Date Night at Home in Four Dishes

 Now that we've passed the weekend of love, I feel enough time has passed to talk about two of my loves. 1) Cooking multi-course sophisticated meals at home as opposed to going out to eat on one of the busier restaurant date days (see: Valentine's Day); and 2) Achieving amazing time management skills in the kitchen.

When you're cooking multiple courses, time management can be extremely difficult. One key factor is having a partner in the kitchen to help execute multiple dishes at the same time. I'm happy to report that our date night at home effort was very successful in the area of time management. Not only did we execute a starter salad, a main dish with side, and a dessert in under 2 hours (when you count the time it takes to cook the sweet potatoes in the oven) we did so without any major disasters and little time wasted. We even had the dessert ready to go in the oven when we started the meal so once we were done eating 20 minutes later, dessert was ready.

In short, here is what we made and how we got it done. Our menu was as follows:

1) Lacinato Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad (courtesy of Epicurious, see recipe below)

2) Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin - a gem I've made multiple times.

3) Sweet Potato Puree with Smoked Paprika (also courtesy of Epicurious)

4) Maple Bacon Bread Pudding - I learned to make this during a cooking with bacon class last year

In order to execute this four course meal, I suggest starting by cooking the sweet potatoes in the oven as this will taken the most time to execute (1 hour). While those are cooking, I suggest opening a bottle of red wine. Because I said so. 

About halfway through the cooking time, and once you've enjoyed some wine, make the salad dressing and set aside. Then mix the herb topping for the pork tenderloin so that once the potatoes are removed from the oven, the meat is ready to cook. I also suggest cubing the bread for the bread pudding. Once you place the pork tenderloin in the oven,, you can also toast the bread cubes needed to make the bread pudding. I suggest assembling the bread pudding at the same time as when the meat is cooking so once that is done, you can place the ramekins filled with maple bacon bread pudding goodness in the oven so they'll be ready when you're done eating.

I know this sounds a bit complicated, but if you take a few minutes to plan your prep strategy for any multi-course meal, it can be done. Wine also helps.

Here's the kale salad recipe. It's awesome and I'll be making this again. The dressing also works well with arugula.

Lacinato Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 to 1 lb. lacinato kale (also called Tuscan kale) or tender regular kale, stems and center ribs discarded 
• 2 TB finely chopped shallot 
• 1 1/2 TB fresh lemon juice 
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper 
• 4 1/2 TB extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 oz. coarsely grated ricotta salata (1 cup)

Directions:

Working in batches, cut kale crosswise into very thin slices.

Whisk together shallot, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.

Toss kale and ricotta salata in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat well, then season with salt and pepper.

Grilled Peach Salad

Peaches for you, peaches for me.  Truly, at this time of year the farmers' markets are overrun with tomatoes and peaches. I am a big fan of incorporating fruit in a salad. It pairs well with a variety of soft cheeses as well, so I've often used pears or peaches stuffed with goat cheese and then wrapped in prosciutto as an appetizer. But this will be a salad version which incorporates a nice, honey, sticky balsamic to top it off.

While softer peaches are a bit more prevalent at this time, you'll want to try and find a firmer peach for the grill (or in my case, grill pan.)

Grilled Peach Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

2 TB honey

3 peaches, pitted and each cut into 6 wedges

Cooking spray

1 TB extravirgin olive oil

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Dash of kosher salt

10 cups trimmed arugula

2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch strips

2 TB crumbled goat cheese

Directions:

Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer until vinegar is reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in honey. Cool to room temperature.

Prepare grill to high heat. I used a grill pan because sadly (tear) I have no grill. Place peach wedges on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 30 seconds on each side or until grill marks appear but peaches are still firm. Remove from grill; set aside.

Combine oil, pepper, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add arugula, tossing gently to coat. Arrange arugula mixture on a platter. Top with peach wedges and prosciutto. Drizzle with balsamic glaze; sprinkle with cheese. 

