Curry Turkey Pasta Salad and an Update

Where oh, where have we been? Well, we have been continuing our diets, which doesn't always lead to the most exciting of menus. That said, the diet has been going well, Matt is down 34 pounds and I am down 23. I'm not saying we don't still eat well, just not as many fun things to share.

On top of that, we have just gone into contract on a new kitchen...

Ok, not just a kitchen, but the whole loft around it. We are selling our house and moving into Minneapolis's downtown North Loop neighborhood. We are looking forward to being in a walkable neighborhood surrounded by restaurants like Sapor, Borough, Bachelor Farmer, Smack Shack, Black Sheep Pizza, 112 Eatery, Bar La Grassa, and Be'wiched, just to name a few. Uh oh, there goes that diet!

With getting the house cleaned up, preparing for a garage sale and finding a new place to buy, we are looking for quick, satisfying meals these days. Over the weekend we roasted a turkey with friends, so we decided to turn the leftovers into a pasta salad. (You could easily do this with chicken too.) Curry powder gives this salad lots of flavor, carrots and celery add a crunch and golden raisins provide a perfect touch of sweetness. We use light mayo and non-fat yogurt to keep the calories low.

Curry Turkey Pasta Salad

4oz pasta
1 t cider vinegar
4 oz roasted turkey, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 c chopped red onion
2 T golden raisins
2 T plain non-fat yogurt
3 T light mayonaise
2 T skim milk
1 T mild curry powder
salt

Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Put into a bowl and stir in vinegar. Let sit a few minutes to cool an absorb vinegar.

Mix everything but the salt into the pasta. Taste and add salt as needed.

Chill covered for at least an hour.

2 servings
About 430 calories per serving

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2013 Kathy Lewinski

Smoked Salmon, Zucchini and Bread Salad

So, last week I posted about how we smoked our own salmon. It is quite tasty on it's own as a snack, but now it's time to start incorporating it into some meals.

Matt had an idea for a salad that would also use some of the zucchini we had in the fridge. The salad seemed a little out there, but oh man was it ever good! It's colorful and full of different textures. The flavor was just amazing from the smoky soy flavor of the salmon to the zing of the creamy balsamic dressing. We used juustoleipa in this salad because we had some in the fridge, but both of us decided the salad really didn't need it and we'd leave it out in the future.


Smoked Salmon, Zucchini and Bread Salad

2 c bread cubes, from a hearty white bread
1 T olive oil
1 zucchini
handful of cherry tomatoes
1 cup shredded smoked salmon
4 oz juustoleipa, Finnish bread cheese, cubed

Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread cubes. Sauté until the cubes are browned on all sides.

Cut the zucchini in half length-wise, then using your peeler make wide, noodle-like strip from each half. (We didn't peel our zucchini, but you can if you like)

Add the juustoleipa to the same skillet you used to brown the bread. Cook until the cubes are brown on most sides and softened.

Mix all the ingredients together and serve with the creamy balsamic dressing.

2 main dish servings.

Creamy Balsamic Dressing
The quantities below are approximate as Matt tends to make our dressing by tasting and adding more of things as he goes. I suggest you do the same thing when making this, adjusting amounts to your tastes.

1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t dried parsley
1 T white wine vinegar
1 t balsamic vinegar
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Mix the onion powder, parsley and vinegars together. Microwave for about 10 seconds. Let cool. Whisk in the mayonnaise. Whisk in the olive oil. Season with pepper to taste.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski

Warm Lentil and Beet Salad

When we picked up beets at the farmers markets, I take them home and cut the beets from the greens before storing them since this will help them last longer. But, I don't throw away those greens. To us, those dark, leafy greens are as much a treat as the red jewel at their roots. Did you know they are basically the same thing as rainbow chard? We like then sautéed as a side dish, thrown in soups and stews and stir-fried.

This is an earthy, hearty salad with a hint of smokiness from the cheese which makes it perfect for a vegetarian main course. It's colorful with lots of textures. I especially liked how the cubes of smoked mozzarella became just a little runny and stringy from the heat of the rest of the ingredients. It would also make a a wonderful side dish with a grill steak.

