Roasted Corn, Jicama and Mango Salad

Next time, I'll reduce to amount of Jicama by half and increase the amount of corn by two or three. I couldn't get enough of the taste of roasted corn in this salad -- delicious! (And, yes, I left out the cilantro...)


Roasted Corn, Jicama and Mango Salad4 ears fresh corn, unshucked
1 large jicama, peeled and thinly julienned
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Citrus vinaigrette, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Put the ears of corn on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove and let cool. When the corn has cooled, shuck it and stand it on end. Using a sharp knife, run the blade down the cob to cut the kernels off. Rotate the cob and repeat until all the kernels have been cut off.

Combine the jicama, mango, red onion and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooled corn, and toss with the vinaigrette. Chill until ready to serve.


Citrus Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
2 teaspoons sugar
Dash hot sauce
1 cup olive oil
Salt pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
In a large bowl combine the lime juice, orange juice, orange zest, sugar and hot sauce. Whisk together and slowly add the olive oil, whisking as you go. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and cilantro and whisk until combined.

Yield: 1 1/4 cups

Winter Night Salad

When Shane & I used to frequent Ports Cafe, I'd almost always order the winter night salad. It combines crisp romaine lettuce; sweet but tart apples; salty, tangy blue cheese; and a few other goodies to create a delectable salad.

I hadn't had it in over a year (we've been distracted by this place, this place, this place, this place, and many of these places) but the salad was very easy to recreate for dinner last night.

It's just as good as I remembered -- just as tasty, just as filling, just as satisfying.

If you're feeling a bit ambitious, complement the salad with a slice of good bread brushed with a bit of pesto and topped with Parmesan, broiled until the cheese melts a bit. The piquancy of the pesto and parm pairs well with the salad.

Winter Night Salad

1/2 bag of Romaine lettuce,
1/2 large "salad" apple, chopped (red for more color)
Raspberry vinaigrette (recommended: Newmans' Own)
1-2 Tbsp of blue cheese, crumbled (recommended: Old Chatham Ewe's Blue)
1-2 Tbsp dried cranberries
2 Tbsp red onion, chopped
1 Tbsp glazed walnuts

In a medium-sized bowl, toss lettuce and apples with raspberry vinaigrette to taste. Add blue cheese, cranberries onion and walnuts; toss again and adjust flavors as needed. Plate and top with fresh-ground pepper; serve with bread.

Yield: 1 large dinner salad or 2 appetizer servings .

UPDATED! From Retro, With Love: Retro Recipe Challenge No. 7 Round-Up

Let's take trip 'round the world, retro style, shall we?

Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once offers a delicious "uber retro, Swiss-classic, fondue" perfect for any well-heeled jet-setter.

The recipe hails from Graham Kerr's classic 1973 cookbook, The Complete Galloping Gourmet Cookbook.

Retro pro Emily at Appetitive Behavior visited France via Hungary (read her post for the details) to create "Flaky, uberbuttery, layer-y, crisp on the outside and soft inside, and all told pretty darn awesome [croissants]." They look fabulously French (yet make me hungry for Hungary).

The recipe comes from the Illustrated Good Housekeeping Encyclopedic Cookbook, 1965, Vol. 3.



Theresa at Vintage Style Files (a woman & blog after my own heart) took a tour of the orient with her gorgeous Tokyo Salad. It's a "spicy Asian shrimp and noodle" salad hailing from Kitchen Fare, International Menus Cookbook, just the kind of book that inspired the RRC No. 7's theme.

Tara at the hilariously named Should You Eat That? (have you been looking in my fridge, Tara?) tantalizes the taste buds with Sweet and Sour Pork. She found a classic irony in retro recipes: turning something healthy into food that could take down an elephant.

"I found it amusing," Tara writes, "that [the recipe] required lean pork, which was then deep fried, but I suppose it is better than the alternative of 'fat' pork being deep fried."

Rachel at Coconut and Lime whets the palate and wets the tongue with her fizzy Moscow Mule, which is "credited with having popularized vodka in the United States" during the 1950s.

Having recently been to Russia, I can definitively say the Moscow Mule is vast improvement over the traditional Russian summertime drink, квас (kvas).

The Expat Chef in The Expatriate's Kitchen takes a turn updating a classic favorite, Spinach Artichoke Dip, with her Spinach Artichoke Tart in Puff Pastry.

She writes, "You can actually taste the vegetables now that your taste buds aren’t doing the backstroke in butterfat."

