the ingredients the day before – the asparagus, the hard boiled eggs, the tomatoes, even the Romaine lettuce that I carefully cut into 1/3-cut wedges. I made the dressing, cooked the potatoes (although you’ll notice, I forgot to put them on the platter – geez!), chopped the Italian parsley. The day of – an hour or so before – I roasted the salmon. It’s put onto a baking sheet lined with foil, sprayed with EVOO, salt and pepper and baked for a mere 10 minutes at 425°F. Once cooled, I forked it into small to mid-sized flakes.

Digging out the largest platter I own (it’s really big, usually used for Thanksgiving turkey) I began composing the salad. I placed the Romaine down first, then began adding the colorful parts around the sides, with salmon at one end and eggs at the other. Then I plopped globs of dressing down the center of the Romaine and sprinkled it all with Italian parsley. Done. What this salad isn’t is a true Nicoise, which must contain green beans, and usually uses canned tuna (you can order Nicoise at most French cafes any day of the week). And potatoes are included, plus some kind of Mediterranean olive, usually Kalamata, but could be other types too. And it’s usually done with a vinaigrette of some kind. Not Caesar.

Same salad, this time with ahi tuna, seared quickly, green beans, asparagus, hard boiled eggs, more tomatoes plus  avocadoes. 

This salad was a real winner. For sure. The picture above is the same meal, but made with  ahi tuna – very quickly seared with just a little rub of EVOO, salt and pepper. Since this was a dinner, I used halved Romaine hearts (for a bit more lettuce on each serving). This time I did have green beans, and I had sufficient salad dressing left over to serve it. No potatoes since I try to do less carbs. It made for another lovely, colorful platter of food which was almost all polished off in one sitting. The tiny bit of leftovers I had for lunch the next day. Yum. I bought one pound of fresh ahi, seared it in my stovetop grill pan for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, then sliced thinly with a very sharp straight-edged knife.

What’s GOOD: everything about this was good, in my book. The dressing was perfect for the lively flavors (salmon or ahi, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, even asparagus). Loved how beautiful the platter came out – it’s a stunner! Most everything can be done the day before which makes for easy plating.

What’s NOT: does require a moderate amount of prep work (cooking green beans or asparagus, potatoes, hard boiled eggs, even the salmon (the ahi was extra-simple to do), also cutting the tomatoes, pitting olives if you need to do that – I buy pitted ones – and carefully cutting the Romaine into 1/3 wedges), packaging everything up until the right moment to plate and serve. But worth the trouble. Everything except the salmon (or ahi) and cutting avocadoes can be done the day ahead.

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Salmon Nicoise Caesar

Recipe By: Adapted from Ree Drummond, Pioneer Woman
Serving Size: 4

12 ounces Yukon gold potatoes — baby sized, traditional, but optional
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces green beans — or asparagus
1 pound salmon fillet — skinned (can also be made with seared ahi tuna)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon — zested and juiced
3/4 cup Caesar Caper Parmesan Dressing (below)
2 hearts Romaine lettuce — whole, cut in third/wedges and cored
4 hard-boiled eggs — cooled, peeled and halved
2 cups cherry tomatoes — halved lengthways
1/4 cup Kalamata olives — or other Mediterranean olive of your choice
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese — grated, for garnish
parsley leaves — for garnish
CAESAR CAPER PARM DRESSING:
4 whole garlic cloves
1 cup mayonnaise — Best Foods
2 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon capers — heaping, drained
1/4 teaspoon anchovy paste — or more if you like the flavor
2 1/2 tablespoons EVOO
1 1/4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1. Boil the potatoes in a pot of salted water until tender, about 10 minutes, then halve and set aside to cool.
2, Cook the green beans or asparagus in a small pot of boiling salted water for 2-4 minutes, then remove and plunge into ice water. Drain and pat dry. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Put the salmon on the prepared baking sheet, skin-side down. Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the salmon and set aside to cool slightly, then flake into large chunks with a fork.
4. Make the dressing: Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl – start with the anchovy paste to make sure it is dispersed, then mix well.
6. Arrange the Romaine wedges in the middle of a very large platter. Group the green beans, eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, olives and salmon on top and around the lettuces. Spoon globs of the dressing on the Romaine wedges. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley leaves. Serve with more dressing at the table.
Per Serving (assumes you use all the dressing): 704 Calories; 38g Fat (47.0% calories from fat); 42g Protein; 55g Carbohydrate; 17g Dietary Fiber; 284mg Cholesterol; 776mg Sodium; 18g Total Sugars; 1mcg Vitamin D; 319mg Calcium; 10mg Iron; 2444mg Potassium; 667mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Salads, on May 8th, 2021.