We used lentils du puy when we made this salad because we love their texture and flavor. They can be rather expensive and harder to find here in the States. We picked up a few pounds in Sweden because they are so much cheaper in Europe. They'll be one of those things we pick up every time we travel. Anyway, You can use any lentils you like.

Warm Lentil and Beet Salad
We used beets that were roasted ahead of time for this salad so, keep that in mind when making it.

6 oz lentils
1/2 T olive oil
3 - 4 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 c roughly chopped beets greens and tender stems
1 c chopped, roasted beets
4 oz smoked mozzarella, cut into 1/2" cubes

Dressing

1/2 t kosher salt
generous amount of fresh ground pepper
1/2 t Dijon mustard
1 T white wine vinegar
3 T olive oil

Cook the lentils according to their directions, drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are tender. Add the beet greens and stems. Sauté until the greens are very wilted, they will reduce in size a lot. Stir in the roasted beets until heated through.

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together until the salt in dissolved.

Mix the cooked lentil into the vegetables. Dress with as much dressing as you like. Stir in the mozzarella cubes.

Makes 2 main dish servings or 4 side dish servings.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski

Banh Mi Dogs with Asian Peanut Slaw

Day two of our playing with hot dog toppings is a combination I've wanted to try for awhile now, a dog with all the toppings of a banh mi. Banh mi can be made with lots of different meats, pork, chicken, ham so, why not a hot dog?!

We started with a nice hoagie roll smearing one side with mayonnaise and the other with homemade pate. Then we added some pickled carrots and sliced jalapeno. Topped that with a good 100% pork dog (though any good hot dog will work) & a good handful of fresh cilantro. It really worked as a sandwich though, for our dogs, it really required a lot of toppings otherwise the seasoning in the dogs overpowered everything else. A good way to have a banh mi if you don't have any other cooked meat on hand.

We served the dogs with an Asian Peanut Slaw. I adapted Alton Brown's recipe by having it, leaving a few things out like mint & adding Sriracha. It is very peanuty & we ended up adding more soy but next time I think I'd also add a little more vinegar for a touch more tang. It makes for a really colorful side dish with the red peppers, carrots & onions.

Asian Peanut Slaw
(adapted from Alton Brown's)

1 small head napa cabbage, sliced thin (about 2 cups)
1 carrot, grated
1/4 c thinly sliced red pepper
1 T minced jalapeno
1/4 c sliced red onion
1/4 c rice wine vinegar (I would use a little more next time I make this)
1/4 c peanut butter
2 1/2 t soy sauce
1 t sesame oil
1 1/2 t lime juice
dash of Sriracha
pinch of dried ginger

Mix the cabbage, carrot, peppers & onion together in a bowl.

Whisk the remaining ingredients together until smooth. Stir into vegetables until coated. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Makes 2 - 3 servings.

Ok, we have a couple dogs left, what unusual toppings do you suggest?

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski

Zesty Potato Salad

We're always looking for new twists on potato salad for the summer months. This one is really simple but gets a nice kick from the horseradish. It makes a great side for easy summer dinners like burgers or brats.

I used non-fat yogurt instead of sour cream to cut back on the calories a bit. If your yogurt is very watery you may want to let it drain for a little bit before mixing the dressing.

Now let's hope it cools off enough this weekend that we actually feel like cooking again!

Zesty Potato Salad

12 - 15 new potatoes
salt
1/4 c non-fat plain yogurt
1/4 c mayonaise
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T creamy horseradish
2 T fresh snipped chives
pepper

Quarter the potatoes & place them in a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil. Let boil until just cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain & let cool.

Mix the yogurt, mayo, mustard, horseradish & chives together. Season with salt & pepper. Stir into the cooled potatoes.

Makes 3 - 4 servings.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.© 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Warm Black Lentil and Beet Salad

I was planning on making pizza with beets & potatoes on it last night but, in the middle of the day I got a craving for a warm lentil salad with a rich egg yolk running through it. After a brief look through the cupboards I realized I had everything on hand to make one plus I could still use the beets. It also gave me an excuse to use the beluga black lentils I picked up in Seattle.

