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Monday's Leftovers: Frisée Salad With Bacon and Dates

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:45:24 -0800

The (Super Bowl) party's over, and your stomach's really taken one for the team - it's still reeling from the buffalo wings and peanut butter brownies that you scarfed down.

If you've got leftover bacon, use it to accent the flavor on a leafy Winter salad. With its ruffled frisée leaves, peppery red onion, crunchy walnuts, and tart sherry vinegar, this refreshing salad might be the antidote you were looking for after a weekend of big league eating.

To make the recipe, read more.

Frisée Salad With Bacon And Dates
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

3 bacon slices, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons honey, divided
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 large head of frisée, torn (about 4 cups)
2 1/2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (about 1/2 of 5-ounce log), crumbled
1/3 cup walnut halves

Directions

Cook bacon in heavy small skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings in skillet.
Add olive oil, 3 teaspoons honey, dates, and onion to skillet. Stir in vinegar. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Place frisée in medium bowl; add dressing and toss. Divide salad between 2 plates. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts.

Serves 2.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Frisée With Potatoes and Eggs

partysugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:45:56 -0700

Eating this uncomplicated, vegetarian meal is like taking a trip to the French countryside. With its crisp potatoes and oozing egg, this salad is simple, elegant, and pure deliciousness. Feel free to substitute your favorite green for the frisée. Serve with rustic, crusty bread and a French white wine for an enlightening experience.

To look at the recipe - which also makes a beautiful brunch - read more.

Frisée With Potatoes and Eggs
From Domino

Ingredients

12 new potatoes, quartered
2 heads garlic, peeled (about 20 cloves)
½ cup plus 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
kosher salt
4 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. red-wine vinegar
4 eggs
8 cups bite-size pieces of frisée (about 3 to 4 small heads), rinsed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°. Toss potatoes, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt on a sheet pan, then spread in a single layer. Bake 25 minutes without turning, and remove from oven.
Meanwhile, whisk together mustard, lemon juice and vinegar in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in ½ cup olive oil.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Crack 2 eggs into the pan, and cook without touching until the whites have just set and the edges are crispy and browned. Remove with a spatula, and place on the sheet pan with the potatoes to keep warm (they will continue to cook). Sprinkle with kosher salt. Repeat with remaining eggs.
Toss frisée with the vinaigrette, and divide among four plates. Place a heap of potatoes and garlic on each salad. Top with a fried egg.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Bacon-Wrapped Tuna Steaks with Frisée Avocado Salad

partysugar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:18:31 -0800

Wrapping meat, poultry, or fish in bacon is a wonderful way to add smoky flavor and ensure moistness. Tuna cooks well with this technique because it's a fatty, firmer fish. Arranged over a salad of frisée and avocado, and dressed with a simple vinaigrette, this bacon wrapped tuna is delicious. It is effortless and easy to assemble, making it a succulent option for tonight's dinner. To get the recipe, read more.

Bacon-Wrapped Tuna Steaks with Frisée Avocado Salad
From Food and Wine magazine

4 slices smoked bacon
One 1-pound tuna steak, 1 inch thick, cut into 4 pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 head frisée, torn into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)
2 Hass avocados, thinly sliced

Lay the bacon strips on a cutting board and place a piece of tuna in the center of each; season with salt and pepper. Fold the bacon around the tuna and secure with toothpicks.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the tuna and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until the bacon is crisp and the tuna is still pink inside, about 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Toss in the frisée and avocados and transfer to plates.
Remove the toothpicks from the tuna and cut each piece in half. Arrange the tuna over the frisée and serve right away, drizzling any remaining dressing left in the bowl over the fish.

Serves 4.

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Do You Like Bitter Greens (Frisee, Baby Arugula, Etc)?

partysugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 07:11:39 -0700

Image Source

Definition: Frisee

partysugar — Wed, 23 May 2007 13:01:18 -0700

Frisee
A green leafy vegetable with pale, delicate, slender leaves that range in color from light yellow-white to yellow-green. The feathery, mildly bitter vegetable is often used in salad mixes. Purchase crisp frisee with no signs of wilting, refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to 5 days and rinse clean just before using.

Healthy Fast Salad With Lentils For Dinner

partysugar — Tue, 22 May 2007 07:58:32 -0700

Dried beans might not come to mind when you are looking for an easy meal to feed your family, however lentils are a great source of protein and cook in under a half an hour. During the warmer months I often make large dinner salads because they are crisp, healthy, and can be thrown together in a short amount of time. For tonight's dinner make this lentil salad with bacon, sauteed onions and carrots, and a red wine mustard vinaigrette. Sound good? Want the recipe? Well, read more

Lentil Salad with Bacon and Frisee
From Everyday Food magazine

1 pound dried lentils
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh dill, picked from thick stems, or more to taste
2 bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 cups frisee or baby lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

In a medium saucepan, combine lentils and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until lentils are tender but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, cook bacon over medium-low heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
Add onion and carrots to rendered fat in skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, 15 minutes.
Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, Dijon, and oil; season with salt and pepper.
Combine frisée and 1/3 of the dressing in another bowl; toss to coat. Add lentils, onion mixture, and bacon to bowl with remaining dressing; toss to coat.
To serve, divide frisée among salad plates; top with lentil salad.

