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Tomato and Prosciutto Salad
Thursday, October 11th, 2012A great recipe for using up the rest of those delicious tomatoes from your garden! I love fresh tomatoes, and am always looking for new ways to serve them. This easy recipe has a wonderful combination of flavors. I think it looks the prettiest if you use a combination of different color tomatoes.
Tomato and Prosciutto Salad Recipe
(Serves 6)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 to 5 very thin slices prosciutto (around 2 ounces)
2 pints of grape (or cherry) tomatoes, preferably different colors, stemmed and cut in half
1/4 cup chopped green onion (or more to taste)
chopped fresh basil
In a small jar with tight fitting lid, whisk together the vinegar, garlic and olive oil. Cover and set aside.
Spray a medium frying pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add 2 prosciutto slices and cook until crisp, around 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining prosciutto. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the tomatoes, onions and basil. Break the prosciutto into pieces and sprinkle over the top. Shake dressing, pour over tomato mixture and toss gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make ahead: dressing can be made several days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using. Prosciutto can be cooked earlier in the day and stored at room temperature.
The flavors of Paris – four restaurant recommendations
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012My husband Robert and I just returned from a fabulous two week vacation in France and Spain, celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary. What an incredible trip! Our trip began with two nights in Paris, then we ventured to the Landes area (or “department”) in the Southwest area of France to visit my college friend Beth Thrasher-Broidy and her husband Marc at their home outside of Castelner for 5 nights, one of which we spent together with them in Bordeaux. From there we went to San Sebastian, Spain for 2 nights, then to Biarritz for 3 nights. I am going to be posting a series of blogs focusing on the wonderful food we experienced, along with a few restaurant recommendations. For this post I’m focusing on Paris, providing four restaurant recommendations.
Two fun places for lunch in Paris
1. Carette on the Place des Vosges. Our flight from the US landed in Paris early – around 8 am – and our room wasn’t ready at the hotel, so we set off for a long walk that included a stop at Carette for lunch, on the beautiful Place des Vosges in the Marais section of Paris. The Place des Vosges has always been one of my favorite places in Paris. Built by King Henry IV in the early 1600s, it is a symmetrical square comprised of what was originally 36 houses, 9 on each side. What made it unique at the time of its construction was that the house fronts were all built following the same design which had never been done before:
We headed to the restaurant on the square that was my mother’s favorite in Paris, mainly because she liked their salads and other lighter fare. Here she is enjoying lunch on the square, during her last trip to Paris with my Dad, which I think was in the early 2000s:
(Clearly something caught her attention – something I don’t think she approved of based on the expression on her face!)
There is still a restaurant in the same location, but it is not the same one – although they still have the same pretty pink tablecloths! The well known French patisserie and tea salon Carette opened a second restaurant in the same space in 2009. We decided to have lunch there, in mom’s honor.
Robert enjoying a glass of Rose wine at Carette
While Carette is known for its pastries, my favorite dish was my salad, due mainly to its presentation (although it was also delicious!). The lettuce was bundled inside thin slices of prosciutto, and surrounded by slices of mozzarella cheese and fresh tomatoes, garnished with black olives and chopped chives:
I am definitely going to try this presentation at home!
If you go to Carette, take some time to walk around the square and enjoy its beauty. You can also pop into the Victor Hugo Museum which is there.
2. Café in the Jardin des Tuileries. Another beautiful site – okay, most of Paris is a beautiful site, but these are my favorites! – is the Jardin des Tuileries, which is located between the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre Museum. We decided to take a bike tour of Paris one morning, and our lunch stop on the tour was at the café in the gardens. Not the best food in Paris, but I did have a good crepe, and it’s a wonderful location to sit, eat, sip on a glass of wine and watch the Parisians strolling through the park.
Robert (in the black baseball hat) reviews the menu in the cafe
Wonderful ice cream at Berthillon on ÎIe Saint-Louis
Back to the first day – after we finished eating at Carette and strolling around the Marais, we headed over to another lovely area (with probably the most expensive real estate in Paris) – ÎIe Saint-Louis – for ice cream at Berthillon. Truly the best ice cream in Paris, and some of the best in the world. I especially love the dark chocolate. The flavors are very intense, with a super creamy and rich consistency. While you can buy Berthillon ice cream at other retailers around Paris, I think it’s the best at one of the flagship shops on the ÎIe.
