Ok, ok, OK, ok, okay, OKAY! So this isn't the lightest salad to start off the New Year. I admit it! BUT it IS the salad that will have everyone asking for seconds and thirds. A double helping of greens, people, doesn't that count for something?
Showing posts with label walnuts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walnuts. Show all posts
January 05, 2011
A Second Helping of Salad
Gnocchi and Wilted Spinach Salad.
Ok, ok, OK, ok, okay, OKAY! So this isn't the lightest salad to start off the New Year. I admit it! BUT it IS the salad that will have everyone asking for seconds and thirds. A double helping of greens, people, doesn't that count for something?
Ok, ok, OK, ok, okay, OKAY! So this isn't the lightest salad to start off the New Year. I admit it! BUT it IS the salad that will have everyone asking for seconds and thirds. A double helping of greens, people, doesn't that count for something?
April 22, 2010
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.
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.
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.
March 29, 2010
The Impromptu Brunch
Warm Cherry-Walnut Scones with Lemon Curd.
My husband is social...to put it mildly. Always on the phone, making plans, inviting people over. Rewind--inviting people over SHORT NOTICE.
I've decided this is actually a good thing for me. Prone to being a bit of a hermit; if I hadn't married someone so people-oriented, I might very well have ended up in a mountain cabin somewhere...with my nose in a book. Or better yet, quietly cooking away...then eating it ALL myself! My husband brings out my friendly side!
Being a planner, I've set up some ground rules for his habitual-inviting, in order to keep little wifey happy.
Ground Rule #1- The dog hair must be swept up before guests enter my house. Big hairy dog, hardwood floors. Enough said!
Ground Rule #2- There must be pre-existing food in the fridge or pantry. The thought of loading the kids in the car and making a mad dash to the grocery store, give me hives! Clearly, these two stipulations are reasonable...aren't they?
We have friends over for dinner often, and almost as often I find myself serving brunch. I decided some time ago it would be wise to stay prepared for this. Nowadays, I always have bacon in the freezer as well as frozen southern-style hash browns, for quicky casseroles, scrambles, and hash. Eggs, butter, cheese and all dried baking ingredients are must haves to be prepared for the impromptu breakfast or brunch. As long as the kitchen is continually stocked with these items, hubby can invite 'til his heart's content...and we both enjoy our guests!
"Quick bread" items like biscuits, muffins and scones are a nice touch for a brunch. They look like they take more time and effort than they really do. When guests think you've "fussed" over them, they tend to feel extra special!
There are two distinct varieties of scones. The first being the original English scone. Biscuit-like, slightly sweet, light and flaky. These scones are meant to be eaten leisurely with jam, clotted cheese, or curd. American scones however, are meant to be eaten dry...as one races out the coffeehouse door, loaded down with laptop, cellphone, and a grande triple-shot soy latte. American scones are much heavier and sweeter than their predecessors, with a cake-like texture and added ingredients for flavor. When I make scones, I like to combine the best of both. Biscuit-like and slightly sweet, but with the added flavor of the American variety.
Another pantry item you might want to consider keeping around for the spontaneous brunch is lemon curd. It's not terribly hard to make, but not something I want to mess with on short notice! Personally, I could eat a jar of lemon curd with a spoon. But here I've served it with warm, flaky cherry-walnut scones...incredible!
Sommer
Cherry-Walnut Scones with Lemon Curd
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tb. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
6 Tb. cold unsalted butter, cubed
¾ cup cold milk or cream
1/3 cup dried tart cherries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 jar of lemon curd
*The two most important things to remember about making scones are: Don't overwork the dough--it makes the scones tough. Second, work fast so the dough is cold when it goes in the oven, if you get a phone call while you're making these and can't multi-task...put the mixing bowl in the fridge until you're done!
Preheat the oven to 450*. In your electric mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Turn on the mixer for 30 seconds to stir. Chop the cold butter into cubes, and add it to the dry mixture.
Mix on low until the butter is cut into pea-sized pieces. (You could also do this with a hand-pastry cutter or a food processor.) Add the milk, and mix until just combined. Stir in the cherries and walnuts. Quickly dump the dough onto a floured work surface.
Roll or hand press the dough into a 1 1/4 inch thick square. Using a floured knife, cut the dough into quarters, then cut each quarter in half—making 8 large triangles. You could cut each triangle in half again to make mini scones.