A lovely, very curry-centric green salad with chicken, fat glossy grapes, fresh asparagus and toasted pine nuts

To digress just a little bit – the blog has now been “migrated,” they call it, to a different platform, and I won’t be getting any of those overage charges. Whew. I’ve lost sleep over this whole thing. So stressful. Mostly the hard work is done now, although I still need to figure out the email subscriptions and some other things. I was shocked to discover that 487 of you have subscribed to the blog. Wow. Thank you, friends and readers! The subscription function doesn’t work the same on this platform, so soon I’ll be adding email subscriptions (in the background) and you may get some kind of email asking you to authorize it. Don’t know about that, as I haven’t delved into it deeply enough yet. And the window where readers input an email address (on the home page) doesn’t function correctly, so I’ve got to figure this out. There are several other things I’m not able to access or accomplish, but hopefully I’ll get it figured out eventually. Need to understand it well enough so I can teach Karen and Sara how to do it too.

So, on to salads. Last weekend I went out to the condo in the desert (Palm Desert) to spend the weekend with daughter Sara and her husband John, and son Powell, his wife Karen and their son, Vaughan. We had a busy weekend, with them visiting an air museum in Palm Springs, and another day all of them going out into the deep desert to go shooting at targets. Not my thing, so I stayed home and did some cooking. We went out to a nice restaurant one night, cooked burgers another (with birthday cake for two family members). It was beastly hot, unfortunately (unseasonably), but we still enjoyed being together as a family. Do note, the new photo on the sidebar of the blog. New picture of the three of us.

When Karen and family arrived it was 106° outside. It was nice and cool inside, thank goodness, so I’d made this salad. Originally, the recipe came from Kalyn’s Kitchen, but I did a lot of tweaking of the recipe itself, adding other ingredients to both the salad and the dressing.

First off, I had really huge chicken breasts, so I poached them – really I steeped them. I mixed orange juice and water, with some salt and pepper, brought it to a boil, slid in the chicken, brought it back up to a simmer, covered it, turned off the heat and let it steep (like tea) for an hour. The chicken was fully cooked, and so very tender and juicy. Once cooled, I cut the chicken into cubes and bite-sized pieces. The dressing I’d made ahead, but I’d added some vinegar (my Meyer lemons were too sweet, so thought the dressing needed a bit more acid), some EVOO too. I tossed the salad with the grape halves, arugula, Romaine and also the asparagus I’d cooked earlier and chilled. The toasted pine nuts sprinkled on the top made for nice texture too. The picture above doesn’t do it justice, really. The family thought the salad was well worth blogging about.

What’s GOOD: lovely for a warm summer’s evening, tender juicy chicken, powerful curry dressing (if you aren’t enamored with curry, either eliminate it or reduce the quantity of curry powder), and the texture from the asparagus, grapes and pine nuts.

What’s NOT: only that there are several steps (steeping the chicken, cooking the asparagus and the other general prep).

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Curried Chicken Salad with Asparagus, Red Grapes and Pine Nuts

