Oldie But Goody Re-post: Urban Solace "Watermelon Salad"

I can't believe its been almost 4 years since I first posted the recipe for this salad, and I am happy announce that Urban Solace restaurant is still around. Their watermelon salad is as popular as ever, but now they only serve it seasonally. So get your butt to the restaurant from mid-May to late summer to taste this divine creation.

For this year's Memorial Day I will be making this salad for my family. I'm very excited because I've been craving it for a while now. The actual salad part is for basically for 2 to 3 servings but the vinaigrette recipe makes about 1-1/2 cups, so you can double the salad part and you'll still have enough vinaigrette! The vinaigrette also tastes good on grilled chicken or lamb. Happy Memorial Day, friends!

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

• 1 Tbsp. minced shallots
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar (I used fig-infused vinegar)
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice (fresh squeezed)
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses (available at specialty stores or middle eastern markets)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup canola oil (I used 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1/2 cup vegetable oil)

DIRECTIONS
Place all ingredients except oil in a blender and puree. Slowly add the oil to make a smooth vinaigrette
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Watermelon Greek Salad (makes one gigantic salad)

• 3 oz. baby spinach or mesclun mix
• 1/4 cup diced tomato
• 1/4 cup diced cucumber
• 2 Tbsp. currants
• 2 Tbsp. toasted pecans or pine nuts, chopped
• A few thin slices of red onion
• 1 cup watermelon, cubed
• 2 oz. crumbled feta
• 1/4 cup pomegranate vinaigrette, or more to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a salad bowl, pour 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette then add the rest of ingredients, except the pecans. Top with another 1/4 cup of vinaigrette (or to taste) then gently toss, making sure everything gets a little coating of the dressing. Serve the salad, and sprinkle the the toasted pecans.

Gin and Tonic Wilted Spinach Salad

I finally was able to get out of the house and go to a cooking class. Not that I don't love being home with my baby, but since I'm solo parenting it's tough leaving my girl without me not feeling guilty. I went to the Balboa Park Food and Wine school and this was a "cocktail cuisine" class; all our dishes had a cocktail theme to them and were even made with the hard liquor. A note about this recipe is to add the gin to the pan AWAY from the stove and open flame. The chef in our class did it right over the flame to give us a show, but he's a professional. This salad was so delicious, and you don't want to wilt the spinach too much. It's a great starter to any meal.

INGREDIENTS (serves 6)

• 4 cups fresh, cleaned spinach
• 3 strips thick cut bacon
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup gin
• 3 tablespoons tonic water

DIRECTIONS

Cook the bacon in a large saute pan with high sides (3 to 4 inches). When bacon gets to your crispy likeness, remove from pan.  Cut bacon into 2" pieces. Leave bacon grease in the pan.

Heat bacon grease on high and add the mushrooms and sautee for 2 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper.  Add lime juice, gin (away from open flame)  and tonic water and reduce by half.

Finally, add the spinach and wilt. Spin the spinach around the sauce for a minute, then plate immediately and top with crispy bacon and serve.

Watermelon, Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad

Source: http://dragonskitchen.blogspot.com

You're probably wondering why I haven't posted any new recipes, well, blame it on my pregnancy. I'm now almost 36 weeks pregnant and the size of Shamu the whale. My back aches, I'm constantly hot and sweaty, and I haven't seen my toes since July. My cravings are also always changing; one day I'm craving mango sorbet and slices of American cheese, and the next day all I want are black beans and rice. One craving that has not changed, though, is my desire for watermelon. I can't get enough of it and I found this delish recipe from a Canuck foodie. In the original recipe "kumatoes" are used. I have to admit I have no idea what they are. But regular Roma tomatoes or even cherry tomatoes work well with this refreshing dish.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4 to 6)

• 1 English cucumber
• 2 Roma tomatoes (or about 8 Cherry tomatoes)
• 1 seedless watermelon wedge, 5 inches wide
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons mint leaves, shredded
• 2 tablespoons basil leaves, shredded
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta

DIRECTIONS

There is no need to seed or peel the cumbers. Slice cucumber lengthwise then again lengthwise. Finally cut crosswise into chunks, about 1 inch in size. Cut the tomatoes into quarters then cut them in half (if using Cherry tomatoes, only cut them in half). Cut watermelon into the same size chunks as the cucumbers. Place the cucumbers, tomatoes and watermelon into a large bowl and toss gently.