Last but not least, Gillian at Food History provides dessert with her Dundee Cake. Gillian writes, "This is another of those 1950s recipes from my grandmother. We used to make Dundee Cake a great deal in the late sixties, but I haven’t seen it anywhere recently. I think it’s time it was revived!"

And that's the tour of the globe! Thank you to all who participated! (If I've neglected to include a submission, please email me right away. Except you, porn site. We don't feature that kind of eating on this blog.)

If you're interested in hosting the next round of the Retro Recipe Challenge, please drop me a line!

Lightened Up -- and Delicious -- Egg Salad

I love egg salad but I never make it because A) I always think hard boiling eggs is a pain in the ass (even though it really isn't) and B) I'm kind of staying away from copious amounts of mayonnaise these days.

But the fridge was stocked with 10 hard boiled Easter eggs and, since I was tired of eating them as is, they needed to be put to good use. As such, I fooled around with this Cooking Light recipe and am pretty pleased with the results. Give it a try: the taste buds will sing, the belly will be full, and the waistline won't expand (probably...).

Egg Salad
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 thinly sliced green onion (about 2 Tbsp.)
1 stalk celery, diced
8 hard-cooked large eggs

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well.

Cut 2 eggs in half lengthwise; reserve 2 yolks for another use. Coarsely chop remaining egg whites and whole eggs. Add eggs to mayonnaise mixture; stir gently to combine. Add additional pepper and salt to taste.

Voilà! Egg salad.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #14 Submission: Midinette

Of all cookbooks I have, a plain, black binder from Peter Kump's Cooking School is my favorite. It's stuffed with class recipes, and its pages retain scribbled notes, oil splashes, and traces of ancient flour.

Though it's an amazing book, it usually lies untouched on the bookshelf. When I think of its recipes, I remember its seafood risotto, banana souffle, osso bucco -- not dishes eaten on a normal workday. Nor is it as colorful as its other cookbook neighbors: Nick Magleri's Chocolate, Barbara Kafka's Roasting, Amy Sedaris' I Like You.

WCC#14 seemed like the perfect opportunity to both remember why it's so good and to find simpler, untried recipes.

It's recipe for Midinette could not be simpler. Or more delicious.

Midinette
Julienne of apples, chicken, celery, Gruyere cheese; mayonnaise thinned with vinaigrette.

Combine ingredients and toss. Season with salt and pepper.


Grade: A

Pork Cutlets with Arugula Salad and sautéed Tomatoes

We had some friends over before we left for Mexico and, overall, I was pleased with this recipe from Everyday Food. The sharp, peppery bite of arugula is set off by the lemon vinagarette and salty parmesean shavings. And the cherry tomatoes -- well, a bite into a good tomato is like a bite into a warm summer day.

The pork cutlets, however, were disappointingly bland. (Everyone said they liked them, but I have trouble believing this. Bland is bland, and no amount of salt, pepper, or lemon juice could revive them.) So for lunch the next day, I tried the cutlet recipe again, substituting some breadcrumbs mixed with a bit of parmesean for the flour mixture. (I also cooked them over medium, not medium-high, heat.) Much, MUCH tastier.

Pork Cutlets with Arugula Salad and sautéed Tomatoes

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice plus lemon wedges
6 tsp. olive oil
Salt & pepper
4 boneless pork chops, fat trimmed
¼ c. flour
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lb arugula, thick stems trimmed & washed well
Shaved parmesean cheese, for serving (optional)

Make dressing: In a large bowl, combine lemon juice and 1 tsp oil. Season with s&p. Set aside.

Place chops on a work surface and butterfly. (Cut each chop in half horizontally on the side without fat, opening the chop like a book but stopping before cutting all the way through.) Place between pieces of plastic wrap and, using a meat or the bottom of a small, heavy pan, pound until each chop is ¼ thick.

On a plate, combine flour, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Coat each cutlet with flour mixture, shaking off excess. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium high. Add tomatoes, and cook until softened about 5 minutes. Remove tomatoes and set aside (keep warm in a 200-degree oven --LR).

In the same skillet, heat 1 tsp of oil over medium high heat. Add one cutlet and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn over and cook until opaque throughout, about 30 seconds more. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Repeat with remaining cutlets using 1 tsp oil for each.

Add arugula to bowl with dressing and toss. Place tomatoes and 1 cutlet on each plate with lemon wedges. Top pork with arugula and, if desired, parmesean.

