Archive for the 'Salad' Category

Grilled Peach Salad with Pecans, Goat Cheese & Mint

Published on July 14, 2011 in Salad and Vegetarian. 2 Comments

As you’d probably guess, the Food Network is one of my favorite channels.  Sure, I have my favorite shows/hosts (Giada, Barefoot, Bobby), but I’ll pretty much watch anything.  A few weekends ago I was watching Melissa d’Arabian make pavlova with berries and she said, “…if fruit isn’t cheap, you shouldn’t be using it.”  Well, I’d expect her to say that considering her show is Ten Dollar Dinners.  But on second thought, she makes a good point.  If fruit is cheap, it’s probably in season.  And if it’s in season, it’s probably pretty darn good :) .

Here’s a tip – right now, peaches are cheap.  I’m talkin’ 99 cents per lb. cheap, and that works for me.  So what do you do when you have a bizzilion peaches and you just can’t eat one more plain?  Grill those babies and put them in a salad!  Below is a recipe for what I promise will be one of the best salads of your life – sweet grilled peaches, toasty pecans, creamy goat cheese and fresh mint.  There are a few steps, but its easy nonetheless.  So head to your Stop & Shop, Shaws or farmer’s market – you now have a plan for those cheap peaches :) .

Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

  • 4 peaches, cut into slices
  • 3/4 cup pecans
  • 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • 1 head green leaf lettuce or 2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon chopped mint

Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 4 grinds of the pepper mill (so scientific ;) )
  • 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon EVOO

 

Directions:

  1. Heat a grill pan to medium heat.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray and grill the peaches for 1.5 min on each side (you want nice grill marks).
  2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet to low heat and toast the pecans for 2 min.  Pay attention because these will burn if you leave them.  Once cooled, chop into large pieces.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients of the dressing, then stream in the EVOO until emulsified.
  4. In a large salad bowl, layer the chopped lettuce, toasted pecans, crumbled goat cheese, peaches and mint.  Drizzle with the dressing, toss and serve.

Bon appetit!

- Christina

Fourth of July Crowd Pleasers

Published on July 1, 2011 in Appetizer, Chicken, Dessert, Holiday, Salad, Seafood and Soup. 1 Comment

It’s almost time to set off those fireworks!  The 4th is by far one of my favorite holidays – there’ nothing like the smell of the grill, warm sunshine on my skin and being surrounded by family and friends.  I’ll be bopping around this weekend – cooking (of course) and hoping to get in a little beach time as well.
With BBQ’s and parties right around the corner, I’ve put together a tasty compilation of celebratory treats.   What are you up to for the holiday?  Any special dishes you’re planning to make?

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appetizers:

Grilled Pineapple & Mango Salsa

Hummus with Veggie Crudites

Pineapple Guacamole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salads:

Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad

Carrot & Black Bean Salad with Mint & Feta

Sauteed Shrimp & Corn Salad

Blueberry Pecan Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mains:

Honey Lime Chicken

Mediterranean Haddock in Parchment

Greek Chicken Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

Caprese Baked Chicken

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Desserts:

Peach Cobbler

Monkey Bars

S’mores Cheesecake Bars

 

Happy 4th!

-Christina

Orange & Red Onion Salad

Published on January 7, 2011 in Salad. 0 Comments

TGIF!  I don’t know about you, but this week FLEW by!  Maybe because it was my first full week back after vacation, maybe because everyone is still getting back into the swing of things – regardless, Friday, I welcome you :) .

