Adding goat, blue or feta cheese can enhance the salad depending on what you are serving with it. Since I served it with a quiche, I did not add cheese to the beet salad.
Roasted Beet Salad
Ingredients
1 pound medium beets tops and roots trimmed (about 3 beets)
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 small apple diced (a sweet/crisp apple such as Honeycrisp, or tart such as Granny Smith)
1 large radish, sliced thin
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup diced red onion
1/3 cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
Directions
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the beets in a 9×13-inch baking dish or similar dish large enough to hold them comfortably in a single layer. Pour a thin layer of water into the bottom of the dish, cover with foil, and bake until the beets feel tender in the center when pierced with a small, sharp knife, 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or longer depending upon the size of your beets.
Transfer the beets to a cutting board and let stand until cool enough to handle. If you are concerned about staining your cutting board, lay a sheet of parchment paper over it first. You can also wear gloves to protect your hands,
Once the beets are cool enough to handle but are still warm, with a paper towel, rub away the beet skins. If they are stubborn and stick, peel them with a small, sharp knife. Slice the beets and place them in a bowl. Set aside.
When ready to assemble the salad, use an attractive serving bowl or plate. For the first layer, circle the dish with sliced beets. Then add a thin radish slice. Scatter the onion over the beets. Place the lettuce in the center, top with the tomatoes, and scatter the nuts and berries around the plate. Drizzle with some of the dressing. Pass the remainder of the dressing into a serving bowl and serve with the salad.
Lemon Dressing
ingredients
1 lemon
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
Two 3- to 4-inch sprigs of fresh chives
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
With a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemons into strips. Remove any white pith from the strips of zest, if necessary.
In a small saucepan heat, the lemon zest, oil, and garlic over low heat until the oil just begins to bubble, 3 to 5 minutes. The garlic should not brown, or it will taste bitter. Remove the zest. Squeeze the lemon and add the juice to the butter mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a small heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature. Stir in the chives and parsley.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
2 (6 ounces) boneless cod fillets
2 ( 6ouncws) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
Half a medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup heavy cream divided
2 thyme sprigs, chopped, divided
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons salted butter, divided
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in each of two ramekin baking dishes.
Layer one sliced potato on each of the ramekins and top with sliced onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake the potatoes for 30
minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F.
Male a well in the center of each baking dish and place a fillet in the center. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour ¼ cup of cream over each fillet.
Return the baking dishes to the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Serve with sauteed greens.
Chinese Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves of garlic, grated
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup Shaoxing rice cooking wine or pale dry sherry
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ cup Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, and caps s
sliced julienne
½ cup carrot, thinly sliced, and each sliced julienne
6 Trader’ Joe’s frozen Chinese pork and ginger dumplings
3 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
½ cup of snow peas, sliced julienne
Asian hot sauce
Directions
Put the broth, ginger, garlic, soy, wine, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar in a soup pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat so the broth simmers and cooks to lightly flavor with ginger, about 10-15-minutes.
Add the carrots, snow peas, and mushroom and simmer until tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Just before serving, add the dumplings, cook for 3 minutes, stir in the scallions and cook for about 1 minute. Divide among warm bowls and serve.
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
8 oz skinless, boneless chicken cut into small pieces
1tablespoon peanut oil
4oz can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
½ cup sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms, caps removed
2 thinly sliced celery stalks
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger
8 lettuce leaves
2 diced scallions
Stir Fry Sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
1⁄2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the Spicy Hoisin Dipping Sauces:
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce, I used Sriracha
1 tablespoon warm water
Directions
Combine the stir fry sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Combine the dipping sauce ingredients in a serving bowl and set aside.
Heat peanut oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic; cook until golden, about 10 seconds. Add the chicken and ginger; stir fry until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add mushrooms and water chestnuts. Cool 3 minutes. Add bean sprouts. Cook one minute. Add stir fry sauce and cook until the mixture is slightly thickened.
To serve, spoon 1/4 cup of the chicken into each lettuce leaf. Garnish with scallions and a spoon with a little Spicy Hoisin Dipping Sauce
2-3 servings
Arrabiata Sauce
This recipe can be doubled if you would like extra for another meal.
Ingredients
Half a medium yellow onion minced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
One 28 oz can of finely chopped Italian tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
Sea salt to taste
8 leaves of basil torn
Directions
In a large heavy-bottom saucepan heat the olive oil and saute the onion with a pinch of sea salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and let them cook only for a few seconds until you can smell them and don’t get any color on them.
Add the tomatoes and bay leaf and partially cover it with a lid. Allow the sauce to simmer away on low flame for about 1 hour until thick and concentrated in flavor. Make sure to stir often, every 10 minutes or so, making sure the sugars in the tomatoes do not burn.
