This is the recipe using smoked salmon that I told you about a couple days ago, the one I found in an old Gourmet Magazine and wanted to try for my smoked salmon-loving husband.  It is a winner!!! Perfect for picnics, tailgating, or lunch brown-bagging.

If you made the Brussels sprout salad from yesterday’s post, then you have extra mustard vinaigrette leftover… use 1/4 cup of that and just stir in the shallot listed here… then skip making the vinaigrette in this recipe, and you are ready to rock and roll.

Picnic Salad in a Jar

Inspired by a recipe from Gourmet Magazine 2008

1/2 pound haricots verts, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 hard-boiled large eggs, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
1 large celery rib, finely diced
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 pound sliced smoked salmon, coarsely chopped
5 cups baby spinach leaves

4 (16-ounce) wide mouth jars with lids

Blanch beans in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.

Lift beans out with a slotted spoon or spider and drop into an ice bath to stop the cooking and cool. Drain on paper towels.

In a medium bowl, whisk together mustard, shallot, vinegar, oil, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add green beans to bowl and toss to coat.

Stir together chopped eggs, mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce, celery, chives, lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Divided the egg salad among the four jars. Layer the salmon, green beans, and then the spinach on top. Screw on the lids and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Assembled jars can be chilled for up to 36 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

To serve, invert the  jar over a dinner plate and gently dump ingredients onto plate. Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.

Serves 4

I love tomatoes. I love asparagus. I love sugar snap peas. I love capers. I love Sherry vinegar. I love this recipe ~ hope you love it too!

Asparagus and Sugar Snap Peas with Tangy Tomato Vinaigrette

1/2 pound sugar snap peas, strings stripped
1 pound asparagus spears, ends snapped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and patted dry
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 hard-boiled egg, grated

Blanch sugar snap peas in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain. Refresh peas in a bowl of ice water and drain thoroughly.

Blanch asparagus in the same boiling salted water until just tender, about 4 or 5 minutes. Drain and refresh in the same ice water, adding more ice, if needed. Drain thoroughly.

Arrange asparagus and pea pods on large platter. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Whisk oil and vinegar to blend in a small bowl. Add tomato, bell pepper, green onion, capers, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the vinaigrette over asparagus and peas. Garnish with grated egg.

Serves 4

So much for my Meatless Monday postings over each weekend.  I think that lasted all of 2 or 3 weeks. I’ll keep trying to get up at least one meatless option each week, but scheduling it on a specific day seems to be useless for me.  Of course, you could make this salad meatless just by leaving off the bacon, but the dramatic visual effect of the whole thing would be lost without the bacon jetting out of the ring.

For the julienned carrots, I used a new and really effective little tool I found at Sur La Table called the Kinpira Julienne Peeler.  It is pictured below in case you want to run out and buy one, or you can order it online HERE.

Cucumber Salad Rings with White Wine Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2  cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad
1 English cucumber, peeled
3 cups mixed baby greens
1/3 cup peeled and julienned carrot
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup toasted and chopped pecans
4 thick-cut bacon slices, halved and cooked crisp
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Vinaigrette: Whisk together vinegar, mustard, garlic, and sugar in a medium bowl until well blended. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste. May be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Makes about 2/3 cup

Salad: Using a Y-shaped vegetable peeler, peel cucumbers lengthwise into very thin strips, all the way around, just until seeds are visible. Discard cucumber center.

Shape largest cucumber slices into four rings, standing rings upright on each of four dinner plates. The cucumber will most likely stick to itself and hold together but secure with a toothpick, if needed.

Fill each cucumber ring evenly with mixed greens, carrot, blue cheese, and toasted pecans. Tuck two bacon halves standing upright inside each of the salad rings. Season each with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle each salad with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette, and serve, passing any remaining vinaigrette.

Serves 4

Hello everyone. Linda’s daughter, Marissa, here – reporting with your recipe for today.  As part of my Mother’s Day gift to my mom, I told her I would photograph and write blog posts for the two recipes my dad and I (but mostly me) made her last night for dinner.  My dad was in charge of keeping the cucumber martinis coming, which was also a very important job.  The first recipe is a delicious, fruity summer salad that my mom saw on the menu at Cave Creek Coffee Company, where she and my dad went the morning after their anniversary last week.

