Fallen Souffle

I am back on a health kick, not that I was really ever off…well I kinda took February off…but now with the weather getting warm I know bathing suit season is looming and I wanna look hot! I have been working out about 6 days a week and even on the 7th day I usually take Bella for a 2 mile walk so I’m not too sedentary Easting during the day is easy, I have it all planned out and have plenty of healthy snacks at work (I have kinda taken over the fridge in the breakroom with yogurt, carrots and cheese!) but dinner is kinda a crap-shoot. I usually plan out the menu but this week has been weird with meetings and a mid week concert (Rusted Root-fun!) and working out after work (I just can’t get my butt up at 5:30am this week.) But last night I was resolved to make something healthy and you cant’ get much healthier then salmons, eggs, greens and tomatoes!

This salad doesn’t take too much time to prepare but I did use about 3 pans to cook everything- I felt kind like Rachael Ray with 3 pots on the stove and a pan in the oven. However, if you weren’t tight on time or were prepping this ahead of time, this salad is a snap to put together and would require fewer pots. The marinade for the salmon is yummy and I will definitely use it again on other fish. I also really liked the vinaigrette and was excited to finally put my bottle of champagne vinegar to use! Though if you don’t have this Ina staple, I think white wine vinegar would work just fine.

Ina used about 6 pounds of salmon as she was apparently feeding an army or maybe just some very hungry women, therefore I cut the recipe in about a third, though I didn’t measure too much. I also used bagged salad instead of the arugula and forgot about the olives- gasp…the horror! And I nixed the anchovies as well, though I would not be opposed to trying those in the future…mmm hairy fish. I kept the recipe as is though so you can scale it down however you like. I was happy to be able to make a mini salad for lunch today…mmm it’s good to eat “feel good” food.

Salmon Nicoise Salad
From Ina

4 lemons, zested and juiced

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 pounds skin-on fresh salmon fillets
3 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes
1 1/2 pounds haricots verts, stems removed
3 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges (6 small tomatoes)
12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in 1/2
1 bunch watercress or arugula
1/2 pound large green olives, pitted
1 can anchovies, optional

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

For the marinade, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, mustard, garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1/2 tablespoon pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the salmon on a sheet pan that has been covered in aluminum foil, and drizzle the marinade over the salmon. Allow the salmon to sit for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot off the heat and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Leave the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender but firm. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them in thick slices and set aside.

Place the salmon in the oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it is almost cooked through. Remove to a plate and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the skin and break into large pieces.

Blanch the haricots verts in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 1/2 minutes only. Drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of ice water. Drain again and set aside.

For the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Set aside.

Arrange the salmon, potatoes, haricots verts, tomatoes, eggs, watercress, olives and anchovies, if used, on a large flat platter. Drizzle some vinaigrette over the fish and vegetables and serve the rest in a pitcher on the side.

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Cravings have been dictating the menu this week (really lack of menu as I am fighting a cold) and luckily I just needed to grab some lettuce and bread and cheese at the store to make this salad. Caesar salads are not something I ever order out because I find most to be really gross. The dressing is too heavy, the cheese if fake and the croutons are from a box. I first made this salad back in college, junior year if I remember correctly. Thinking back to that year in school, I cooked a lot. I was in my first apartment so I took advantage of having a full kitchen at my disposal. Food Network was always on the TV (somethings don’t change) and I was always printing up recipes in the computer labs, quickly snatching them up from the printer so I wouldn’t get in trouble for doing non-school related computer work. I think that year in college really molded me as a cook, I would try just about anything and was not afraid to accidentally set off the smoke alarm making chicken parmesan.

This recipe was inspired by the Alton Brown recipe but I tweaked it by making the dressing in the bowl and not on the leaves. I think the consistency is better and better incorporated the anchovy paste (if you decide to use it). The Worcestershire sauce provides enough saltiness if you don’t want to use anchovy paste but I felt it wouldn’t be a caeser salad with out it

Caesar Salad
1 loaf day old Italian bread
3 garlic cloves, mashed
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt
2 eggs
2 heads romaine lettuce, inner leaves only
7 grinds black pepper
1 lemon, juiced
6 drops Worcestershire sauce
squirt of anchovy pasta if you so desire
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut 1/2 to 3/4-inch croutons from the loaf of bread and place on a baking sheet and put into the oven until dry but not browned.

