Salad with fennel, blue cheese, and toasted walnuts

We often have a green salad with our meals, and it's usually my regular:  a bag of mixed greens, chopped red pepper and scallions, and maybe a sprinkle of currants, with cruets of oil and vinegar on the table for a dressing.  This is a very good salad, but we do get tired of it sometimes.  My usual option is a carrot salad, which I can usually make from what we have on hand.  But last week we were having guests over, and the main course was soup.  The rest of the meal would be just a salad and fresh bread, so I decided to look around for something more special for the salad.  I found this recipe in my much-used Simply Delicious Weightwatchers book, and it is truly wonderful!  Certainly more work than I would usually do for an every-day salad, but so good that I will not wait for guests to make it again.  I used my mandolin to get the very thin slices of fennel and red onion, but a sharp knife would do fine.

SALAD WITH FENNEL, BLUE CHEESE, AND TOASTED WALNUTS

adapted from WeightWatchers Simply Delicious

6 servings

dressing

2 t. grated lemon zest (zest from one lemon)

1/3 c. fresh lemon juice (or part fresh, part frozen)

1/3 c. chicken or vegetable broth

2 T. canola or walnut oil

1 T. honey

1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

salad

2 heads Boston or Bibb lettuce (or substitute other lettuce if you prefer)

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and very thinly sliced

1/4 c. walnut pieces, toasted (pecans would also be nice)

1/2 c. finely sliced and cut-in-strips red onion

3 oz. blue cheese, either a block or a tub of crumbles (frozen, for easier crumbling)

1.     Toast the walnut pieces.  (I put in a 350F toaster oven for about 10 minutes.)

2.     Cut out the central core of the head of lettuce.  Separate the lettuce leaves, cutting out in a V-shape any remaining white part of stem end. Wash each leaf and let dry. 

3.     Make the dressing: combine the lemon zest, juice broth, oil, honey, and pepper in a small bowl.

4.     Gently press the lettuce leaves to flatten slightly and stack about 5 leaves on each of 6 plates.  Top with the fennel, walnuts, and red onion.

5.     Take the blue cheese out of the freezer, and chop into a small crumble.

6.     Just before serving, spoon the dressing over the salads and put the blue cheese on top.

Pistou

The night after we had the humble turkey-stuffing casserole, my husband made a much more complicated recipe, one of his favorites--Pistou, which is a soup from Provençal, akin to minestrone.  David usually makes it once a year, and I really look forward to it.  I've never made it myself, as the recipe is more complicated than I enjoy doing, but I'm so glad David likes making it!  Not all recipes for Pistou would have you cook each of the vegetables separately, but doing this way makes for a lovely complexity of flavor and texture in the soup.

SOUPE AU PISTOU

adapted from Stella Standard, Soups for All Season; makes 3 quarts soup; serves 10-12

1/2 cup dried lima or white beans (frozen lima beans are fine—use a 10-oz package)

5 c. chicken or vegetable broth

1 lb. frozen peas

2 t. basil

salt and pepper

butter (for vegan version, substitute canola oil)

1/2 lb. fresh green beans, cut into 1" lengths

1/2 t. rosemary

1 or 2 small zucchini, sliced (about 1/4" thick)

1 small green pepper, seeded and cut into fine strips

3 large white onions, cut in half and sliced

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped, or 1/2 c. canned tomatoes

1 12-oz can white shoe-peg corn

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 c. pasta shells

Pistou sauce

6 large cloves garlic

large handful parsley

1/2 c. olive oil

1/3 c. soup broth

Garnish

small bowl of grated parmesan cheese

1.     If doing beans from scratch:  Soak the dried beans overnight.  Next day, cook in a small amount of water until tender; do not discard cooking liquid.  If using frozen beans:  Cook according to package instructions; do not discard cooking liquid.

2.     Put broth in a large soup kettle.  As the vegetables are cooked, add them with their cooking liquid.

3.     Add the cooked beans and their cooking liquid to the broth.

4.     Cook the peas in a pat of butter, 1/3 cup water, and with the basil, some salt, and pepper, until tender.  Add peas and liquid to the soup kettle.

5.     Cook the cut green beans with rosemary, salt, pepper, a pat of butter, and 1/2 cup of water, until tender, about 10 minutes.  Add beans and liquid to soup kettle.

6.     Cook the sliced zucchini and green pepper with 1/3 cup water, tightly covered for 5 minutes.  Add to the soup.

7.     Sauté the onions in butter until tender without browning them; add salt and pepper.  Add to the soup.

8.     Add the chopped tomato, corn, and garlic to the soup.

9.     Cook the pasta in salted water until tender, drain, and add to the soup.  Soup may be made ahead, and warmed up at serving time.  Pass the pistou sauce; each bowl gets a spoonful.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Making the Pistou sauce:

Using a food processor:  Mince the garlic, then add the parsley, processing until finely chopped.  Keep processor running, and drizzle in the oil, and then the broth.

