Roasted Eggplant, Tofu & Pluots Salad with Soba Noodles

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Roasted Eggplant, Tofu & Pluots Salad with Soba Noodles

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

 

Roasted Eggplant, Tofu & Pluots Salad with Soba Noodles

Another wonderful vegetarian entrée salad featuring tofu, soba noodles, sweet fruit and eggplant. It would be great as a substantial starter or a main course. One could substitute any sweet fruit – I used a mix of plums and pluots – and offers a contrast of the savory/spice and fruity/sweet.

Key ingredients

Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat and synonymous with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour. It has a correspondingly strong, nutty flavor. Generally we find dried soba in packets, but keep your eyes open for fresh soba at Asian markets.

Lentil & Radicchio Salad with Walnuts

Lentil & Radicchio Salad with Walnuts

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

This is one of my favorite Yotam Ottolenghi recipes. It is truly a meal in a bowl with a richly flavored layered salad resplendent with fresh green herbs and crunchy sweet walnuts and lentils. When I first made this dish, I used manuka honey, which can be found in health food stores. Manuka has a strong, woodsy flavor that colors the whole dish with a unique aroma. However, manuka is expensive and not available at your local grocer, so feel free to substitute with your favorite full flavored honey. 

The radicchio’s bitterness offers the right balance to the sweetness of the honey, but if you wish to substitute, try replacing with Belgian endive. Make the effort to find the slate-green Puy lentils.  They have a unique peppery flavor and hold their shape during cooking. They are the only lentils to be identified by area of cultivation – grown in the Le Puy region of France.

Radicchio

Thai inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Salad

Thai inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Salad

Serves 4

Difficulty: Easy

Thai inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Salad

Hang on to summer a bit longer and make this easy salad before resorting to heavy winter fare.  This can be great for a picnic, comes together in minutes and is surprisingly healthy! Resist the tyranny of a heavy peanut sauce and give this summery Northern Thai inspired rice noodle salad a try. It is loaded with vegetables, herbs and chicken with an addictive dressing of lime, savory umami-laden fish sauce and chilies. Made with those wonderful springy rice noodles, mixed with handfuls of torn mint, cilantro, basil, sliced cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and shredded chicken all doused with the most amazing sweet-sour dressing.  Feel free to add more vegetables such as shredded Napa cabbage and grated carrots. Adjust the number of chilies pending personal “heat” preferences. Finish with a garnish of peanuts on top if you crave a more “peanutty” dish – adds great additional crunch. It is best served cool or at room temperature – and even great the next day.  How perfect is that!!

Thai chicken with amazing hot-sour-slaty-sweet sauce

http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2013/03/thai-chicken-with-amazing-hot-sour.html

Thai inspired tomato soup

http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2012/02/thai-inspired-tomato-soup.html

Spinach Salad with Almonds & Dates

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Spinach Salad with Almonds & Dates 

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

 

Spinach Salad with Almonds & Dates

Now that I have reminded you about the perfect CLASSIC spinach salad (http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2015/06/spinach-salad-extraordinaire.html), it is time to do some variations.  This is an Israeli interpretation with use of pita croutons, dates, almonds and sumac. I think you will find this a wonderful spinach salad variation. It is a balanced taste of crunch, sweet and tangy vinegar! Sumac is a widely used, essential spice in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. The sumac bush, native to the Middle East, produces deep red berries, which are dried and ground into coarse powder. Ground sumac is a versatile spice with a tangy lemony flavor, although more balanced and less tart than lemon juice. It is great over vegetables, grilled lamb, chicken, fish and hummus. It’s used in everything from dry rubs, marinades and dressing. I love to sprinkle it over food just before serving. A small amount also adds a beautiful pop of color to any dish.

