Fennel and Orange

I know its been way too long...not that I've stopped cooking... more that I have been lazy. 

So I'm back now with a simple fennel salad.

Fennel and Orange Salad

one bulb fennel, thinly sliced

one orange, cut into supremes

feta to taste

pomegranate seeds

salt and pepper

Extra Virgin Olive oil.

Slice the fennel and toss with the orange supremes. Squeeze the remaining center of the orange over and toss with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

To serve top with feta and pomegranate seeds. 

Simple Cucumber Salad

The summer is the best time to make super simple salads. My friend Adam gave me some great cucumbers and I turned them into this simple salad that was a crowd pleaser.

Simple Cucumber Apple Salad
Cucumber
Apple, something firmer so you can thinly slice
Mint
Chives
juice of half a lemon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste


Slice the cucumber in half and remove the seeds using a spoon. Then thinly slice. Thinly slice the apple as well.




Mix in a bowl with the mint and chives and toss with lemon juice and oil.





Season with salt and pepper

Blood Orange Onion and Avocado Salad

This is a super simple salad with blood oranges. Get them while they are still available.


Blood Orange Avocado Salad
1 small red onion

2 blood oranges

1 avocado 
seasoned rice wine vinegar 
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste


Thinly slice the onion and place in a small bowl with the vinegar. (If you don't have seasoned rice vinegar, other vinegar will work, just add a pinch of salt and sugar.)


Let soak about 20 minutes. 


Meanwhile, cut the orange into supremes and add to the onion.





Let marinate another 10 minutes.


Slice the avocado and arrange on a plate. Top with the orange and onion and some of the vinegar. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Summer = Salad

Summer just lends itself to simple salads. Here is another one

Burrata * Asparagus * Arugula
Grill the asparagus.
Dress the greens with salt and pepper and extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Place on top of the cheese and top with grilled asparagus.

3 more 3's

Last night I really got into the 3 ingredient recipes... here are 3 3's.


White Beans * Bread * Garlic
Warm oil in a pan and add about 2 cloves garlic, add about 2 cups (one can) beans. Heat until warm, and season with salt and pepper.
Toast the bread and rub with garlic.
To serve, drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper.




Beets * Arugula * Caramelized Onion
Roast beets.
Caramelize onions
Toss with arugula and drizzle with oil and Balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper.



Burrata * Tomatoes * Basil
Slice open the cheese, top with tomatoes and basil. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Glaze. Season with salt and pepper.

30 recipes 3 Ingredients

So for my latest cooking adventure I plan to make 30 dishes that each only consist of three ingredients. I have often said how easy cooking can be and I hope to share some of the easiest recipes that I can create.

Before I dive into the first recipe I wanted to set some self prescribed rules (it's my idea so I can make the rules too).
I will sometimes uses sauces that may in themselves use more than one ingredient, this first recipe is one, but will could the sauce as a single item. I will not count salt and pepper and sometimes oil and vinegar, otherwise most dishes will be dry and tasteless. Most recipes will have rough measurements, as it is about the combination, feel free to tweak them to your taste. I will also included additions to take the recipe up a notch, but those will be secondary to the three ingredient recipe. I hope you try and enjoy these.

Here goes with the first:

Kohlrabi * Mustard * Pesto
julienne kohlrabi
mix Dijon mustard and pesto about 1:1, thin with oil if desired. Season with salt and pepper.



This can be topped with nuts to add an extra crunch, try toasted pine nuts.

two salads four ingredients

Ok so there are a few more than 2 ingredients per salad, but the idea is there. In the summer when produce is at its peak around here and the farmers market is bustling, it couldn't be easier to make great simple salads. With the addition of some bread (one even has it in it) you have a light lunch or simple addition to dinner.

Arugula is by far one of our families favorite greens. It's great both fresh or cooked. Here I serve it on some toasted bread for a great quick salad.

Toss the arugula with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and season with salt and fresh pepper. Place on top of toast (rub with garlic for an extra kick) and drizzle reduced balsamic over top.



This second salad uses one of our favorite cheese, burrata, think fresh mozzarella with a creamy center. This is served with roasted beets, topped with oil and a splash of balsamic, seasoned with salt and pepper.



The great thing about these salads is that you can easily mix and match... arugula and beets, burrata and bread, all four together. Easy quick and always delicious.

More Kohlrabi

I have been really enjoying kohlrabi lately. It has a great crunch, perfect for salads, a fairly mild flavor, but with a hint of radish, it pairs well with most dressings, and is easy to handle.