I admit, while I have been cooking since I was six, thanks to a mom who teaches children how to cook, my mom was still sitting at the counter giving me tips as I worked.  She can’t help herself.  But since I know everyone is not so lucky as to have personal instruction while they cook, I will tell you this recipe is delicious and easy!  To make the dressing for this salad a little more spicy, you can replace the serrano pepper with a habanero.  My mom just didn’t want me cutting up a habanero for the first time last night (you can never turn that mom protectiveness off).

Thank you mom for being the best mom ever, always being there for us when we need help (in the kitchen and out), being supportive of all of our dreams and ideas, and being a wonderful friend.  You deserve a couple days rest.

Mango, Raspberry, Avocado Salad with Pulled Chicken

Serrano-Raspberry-Mango Dressing
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 ripe mango, peeled and cut up (go to here to see how to cut up a mango)
1 small serrano pepper, seeded
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons raspberry or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
1 green onion, green and white portions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad
5- 6-ounces fresh mixed salad greens
1 fresh mango, cubed
Shredded breast meat from 1 rotisserie chicken
1/4 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
6-ounce package fresh raspberries
1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Dressing: Put all, except green onion and salt and pepper, into a blender or food processor and puree. Strain and then stir in green onion. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Salad: Place the mixed greens in a large bowl and toss with half of the dressing. Mound onto 4 dinner plates.

Place the mango cubes, chicken meat, red onion, raspberries, and avocado in the same large bowl and toss with the remaining dressing.

Divide the “goodies” between the four plates.  Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.

Serves 4

Enjoy a cucumber martini. :)

I want to provide you with a bit of a “heads up” about not only this particular post, but the coming weekend as well. I’ve wanted to post this recipe for a couple of weeks but the picture taken, when I made the dish in a cooking class, is so out of focus that I’ve been putting it off.  Putting it off until I could make the meal again and take a decent photo.  I now just have to admit to myself, and to you, that that is not going to happen. So, please squint your eyes when you are viewing said picture and try to get it to come into focus on your own. (Oh, and good luck with that!) As for the upcoming Saturday and Sunday… just letting you know now, there will be no posts. No way, no how!  So don’t even waste your time coming back to see if I slipped one in, it won’t be happening! Sorry, hoping for a better week beginning on Monday!  Have a beautiful weekend.  xoxo

Poached Salmon-Tarragon Salad

Salmon
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 cup water
2 lemon slices
1/2 onion, peeled and cut in half
4 sprigs fresh dill
4 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
2 fresh bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound fresh salmon fillets, skinned and boned
Vinaigrette
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Salad
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1  1/3 cups diced, seeded tomatoes
1/4 cup peeled and diced sweet onion
1 English cucumber, diced chopped
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Salmon: Combine the wine, water, lemon slices, onion, dill, parsley, bay leaves, and salt in a fish poacher or large skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add the salmon, and cover.  Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or just until done.

Vinaigrette: While salmon poaches, make vinaigrette.  In a small bowl, whisk together lemon zest and juice along with the sugar, salt and pepper.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil, and set aside.

Carefully remove the salmon to a plate and let cool slightly.  Break into small pieces.

Salad: Spray four 6-ounce ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.  Equally divide and layer the ingredients in each ramekin in the following order: salmon, tarragon, yellow pepper, tomatoes, onion and cucumber. Cover the top layer with plastic wrap and firmly press the mixture into the ramekins with the bottom of a small glass or a similar object slightly smaller than the diameter of the ramekin.

Invert the salads onto individual salad plates; carefully lift off the ramekins. Sprinkle each serving with capers and pecans.  Rewhisk the vinaigrette and then drizzle over each salad.