Sweet & Spicy Jicama Salad with Pumpkin Seeds, Mint, Avocado & Arugula

Sweet & Spicy Jicama Salad with Pumpkin Seeds, Mint, Avocado & Arugula

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Sweet & Spicy Jicama Salad with Pumpkin Seeds, Mint, Avocado & Arugula 

You will not believe the complexity of flavor and crunch with this unique salad. Better yet, as jicama is widely available nearly year long, you can make it anytime. Jicama, native to Mexico, is part of the legume family and grows on vines. It is the tuberous root of the plant.  The exterior is yellow and papery; while its inside is a creamy white that’s mild in flavor with a sweet, nutty taste (think of it as a cross between a water chestnut and a pear). Jicama provides a good deal of crunch in this salad along with the roasted pumpkin seed.  Next time you are looking for a healthy different salad to serve – look no further than this gem!

Spinach Salad Extraordinaire

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WE'RE BAAAAACK!!! Spinach Salad Extraordinaire

Serves 4 (appetizer); 2 (entrée)

Difficulty: Easy

 

Spinach Salad Extraordinaire

Have you been looking for the perfect spinach salad with a slightly warm dressing, oodles of bacon, a few onions and some sliced eggs?  I was.  Not the new age spinach salads with raspberry vinaigrette to honey-drenched walnuts better suited for an ice cream topping.  Nope, I was looking for the established, CLASSIC spinach salad. You know, the one you might find on a steakhouse menu.  Imagine a bright pile of baby spinach leaves scattered with slivers of red onion, thinly sliced white mushrooms, perfect rounds of hard-cooked eggs and then, the piece de resistance, tiny bits (or bigger bits) of bacon rendered in a pan to crispy, salty perfection. Yup, that one. 

Duck Salad with Port-Currant Sauce

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Duck Salad with Port-Currant Sauce

Serves 2 (entrée) – 4 (appetizer)

Difficulty: Moderate

Duck Salad with Port-Currant Sauce 

For unclear reasons, I shied away from cooking duck for many years. Maybe I thought it was difficult to do? It certainly is not – or, at least not duck breasts. This one looks complicated, but it is a can be done for a mid-week or special guest dinner. In addition, duck is an excellent, lean source of protein as well as iron, selenium and niacin. For some reason, duck has gotten a bad “rap” through the years because of the skin. Yet, it is comparable in fat and calories to a skinless chicken or turkey breast.

Larue's Simple, Light Extraordinary Green Salad

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Larue's Simple, Light Extraordinary Green Salad 

Serves: 4

Larue's Simple, Light Extraordinary Green Salad

I have used this salad recipe often…well, very often. Every cook needs to have a “go-to” lettuce salad up his or her sleeves. This is that salad. It follows a heavy-ish first course, like a thick winter soup, and followed by protein – steak, ribs, or fish - you name it.  Are you looking for something light and fresh to serve in between courses and to cleanse the palate and lighten the spirits? This salad should do the trick; it also makes for a good starter. You could, of course, add one (but just one…or it is no longer simple) item – such as sliced avocado.

End of Winter Hiatus!! Persimmon Salad with Arugula

Persimmon Salad with Arugula

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Persimmon Salad with Arugula 

If you have not discovered persimmons…this is the time. This salad cannot get any simpler, but of course that means the ingredients have to be spot-on. Between the two most widely available persimmon varieties, Fuyu is what you want for this recipe; not Hachiya. There is a world of difference between them.  The ruby-red, teardrop shaped Hachiya is unpalatable if it’s anything but completely ripe. When it reaches this stage, is almost soupy and best eaten with a spoon or used in purees and puddings.  The squat, orange Fuyu, has silky flesh that similar to a mango, though its flavor is considerably less acidic. Available October through February, persimmons are sometimes compared to apricots or plums in flavor and texture, and when fully ripe have cinnamon, clove and sweet undertones.

 

Fuyu Persimmons & a lemon

Green Salad with Apple Vinaigrette

Green Salad with Apple Vinaigrette

Serves: 2

Difficulty: Easy

Green Salad with Apple Vinaigrette

Are you looking for a different green salad that is light yet with a special something – in this case an apple-y, slightly sweet, vinaigrette?  This goes great with the brined smoked salmon posted last week – but also with pork and any fish. 

