Skirt Steak Salad

When we were in Chicago, I took something off my bucket list.  After years of watching Mexico! One plate at a Time on PBS for many years, I made it to Rick Bayless's restaurant.  Twice.  The first meal we ate in the city was at Frontera.  The last meal we ate was also at Frontera in the Chicago airport.  When we got home, I immediately bought a Rick Bayless cookbook.

A lot of the recipes in the book are "typical" Mexican dishes--enchiladas, tortas, tacos.  I enjoyed this one because it is a salad recipe.

Serves 4 - 6

Skirt Steak Salad
adapted from Everyday Mexican by Rick Bayless

8 c spinach (young or small), long stems removed (or 8 oz frisbee or escarole, cut into 2-inch sections)
2 medium large (1 lb) tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium avocados, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 plus 2 T olive oil
1 lb skirt steak

2 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c beef broth or water
1 canned chipotle en adobo, finely chopped
1/4 c lime juice

1/3 c queso anejo, grated (or another hard cheese like Romano or Parmesan)


Put the spinach in a large bowl. Strew the tomatoes and avocados over top.  Heat 2 T olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium high heat.  Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and pepper.  Lay in the hot oil and cook until medium-rare (or you can cook longer if you don't like meat medium-rare), about 1 to 1 1/2 on each side.

Reduce the heat to low.  Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds, until very fragrant.  Pour the broth (or water--which is what I used) in to the pan and release any browned bits.  Remove from heat and stir in the chile, lime juice, and 1/4 c olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the steak into roughly 3-inch lengths, then cut each piece across the grain into 1/4-inch strips.  Add to the bowl with the spinach.  Pour warm dressing over the top and toss to coat.  The warm dressing will help the spinach wilt a little  Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve.

Long Lost Brussels Sprouts Salad

Years ago I used to make this recipe.  Repeatedly.  I loved this recipe and it reminded how versatile the maligned, to frequently overcooked brussels sprout was.  Then the recipe was gone.

A year had passed since I made it and I could not remember where the recipe was located.  I scoured by cookbooks and my frequently used food blogs.  I goggled it countless times to no avail.  The recipe I remembered had disappeared.

On a whim yesterday, I goggled brussels sprouts salad.  I remembered it was simple, had nuts, and cheese in it.  That was all.

There it was--on the second page of my goggle search my missing recipe, gone for five years, at least, waited for me.  I recognized the blog name--not one I frequented, but one I had found a few good recipes from.

I do not want to lose this recipe another five years.  It's too good.  It's too simple.  I made this in the fifteen it took me to sear my kofta.

Long Lost Brussels Sprouts Salad
from Shutterbean.com
serves 4- 8, depending on how much people love brussels sprouts

1 stalk of brussels sprouts (approximately 24 or maybe a lb), shredded (I use my food processor blade)
1/2 c Parmesan, grated (the good stuff here, folks.  As in the stuff that comes in a wedge, not in a can)
1 c toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
9 T olive oil (again, the good stuff)
3 T apple cider vinegar
2 t Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Toss the shredded Brussels sprouts in a bowl with the grated cheese and toasted walnuts.  In a small jar, vigorously shake the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper.  Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat all the Brussels sprouts.  If you feel like the salad needs more dressing, make more dressing and coat to the desired amount.

Will keep a day or two max, but it really will be eaten before then.

Tangled (Angel) Hair and Kale

In December came Christmas and Christmas means new cookbooks.  I got cookbooks from both my brother and sister (they know me so well!!).  I've been enjoying each.

This has been one of my favorite new recipes so far.  It was great the evening we served it and I enjoyed it a couple of days afterwards as leftovers.  For leftovers, I fried up an egg, leaving the yolk nice and runny and served it over the cold pasta and kale.  Mmm….

Kids weren't a fan, but that won't stop me from making it again. M usually loves kale, so I'm not giving up on this recipe yet (except M did mention that I always made things I liked, versus always things she liked.  So true, M, so true).

The original recipe called for chili sauce (of the Chinese persuasion) and garlic go in the dressing.  I left both out, because I knew the kids wouldn't do spicy and I can't do uncooked garlic.  If you want to add these back in, use 2 T Chinese chili sauce and 1 clove minced garlic.

Tangled (Angel) Hair and Kale
adapted a hair from The Heart of the Plate by Molly Katzen (of Moosewood Fame)

1 t orange zest
2 t sugar
1/4 t salt
2 t rice vinegar
1/2 t soy sauce
1/4 c olive oil
1 lb (less is ok, too) kale, large stems removed and coarsely chopped
8 oz angel hair (capellini) pasta
2 oranges, peeled, sectioned and sections removed
1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted

In the bottom of your serving dish, combine orange zest, sugar, salt, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking the soy sauce mixture vigorously.  Set aside.

Place kale in a colander in the sink and rinse well.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions.  When the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta in the colander with the kale in it.  The boiling pasta water and hot pasta briefly wilts the kale (I love this method!!).  Add drained kale and pasta to the serving bowl with the dressing.  Mix the kale and pasta with dressing using tongs, lifting from the bottom of the bowl to coat all the pasta equally with dressing.  Mix in the orange slices and almonds.  (Next time, I'll serve the almonds on the side, because that was M's biggest complaint).