Recipe By: My adaptation of a Kalyn’s Kitchen recipe
Servings: 6

1 pound asparagus spears — trimmed and cut into diagonal 2 inch pieces
1 whole lemon — (zest the skin and squeeze the juice)
3 large chicken breasts without skin — to yield about 4 cups
1 cup orange juice — mixed with 2 cups water
1 cup green onion — sliced
1/2 cup pine nuts — toasted
1 cup red grapes — halved
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
2 cups arugula — or more if needed
3 cups romaine lettuce — chopped or torn, or more if needed
DRESSING:
5 tablespoons Greek yogurt, full-fat — may substitute sour cream or buttermilk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice — or more if desired
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons white vinegar — or more lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Cut off woody ends of asparagus.  Cut asparagus on the diagonal into pieces and then cook in salted water for 3 minutes.  Do not overcook – you want the asparagus to be tender-crisp.
2.  Zest the lemon then cut lemon in half and squeeze the juice.  Set aside.
3.  In another saucepan, combine the orange juice and water.  Season liquid with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer.  Gently slide the chicken breasts into the water.  Cover, bring the water back to a simmer, and remove from the heat.  Set pan aside for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  The chicken will have poached/cooked during that time.  Remove chicken, drain, allow to cool.  Discard the cooking water.  Cut chicken into small bite-sized pieces.  You may also use any leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken for this salad.
4.  Whisk together yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, curry powder, Dijon mustard, EVOO, vinegar (or more lemon juice) lemon zest and sea salt to make the curry dressing.  Taste for seasoning.
5.  Drain asparagus into a colander.  Then lay out a paper towel on the counter and spread out the asparagus on the towel.  Cover with another paper towel and gently blot away as much water as possible.
6.  Slice green onions on the diagonal and toast the pine nuts.
7.  Combine diced chicken, asparagus, green onions, grapes, arugula and Romaine with desired amount of dressing; you may not need all the dressing if you prefer your salads to be fairly dry.  Gently stir in the green onion and grapes.  Season the finished salad to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and serve, sprinkling the toasted pine nuts all over the top of the salad.  If you have any extra dressing you might want to add a bit more right when you serve the salad.  If you prefer, you can leave the asparagus whole, and serve the spears on top of the salad – with the toasted pine nuts – for a pretty appearance.
Per Serving: 411 Calories; 20g Fat (43.5% calories from fat); 37g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 107mg Cholesterol; 285mg Sodium; 13g Total Sugars; 0mcg Vitamin D; 103mg Calcium; 5mg Iron; 1183mg Potassium; 458mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Salads, Veggies/sides, on March 12th, 2021.

jamie_deens_green_bean_salad

Just lovely. So tasty.

Make this. It’s not that hard – although you do have to cut up tomatoes, toast the almonds, and shake together a very simple vinegar/oil combo, mince some fresh basil, red onion, and mince a clove of garlic. But that’s all. Get everything ready ahead of time – then cook the green beans in salted water. Drain them, dry them a bit, then toss them with the dressing.

The recipe comes from Jamie Deen, Paula’s son. Since I had green beans in my frig, and I had red onion – well, I had all the ingredients. The almonds toasted in my toaster oven for about 5 minutes. I went out into my garden and grabbed a nice little sprig of basil, I shook up the red wine vinegar, EVOO and garlic in a jar and let it sit for about 10 minutes. The beans were drained, I rinsed them well under cold water, then to cool to room temp (within about 10 minutes). I put the green beans in the little dish (pictured above) and added the vinaigrette and used my hands to mix it well. A little salt and pepper were added, then I piled on the tomatoes, goat cheese (his recipe called for feta, but I’m in a rut with crumbled goat cheese). Nuts sprinkled on top, the basil and it was ready to eat.

green_bean_salad_jamie_deenTruly, I could have eaten that whole dish full of them, they were that good. But I didn’t. I started with about 1/2 pound of beans, so I have enough for another day. If you’re not going to eat them all in one sitting, don’t put the dressing on the beans as the acid in the vinegar turns the beans kind of gray-ish. Not very pleasing to look at, although the taste isn’t impaired at all. This would make a lovely company side dish – it could easily go on a picnic, and can be assembled at the last minute at someone else’s home. Versatile. Just package everything separately.

What’s GOOD: everything about these were so tasty. Loved the vinaigrette. None of the flavors overwhelmed – just enough of everything. And did I mention how pretty the finished dish is? Gorgeous. Make more than you need so you can have leftovers  – although as I mentioned above, keep everything separate until ready to toss and serve.

What’s NOT: nothing, other than needing to do some prep work.

