This salad just screams "Ladies!" to me. Right? Although my husband devoured it, so certainly plenty of gents will happily down lobster and asparagus atop buttery toast as well.
Recipe for Lobster-and-Asparagus Salad with Miso-Mustard Vinaigrette at Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures/Food & Wine Magazine.
The play of hot against cold, tender against crunchy, preferably with a salty-sweet vinaigrette, hits enough texture and flavor notes to transform a simple salad into a meal. Use this recipe as a formula to play with all summer long, as other vegetables come into the market.
My recipe for Grilled Asparagus Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.
Crispy, buttery, salty chicken topped with a fresh salad. It's all in the contrast. My recipe for Chicken Piccata with Radish & Pea Shoot Salad at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.
I figured after the (lovely!) decadence of last week's poached egg-over-pork belly-over-pancake, I owed you - and myself - a salad. Recipe for Cabbage Salad with Toasted Coriander Mayonnaise at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.
I posted Melissa Clark's Raw Tuscan Kale Salad with Chiles & Pecorino recipe this week at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.
Yes, that is fried cheese.
It is every bit as delicious as you'd think it would be - crunchy and melty, a little salty and sweet, pretty much to die for. Thank you Melissa Clark - I asked for her new cookbook for Christmas, In the Kitchen With A Good Appetite, and I've been consistently thrilled since I opened it.
Peppery arugula is a lovely foil for the creamy cheese, as is the citrus dressing, which offers nothing less than a bite of sunshine on a cold, winter's day. Somehow this salad manages to be at once comforting and yet refreshing, no easy feat.
I used almond flour to make it gluten-free. You could instead use gluten-free breadcrumbs (and just skip the flour). Have the greens ready to go so that you can serve the salad as soon as the crispy-molten cheese emerges from the oil.
An oh, tuck the dressing recipe in the back of your mind because you're going to want to eat it on pretty much everything.
Pan-Fried Cheese with Anchovy-Date Salad
From In the Kitchen With A Good Appetite by Melissa Clark
Serves 4-6
1 medium orange
1 large lemon
4 large diced dates (about 1/4 c.)
6 anchovy fillets, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c. all-purpose flour (I used almond flour)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c. plain bread crumbs (I skipped these)
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
Extra-virgin olive oil or safflower oil, for frying (about 3/4 c.)
Bitter leafy greens, such as arugula, watercress, and/or radicchio, for serving
To make the anchovy-date dressing, zest and juice the orange and lemon, reserving 1 Tbsp. of the lemon juice and 2 tsp. of the orange juice. Place the zest and reserved juice in a medium bowl and stir in the dates, anchovies, and garlic. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing comes together.
To make the cheese, place the flour on a plate, the egg in a bowl, and the bread crumbs on a separate plate. Coat each slice of cheese in the flour, dip in the egg, and then coat in the bread crumbs. (Note: I just dipped the cheese in the egg and then coated with almond flour.)
Heat about 1/2 inch oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, dip 1 cheese slice into the oil. If the oil sizzles slightly, it is ready. Working with 2-3 cheese slices at a time, fry the cheese until golden brown, 15-20 seconds per side. Transfer the slices to a plate and dab off the excess oil with a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining cheese slices.
Serve the fried cheese hot on a bed of greens topped with the anchovy-date dressing.
I am stuffed to the max from rich holiday foods. Even though I was successful in avoiding gluten and grains, the salt really catches up to me. Puff city. And after a week of heavier foods, salads, fish, and brothy soups just sound so right to me.
While these recipes aren't new, I thought you might appreciate having a few ideas for taking it down a notch this week. Above is one of my favorite salads, Grilled Salmon with Greens & Avocado. Warm salmon, cool greens, and a mustard vinaigrette hit the spot in any season.
I posted my aunt Mary's Chicken Vegetable Soup at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine a few weeks ago. It's delicious anytime, and can be adapted to use up leftover turkey if you're lucky enough to have some on hand.
Grilled Shrimp Tostadas with Spicy Slaw are easy to mess around with. Saute or broil the shrimp if your grill is buried in snow. Skip the tortillas if you're watching your grain intake. The cool, crunchy slaw sets off the hot shrimp nicely.
A pan of Fried Chickpeas with Chorizo & Spinach can be on the table in minutes and is hearty and spicy enough to chase away a chilly evening. How do you wind things down when the holidays are over?
I first wrote about this recipe a few weeks ago when I described our trip to San Francisco. My friend Maud's brother Arthur made a delicious kale salad for us, and I couldn't wait to make it at home and post it for you. In the process of raving about it on Facebook, I found out that the recipe originally came from Maud and Arthur's sister Abigail! She claims she didn't make it up herself, but I'm happy to give her credit for introducing it to me via Arthur. She said that Arthur added the nuts (a good addition).