This is also good at room temperature or cold.  If you don't serve this right away, wait to add the oranges and sliced almonds until immediately before serving.

Leftover suggestion:  Add a fried egg with a runny yolk to the cold kale and pasta.

Curried Rice Salad

I've started feeling like I'm in a bit of a cooking rut this summer.  I seem to just be making the same (wonderful, nonetheless) meals over and over.  That's saying something too, since I had three weeks of not really cooking smack dab in the middle of the summer.

Maybe it's the multitude of eggplant, peppers, and summer squash that brings about the cooking doldrums.  Maybe I'm just a little bit lazier this summer (that could be the case, because its been a really enjoyable summer...).  However, I was ready for some new inspiration.

I have a list of potential cookbooks I'd like, but I've learned, I have limited real estate for cookbooks.  I would like to find cookbooks that I cook many recipes from and that are different than the recipes I'm already using.  Plus, the recipes need to be heavy on vegetables and not so heavy on meat.

Jerusalem has been a great match for that, but I needed more.  So, I went to the public library.

This recipe is from one of my library cookbooks.  It's a great Sunday afternoon meal, perfect for taking to the pool and eating there.  It didn't use eggplant or summer squash, which was a disadvantage, but frankly, I'm tired of both those.

We all loved it, except for M.  J was thrilled that it was vegetarian--that boy's deciding he's not a big fan of meat.  I'll definitely make this again (and just let M fend for herself for supper. She's 8.  She can handle that).

This originally called for fresh tomatoes, of which I had none.  I omitted them and didn't miss them at all.  I also didn't really measure the vegetables, just eyeballed it.  This is the kind of recipe where you can do that without many negative effects (however, please, measure your spices).  This reminded me of a curry dish, minus the meat or sauce.

Serves 4- 6.

Curried Rice Salad
adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

1 c uncooked brown rice
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
2 c water

1 c celery, diced
1 c sweet peppers, diced
1 c apples, diced
1/2 c currants or raisins

1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice
1 T brown sugar
1 T fresh ginger root, grated
1 1 /2 t cumin
1 t curry powder
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t coriander
1/4 t cardamom
salt to taste

Greek plain yogurt
cashews, toasted and chopped
mango, diced (optional)

In a saucepan, combine the rice with the turmeric, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/4 t salt, and water.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Meanwhile, combine the vegetables in a large bowl.  Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, ginger root, cumin, curry powder, cinnamon, coriander, and cardamom.  Pour it over the vegetables and fruit and salt to taste.

Cool the rice for 15 minutes, then toss it with the vegetables and dressing.

Serve room temperature or cold, garnishing with yogurt, cashews, and mangoes, as desired.

Spiced Chickpeas and Summer Vegetable Salad

I know it's been a long time since I've added any recipes.  A usual, its a new cookbook that causes me to start adding recipes.  For Christmas this year, the dog gave me a cookbook again.  Her choice was superb:  Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.  I want to be sure next summer when I am scrambling to come up with recipes using eggplant, cucumbers, and the likes, I remember these recipes.

Normally I shy away from cookbooks by restaurant owners or Food Network personalities.  They seem full of themselves and full of ingredients that are either terribly expensive or terribly hard to find.  Not so for Jerusalem.  Although Ottolenghi owns restaurants bearing his name in London, the recipes are easily accessible.  The recipes are mostly kosher and heavy on vegetables.   Many of the summer vegetables use limited stove/oven time as well, which is nice when it's over 100 degrees outside and I really don't want to heat up my oven any more.

This the first recipe to share.  We love it, especially the spiced chickpeas. My margin note?  "The spiced chickpeas are divine!"  I made a few changes.  The original recipe called for a dressing on top of the vegetables.  I left that out.  Additionally, because with five people we are bound to like different things, I did not mix the vegetables together, I left them in separate piles on the serving platter.  I used the vegetables I had (two kinds of sweet peppers), I omitted those I didn't (radishes).

Remember to start the chickpeas the night before you want to eat this meal.

This serves 4.

Spiced Chickpeas and Summer Vegetable Salad
adapted from Jerusalem by Ottolenghi and Tamimi

1/2 c dried chickpeas
1 t baking soda

2 small cucumbers, cut into 2/3" dice (seed and peel if you prefer)
2 large tomatoes, cut into 2/3" dice
8.5 oz radishes, cut into 2/3" dice (optional)
1 -2 sweet peppers, seeded and ribs removed, cut into 2/3" dice
2/3 oz cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 oz parsley, coarsely chopped

1 t ground cardamom
1 1/2 t allspice
1 t cumin
1/4 t salt

Greek yogurt
pita

Soak the chickpeas overnight in a large bowl with plenty of cold water and baking soda.  The next day, drain, place in a large saucepan and cover with water twice the volume of the chickpeas.  Bring to a boil and simmer, skimming off any foam that may gather on top.  Simmer for an hour or until the chickpeas are tender.  Drain and set aside.