Whisk together vinegar, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Add the mint, basil and feta. Toss gently to combine. Serve at room temperature.

Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing and Toasted Sesame Seeds

As you can see, I haven't been cooking much and that was due to the "sick" I had. But now I'm over it and my appetite is back on...now more than ever specially since I'm almost 7 months pregnant. I'm still having issues with red meat, but I know I need to get protein in my system so I combined the peanut dressing from one recipe with some roasted chicken I had and came up with this salad. The peanut dressing is actually for hot pasta (like spaghetti or fettuccine) and it makes about 2 cups of dressing. Since I only needed a few tablespoons for one salad, I'm saving the leftover so that I can make this Crunch Noodle Salad tomorrow.

INGREDIENTS

• Mixed greens
• Cooked chicken, cut into bite sized chunks
• Peanut dressing (recipe below)
• 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds or chopped peanuts

Peanut Dressing

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey (I added a little more than a tablespoon)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

DIRECTIONS

Make the dressing: Whisk together the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl.

To make salad (for one): place enough mixed greens on plate and top with chopped chicken. Drizzle some of the peanut dressing over the salad then top with toasted sesame seeds or toasted chopped peanuts.

Chicken Paillard with Tomato-Arugula Salad

I realized that I need to start eating more protein because I have a little alien growing inside me that I need to feed. And if she plans on taking over the world, she's gonna need some good nutrition. My cravings and aversions tend to change from week to week, but this week I started craving all things chicken. And it just so happens that I caught an episode of Tyler Florence's Ultimate show where he made chicken paillard and it's surprisingly easy, fast and very tasty. The only thing I changed was the dressing; I made my own vinaigrette instead of making homemade Caesar dressing since I can't have raw egg yolks at this point. I guess paillard is just a fancy word for schnitzel, because the breading is similar, and I think if you serve the chicken paillard with ketchup, even kids will like it!

INGREDIENTS (2 servings)

Chicken:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, whipped slightly with a splash of half and half or milk
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Vinaigrette:

• 1 Tablespoon orange marmalade
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

• 1/2 cup organic grape tomatoes, halved (I used our homegrown tomatoes)
• Fresh baby arugala (enough for two servings)
• Shaved Parmesan, for garnish
• Lemon wedges, for garnish
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

DIRECTIONS

For the chicken: Begin by pounding out the chicken breast gently between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Prepare a breading station with flour, whisked eggs and milk, and panko crumbs. Season all with salt and pepper. Coat the breasts in flour, egg then panko. Lay the coated breasts out on a flat tray and refrigerate to let the crust dry out (about 10 minutes) this will ensure there is less moisture and less chance your coating will break when frying. Shallow fry the paillard in hot oil for approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side depending on how thick the breasts are. Drain well, season with salt and set aside when done. For the vinaigrette: Put the marmalade, cider vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper into a small bowl. While whisking, pour the olive oil in slowly for the dressing to emulsify.

Prepare the salad by splitting the grape tomatoes in half through the middle lengthwise, mixing in arugula in a mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette and toss the salad well. Add more vinaigrette, if needed. Refrigerate the remaining for another day.

To serve lay the warm, crispy chicken paillard on the base of the plate and top with the salad. Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese, a wedge of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil.

Simple Organic Salad

This was my lunch today, and I have to tell you, it was awesome. I went to the Hillcrest farmer's market today and I bought organic, farm fresh mesclun mix (the lettuces that Matt planted are not ready yet) and I made this simple salad today. I guess I was also inspired by Chef Alice Waters because she is a strong advocate for farmer's markets and for sound and sustainable agriculture and I just LOVED her food at Chez Panisse when I was lucky enough to visit last November. The tomatoes are from our garden and they were vine-ripe, and I used one of my fav cheeses, Winey Goat, because this cheese has a rich but smooth goat flavor and an aromatic nose of wine. Wow, I never knew sustainable agriculture would be so good.