Skillet Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese

Asparagus is in season as is regular Sunday family dinners. After travels and cleanses and other events that were causing the typical traditional fare to be altered on a regular basis, two weeks ago we were back on target with regular food (no offense, vegans) :)

I love a simple roasted asparagus, but this time around, I wanted to try something a bit different. The result was a great side salad for a big dinner party.

Skillet Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese (serves 6)

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed (about 30 medium spears)

1 cup water

2 tsp. julienne-cut orange rind

1 tsp. julienne-cut lemon rind

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 tsp. sugar

1 TB dry white wine

1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

5 tsp. olive oil

2 cups mixed baby salad greens

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

3 TB chopped pecans, toasted

1 TB fresh tarragon leaves

1 tsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add one-third of asparagus mixture; cook 4 minutes or until lightly charred and crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan; set aside. Repeat procedure twice with the remaining asparagus mixture.

Place 1 cup water in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave for 2 minutes or until water just boils. Add orange rind; let stand 20 seconds. Drain, reserving rind. Repeat procedure with lemon rind.

Combine orange rind, orange juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until juice mixture measures about 3 tablespoons (about 5 minutes). Combine wine, lemon juice, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Gradually add 5 teaspoons oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in orange juice mixture.

Place 1/3 cup greens on each of six plates. Divide asparagus evenly among salads. Top evenly with cheese, pecans, and tarragon. Stir lemon rind and parsley into orange juice mixture; drizzle dressing over salads.

Clementine Spinach Salad with Sugared Almonds

If you're like me, the winter brings a wealth of citrus into your home. In particular, clementines or tangerines, usually whatever you can buy in a crate or in a big bag. I eat them daily throughout the winter but sometimes I want to do a little more with them than just eat them plain. I came across this great, simple side salad recipe and found what may be my new favorite fruity salad. I may even try making this again with a citrus grilled chicken or fish to add a bit of protein. Enjoy!

Clementine Spinach Salad with Sugared Almonds (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• Bag of baby spinach
• 4-6 clementines
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bag of dried cranberries
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 TB honey
• 1 1/2 TB sugar

      Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 TB red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• dash of pepper
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 2 TB sugar
• dash of Tabasco

Directions:

To make the sugared almonds, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add almonds, and toast, stirring frequently, until almonds are light brown, about 5 minutes. Toss with sugar, and spread almonds on a plate to cool.

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until combined.

Combine the spinach, oranges, onion and cranberries in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and sprinkle with almonds. Serve immediately.

Chicken, Prosciutto and Pear Arugula Salad

I like simple salads and when salads contain enough savory ingredients (which in my book is meat, cheese and/or fruit, or some combination thereof) I'm even more inclined to make them for my lunch for the week. I recently revisited a Rachel Ray recipe I made a year or so ago, and decided to make it as a salad, eliminating the "warm" and the bun. I obviously cooked the chicken, but the rest of the ingredients I served cold over the salad.

This was quite flavorful and I think I'm going to make this homemade salad dressing again. In my book, you can't go wrong with Dijon mustard. Also, if you wanted to make this even easier, you can just use shredded rotisserie chicken. Not that I've EVER taken that shortcut. ;)

Pomegranate and Spinach Salad

A few weeks back, I was planning a dinner party for two, and since most of the meal was on the heavy side, I wanted a light starter salad. I tapped my go-to "what should I make" resource for when I stopped, Nick of www.macheesmo.com, and he told me to make this salad. I had never worked with pomegranates before, but the instructions in the recipe assured me that it wasn't that tricky to work with. Where I think I struggled most was in deseeding the fruit. I submerged it in a bowl of water, but I think I opted for too shallow of a bowl. This lead to an unflattering splatter of pomegranate juice, staining parts of my kitchen and ironically landing on my knife skills book. I assured my dinner guest that this wasn't in fact the scene of a crime, just my first attempt with pomegranate.