Grade:

Cutlets as is: B; Cutlets with breadcrumbs and parmesean: A

Arugula Salad: A

Tomatoes: A

Tags: cooking, Italian,pork cutlets, lighter fare

Insalata Caprese

It doesn’t get much easier than this, nor more delicious. The colors are gorgeous and flavors are perfect.

As there isn’t much to this recipe, use the best ingredients available, especially when it comes to the fresh mozzarella. It should be very white, usually shaped like a ball, and packed in water. If there isn’t an Italian store near you (I don’t have one, either), check the gourmet cheese section of the grocery store. If you can’t find it, leave it out. It’s better to not use any mozzarella at all than to use something like Polly-O. (Trust me; at this time of year, basil and tomatoes alone are superb.)

Insalata Caprese

3 tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 to 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves (about a handful), chopped

Arrange tomato and cheese alternately on a plates, overlapping edges. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and basil. Serve immediately.
Yields 4 to 6 Servings.

Grade: A

Hasty Chicken Salad

Taken at Baker Park, Canandaigua, NY following the soccer game.
(Photo Credit: Shane)

Last Friday was Kian’s first game in his traveling soccer league -– a lovely league, as the traveling is, at most, 25 miles. (That, and I avoid all the parents at the game who can't open their mouths but to brag about their little Skylar or Sienna. )

The game was held in Canandaigua’s pleasant Baker Park, a huge stretch of green equipped with jogging paths, a playground and (of course) soccer fields.

It was one of those perfect almost-summer evenings: sunny yet comfortable, the gentle blowing of a cool breeze, and bugs that weren’t interested in biting. I spread out a blanket on the grass and while Kian was playing, Shane, Sadie, and I ate a picnic dinner.

If all this sounds serene, it’s only because an hour earlier I was running around like a chicken without a head trying to pull together dinner, all while making sure Kian was dressed for the game, arranging to get Sadie home from her friend’s house, and figuring out where in the hell Shane was ("stuck in another meeting") and when he’d be home ("soon").

The result is this Hasty Chicken Salad. I didn’t have apples on hand when I made this so I threw in celery instead. Trust me: go with the apples.

Hasty Chicken Salad

16 oz. shredded chicken
2 golden delicious apples, peeled, cored and chopped
¾ cup grapes, cut in half
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup mayo, more or less to suit
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsps. Curry powder, more or less to suit (if using, omit pepper)

Combine chicken, apples, grapes, walnuts and mayo, mixing to combine. Add salt and pepper or curry; mix again.


Grade: B+ to A-

Simple Tomato Basil Salad

Sometimes, you just don’t have the time -- or inclination -- to create something extravagant. Fortunately, this time of year is perfect for understated cooking. The fresh produce speaks for itself.

Two notes: make this salad shortly before serving (perhaps 20 minutes) and don’t refrigerate the tomatoes; doing so saps their flavor.

Simple Tomato Basil Salad

5 to 6 ripe tomatoes, chopped
10 large basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade
¼ red onion, diced
Balsamic vinaigrette (homemade or Newman’s Own)
Salt and Pepper

Combine the tomatoes, basil, and onions in a medium bowl, mixing to combine. Toss with just enough vinaigrette to flavor – but not overwhelm – the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper; garnish with whole basil leaves. Serves 4-6.

Grade: A

Crab Salad Redux

See the first crab salad recipe here.

Here are the flavors you’ll find at a New England Crab Shack, all heaped upon a buttered English muffin. Close your eyes, take a bite, and imagine sitting at a little café by the water.

The sun beats down, but you’re shaded by an oversized yellow umbrella striped with white. Condensation forms on your plastic cup of iced tea, dampening the napkin tucked beneath it. Darting between nearby tables are seagulls looking for discarded crusts or, if they’re lucky, a piece of fish. If you listen hard, you can hear the ocean over the din of chatting diners.

Enjoy your lunch.

Crab Salad

4 oz. crabmeat, picked over
1 Tbsp. finely chopped scallions
1 Tbsp. finely chopped bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow)
1 Tbsp. finely chopped celery
2 tsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. lemon zest
1 to 2 Tbs. mayo
Salt and Pepper

1 English Muffin, split, toasted and lightly buttered
1 Bibb lettuce leaf, torn in half

In a medium bowl, combine crab, scallions, pepper, celery, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add mayo, mixing to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Top each English muffin half with half a Bibb lettuce leaf. Place spoonfuls of crab salad on top of each muffin half, garnishing with a bit of lemon zest or pepper slice. Serve with lemon wedge. Serves 1.