INGREDIENTS (1 serving)

• 1 teaspoon red vine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon good extra virgin olive oil
• A nice handful of organic mesclun mix or your favorite lettuces
• 6 cherry tomatoes, preferably from your garden
• a few shavings of Winey Goat cheese or Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl add the vinegar and a pinch of salt and whisk a little. Add the olive oil and keep whisking to combine. Add the mesclun mix, the tomatoes and a few grinds of fresh ground pepper (I added another tiny pinch of salt, too) and gently toss to coat the salad with the vinaigrette. Place on serving plate then top with cheese shavings and enjoy. This tastes great with a lightly grilled (or toasted) piece of crusty French bread.

Southern Egg Salad

Although I'm in my second trimester, my morning sickness came back. I was hoping that it would be over and done with, but I've been reading that some women can have the nausea throughout their entire pregnancy. So why am I telling you this? Because almost every type of protein makes me sick to look at, smell or even think about. Mainly chicken and beef right now, but I can tolerate mild, non-smelly white fish or shrimp. The only protein I'm able to handle right now are soy and eggs. So, at least my baby is getting some good nutrition.

I was craving an egg salad sandwich and I realized that I had never made one. I always buy them at the deli or my mom makes them for me. I don't like egg (or tuna or chicken) salad sandwiches to be too complicated. I like them simple and with just enough mayo. I saw this recipe on PBS and it was quite good. Very simple, very easy, and I bet you have everything in your pantry and fridge right now. I served them with a couple of fresh sherry tomatoes from our garden and it was just the perfect lunch. And the baby liked it very much, too!

INGREDIENTS (serves 1 pregnant lady)

• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon shallot, minced
• 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish, or chopped pickle
• 1/8 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning (I used paprika)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 slices dark bread, such as multi-grain or pumpernickel

DIRECTIONS

1. Place eggs in a small saucepan, and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring water to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Immediately remove from heat, and cover. Let stand 12 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, shallot, relish, and Old Bay Seasoning or paprika. Peel eggs; coarsely chop, and fold into mayonnaise mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes up to 1 day.
3. Top one slice of bread with egg salad and remaining slice of bread and serve with a side of sliced tomatoes or more pickles. YUMMY!

Watermelon Greek Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

I have been craving watermelon a lot...I mean A LOT, but it's still a little pricey over here. I bought a half of a watermelon instead and I just finally had to make this watermelon Greek-style salad. This is my take on Urban Solace's Greek salad they have in their menu during the summer. It is such and incredible salad and if you're ever in the 'hood, you should go to this restaurant and try it out. It's also one of the very few places that serves PBR!

You can use lightly toasted pine nuts, if you prefer, and raisins if you can't find currants. The vinaigrette makes about 1-1/2 cups, which you can use on other salads, and it also tastes good on grilled chicken or lamb.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

• 1 Tbsp. minced shallots
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar (I used fig-infused vinegar)
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice (fresh squeezed)
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses (available at specialty stores or middle eastern markets)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup canola oil (I used 1/2 cup EVOO and 1/2 cup vegetable oil)

DIRECTIONS
Place all ingredients except oil in a blender and puree. Slowly add the oil to make a smooth vinaigrette.

Watermelon Greek Salad (makes one gigantic salad)

• 3 oz. baby spinach or mesclun mix
• 1/4 cup diced tomato
• 1/4 cup diced cucumber
• 2 Tbsp. currants
• 2 Tbsp. toasted pecans or pine nuts, chopped
• A few thin slices of red onion
• 1 cup watermelon, cubed
• 2 oz. crumbled feta
• 1/4 cup pomegranate vinaigrette, or more to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a salad bowl, pour half of the vinaigrette then add the rest of ingredients, except the pecans. Top with remaining vinaigrette then gently toss, making sure everything gets a little coating of the dressing. Serve the salad, and sprinkle the the toasted pecans.