Place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush them with milk and bake immediately for 10 minutes. (You could put the cookie sheet in the fridge if you want to bake them later.)
Serve warm or room temperature, slathered with lemon curd!
*Using milk makes an English biscuit-like fluffy scone, cream creates a denser, richer, cake-like American scone. I used milk, but it’s a preference thing!
Makes 8 large (Starbucks-sized) scones or 16 minis.
My husband is social...to put it mildly. Always on the phone, making plans, inviting people over. Rewind--inviting people over SHORT NOTICE.
I've decided this is actually a good thing for me. Prone to being a bit of a hermit; if I hadn't married someone so people-oriented, I might very well have ended up in a mountain cabin somewhere...with my nose in a book. Or better yet, quietly cooking away...then eating it ALL myself! My husband brings out my friendly side!
Being a planner, I've set up some ground rules for his habitual-inviting, in order to keep little wifey happy.
Ground Rule #1- The dog hair must be swept up before guests enter my house. Big hairy dog, hardwood floors. Enough said!
Ground Rule #2- There must be pre-existing food in the fridge or pantry. The thought of loading the kids in the car and making a mad dash to the grocery store, give me hives! Clearly, these two stipulations are reasonable...aren't they?
We have friends over for dinner often, and almost as often I find myself serving brunch. I decided some time ago it would be wise to stay prepared for this. Nowadays, I always have bacon in the freezer as well as frozen southern-style hash browns, for quicky casseroles, scrambles, and hash. Eggs, butter, cheese and all dried baking ingredients are must haves to be prepared for the impromptu breakfast or brunch. As long as the kitchen is continually stocked with these items, hubby can invite 'til his heart's content...and we both enjoy our guests!
"Quick bread" items like biscuits, muffins and scones are a nice touch for a brunch. They look like they take more time and effort than they really do. When guests think you've "fussed" over them, they tend to feel extra special!
There are two distinct varieties of scones. The first being the original English scone. Biscuit-like, slightly sweet, light and flaky. These scones are meant to be eaten leisurely with jam, clotted cheese, or curd. American scones however, are meant to be eaten dry...as one races out the coffeehouse door, loaded down with laptop, cellphone, and a grande triple-shot soy latte. American scones are much heavier and sweeter than their predecessors, with a cake-like texture and added ingredients for flavor. When I make scones, I like to combine the best of both. Biscuit-like and slightly sweet, but with the added flavor of the American variety.
Another pantry item you might want to consider keeping around for the spontaneous brunch is lemon curd. It's not terribly hard to make, but not something I want to mess with on short notice! Personally, I could eat a jar of lemon curd with a spoon. But here I've served it with warm, flaky cherry-walnut scones...incredible!
Sommer
Cherry-Walnut Scones with Lemon Curd
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tb. baking powder¾ tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
6 Tb. cold unsalted butter, cubed
¾ cup cold milk or cream
1/3 cup dried tart cherries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 jar of lemon curd
*The two most important things to remember about making scones are: Don't overwork the dough--it makes the scones tough. Second, work fast so the dough is cold when it goes in the oven, if you get a phone call while you're making these and can't multi-task...put the mixing bowl in the fridge until you're done!
Preheat the oven to 450*. In your electric mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Turn on the mixer for 30 seconds to stir. Chop the cold butter into cubes, and add it to the dry mixture.
Mix on low until the butter is cut into pea-sized pieces. (You could also do this with a hand-pastry cutter or a food processor.) Add the milk, and mix until just combined. Stir in the cherries and walnuts. Quickly dump the dough onto a floured work surface.
Roll or hand press the dough into a 1 1/4 inch thick square. Using a floured knife, cut the dough into quarters, then cut each quarter in half—making 8 large triangles. You could cut each triangle in half again to make mini scones.
Place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush them with milk and bake immediately for 10 minutes. (You could put the cookie sheet in the fridge if you want to bake them later.)
Serve warm or room temperature, slathered with lemon curd!
*Using milk makes an English biscuit-like fluffy scone, cream creates a denser, richer, cake-like American scone. I used milk, but it’s a preference thing!
Makes 8 large (Starbucks-sized) scones or 16 minis.
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