LIGHT AND HEALTHY ORZO SALAD

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

We are sometimes on a mission to cut calories or fat, and this holiday season was one of moderation for us, perhaps because cooking in a tiny kitchen forced us to minimize the excesses. ;-). With this goal in mind it doesn’t get any better than a light and healthy lunch, and this salad feels like a complete meal that will satisfy you until dinner. The inspiration is from Tyler Florence’s book, Tyler’s Ultimate. It was originally made with rice and served with a lemony, oven-baked chicken curry. However, my Brazilian genes resisted the idea of serving cold rice as a salad, so instead I used orzo, and I also modified the seasoning. Make a large batch and you’ll enjoy it for several days!

MANGO-ORZO SALAD WITH GREEN BEANS
(adapted from Tyler’s Ultimate)

1 cup orzo pasta
1/2 pound green beans
1 mango, diced
2 T fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup roasted, lightly salted cashews
1 T olive oil
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the orzo in plenty of boiling water, drain and place on a baking sheet to cool quickly. Drizzle a little olive oil and lemon juice to prevent it from sticking.

Trim the green beans and cut in 1 inch pieces. Cook in boiling salted water for 4 minutes, then drain and plunge in ice water to stop cooking and set the vibrant green color.

Make the dressing by whisking the olive oil with lemon juice, season lightly with salt and pepper, and reserve. Assemble the salad by mixing in a large bowl the cooled orzo, green beans, cashews, and diced mango. Add the minced cilantro leaves, drizzle the dressing all over, adjust seasoning, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: In many regions fresh mango may not be easy to find right now, but if you can locate it then don’t miss the opportunity to try it in a salad like this. The mango we bought was not as ripe and juicy as the best examples from my childhood in Brazil, but in this recipe it worked just fine.

This salad has it all: carbs from the orzo, vitamins and fiber from the green beans and mango, omega oils from the cashews, that together with the green beans, add a pleasant “crunch.”

Some people even enjoyed it heated in the microwave as a side dish with their steak. 😉 It was also delicious that way. If you want to serve it hot, consider adding the diced mango and the cilantro at the very end.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

ONE YEAR AGO: Beef Wellington (when you have romance in your mind…)

22Sep2010

POPEYE-PLEASIN’ SALAD

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Watching Popeye wolf down can after can of spinach wasn’t enough to tickle my taste buds for it. Picky eater that I was when I first tried it, only in my early twenties, it required a few encounters to appreciate it. I suppose that one might say that spinach is an acquired taste: we now consume a couple of bags of baby spinach per week, and maybe more. In this salad it’s the leading man, with just two supporting actors: slivered almonds and shaved parmiggiano cheese. I adapted the recipe from one I found in Everyday Food, that lovely Martha Stewart publication that’s always peeking at me in grocery stores, next to the cashier. 😉

SPINACH SALAD WITH ALMONDS AND PARMIGGIANO
(adapted from Everyday Food, June 2010)
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1/3 cup slivered almonds
3 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bunch baby spinach
1/3 cup shaved parmiggiano-reggiano cheese

Toast the almonds in a 350 F oven or on a dry, non-stick skillet, until fragrant and light brown. Do not let them burn. In a large bowl, combine almonds, oil, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar; season with salt and pepper.

Add the spinach and half the cheese, toss well to coat them with the dressing. Add the remaining of the cheese on top, and serve immediately.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Spinach is the basis of this salad, but the almonds take the flavor to another level, from good to great. It’s all about how you toast them: if they’re just dark enough you’ll get an intense, popcorny flavor, without bitterness. This time I hit the jackpot, and I hope that you do too!

We enjoyed it with salmon but it will complement many other dishes: roasted chicken, grilled pork, a juicy T-bone steak, or even a panini. The original recipe used arugula instead of spinach, so keep that in mind as an alternative.

ONE YEAR AGO: Watermelon Granita

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17Aug2010

FARRO: GOOD FOR YOU AND TASTES GREAT TOO

Posted in Rice and Grains, Salads, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Farro: a fun word for a mysterious grain, about which a lot of controversy exists as to its origin. Some say it’s a type of wheat, but that’s not the case, farro is a grain from a related, but different plant. It was a staple at the height of the Roman Empire, and persevered since those days until now in central parts of Italy, where it’s still grown, consumed and exported. Farro is loaded with vitamins and low in gluten, so even people with gluten allergies may enjoy it. Plus, it performs well in many kinds of recipes, from risottos to breads, from stews to salads. What an amazing little grain, that’s perfect as the focus of my 200th post! 😉

BEWITCHING FARRO SALAD
(from my kitchen)

to cook the grain:
1 cup farro (not the pearled variety)
2.5 cups water
1/2 tsp salt

for the dressing (it will make more than you need):
1/2 cup olive oil
juice and zest of 1 lemon (or other citric fruits, alone or in combination)
pinch of salt
ground black pepper

for the salad:
asparagus, finely sliced in tiny “coins”
radishes, cut in match sticks
diced tomatoes
diced cucumbers
minced cilantro (optional)

Cook the farro by mixing it with water and salt in a saucepan, bringing it to a boil and gently simmering it for 45 minutes (or a little longer, taste to decide when it’s fully cooked, but don’t let it get mushy). If the grain cooks but there’s some water left, drain it. Otherwise just fluff it with a fork and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Make the salad dressing by mixing the olive oil with lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper. Reserve. Add the asparagus and radishes to a small bowl and sprinkle with some of the salad dressing, mixing to lightly coat them.