Serves 4.

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Let's Dish: Hell's Kitchen the Season Finale

partysugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:05:37 -0700

Last night on Hell's Kitchen, Christina and Petrozza faced off in a culinary showdown. Each had to run the pass, manage their team, and control the quality of the food. It was fun to see the old contestants up to their usual antics in the kitchen and it was lovely to hear the kind words Gordon Ramsay had to say about the final two.

To chat about the finale and the (spoiler alert!) winner, read more.

Were you surprised Petrozza picked Jen?
Who had the stronger team?
Whose restaurant design did you prefer: Christina's elegant bistro or Petrozza's rustic clubroom?
Were you shocked when Jen asked Chef Ramsay for a letter of recommendation?
Whose menu was more exciting?
Didn't Petrozza's lobster strudel look unappetizing?
Who was worse in the kitchen, Matt or Jen?
Was it just me or was the ending, totally climatic anti-climatic?
Did Christina deserve to win?
Did you get emotional when Ramsay hugged loser Petrozza?
Overall, what did you think of this season?

Oh Gordon, I will miss spending my Tuesday nights with you! Here are some of my favorite Ramsayisms from the season finale:

On Petrozza's appetizers: We can't run out of strudel and the frisee salad! We can't take two of the appetizers off. This is your f**king night you.
On Christina's slow kitchen: Look all this food over here! Come on now we're backed up now. Christina step up please, yes?
On Matt's monkfish: It's raw in the middle! Matt how can you do that to her? I can't stand here and let that go! You're f**king useless, come here you listen to me f**k face. Would you mind shutting the f**k up and concentrate, yes?
On Christina's control of her team: Hey look at me right now. You have one awkward fish in your kitchen. Organize it!
On ending HK: I feel like I've been on a roller coaster for the last 3 months. Out of all of the seasons this has been the most crazy ride. But now its time for me to get the f**k out of Hell's Kitchen.

Photos courtesy of Fox.

Theirs vs Mine: Crostini with Creamy Ricotta and Chorizo

partysugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:00:37 -0700

A couple weeks ago my dad surprised me with a gift of delicious Spanish chorizo. When he gave it to me, I knew exactly what dish I had to make: a crostini appetizer I saw in a recent issue of Food & Wine magazine. In the appetizer, a thick, crisp piece of sourdough is topped with pillows of creamy ricotta, spicy sautéed chorizo, and tangy balsamic red onion slices. Their version tops the hearty dish with frisee, but my local market didn't have any. No matter, it was still to die for! The recipe has you drain the ricotta overnight, but I didn't do that either. I simply drained it while I assembled the rest of the appetizer. The final dish is insanely good, next time I have to make it for dad! To take a look at how it's done, read more.

Crostini with Creamy Ricotta and Chorizo
From Food & Wine magazine

Ingredients

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Six 1/2-inch-thick slices of Italian peasant bread
2 small garlic cloves, 1 minced
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 small dry chorizo (about 3 ounces), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 small head of frisée, tender white and light green leaves only*

Directions

Put the ricotta in a fine sieve set over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Discard the liquid in the bowl.
Wipe out the bowl, add the thickened ricotta and stir in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat a grill pan. Lightly brush both sides of the bread slices with oil and grill, turning once, until toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer the toasts to a platter and rub them with the whole garlic clove.
In a small bowl, toss the red onion with 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar and let stand for 10 minutes; drain the onion, discarding the vinegar.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, boil the remaining 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar until reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 5 minutes.
In a medium skillet, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil with the minced garlic, chorizo, tarragon and parsley. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
Spread the ricotta on the toasts and top with the warm chorizo. Garnish with the frisée and pickled onions. Drizzle with the reduced balsamic vinegar and serve.

Serves 6.

*My local grocery store was all out of frisée, so I simply omitted it from the recipe.

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National Pistachio Day

partysugar — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 00:08:13 -0800

It's time to go nuts: today is National Pistachio Day! Pistachio nuts, according to FitSugar and Mireille Guillano (the author of French Women Don't Get Fat) are a great-on-the-go snack food. I always have a baggy of nuts in my desk at work, and in my car for an emergency hunger attack. They are loaded with good fat and a serving of pistachios is 45-47 nuts so you can have a few handfuls. Pistachios also are great incorporated into all types of recipes from appetizers to desserts. The California Pistachio Commission has put together a brochure of recipes featuring pistachio recipes from the nation's top chefs, including Tyler Florence's pistachio meringues and Sheila Lukins' pistachio frisee salad. I've found a super yummy super quick appetizer/snack recipe that pairs pistachios with brie. To take a bite, read more

Brie and Pistachios
From The California Pistachio Commission

8 ounces softened Brie (Camembert cheese can also be used)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, roasted/salted California pistachios
1 loaf French bread baguette, sliced

Generously spread softened Brie cheese on wedge-shaped slices of French bread baguette.
Top with chopped California pistachios for an elegant, yet simple appetizer or snack.

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