Mix the cardamom, allspice, cumin, and salt on a plate.  Roll the cooked chickpeas gently through the spices.  Heat 1 T olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the chickpeas and fry for 2 - 5 minutes.  Gently shake the pan so they cook evenly and don't stick.  Remove from heat and keep warm

To serve, put each vegetable on a serving platter. (Alternately, combine all the vegetables and herbs and place in a low bowl.  Top with warm chickpeas.)  Serve the chickpeas in a small bowl.  Allow everyone to take the vegetables they want and top with chickpeas.  Serve with pita and drizzle Greek yogurt over top if desired.

Warm Arugula Chicken Salad

One of the first greens to show up in our fall CSA boxes is arugula.  Tender leaves, a bit peppery, grace our boxes, a respite from all the other summer produce I've long grown tired of.

I have two favorite websites to get recipes from these days (in addition to pinterest of course).  Farmhouse Delivery and The Year in Food never cease to awe and inspire me.  Farmhouse Delivery is a local blog based off of seasonal eating, so I don't have to search in summer recipes for our October produce.  A Year in Food just is beautiful.  Beautiful.

While this recipe originally was a warm chicken salad, I transformed it to a warm arugula salad when I discovered the chicken I had reheated for the salad was extremely freezer-burnt and I couldn't stand to eat it.  (True story).  Next time, I plan on trying this again with chicken, but preferably chicken that hasn't been frozen yet....maybe a nice leftover chicken recipe for a roasted or rotisserie chicken.  If you want to leave out the chicken to make this vegetarian, you can.  You'll just have a nice, not-warm arugula apple salad instead.

I didn't serve this to the kids.  Curtis and I polished this off nicely for a Saturday lunch all by ourselves.

This serves 2 as a main dish.

Warm Arugula Chicken Salad
from Farmhouse Table (Farmhouse Delivery)

leftover roast chicken, wrapped in foil and re-warmed at 350 (save juices and drippings) (optional)
1/2 bunch arugula, washed carefully, stems removed, and torn
1 apple, sliced as thinly as possible
2 -3 sweet peppers slivered (if you have other sweet peppers besides bell, definitely use those!)
2 T pine nuts, toasted

1 T rosemary, minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 T sherry vinegar
1 T whole grain mustard
1/2 c olive oil

Combine warm chicken (if using), arugula, apple, sweet peppers, and pine nuts in a large salad bowl or serving platter.  Place rosemary, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and olive oil in a small glass jar and shake vigorously until oil appears to be mixed in.  Add the saved chicken juices/drippings (if using), and continue to shake.  Add half the dressing to the salad and toss well to combine.  Serve the reminder of dressing on the side (in case someone wants more dressing).

Serve immediately.

Bun Chay

Alas that you think I am out of recipes with fish sauce, let me reassure you that I am not!  This has been another easy, go-to summer recipe.

Here in ATX  (also known as Austin, Texas), fall does not start just because a calendar says it should.  Instead, summer lingers...with temperatures in the 90's all through September and a few days in the 90's sprinkled into October as well.  Summer produce is still in full swing---with our CSA box being loaded with eggplant, peppers, summer squash, and zucchini.

Thus, I am still cooking summer recipes.  I love this salad, plus its low calorie and low fat, which is always a plus.  Just like the taco salad, the kids are a bit hesitant because of the all the lettuce, but they'll eat the noodles no problem.

This serves 4 - 6.

Bun Chay
adapted from thekitchn.com

1 lb tofu, pressed to remove extra water (place under a weighted plate for 30 minutes)
1/2 lb dried rice sticks or vermicelli
head of Romaine lettuce  (3+ cups)
1 c cucumber, julienned
large handfuls of basil, mint, and cilantro, coarsely chopped

1/4 c fresh lime juice
1/4 c fish sauce or soy sauce (soy sauce will keep this recipe vegetarian/vegan)
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c water

1/4 c peanuts, chopped


Fry the tofu in a some vegetable oil heated in a large pan (you can either pan fry the tofu, using just a bit of oil or deep fry the tofu, using enough hot oil to cover the tofu).  Drain excess oil and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to the package directions.  Drain and rinse under cold water, separating the strands.  Drain completely.

In a little jar, combine the lime juice, fish sauce (soy sauce), sugar, and water.  Shake vigorously to combine.

To assemble the salad, place the lettuce in a large bowl and sprinkle with the fresh herbs.  Toss with the cucumbers and tofu.  Top with noodles and cucumbers and gently toss.  Drizzle the salad with the sauce to taste.  Serve and sprinkle with chopped peanuts if desired.

Taco Salad

When I was 14, my family took a 6 week camping trip across the US in just a pop-up camper.  We started in Virginia, made it to Pasadena, CA then up to Victoria Island, Canada, Banff National Park (also in Canada) and eventually back to Virginia.  We camped at the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone.  We threw snowballs in Oregon in the middle of July and hiked on a glacier at Banff.  We spent a sleepless night at Lake Meade, so hot, that we attempted to sleep on wet towels.  We stayed at Circus Circus in Las Vegas and extra night or so (because we couldn't stand to spend another night at Lake Meade).  We visited relatives in Kansas, California, and Wisconsin and saw moose, deer, elk, and other wildlife.