At serving time, mix the cooked farro with the diced tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro (if using), asparagus and radishes, add more dressing to taste, adjust the seasoning.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: A couple of years ago I watched Anne Burrell use raw asparagus as the main ingredient in an unusual salad. She inspired me in this farro recipe. Since the asparagus spears are raw, thinly slice both them and the radishes. If you add some dressing to these two ingredients and allow them to rest while you prepare the remainder of the salad, it will mellow their sharpness.

I haven’t given any exact amounts for the ingredients so that you can play with them, using more or less, depending on your own taste. Skip some, add something else (onions, diced olives, capers, mint leaves), and adapt the dressing too: orange juice complements asparagus and farro quite nicely!

The grain doesn’t go mushy in the fridge overnight, and in fact the salad was still outstanding next day. I can see raw asparagus in our future quite often: couscous, orzo, and cracked wheat salads will never be the same…

My husband, after polishing off leftovers, said: “You are making this again, right”? – I guess food bloggers’ partners live in fear of never tasting the same dish twice… 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: From Sea to Table: SUSHI

25May2010

GRILLED LETTUCE SALAD

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

The slightly unusual food preparations continue to take place in our kitchen… After frying a boiled egg and roasting greens, I grilled some lettuce . This 3-minute preparation delivers a punch of flavor, leading the humble butter lettuce to its best performance. From the latest Fine Cooking magazine which, by the way, is an awesome issue, I’d love to make almost every recipe from it!

GRILLED BUTTER LETTUCE SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK-CHIVE DRESSING
(adapted from Fine Cooking #105)

1 butter lettuce, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/8 cup creme fraiche (I substituted sour cream)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs thinly sliced chives
1/2 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil for the grill

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill at medium-high heat.

Whisk the buttermilk, creme fraiche, olive oil in a bowl. Add the chives, lemon juice and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.

Brush the grill with a light coating of vegetable oil, place the lettuce, cut side down, and grill for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the grilled lettuce to a serving plate, cut side up, and drizzle the dressing over it. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Sometimes the idea of washing, drying, slicing… the whole “prep work” associated with making a good salad makes me a bit tired. However, this recipe delivers a delicious, and quite elegant salad in – literally – 6 minutes. All you need is the most gorgeous, preferably organic butter lettuce available, and a few ingredients for the dressing. My beloved suggested adding a little blue cheese – “it will make it perfect”! – so, keep this in mind if you make it.

Grilling the lettuce intensifies its flavor, and changes the texture ever so slightly, making each bite have its own character: closer to the edge a bit smokey, a crisper and brighter taste as you indulge deeper. The buttermilk dressing is very flavorful – it will certainly go well over other roasted or steamed veggies. I can see myself grilling lettuce during the whole Summer!

14May2010

A SIMPLE SALAD a la JACQUES PEPIN

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Of all “master chefs” in the cooking world, Jacques Pepin is my favorite. He is the kind of man I’d love to dine with: gentle, authentic, and down to earth. Reading his autobiography “The Apprentice”, made me appreciate him even more. Of course, his charming French accent is the icing on the cake. 😉

If his name wasn’t beneath this recipe, I wouldn’t have tried it because it seems a little strange. Who in their right mind would fry a hard boiled egg? Well, his mother did just that, during the hard years of the Second World War, and when I made it for our lunch, it was clear that her genes were the basis of Jacques’ skills in the kitchen: the apple didn’t fall far from the tree!

PAN-CRISPED DEVILED EGGS ON FRENCH LETTUCES
(adapted from The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper)

2 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp chives, finely minced
1-2 Tbs milk
2 tsp yogurt
1 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 T olive oil

Dressing
leftover egg yolk filling
3 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbs milk
2 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Salad
mixed greens of your choice

Cut the boiled eggs in half lengthwise, remove the yolks and place them in a small bowl. Add all the ingredients for the filling, mashing it well to form a cream. Carefully fill each egg white half with the mixture, but do not overfill, make it exactly like the egg yolk would be. You will have excess filling that will be used as part of the dressing.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil on a non-stick pan, and add the egg halves, cut side down. Sautee for 3-4 minutes, until golden. Reserve.

Make a dressing by mixing well all the ingredients. To serve, place the salad greens on a plate or serving bowl, drizzle some of the dressing and mix. Place the sauteed eggs on top, sprinkle a little more dressing, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Some people dislike hard boiled eggs, or even fried eggs. I love them all. The only thing that turns me off is uncooked egg white floating on top of my sunny-side-up eggs. I hope that even a deviled-egg-hater might enjoy this preparation. The subtle crunchiness on the hard-cooked eggs gives it a bit of substance, making the salad seem more filling. The use of the excess egg yolk filling as part of the dressing is a brilliant touch. It’s a nice light lunch for those of you without high cholesterol issues (or with a prescription vial of a statin in the cupboard!).

For another tasty example of using sauteed hard boiled eggs, take a look at this post by Ilva, a proof that great cooks think alike! 😉

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