Fruit Salad in Watermelon

On the 4th of July holiday, we were invited to a BBQ in Downtown San Diego near the harbor. It was at a condo with a spectacular view of San Diego Bay. Since it was quite hot that day, I made this simple, yet so refreshing salad for the bbq. I didn't add bananas only because they tend to turn brown and it's not quite appetizing. Also, depending on how sweet your fruit is, you may not need to add the watermelon sauce, but it's up to you. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Watermelon
• 1 Cantaloupe or Afghani Melon
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• 1 can of pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 can of fruit salad cocktail, drained

DIRECTIONS

Cut a large watermelon in half lengthwise, scallop edges if you want it to look pretty. Scoop out watermelon with a melon baller. Return balls to hollow shell. Add cantaloupe balls, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple chunks, and fruit cocktail. Pour sauce over fruits and mix well. Chill, covered. This is great for barbecues.

WATERMELON SAUCE

• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. fresh orange juice
• 4 tbsp. honey

DIRECTIONS

Mix together ingredients together and pour over fruit salad.

Watermelon Tapas with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

I got the vinaigrette recipe from the Urban Solace restaurant here in San Diego, but the tapa was totally my concoction. It's basically a take on Jose Andre's take on Ferran Adrià's tomato and watermelon skewers. Since I didn't have the patience to dissect the tomatoes and make "fillets" as it's required for his recipe, I took a short cut and created this tapa instead.

INGREDIENTS

• 10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
• Seedless watermelon, cut into 2" cubes (about 20)
• 1/4" thick cubes of queso panela
• toothpicks
• Pomegranate vinaigrette (recipe below)

DIRECTIONS

Skewer together 1 piece each of watermelon, tomato and cheese with a toothpick and arrange in a platter. Drizzle the pomegranate vinaigrette over the tapas. Serve with some vinaigrette on the side. You can also use the vinaigrette in any salad and it also tastes great in the gorgonzola, pear and pecan salad.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

• 1 Tbs minced shallots
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbs Sherry Vinegar
• 2 Tbs lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
• 2 Tbs lime juice (fresh squeezed)
• 1 Tbs honey
• 2 Tbs pomegranate molasses (available at specialty stores or middle eastern markets)
• 1 tsp ground coriander seed
• 1 tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup canola oil

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients except oil in a blender and puree. Slowly add the oil to make a smooth vinaigrette. Great on salads, chicken, grilled lamb or as a dipping sauce for a great summer veggie platter.

Gorgonzola, Pecan and Pear Salad

This may not be the best salad ever, but it's darn close! This salad is like a good movie: it's got drama (the gorgonzola cheese), it's a tear-jerker (the red onions), it's got action (the caramelized pecans) and, of course, it's got laughter (the dried cranberries). I highly suggest you buy all the ingredients at Henry's Marketplace (or at a Whole Foods or co-op grocery) because it's cheaper to buy the pecans and dried cranberries in bulk there. Also, I assume that in any normal household this salad would feed 6 people, but in my world, we ate the entire thing up between 4 people. Go figure!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bag of Spring Mix salad mix
• 3 oz. crumbled gorgonzola cheese (or more, depending on your taste)
• 6 to 8 thin red onion slices
• 1 Anjou or Bosc pear
• A good handful of dried cranberries (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup of whole pecan
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Bottle of Henry's Raspberry vinaigrette or your favorite raspberry vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS

In a large salad bowl, add the entire bag of spring mix. Place rings of red onion over the salad, then sprinkle the gorgonzola cheese over it. Cut the pear in slices, lengthwise, and add to salad, then add the cranberries on top of that. Set aside.

In a small non-stick skillet, add the pecans and heat on low. Keep toasting pecans on low for about 5 to 7 minutes. Raise heat to medium and add the brown sugar and butter to pecans. Let it all melt and keep toasting and cooking until all sugar is melted, about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly, then add the pecans over the entire salad and serve with the vinaigrette on the side.

Deconstructed Niçoise Salad

They say that we eat with our eyes first, that's why it's important to serve food that is appealing to the eye...but sometimes it's difficult making food look pretty, like salads, for example. I'm not a big salad eater mainly because it's usually just a mishmash of a bunch of veggies and lettuces mixed together and it's not really a good looking dish. But after visiting Bite restaurant in San Diego, I tried their deconstructed nicoise salad and not only was it delicious, it was probably one the prettiest salads I've ever had.