All this camping and traveling meant we ate lots of easy of meals at our campsite.  One of our standby's was taco salad.  Recently, I found a recipe for Taco Salad on culinate.com.  Reading the recipe brought back all sorts of crazy camping memories of playing cards at our campsite and listening to ranger talks.  I decided to make it.

This has quickly made it into our summer recipe rotation, especially when time was short for making supper.  I took the recipe that had been updated (with ground buffalo meat and black beans) and reverted to the old recipe that I grew up with.  Feel free to add buffalo or beef if you want, we do this one vegetarian.

The kids will eat this, although a bit begrudingly because of all the lettuce.  I'm going to keep making it though, surely someday they'll start eating lettuce, right?

This serves 4 - 6 depending on how big your head of Romaine is and how hungry your crowd is.

Taco Salad
adapted from culinate.com

1 (15-oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 2 T chili powder (I use New Mexico blend, great flavor, not very spicy)
1 (8-oz) bottle fancier French Dressing or Roasted Bell Pepper Dressing (Brianna's or Annie's)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 head Romaine lettuce, washed, drained and chopped
1 c (4 oz) sharp Cheddar, grated
1 (2.25-oz) can sliced ripe black olives, drained
2 c tortilla chips, lightly crushed

In a small bowl, combine the beans, chili powder and a dash of salt.  Set aside.  Place the lettuce in a large salad bowl.  Gently toss in the tomatoes, grated cheese, drained olives, and seasoned beans.  Pour 3/4 of the dressing over the salad and toss.  Taste and add more dressing if you'd like (we do).  Top with crushed tortilla chips toss just a bit, and serve.

Red Cabbage Salad with Fennel and Orange

Yes, I have somewhat abandoned this blog.  Sad I know.  However, I've been pulled back, mostly by myself because I realized that I am not going to be able to remember where I've found some of these great recipes I've been making in the past 6 months and have loved.  Thus, some pared down posts.  I'll apologize now for the lack of pictures, however, there will be recipes again.  Somehow, as my kids get older and more independent I am not being granted copious amounts of time to cook, take pictures, and blog.  Or maybe I am granted that time, I am just spending it in other ways.  :)

The pumpkin seeds are great to snack, consider making double and keeping some around just to eat.  :)

Serves 4 - 6 as a side, easily

Red Cabbage Salad with Fennel, Orange, and Pepitas
adapted a bit from Food and Wine

1 c raw pumpkin seeds
1 T tamari or regular soy sauce
2 T olive oil
1/2 T lemon zest, grated
2 T lemon juice
2 nice, juicy oranges
3/4 lb red cabbage, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and thinly sliced (optional, however if you can find it, use it!!)
1/4 c cilantro, chopped

Spread the pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheets (half jelly roll pan--with sides) and bake in preheated 350 degrees oven for 7 minutes or until golden brown.  Drizzle with tamari/soy sauce and bake for 3 more minutes, until the seeds area crisp.  Set aside.

Working over a bowl, cut the peel off the orange, making sure to get all of the white pith.  Gently slide the knife in between the sections of the orange to release the fruit (without the tough membranes).  This gets messy so work over a bowl and save all that wonderful juice for the salad.  Cut the released fruit into small, bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl, toss together the orange pieces and juice, cabbage, fennel, if using, and the cilantro.  In a small jar, vigorously shake together the olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss gently.  Immediately before serving liberally sprinkle with the roasted pumpkin seeds.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Caramelized Onion Spinach Salad

It was a good eating weekend.  Some weekends are like that, some are more of a flop.  This was a good weekend.  I tried four new recipes over the course of the weekend:  a dessert, a decadent breakfast, a salad, and a vegetarian main dish, plus homemade Hawaiian pizza and homemade beef pho.  Yep, we ate well.  It was one of those weekends that made me wonder why we ever eat out.  I guess because there aren't as many dishes to wash.  However, it's not because the food is better in a restaurant.

My first dish I am going to share from our weekend of blissful eating was the last one I made.  It is also one that fits perfectly with the produce to be found in Central Texas this time of year---spinach.  We didn't offer this dish to the kids, Curtis and I were content to eat it all by ourselves.  It was a side salad for our pizza, but we both agreed it could easily be the main course.  It was also one of Curtis's favorite Spinach salads.  Ever.  That says a lot because that man loves salads.

A few notes on the recipe:  When you caramelize the onions, if possible, don't use a cast iron pan.  I tried out my new stainless saute pan I got for Christmas from my parents (By the way, I love it, Mom and Dad!).  It's easier to caramelize them and a bit faster.  The poached egg is optional.  I am still working on mastering the poached eggs, I overcooked mine for my tastes (but Curtis thought his was perfect).  I also had to throw one out in the process too because the yolk.  Here's a hint:  You can't poach an egg if you accidentally break the yolk trying to get a small piece of shell out of the whites.

Enough said.  My notes are going to be way longer than the recipe itself!

