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Wintery Side: Leafy Green Salad

partysugar — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 04:18:39 -0800

A large bowl filled with leafy green salad is a great way to brighten up a drab dining table. Celery and apple add crunch, while shaved parmesan gives a smooth and salty bite. The classic cider shallot vinaigrette is mild, making this salad good for a potluck or holiday dinner. It pairs with a variety of things from hearty lasagna to oysters to steak and potatoes. Get the versatile recipe now, read more

Winter Green Salad
From Bobby Flay

1 small head escarole, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 Belgian endive, leaves separated
2 celery stalks, cut on the diagonal into thin slices
1 Granny Smith apple, halved cored and thinly sliced
Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, for garnish
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 shallot, finely diced
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine greens, celery, apples, and cheese in a large bowl.
Whisk together both vinegars and the shallot. Slowly whisk in the oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Toss the salad ingredients with some of the vinaigrette.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: Girls Winter Weekend - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:00:26 -0800

This weekend I've invited my seven very best friends to join me at my vacation house in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We'll watch movies, go wine tasting in Murphys, and indulge in nonstop good eats. Naturally I'm planning the menu. Two of my gal pals are pesceterians (they don't eat meat, but will consume seafood), so the food will be vegetarian-friendly. After the long car ride to the cabin, the girls will be hungry for a hearty, soothing meal. An Italian-style vegetable soup served with olive cheese bread is filling and scrumptious. The following morning we'll eat store-bought bagels and cream cheese before we hit up the local wineries for lunch. Saturday night will be "make your own pizza" night.

Each girl can grab a ball of Trader Joe's pizza dough and choose from a variety of toppings - crumbled sausage, prosciutto, caramelized onions, pesto, kalamata olives, mushrooms, roasted red peppers - to make an individual pie. A simple green salad with Dijon vinaigrette finishes up the menu.

Sunday morning we'll have a leisurely brunch featuring a potato and leek frittata paired with oven-crisped bacon. For these recipes, which are perfect for enjoying with your friends and family on any Winter weekend, read more.

Italian Vegetable Soup
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1 9-oz. package frozen cut green beans
1/2 of a 16-oz. package frozen cauliflower
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup sliced celery (1 stalk)
1/4 cup regular barley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable juice
1/4 cup purchased pesto (optional)
Finely shredded Parmesean cheese (optional)

Directions

In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, place frozen green beans, cauliflower, undrained tomatoes, onion, celery, barley, garlic, and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine vegetable broth and vegetable juice. Pour over vegetable mixture in cooker.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours. If desired, top each serving with pesto and Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6.

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Mixed Green Salad With Tarragon Vinaigrette
From Gourmet

Ingredients

4 teaspoons Sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 lb frisée (French curly endive), torn into bite-size pieces
1 head Boston lettuce (1 lb), torn into bite-size pieces
1 bunch arugula (1/2 lb), coarse stems discarded
1 bunch watercress (1/2 lb), coarse stems discarded

Directions

Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Whisk in tarragon.
Toss greens with dressing in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 8.

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Yukon Gold Potato, Leek, and Fromage Blanc Frittata
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled (3/4 pound)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks, white and tender green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 large eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
4 ounces fromage blanc or crumbled feta cheese (1 cup)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°.
In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly, then cut into 1/2-inch dice.
In a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet, melt the butter. Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 4 minutes.
Add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and season with salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over the leeks and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes without stirring.
Dollop the fromage blanc or sprinkle the feta cheese over the leeks and potatoes.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the eggs are just set in the center, about 18 minutes. Slide the frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 8.

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In Season: Sweet Limes

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 05:50:06 -0800

Although the assortment of produce seems to be more varied when the weather is warmer, I encountered an unusual fruit on a recent trip to the farmers market: the sweet lime. Also referred to as a Palestine sweet lime, the citrus fruit is native to India, where it's used medicinally to allay upset stomachs, nausea, and throat infections. It's still somewhat obscure in America, but the hardy lime, which blooms in Winter and Spring, has long been commercially grown in Vietnam, Egypt, along the Mediterranean coastline, and in states such as California and Florida. To learn how sweet limes get their yellow color, read more.