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Green Bean Salad – Jamie Deen

Recipe By: Food Network – Jamie Deen
Serving Size: 5

salt to season the water
1 pound green beans — use slender ones, if available, ends trimmed
1 cup goat cheese — crumbled, or feta
1 cup cherry tomatoes — sliced in half
2 tablespoons red onion — minced
1/2 cup slivered almonds — toasted
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 large clove garlic — minced
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Boil a large pot of water with a generous amount of salt added. Add the green beans and cook until tender crisp, 1 to 4 minutes. Drain and remove to a bowl of ice water. Or rinse well under cold tap water.
2. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes, pat dry and place the beans in a large bowl.
3. In small jar combine red wine vinegar and oil, then add garlic. Shake. Set aside.
3. Pour the dressing over the green beans and toss well. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds. Add the goat or feta cheese, tomatoes and red onions. Garnish with slivered fresh basil.
Per Serving: 344 Calories; 28g Fat (71.4% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 37mg Cholesterol; 205mg Sodium; 5g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 211mg Calcium; 2mg Iron; 431mg Potassium; 275mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Salads, on February 2nd, 2021.

mixed_lettuce_snap_pea_salad

Nice, refreshing salad with Meyer lemons.

We had a gathering at my house a week or so ago, finally celebrating Christmas with my two families who live here in Southern California. All done outside except for some food prep. My son Powell brought a beautiful, big smoked ham he’d done in his fancy barbecue. I made Ina Garten’s zucchini gratin, a favorite of mine. We had a casserole of smashed sweet potatoes, and then I made this salad. Karen brought some fresh strawberries that could be dipped in crème fraiche and brown sugar, and I’d put out a big cheese platter ahead of time.

meyer_lemon_cream_dressingAn entire package of sugar snap peas is in that salad, above, but I don’t think you can see a single one of them in the picture . . . but they’re there. And there are more lemons than I thought, but each serving maybe had two slices of them (halved). I used a combination of Romaine lettuce and baby spinach. Then tons of radishes (an entire bunch) were added too. But the crown of the recipe is the lemon cream dressing. It starts with a minced shallot, then Meyer lemon juice, EVOO, salt, pepper, and lastly, a big glug of heavy cream. The dressing made enough to dress two big salads, so I used it on my dinner salad for a few days. Taste the dressing with a leaf of lettuce – if you think it’s too tart, add another little jot of EVOO. The recipe came from Sunset Magazine some years ago.0

All of the salad could be made ahead and tossed at the last minute. And it could easily be taken to someone else’s home and assembled there.

What’s GOOD: the lemony flavored tart dressing. I actually enjoyed eating the little thin wedges of lemon too. It made a very pretty salad with lots of crunch (from the sugar snaps and radishes) and the dressing was just lovely. Definitely I’d make this again. Loved the mint in the salad too. Such a nice addition to salads.

What’s NOT: nothing, really. I might put in even more radishes and sugar snaps next time.

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Lettuce Snap Pea Salad with Meyer Lemon Cream

Recipe By: Sunset 1/15
Serving Size: 6

1 whole Meyer lemon
1 1/4 pounds lettuce — mixed types, ends trimmed; or use 10 oz. salad mix
1 cup sugar snap peas — thinly sliced on a diagonal
3/4 cup radishes — thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves — torn into small pieces
DRESSING:
2 tablespoons shallot — finely minced
1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt — divided
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil — plus 2 tbsp.
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Very thinly slice lemon crosswise, using a handheld slicer and removing seeds with a knife tip as you go. Discard ends. If the lemon is large, you may only use half the lemon. Cut lemon slices in half.
2. Toss lettuces in a large bowl with about 1/2 cup dressing. Add snap peas, radishes, and a little more dressing and toss again. Arrange salad on chilled plates and tuck in lemon slices and mint. Serve with more dressing if you like.
3. DRESSING: To a jar add shallot, lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp. salt and let stand 5 minutes. Add oil, then cover and shake well. Add in 1/2 tsp. more salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and the cream. Taste and add more salt, pepper or EVOO (if it tastes too tart) if you like. Shake before using. Make ahead: up to 3 days, chilled.
Per Serving (you don’t use all the dressing on this salad above, so calorie count is way too high): 236 Calories; 23g Fat (84.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 15mg Cholesterol; 334mg Sodium; 3g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 74mg Calcium; 2mg Iron; 346mg Potassium; 55mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Salad Dressings, Salads, on November 3rd, 2020.

spinach_cabbage_herb_slaw

What a super salad! Perfect for a barbecue. It’s kind of a mixture between a green (spinach) salad and a cabbage (slaw) salad. Note the cashews, halved red grapes and the grilled pineapple on top?