Turn off the flame and season to your taste with the sea salt. Stir in the fresh basil leaves and finish it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive o
Shrimp
Ingredients
12{14-16 oz} large (16 to 20-count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
Arrabbiata Sauce, homemade
6 oz spaghetti
Directions
Place the shrimp on a plate and pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for one minute. Add the shrimp in one layer and sauté for one minute on each side, until they start to turn pink but are not cooked through. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and seat aside.
Add the wine to the empty skillet and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to reduce the liquid. Stir in the arrabbiata sauce and heat until it simmers. Keep on low heat while you cook the pasta.
Cook pasta according to the directions on the package for al dente.
Toss the pasta with 3/4 cup of sauce. Stir the shrimp mixture into the remaining sauce. Portion the spaghetti into pasta bowls and top each with a portion of shrimp.
Serve immediately.
Chef’s Salad
Ingredients
Any combination of vegetables and deli meats that you like can be used for this salad. The attractive arrangement of the salad ingredients makes it eye-pleasing.
I used the following to make two salad plates.
2 hat boiled eggs, quartered
10 olives
1/4of an onion, sliced thin
1/4 of red bell pepper, sliced thin
1’3 of a cucumber, sliced thin
1 celery stalk, chopped
12 grape tomatoes
1/2 an avocado, sliced
2 slices of deli turkey, cut into thin strips
2 slices deli ham, cut into thin strips
2 slices of Swiss or cheddar cheese
Lettuce
Ranch dressing
Directions
Arrange lettuce leaves over the bottoms of two dinner plates. Add the remaking ingredients in small groups around the plates. See photo. Drizzle each plate with dressing and serve.
Ham and Bean Soup
For this recipe, I used a ham bone I had in the freezer from my Easter ham. If you do not have a ham bone, use two ham hocks
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 cups water
1 large ham bone
1 pound dried navy beans, soaked overnight (see below}
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
The day before
Soak the beans in cold water for at least 8 hours (or up to 24 hours) before cooking.
Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in broth, water, hocks, and beans. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are completely tender and soup is slightly thickened, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the ham bone from the pot to cool, then shred the meat and add to the soup.
Stir in thyme, pepper, and vinegar. Serve for lunch or dinner.
Ham Salad
4 servings
Ingredients
2 cups finely diced baked ham
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Half medium onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
Half a bell pepper, finely diced
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and pickle relish in a large bowl. Add the ham, vegetables, salt, and black pepper to taste. Stir well and refrigerate until serving time.
This salad is also tasty mixed into cooked elbow macaroni for a ham and macaroni salad or as a sandwich filling.
Lamb Cake
Ingredients
1 pkg store-bought pound cake mix
3/4 to1 cup water (use 1/4 cup less than the package directions-my cake mix calls for 1 1/4 cups of water)
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Whipped Cream Frosting, recipe below
1 lamb mold
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Prepare the lamb mold by coating it with vegetable oil. Let sit for a few minutes then wipe clean with a paper towel.
Then grease (use a solid shortening) and flour the lamb mold, making sure to get all the creases.
Place the front of the mold on a baking sheet.
Prepare the cake batter according to the cake mix directions.
Fill the mold to the top for the front of the cake, do not fill the backside of the mold.
Place the back of the mold on the front and place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake tests are done. (Test with a toothpick through a vent hole in the mold.)
Remove the mold from the oven, wait 10 minutes and remove the back of the body mold.
Stand the cake up and gently remove the front of the mold. Have clean towels rolled up and ready to support the head of the cake, while placing a rolled-up towel in the back of the cake to support that part also.
Place a dab of icing on a plate and stand the cake in an upright position. Frost and decorate with jelly beans, raisins, cherries, or chocolate chips for the eyes and nose.
(Best results cool cake in the refrigerator before frosting, this makes a firmer surface for the icing.) Place green-tinted coconut around the base of the lamb; add jelly beans and a colorful bow at the neck, if desired.
Whipped Cream Frosting
This is a great whipped cream recipe because it does not weep after it sits on the cake.
Ingredients
1 (8 ounces) package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
Decorations: jelly beans, coconut, raisins, chocolate chips, food coloring
Directions
Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth.
While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a couple of times while you continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak.
Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
12 buns
Ingredients
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 cups bread flour or 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons.wheat gluten
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sourdough starter
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
Powdered sugar icing, recipe below
Directions
Combine the flour, wheat gluten, yeast, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix with a paddle attachment to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
Add the sourdough starter, milk, butter, and vanilla. Mix together until a dough forms. Add the raisins, and mix them into the dough.
Switch to the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth — about 10 minutes.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat the top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double — about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough. Divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place in a greased 13×9 inch baking dish.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until double — about 30 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 20 minutes or cooked in the center and golden brown in color.
Cool on wire rack. Be sure the buns are completely cool before adding the frosting or the frosting will melt over the buns.
Powdered Sugar Icing
Combine the following ingredients to make a thick frosting.
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
With a spoon, drizzle icing in a cross pattern over each bun.