This salad is good without the egg but there is something about the way it tastes with the soft yolk that just sends the flavor to a whole other level.

Warm Black Lentil and Beet Salad

3/4 c black lentil (or lentil of choice really)
4 small beets, I ended up with about 1 1/2 c chopped
3 T olive oil
1 c chopped yellow onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T champagne or white wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1/4 t dried thyme or 1/2 t fresh
salt & pepper
2 eggs

Cook the lentil according to directions until soft. Drain.

Meanwhile, clean the beets & boil them until soft, about 20 - 25 minutes. Drain & let cool. Cut into small pieces. (You could also roast the beets if you wish).

Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery & garlic & sauté until tender. Add the cooked lentils & beets & heat through.

Whisk the remaining olive oil, vinegar, mustard & thyme together. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Stir into the warm lentil & vegetable mixture (I'd add a little at a time to make sure not to overdress as everyone likes a different amount of dressing). Keep warm.

Poach or soft fry the eggs. Divide the salad between two dishes & top each with an egg.

2 servings

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.© 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Matt's Chicken Salad

As I think I've mention a few hundred times, we love a roast chicken. It makes for a great meal right when it's cooked but then there are the leftovers to play with which means I get one of my favorite lunches, chicken salad.

Last week, we had some of that leftover chicken. I was busy moving a dump truck full of mulch that had been delivered to our front yard so asked Matt to make the chicken salad. Matt seems to have an innate sense when it comes to cooking. He almost never uses a recipe & often puts together strange combinations that end up tasting really good together. Take this salad for instance, I would have never thought to put cajun seasoning & kalamata olives together. What we ended up with was a salad that had a nice saltiness from the olives & a zing from the seasoning. It was so good I was sad there was only 4 servings. I'm so lucky to be married to this kind of cook.

Matt's Chicken Salad

2 c cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1/8 c slivered almonds
1/4 c kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 c scallion, sliced
1/4 c mayo
1 t cajun seasoning

Mix everything together. Serve in a sandwich or on top of a bed of lettuce.

4 servings

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.© 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Wheat Berry And Beet Salad

We are always looking for different cold salads to have in the summer along side the fabulous stuff Matt is cooking on the grill. We discovered wheat berry salad a few years back at the De Young Museum in San Francisco. We liked it so much we even cooked it for a friend's wedding rehearsal dinner we catered. When Matt picked up some wheat berries at the co-op awhile back I realized I hadn't made a salad like this in years. It seemed like the perfect use for my precious beets in the crisper.

We ended up with a simple salad full of lots of flavor. This is the time to pull out the best olive oil & balsamic you have because their flavor really matters here. I pulled out the 10 year-old balsamic from Zingerman's which is like eating candy, yum. Roasting the vegetables really brings out their sweetness, especially the onions. That sweetness combined with the balsamic plays beautifully with the nutty wheat berries. Then top it all with fresh thyme & salty feta for a perfect side dish.

Last time I cooked wheat berries it was quite time consuming & really heated up my kitchen with the soaking overnight & 1 1/2 hours of simmering on the stove. I decided to see if they could be cooked in the rice cooker. I googled around & found instructions from various places for just that. It worked perfectly giving us wheat berries with exactly the right texture in much less time (& with a lot less heat in the kitchen). I liked the step of toasting them before cooking, I think it gave them a slightly more nutty flavor.

Wheat Berry & Beet Salad
(I did the hot part of this salad in the morning while my kitchen was still cool then let in chill in the fridge until dinner time)

1 c dry wheat berries
1 1/2- 2 c bite-sized beet pieces
1 large onion, cut into large pieces (about 2 cups)
3 T olive oil + extra for roasting the vegetables
1 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
1 t fresh thyme
1/4 c feta

Toast the wheat berries on a hot skillet until they they get fragrant being careful not to let them burn, you might hear some popping. Put them into your rice cooker & cover with hot water. Let sit for one hour. Drain. Put the soaked berries & 2 cup of water into the rice cooker. After the rice cooker has finished the cooking cycle let the berries sit in it for 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 400 F.