A couple of weeks ago my son and his wife invited me to their house for a Saturday dinner. Powell was smoking a whole beef brisket. I didn’t want to miss out on that. The last time he prepared a smoked brisket, Karen sent me home with a big chunk of the brisket and I made a recipe that’s a favorite in her family (and now for me, too) for Smoked Brisket Chili. Oh my goodness was that something special. So I made this salad to go along with the meal.

The recipe came from a cooking class more than 2 years ago with Phillis Carey. I don’t know why I hadn’t posted it before – for whatever reason I didn’t have a picture of this salad from back then. I’ve modified the recipe just a tad – I didn’t have bean sprouts (none at the market when I shopped), didn’t have green onions, either, because I forgot to buy them. Everything else I had – and since I’d purchased a big, beautiful fresh pineapple, I grilled it (stovetop) and chopped up some of it in the salad, and most of it we had as dessert.

I made the dressing the night before (it’s easy as long as you have the oranges – – I used OJ concentrate, diluted correctly — and fresh limes). I used EVOO in the dressing, so it needs to sit out at room temp to warm up and homogenize correctly – otherwise the oil sits on top. Be sure to mix it well before pouring over the salad. I was a bit startled at how much the cashews cost – I think I bought about a cup of them from a bin-type dispenser, and they were nearly $4.00. Wow. Really? You could easily use almonds in this, or even peanuts. I expect they’d be cheaper than these dear cashews! The herbs are fresh mint and cilantro. Lots of both. And of course, the fresh spinach. I ended up adding a little bit more cabbage to this salad, so the recipe has been altered to change the little things I did differently. Everything can be prepared ahead of time, except for tossing it.

You don’t want to let this sit – the citrus juices will wilt the spinach and herbs – so if you happen to make a big portion of this – only put out in the salad bowl what you think you’ll eat, no left overs. The dressing amount makes more than you’ll need – but I’m happy to have some leftover dressing for a salad on another day. I won’t have any cashews or grilled pineapple, but everything else I do have on hand now.

What’s GOOD: everything about this salad was wonderful. My son said this was, by far, his most favorite slaw he’s ever had. Nearly everyone at the table had seconds, so I’m glad I made salad for 8 people (there were 6 of us). We ate it all.

What’s NOT: only that you might not have everything on hand to make this. You can eliminate the pineapple (it wasn’t in the original) but I really liked that addition.

printer-friendly PDF and MasterCook file (click link to open recipe)

* Exported from MasterCook *

Spinach, Cabbage and Fresh Herb Slaw with Spicy Ginger-Citrus Dressing

Recipe By: Adapted from Phillis Carey
Serving Size: 6

DRESSING: (makes about twice what is needed for the salad)
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup avocado oil — or grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons serrano chile — minced
4 teaspoons fresh ginger — minced
SLAW:
4 cups fresh spinach — shredded
4 cups cabbage — green type, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups red grapes — halved
1 1/2 cups bean sprouts — optional
1 cup sugar snap peas — julienned or snow peas
1 cup red onion — thinly sliced, acidulated
1/2 cup green onions — julienned
3 cups fresh pineapple — grilled, chopped (optional)
6 tablespoons fresh mint — chopped
6 tablespoons fresh cilantro — chopped
2/3 cup cashews — salted, toasted, for garnish

Note: How to acidulate onions: Soak red onion in cold water to cover with about a tablespoon of vinegar – soak for 10 minutes to take away the sharp, raw taste.
1. DRESSING: Whisk together orange juice, lime juice, brown sugar, soy sauce and salt in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Whisk in oil or shake all in a jar. Stir in serrano chile and ginger. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
2. SALAD: Mix all vegetables, grapes, pineapple and herbs in a large bowl. Toss with dressing and serve with cashews sprinkled on top. Serve immediately. This slaw won’t keep, so dress only the amount of salad you’ll eat at that meal.
Per Serving: 517 Calories; 30g Fat (49.1% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 61g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 142mg Sodium; 41g Total Sugars; 0mcg Vitamin D; 126mg Calcium; 5mg Iron; 905mg Potassium; 252mg Phosphorus.

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