September 24, 2011: Mixed Greens Salad Recipe

If you’ve been reading along with me this year as I’ve been blogging you probably know by now that my husband is a picky eater. And you probably also know that frustrates me because I want to try new recipes with different ingredients but I don’t want to make a dish only I will end up eating… and eating… and eating.

Anyway, we have a guest this week and for dinner tonight I had a special salad in mind that I thought he might enjoy. Yes, I did have to prepare a different salad for my husband…but it was worth it.

This is simply my favorite salad of all time. I first tasted it at Nello’s in Mesa, Arizona and it was love at first bite. This is my recreated version of that restaurant salad.

Salad minus the dressing - which should be drizzled on right before eating.

Mixed Greens With Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 loose, overflowing cups mixed baby greens

1 cup (1 medium-sized) tomato, diced

¼ cup toasted walnuts*

2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1/4 - 1/3 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette (depending on how much dressing you prefer)

Toss all ingredients together and splash with dressing right before serving.

*To toast walnuts, heat a heavy pan to medium-low. Add walnuts to dry skillet and cook until just fragrant and toasty, about 15 minutes. Watch carefully and stir frequently to prevent them from burning.

September 14, 2011: Pear and Greens Salad Recipe

Most recipes for a green salad with pears calls for Bleu or Roquefort cheese and that is a good foil to the sweetness of the fruit. However, I didn’t have that kind of cheese so I took a look through my fridge to find alternative ingredients. Here’s what I came up with.

Pear and Greens Salad

1 cup Romaine lettuce

1 cup green leaf lettuce

1/3 cup Garlic and Shallot Vinaigrette

1 ripe Bartlett pear, thinly sliced

¼ cup toasted pecan pieces

1 ounce shaved Parmesan cheese

Freshly grated black pepper

Toss lettuces with vinaigrette. Place half of it on a salad plate. Arrange half the pear slices over the top. Sprinkle with pecans and cheese; top with freshly grated black pepper to taste. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

To toast pecans: put in a dry skillet over medium low heat and cook for several minutes, until you can start to smell the fragrance of the nuts. Pressed for time? Microwave them on a small dish for about 2 minutes (check after 1 minute).

Serves two.

Tip: You can also use mixed baby greens or your choice of lettuce as the bed for the pears, nuts, and cheese.

May 16, 2011: A Manly Salad and Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe

My husband had to go to the doctor last week. He’s really been trying to get healthier by quitting smoking and drinking (he only drinks a beer every now and then) but one thing he hasn’t done is eat better. I try my best to force veggies down his throat when he’s home for dinner but there’s not much I can do about the fact that he stops at Circle K on the way to work and buys a pastry for breakfast or a greasy fast food hamburger for lunch.

Well, at this last doctor’s visit, he was horrified to find out he’d gained another five pounds in the last month or so when he’d already started out heavier than normal. I guess this was his wakeup call, at least for a day or two (we’ll see how long his healthy eating habit lasts)…

So the other night he insisted we just eat salad. Although I’d had a veggie wrap for lunch, which is basically salad in a tortilla, I acquiesced. Although this salad isn’t exactly real low in calories, it’s not too bad since I made the salad dressing. Here’s what we put in our salads (I’m not including measurements here because that’s really up to you and the size of your bowl):

Manly Salad

Romaine lettuce
Green leaf lettuce
Shredded carrot
Heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
Black olives
Deli ham slices, cubed
Broccoli sprouts
Hard boiled eggs
Sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
Freshly ground black pepper

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

¼ cup honey
¼ cup olive oil
1 t. minced garlic
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup whole grain mustard

Mix all ingredients well. Makes enough for 2 large salads.

February 4, 2011: Valentine’s Day Menu for Romance

For my husband and I, Valentine’s Day is a special day, but not one on which we want to spend a whole lot of money that we don’t really have. I don’t expect jewelry and he doesn’t expect much of anything (what’s a romantic gift for a guy, anyway?). So instead of going out and buying some stupid little gift, I show my husband how much I love him by preparing a special dinner.

Not only do we eat special food, I make it romantic by setting the coffee table in the living room with good china, candles, cloth napkins, and finger foods. We sit on pillows and listen to CDs of music we find romantic (I absolutely adore Ottmar Leibert’s acoustical Spanish guitar tunes) while eating three courses of food I’ve lovingly prepared.

Here is one menu that lends itself perfectly to an intimate Valentine’s Day dinner. Enjoy!

Menu:

• Lobster Salad with Bloody Mary Granité
• Sesame Breadsticks (Homemade is preferable but store bought is fine)
• Salad of Baby Greens, Apple Slices, Toasted Pecans and Gorgonzola with Creamy Balsamic Dressing
• Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon
• Lobster Tails with Clarified Butter
• Cappellini Pasta with Olive Oil, Fresh Parsley, Garlic, and Shaved Parmesan
• Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Most of these recipes should be self-explanatory so I’m just going to include the recipe for the granité.

Lobster Salad with Bloody Mary Granité (courtesy of foodnetwork.com, 2003)

Granité:
2 cups tomato-vegetable juice (such as V-8)
1 T. lemon juice
6 T. lemon-flavored vodka
1 t. horseradish (freshly grated or prepared)
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
3 shakes hot sauce
Salt

Combine all ingredients and season with salt to taste. Pour into a shallow container and place in the freezer. Run a fork through the granité every 30 to 45 minutes while it is freezing to obtain a nice, granular texture.

Lobster Salad:
½ lb. cooked, chopped lobster meat
4 T. olive oil
2 t. finely grated lemon zest
3 T. chopped chives
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Fold all of the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble hors d’oeuvres, use fancy shot glasses. Fill them ¾ of the way with the lobster salad and top with the granité.

Tip: You can also rim the glasses with coarse margarita salt before filling and garnish with a twist of lemon for an extra fancy touch.

Makes 12 appetizers.