Serves 4

Once you taste these unique candied pecans, you’ll be making them over and over again. And although you will be tempted to make a double or triple batch, it is best to make 1 cup at a time.  Immediately as they are coming out of the oven, you need to get them onto a sheet of foil and separate them carefully and quickly, or you’ll have one big ball of pecans that will have to be chopped to get apart.  Yes, they would still taste delish, but they don’t look so nice when they aren’t individual pecan halves.  So avoid that temptation, because unless you’re a Tanzanian Devil, you just can’t move that fast!

Once again you are getting two recipes for the price of one!  When you remove the pecans from the oven, there will be small pools of caramel left on the foil.  They will harden and dry quickly.  Once they are cool enough to handle, peel them off the foil and save.  You can use them to make a fabulous vinaigrette, which you can use for a wonderful salad, with or without the pecans.

Herbes de Provence Pecans

Pam
1/3 cup honey, warmed briefly in microwave
1 cup pecans
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence, divided
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with Pam. In a large bowl, stir together honey, pecans, and half of the Herbes de Provence; tossing to coat well. In a small bowl, mix together remaining half of Herbes de Provence and sugar.

Spread pecans in 1 layer on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with herbes/sugar mixture. Bake in middle of preheated oven 12 minutes, then stir and bake 4 minutes more.

Use a slotted spatula, spoon, or large fork to transfer nuts immediately to a clean, Pam coated, sheet of foil and, working quickly, separate pecans with a fork.  Cool for at least 1 hour to allow to set up and harden and at least 2 hours before packaging.

Makes 1 cup

Herbes de Provence and Honey Vinaigrette

1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
Caramelized honey pieces left from making Herbes de Provence Pecans
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, peeled, minced, and mashed into a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel off the hardened caramelized bits, there will be about 2 tablespoons.

In a small saucepan heat the vinegar, add the caramelized honey pieces and stir to melt, pour into a bowl and whisk in the Worcestershire sauce, garlic paste, and Dijon.

Add the olive oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes about 1 cup

Here is the salad I made on the Valley Dish show yesterday. I created it especially for Tram after I was on the last time and made crisp mozzarella slices to go with a risotto dish. She’d mentioned that she loved the crisp warm cheese and I asked if she’d had warm goat cheese done the same way. She said that she had and would love to learn how to make it, this is how this salad came to be. I’m sure most of you have had something similar while dining out.  It is easy and delicious to re-create at home. Eliminate the shredded chicken to make a lovely vegetarian main-course salad. Here is THE LINK to the intro for the segment I was on, the salad and pudding making are not up up, so this is just a bit of a tease.

Tip: One of the best tips around; use dental floss to slice the goat cheese. It makes a perfectly clean cut, something a knife just can not do!

Salad with Chicken, Pears, Walnuts, and Warm Goat Cheese

1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
11 ounce log soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet),
sliced  into 12 rounds
Salt and freshly ground black peeper
1 egg, beaten in a flat bowl
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
6 cups mixed baby greens
2 Belgian endive, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
2 large ripe pears, cored and cut into 12 slices each
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Mix both the fresh and the Panko breadcrumbs along with the thyme on a flat plate. Season goat cheese rounds with salt and pepper. Dip cheese rounds into beaten egg, then into breadcrumbs, coating completely.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (May be prepared up to 6 hours ahead.)

Whisk vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, and parsley in small bowl to blend.  Gradually whisk in the 1/2 cup olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add walnuts and sauté until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to paper towels, using a slotted spoon.

Reduce heat to medium, then add cheese rounds to skillet and cook until crisp and brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Combine mixed greens and Belgian endive in a large bowl. Toss with one third of the dressing. Divide among 4 plates.

Place the shredded chicken, pears, and cranberries in the same bowl and toss with another third of the dressing. Mound on top of the greens on each plate.

Using metal spatula, place 3 cheese rounds just off center of each salad, drizzle with remaining dressing.  Sprinkle with walnuts and serve immediately

Serves 4

This is part 2 of our recipe that began with yesterday’s slow-roasted tomatoes and the tomato water produced from seeding the tomatoes.