Put the beets & onions in a roasting pan & coat with a little olive oil. (I put the onions in a small tin foil tray in the pan to keep them away from the beets so they don't turn pink.) Roast for about 30 - 40 minutes until tender & the onions are just starting to brown.

Mix the roasted vegetables in with the cooked wheat berries. Let cool.

Whisk the olive oil & balsamic together. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Mix the dressing into the salad (I like to mix in a little at a time so as not to overdress it.) Stir in the thyme & feta. Chill.

4 - 5 servings

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.© 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

German Potato Salad

We were grilling up some beer brats this week & Matt requested a German potato salad to go with them. It is, after all, pretty much the perfect paring.

Of all the potato salads I've ever made, this one is definitely in the running to be my favorite. It's really all about the sweet & tangy dressing with that touch of bacon. I particularly like the flavor it gets from the celery seeds. Our version of the dressing was a little more sweet than tangy. Since everyone's tastes are a little different, I suggest tasting it before dressing the potatoes & adjusting the vinegar to sugar as needed.

This salad is really best warm or at room temperature. If you make it ahead of time & refrigerate it, make sure to let it warm up before serving or microwave it for a little bit.

German Potato Salad

16 (about 1 lb) baby waxy potatoes, quartered (we used Yukon Golds)
4 oz yellow onion, chopped
2 spring onion or scallions, chopped
2 sliced bacon, chopped
1/2 t mustard seed
1/4 t celery seed
3 T champagne vinegar (you could use white wine vinegar, cider vinegar or just plan white vinegar)
3 T sugar
salt & pepper

Put the potatoes & onion in a pot of cold salted water & bring to a boil. Let boil for 10 - 15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender. Drain. Set aside.

Crush the mustard & celery seeds a little with a mortar & pestle.

Cook the bacon over medium-high heat in a skillet until it is starting to crisp & has rendered its fat. Add the crushed seeds & cook while stirring for about 30 seconds. Stir in the vinegar & sugar. Season generously with salt & pepper. Let bubble for a minute. Taste for seasoning & adjust as necessary.

Mix the warm potatoes & onion with the spring onions in a bowl. Pour the hot dressing over the top & stir to coat.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings

It's going to be hot & steamy in Minneapolis this weekend which calls for lots of grilling. We are planning on cooking up some beautiful Alaskan salmon fillets we got at the farmers market last weekend. What are you grilling up?

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.© 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Warm Lentil Salad

When we were in San Francisco for the Foodbuzz Festival in November one of the things Matt picked up at the Ferry Building was Lentils du Puy. This salad was the reason.

We've had this for dinner twice in two weeks now, it is just so good. There is something about the way the runny egg yolk tastes mixed in with the mustard vinaigrette that we just love. We added some duck confit to it this time because we had it & it seemed like a good fit. It definitely added another wonderful layer of flavor but you don't have to have it to enjoy this dish.

Add a fresh green salad, a glass of wine & you have a wonderful light dinner that is completely satisfying.

Warm Lentil Salad

4 oz lentils de puy
1 T olive oil
2 carrots, peeled & chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 leek, white & light green parts chopped
pinch dried thyme
salt & pepper
duck confit, meat from one leg & thigh (optional)
2 T champagne vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 T dijon mustard
2 eggs

Put enough water in a saucepan to cover the lentils by at least 1/2 inch & bring to a boil. Add lentils. Reduce heat, cover & simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.

In a skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, leeks & thyme. Season with salt & peppers. Sauté until the carrots are tender about 10 minutes. Remove from the skillet & set aside.

Return the lentils to the saucepan they were cooked in. Add the vegetables & duck to the lentils. Mix the champagne vinegar, olive oil, and mustard together. Stir into the lentils coat. Cover to keep warm while cooking eggs.

Fry the eggs sunnyside up (leaving part of the yolk runny). Divide the lentils between two dishes & top each with an egg.

