Salad Days

The warmer weather has us thinking about eating lighter meals. 

Salad days are here! 

Anything Goes Salad

My daughter and I were driving home from running errands the other day and we wanted to avoid making one last stop at the grocery store. So we thought about what was in the fridge and decided we had enough food to make a fun salad for dinner.

When we got home, we made a spread with baby lettuces, corn, chopped cucumbers, sliced avocado, grape tomatoes, strawberries that we mixed with a little white balsamic vinegar and agave nectar (honey would be fine), and leftover grilled chicken breast that we sliced. After we assembled our salads, we added some nice locally made Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette by D.E. Vine Foods. 

Deviled Egg Salad With Avocado  

For this salad, I just mixed six boiled eggs with a little extra virgin olive oil (about 1 tablespoon), Dijon mustard to taste (about 1 teaspoon), a little fresh ground pepper, two slices of chopped bacon (optional - I was using up our leftovers). Then I dropped a couple of spoonfuls over some baby lettuces and sliced avocado. I made the croutons by toasting the leftover ciabatta bread we had with our sausage and bean dinner the other night. For the dressing, I simply sprinkled a little extra virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar over the top and freshly ground pepper. 

Notes

Avocado: cut open and slice just before serving so they don't turn brown or coat with lemon or lime juice to prevent browning.

Corn: to avoid GMO corn I look for organic corn. Organic corn on the cob is difficult to find so I usually buy organic frozen corn in a bag, rather than corn in a can to also avoid possible BHT in canned goods. Sometimes it's difficult to avoid canned goods as in tomatoes and beans, but avoiding canned goods whenever possible is a good thing. I recently found jarred tomatoes at Trader Joe's but when I went back they didn't have any more in stock. I'll keep looking or jar some myself this summer!

Garlicky Cauliflower Parsnip Mashed Potatoes And Leftover Patties

One plan.

Two vegetables.

Three meals.

Four happy stomachs.

And a happy mom.

Our three days of cauliflower and parsnips started when I saw gorgeous cauliflower being set up at the market the other day. The cauliflower had just come in from a local grower! I don't remember where the parsnips were from but they were gorgeous as well (pictured here). I just had to have them.

The Plan: How many meals can I get this week from these two vegetables. The ideas developed each day and we ended up with a lunch, a dinner, and a breakfast.

Lunch

On Monday, with everyone home for the holiday, we had Rustic Cauliflower And Parsnip Soup for lunch which is posted here.

Dinner

On Wednesday, dinner was Garlicky Cauliflower Parsnip Mashed Potatoes along side baked salmon topped with basil pesto I had in the freezer, made from our garden at the end of summer. 

Breakfast

For breakfast, Garlicky Cauliflower Parsnip Mashed Potato Patties, made with the leftovers, along side over-easy eggs. 

Garlicky Cauliflower Parsnip Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

4 medium-large red potatoes

3-4 cups roasted cauliflower, loosely packed chunks, see here

1 cup roasted parsnips, see here

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or olive oil

4-6 roasted garlic cloves, depending on size and taste

About 1 1/2 - 2 cups milk, depending on desired consistency

About 1/4 cup butter, or favorite spread, to taste

1/2 teaspoon whole-grain mustard

Pepper to taste

For ease and efficiency, I roasted the garlic while salmon baked so I'll give that method. To find out how to otherwise roast garlic, check out sources on the internet. I was surprised that the garlic was ready in the time it took to bake the salmon.   

To roast garlic while baking salmon or other fish, place a little olive oil in a small baking sheet, cut a little off the top of the entire garlic bulb, place bulb upside down onto baking sheet (it's okay if some cloves separate). Preheat oven and roast for about 15 minutes or until the fish is done. Garlic is done when a clove is soft and mushy when squeezed, if not, leave garlic to roast a little longer. The garlic can also be roasted in aluminum foil in the same pan as the fish if there's room.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until fork tender. I quartered them to save time.

Squeeze 4 to 6 garlic cloves from the roasted garlic bulb into drained potatoes. Store and refrigerate the remaining garlic for something else (use within a week). Roasted garlic tastes great just spread over good crusty bread with sliced apples . . . some cheese . . . maybe?

Add roasted cauliflower and parsnips to the potatoes. Chop them up a little more first to make it easier to mash.

Mash with milk and butter (I use lactose-free milk and Earth Balance buttery spread). Start with about 1/4 cup of milk adding more until it looks right. Add butter to taste. Sprinkle on a little pepper to taste. When all combined, add mustard. Taste and add more if you want. I thought 1/4 teaspoon was perfect.

I kept the potatoes and vegetables rustic by leaving them thick and chunky.