The sandwiches are rather complex, for a sandwich, anyhow. The various components may be used separately for a huge range of different dishes. Use the dressing for a salad or pasta; the chicken will stand on it’s own or may be chopped into a salad or pasta; and the peaches are fabulous on their own or chopped into a salad or topped with ice cream for a sweet and savory dessert. Plus those tomatoes from yesterday … well the sky is the limit with those beauties!

Slow-Roasted Tomato, Chicken, and Peach Sandwiches

Tomato Water-Basil Vinaigrette
1/2 cup tomato water (Click here)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed basil leaves, divided
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup peeled and sliced shallot
1 thyme sprig
1/4 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon Champagne vinegar, or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded thin
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup mustard flavored pretzel crumbs (about 3 1/2 ounces)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large peach, cut in half, pitted and cut into 6 slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 baguette
Olive oil for brushing grill pan
Slow-roasted tomatoes (Click here)
4 large lettuce leaves

Several whole basil leaves

Vinaigrette: Purée tomato water, 1/2 cup of the basil leaves, and garlic in a blender until smooth.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve directly into a small skillet, tapping on the side of the colander with a spoon to allow all the juices to flow through. Reduce liquid over high heat to 2 tablespoons, watch closely, it happens quickly. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

Boil wine, shallot, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, and the remaining 2 tablespons basil leaves in the same skillet until liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, watching closely.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl with the tomato water reduction, pressing on and then discarding solids. Cool slightly. Whisk in vinegar, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking.  Season to taste with salt.

Place the chicken, yogurt, and 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette  in a gallon-size zip-lock bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and heat a grill pan to high heat. Cut the baguette first crosswise into 4 equal portions and then cut each portion in half lengthwise then brush with vinaigrette.

Brush the peach slices with vinaigrette and sprinkle peaches with pepper.

Grill the bread slices, then the peaches on the hot grill pan and set both aside.

On a dinner plate, combine the pretzel crumbs, lemon zest, rosemary, and Parmesan.

Remove the breasts from the marinate, shaking off any excess yogurt, and press them firmly into the crumb mixture. Brush the grill pan with olive oil and place the chicken on the grill pan and mark both sides, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with a Silpat mat or foil and bake until cooked through and firm, about 15 minutes. Cut each breast in half, lengthwise.

To assemble the sandwiches; pour all the remaining vinaigrette over the tomatoes and toss.  Line the bottom half of each baguette slice with a singer layer of tomatoes, top with peach slices, chicken, lettuce and a couple basil leaves. Place top baguette slice on each and press slightly.

Makes 4 sandwiches

This is dinner #2 using the shredded chicken from the post two days ago. I like to serve this salad a little warm/a little cold, pretty much at room temperature. When you get home from work, running the kids around, the gym, whatever it is you’re racing in the door from; throw the potatoes in the pot. Then change your clothes or get the kids set up with their homework, or whatever it is that needs to be done pronto. Then drain the potatoes and set them aside. Next, in-between doing all the things that get in the way of concentrating on making dinner, stop and make the vinaigrette and set it aside. And then when you’re ready to assemble it all; just slice the potatoes, and throw it in all together in a bowl and dinner is on that table before you know it. Please be sure to get one of those people, who always need to be fed, to set the table. I honestly hope you’re not doing that and making dinner, put those kids and husbands to work!

Honey Mustard Potato and  Chicken Salad

1 pound small yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon honey mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
2 1/2 cups shredded roast chicken
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1 cup cherry or teardrop tomatoes, halved if on the larger side
2 cups arugula leaves

Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of the salt in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, and garlic.  Add the remaining salt and the pepper. While whisking, gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream until emulsified.

Halve the potatoes (or quarter if they are on the larger side) and add to the bowl with the vinaigrette, add the chicken and gently toss. Fold in the capers, tomatoes, and arugula just before serving.