Caramelized Onion Spinach Salad
adapted from coffeefoodwritergirl on food52.com

4 - 8 oz spinach, torn into manageable sized salad pieces
1 large yellow, thinly sliced
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t ground pepper
one egg per person eating

Wash and dry spinach.  Place in a salad bowl.  Over medium heat in a stainless pan (not nonstick, not cast iron if possible), heat the olive oil.  Add the onions and a 1/4 t salt and saute until they are beginning to caramelize (some will be light brown in color.  They will be very soft and pliable).  Add the balsamic vinegar and continue until caramelized completely.  At this point the onions will be very dark brown, rather shrunken, and very soft.

While the onions are caramelizing, poach your eggs.  I could give you a long detailed explanation on my attempts.  Since I still have varying degrees of success, I thought instead I would provide you to a link with step by step instructions and beautiful pictures.  Here's how to poach eggs, thanks to Deb of Smitten Kitchen.  To serve your salad.  Pour the hot onions and olive oil that remains in the pan over the spinach.  Season with the remaining 1/4 t salt and 1/4 pepper.  Toss completely.  When the salad is tossed, gently lay the poached eggs over the salad.  Eat immediately.

Mexican Cabbage Salad

One of the beauties of our CSA this summer has been the cold storage vegetables we are getting on these 107 degrees days. (Yes, days is plural). Thus, I get to have some nice cabbage salad to go with my meals, making the summer feel more summery sometimes.

Part of our summer craziness was having about 4 weeks worth of guests staying at our house this summer. All of those were family, but family or not, that's a lot of cooking, entertaining, and runs to the airport. When my cousins came, they got in late afternoon on a weekday, which made it difficult to plan or prepare for supper. I decided to do pulled pork tacos in the slow cooker and decided to have cabbage salad to go with it. Although this summer, I am mixing and matching cuisines on a regular basis, I decided to keep it kinda on a Mexican theme. Thanks to Jamie Oliver for calling this cabbage Mexican and letting me use it. (I see the humor in that sentence).

All the teenagers and adults enjoyed this. I believe my boys tried it. M didn't, but she's not a cabbage fan. It was a nice light salad, good with tacos. It was a nice change from my usual Asian cabbage salads or my other cabbage salads (this will be number 7 and I just discovered another favorite hasn't made it yet).

Serves 4 (maybe 6 if people aren't cabbage fans)

Mexican Cabbage Salad

adapted from Jamie Oliver

1 small cabbage (or 1/2 red and 1/2 white small cabbage), about 4 - 5 cups, thinly sliced

small bunch of radishes (optional--we have no radishes these days), thinly sliced

2 carrots, finely sliced

a large bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

1 -2 jalapeno or other chiles, thinly sliced (optional)

juice of 2 - 3 limes

extra virgin olive oil

salt

Mix together cabbage, radishes, carrots, and most of the cilantro. If you are using red cabbage, you may want to wait until the very end to stir it in so the red color doesn't bleed into the white of the cabbage and radishes. Stir in the jalapenos, if using and a little olive oil. Add most of the lime juice, a fat pinch of salt, and toss. Taste, adjust seasonings, adding more olive oil, lime juice, or salt as necessary.

You could also add a thinly sliced red onion if you are a raw onion fan (I'm not).

Vietnamese Cabbage and Chicken Salad

I am discovering my cooking is evolving and changing. That's pretty much a constant with me--my cooking changes, I frequently try new recipes and discard ones I liked really well. Last summer it was all about Greek and Mediterranean food. While those are still regulars on our menu, I am finding a new theme for this incredibly hot summer (are we at 20 days over 100 degrees yet without even hitting July? Probably. I keep thinking there is no way this heat can last all summer, but it seems to be attempting to do that). Quick, easy, and minimal cooking.

We spend many an afternoon at the pool (it's within walking/biking distance of our house), which leaves me not a lot of time to make supper. Years and years ago, back before I even considered cabbage to be an ingredient I'd eat, I made a cabbage/chicken salad that I just barely found palatable. Things have changed, I like cabbage as long as it's not too cabbage-y, and Curtis and I thought this was a great hot summer afternoon meal. The kids didn't think so, as much, but I didn't expect them too, so I planned for a little more to the meal than just that.

This recipe is a great summer meal to use up some of the cabbage that just lingers on, long past the memory of the cold weather when it was planted and grown. I'd make it again, next June, when I have cabbage, it's hot, and I'd rather be swimming than cooking.

Vietnamese Cabbage and Chicken Salad

adapted from Food and Wine

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 t salt

2 T sesame oil

1 1-inch piece fresh ginger

2 1/2 lbs cabbage, shredded

2 T cider vinegar

2 T Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)

1 1/2 T lime juice

3 medium carrots, grated

3 radishes, grated

2 c mint, basil, or cilantro (or a combination), coarsely chopped

1 tart apple (like Granny Smith), cored and grated

Rub the chicken breasts with 1 t salt and 1 T sesame oil. Put ginger in a medium pot. Add 2 c of water and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and cover the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the chicken continue to cook for 5 minutes. If the chicken is not done, turn the heat back on and simmer for a few more minutes. Remove the chicken from the saucepan and let cool. Pull into shreds when the chicken is cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, combine the cabbage with vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice and 2 t salt in large serving bowl (glass or stainless steel). Let stand for 10 minutes. Add the carrots, radishes, 1 1/2 c of the herbs, and the apples to the cabbage mixture. Stir in remaining 1 T sesame oil. Gently toss in the chicken and garnish with remaining 1/2 c herbs.