 

The salad was a big hit and I suggest you giving it a shot while pomegranates are still in season.

Pomegranate and Spinach Salad (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• 5-6 ounces baby spinach
• 1 pomegranate, seeded
• 6 oz. goat cheese
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

For the Dressing:

• 1  cup raspberries
• 3 TB balsamic vinegar
• 2 TB honey
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Pinch of salt 

Directions:

Add raspberries to a small food processor and pulse a few times. Then add other dressing ingredients and process until mostly smooth.

Seed pomegranate by cutting it into quarters and breaking it apart under cold water. The seeds will sink and the pith will float. This might take some manuevering of the pith and the seeds, but overall it was pretty easy. Just watch for splatter!

Toss greens with a few tablespoons of dressing and coat well. Divide greens between a few plates.

Crumble goat cheese on greens and top with pom seeds and toasted walnuts.

 

An Oldie but a Goodie-Grilled Peach and Prosciutto Salad

A while back I indicated that I was going to employ some strategies to this blog that we use at work. Such as "Throwback Thursdays", or "F-ing Fantastic Food Friday." But in all reality, I'm too busy to keep up with any sort of set schedule like that, I just really try and post twice a week. And I kind of screwed that up last week. But I have been doing a lot of cooking and eating lately, and am building up a stockpile for September as my work schedule gets even nuttier.

Some of what I've been making lately have been repeats on previously successful dishes. This is one of them.  I made this Grilled Peach and Prosciutto Salad a few weeks back when I had a ton of peaches and was looking for something light to eat on a Monday after a weekend of excess (which seems to be every weekend as of late!) Here's the recipe in my original post from last year.You won't be disappointed. Trust me.

Pear and Gorgonzola Salad

One of the benefits to cooking a lot, as well as eating out often, is I've tried all sorts of flavor combinations. This comes particularly in handy when I'm tasked with coming up with a last minute side dish, with little time to prepare. This happened over the weekend and rather than pick up something pre-made at the grocery store, I drew inspiration from a great salad I've had out. So this isn't so much a recipe as a mention of some great things that go well together in a salad. :)

Pear and Gorgonzola Salad (serves 6)

Ingredients:

• Bag of spinach or spring mix
• 2 Anjou Pears
• Glazed Walnuts
• 1/2 medium red onion
• Gorgonzola cheese (I used most of a small container)
• Champagne Vinaigrette salad dressing

Directions:

Place salad mix in bowl with walnuts and cheese. Slice red onion lengthwise and add to the salad. Peel pears and chopped into small cubes, add to salad. Toss with salad dressing and serve.

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad

Summertime just SCREAMS for watermelon salads. I never understood the appeal of putting salt on watermelon until last year when I made a great watermelon with basil salad, which called for a coarse salt and olive oil. Amazing. And something that I likely make again this summer.

This particular watermelon side dish has a few different elements to it, but involves the same general concept:  salt and sweet is always a winning combo in my playbook. So give this salad a whirl the next time you're asked to bring something light to accompany a heavier summer meal.

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad (serves 6 as side dish)

Ingredients:

• 6 cups watermelon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup coarsely chopped watercress
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced Vidalia onion
• 1 medium English cucumber, sliced (about 3 cups)
• 2 TB chopped fresh mint
• 2 TB chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 TB fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 oz reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
• Mint sprigs (optional) 

Directions:

Combine watermelon, watercress, onion and cucumber in a large bowl.

Combine mint, cilantro, lime juice and olive oil in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add juice mixture and salt to watermelon mixture; toss gently to coat.

Sprinkle with feta; garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Grilled Asian Flank Steak and Mango Salad

Summer weather is just around the corner, which means I'll be attempting much lighter meals to counteract the unbearable heat and humidity which DC falls prey to come June. I'm starting the lighter eating a bit early this time around, with this flavorful steak salad. I loved the marinade on the meat. There's just something about asian flavors and beef that I always enjoy.