Serves 4

I feel like a fraud, an imposter, a poser. Only a couple days ago I came to learn that I had not posted one of my favorite foods on this site in more than 325 posts. Then when I finally do get a recipe up for cheesecake, I have to learn from a dear friend, neighbor, and faithful follower that today is National Cheesecake Day. How do I not know this already!? Out of all the foods that have a “National Day”, and there are about 475 foods that do, National Cheesecake Day is the one that I would actually honor. For a full list, go to this LINK to check out what do your favorite food is honored. (Disclaimer- I have no idea if this is THE official list, but it is what Google found for me) Or find out what food is honored on your special day. I just discovered that my birthday is National Potato Day – love it! Now I’m thinking that when I am not inspired to make something, I’ll just go to this list and make whatever food is “National” that day.  Good idea, or bad? I guess it depends if that day falls on January 8 (good!) or November 24 (bad!).

The recipe here can be configured any way that best suits your needs. I love to make individual cheesecakes and use them for a salad course. You an purchase the pan HERE to make these little cuties ourself. As is, the recipe makes 24 individual cheesecakes to use as a first course or salad, plus a 6-inch appetizer cheesecake to be served with toasted baguette slices or crackers. Or it will make one full-size 9-inch savory cheesecake. It can also be cut in half to make just one 6-inch cheesecake.

Lisa, by the time you read this, you will have a plate of these savory mini-cheesecakes personally delivered to your door, as a thank you for turning me on to National Cheesecake Day! xoxo

Savory Four-Cheese and Pepper Appetizer and Mini-Cheesecakes

1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
Olive oil
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, divided
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
15-ounce container ricotta cheese, room temperature
4 ounces (1/2 cup) goat cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup diced roasted red and/or yellow bell peppers
1/2 cup minced fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap a 6-inch springform pan with 2 or 3 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, so that the foil comes almost all the way up the sides of the pan. Spray the springform and 2 mini-cheesecake pans with Pam and set aside.

Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes until crisp. Place 20 of the baguette slices and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor and grind until fine. (Set aside the remaining toasted baguette slices) Add the melted butter and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, and process until the crumbs are moistened.

Divide the crumbs between the prepared cheesecake pans. Press the crumb mixture over the bottoms of the prepared pans. Bake until the crusts are golden, about 12 minutes. Cool completely on a cooling rack.  Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

In a clean food processor bowl; blend the cream cheese, ricotta, goat cheese, the remaining 3 tablespoons of Parmesan, sugar, and salt until smooth, stopping the machine occasionally and scraping down the sides of the work bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, and pulse just until blended, do not over-mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between the second and third egg.

Pour the batter out of the food processor bowl into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the bell pepper, basil, and thyme until well blended. Taste, season with salt and pepper as needed. Divide the batter between the pans, pouring over the cooled crusts.

Place the  foil-wrapped 6-inch springform into a roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform.

Place all pans in the oven. The mini-cheesecakes will bake for about 15 minutes, or until set. The 6-inch springform will bake for about 50 minutes until it is  golden and the center of the filling moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken.

Cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate the 6-inch cheesecake.  The mini-cheesecakes may be served cold or at room temperature.

Mini-Cheesecake Salads

Balsamic-Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette
1/4 cup jalapeno pepper jelly
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons warm water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 cups mixed greens
2 large tomatoes, cut into 18 wedges

Balsamic-Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette: Place the jelly in a micro-safe bowl and melt slightly to thin, for about 20 seconds. Whisk in the vinegar, oil, and warm water. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place the mixed greens in a large bowl and toss with 1/2 of the vinaigrette. Divide greens between 6 dinner plates. Place the tomatoes in the same bowl and toss with 1/2 of the remaining vinaigrette. Arrange 3 tomato wedges on each dinner plate. Top each salad with 2 mini-cheesecakes. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette.

Savory Cheesecake Appetizer

1/2 cup jalapeno pepper jelly
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Toasted baguette slices and/or crackers

Place the jelly in a micro-safe bowl and melt slightly so it is pourable, for about 30 seconds. Whisk in the vinegar and pour over the cooled 6-inch cheesecake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.  When ready to serve. Unmold and place on a decorative platter. Surround the cake with crackers and the remaining toasted baguette slices (from making the crust).