INGREDIENTS (makes 4 servings)

• 12 fingerling potatoes, or 6 to 8 small new potatoes
• 1/2 pound green beans
• 2 cups arugula or baby greens
• 8 red cherry or red plum tomatoes, cut in half
• 3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
• 1/2 cup black olives
• 10 oz. sashimi grade yellow fin tuna
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

VINAIGRETTE

• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic, smashed with salt until paste
• Pepper to taste
• 9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and add a heavy pinch of salt. Simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and done. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon and let them cool completely. Add the green beans into the same pot of boiling water and bring to a boil again. Simmer for 2 minutes then drain green beans and let cool room temperature. Drizzle the potatoes with a little olive oil so they don't dry out.

Drizzle the sesame oil over tuna. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pat down the sesame seeds all over the tuna. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.

When ready to cook, heat a cast iron skillet or heavy bottom skillet on medium high. Add 1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil and as soon as it lightly smokes, place the tuna on skillet. Let it sear for 20 seconds, then turn and sear second side for another 20 seconds. Keep doing this until all sides of tuna are seared. The entire searing time should not take longer than 90 seconds. Remove and let it cool slightly. Wrap in plastic wrap and place back in fridge. About 15 minutes before serving, take seared tuna out of fridge and slice into 1/4" slices.

Vinaigrette: In a bowl, whisk together white wine, Dijon, garlic, and pepper. Drizzle in olive oil while whisking constantly. Drizzle the arugula or baby greens with 1 tablespoon of dressing and set aside.

To plate: In four plates (preferably rectangular and white) uniformly distribute black olives, then fingerling potatoes, dressed arugula, sliced seared tuna, green beans, sliced hard boiled eggs, and sliced tomatoes. Drizzle the green beans with the dressing. Sprinkle a little paprika over hard boiled eggs, and sprinkle salt and pepper over tomatoes and serve with a side of the dressing. I suggest a buttery champagne, such as Cremant de Bourgogne Rosé or even Korbel Brut for this fabulous dish!

Asian Steak and Noodle Salad

Mise-en-place is my new favorite culinary term. I never knew that that's what I did pretty much every time I cooked; basically it means to have all your ingredients chopped and ready to go before you even begin to cook, this way your cooking is more enjoyable and you can finish fast. Mise-en-place is specially necessary when cooking any type of Asian dishes, as most of them are cooked quickly. You can lallygag a little with this recipe as the salad tastes better at room temperature or even cold. Mmmm....

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

For steak

• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• 1 lb flank steak

For salad

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 1 thinly sliced shallot
• 8 oz dried vermicelli rice-stick noodles
• 1 medium Granny Smith apples
• Baby lettuce salad mix (enough for two portions)
• About 6 fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces if large
• About 6 fresh Thai basil leaves, torn into pieces if large
• 1/4 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Marinate and grill steak: Whisk together fish sauce, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Pour marinade into a large sealable plastic bag. Pat steak dry and place in bag, then press out excess air and seal bag. Turn bag over 2 or 3 times to coat meat, then place in a shallow dish (in case of leaks) and chill at least 4 hours and up to 8. Bring steak to room temperature 30 minutes before grilling.

Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas). Remove steak from marinade (discard marinade) and pat dry with paper towels. Grill, uncovered unless using a gas grill, over direct heat, turning over once, until medium-rare, 12 to 14 minutes total. Note: I cooked my steak over the stove to medium rare.

Transfer steak to a cutting board and let stand, uncovered, about 15 minutes.

Assemble salad while steak rests: Whisk together lime juice, water, sugar, fish sauce, and red-pepper flakes in a bowl until sugar is dissolved, then stir in shallots.

Cook noodles in a 5-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water and drain well. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of dressing. Working around core of each apple, cut thin slices (about 1/8 inch thick) with slicer, then stack slices. Cut slices lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide matchsticks.

Combine apples, greens, mint and basil in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of dressing and toss well to coat.

Thinly slice steak across the grain.

