Selective Palate

So in the spirit of being healthy I have been trying very hard to eat small meals every 2-3 hours. I have also cut out wheat and a lot of other things so my options are limited to what I can have for lunch. I want to make sure I get my greens and my protein in but salad and a can of tuna (no matter how good it is!) is really getting old. So today when lunch rolled around I found myself staring blankly in the fridge. When that was extremely unhelpful I went to good old internet. What I found was an idea! Japanese cucumber salad with a kick of spice and protein!

Salad:

1 cucumber seeds scooped out and cut in halfmoons, I buy unwaxed organic when ever I can because I love the skin, but you can use whatever you have
1/2 cup steamed and shelled edamame
1/4 cup sliced green onion

Dressing:

3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp agave (or honey or sugar)
1 tsp. black sesame seeds (or more)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. chili flakes

Directions:

For the dressing whisk everything together and place in the microwave for 30 seconds to dissolve the salt and sugar if using. Pour dressing over cucumbers and edamame and refidgerate till chilled. i placed it in the freezer to hurry it up and it was done in a couple of minutes. When cooled add the green onions and mix everything together.

A little sweet, a little salty, a little spicy, but all together yummy!

I love all things dip related. I can make a batch of ranch or vegetable dip and seriously forget about the chips I just need a spoon. However that is not exactly the best thing for your diet. Then I discovered Hummus. This stuff is amazing. Its a meal in dip form. I make hummus in all varieties, from plain to artichoke to festive spinach. But 1 of my favs is roasted red pepper. People who are not hummus fans seem to even like this 1. The creaminess plus the sweetness of the peppers is always a hit.

Recipe:

1 can chick peas, drained
2 roasted red peppers
1/4 cup Tahini
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 - 1/2 cup good olive oil
salt and pepper

So easy, throw everything except the olive oil in a food processor and give it a whirl. With the motor running drizzle in the oil until everything comes together and becomes thick and creamy. Taste and season again if needed. You can make this ahead of time and chill or serve immediately. I like to top with fresh parsley and serve with assorted veggies, pita bread and crackers.

You can whip this up anytime, you can keep these ingredients in your pantry and when unexpected guests show up you have a tasty dip that  won’t kill your diet to serve up. This serves everyone! Vegan no problem! Dairy free, sure! Gluten intolerant, go right ahead! Plus it is good for you. It is rich in heart healthy oil, protein packed beans, loaded with vitamin C. I seriously call hummus my “single girl meal”, if M is away or working late I make a batch of hummus and curl up on the couch with a glass of wine.

Don’t feel limited hummus can take a lot of creativity. So have fun just remember the basics and you’ll be fine.

After all that rich food over the holidays my body is starting to revolt! When I need to “clean house”  I tend to turn to soups, more importantly vegetarian soups. I have made a few over the last few days but 1 of my favorites was a vegetarian split pea. As much as I like pork I decided to leave it out. To replace the much missed fatty, unctuous mouth feel I drizzled on a little good olive oil at the end and it seemed to do the trick. I will say that this recipe, though very tasty was not as sweet as the traditional split pea with ham.

Recipe:

1 - 2 carrots chopped
1 - 2 stalks celery chopped
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
1 - 2 T. olive oil
8 oz green split peas
4 cups veggie stock or water

In a sauce pan heat about 1 T. or so of the olive oil and saute the veggies except for the garlic  for about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to saute for about another 1 - 2 minutes. Add the stock or water, the thyme, bay leaves and split peas. Give a good stir and leave on medium-low heat for about 1 hour. Test and make sure the peas are soft if not cook for another 20 - 30 minutes. When soft remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs then blend until smooth. I used an immersion blender but if you have to use a regular blender do it in batches and be very careful that the liquid does not explode! Season with salt and pepper.

Finish in a bowl with a little drizzle of olive oil, a spritz of lemon juice and some course sea salt. I added a dollop of sour cream and some chopped roasted red peppers. The peppers added that missing sweetness. Healthy and tasty, you can’t beat that!

So I am not a huge fan of tuna from a can in fact I can remember a time when I refused to eat it or even be in the same room with it when it was being consumed because “The smell makes me sick”. Yes, you can say it, I was a snob about it, often referring to it as cat food. But today things are a bit different. I gave it a try (imagine that) and found that it is not so bad. Well the stuff in oil not so hot, but the albacore or chunch light in water not bad and the Italian stuff packed in pretty cans with quality olive oil well that stuff is just pretty darn good! I know I was as amazed as anyone that I would ever say that; but there you have I like tuna from a can!

Anyway that brings me to this great salad I made a few weeks back for M. I even enjoyed a little for myself. I didn’t want to fix the same old tuna fish salad with mayo , something healthier and dare I say it fresh? I had some of that good Italian tuna hanging around so I decided to create an Italian insprired tuna salad. It was one of those lets see what we have on hand kinda deals so I had to rummage through the fridge and pantry. I settled on white beans, olives, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber and fresh basils and oregano from the garden. If I had had capers on hand I would have thrown them in but I was out. Over all a very good salad. Good for you, different, and frankly plain old tasty!