Grilled Asian Flank Steak and Mango Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

5 tsp sugar, divided

1 TB grated peeled fresh ginger

1 TB minced fresh garlic

1 TB fish sauce

1 TB lower-sodium soy sauce

1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed

Cooking spray

3 TB lime juice

2 TB water

1 TB reduced-fat peanut butter

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

5 cups spinach 

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 mango, peeled and diced

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Combine chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon sugar, and next 4 ingredients (through soy sauce) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add beef; let stand 15 minutes. Remove beef from marinade; reserve marinade.

Place beef on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with reserved marinade. Grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill; cover with foil. Let stand 5 minutes; cut across grain into thin slices.

Combine lime juice, 2 tablespoons water, peanut butter, remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, and pepper in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add spinach and next 4 ingredients; toss to coat.

Divide salad evenly among 4 plates; top evenly with mango. Serve with beef.

Orzo and Spinach Salad

Yesterday I revisited a great tradition from 2012...family dinner with some friends in Southwest DC to watch some of our favorite HBO programming. Family dinners started with True Blood a few years ago when my good friend Drina would whip up awesome Creole and southern dishes. It evolved to the group of us watching other HBO shows, including Big Live, Boardwalk Empire, and others. The group had started to watch Game of Thrones two years ago, and while I was a late adopter to the series, I did score an invite for the season premiere this weekend.

My friend Will made a great chicken and pasta dish, not to mention his first cake. I made a light side dish that turned out pretty flavorful despite its simplicity. I'll be making this one again.

Orzo and Spinach Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup uncooked orzo
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Cook orzo according to instructions on box.  Drain, and then toss into a bowl with the spinach. Mix thoroughly until the spinach starts to wilt slightly.

Add cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, salt and pepper. Toss together. Add white wine vinegar and mix together. Serve immediately.

Seriously, it's that simple. This is not great the second day, so having leftovers isn't ideal. But this is so tasty, I doubt you'll have much left over. This is great for a summer picnic or to accompany heavier main dishes.




Fiery Beef and Rice Noodle Salad

Every so often I try something that is similar to something I've made before, but perhaps a bit simpler. And sometimes it works out, but more often than not, I find that the more complex recipes end up more flavorful. This was the case for this recipe. It's similar to one of my favorite recipes from last year, the Vietnamese Pork Noodle Salad, which I recently made for my family over the holiday. So if I'm going to recommend making one of these recipes, make that one. But hey, maybe you can improve upon this one?

Fiery Beef and Rice Noodle Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

soy sauce

2 oz uncooked rice stick noodles

12 oz flank steak, trimmed

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Cooking spray

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion

1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced

1/2 habanero pepper, minced

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 TB sugar

1 TB fish sauce

12 basil leaves, torn

Instructions:

Cut steak into 1/8-inch-thick slices.Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then place in a ziploc bag. Coat with soy sauce. Marinate for an hour or more.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Coarsely chop noodles.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add beef; sauté 4 minutes.

Combine steak, noodles, lettuce, onion, cucumber, and habanero. Combine juice, sugar, and fish sauce; pour over noodle mixture, tossing gently. Sprinkle with basil.

Caprese Salad

Right now is a great time to get heirloom tomatoes at my farmer's market. These tomatoes (while a bit pricey) come in an array of shapes and colors, some orange, some yellow, and all a little lopsided. :) This post is not so much a recipe, but just basic instructions on how to make a simple caprese salad. You can adjust the servings sizes accordingly, but this is what I did for one lunch sized caprese salad. And look how pretty it is!

Caprese Salad

Ingredients

• Heirloom tomatoes (for one serving, I used 2)
• Mozzarella (3 oz for two tomatoes was my best estimate)
• Fresh basil (one solid basil leaf per tomato slice)
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Sea Salt
• Pepper

Directions

Thickly slice the tomatoes and mozzarella, stacking as shown with a basil leaf. Sprinkle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over top (I did about half a teaspoon of each). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve.