The kale in the salad is raw, yet tender, because it sits tossed with some lemon juice for a bit (the acid tenderizes the greens). In fact, I kept leftovers in the fridge overnight and enjoyed it completely the next day. Abigail notes that it is always popular on buffets - as we all know, it's not easy to find a green salad that can sit nicely (and even improve) on a buffet! I'm thinking...Thanksgiving. Yes.
I brought some to Debbie & Stu the Wine Genius' home last week and had Stu asking me for the recipe over the weekend. I've got a nasty double-whammy sinus infection/pneumonia going on - grrr - so I've been a little slow posting this. But here it is! I made it for myself today, in fact, adding garlic to give my immune system a kick in the you know what.
I also added fresh dill, since I love fresh dill with lemon juice and feta cheese. You could add your favorite fresh herb, or none at all, per the original recipe. Thanks Arthur and Abigail!
Abigail and Arthur's Kale Salad
Serves 4
1 large bunch Lacinato kale (also known as Dino kale - it's crinkly, like dinosaur skin!), center ribs removed, leaves cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
1 shallot, sliced thin
1 1/2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt + more
1/3 c. pine nuts or chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup small dill sprigs (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
About one hour before you plan to eat, put kale and shallot in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss to coat thoroughly. Let sit for one hour.
To serve, add toasted nuts, feta cheese, and dill sprigs to salad and toss thoroughly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Behold the world's most perfect side dish. I'm not talking about the photo, which is meh (sorry, I was rushing this out to our National Night Out block party), but the dish itself, which is delicious and flexible and adaptable and easy and do-ahead.
No lie.
Serve it warm or serve it at room temperature. Stir in shredded chicken or lamb, or serve it alongside a roast of either. Add tomatoes, or corn, or peas, or any vegetable, really.
I never make it the same way twice and love all my iterations. Perhaps narcissistic, but I don't think so.
I spy roasted cherry tomatoes, grilled corn, okra, pine nuts, scallions, kalamata olives, red onions, and feta cheese studding this version. The soft, fluffy couscous pulls together all the lovely textures and flavors.
The basics are below - improvise away! Include a combination of raw and cooked vegetables for the biggest flavor punch. I bring this dish to almost every potluck I'm invited to - it actually improves as it sits there, looking pretty.
Couscous with Vegetables, Olives, & Raisins
Serves 4-6
1-10 oz. box plain couscous
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into matchstick pieces
1/2 sweet onion, sliced thinly into 1-inch pieces
3 oz. white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. raisins (or golden raisins, or currants), softened by heating in a microwave, with 1 tsp. of water, for 30 seconds
1/4 c. chopped scallions
1/4 c. chopped Kalamata olives
salt and pepper
Prepare couscous according to package directions. Spread hot couscous out on a baking sheet, breaking up any clumps, and allow to cool to room temperature. (Skip this step if you're going to serve the couscous warm.)
Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Stir in pepper, onion, and mushrooms and sauté until starting to wilt, about 8 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cumin, then garlic and raisins, and sauté for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer couscous to a bowl. Stir in scallions and olives, then sautéed vegetables and any oil from the pan. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve warm or at room temp.
Optional stir-in ideas:
¼ toasted pine nuts
¼ c. chopped parsley
½ c. canned, drained chickpeas
¼ c. chopped fresh mint leaves
½ c. crumbled feta cheese
1 c. cooked, shredded chicken or lamb
I know, I know. Another tomato salad. But bear with me for a minute, because of one special ingredient...burrata cheese. It's fresh mozzarella, but with a creamier, tangier twist. I bought it at Whole Foods, in the cheese section, and haven't looked back. Burrata is completely incredible with garden fresh tomatoes, even more so than traditional fresh mozzarella, because of its loose, creamy-dreamy texture.
Scatter pieces over juicy sliced tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, add crispy olive-oil fried croutons.
Then finish with plenty of fresh basil. (Unless Japanese beetles have decimated your basil plant. In that case, use other fresh herbs and it will still be fabulous.)
Our dog Louis learned how to jump into the pool today. Witnessing his pure joy is almost as delicious as tomato salad.
I’m Stephanie Meyer. If you're looking for fresh, delicious food to share with those you love - welcome! In addition to the recipes you'll find here, I post Tuesday recipes at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients. I also cook and take photos for Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures/Food & Wine magazine, post gluten-free recipes at Stuffed Pepper, cook with food photographer Susan Powers for Shooting the Kitchen, and organize the Minnesota Food Bloggers. Let’s eat!