Memorable, delicious dinner at Les Papilles in the 6th Arrondissement
Following the recommendation of our fabulous travel agent (and my best friend since grade school) Katey Hartwell, we had dinner one night at the restaurant Les Papilles in the 6th Arrondissement, near the Pantheon. Primarily a small wine shop and grocery store featuring locally sourced products, Les Papilles also serves lunch and dinner.
There aren’t very many tables – maybe 8 or 10 inside. And don’t expect your typical restaurant experience for dinner. To start, there is no menu, and no choice. When you arrive, the very nice and gracious host/owner (who speaks English) will tell you what they are serving that evening. We had four courses including a cheese course, which I think is typical. You select the wine you want to drink with your dinner from the various bottles on the store shelves, and you pay the store price for the wine plus a 7 Euro corkage fee – which means you can enjoy some fabulous French wine at a great price! The owner is happy to provide wine pairing recommendations. Here is the French white burgundy wine he recommended for our dinner that we loved:
Unfortunately my photos of our food didn’t come out (battery died!), but it doesn’t really matter because if you go, chances are very good you will be served something different than what we had, since the menu changes daily!
My next post will include some fabulous dishes we enjoyed in the Landes area at our friends beautiful home outside of Castelner. Stay tuned!
A clever winter salad featuring butternut squash
Monday, February 27th, 2012The other night I had some butternut squash leftover from making the Roasted Butternut Squash and Chicken Sausage dish in our cookbook, and decided to make the squash the star ingredient in a new salad recipe. I added some roasted mushrooms, nuts, feta cheese and shaved country ham, then tossed it all together with a light balsamic vinaigrette. Both Robert and I loved it – and I hope you do, too!
Note: this recipe was featured on Foodie Friends Friday linky party on August 31, 2012.
Roasted Mushroom and Butternut Squash Spinach Salad
(Serves 4)
1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and cubed (1/2-inch) butternut squash
2 cups quartered mushrooms (cremini, shitake or small portabellos work best)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, separated
2 tablespooons chopped walnuts or pecans
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles
1/4 cup shredded ham, preferably country ham
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a medium roasting pan, using your hands toss together the squash, mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; toss again. Roast for 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped nuts and continue roasting for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally.
Place 1 cup of spinach on each of 4 individual salad plates. Sprinkle with the feta cheese, then the mushroom mixture, then the ham. Place the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the balsamic vinegar in a small skillet and warm over low heat. Drizzle over salad; season with salt and fresh ground pepper as needed.
Roasted beets are the star in this delicious salad
Thursday, January 5th, 2012I love this salad – it is easy to make, delicious and beautiful to serve. Note that you have to make the dressing at least one day ahead. You will likely have some dressing left over, which you won’t mind because it is so delicious!
Recipe for Roasted Beet Salad with Arugula Dressing
(Serves 6)
2 cups packed baby arugula
4 green onions, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
6 large beets
9 to 10 cups Boston bibb lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
goat cheese crumbles
sliced red onion
toasted nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, etc.)
To make the dressing: place the arugula, green onions, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice and tarragon in the bowl of a food processor and blend until well combined. Place in a covered container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Wash the beets, cut off the ends and wrap 2 beets in a large piece of foil; repeat with remaining beets. Place in oven directly on oven rack and roast for around 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until soft in the center when poked with a fork. Cool. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and slice.
Divide lettuce among 6 salad plates. Arrange sliced beets in a circle on top of lettuce; scatter goat cheese, red onion and nuts over the top. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
Make ahead: the dressing can be made and the beets roasted up to 3 days ahead, covered and stored in the refrigerator.
Recipe for Coleslaw with Lemon-Mayonnaise Dressing
Saturday, September 17th, 2011I mentioned this delicious coleslaw in a posting during our airstream trip last month. I made it one night for dinner, to serve alongside of my husband Robert’s Grilled Sausages with Peppers and Onions (recipe to follow in another post!). As a shortcut, you can use bagged coleslaw mix with green and red cabbage and carrots. Delish! Great for Fall tailgating.
Coleslaw with Lemon-Mayonnaise Dressing
(Serves 8)
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 large jicama, peeled and grated, moisture rung out
1/4 cup chopped green onions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, celery seeds and celery salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cabbages, carrots, jicama and green onion (I like to use my hands). Add around half of the mayonnaise mixture and toss; add more dressing as needed (you may have some dressing left over). Season with salt and ground pepper to taste (won’t need much, if any, salt).