* * *

Leftover Garlicky Cauliflower Parsnip Mashed Potato Patties

Ingredients
This recipe will work well if potatoes are chunky like above 

2 cups of leftover potatoes from above recipe
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs, I used Gillian's again - wheat, gluten, dairy free
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or olive oil
I didn't have chives or shallots, but they would be a nice addition

Mix all ingredients together and let sit about 15-20 minutes so breadcrumbs absorb the moisture. If potatoes and egg are cold, it's okay to let it sit out. Otherwise, cover and refrigerate until ready. Form patties from mixture, about 1/4 cup each. Add oil to a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add patties. My pan fit four nicely. This recipe made 7 patties. 8 or 6 patties could easily be made by adjusting the patty size. Cook until a nice brown crust forms, flip and finish cooking.

The patties went well with eggs. I think it would also taste great with some horseradish or mustard, or both, with a slice of roast beef.

Sliced Steak With Dijon Mustard Sauce Over Lemon Thyme Mushroom Wild Rice, Roasted Sweet Carrots

This dish was created from two leftover dishes, steak one night, and wild rice we had with East African Braised Chicken the other. It would have been fine to just serve the steak, rice, and carrots together, but I needed to use up the mushrooms so into the dish they went.

The bella mushrooms were so good just by themselves, I almost didn't want to mix them with the rice. But blending mushrooms into something else gets my kids to eat them.

The lemon thyme is finally growing in my garden and I was so excited to use some. 

I added the bella mushrooms after the lemon thyme softened a bit, and seasoned to taste with salt and pepper.

After mixing the mushrooms with the leftover wild rice, I added a few fresh thyme leaves over the top and juice from half a lemon to brighten the flavor a little.

These huge sweet carrots are from the local farmer's market and they were simply washed, scrubbed, sliced, and placed on a baking pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper. They roasted beautifully at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

The mustard sauce was quick and easy. I blended Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, and 2 garlic cloves. 

The meat was left over from sirloin steaks the other night. I often buy extra steak it can be sliced and used in salads, etc., for another meal or two.

Wild Rice and Mushrooms

Rice

Prepare rice according to package

Mushrooms

1 medium package, bella mushrooms

2-3 sprigs fresh lemon thyme, or plain thyme

equal parts butter and olive oil, about 2 tablespoons each

salt and pepper to taste

juice from half a lemon

a sprig of lemon thyme to finish

Gently brush dirt off mushrooms with a soft brush or towel, slice into halves or quarters. Heat pan over medium heat, add butter and oil, add sprigs of thyme and stir until they become soft. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper, being careful not to crowd pan otherwise they'll steam more than saute. Stir occasionally and rough up thyme to release the leaves. Saute mushrooms until tender, but not mushy, about 3-5 minutes depending on their size. Remove thyme sprigs with tongs, pull off any remaining leaves and add to mushrooms. Mix mushrooms into rice in a bowl. With remaining sprig, scrap off thyme stems and add to mixture, squeeze lemon over the top and blend. Season to taste.

Roasted Sweet Carrots

2 large sweet carrots, or 4 regular carrots

1-2 tablespoons olive oil, or extra virgin

salt and pepper to taste

Slice carrots in half, and then slice lengthwise, into quarters (if using regular carrots, slice in half lenthwise). Lay on a baking sheet and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until tender.

Dijon Mustard And Garlic Sauce

Equal parts Dijon mustard and olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons each

2 garlic cloves, halved

(double, if more sauce is needed)

Process in a small food processor until blended. If you don't have a small food processor, mince garlic (or mash into a paste) and vigorously stir all ingredients together.

Simple Yet Delicious Pot Roast

This week was so busy that I didn't notice how short I was on ingredients for a pot roast I wanted to make the other day. No wine, no fresh herbs, no garlic, no canned tomatoes (really, no wine!). Starting with a fantastic chuck roast I had confidence that, despite my pantry's shortcomings, this meal would be satisfying. So, without any fanfare I went ahead with this simple yet delicious pot roast.

After being tantalized for hours by robust aromas, mmm, and tortured by my kids demands, "mom, when will dinner be ready?" (I jest), I noticed a lot of contented smiles from this hearty meal.

Simple Pot Roast

4-5 lb. chuck roast from butcher, tied (I had a 4 1/2 lb roast)

8 carrots, halved  

8 yukon gold potatoes, halved, skins left on

1 medium red onion, chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 32 oz. box beef stock/broth

1 ts Worcestershire Sauce  

1 tbs corn starch and 1/4 cup hot water (for slurry)

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Wash, scrub, and chop vegetables (I left skins on, especially since they were organic). Heat olive oil in stock pot/dutch oven. Salt and pepper meat to taste and brown on all sides, remove (leaving beef bits on bottom of pot) and saute onion (add more olive oil if needed) until tender then garlic until tender. Add beef stock/broth, 2 halved carrots, Worcestershire Sauce. Cook, covered, in oven for 3 hours (or until meat looks tender and is starting to break up - depends on oven and pot). After 3 hours, add potatoes and 6 carrots and cook uncovered 1 hour.  Remove meat and vegetables, make slurry from corn starch and water, add as needed to slightly thicken. Slice meat, lay out on platter with vegetables and pour gravy over top.