Bagna Cauda Salad

Raw beets? Raw turnips? Raw radishes? In a salad with anchovies? I wasn't sold but the picture looked so pretty I decided to try it anyway, mostly because I had so many turnips in my fridge.

Turns out, Curtis and I both love it. I've made this twice now. I've rotated some different winter veggies in to the dish as they show up in my CSA box (and then crisper). If you have it on hand, you can also use 1/4 small butternut squash (seed and peel it--the send end is preferable) and 8 trimmed brussels sprouts. Thinly slice the squash and pull all the leaves off the brussels sprouts.

This recipe calls for a lot of thin slicing. If you are not adept with a knife to cut the vegetables paper thin, use a mandoline. Just watch your knuckles---slicing your thumb knuckle on a mandoline because your kids have lost the protective guide. I'm not talking from experience or anything. :) Almost all your prep time is spent cutting and slicing the vegetables. The rest goes quite quickly.

Just a note on the beets. If you don't care if your turnips and cabbage turn pinkish, you can stir in the beets as enthusiastically as you desire. However, if you want your whites white, stir a little dressing into the beets before you add them to the salad. Toss the salad very gently just to incorporate the beets.

Bagna Cauda Salad

adapted from Amanda Hesser's recipe on Food52.com

2 small carrots, trimmed (peeled if store bought, not necessary if just picked)

2 radishes, trimmed

2 small turnips (or 4 very small turnips), trimmed and peeled

2 small beets (or 4 very small beets), trimmed and peeled

2 - 3 leaves of cabbage, sliced thinly

1/4 c parsley, chopped

4 anchovy fillets

2 small (1 medium) garlic clove

salt

2 T lemon juice

5 T good extra virgin olive oil

Prep the veggies: The radishes, turnips, and beets should be sliced as thinly as possible using a mandoline or your wicked knife skills. These veggies should be translucent. Put the radishes and turnips in a small to medium sized serving bowl. Set the beets aside in a small mixing bowl. Cut the carrots into 3" long matchsticks (each matchstick about 1/8" thick or so). Add the carrots, cabbage and parsley to the radishes and turnips in the serving bowl. Mix with your hands to combine vegetables.

The dressing: You have several options. If you have a good mortar and pestle, that is sufficient. I don't. You could also use a mini food processor or blender. I don't have those either. Using a knife (or one of the other methods which involves the equipment I don't have), finely mince the anchovies and garlic. Combine to make with the salt to make a paste. Place in a small glass jar, add the lemon juice and olive oil, and shake vigorously. Season with salt and adjust the amount of lemon juice and oil as needed.

To create salad: Pour half of the dressing over the vegetables (not the beets yet) and blend with your hands, separating the vegetables as necessary. Mix very well. Taste and add more dressing if you would like. Once seasonings are how you like, very, very gently mix in the beets. Let rest for 15 minutes or so before serving.

Hello, Salad!

I am learning that some of the best dishes can be the simplest. Warm chocolate pudding, asparagus with a poached egg, tomatoes just picked and warm from the sun still, freshly picked strawberries with a little whipped cream. Something doesn't have to be fancy to be good. There doesn't need to be an ingredient list that has 21 things on it which entails trips to 3 stores to find everything (I know, I do have some recipes like that on this site).

This recipe is one of those simple, but good ones. I foresee this being a repeat performer as the lettuce comes on full force in the next weeks/months (including the one red leaf lettuce in my card that survived our Big Chill in February!). This is one kinda fancy, non-pantry staple in here--hazelnut oil. Buy one bottle and enjoy this salad all spring (and summer if you are fortunate enough to have lettuce all summer).

The amount of dressing is double what the original recipe called for. I thought with the given proportions, the lettuce was a bit dry. Add half of the dressing, taste, and add more as you desire.

This serves 2- 4.

Hello, Salad

from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark

2 t white wine vinegar

1/4 t salt

3 T hazelnut oil

6 c salad greens (to be honest, I have no idea how many greens I used, it doesn't really matter, just add and adjust other ingredients to your own preferences based on the amount of greens you have)

handful of basil, mint, parsley, or cilantro, coarsely chopped

1/4 c hazelnuts

Toast the hazelnuts in a 325 degrees oven for 10 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The hazelnuts are toasted with they smell very fragrant (but not burnt). To loosen husks, roll between a folded kitchen towel. Some husks will remain, which is just fine, just get the loose ones off. Cool and chop.

Combine the vinegar, salt, and oil in a little glass jar. Shake well to emulsify the oil (or you can use whatever method you prefer for making dressing). Place greens, herbs, and hazelnuts in a salad bowl and toss. Drizzle half of vinaigrette over top, toss. Taste and add more vinaigrette and salt as you desire.