I hate the cold.  I go skiing once a year and partake in no other ‘winter sport’ (when watching me try to ice skate, fits of laughter will ensue).  Jackets are bulky.  Heat costs go through the roof.  I’m shocked shoveling wasn’t used as torture in the middle ages.  No, winter and I are not the best of friends, but until my nearest and dearest move south or west, I’m kickin’ here.  Like many New Englanders, all I want to do in the coldest of months is eat mac ‘n cheese, drink hot chocolate and indulge in the latest Jersey Shore marathon, couch-side.  It can definitely be hard to remember to eat veggies (especially ones that aren’t covered in cheese, cream or bread crumbs).  So here’s to making vegetables more exciting in early 2011! :)   To accompany my turkey chili over the weekend, I made a simple orange and red onion salad, bursting with freshness.  Spicy red onion coupled with zesty citrus flavors kept me coming back for seconds and thirds.  This salad is just as lovely on a cold winter night as it is on a summer’s day.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 large orange, peeled and segmented; zest 1/2 of peel (great tutorial on segmenting citrus from Our Best Bites)
  • 2 tablespoons EVOO
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, segmented orange and red onion slices.
  2. In a separate bowl or dressing container, combine orange zest, lime juice and S&P.  Stream in EVOO, whisking to emulsify.
  3. Pour dressing over salad, toss and serve.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Favorite Recipes of 2010

Published on December 31, 2010 in Appetizer, Chicken, Dessert, Holiday, Lifestyle and Salad. 1 Comment

T-minus 13 hours until 2011 – can you believe it?  2010 flew by but it was filled with many wonderful trips, experiences and a heck of a lotta good food :) .  In 2010 I started this blog :) , celebrated a few fun holidays, weekended in ME, had a blast at my family reunion in Canada, entered a Salsa Showdown and a Cookie Bake-off, hiked & stayed in the White Mountains, N.H., learned about organics and sustainable food at the Boston Local Food Fest, saw Bobby Flay cook live in Washington, D.C. and thoroughly enjoyed cooking & baking for family and friends…what a year!

Of those that I’ve posted (yes, some just don’t make it on here for one reason or another), here are my top five favorite recipes for 2010…in no particular order:

Carrot & Black Bean Salad with Mint & Feta

Grilled Pineapple & Mango Salsa

Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Blueberry Muffins

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

It’s been a wonderful year cooking & eating!  Here’s to a great 2011!

What was your favorite recipe of 2010?

- Christina

Mother's Day Menu :)

Published on May 10, 2010 in Holiday and Salad. 1 Comment

Hope you had a lovely Mother’s Day.  Yesterday I spent the day with the fam, cooking up a feast for Mom and  can honestly say I spent the entire day in the kitchen!  Of the menu listed below, I’d only made one of the dishes before and wanted to give myself enough time for mistakes, re-dos, etc (thanks to dessert, that time was necessary ;) ).

It was a nice change cooking in my Mother’s kitchen – large counter tops provided ample room, random ingredients came to the rescue more than once and every cooking utensil known to man ensured I was properly armed to make each dish.

After dinner we all gave Mom her cards & gifts, including Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking – a fine addition to her cook book collection.  P.S. Mom – I have my heart set on trying your rendition of Julia’s Beef Bourguignon, so let me know when I should come home to taste test!

On to the menu……

Menu:

  • Blueberry Pecan Salad
  • Brussels Sprouts, Pancetta and Caramelized Onions
  • Rosemary Apricot Pork Tenderloin
  • Chocolate Cups Filled with Raspberry Mousse

I’ll post a separate entry this week for each of the above, beginning today with the Blueberry Pecan Salad.

I first saw this salad on Food Network’s Simply Delicioso with Ingrid Hoffman.  The original recipe is Chicory Salad with Blueberries, Hazelnuts and Aged Manchego.  Honestly I’ve never made the salad as it was actually intended, but have kept the main ingredients while changing up a few things.  For the greens I’ve used spring mix, romaine and Boston/butter lettuce; hazelnuts have been substituded with toasted walnuts and pecans;  and the Manchego cheese has been replaced at times with parmigiano reggiano.  The dressing, a raspberry vinaigrette of sorts, along with the inclusion of blueberries never changes – to me, they’re key to the flavor of the dish.

For yesterday’s salad I chose to use Boston/butter lettuce, toasted pecans and parmigiano reggiano – but feel free to change it up as you wish.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 3/4 cup pecans
  • 1 head Boston/butter lettuce
  • Parmigiano reggiano cheese
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • S&P

Directions:

  1. Rinse the head of lettuce and dry.  You can do this by leaving the lettuce out on paper towels or using a salad spinner like mine from OXO.
  2. In a dry pan, toast pecans over low-med heat for 5 min.  This helps further develop flavor, but keep on eye out because these guys can burn fast! 
  3. In a medium salad bowl, layer lettuce, pecans and blueberries.
  4. For the dressing; in a shallow bowl add honey, mustard, vinegar and S&P then stream in olive oil mixing to combine.  Pour dressing over salad & mix.
  5. Shave parmigiano over salad & serve.