2 servings

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2010 Kathy Lewinski

Roast Vegetable Salad with Fried Goat Cheese

Each of our CSA boxes comes with a newsletter that explains a little about each item in the box & gives a few recipe ideas. In this past newsletter they mentioned making a roast vegetable salad with the squash & peppers. I love a good roast vegetable salad & realized I hadn't made one in forever. I especially like them with goat cheese on them so I decided to try frying up the goat cheese like you often get in restaurants.

For the roasted vegetables I used butternut squash, UV roaster peppers & leeks but really this salad can be made with whatever vegetables you like & have on hand. I've used potatoes, beets, onions, beans & cauliflower in this type of salad in the past. Because I roast the vegetables with a little olive oil & balsamic the finished salad doesn't need any dressing. The goat cheese is fabulous as it melts & blends in with everything as well. You really don't even need to fry it as it will melt when it hits the warm vegetables but I really love cutting open that golden brown disc to get to the warm cheese.

Frying the cheese was easier than I thought. I had some problems getting the breading to stick especially where my fingers touched it. Those few holes in the breading didn't seem to cause any problems while cooking though & the the cheese stayed together nicely.

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Fried Goat Cheese

2 c butternut squash, peeled & cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 c red pepper, seeded & cut into strips
1/2 c leeks, cleaned & sliced
1 1/2 T olive oil
1/2 T balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
plain goat cheese log
1/2 c flour
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 c bread crumbs
salad greens (we used a mix of spinach & arugula)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the cheese log in the freezer.

Put the squash, peppers & leeks in a small roasting pan. Add the olive oil, vinegar & a good pinch or two of salt. Stir to coat the vegetables. Roast in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes until everything is turning brown & is tender (especially the squash).

During the last few minutes of cooking the vegetables make the fried cheese. Coat the bottom of a skillet with a little olive oil & heat over medium heat. Remove the cheese log from the freezer & cut into 1/4-inch slices (we got 9 from our log). Place the flour, egg & bread crumb in 3 different bowls. Dip the cheese in the flour, then egg & finally the breadcrumbs. Place carefully into the hot skillet. Let cook about 2 minutes until brown on the bottom, carefully flip over & cook the other side another 2 minutes.

Divide the salad green between two plates. Top with the roasted vegetables & then the fried cheese.

Serves 2

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Tomato, Corn and Bacon Salad

It is still unusually hot & summer-like here in Minneapolis. Typical temperatures this time of year are high 60's & we have been in the mid 80's. It's a good thing for the crops as the cold spring gave everything a late start & many things are ripening late. Tomatoes & sweet corn are two things that came in late this year but are now at their peak & star together in this wonderful main dish salad.

Sweet corn is best right now when its had plenty of time to build up the sugars & really live up to its name. Oh & the tomatoes! The two heirlooms from our CSA box couldn't have been more perfectly flavored & textured. The bacon adds a good saltiness to the salad while the fresh jalapeno gives a pleasant heat. The dressing is fantastic, we especially liked the tang of the goat cheese against the sweet corn. Matt was tempted to replace the goat cheese with gorgonzola, which would have been good as well, but we liked the way the goat cheese didn't overpower the other flavors.

The original recipe had to hollow out the tomatoes & serve the corn salad inside which I'm sure would be a pretty presentation. Our heirlooms weren't super pretty for that type of serving so we just sliced them up & placed them on the plate. Plus I think its easier to eat this way.

Tomato, Corn & Bacon Salad
(adapted from a recipe by Tara Mataraza Desmond via Serious Eats)

2 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
kernels from 2 ears of sweet corn
1 jalapeno, seeded & diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 c buttermilk
2 oz goat cheese
salt & pepper
2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced

Cook the bacon until crisp in a skillet over medium heat. Remove to a paper towel to drain leaving about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan. Add the corn, jalapenos & garlic to the pan & saute for 5 - 7 minutes. (Matt turned the heat up the last minute to brown the corn a little.)

While the corn mixture is cooking, mix the buttermilk & goat cheese together until smooth (a small food processor works well for this). Stir the cooked corn mixture into the dressing. Stir in the scallions & season with salt & pepper.