Last night I made a quick mustard dressing. My son is a huge mustard fan, right now we have nine different ones (yes, I counted).

It is always a great way to convince him to try stuff, just make a mustard dressing and we are good.

This dressing used some fresh thyme and oregano, but almost any herbs will do. Add some garlic and mustard and finish with oil and vinegar (about 3:1). Season with salt and pepper and you are good to go.




I went for matchstick this time. Tossed with some dressing, added some toasted nuts and a little Parmigiana.

Corn and Radish Salad

I am always a fan of salads, as we have one of some sort almost every night. Last night I made this simple radish and corn salad. You always have to love recipes where all you do is toss all the ingredients.

Corn and Radish Salad

3 cups fresh corn kernels

3 - 4 thinly sliced radishes
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about a lime and a half)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chilies

salt

Add the ingredients to a bowl.

Mix. Season with salt. Serve.

Another Beet Salad

I wasn't always a beet fan, but over the last few years have come to truly love them. They are easy to prepare, store well in the fridge and are a great base for a salad or a simple addition.

This is a simple beet and orange salad I made last night.

Over roasted sliced beets sprinkle feta and top with orange (or other citrus fruit) slices. Squeeze juice from about half an orange and drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and season with a course salt, such as Maldon, and fresh pepper. Top with lightly dressed greens, here with micro greens from Heritage Prairie Farm, used a lemon oil and apple cider vinegar.

Roasted squash with chickpea salad

I have been looking to branch out from my typical roasted squash recipes. I thought this nice version with a warm salad would do the trick...I was also looking to clean out the refrigerator.

Roast Squash with Warm Chickpea Salad

1/2 an acorn squash per person

1/2 onion diced

1 - 2 celery stalks diced

1 - 2 cloves garlic minced

about 2 cups chickpeas

one small bunch arugula

za'atar

salt and pepper to taste

Balsamic vinegar

Extra Virgin olive oil

Half the squash and remove the seeds. Drizzle with oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper and za'atar. Roast in 400 deg oven for about 40 minutes until soft.

While the squash is roasting, in a medium pan, warm oil and add the onions, celery and garlic. Cook for a few minutes to warm through. Then add the chickpeas and season with salt and pepper and za'atar. Cook for a few more minutes until warm but not mushy.

In a small bowl, toss the arugula with a drizzle of oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, top the squash half with a large scoop of the salad and top with the greens.

Jicama Salad

In an attempt to expose the kids to new foods, I picked up a jicama to make a simple salad.

This simple salad was a big hit, and paired well with some beans and rice.

Jicama Salad
one jicama, pealed
1/4 thinly sliced onion
small handful cilantro
1/4 jalapeno, finely chopped (or more to taste)
juice of half lime
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper

After cutting off the skin of the jicama, half then thinly slice.



Toss with the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

Simple Cous Cous

This simple take on cous cous was a nice accompaniment to hummus and the fennel salad below.

The cous cous will take on any flavor, similar to pasta, so be sure to be a bit heavy handed with the spices. This simple dish adds onion and fresh parsley to the cous cous.

Herbed Cous Cous
about a cup cooked Isreali cous cous (see here)
about half an onion, diced
1 - 2 cloves garlic
1 - 2 tsp cumin
1 -2 tsp zatar
oil
salt and pepper
small bunch parsley, minced

Prepare the cous cous, while it is cooling, heat oil in skillet and add onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the soften, making sure not to brown. Then add the seasons. Cook until coated and flavors are blended.




Add the cous cous, tossing to coat.



Let cool slightly, then add the parsley and adjust the taste with more seasonings as needed.



I served this with a simple fennel and celery salad with sumac.

"Left Overs"

Last night was another night of using up what is in the house, which meant squash and pizza dough.

I made a simple roasted squash salad.



I had made a couple pies a few nights earlier and had a couple left over doughs. I made another red pie.



And a roasted garlic, caramelized onion with roasted red pepper spread from Pastoral.

Cucumber Salad

Here is another quick and easy salad. I just tossed together a bunch of veggies I had, a little feta and used some of the arugula pesto from the other night to make a quick dressing.

Cucumber Salad
about a half of a cucumber, peeled or not, sliced
marinated onions*
2 - 3 stalks celery
about a 1 Tbs arugula pesto
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Vinegar of your choosing
salt and pepper
1 -3 oz feta to taste

Toss the veggies with the pesto, oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.



To serve top with the feta.



*to marinate onions, thinly slice and place in a small bowl. Add a few splashes of vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper and let sit at least 30 minutes. I've been using mine for days.