Arrange noodles on a large platter and mound greens on top of noodles. Arrange steak slices on greens and sprinkle with peanuts. Serve at room temperature with remaining dressing on the side. Modified recipe from Gourmet, June 2006

Beet Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

I've been in a cooking funk lately, most likely because I've been putting in many hours at work and because Matthew is spoiling me everyday! Anyhoo, I wanted to try something totally new with beets. Yes, my darlings, lovely, crimson colored root beets. I really love the flavor of these herbaceous biennials especially after you roast them and all their natural sugars caramelize. But another reason I wanted to try beets, was because I also had recently bought pomegranate molasses and I had no idea what to do with it. Then, by pure luck I watched a food tv show where pomegranate molasses was used on beets, so I said, what the heck, I'll give it a try!

The first thing you do is get yourself two or three large beets, scrub them clean and peel their outer skin. Place them in a foil packet with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and roast on 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Once they are done, let them cool completely. Slice them into 1/8" slices (be careful because their intense beet juice can stain your clothes) and place them in the fridge to cool down more.

In the meantime, gather the rest of your ingredients:

• Pomegranate molasses
• Microgreens, such as alfalfa or bean sprouts (or for a spicy kick, try radish sprouts)
• Olive oil
• Ricotta cheese
• toasted pistachios

To assemble: Place 3 or 4 slices of beets, slightly overlapping each other, on a plate. Drizzle a little olive oil and pomegranate molasses over them. In a small bowl, mix the microgreens with a tiny bit of salt and pepper and a little olive oil. Toss lightly. Place a small mound of the microgreens over the beets. Then add a few balls of ricotta cheese (you can easily form them with your hands). Lastly, add a few pistachios, drizzle a little more pomegranate molasses over salad and serve.

Balsamic Red Onion Salad

Lately, I've been eating a lot of beef and once in a while is nice to just have a big salad for dinner. I found this recipe when I was looking for a marinated balsamic onion recipe for tapas. I suppose if you really want meat, you can also toss in chunks of grilled meat or leftover chicken, but this is a very delicious simple salad. I sprinkled a little bit of toasted walnuts on my salad and used herbed feta and it was still nummy!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 - 6 medium-sized red onions, peeled and cut into quarters
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• lettuce mix
• feta cheese, crumbled
• olive oil for drizzling

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 300ºF.

Place the cut onions into a baking dish, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, a little brown sugar and season with salt and pepper. Bake covered for 45 minutes.

Remove cover and bake for a further 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely at room temperature.

Toss with salad greens and crumbled feta. Before serving, drizzle with a little olive oil.

Caprese Salad

Ah, summer is almost here and I'm beginning to see my favorite fresh fruits and vegetables at the store. I recently found huge organic beefsteak tomatoes and I just had to buy one. But instead of making some fancy shmancy recipe with it, I made my favorite, most simple recipe: caprese salad. If you can't find fresh buffalo mozzarella just fresh regular cow's milk mozzarella will work fine. You can serve this as an appetizer, but I usually eat the entire salad myself for lunch or dinner.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 beefsteak tomato
• 3 oz fresh mozzarella (use fresh buffalo mozzarella, if you can find it)
• 5 leaves fresh basil
• Pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh parsely, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Slice the tomato to about 1/4 inch thickness and arrange on plate. Slice the mozzarella about the same width and layer it between the tomatoes. Arrange the basil between the layers of cheese and tomato. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the fresh parsely and serve.

Easy Greek Salad

YAY! Our camera was found at Matt's Bar in Minneapolis, home of the "Juicy Lucy." Anyhoo, sorry I haven't posted any new recipes, but all my pics are on that darn tootin' camera. Once it's back here with its mama, I'll put up a whole bunch of new recipes I learned while I was in Minnesota. In the meantime, here is a super easy and very good Greek salad. And I bet if you look in your fridge right now, you may just have all the ingredients to make it...go on, go look.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and extra for garnish
• 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• ¼ red onion, sliced into rings
• ½ cucumber, sliced into thick half-moons
• ½ green bell pepper, julienned
• 4 oz (120g) feta cheese, cut into small cubes
• 16 kalamata olives

DIRECTIONS

Place the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano in a small jar with a screw-top lid and shake to combine.

Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine just before serving. Garnish with a little freshly ground black pepper.