Another Cabbage Salad aka Cabbage Slaw with Hot Bacon Dressing

In addition to turnips, cabbage is also ever present in my crisper drawer. Between cabbage and turnips, we are taking a break from renewing our CSA subscription--I need to get the cabbage and turnip take over under control before re-upping. I am getting there. I am down to less than 10 turnips (seriously, there were that many!) and half a head of cabbage. This recipe helped the cabbage problem.

I don't like cole slaw. Can't stand it. It's a funny thing. I love mayonnaise, so much, I like off the spoon or knife after getting some out of the container. But cole slaw--it too often ends up a gooey, runny mess. I get shivers (not the good kind--the fingernails on a blackboard kind) just thinking about.

I know I also have several cabbage salad recipes posted already. There's cabbage chicken salad, Asian cabbage salad, and cabbage salad for tacos and bahn mi. This one is different than the rest in that uses BACON! It made me think briefly about my Grandma Hess's Hot Bacon Dandelion Salad.

I loved it. Curtis wasn't home to try it (I sent it in his lunch today, we'll see what he thinks). The kids didn't try it, but I don't expect them to try cabbage salads. J and little I prefer their cabbage raw and unadorned. M doesn't eat it unless it's cooked.

This recipe will serve 6 as a salad.

Cabbage Slaw with Hot Bacon Dressing

adapted from Bon Appetit

3 oz bacon (2 thick farmers' market slices)

1/4 c onion, finely chopped (or shallots)

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c raisins

3 T balsamic vinegar

6 c (about 1/2 a head) of cabbage, red is preferable, green will do fine, thinly sliced

1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted

1/4 c parsley, chopped (optional)

Fry bacon in a skillet until browned and crispy. Remove from pan. Crumble into small pieces when cool enough to handle. Add onions to bacon drippings in the pan and saute until softened, about 3- 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbled bacon, raisins, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper (it won't need much salt thanks to the bacon). Place cabbage in a medium bowl. Pour bacon dressing over top of the cabbage and toss to coat. Let stand 5 - 10 minutes. Add almonds and parsley, if using. Toss to blend and adjust seasonings (salt and pepper) if necessary.

Brussel Sprouts Salad

Raw Brussels sprouts? Really? Seeing as 3 years ago I'd never tasted brussels sprouts and only remembered them being in a Sesame Street song, I've come pretty far. Turns out, I even like Brussels sprouts raw!

Curtis and I enjoyed this salad. Curtis told me that this was his favorite "strange" salad that I make (he believes the perfect salad is some very fresh lettuce with some good olive oil and balsamic vinegar). This is definitely worth the trip to the Farmer's Market for Brussels sprouts. The kids didn't eat it, but that was fine with Curtis and I.

This serves 4 -6, unless you love it as much as we do! This tastes best if you let it stand for an hour before serving.

Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad
adapted slightly from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark

10 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed
juice of 1/2 lemon
coarse salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1 c toasted pecans, chopped
3/4 c Gruyere, Pecorino Romano, or Manchego cheese, grated

Chuck (that's a real good cooking term, isn't it?) the Brussels sprouts into a food processor fitted with the slicing disc. (This is a fun part for kids to help with because there's lots of instant excitement). Put the sprouts in a bowl and toss with lemon juice and a little salt and pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and toss well. Gently stir in the pecans and cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately or let stand for one hour before serving.

Purslane and Peach Salad

If you've been following this blog for awhile, you know my parents' had what I considered a massive garden when I was growing up (and they still do---just with some flowers and raspberry bushes thrown in now). One summer, I remember that we were required to work in the garden an hour every day. Most of this was spent picking off potato beetles to later drown in motor oil or pulling weeds. I spent a lot of time pulling this weed. Little did I know that some 20 years later I would be paying money to buy purslane, the weed I spent hours trying to rid my parents' garden of.

Purslane is really healthy for you from what I understand--healthier than spinach, in fact. It's high in Omega-3's. Plus, it's completely free if you have a garden to weed (just goggle it first to make sure you are in fact planning on eating purslane and not something else). I made a simple salad of ours. I saw lots of more elaborate recipes--eating purslane is more common in other cultures. I didn't feel like elaborate though and made the simplest recipe I could find that looked good: Purslane and Peach Salad.

Curtis loved it. J ate some of it (he is actually eating salads now, glory be!!). M and little I didn't, but they aren't salad eaters yet (I still have hope). Curtis loved the texture of the leaves and it wasn't too bitter (like summer arugula often is).

I found this recipe off of seriouseats.com. It's not so much of a recipe as just a few things thrown together. Perfect for a side salad that presents wonderfully and requires minimal work.

Purslane and Peach Salad
from seriouseats.com

purslane
a peach (or two, depending on how much purslane you have), sliced or cut into chunks
one small red onion, thinly sliced.

Combine all ingredients. If you are using a particularly juicy peach, you won't need any dressing. Otherwise toss very lightly with good extra virgin olive oil or grapefruit balsamic vinegar (if you can find it).