Generally, limes are picked while they're still green, but they actually turn yellowish in color when completely mature. Likewise, green sweet limes, while unoffensive, have yet to reach their full sweetness. Rather than having a high amount of sugar, the fruit contains less acid than ordinary limes, causing it to taste sweeter. Although the fruit's pale yellow flesh is praised for its mildness and palatability, some have described the fruit's taste as insipid due to its complete lack of tartness.

A few ways to use sweet limes:

Make sweet limeade, or add some to your ice water for a refreshing aroma.
Use the fruit's juice to make sweet lime-flavored granita.
Incorporate the fragrant peel into in a homemade marmalade.
Toss into a Winter fruit salad for an unusual bite.
Tone down your cocktails by using in place of sour limes.

If you've ever encountered sweet limes, how do you enjoy them?

Side Salad: Winter Salad of Endive, Pear, and Walnuts

YumSugar — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 00:04:11 -0800

It's easy to forget about salads when, in the winter, I crave hearty, more filling warm dishes. I'm determined to break this habit and make more salads during the cold months. After all, winter salads are a great way to incorporate fresh, local, in season ingredients into any meal. Salads also are a nice vegetarian option for dinner parties. Nuts, fruits, cheeses, warm vinaigrettes, and lesser used greens make salads a very now, very light side. To make one tonight to go along with your robust main, read more

Winter Salad of Endive, Bosc Pear and Roasted Walnuts
From Whole Foods

Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp Chardonnay vinegar
1 tsp honey (optional)
sea salt, to taste
Salad:
8 cups leafy green lettuce leaves, torn
2 Belgian endive, trimmed and thinly sliced
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large Bosc pear
1/2 cup roasted walnut pieces
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix dressing ingredients together and set aside.

Place lettuce, endive and feta cheese in a large salad bowl.

Toss with dressing.

Cut the pear into quarters. Remove the core. Cut each quarter into thin slices and lay decoratively on top of salad.

Sprinkle with walnuts.

Just before serving, grind fresh black pepper over the top of the salad.

Serves 6

Substitution: Substitute agave nectar for the honey. Substitute toasted walnut oil for the extra virgin olive oil.

Nutrition Info:
Per Serving (176g-wt.): 230 calories (180 from fat), 19g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 6g protein, 12g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 6g sugar), 15mg cholesterol, 220mg sodium

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Come Party With Me: Winter Wonderland Weekend Getaway - Menu

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 11:59:09 -0800

Just because the holidays are over doesn't mean that I am going to stop planning parties. In fact, to beat the post New Year's blues, I've invited (learn about my invitations) a small group of couples to join me and my husband at the family cabin in the mountains. It's going to be a winter wonderland weekend getaway.

Now you may be wary of hosting this type of party because it lasts a few days and involves several meals, but my fool-proof menu allows you to delight your guests with delicious dishes and still have time for fun. You'll have plenty of time to curl up on the couch with a magazine or hit the slopes for some outdoor excursions. To see my weekend menu, read more

Menu:
The first step to creating a menu that lasts all weekend is to figure out how many meals you will be serving. For this weekend I need to plan Friday's dinner, Saturday's breakfast, lunch & dinner and Sunday's breakfast & lunch - a grand total of six meals. Now take a deep breath and don't get overwhelmed, with the help of your friends, the grocery store, and prep ahead recipes, its perfectly possible to accomplish.

Since we will be traveling by car and arriving on Friday night, I will order several take and bake pizzas from my favorite local pizzeria. Be sure to order for both the vegetarians and the meat lovers. Friday morning before I leave I'll make a batch of homemade croutons and I'll pack a cooler with fresh romaine lettuce. While the pizzas cook, I'll assemble a quick Caesar Salad.