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Serves: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad 

I know, it sounds so weird…but really, intriguing. Right? I thought so…and especially terrific in the winter when the pink grapefruit are at their prime. I'm releasing this recipe right around Thanksgiving and just know you are feeling oh so tummy happy but a bit guilty too.  This should keep the tum so happy but really lessen the guilt. It is so very simple and clean - wonderful palate cleanser between courses. The hardest part is releasing the grapefruit segments. For that, there is Larue to the rescue with instructions and pictures!

The stars of the show! Unlikely pairing, but very tasty.

Grilled Romaine, Mint Vinaigrette & Halloumi cheese

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Grilled Romaine, Mint Vinaigrette & Halloumi cheese

Serves 4

Difficulty: Easy

Grilled Romaine, Mint Vinaigrette & Halloumi cheese

Yes, you can grill lettuce! Romaine is both sturdy enough and flavorful enough to stand up to the heat and char of the grill. Something magical happens when you cook lettuce, especially when it just starts to wilt – the edges become silky smooth, the leaves become a little bit sweeter, the core a little bit crunchier and overall, it just gets a whole lot tastier. The flavor of grilled romaine is hard to describe. It is smokey and charred but still crunchy. If its pouring rain, hail, snow or whatever is keeping you indoors – you could give a go and sauté in a hot cast iron pan. One with ridges would even give the grill marks! I use bagged hearts of romaine for a few reasons. They are the perfect size with little waste, they are ready to use upon purchase and they are not slogged down with water like whole heads of lettuce usually are.

Thai Cucumber Salad with Roasted Peanuts

Thai Cucumber Salad with Roasted Peanuts

Serves: 6

Difficulty Level: Easy

 

Thai Cucumber Salad with Roasted Peanuts

This is a great recipe, fresh, colorful, flavorful and really easy. It seems perfect for a summer unique salad – with fish, chicken and/or Thai inspired dishes. Give it a try. You will be amazed how quickly it pulls together. The oil-free vinaigrette has great flavor – do not be put off by the fish sauce, nam pla. I know it smells awful and is quite aromatic but tastes great. Really. It is prepared with fermented fish that is made into a fragrant condiment and provides a salty flavor to this and other dishes. 

Peach & Corn Salad in Tamarind Vinaigrette (and Bonus Tomato Salad Recipe)

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Peach & Corn Salad in Tamarind Vinaigrette

Bonus: Garden Tomatoes drizzled with Soy Sauce

Serves: 4-6

Difficulty level: Easy

 

Peach & Corn Salad in Tamarind Vinaigrette

Bonus Recipe! Tomatoes drizzled with soy sauce (see below)

Are you tired of the same salad every night but looking for something you can throw together quickly for a mid-week meal or to impress guests? Try this one!  Corn and peaches are among my favorite summer flavors. I like combining them in both desserts and savory dishes. Roasting fruits and vegetables bring out their natural sugars, and that sweetness is perfectly complemented by the sweet and tart taste of tamarind. To achieve a smoky taste, grill the corn and peaches instead of roasting them. Nectarines, apricots and plums are all good stand-ins for the peaches. Currently my garden is full of ripened tomatoes. But, I was tired of the usual caprese salad variation. Simple is often better – especially with mid-summer vine-ripened tomatoes. Bonus blog today includes a super-simple and tasty way to serve fresh tomatoes – drizzled with soy!

Italian Tuna Salad with Fennel

Italian Tuna Salad with Fennel

Serves: 6

Difficulty level: Easy

Italian Tuna Salad with Fennel

This colorful tuna salad makes a satisfying lunch or dinner served alongside a mound of greens. I love the contrast in textures of the fennel, celery, onion, and tuna. The salad is light because the tuna is dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice instead of the usual mayonnaise. The fresh herbs give it brightness, and the red bell peppers and purple olives make for a colorful and appetizing preparation. The important thing here is to use the tasty tuna packed in olive oil enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean region, rather than the drier, rather mealy white tuna packed in water. Good quality tuna packed in olive oil from Italy are much easier to find in your local grocer or online. Popular accessible brands include Ortiz or Cento.