Divide the tomato slices between two plates. Spoon the corn & dressing over the top. Sprinkle with bacon.

Serves 2

This salad made a very filling meal served with a side of rosemary flatbread.

Matt made this flatbread by topping our favorite pizza dough with olive oil, salt, fresh rosemary & freshly grated parmesan, yum!

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Salad

I originally wanted wheat berries to make this salad but the grocery store didn't have any so I decided to to try using quinoa instead. I'd been reading about how good quinoa is on a few other blogs recently & that peaked my interest to try it.

The quinoa worked really well in this warm salad. It really has a wonderful texture which stands up nicely to the soft roasted vegetables & cheese. This is one of those dished that you could really do with almost any vegetables that are in season. You could also serve it either warm like we did or at room temperature. The beets were especially good in it & pair well flavor-wise with the feta, lemon & mint.

Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Salad

1/2 c quinoa
5 small beets, peeled & quartered
3 large cipollini onions, peeled & quartered
1 large summer squash, cut into large pieces
olive oil
kosher salt
1 t lemon juice
1 t red wine vinegar
3 T olive oil
salt & pepper to taste (go light on the salt if you have a salty feta)
2 oz feta
1 T fresh mint, chopped

Cook your quinoa according to the directions & set aside. (We used our rice cooker & it came out beautiful.)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Put the beets, onion and squash into a small roasting pan. Coat with a little olive oil & sprinkle with salt. Roast in the oven until soft, about 30 minutes.

Whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper together.

Mix the roasted vegetables with the quinoa. Toss with dressing. Plate and sprinkle with feta and mint.

Serves 2 as a light meal or side dish

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad

As its the time of year the fennel & beets are starting to show up in peoples CSA boxes I'm starting to read about how much people dislike these two vegetables. I guess I'm just lucky since both Matt & I really like them. I was planning to do a roasted beet salad this week & Matt suggested roasting the fennel with the beets. According to the The Flavor Bible these are two items that go together well so I did just that.

I wanted a light dressing for this salad with a little citrus tang so I did an easy Lemon Vinaigrette. (I just remembered I had originally planned on doing orange, oops!). Actually the whole salad ended up being a very light & fresh side dish perfect for this time of year. Roasting really sweetens the beets & mellows the flavor of the fennel. The strongest fennel flavor comes from the fronds that are sprinkled on top so add as much or as little as you like.

Roasted Beet & Fennel Salad

1 fennel bulb, sliced
1 1/2 c beets, cut into small pieces (you can do more this is just what I had on hand)
olive oil
kosher salt
salad greens
fennel fronds, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the fennel bulb & beets in a small roasting pan. just coat with olive oil & sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 30 minutes or until tender. (If its too hot to roast the beets & fennel inside, cook them on your grill in a grill basket)

Place on a bed of salad greens. Dress with Lemon Vinaigrette. Sprinkle fennel fronds over the top.

Lemon Vinaigrette

2 T olive oil
1 T lemon Juice
1 T white wine vinegar
1 small clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste

Serves 2

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Matt's Creamy Pesto Potato Salad

I have never met anyone who loves potato salad as much as Matt. He considers it a huge treat when I get him some from the deli to have with his lunch. His favorite maybe the classic potato salad with hard boiled egg but give him a good German potato salad or even a oil & vinegar version & he's just as happy. So, when I made a big batch of garlic scape pesto he, of course, decided it would be a great flavoring for a potato salad.

He kept the flavors pretty simple in this salad, a little tang from the sour cream & a little garlic from the pesto. The flavors were reminiscent of a baked potato probably due to the sour cream. The salad was a big hit at our Fourth of July bbq & I think it'll become one of our summer staples, especially with all the pesto in the freezer.


Matt's Creamy Pesto Potato Salad

2 lbs waxy potatoes (we used 1lb each red potatoes & yukon gold), washed & cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 - 3 T Garlic Scape Pesto
1/2 c sour cream

1/2 c mayonnaise
salt & pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes in salted water until fork tender about 7 - 10 minutes. Drain.