I'm making this again this weekend. Makes a truly delightful weekend lunch.

Grilled Peach, Prosciutto, and Goat Cheese Salad

Peaches are in season right now and should be for the next few weeks. The markets in my neighborhood are overrun with them, so I plan to take advantage over the next few weeks and try to cook with peaches. And in an effort to try and stay health, a peach cobbler will not be one of my endeavors. This salad was very easy to make and the sweetness of the peaches was a perfect blend with the saltiness of the prosciutto and goat cheese.

Grilled Peach, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 TB honey

3 peaches, pitted and each cut into 6 wedges

Cooking spray

1 TB extravirgin olive oil

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Dash of kosher salt

10 cups trimmed arugula (about 10 oz)

2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch strips

2 TB crumbled goat cheese

Directions:

Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer until vinegar is reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in honey. Cool to room temperature.

Prepare grill to high heat. I used a grill pan because sadly (tear) I have no grill. Place peach wedges on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 30 seconds on each side or until grill marks appear but peaches are still firm. Remove from grill; set aside.

Combine oil, pepper, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add arugula, tossing gently to coat. Arrange arugula mixture on a platter. Top with peach wedges and prosciutto. Drizzle with balsamic syrup; sprinkle with cheese.

German-style Potato Salad

In a few days, we'll be celebrating our nation's birthday. In addition to blatant displays of patriotism and fireworks in the air, a large amount of tube meat, desserts and side salads will be on display across the country. I plan to spend the ridiculous heat at a few cookouts and at a Nationals game. I'll be making dishes for those events later this week, but for now, here is a lighter version of a traditional German-style potato salad which you might like to make for your festivities this week. There are all sorts of potato salads out there, but I tend to like the vinegar-based types. Plus with the heat (we're expecting 97 degrees in DC for the 4th) I feel a bit more comfortable avoiding mayo.

Now, this is a Cooking Light recipe and it uses minimal fat to cook, keeping the calories and fat levels down. However, this recipe says it serves 6. And I call bullshit on that. I think what they say is 6 people, is more like 3-4 friends of mine. So adjust accordingly.

German-style Potato Salad (serves 6...toddlers)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb fingerling potatoes (I used red potatoes)
• 2 slices center-cut bacon
• 1 TB olive oil
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 TB cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions

Directions:

Place a saucepan filled two-thirds with water over high heat. Cut potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Add potatoes to pan; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook 5 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Cook bacon over medium-high until crisp; crumble. Add olive oil to drippings in pan. ­Return pan to medium-high. Add brown sugar, minced garlic, and Dijon; cook 1 minute. Add vinegar; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in pepper and salt. Combine sugar mixture, potatoes, and green onions. Top with bacon and mix.

Chopped Cherry Chicken Salad

As I mentioned earlier this week, I wanted to keep things simple this week. My refrigerator/freezer crapped out on me a week ago so I lost a lot of my pre-made meals and other goodies when my freezer thawed out. Fortuantely it has since been repaired, but this is the type of week I would have relied on my pre-cooked meals to get through. Lots of work, social events and travel make it hard to commit to cooking as much as usual. So in the spirit of my friend Nick's cookbook (available for sale on Amazon...check out www.macheesmo.com for more information), I took a rotisserie chicken and repurposed it another way. This recipe is one of four chicken salad variations that Nick includes in his book. My apologies for the less than appetizing photo, but I swear it was very tasty! :)

Chopped Cherry Chicken Salad (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups shredded chicken
• 2/3 cup of greek yogurt (Nick used mayo, this was my variation)
• 1 cup dried cherries, chopped
• 1 cup walnut or pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup shallot, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 TB fresh tarragon or thyme
• 2 TB apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Toss everything together and taste. Seriously, chicken salad is ridiculously easy.