Use a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic with 4 tablespoons of oil and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Strain the oil into a skillet over medium heat. Add the dried croutons and fry, tossing constantly until all of the oil is absorbed and the croutons turn gold. Set aside. (Or you can be lazy like me and just finely mince garlic and add garlic to the olive oil in a pan over low heat until you can smell the garlic, raise temperature a bit, add croutons and fry)

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the eggs and cook for 1 minute. Chill in ice water to halt cooking. Set aside.

In a very large bowl, add remaining olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy pasta and egg yolks (yes they will be raw) and whisk vigorously. Add lettuce leaves and toss until coated. Toss in Parmesan cheese and serve with croutons.

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Every Friday my fellow co-workers and I get together for lunch. One of our most frequently visited lunch spots is The Loop which is conveniently located in the shopping center next to us. The Loop has burgers, sammiches, pizzas, and milk shakes. They have great food and I always have a hard time deciding what I want. Some of my standards include the Greek salad, the Spicy BBQ Chicken Sammich with homemade chips and ranch dressing, and the Veggie Foccacia Melt. True I am not a vegetarian, but sometimes I channel my veg sister and go for the non-carnivorous lunch. Their veggie melt includes green peppers, mushrooms, kalamata olives and cheddar cheese blanketed in a warm flatbread and grilled. It is delish and very filling!

So I was looking for something different for lunch one weekend and decided to recreate the veggie melt at home. I cut up a red and green pepper into strips then sauteed them in a bit of olive oil. I threw in a carton of sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas since they were on sale but use whatever), when they were soft I added a handful of kalamata olives and a shot of balsamic vinegar. At this point warm up a flatbread or pocket-less pita and load up the veggies and top with the cheese of your choice, fold over and eat as is or slap on a hot grill for a minute or two to get a crispy crunch.

For the price of one of these melts at The Loop, I made enough for about 4 of them! You can certainly add some sliced grilled chicken for a bit of protein but sometimes I like bulking up on the veg.

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I have decided to start making things I would normally buy, so that I can control the ingredients and the cost. I have become increasingly weary of foods that have high fructose corn syrup in them. Everyone has their things the look for in the food labels; fat, calories, gelatin (Stephie!) well I look for the evil high fructose corn syrup. This stuff is so bad for you it’s amazing so many people over look them. This stuff is in just about every convenience food you could think of. Evan has even stopped drinking sodas cold turkey after reading an article on its effects. Salad dressing is one food that typically has HFCS, especially those that are lower in fat and calories. I have started turning more towards whole foods instead of low fat foods in hope that it will lead to better health in general. So I have been dying for a greek salad and I found this recipe on Allrecipes. It’s pretty basic but I do like the flavor. I added a bit of sugar to offset all of the vinegar. You could also use balsamic vinegar or even lemon juice. The recipe says you don’ have to refridgerate it but I did just to be safe! Throw all of the ingredients in an old jar and shake it up!

Greek Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1-1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/4 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
2/3 cup red wine vinegar

In a very large container, mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, onion powder, and Dijon-style mustard. Pour in the vinegar, and mix vigorously until well blended. Store tightly covered at room temperature (or fridge if you are neurotic like me!).

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So I apologize for my lack of posts, my computer crapped out on me while Evan was out of town and though he has been trying to fix the old one…it may just be gone for good…which is not good because I have a ton of recipes and research saved on that computer…eeek! So I am using one of our others (yeah we have like 4 in our house- scary!) I have also been busy looking for a full time job, I figured it’s time I stop farting around and find a job to atleast bring so extra income into our household.

So this is a yummy recipe I got from Cooking Light, it is included in a recipe for a shrimp salad, but I am too tired to post the whole thing, I really think the vinaigrette is the best part anyways. This can also be used as a marinade for shrimp or chicken, grill it up and dinner is ready!

French Style Vinaigrette

6 garlic cloves, halved
2/3 cup fat free chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. tarragon vinegar (I just used white wine vinegar)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 t. dijon mustard
1/2 t. black pepper

1. Drop garlic cloves through the chute of a food processor and process until minced. Add remaining ingredients until well blended. Keep well covered in the fridge.

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This month’s Weekend Cookbook Challenge (hosted by Alicat and Sara) asked us to utilize foods in the shade of orange. Hmm. This leaves one with limited options as there are few orange foods on God’s green earth. So instead of searching for some creative food and recipe I thought I would spotlight something simple and sweet..and something very Ina.