Make ahead: Dressing can be made up to 24 hours in advance, covered and refrigerated. Toss just before serving.
Perfect dinner for a warm summer evening – a main dish salad
Sunday, June 12th, 2011Layered Salmon Salad with Avocado Dressing Recipe
(Serves 6)
Salmon Salad
4 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups shredded cooked salmon
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cups chopped fresh tomato
1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives (optional)
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Avocado Dressing
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
3/4 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash ground cumin
In a deep 3 or 4 quart glass bowl, layer lettuce, salmon, capers, onion, tomato, olives, goat cheese and pine nuts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a food processor, purée avocados until smooth. Add yogurt, lime juice, garlic, salt and cumin; blend just two or three turns to mix. Add salt and pepper as needed. Spread over top of salad. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight. If desired, you can toss the salad before serving.
Smoked Salmon Chopped Salad with Pesto-Buttermilk Dressing
Friday, March 25th, 2011
This recipe was inspired by the Stetson Chopped Salad at Cowboy Ciao Restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz. I especially love this twist on the traditional chopped salad for the spiciness of the arugula, saltiness of the toasted pepitas and the smokiness of the salmon.
Pesto-Buttermilk Dressing:
1 cup basil pesto
2 shallots, chopped
2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups buttermilk
Juice of 1 lemon
Salad:
4 ounces Asiago cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup toasted pepitas (Mexican pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup currants
1 cup chopped seeded plum tomatoes
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup chopped baby arugula
1 cup cooked Israeli (pearl) couscous
4 ounces chopped smoked salmon
To make the dressing: Place the pesto, shallots and mayonnaise in a food processor and blend. With the motor running, pour in the buttermilk. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Blend. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using.
To make the salad: In a small mixing bowl, stir together the cheese, pepitas and currants. Set aside. In 4 shallow serving bowls or rimmed plates, arrange the salad ingredients in rows in the following order – tomatoes, corn, cheese mixture, arugula, couscous and salmon. Serve the dressing on the side.
Make ahead: The dressing and cheese mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store the dressing, covered in the refrigerator.
[Photo courtesy of Cowboy Ciao, Scottsdale, AZ]
Mixed Greens Salad with Dried Cranberries
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
(Serves 6 to 8)
Great to serve around the holidays – the red cranberries and onions together with the green lettuce and avocado are very festive!
Dressing:
1/4 cup cranberry juice concentrate, undiluted
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salad:
8 cups mixed salad greens
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Put the cranberry juice, vinegar, mustard, pepper and olive oil in a medium jar and whisk until well combined. Cover and set aside.
Tear salad greens into bite-sized pieces and place in large salad bowl. Add the avocado, onion and cranberries. Toss with dressing and serve.
Make Ahead: Dressing can be made several days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.
Variation: Toss the greens with 3/4 of the dressing. Divide between individual salad plates. Cut the avocado into slices and arrange on top of the greens. Top with the red onion slices and sprinkle with the cranberries. Drizzle remaining dressing over the top (as needed).
Spinach Salad with Lemon-Pine Nut Dressing
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
(Serves 8)
When mom first gave me this recipe, my initial reaction was that it was too simple – was I ever wrong! This salad is simple and, as a result, it is the perfect complement to a more complex entrée. And, it is delicious!
- 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 2/3 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 1/2 pounds baby spinach, rinsed, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, nutmeg, lemon zest and tarragon. Stir in the pine nuts, cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or up to one day. Toss with spinach; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Variation: Line 8 salad plates with a few spinach leaves. Chop remaining spinach, lightly toss with dressing and mound in the middle of each plate. Drizzle with additional dressing as needed.
Artichoke and Olive Salad with Lemon Dressing
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
(Serves 4 to 6)
This is a delectable and savory salad that has just the right balance of lemon, dill and tang from the artichoke hearts and olives. Serve this to rave reviews!
Dressing:
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon dill weed
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil (depends on how juicy your lemon is!)
Salad:
- 1 head leaf lettuce (also nice with mixed greens)
- 1 jar (6 ounce) marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- 5 ounces ripe Kalamata olives, pitted
- Parmesan cheese
- Croutons
In a small bowl or jar with a lid, whisk together the lemon juice, dill weed and olive oil until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
Tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Cut artichoke hearts into quarters and slice olives in half. Toss lettuce, artichoke hearts, olives, Parmesan cheese and croutons with salad dressing.
Make ahead: Dressing can be made several days ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.
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