Serves a crowd

A little more than a month ago I told you about the boatload of oregano I dried… well now I’m using it up! This makes me happy for so many reasons. Happy to not have to go to the grocery store and pay outrageous prices for dried herbs. Happy with the taste and quality my oregano straight from my own little garden. And happy to just recently learn that the name oregano is derived from the Greek, meaning “mountain of joy”.  There you go, no wonder I’m happy and joyful about my fantastic oregano bounty. Oregano is an indispensable ingredient in Greek cuisine so here we have a salad were the joyful herb is a star and lights up the dish.

Greek Salad with Oregano-Lemon Chicken

Chicken
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
2 hearts romaine lettuce
1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded, then cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 large tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 small red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Marinate Chicken: In a 1-gallon zip-lock bag, combine the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix together.  Add the chicken breasts to the bag and rub both sides in the mixture.  Zip bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 50 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Vinaigrette: Combine all the ingredients in a jar, cover and shake vigorously.  Tear off a piece of lettuce and dip into the jar to taste. Then season with salt and pepper, shake, taste again and season until it is to your liking. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Salad: Slice the lettuce into 1-inch strips and place in a large salad bowl.  Scatter cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and olives over lettuce.

Cook Chicken:  Heat a grill pan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the chicken breasts. Cook, turning once, until well browned, about 5 to 8 minutes on each side or until cooked through.  Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 3 minutes before slicing it into thin strips.

Place the chicken strips and feta cheese on top of the salad.  Shake the vinaigrette in the jar one last time to combine and drizzle over salad.  Serve immediately.

Serves 8

One of my many favorite things from Costco is their large bag of sugar snap peas. It’s nearly impossible for me to walk through the cold produce room without snagging a bag!  And it is really c-o-l-d in that room. I see people shivering and little kids in shopping carts whining to their parents about it.  I linger, take my time and try to soak it up! I’m the same way at shopping malls and movie theaters. Other people (including my dear daughter, Marissa) endlessly complain and even plan ahead and bring along sweaters to warm their little bones. It’s 110 degrees outside and they are carrying a sweater! And they say I’m the crazy one, go figure.  But I digress – in that sweet produce room, I get my bag of sugar snap peas (and it’s a really big bag!) come home and either eat them raw and straight from the bag as a snack or cook them up into an “easy-breezy” worthy dish such as this.

Orange-Sesame Sugar Snap Peas

Vinaigrette
1 large orange
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon hot chile sauce (such as Sriracha)

Salad
2  teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced seeded red bell pepper
3/4 cup  thinly sliced peeled carrot
12 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup green onions (white and green portions) cut on diagonal
6-ounce package fresh baby spinach
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Vinaigrette: Finely grate 1 teaspoon orange rind; set zest aside.  Squeeze 1/3 cup juice from orange and pour into a medium bowl. Whisk juice, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and chile sauce in a small bowl to combine.

Salad:  Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and carrot slices to pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Add reserved orange zest, sugar snap peas, and salt; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a large bowl; cool 5 minutes.

Add green onions and spinach to the bowl and stir to combine. Pour vinaigrette over salad; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Serves 8

Each Thursday this summer during kids’ classes, the menu is vegetarian. It’s a healthy note to end each series of classes. And by Thursday, all the students are well versed on slicing and dicing. The past two weeks it was also a nice and colorful note, because on Wednesday the theme was ‘breads and sandwiches”.  Talk about a monotone plate – all white, beige, and brown – didn’t turn out to be as eye appealing as one might wish for. This pretty “confetti” speckled side dish would help brighten up any old dull sandwich plate.

Confetti Couscous

2 baby or Japanese eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 yellow squash, trimmed ad cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into quarters
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups couscous
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Preheat broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Place eggplant, squash, and bell peppers in 1 layer on foil and brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Place under broiler and cook until slightly charred on one side, approximately 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and cool until able to handle.  Chop vegetables and place in a large bowl.

Bring water and the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Stir in couscous. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes or until couscous is tender.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Add couscous to vegetables in bowl, toss to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Whisk together vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) olive oil.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over the couscous; toss to coat. Stir in basil and serve immediately.

Serves 8