I have honestly only made a few dishes from my Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks because good ole Ina, like many of my favorite chefs, loves to use lots of butter and oil and all things not so good for your figure. So I have been known to make some recipes with a few minor changes though I am pleased to say this one needed none!

Though the beets are the main ingredient in this dish, the oranges are the real stars. They add the perfect sweetness and really brighten the flavor of the beets. I have never had a beet until I opened a can of them for this recipe, but I was pleasantly surprised. If anything, they are a beautiful color! Ina says this recipe’s flavors develops over a few days, it tasted great today but I can’t wait to taste it tomorrow! The only change I made was to add only 2 cans of beets instead of her recommended 3 and I threw in some clementine segments because I needed to use them up before they went bad!

Jen’s version of Orange and Beet Salad
adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Bookbook

2 15oz cans of cut beets (not sliced, you want chunks)
2 navel oranges, zested, segmented then juiced
1 small red onion diced (I omitted this because I don’t care for raw onions)
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar (Ina used raspberry vinegar but I didn’t have any)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Combine beets, orange segments, and onion in a medium sized bowl and toss. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients to make a dressing and pour over beets. Allow to chill overnight to allow the flavors to marry.

2. Serve cold or at room temperature.

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As I have mentioned before, I have fallen in love with the produce department at Kroger. I try to pick something new up each time I go, which sometimes poses a challenge when I go late on a Sunday night when the place has been swept clean of all edible fresh foods. Nonetheless, I try to go earlier to have the best pick of the crop.

I have become increasingly more interested in brussel sprouts,it started when Evan and I were in Austria and I had these little gems so simply sauteed, they were wonderful! My Mom does not understand where I got a taste for them, no one eats them in my family, including my Mom and sister who even eat lima beans :shiver: I have been getting them frozen for convenience sake but the sauce they come in can be overwhelming and heavy. Therefore I picked some up fresh this week to experiment. I have started roasting veggies as a way to keep their nutritional value and develop their natural sugars so I decided to do the same for these guys. And I was, luckily, not disappointed.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts
(method can also be used for broccoli and cauliflower)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Wash and clean sprouts, by removing any blemished leaves and cutting off tough stalk. You may also want to half or even quarter the sprouts to bite size as they cook up much better when small.
Spread sprouts on sheet pan in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper.
Pop in over for about 20 minutes or until brown and toasty. The insides will be tender and the outsides golden. Scoop into serving bowl or plates and top with parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, or red pepper flakes.

Your Momma would be so proud!

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I have been feeling adventurous lately and thought I would try and spice things up with some new ingrediants. Surprisingly enough I have become a bit obsessed with fresh vegetables. Kroger had all types of squash on sale this week so I thought this was the best time as any to experiment with them. I caught a snippet of Martha on the Today show last week making a sort of sauce for pasta with butternut squash, so after a bit of searching on her website(I got a bit sidetracked) I found it! After reading through her recipes I realized two things. 1. She uses 4 different pieces of cookware (a baking sheet, dutch oven, and 2 skillets). She must still be bitter about having dishwashing duties at Alderson, who wants to clean up 4 pieces after dinner! 2. She creates so many unnecessary steps in creating this dinner, probably because she wanted to maximize the number of pans used, see item 1.

So I felt I needed to do what I do best and create a few short cuts. In the end I fell in love with this recipe, it is actually pretty simple to make and has an amazing depth of flavor and uses very little fat so it is super healthy. I love using it over pasta as I sometimes get sick of the same old marinara (shh… pretend you didn’t hear that!)

Spicy Butternut Squash Pasta
(derived from Martha’s Spicy Squash with Pasta

1 2-pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 pound of linguine
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon of dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon of savory
You can use any combination of dried spices you have around- it will taste great anyway!

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper, foil would even work but spray it with Pam. Place cut side up on pan and season squash with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 mins then flip cut side down and bake for 20-30 mins until fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool 10 mins or so before handling. Scoop out all the flesh, discarding skin and set aside.

2. Boil your pound of pasta in a large dutch over filled with salted water. Cook to al dente. Drain pasta and toss with a bit of olive oil if you desire.

3. In the dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add garlic and herbs. Cook until garlic is golden. Add the reserved squash and heat through. Taste and make sure you like all the seasonings, I added a touch of kosher salt.

4. Spoon squash mixture over pasta and top with a dollop of ricotta cheese if you have some (not necessary, it is so good on its own!) Enjoy!

For kicks, check out the original recipe.

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