Free yo' mind, and the rest will follow

Seared Scallop and Watermelon Salad with *Sparkling* Mint Vinaigrette!

Need a little Va-va-voom in your life? Something to help you break out of the mundane? Every now and again, I feel like I'm stuck in a rut. Same schedule, same clothes, same workout, same thoughts, same conversations, same meals...BLAH! Of course by nature, I'm a planner so I like schedules. Yet, even we planners need a little excitement in our lives!

Sometimes, one tiny change can get the ball rolling for transition out of dreary gray routine. One minuscule shift can starts the domino effect in ALL areas of life!

Charming Chimichurri

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri and Summer Veggies.

Even for those of us that love to tinker around our kitchens, there are days...dare I say it out loud? Days I just don't feel like it! Days I'm either so busy or so focused on something else, the idea of cooking dinner just hangs over me like a wet blanket.

A Sumptuous Salad

Roasted Beet and Radicchio Salad

My family spends the summer teetering on the fence between dietary endeavors and comforting summertime favorites. One night it's smoky baby backs slathered in coffee-infused bbq sauce and mixed berry crostatas...or strawberry shortcakes. The next night we offset the previous day's calorie-fest with a healthy farm-stand salad and grilled fish or chicken. It's a tricky balance between what we want to eat, and what we should eat. There are plenty of times, however, that what we want to eat IS what we should eat! Those occasions consist of dishes boasting bold colors, audacious flavors, ample texture, and lots of contrast!

The "Man" Salad

Salad of Beef Fillet, Roasted New Potato, and Fennel with Creamy Red Wine Vinaigrette...

Not trying to stereotype, but I know very few men who would go out to dinner and order a BIG SALAD. Or if asked what they wanted for dinner would reply, "A leafy, green salad sounds really fantastic!" Most men I know either are, or claim to be Meat and Potatoes kind of guys. These are the same men that check sports stats on their Iphones thirty times a day, and only like BIG dogs. They may secretly adore a big plate of greens, but no one will ever know! To those men out there who proudly proclaim their love for salad, opera, and Maltipoos...I commend you! We obviously haven't met. I say veggies are NOT feminine fare...veggies are for everyone! 

My husband loves vegetables just as much as I do, but NEVER requests salad. I've created this salad in his honor because, after all, marriage IS compromise! The "Man" Salad has all the right components to satisfy a manly appetite...but it's still pretty!

I started with a couple good sized fillets Then layered some roasted potatoes and roasted fennel over a bed of cool arugula. I whisked together a creamy, but tart dressing and topped it with golden raisins for a little sweetness. My husband--who THINKS he hates fennel--couldn't stop commenting on how much he loved those sweet onions! (Smirk!) I love that game...feed you something you say you don't like, and watch you gobble it up!

One more thing, I grilled the steak, but roasted the veggies in the oven. Why? Grilled potatoes and fennel are absolutely lovely, but thinly sliced veggies can be tricky on the grill. They burn fast and fall through the grates. You often sacrifice quite a few to the fire! I found if I start roasting them in the oven first, I can go about preparing the rest of the salad and just pull them out when everything else is ready. It's mindless--and they taste delicious roasted. You could definitely pan-sear your steaks if you don't have a grill!

Sommer

The “Man” Salad

1 ½ lbs. steak, 1 inch thick (I use fillets)
1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs
4-5 medium new potatoes
Oil
Salt and pepper

½ a shallot, roughly chopped
¼ cup mayo
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 Tb. dijon mustard
2 Tb. oil
1 Tb. honey or agave

5oz, arugula leaves
½ cup golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 425*. Cut the stalks off the fennel bulb—save the stalks for another dish or stock-making. Cut the bulb in half through the core. Remove the core, then slice the bulb vertically into 1/3 inch wedges.

Cut the new potatoes in half length-wise, then slice them into 1/8 inch semicircles.

Lay the potatoes on one rimmed baking sheet and the fennel on another. Drizzle both sheets with oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes and fennel and spread them out in a single layer. Place in the oven. Roast the fennel for 20-30 minutes. Roast the potatoes for 30-40 minutes flipping once.

Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high heat. Drizzle the steaks with oil, then liberally salt and pepper.

In the blender, puree the shallot, mayo, vinegar, Dijon, oil and honey until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Prepare 4-6 plates by piling them with arugula leaves. When the grill is ready, cook the steaks 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Allow the fillets to rest for at least 5 minutes under foil. When the steaks have rested, slice them on a bias.

To plate: Drizzle the creamy red wine vinaigrette over the arugula. Place a pile of potatoes on the greens, followed by several slices of steak, followed by the roasted fennel, topped with a sprinkling of golden raisins.

A lovely dinner salad, even the most “meat-n-potatoes” guy can appreciate!

Decadent Greens

Warm Goat Cheese and Granny Smith Salad...

Again with the salads? Yes, this time of year I'm cranking them out right and left. To shake things up, this particular salad offers a little decadence along with the greens!

In a perfect world my husband and kids would be jumping up and down for "salad night". Can you imagine what that would look like? "I want the last helping of salad." "No! You got the most salad last night, I get the extra salad tonight!" "Now kids, there's enough salad to go around." In reality, I have to TRICK them into eating their greens by topping them with rich, crunchy ingredients.

We've all had salads with cheese. What generally comes to mind are those enormous chain-restaurant salads topped with piles of neon-orange processed cheese shred. We're going in a different direction for this recipe...introducing GOAT CHEESE. Possibly, my all time favorite thing to eat! I try incorporating it in just about everything. In fact, I really can't think of anything that wouldn't taste better with a smear of soft, creamy goat cheese on top. Peanut butter and goat cheese sandwiches, pickled pig's feet and goat cheese, goat cheese stuffed Spam....YUM!

Lightly pan fried goat cheese served warm, over cool, crisp granny smith apples and fresh herbs. The crispy goat cheese fills the need for a slab of protein. Coming from a hardcore meat-eater, that's saying a lot! The dressing elevates the tart apple flavor with pureed granny smiths and effervescent champagne vinegar. Add some toasted walnuts, and you have near perfection.

The secret to frying cheese is to slice and freeze it first. That way, as the breading is crisping up in the hot oil, the cheese is thawing and warming. Not oozing out! Those of you who know my stance on frying--this IS a time when it's ABSOLUTELY worth it!

Cheese is milk's leap towards immortality. -Clifton Fadiman

Warm Goat Cheese and Granny Smith Salad

½ peeled, chopped granny smith apple
¼ cup champagne vinegar
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. honey
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ cup oil (veggie is fine) + extra for frying

¼ cup buttermilk
1 egg
¼ cup flour
½ tsp. white pepper
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
1- 10.5 oz. log of soft goat cheese

5 oz. Herb Salad mix
1 ½ granny smith apples, julienne
¾ cup toasted walnuts

Do ahead: Slice the goat cheese log into 10-12 ½ inch pieces. Wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer for at least 1 ½ hours.

In a blender, puree the first 7 ingredients, then slowly add ½ cup oil to the dressing until emulsified.

 

Prepare 3 pie pans: one holding buttermilk whisked with egg, a second with flour mixed with white pepper, and a third with panko.

Heat a smallish skillet over medium. Add enough oil to thoroughly coat the bottom of the skillet—about ¼ inch deep. While the oil is heating, prepare the salad plates by piling salad greens on 4-6 plates, topped with julienne apples and toasted walnuts. (Chilling the plates ahead of time is a nice touch!)

When the oil is hot, quickly dip the frozen cheese rounds into the egg mixture, then flour, egg mixture again, then panko—that’s right—4 dips in all!

Place them into the skillet around the outer edges first, and fill the center last. Pan-fry the cheese for 1 ½ to 2 minutes per side until it reaches a golden brown color. Flip with a small spatula.

When ready, remove the fried cheese and place it on a paper towel to absorb the extra oil. Repeat with extra cheese if needed.

Drizzle each plate with granny smith vinaigrette and place 2-3 fried cheese rounds on top of each salad. Serve while the cheese is warm! Serves 4-6.