Fennel, Arugula & Green Apple Salad with Almonds, Parmesan & Golden Raisins

Fennel, Arugula & Green Apple Salad with Almonds, Parmesan & Golden Raisins

Serves: 8

 

Fennel, Arugula & Green Apple Salad with Almonds, Parmesan & Golden Raisins

Are you looking for that new and interesting salad – something easy, quick and different – yet not so bizarre that you or your guests wonder what they are eating? I absolutely love, love fennel – coupled with arugula…well, perfection. Even as a kid, I coveted everything licorice and enthusiastically exchanged my jellybeans for any of the black ones. My true aha moment was the discovery that licorice love could be satisfied with real food. Fennel, anise, tarragon and basil get their signature perfume from the same compound (anethole) that licorice does.

Fennel is a hardy perennial with dill-like foliage atop celery-esque stalks that sprout from a pale green bulb. Though the peak season is fall through spring, I serve fennel to rave reviews – roasted, sautéed, grilled, braised and in salads – all year long. It is crisply refreshing raw and meltingly sweet when cooked.

 

The stars of the show!

This salad is set off to its ultimate advantage by a garlicky vinaigrette – bolstered by arugula, apples, Marcona almonds, Parmesan cheese and raisins – comprises an intriguing mélange of tastes and textures.

• ¼ C Sherry vinegar
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¾ C extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large head frisee, torn into bite size pieces
• 2 large bulbs fennel, stalks and outer layers removed and very thinly sliced
• 2 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
• 1 C salted Marcona almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped
• 1 C golden raisins
• 1 C shaved Parmesan Cheese
• 1 C celery, thinly sliced crosswise
• ½ lb baby arugula
• ¾ tsp fennel pollen 

To make the vinaigrette: Place the sherry vinegar, salt, pepper, shallots and garlic into a lidded jar, close and shake. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and shake again.

In a large bowl, combine frisee, sliced fennel & apples, almonds, raisins, shaved Parmesan cheese, celery and arugula.  Add enough dressing to moisten and flavor and toss lightly to coat salad. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle bowl or each serving with fennel pollen.

Bon Appetit!

You will love it!

Larue

Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad

 Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad

Serves: 6

 Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad

We are blessed with an extremely productive Meyer Lemon Tree in our back yard. This creates a need to identify ways to use wonderful sweet lemons. I love this salad at lunch – and as you will see, the marinated lemon chicken does double time and works beautifully served as an appetizer with satay sauce. (Recipe to follow next week)

The mix of fresh vegetables can be easily altered to suit the season or content of your refrigerator.  This week I used both blanched green beans, sugar snap peas and bell peppers.  In the spring, one could easily substitute thin blanched asparagus for the sugar snap peas and beans.  If you love lemon – and lemon-y flavor –this is your dish. The longer you marinate the chicken, the better.

For Grilled Lemon Chicken:

• ¾ C freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
• ¾ C good olive oil
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tb minced fresh thyme leaves (½ tsp dried)
• 2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, halved and skin removed 

For remainder in Salad:

• ¼ C freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 large lemon)
• ¼ C good extra virgin olive oil
• 1 C sugar snap peas, stems and strings removed, quickly blanched
• ½ C blanched green beans
• ½ red bell pepper, julienned
• ½ yellow bell pepper, julienned
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

For grilled lemon chicken: Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and thyme. Pour over chicken breasts in a nonreactive pan or in plastic resealable bag. Add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Heat the grill and cook the chicken breasts for 8-10 minutes on each side, until just cooked through.

Chicken in the marinade

Grilled to perfection!

To make the salad:  Allow chicken to sit at room temperature for 20+ minutes to cool before chilling in refrigerator.  Slice the breasts diagonally into ½ “ or less thick slices. Toss them in a bowl with their juices plus the additional lemon juice, olive oil, sugar snap peas, green beans, red and yellow bell peppers, lemon slices, salt and pepper.

Great with green beans

....and with snap peas

Seasoning to taste and serve cold or at room temperature. It is a perfect picnic entrée! Alternatively, and what I often do, is marinate and grill additional chicken to slice and use as an appetizer served with satay – see recipe next week for details!

Larue