Pestoed Squash and Pizza Sandwich

We have ended up with a lot of squash lately and I was looking for something new to do with it. I came across this recipe with pumpkins seeds and thought that pesto would be a great addition. Instead of the pumpkin seeds, I made a simple arugula version.

Roasted Squash with Arugula Pesto
one winter squash, skinned and diced
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Italian Seasoning
oil

2 - 3 garlic cloves to taste
one large bunch arugula, washed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper
Parmiginio-Reggiano

Toss the squash with the salt and pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder and oil. Bake on a lined cookie sheet in 400 deg oven about 40 minutes, turning after about 20 minutes, until cooked and starting to crisp.



Meanwhile prepare the pesto. Place the garlic and a pinch of salt in a food processor, blend until the garlic is chopped



Roughly chop the arugula and add to the garlic. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.



Add in enough oil to make a smooth paste (pesto means paste), season with salt and pepper and add the Parm. Mix one last time to combine.



Once the squash is finished cooking, place in a small bowl and toss with a spoon or two of the pesto. I served it on top of arugula, dressed with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Top the dish with more cheese and a drizzle of Balsamic Glaze.



Along with the squash salad, I made pizza sandwiches. I had seen this in Martha Stewart and thought it would be another fun adaptation of the calzone. Essentially, its a calzone where you do not seal the rim. This creates a nice sandwich appearance. I had some left over pizza dough, and with the addition of some broccoli made a great dinner.

Prepare the filling as you normally would for a calzone, laying them on only half the rolled out dough. Here I made one with fresh garlic, broccoli (I thinly sliced so that it would no get to bulky), mozzarella, and a sprinkle of pizza seasoning.



Fold over the top, leaving a small gap. (Next time I would have the ingredients poke out a little more for a better appearance.) You can brush the top with a little oil, as well.



Bake in 500 deg oven about 15 minutes.

North and South

Cous Cous hails from North Africa and the Middle East, basically the southern Mediterranean. Tomatoes, basil and cheese are quintessential Italian, on the northern coast of the Mediterranean.

I used the cous cous here as a substitute to pasta, in a take on a caprese flavored dish.

Isreali cous cous is the larger variety, and when cooked creates a nice pearl to soak up the flavors of the tomatoes.


Boil in salted water for about 8 minutes until al dante. Drain and toss with oil.


To this add oven roasted tomatoes, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or cold.

Hot and Cold Beets

This recipe combines the beets with beet greens, topped with a little goat cheese.

Saute beet greens in a touch of oil. Season with salt and pepper. When almost wilted, drizzle some Balsamic on top to finish.

Roast the beets (as shown here), place some of the warm greens on a plate, top with the roasted beet. Drizzle with EVOO and more balsamic and a little goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Quinoa and Raw Asparagus

I had made a huge batch of chick peas and was looking for a new way to use some up. I have been enjoying quinoa more lately and thought a salad with chick peas, quinoa and veggies with a Spanish inspired dressing would work great. This could work with almost any fresh vegetables or other beans or rice. This is also one of those recipes where the quantities do not matter much, go with what you have and enjoy.

Quinoa Chick Pea Salad
about 1 cup cooked chick peas
2 - 3 scallions
bunch parsley
2 - 3 tomatoes
2 - 3 ribs celery
2 - 3 cloves garlic
1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 to 2 cups water or stock
about 3 - 4 Tbs EVOO
about 1 - 2 Tbs vinegar (I used red wine)
salt and pepper
about 1 tsp cumin
about 1 tsp paprika
about 1/2 tsp oregano

Chop the vegetables and toss in a large bowl with the chickpeas.

To prepare the quinoa, place it with the water or stock in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes, stirring the pan a couple of times. Let cool before adding to the veggies.


To make the dressing, crush the garlic, with a pinch of salt.


Add the rest of the herbs and blend to form a paste.


Add the vinegar then the oil, season to taste with salt and pepper and pour over the quinoa and chick peas.


It is the height of the asparagus season, it does not get much better than now. We picked up some purple asparagus at the farmers over the weekend, and I was looking for something new to try. I had recently come across a recipe for a raw asparagus salad and loved the idea with the purple showing.

Raw Asparagus Salad
asparagus
EVOO
vinegar (i used white wine)
salt and pepper
Parmesan



Shave the asparagus using a peeler or a cheese plane. I found the cheese plane made thinner strips. It is easiest to start at the base and work toward the tip.


Toss the asparagus with EVOO, vinegar, salt and pepper.


Serve with shaved Parmesan on top.