Enjoy!

What did you do this weekend?

-Christina

TGIF Watermelon Salad

Published on May 7, 2010 in Salad and Vegetarian. 5 Comments

Happy Friday!  What a gorgeous week its been – sunshine, warm temps, blue skies.  It’s supposed to cool down a bit in the Bean this weekend, but with 55 at the absolute low, I’ll take it :) .

Last night I tried Allston’s newest Middle Eastern food hot spot, Garlic ‘N Lemons.  It’s officially described as ‘Mediterranean-inspired Lebanese food’ and being 1/2 Lebanese myself, I could not wait for this place to open.  The food is great, people are nice and with counter service only,everything comes out fast.  I’ll have to do a longer post soon with pics & recommendations.  In the meantime, check out the Harvard Ave. restaurant on Facebook and Twitter – they also have a Web site that’s currently under construction.

In other news…Sunday is Mother’s Day!  Have any plans?  I’ll be headed to my parents’ house to make Mom a special dinner (menu cannot be discussed at this time as Mom reads the blog :) , but I’ll do a full recap for Monday).  If you’re in the Boston area and looking to eat out on Sunday,  check out Boston.com’s list of Mother’s Day Brunch options.

In warmer weather I usually crave lighter fare, which is exactly how I was feeling about my lunch for today – a Watermelon Salad with Mint & Feta.  I’d be surprised if you’ve never seen this dish somewhere in the summer, but it’s often made with tomatoes and red onion.  I love both of those veggies, but not with watermelon.  So I guess just choose for yourself – that’s what cooking & eating is all about :) .

Putting the salad together is almost effortless and should be eaten the day of preparation.

Watermelon Salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups watermelon, cubed
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons mint, cut into ribbons
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons crumbled feta
  • Black pepper

Directions:

  • Mix together :)

Enjoy!

ALSO - Just won an AWESOME giveaway!  First blog giveaway win ever :) and it totally made my day.  The official news hasn’t been released to the public quite yet, so I’ll have to update you all on my winnings next week.

Until then….have a GREAT weekend!

- Christina

Carrot & Black Bean Salad with Mint & Feta

Published on April 30, 2010 in Salad, Side Dish and Vegetarian. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Spring has most certainly sprung in Boston!  How fantastic is this warm weather?!?  I love being in the city during the spring, summer and fall….its the brutal winter that gets me every year – but that, my friends, has passed :) .  With sunshine comes bountiful produce and fresh herbs – one of my favorite ingredients for warm weather cooking!

In perusing the blogosphere this week, I saw some great posts on growing your own herb garden.  Store bought herbs can be a little pricey and often go bad within the week, so growing your own is a great option.  Never fear city/apartment dwellers – it is easy peasy to grow your own small garden at home in a windowsill or on a patio/fire escape – check out ‘how-to’s’ from Organic City Girl and Our Best Bites to learn how.  I think this just may be the spring I plant my own :) .

This carrot and black bean salad is one of my favorites; great flavors, light but filling and the perfect accompaniment to any spring/summer menu.  The mint really shines, giving the dish a wonderful freshness and the whole thing comes together in less than 10 min – you can’t beat it.

Could be perfect for a picnic date in Boston Common……just sayin’ ;)

Carrot & Black Bean Salad with Mint & Feta

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 ¼ cups canned black beans, rinsed
  • 2 med plum tomatoes, chopped (sliced cherry tomatoes work well too)
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • Leaves from 5 short stalks of mint (15-20 min leaves), sliced into ribbons
  • Juice of ½ fresh lemon
  • 1 ½ tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
  • S&P

Directions:

  1. Mix all of the ingredients – yep, it’s that easy :) .

* Feel free to make this in advance and leave in the fridge for an hour or so to let the flavors further develop.

Enjoy!

-Christina

Any plans to enjoy the nice weather this weekend???