Mix the pesto, sour cream & mayonnaise together. Season with salt & a generous amount of pepper. Mix in with warm potatoes.

Serve warm or chilled

Makes 2 lbs (6 servings)

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Baby Turnip Slaw

When I mentioned I had baby turnips in my current CSA box a couple people told me I had to try them raw. I gave them a taste & they are quite good raw, with a peppery flavor similar to a mild radish. I thought that flavor would play well in a coleslaw.

I was right this did make a nice crunchy slaw & was a great side with some brats on the grill.

Baby Turnip Slaw

12 baby turnips, julienned
3 T mayonnaise
1 t Dijon mustard
1/2 t white wine vinegar
salt & pepper

Stir turnips, mayo, mustard & vinegar together. Season generously with salt & pepper. Chill for at lease an hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.

2 - 3 servings

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.

© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Green Goddess Dressing

Matt bookmarked this recipe from Bon Appetit May '09 & I thought it was Alice Water's recipe but when I went to make it I noticed it was actually Molly Wizenberg's version of Alice Water's. I was a little unsure about whether or not I'd like it but it was really light & fresh & perfect on the first harvest from our garden.

I was a little confused about how much avocado to use in the recipe. It said "1/2 ripe medium avocado, about 7 oz." So, does that mean you want 7 oz of avocado or half of a 7 oz avocado? I don't believe I've ever seen a 14 oz avocado. My avocado was only 5 oz once the pit was removed soI decided to just wing it & throw in the whole thing figuring I was coming in somewhere in the middle. I think the consistency came out just fine & the avocado flavor isn't too little or too much.

We really enjoyed the herbal flavor of this dressing. Ours was pretty heavy with the licoice flavor of the tarragon because I was a little short on cilantro & parsley but changing the amounts of the different herbs is a great way to give this dressing different flavors each time. I'm betting after sitting overnight it's going to be even better on a salad at lunch today.

Green Goddess Dressing
(adapted from Bon Appetit May '09)

5 oz ripe avocado
3 T champagne vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t lemon juice
1/2 t lime juice
1/4 t sugar
3/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c heavy whipping cream
3 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 T fresh tarragon, chopped
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T fresh basil, chopped
1 T shallot, chopped
salt & pepper

Blend the first six ingredients in a food processor into a purée. While processing slowly add the olive oil. Blend well. Pour into a bowl or storage container. Whisk in the cream & then add the herbs & shallots. Season with salt & pepper. Chill for a couple of hours before serving. Whisk right before serving.

Makes 2 cups

Oh yeah, the original recipe called for one anchovy which we left out as well (mainly because I wasn't buying a can for one) so this version did require a good bit of salt to make up for it.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Emeril at the Grill - Bacon Potato Salad

Matt is a huge potato salad fan. We have made lots of different versions it but he still seems to like the classic style he gets from delis better than ours. Until we made this potato salad...

This salad it another recipe from Emeril at the Grill: A Cookbook for All Seasons
& it is a winner. Matt said it's  closest to the potato salads that he loves that we've ever made. I think its the hard boiled egg in the salad that makes it for him. Well, that & the bacon...who can resist the bacon? The cayenne gives it a little bite. It's super easy to make & can be served warm or cold.

One nice thing about this book is it includes sides, drinks and desserts to go with grilled foods not just the grilled foods themselves. I love that because I'm always looking for interesting new sides and especially find it hard to find them for the summer.

Bacon Potato Salad
(From Emeril at the Grill: A Cookbook for All Seasons)

2 lb small red potatos, quartered
3/4 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t ground black pepper
2 T lemon juice
1/3 c chopped celery
2 T green onion, finely chopped
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
3/4 c mayonnaise
1 1/2 T whole grain mustard (we were all out & just used Dijon & it was great)
4 strips bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled

Place the potatos in a saucepan & cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender about 10 - 12 minutes. Drain & put in a bowl. While still warm season the potatoes with salt, cayenne, pepper and lemon juice. Toss well. Add the celery, onion, parsley & eggs.