Grade: A

New England Crab Melts

I can't help but think that this pic will be in the 2050 edition

of The Gallery of Regrettable Food. It's tasty but it just has that look.

Shane is attending a training session in Detroit and the kids are at their mom's place.

I am home alone.

WHEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, all right. There are lonely moments. Like when I have to choose which side of the bed to sleep in, and then decide to stay right in the middle. Or how I don't have to continually clean out gobs of toothpaste from the bathroom sink.

But those hardships aside, I'm using this as an opportunity to try some new recipes (among other things...). I'll be focusing on cooking smaller serving amounts: food for either one or two.

To that end, this first recipe has been adapted from the current issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray, entitled "New and Improved New England Crabby Melts" and serves 4. I halved the recipe and changed the name.

This is good. Before tasting it, however, I expected something else so, when I did bit into it, I was a sort of disappointed. I prefer the taste of "traditional" seafood salad flavors: lemon, some bell pepper, a touch of mayo, accentuating that lovely sweetness from the crab. Next time, I'll go with those flavors.

But back to this recipe: there's a bit of heat from the hot sauce and Old Bay, tempered by the English muffin base. The watercress provides a nice backdrop and the Gruyere adds a hit of creaminess. And the crab -- well, crab is always good.

It's very pretty; it would be perfect for a casually elegant spring ladies' lunch. (Served with a nice Chardonnay or, for something a bit stronger, a fizzy lemonade with a touch of vodka?)

New England Crab Melts

1½ jarred roasted red peppers, drained
Salt and pepper
Juice from half a lemon
½ tsp. hot sauce
1½ to 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
6 oz. fresh crabmeat
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 rib celery from the heart, finely chopped
1 sprig tarragon, leaves stripped and chopped (no stems)
1½ scallions, finely chopped
2 standard-size English muffins, split
Unsalted butter softened, for buttering muffins
1 cup watercress, chopped
½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Place peppers in bowl of food processor and season with the salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and hot sauce, then turn on processor. Add olive oil in a thin stream and process until smooth.

Preheat broiler. Using your fingers, check the crabmeat for bits of shell. In a medium bowl, combine the crab and Old Bay seasoning. Add celery, tarragon and scallions to the crab and toss with the red pepper dressing. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Toast the English muffins under the hot broiler, then lightly butter them. Top with a small handful of watercress, followed by a scoop of the crab salad. Pat down the salad a bit, then top with a handful of cheese. Return to the broiler and allow the cheese to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Grade: B+ (Higher if I hadn't had that standard seafood salad taste in my head before eating.)

Grilled Sweet Onion & Tomato Salad

Grilled Sweet Onion & Tomato Salad, right,

accompanied by Sweet N Spicy BBQ Glazed Pork Chops, and an ear of corn.

This comes from Wegmans Menu magazine. I can't believe how good it is: the onions' sugars caramelize over the grill's heat, bringing out the Vidalias' natural sweetness. (Alone, they would be a wonderful topping for a good steak.) That's accentuated by the sugars found in the balsamic vinegar and the grape tomatoes, while the basil adds a hint of brightness. Delicious.

What a nice way to trick yourself into eating vegetables.

Grilled Sweet Onion & Tomato Salad

2 Vidalia onions, peeled and cut crosswise 1/2-inch thick
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pint grape tomatoes, stems removed, rinsed and halved
12 medium basil leaves, torn or cut in thin match-like strips
2 tsp Wegmans Balsamic Vinegar
8 Metal grilling skewers (if bamboo, soak 1 hour before use)

Clean grill with wire brush; using a soft cloth, coat grill lightly with vegetable oil. Preheat grill on medium heat for 10 min.

Run two parallel skewers, approximately 1-inch apart, through each sliced onion chunk, lollypop-style. Brush with 1 1/2 Tbsp oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grill onions, turning once, 10-12 minutes, until streaked with grill marks.
Transfer onions to cutting board; cool slightly. Remove skewers, cut onions slices in half and place in serving bowl; toss to separate layers.

Add tomatoes, basil, and remaining oil and vinegar; toss. Serves 4.

Grade: A+

Burgers and Baked Onion Rings

Sometimes you have such high hopes for a meal. You go to the store, carefully select your ingredients, get home, set up your mise en place, and cook.