Israeli Couscous and Lentil Salad

After trying Israeli couscous in the eggplant salad a few weeks ago, I've been hooked. Seriously hooked. I've made the eggplant salad a second time to share at a potluck. Then I decided to try a recipe that I've had dog-eared in a cookbook for a couple of years.

Why didn't I try this sooner? I loved it. Curtis liked it ok and M even tried the couscous (but not the lentils). The dates are essential--it gives the salad a nice sweet taste, just the right amount. This is definitely a summer salad keeper!

Israeli Couscous and Lentil Salad
from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

1/4 c French lentils
4 1/2 qts water
2 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 c Israeli couscous
1 cinnamon stick
2 T olive oil
1 t freshly grated lemon peel
3 T lemon juice
1/2 c diced bell peppers
1/4 c dates, pitted and chopped
1 1/2 T fresh mint, minced
black pepper, to taste

In a small sauce pan, combine lentils, 2 c water, and 1/2 t salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain well and set aside. While the lentils simmer, bring the remaining 4 qts water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in the couscous, cinnamon stick, and salt. Cook for 8 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Remove and discard cinnamon stick.

In a serving bowl toss together lentils, couscous, and remaining ingredients. Let the salad rest for 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors marry.

Stone Fruit and Arugula Salad

Your small tender leaves
Jagged and peppery recalls
Cooler days to come

Crisp, ripe stone fruits dance
with pungent cheese, hazelnuts
unexpected joy

Yes, this salad inspired haiku. Probably more if I sat and thought about it for too long. I wouldn't have put this combination together. When I think of fruits on my salads, I think strawberries, oranges, occasionally blueberries. It never occurred to be to add stone fruits like peaches, plums, and apricots. I am sure you could just choose one of the fruits and skip the others, but why?
Hazelnuts I always just paired with chocolate or raspberries or other dessert things. This combination is great.

Stone Fruit and Arugula Salad
adapted from Williams-Sonoma Cooking from the Farmer's Market

2 T rice vinegar
1 t honey
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
6 c (more or less, I never measure my greens...), baby arugula
2 small firm (but yet ripe) plums, halved, pitted and sliced 1/4" thick
2 small firm (but yet ripe) apricots, halved, pitted and sliced 1/4" thick
2 small firm (but yet ripe) peaches, halved, pitted and sliced 1/4" thick
1/4 c hazelnuts
1/4 c firm blue cheese, crumbled

Toast the hazelnuts: Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place hazelnuts on rimmed baking sheet and toast 7 - 10 minutes, or until nuts are fragrant and skins flake off easily (test one or two nuts carefully). Remove from oven and dump nuts on one half a dishtowel. Fold dishtowel over to cover and roll the nuts between the top and bottom layers of the towel. Roll nuts that still have skins clinging to them between your fingers. If not all the skin comes off, that's fine, but most of the skin should. Coarsely chop skinned hazelnuts and set aside.

In a small glass jar, combine the vinegar, honey, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Shake vigorously until vinaigrette is emulsified. Set aside. (You can also do this by slowly drizzling olive oil into vinegar and honey, whisking constantly to emulsify. I find the shaking route much easier and more effective).

In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, fruit, and hazelnuts. Add half of the vinaigrette and toss gently. Taste and add more vinaigrette if necessary to assure the arugula is lightly coated with dressing. Sprinkle with blue cheese and serve.

Israeli Couscous and Eggplant

This recipe is wonderful. It's easy and flavorful. The only downside to it is that it is not quite substantial enough for a main course. It's a perfect side though.

Curtis and I loved it. Little I ate the Israeli couscous (which is more like orzo or acini di peppe pasta than traditional couscous) and M even tried it and decided it was pretty good. I substituted parsley for the cilantro. Cilantro would have made it even better, but parsley will do just fine in an herb pinch. For those Texans in big cities, you can find Israeli couscous at Central Market or probably Whole Foods. If you can't find it, substitute the pasta listed above.

These proportions serve just 3 as a side dish.

Israeli Couscous and Eggplant
adapted from Bon Appetit

3/4 lb unpeeled eggplant, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c Israeli couscous
1/4 t cumin*
1 T balsamic vinegar (white is preferable, but regular is just fine)
fat 1/4 t cinnamon
2 T red onion, finely chopped
3 T golden raisins
3 T fresh cilantro (or parsley, if need be), chopped

Place eggplant cubes on rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray or silpat liner. Drizzle with 1 1/2 T olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in preheated 450 degree oven until tender, turning occasionally, 30 - 40 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the couscous in boiling salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes (or according to pkg directions). Drain. Rinse under cold water to cool, drain again, and place in medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine cumin, vinegar, cinnamon, and 1 T olive oil. Whisk to blend and season with salt and pepper. Mix in onion. Add raisins, cilantro, eggplant cubes, and dressing to couscous. Toss to coat.

*If you prefer, you can use 1/2 t whole cumin seeds. To use those, toast them in a small skillet over medium-high heat until slightly darkened, about 4 minutes. Grind in spice mill and then proceed with adding vinegar, cinnamon, olive oil according to above directions. I took the fast route and just used ground cumin.