First I started by browning meat in olive oil:

After removing meat, I sauteed red onion until tender, scraping up those wonderful bits of flavor:

 While the onion was sauteing, I chopped garlic and added at the end so it wouldn't burn:

When garlic was heated through, I returned the meat, added beef stock, two carrots, about a teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce. This is one ingredient I rarely use (I always feel like I'm cheating) but works well when in a pinch for lack of other ingredients:

 After cooking for 3 hours, in went the potatoes and carrots and cooked another hour:

Don't like carrots? Use green beans instead, which my family prefers but I didn't have. However, when I use them, I always roast separately.  

After 4 hours (when meat was falling apart), I removed meat, cut strings and sliced. I also removed the soft carrots that were added in the beginning.

I quickly made a slurry of corn starch and hot water, slowly added to broth over medium heat until incorporated (but as quickly as possible to finish up for my starving family). The gravy was already reduced from cooking so long it just needed a little thickening - I added only about half the slurry:

Rich, robust, and satisfying!

Leftovers

Leftovers a great for sandwiches, shepards pie, soup, breakfast potatoes, or just reheat as is.

Meatballs on Top of Mushrooms

I got a little creative the other day when I opened my fridge and wondered what I could make with the leftover meatballs other than reheating them with more spaghetti or making a sandwich.

I came up with these Meatballs on top of mushrooms!

Meatballs On Top Of Mushrooms

Prepare the large mushroom caps by wiping off some of the soil with a soft brush or towel. Gently break off the stems, place on an oiled baking sheet, sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese and top with meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 -30 minutes until mushrooms look tender.

When done, turn off oven, remove sheet with meatballs and top with a good mozzerella (or provolone) and return to oven for a few minutes until cheese melts in the residual heat.

The meatball recipe comes from "We Called It Macaroni" by Nancy Verde Barr, a local chef, who went back to her roots in Southern Italy to create this wonderful authentic cookbook of Southern Italian food. I actually met her at Brown University when she was promoting her book (back in 1990 I think!). I signed up for her lecture and cooking demonstration that was followed by a fantastic Italian meal. I've loved her cookbook ever since and have never made a meatball from another cookbook, ever.  

These meatballs are very tender, indeed, and everyone who has tried one has fallen in love.

Meatballs (polpettini)

1 lb ground beef (I've tried 93%, but 85% tastes best)

4 large eggs, beaten (this is the secret to these tender meatballs)

1 cup dried breadcrumbs (I've used all different kinds and it doesn't matter, choose your favorite)

1/3 cup dark raisins (optional)

1/4 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

4 cups tomato sauce

Mix all the ingredients (I omitted raisins this time), except the sauce, and blend well.  Wet hands and roll into desired-size meatballs. Drop directly into the simmering sauce and cook 30 minutes or until cooked through.  

She notes that these meatballs are so tender they should not be cooked by sauteing in a pan on the stovetop.

Usually, I don't cook the meatballs in the sauce.  I don't know - it just bothers me that the fat will be added to my sauce.  I've done it on occasion and it all tastes great, of course.  But I choose to cook mine in the oven on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 20 - 30 minutes, depending on their size.  Then I add them to my sauce for about one hour.

Ideas

I think I'd like to try this dish again with smaller meatballs and in individual casserole dishes loaded with gooey cheese. And for individual appetizers sometime, maybe I'd use smaller mushrooms with smaller meatballs to make them bite size.

Split Pea and Ham Soup, A Holiday Comfort Food

Around the holidays we traditionally have a ham dinner on Christmas eve and from the leftovers we make this wonderful split pea and ham soup, that even our teenage children love.  My favorite recipe comes from the New Basics Cookbook.

The recipe has a lot of ingredients but it is relatively easy and quick (although, I always cook it about an hour longer than the time called for in the recipe to really break down the peas).  And fresh ingredients are a must for success!  We are careful about our salt intake so we use ham sparingly and don't add salt.  Low-sodium broth helps, or I use my own no-salt broth when I have it on hand.

This recipe is so good I deviate only a little from the original.  


It's even better the second day


Split Pea and Ham Soup

•  1 lb dried green split peas
•  5 cups chicken stock
•  5 cups water
•  1 meaty ham bone
•  2 ribs celery, diced
•  3 tbls chopped fresh Italian parsley
•  1/2 tsp crumbled, dried tarragon leaves
•  4 tbls unsalted butter (or olive oil, or half butter and half oil)
•  1 cup diced peeled carrots (I leave peel)
•  1 cup diced onion
•  1 leek, white part only, rinsed and sliced
•  1 cup slivered fresh spinach leaves
•  2 tbls dry sherry
  
  
  
  
  My method: Rinse the split peas in a strainer, and then combine with stock and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil.

• Add the ham bone, celery, 1 tbls of parsley and tarragon. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add carrots, onion, and leek. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes, then add to the soup, along with spinach. Simmer, partially covered for 30 minutes.
• Remove the soup from the heat, remove the ham bone, and shred the meat from the bone, removing any excess fat. Return the meat to the soup, add sherry, pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley. Stir and heat through. Serve immediately.