Very Easy Chicken (or Turkey) Casserole with Stuffing

I noticed this comfort-food dish on the blog of another quilter, and I had to try it.  My husband is the one who roasts the turkeys in our house, and he likes to make fancy stuffings.  They're nice, but my heart is still with packaged Pepperidge Farm stuffing, which is what my mother used.  (She did doctor it up some by adding sautéed onions and celery.)  I had never tried stove-top stuffing--that seems really low!  But I couldn't help myself--had to make this recipe.  I'm happy to report that it is extremely simple to make, and quite satisfying as comfort food.  It won't replace the chicken-rice casserole that is standard in our house, but I will definitely make it again.  Whenever we do have a turkey, I always cut up the leftovers and freeze in packets of 2-cups, so I can readily make up a casserole when I'm in the mood.

CHICKEN (or TURKEY) & STUFFING CASSEROLE

adapted from http://www.ewolfmeyerquilts.com/2013/11/osas-casserole.html

2 to 3 cups cooked chicken or turkey, cut into bite-size pieces

1 to 2 cups frozen peas, defrosted

1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken)

1/4 c. milk (skim is fine)

a box of stovetop stuffing mix (corn bread or other types) [I used a version with cranberries, and thought it was nice]

Preheat oven to 325F.

In 8x8" (or round, of comparable size) casserole dish, put chicken/turkey chunks.  Layer peas on top.

Combine can of soup with about 1/4 cup milk and spread on top of chicken.

Prepare box of stove top stuffing mix as directed on package.  Spoon onto chicken/soup mixture.

Bake for about 35 minutes, until "bubbly."

Sesame-crusted Salmon

SESAME-CRUSTED SALMON WITH ASIAN NOODLE SALAD

adapted from Diane Morgan, Salmon (Chronicle Books, 2005)

Cooking the salmon with two colors of sesame seeds results in a very beautiful piece of fish!  You can see photos of various preparations here.  A few notes: 

·      The recipe calls for baking the salmon at a low temperature, 250F—this is not a typo.  It takes a little longer, but it does work, and since there's no liquid with the fish, perhaps the low temperature helps to keep it from getting dried out. 

·      I recently got an instant read thermometer, and am finding it very helpful to cook fish to the right temperature (125F for salmon)—this way you don’t have to poke into the middle of the piece of fish to check for doneness.

·      About the bean thread noodles:  I followed the directions on the package I had, which said to boil for 2-4 minutes and also said that rinsing in cold water was optional.  I boiled for 3 minutes and didn't rinse.  After they had sat for a bit (as I was finishing chopping vegetables), they got somewhat gummy.  Everything still all tasted good, but the texture wasn't great.  Next time, I'll follow the directions in the recipe below.

·      As I finished the cooking, I tasted the fish and the noodles separately, and wasn't hugely impressed.  But when combined, the taste was great!!

6 ounces rice vermicelli (bean threads)

about 20 ounces of salmon, cut into 4 fillets

1 T. olive oil

kosher or sea salt

4 t. white sesame seeds

4 t. black sesame seeds

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 T. rice vinegar

3 T. sesame oil

2 t. sugar

2 t. peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 large carrot, peeled and julienned

1 large stalk celery, julienned

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves.

Preheat oven to 250F.  Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.

Soak the rice vermicelli in a large bowl of warm water until softened, about 20 minutes.  Drain well in a colander, shaking the colander to be sure all the water is removed.

Brush each salmon fillet with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.  On a small plate, combine the white and black sesame seeds.  Dip the top side of each fillet in the seeds and place on the prepared baking sheet, seed side up.  Bake the salmon until done, about 20 minutes, until the fish flakes slightly (125F on an instant read thermometer).

While the salmon is baking, make the noodle salad.  In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and ginger.  Add the rice vermicelli and toss until the noodles are well coated.  Add the carrot, celery, green onions, and cilantro.  Toss to combine.

When the salmon is done, divide the noodle mixture among 4 dinner plates.  Place a salmon fillet on top of the noodles, and serve.

Banana, walnut, and white chocolate scones

A few weeks ago, an out-of-town friend was visiting with her teenage son.  I wanted to have a treat on hand for an afternoon snack and/or breakfast--a good occasion to try out a recipe that looked very appealing to me.  One afternoon, my friend brought a scone to her son, who was up in our guest room.  After he'd eaten it, she asked if he liked it.  His reply, "Could I have two more, please?"  Words to warm a cook's heart!  And since this recipe makes 12, I had plenty more to share.