And then, when everything is in front of you, and you take your first bite – well sometimes it’s great, and sometimes it’s not, and some it’s OK.

This is OK. We’re full and sated but not jumping through the roof with joy.

With the burgers, I didn’t make the patties thin enough so between that and the very high flame, they didn't cook evenly.

I’d like to try this recipe again – the flavor was good, but as they were well done, I’m sure they could be better. (They remained moist.) I always have trouble grilling meat. I need to get an instant read thermometer.

***

I love onion rings. FRIED onion rings.

For what they are, they’re good. But baked onion rings will never be mistaken for the real thing. I guess it isn't fair to compare them to fried -- they're not in the same league. (Baked = minors. Fried = majors.)

Having said that, the ones Michael Chu at Cooking for Engineers made look a lot better than mine, so perhaps something went awry for me.

I'm not going to bother with these again. For the amount of effort, the results aren't worth it.

Both recipes come from Cook's Country magazine.

The Ultimate Burger

8 strips bacon
1 to 2 slices of white bread, crusts removed & discarded, cut into ½-inch pieces
¼ cup milk
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef (85 to 90-percent lean)
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 large garlic cloves, very finely minced
Veggie oil for grill rack

Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels. Save bacon for another purpose. (Bacon bits for salad? Topping your burger for extra burger goodness?) Spoon 3 Tbsp. bacon fat into heatproof bowl in refrigerator until ready to use.

Place bread in small bowl and add milk, allowing mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Using a fork, mash bread and milk until if forms a smooth paste.

Break up beef into small pieces in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add garlic, bread paste, and bacon fat. Lightly knead together so that ingredients are well incorporated and mixture forms cohesive mass. Divide meat into 4 equal parts. Using hands, toss each portion of meat back and forth to form a loose ball, then gently flatten into ¾-inch patties.

Oil grate and grill burgers over very hot fire, without pressing down on them, until well-seared on both sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Serves 4


Oven-Fried Onion Rings

30 saltine crackers
4 handfuls kettle-cooked chips
2 med. Yellow or Vidalia onions cut into 1/2-inch wide rings
¼ c. flour
½ cup buttermilk
1 large egg
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ c. flour
2 Tbsp. veggie oil

In a food processor, process saltines and potato chips to the size of your choosing (play it safe and don’t go to big or small).

Combine the buttermilk with 1/4 cup flour, cayenne pepper, egg, salt, and pepper to form batter.

Preheat oven to 450-degrees F. Take each onion ring and drop it into the flour, tapping off the excess. Then drop the ring into the buttermilk batter. Lift the ring out of the buttermilk (you use a chopstick or kebab skewer) and place it into the saltine-chip mixture. Spoon the coating around the ring until it's well coated and then lift it (using another chopstick or skewer) to a plate. Repeat until all the rings are gone or you get bored with the process, which ever comes first.

Pour oil onto baking sheet and place in the oven for 8 or 9 minutes. Carefully pull out the pan - it should be lightly smoking - and tilt it so the surface is evenly coated with oil. Placed onion rings onto the pan, making sure none are touching, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Pull out the pan, flip all the rings over and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes. When finished, both sides should be golden brown.


Burger: B (With better grilling techniques, A range)
Baked Onion Rings: B- (ketchup helps...)

Tags: cooking, burgers, grilling, barbecue, recipe, Baked Onion Rings, cook out, dinner, side dish, Ultimate Burger, bacon fat

Panzanella

There is always stale bread in my house. (Perhaps you've noticed.) My husband, Shane, will buy a loaf of bread after work, eat half of it, and then leave it to harden on the counter.

Until recently, I just chucked it. But this month's Is My Blog Burning? is all about reusing stale bread, so I've been a bit more inspired of late.

Panzanella, an Italian bread salad, is the latest result. In this recipe, the bread is combined with tomatoes, basil, cannellini beans and mozzarella (plus a few other ingredients) for a fresh result.

Each bite speaks of long and lovely summer days -- a perfect reminder of what's to come when the weather just isn't there yet.

Panzanella
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tomatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 loaf stale* bakery bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
6 to 8 oz. mozzarella, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, washed, dried, and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and garlic. Toss the dressing with remaining ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate (bread will get progressively wet).

* or fake it by placing the bread cubes in a 250-degree oven for 10 to 20 minutes.

Grade:A