Mix the mayonnaise & mustard together. Stir into the salad. Add the bacon & toss gently.

Serve right away or refrigerate & serve cold.

6 servings

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Emeril at the Grill - Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

We grilled up some brats the other night & decided to try one of the sides from Emeril at the Grill: A Cookbook for All Seasons.

We love sweet potatoes so this grilled sweet potato salad jumped out at us right away. I was a little surprised that the potatoes had to be grilled & cooked in the oven but they did end up having the perfect texture. I figured if I wanted to make this on a hot day I could do the potatoes in the morning since they get served at room temp anyway. This is good because this is certainly the kind of salad I'd want on a hot day even if I didn't want to heat up the kitchen.
The flavors of this dish were really wonderful, the sweet potato, tart lime juice, crisp onion & salty cheese create a wonderful blend. Speaking of the cheese, we couldn't find the Cotija or farmer's cheese called for in the recipe. The cheese expert at our local grocery store suggested a ricotta salata because it was mild & crumbly. It's also quite salty but in our opinion that only added more to the dish.

My only complaint about the dish (& its a little one) was the olive oil & lime juice drizzled on at the end seemed like much more than needed. I would suggest whisking them together & them just drizzling as much as you want on each serving.

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad
(adapted from Emeril at the Grill for serving size)

1 large sweet potato (between 3/4 & 1 lb), peeled & cut into 1/2-inch rounds
3 1/2 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
3/4 T lime juice
3/4 T fresh cilantro, chopped
2 T red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 T Cotija cheese, crumbled (or other mild crumbly cheese)

Preheat grill to medium-high & preheat oven to 350 F.

Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl. Add 1 1/2 T olive oil, salt & pepper & toss to coat. Place the potatoes on the preheated grill. Grill on each side 2 - 3 minutes until you get grill marks.

Put the grilled potatoes on a baking sheet & into the oven for 20 - 25 minutes until fork tender. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Place on a serving dish or divide between separate plates. Drizzle with remaining olive oil & lime juice. Sprinkle the cilantro, onions & cheese over the top.

2 servings

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Curly Endive Salad with Bacon & Eggs

Since we were heading out of town the day after we got our latest CSA box we knew we had to use anything that would go bad while we were away right away. Luckily most of the items in this box would save until we got back 6 days later. I wasn't so sure about the curly endive but wasn't sure what to do with it. Luckily the newsletter we get with each box had the recipe for this salad in it.

Ok, believe it or not I have never had a salad with a poached egg on it before. Matt said it was definitely time to change that. This is pretty much your basic warm bacon salad but it was so good I thought it was definitely worth sharing. With a nice glass of wine this made a perfect light dinner but it would also make a great lunch or brunch. If you don't have curly endive substitute spinach or spring greens.

Curly Endive Salad with Bacon & Eggs

from Harmony Valley Farm

2 slices of bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 T olive oil

salt & pepper

3 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 head of curly endive, torn into bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 T + 1/2 t red or white wine vinegar (we used champagne vinegar)

2 eggs

1 clove garlic minced

1/4 t dried thyme

Heat 1 T of the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the bread cubes & toss to coat. Season with a little salt & pepper. Cook the bread in the pan until it is crisp & brown, stirring frequently. Remove & set aside.

Add the bacon to the hot pan & cook until crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel to drain but keep 2 T of the bacon fat in the pan. Mix the bacon with the endive in a heat proof bowl.

Bring a saucepan of water & 1/2 t of vinegar to a bowl. Slip the eggs one at a time into the boiling water & cook until the whites are set but the yolk is still runny, about 2 1/2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to move the eggs to paper towel to drain & season them with salt & pepper.

While the eggs are cooking, add 2 T olive oil, garlic & thyme to the frying pan. Cook until the garlic just starts to turn brown. Add 1 1/2 T vinegar & remove from the heat. Toss the hot dressing into the endive & bacon, the endive should begin to wilt. Toss in the croutons. 

Divide the greens between two serving dishes & top each with an egg.

Serves 2