Fennel Salad
Ingredients
Salad
1 orange zested, peeled, and cut into segments
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced on the bias
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained
1/2 cup sliced red onion
Dressing
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
Directions
Combine the salad ingredients in a medium salad bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Toss gently.
Air Fryer Lamb Chops
Ingredients
4 loin lamb chops 1 1/2″ wide
4 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon crushed black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of coarser sea salt
Directions
Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F
Sprinkle the lamb with salt to taste.
Combine the remaining ingredients and brush on the lamb.
Place lamb chops in the air fryer basket with some room in between.
Cook for 15 minutes for medium-rare (turning at 8 minutes.)
You can use a thermometer to test for doneness.
Serve with Tzatziki Sauce and warm pita bread.
Tzatziki Feta Sauce
ingredients
Half a large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large garlic clove, grated
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
Salt t
Directions
Sprinkle cucumber with ½ teaspoon salt. Let sit in a colander to drain for 10 minutes, then squeeze out excess water.
Combine yogurt, cucumber, garlic, oil, dill, feta, and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Mix well.
Have you tried Sea Bream?
The ancient Greeks and Romans liked sea bream cooked with seasoned sauces and accompanied by fruit. They are most often found in coastal areas but have been caught at depths of up to 150m. Spawning occurs between November and December. Solitary fish, eat worms and crustaceans as well as smaller fish and have impressive teeth when you see them up close.
Interestingly, these fish start life as males and change sex at about three years of age.
With dense, moist white flesh, sea bream are usually sold whole or in fillets. With a satisfying meaty texture, a clean taste, and a delicate flavor they’re a good choice for dinner. Whole or filleted, sea bream can be baked, pan-fried, grilled, steamed, or roasted.
A good rule of thumb is not to overcook sea bream. In fact, it’s always better to undercook sea bream than let it spend too long in the pan or the oven.
Cook sea bream fillets with herbs and spices to enhance the fish. Cooking sea bream fillets only takes a few minutes on each side and they’re ready to eat for a quick dinner.
Here is how I like to cook these fillets.
Ingredients
Olive oil
2 sea bream fillets, about 6 oz each
Side Dish
20 cherry tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
A small bunch of basil, chopped
1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Potato Cakes
2 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 onion, diced
1 egg
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Directions
For the side dish
Place a small saucepan over gentle heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cut the tomatoes in half and add to the oil. Add the zucchini and season with salt and pepper and stir over low heat for 1–2 minutes.
Add the coriander, garlic powder, basil, and lemon juice of one-half to the pan stir, and set aside to allow the flavors to infuse.
For the potato cakes
Mix mashed potatoes, flour, onion, egg, black pepper, and salt together in a bowl until batter consistency.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop 4-inch circles of batter into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter.
To cook the bream
Heat a heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Slash the skin of the fillets in 3 places. Add a dash of oil to the pan and, when really hot, add the bream fillets skin side down. Season and cook for 2 minutes. (The flesh should be opaque two-thirds of the way up the fillet.)
Turn the fillets and cook on the other side for 1 minute until just cooked through.
To serve
Pace a potato cake on a dinner plate. Top with a fillet and spoon some of the zucchini mixtures around the fish.
I like this sauce for ravioli because it is thick and adheres to the pasta.
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
3 tablespoons (about 6-8 cloves) garlic, peeled and minced
2 28-ounce cans of whole Italian tomatoes
1-14 oz container of finely diced or crushed Italian tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
teaspoon chili flavored tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
20 basil leaves, chiffonade
Ravioli
Parmesan cheese
Directions
Pour the oil into a large pot over medium heat.
Stir in the onion and continue cooking, stirring often, until the onion is soft. This takes about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, for another 1 minute.
Pour in the cans and use a wooden spoon to break the tomatoes into pieces.
Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Turn the heat down to keep it at a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 11/2 hours.
Cook ravioli according to package instructions.
Tip: to drain the ravioli, set a colander in a large serving bowl. Gently scoop the cooked ravioli out of the water with a spider. Set the colander aside and drain the water from the serving bowl The bowl is now warm. Add a layer of ravioli, spread a layer of sauce, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
This dish makes an excellent appetizer as well as a delicious side dish.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
1 medium head of cauliflower, outer green leaves removed, broken into large florets
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup finely grated Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoon capers
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Cover a large cookie sheet with sides with foil. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into the pan and spread the oil over the foil with a pastry brush.
Place the flour in a large ziplock bag and add ½ teaspoon salt/. Beat the eggs and add the cheese.
Place the florets in the bag and give a few shakes until the florets are coated. Dredge each floret in the egg mixture until completely coated. Lift each floret out of the egg mixture with a fork and let the excess drain. Transfer each floret to the prepared pam.
Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the florets over and bake for 15 minutes more.
In a large serving bowl, combine the garlic, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, chili flakes, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir well. Add the roasted florets and toss to coat in the dressing. Serve hot or at room temperature.