On Saturday morning I'll ask one of the couples to bring the ingredients for breakfast: yogurts, fresh fruit, muffins, bagels, lox, and cream cheese. For lunch on Saturday I'll make a batch of classic Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with an assortment of gourmet cheeses and offer kettle chips on the side. Dinner on Saturday will be the main event with a slow cooked, hearty Irish Beef Stew. I'll ask another couple to bring the fixings for a winter green salad to serve alongside the stew. For dessert, keep it easy and make Banana Splits, one for each couple to share.

On Sunday we will go out to breakfast brunch and I'll give my guests Tuna Sandwiches and Ginger Peanut Pasta Salad to savor in their cars on the ride home, with store bought chocolate chip cookies from the local bakery for dessert.

Drinks:
On Friday night I'll serve beer and both red (Barbera or Chianti) and white (Sauvignon Blanc) wines to accompany the pizzas. Saturday morning I'll serve Mimosa for anyone interested and in the afternoon I'll make Irish Coffee and Hot Chocolate spiked with peppermint schnapps (if they want it). Saturday evening with the stew, an Argentine Malbec (red wine) is the only way to go. For a specialty cocktail I'll make a Snow Drop.

Think my menu lacks one of your culinary masterpieces that screams winter wonderland getaway? Tell me about it by adding your recipes to the recipe database.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's Come Party With Me when I'll be highlighting my decoration plan for this party.

Soup's On: Lentil Soup

partysugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:48:31 -0800

The other day, when I asked my sister what kind of soup she wanted for dinner, she quickly replied lentil. I researched some recipes and started chopping vegetables. Later when we sat down to dinner I realized she was only kidding! Luckily the soup was hearty and delicious and my entire family enjoyed it. The original recipe has you puree the soup, but I left it chunky for texture. The croutons add a nice crunch, but don't directly affect the flavor of the soup. Paired with a green salad and a glass of red wine, this is one excellent Winter meal. To see how I made it, read more.

Lentil Soup
From Food & Wine magazine

1 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
5 ounces Serrano ham or lean bacon*, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 medium leek, white and tender green parts only, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 quarts plus 1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 cups brown lentils (3/4 pound), rinsed and picked over
2 cups firm-textured white bread, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large saucepan, melt the 1 tbsp. of butter in the olive oil.

Add the Serrano ham, onion, leek, and carrot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.

Add the stock and lentils and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Simmer the soup over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, on a baking sheet, toss the diced bread with the melted butter and bake for 8 minutes, or until browned.

Puree the soup in a blender in batches**; transfer the puree to a clean saucepan. Add the cream, bring to a simmer and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with the croutons.

Serves 8.

Make ahead: The soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. The croutons can be kept in an airtight container overnight.

*Sadly I could not find Serrano ham anywhere so I used bacon.
**I opted not to puree the soup.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: 15-Minute Pumpkin Risotto

partysugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:01:33 -0800

Quick and simple, this delicious rice dish comes together in a matter of minutes. Pre-cooked, dried white rice is effortlessly flavored with white wine, pureed pumpkin, and sautéed onion. While the rice stands, throw together a simple green salad to pair on the side. This is a filling, vegetarian meal that warms any cold winter night. To give the recipe a try please, read more.

15-Minute Pumpkin Risotto
From Sunset magazine

1 onion (about 8 oz.), chopped
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 cups precooked dried white rice
About 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and fresh-ground pepper

In a 4- to 5-quart pan, combine onion, butter, and nutmeg. Stir often over high heat until onion is limp, 3 to 4 minutes.
Mix the cornstarch smoothly with a little of the vegetable broth. Add to pan along with remaining broth, wine, pumpkin, and rice.
Stir mixture over high heat until boiling, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover and remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
Stir in 3/4 cup cheese. Sprinkle portions with additional cheese and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 461(16% from fat); FAT 8.3g (sat 4.9g); PROTEIN 16g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; SODIUM 402mg; FIBER 3.2g; CARBOHYDRATE 75g

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