Banana, Walnut & White Chocolate Chunk Scones

Makes 12

adapted from http://www.injennieskitchen.com/2013/11/banana-recipes-scones/

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk

            or use 1 T. dried buttermilk powder with dry ingredients, and 1/4 c. water with the wet ingredients.  Then brush scones with a T. of regular milk

1 large egg

1 ripe banana, well-mashed

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Ghirardelli baking white chocolate, broken into chunks)

6 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into a dozen or so pieces

sprinkling of sugar crystals

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Using a fork, lightly beat a 1/4 cup of buttermilk (or water, if using dried buttermilk powder), egg and banana together in a small bowl or measuring cup; set aside.

Add the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a deep medium-sized bowl (and the dried buttermilk powder, if using). Whisk to combine. Work the butter pieces into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, until it forms a sandy-looking texture with some pebble-sized pieces.

Stir in the walnuts and chocolate.

Pour in the liquid-egg-banana mixture, and use a fork to stir together until it forms a crumbly-looking dough, and the flour is mostly absorbed.

Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured counter.  (I find it helpful to use a silicone mat on the counter; I use a Roul'pat.) Knead it once or twice to help the dough stick together. Divide the dough in half, and flatten it into two 1/2-inch thick circles. Use a sharp knife to cut each circle into 6 triangles (like cutting pizza slices).

Place the scones on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with the remaining tablespoon of buttermilk (or regular milk) and sprinkle the tops with the sugar crystals. Bake for 11 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned and the tops are golden. Remove from the oven and set the tray on a wire rack to cool a few minutes before serving.

These are best the day they're baked, but are also fine frozen and re-heated.

Fish Greek Style

My sister Cookie sent me a recipe she'd adapted from Pierre Franey's recipe for "Shrimp Greek Style."  Knowing that I don't eat shellfish), she suggested I try it with fish.  The recipe is similar in principle to my standard way of making white fish (usually cod)--the fish cooked in a chunky tomato sauce--but somewhat different ingredients and proportions, and the distinctive addition of feta cheese.   I made the recipe with Alaskan Black Cod (sablefish) that I purchased from Sitka Salmon Shares.  Definitely a nice way to prepare this fish.  I'm sure it would also be good with most any firm-fleshed white fish.

The piece of fish I cooked was quite thick, so I knew the timing in the original recipe would be too short (10 minutes, for shrimp).  I've recently been enjoying reading The Science of Good Cooking, which explains all kinds of things about cooking, as well as providing recipes.  Its table of temperatures to cook food to included fish.  I'd never thought of using a thermometer for fish, but, armed with my new instant-read thermometer (recently purchased to make it easier for me to measure water temperature when I'm dyeing fabric), I cooked the fish to perfection!

FISH GREEK STYLE

Adapted from Pierre Franey’s  "Shrimp Greek Style" in 60 Minute Gourmet

Serves 3-4

1 lb. firm-fleshed white fish

2 t. olive oil

1 ½ t. finely chopped garlic

9 scallions, thinly sliced

14 oz. can petit diced tomatoes, not drained

Fresh tomatoes, diced, up to 1 cup (optional)

¼ c. dry white wine or sake

¼ t. salt

¼ t. crushed red pepper flakes

2 t. dried basil

1 t. dried oregano

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.

Heat 2 t. olive oil in mid-size sauce pan.

Cook scallions, stirring constantly for 15 seconds.

Add garlic and cook for another 15 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add tomatoes, wine, salt, pepper, basil and oregano.

Cook uncovered over moderate heat for 10 minutes.

Put the fish into a Pyrex baking pan.   Sprinkle the feta over the fish and then spoon the tomato sauce over all.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily (140 degrees, if you have an instant-read thermometer).

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes

I made this dish the other night, to accompany fish baked with tomatoes, with some brown rice on the side.  All delicious!  I'll post the fish recipe also.  This brussels sprouts recipe would also be great for Thanksgiving dinner.  I'll have to try to remember it for next year. . .  I think this could also be made into a full meal by adding in sliced chicken sausage.

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND GRAPES

adapted from a Steamy Kitchen recipe

4 servings

1-1/2 lbs. brussels sprouts, bottom of base cut off and halved

3/4 lb. seedless red grapes, halved

2 T. olive oil

2-1/2 T. soy sauce

1-1/2 T. balsamic vinegar

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.  Put the brussels sprouts and grapes in a bowl and toss with the oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper.  Cover a rimmed baking tray with aluminum foil.  Put the sprouts and grapes in the tray, spreading out to one layer.  Roast in the oven for 25 minutes, tossing them halfway through.