Recipe:

1 can Tonno (tuna) in quality olive oil, flaked, oil reserved
1/2 can cannellini beans (white beans) drained and rinsed
6 chopped olives, such as Kalamata, Niciose, or Cerignolas ( I used all and mixed them together)
1/4  cup chopped red onion
1 small tomato seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
Fresh basil and oragano to taste
Dressing:
1 small clove garlic minced to a paste ( you should have about 1/2 teas. of garlic paste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon and the zest
The reserved olive oil from the tuna

Mix all the veggies and herbs together. In a separate bowl whisk the garlic paste, salt, pepper, lemon juice and zest with the olive oil. Dress the salad with as much dressing as you like.

I like this by itself or atop fresh greens. It makes a great lunch or even a nice light supper served with a bowl of soup, like maybe minestrone!

Spring seems to have finally gotten to Vermont however this being Vermont that could change within the next hour! The weather forcast however, is calling for an absolutely beautiful weekend and what better way to kick off the season than with a picnic! Ok, how about just picnic food? As I was telling you yesterday I will be catering a small bridal luncheon in June and I have been diligently testing recipes. The weather being as it is I decided to test out 2 different chicken salad recipes and let friends taste test them for me. Before I tell you the winner I should tell you the different recipes…

First up, a recipe including dijon mustard, sliced almonds and red onions. I roasted the chicken on the bone for both recipes after which for this recipe I cut up the chicken in quite small pieces and the red onion and celery were cut in a very small dice. The dressing was mayo, dijon, tarragon, and lemon juice. This salad was great it had a nice bite to it and fit and stayed on the bread very nice. However I think for a wedding day red onion may be a no go and to be honest the tarragon was a little strong in this recipe. Next up, I took the same chicken roasted on the bone and cut into bigger bite size pieces mixed it with toasted sliced almonds, green grapes, celery and a dressing made of lemon juice, mayo, and less tarragon. Over all this salad was fantastic. The taste of the grapes and the almonds really made the salad pop and the use of tarragon was more of an accent here and worked great. However, the size of everything was too big and would not stay on the bread. End result, the salad chosen for the luncheon is the second salad with the grapes with a few tweaks made to the prep of the chicken and grapes. If it were not for the whole wedding thing I would make the second salad with the addition of the red onions and of course the smaller pieces!

Recipe:

Ingredient:
4 Split chicken breasts on the bone with skin roasted with just salt, pepper and olive oil
1/2 cup good mayo
1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped tarragon
2 stalks diced celery
1 cup green grapes depending on size either 1/2′d or 1/4′d
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
the juice of 1/2 a lemon

When the chicken is cool remove the meat leaving the skin and bone and cut in 1/2 inch pieces or smaller. Add the rest of the ingredient and season with salt & pepper. Stir, let sit for at least an hour for the flavors to meld and enjoy.

So I have some pretty big news that I have neglected to tell you all. While innocently working I got recruited to cater a small bridal luncheon. It’s nothing too big, maybe 10 people, but I am kind of psyched! So after meeting with the bride and her mother we came up with a nice menu and since then I have been recipe testing. This morning I went to town on 1 of the small sandwiches I will be offing; an open face Caprese sandwich on crusty ciabatta bread.

Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 Lg Fresh Tomato
4 oz Fresh Mozzarella
10 Leaves Fresh Basil
1 Loaf Fresh Ciabatta
Pesto - see recipe below

This is a very simple sandwich so the ingredients are key, make sure you look for quality in all your ingredients, it really makes a difference. First the prep. Pluck off 10 of the nicest basil leaves; I like them on the larger side. Slice your tomatoes and mozzarella about 1/4 inch thick and mix up your pesto (below). Assembly is easy. Slice your loaf in about 5 equal pieces and then slice them in half to create 2 bottoms. Spread your pesto in a thin layer on the bread then top with 1 slice of cheese , 1 slice tomato and 1 basil leaf. Top each sandwich with a light sprinkle of sea salt and drizzle of good quality olive oil. That’s it but boy is it good.

Pesto:

Ingredients:

1 Lg Bunch Fresh Basil Leaves
1/4 Cup Good Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts (toasted)
1 Inch Cube of Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Clove Garlic (you can use more depending on taste, since this is going to be for a bridal lunch I went easy on the garlic but feel free to punch it up!)
Salt & Pepper

In a blender/food processor combine all but the oil. With the machine running drizzle in the oil until it all comes together in a nice paste. I like mine with a little texture and bright green color. To aid the green along I throw in a small bit of fresh baby spinach. It adds a a bright green color and it helps freshen and brighten the flavor but without tasting “spinachie”. And that’s it a perfect pesto every time! Great for the sandwiches or pasta or even a nice dip!