Roasted Beet Salad with Maple-Glazed Walnuts

I often get beets in my CSA bag, and I'll admit, I'm not always thrilled about it.  This salad has that magical something, though, that makes the beets much more appealing.  And that magical something comes in the form of home made maple-glazed walnuts.  Yum.

These nuts have a gorgeous sticky coating that tastes of rich maple syrup, with just a hint of salt to balance out the sweetness.  They compliment the naturally sweet beets very well.  The final component is a flavorful dressing studded with chives and freshly grated ginger.  Delicious.

This would make an elegant first course without any greens, or a great side salad with them.  If you're not a walnut fan, try it with pecans or hazelnuts. 

Roasted Beet Salad with Maple-Glazed Walnuts

adapted from Stonewall Kitchen Harvest

serves 3-4 as a first course

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium yellow and/or red beets

1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon butter

1/2 cup walnut halves

1 tablespoon real maple syrup

salt to taste

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

2 teaspoons minced fresh chives

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat toaster oven (or oven) to 400.  Wrap the beets in a piece of foil and roast in the center of the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until knife-tender.  Set aside to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2.  Heat 1 teaspoon oil and the butter in a small skillet over medium heat.  When it's melted, add the walnut halves and cook, stirring, for two minutes.  Add the maple syrup and salt to taste, and continue cooking and stirring for 3-4 minutes, until the walnuts are glazed.  Remove from heat.

3.  Whisk together the ginger, chives, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl.

4.  Peel the cooled beets with a paring knife.  Cut into thin slices.  Serve garnished with the walnuts and drizzled with the chive dressing.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Orange Coffee Cake

The words "coffee cake" are generally all I need to hear before I'll grab a fork.  I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of the inside of the cake so you could see the luscious blueberry filling - but take my word for it, it's there and it's delicious.  This is a tender and moist cake that works just as well for breakfast as it would for dessert.   And while I can't claim that it's healthy, it's certainly less sinful than your average coffee cake.

This coffee cake has the cinnamon crumbly topping that makes a coffee cake what it is.  It has a thick ribbon of fresh ready-to-burst blueberries, walnuts and orange zest traveling through its middle.  It's delicious straight out of the oven.  What more can you ask for?

Blueberry Orange Coffee Cake

adapted from Stonewall Kitchen Harvest

serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

the filling:

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

the topping:

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

the cake:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and flour it lightly.  Set aside.

2.  Make the filling:  mix blueberries, walnuts, sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon in a small bowl, and set aside.

3.  Make the topping:  mix walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon in another small bowl and set aside.

4.  Make the cake:  Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.  In a stand mixer or a bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale yellow, fluffy and soft, about 5 minutes, at medium speed.  Add egg and beat well.  

5.  Reduce speed to low and add half the flour mixture.  Mix until combined, then add half the yogurt and all the orange zest and beat well.  Add remaining flour and then remaining yogurt, using spatula to scrape down the sides and make sure the batter is smooth and fully incorporated.

6.  Pour half the batter into the cake pan and smooth it out with a spoon or spatula to make an even layer.  Sprinkle with all the blueberry filling.  Top with remaining cake batter, using spatula or spoon to smooth slightly.  Don't worry if the batter is thick and difficult to spread; it's supposed to be that way!  Sprinkle with walnut topping.

7.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove cake and let cool 30 minutes before cutting.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Salad with Sauteed Apples and Cranberry Vinaigrette

When people are on restrictive diets, they often think with chagrin of all the salads they will have to eat. I have no pity for these people. With a little creativity, a salad is far from boring. If you add an ingredient or two that is just slightly naughty, in fact, a salad can taste quite decadent.

This salad features some beautiful fall flavors. It gives your mouth a bounty of textures to explore, and a fabulous contrast of sweet and savory. It takes those mopey dieters and gives them something to smile about.

The cranberry dressing is tangy and yet sweet at the same time. I'll have to make a mental note to use this one again in the future. Usually fruit salad dressings are not my thing, but this one is a notable exception.

Salad with Sauteed Apples and Cranberry Vinaigrette
adapted from Stonewall Kitchen Harvest
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

the vinaigrette:
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dried cranberries

the salad:
1 small Macintosh or Jonagold apple
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup slivered almonds
3 cups baby greens of choice
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar and shake, or whisk them together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until remaining ingredients are ready.

2. Cut the apple into 8 wedges, removing the core. In a medium skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the apple wedges, flesh side down. Saute for about 4 minutes on each side, until browned and tender. Remove apples from skillet with tongs or a slotted spoon onto a paper towel. Reduce heat to medium-low.

3. Add the slivered almonds to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from skillet to a paper towel.

4. Assemble the salad: Divide the greens among serving plates. Top with apple wedges, nuts, and blue cheese. Drizzle with dressing. Serve.

Enjoy!

Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

Summer is not necessarily the time for soup, but it is the time for excellent sweet corn. And there is something fantastic about corn chowder. This is a slightly more exotic variation of corn chowder, with chunks of sweet potato, and saffron cream stirred in. This is no cafeteria food, my friends.

This is best with really flavorful, quality corn, so hit up your farmers market for this one. You can amp up the flavor if you cook bacon first and saute the onions in the bacon fat instead of olive oil. Or, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes would add an extra zing.

Pick a cool summer night and make an excuse for soup. It's worth it.

Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder
adapted from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites
serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small chunks
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tablespoon flour
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
3 large ears fresh corn, husked and kernels cut off
1/2 cup heavy cream (or milk, but you'll lose texture)
1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron
handful chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add sweet potato, season with salt and pepper (generously), and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Raise heat to high, stir in the broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are just tender when pierced.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the cream and saffron over low heat for about 5 minutes, until just simmering. The cream should be turning yellow. Try not to let a skin form on top. (If it does, just stir until it goes away).

4. Add saffron cream to the chowder and stir in the corn. Heat over low heat for 5 minutes. Season to taste. Serve topped with parsley.

Enjoy!

Updated Waldorf Salad

My hands are bright pink again. You know what that means, people - beets! This is a fantastic salad, incredibly crisp and refreshing, with flavor to spare. None of the ingredients are "typical," and the dressing is unusual and delicious. This is an updated version of the Waldorf salad, but it is almost unrecognizable when you look at it as a whole.

Imagine it: tart Granny Smith apple, savory-sweet beets, crunchy toasted walnuts, and crisp savoy cabbage, all topped with a fabulous lemon-ginger olive oil dressing - I'm salivating at the thought, and I just ate it!

Updated Waldorf Salad
adapted from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 pounds beets (size and color of your choice)
1/2 head savoy cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons EVOO
salt and freshly ground pepper
pinch of sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400. Wrap the beets in foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until just tender and easily pierced with a sharp knife. Unwrap and let cool. Peel and thinly slice. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Make the vinaigrette: in a small bowl, whisk together the ginger, lemon zest, lemon juice, and oil. Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Assemble the salad: Make a bed of cabbage on two plates. Top each with the beets. Drizzle with about 1/3 of the vinaigrette each. Top with apple slices and sprinkle with walnut pieces. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette and serve.

I am so excited about this salad I can barely contain myself. Try it as soon as you can! Enjoy!

Asian Pulled Chicken Salad

Some time in the early 90's, my entire family, along with most of southern California, became obsessed with Chinese chicken salad. We first had it at California Pizza Kitchen, and we were shocked and delighted by its spiciness, tanginess, and the intensity of the scallions and cilantro. Fastforward to the present day, and Chinese chicken salad is on virtually every menu. We're used to it.

Well here we have a home made version that is refreshing, crunchy, and incorporates all the beautiful aspects of the popular menu item without loads of sodium and unwanted additives. It comes from the pages of Stonewall Kitchen Favorites, with a few of my own tweaks. Ironic, isn't it, that a California staple based on Chinese influences came out of a New England cookbook? Maybe not. Trends travel quickly, after all, and this is hardly a new concept.

This can be served over a bed of greens, in a wrap, or (my personal favorite) in a warmed-up whole wheat pita as a chicken salad sandwich of sorts. Feel free to adjust quantities - if you want it a little more limey, go for the whole lime instead of half. Throw in other vegetables, like jicama, bean sprouts, or cucumber. Add some chili peppers for more spice. The Asian pulled chicken salad is your oyster. Or something like that.

Asian Pulled Chicken Salad
adapted from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites
serves 2 (or 1 if you're really hungry)

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in half
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
4 scallions, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces and then into matchsticks
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon EVOO
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (1/2 a juicy lime)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
handful fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring chicken stock, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon pepper to a simmer over high heat in a small-medium skillet. Place the chicken pieces in the simmering liquid and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 6 minutes at a bare simmer, carefully flip the chicken, and cook for 6 minutes more, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from stock and set aside to cool. Save the stock for another use. Discard bay leaf.

2. Use your hands to shred the cooled chicken into thin 1-inch-long strands (like peeling string cheese). Put chicken in a medium bowl and add ginger, scallions, red pepper, carrots, and peanuts. Toss.

3. Add lime juice, EVOO, sesame oil, cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, and toss gently to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.

I highly recommend the pita pocket option - it was delicious! This isn't good date night food, as you'll have scallion breath after dinner. But it tastes so good that I think it's worth it. Enjoy!

Four Cheese Macaroni with Thyme-Parmesan Crust

Whoa, Nellie, do we love mac and cheese in our household. Luckily we're both partial to the homemade variety, and Kraft hasn't seen its day in our kitchen for a very long time.

Macaroni and cheese has become the quintessential American dish, and it comes in many forms. This recipe is good old-fashioned mac and cheese with a few twists. I wanted to try Stonewall Kitchen's recipe, but it was a bit cheese-heavy so I tweaked it here and there to make it slightly less evil. You'll notice we each had a carrot alongside our meal, just to ease the guilt somewhat. But the idea here is that the portions are not huge. They're just right. We both finished our plates and we definitely felt satisfied.

The four cheeses are flexible. You could swap out one of them for something more stinky if you like. I think it would be great. I would recommend that you keep the fresh mozzarella, though, as it's what makes this recipe particularly unique.

Four Cheese Macaroni with Thyme-Parmesan Crust
adapted from "Stonewall Kitchen Favorites"
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 pound short whole-wheat pasta, such as macaroni or ziti
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons EVOO
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 cup skim or lowfat milk, warmed
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar
4 oz. fresh mozzarella; half grated and half thinly sliced
1/4 cup grated gruyere
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup fresh plain whole-wheat bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Cook the pasta: bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the pasta until barely al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Set aside.

2. Make the sauce: while the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a small saucepan with 1 teaspoon EVOO over low heat. When it has melted and is starting to sizzle, add the flour and whisk until combined. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in half of the warm milk in a slow, steady stream. Whisk until smooth and the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add remaining milk, whisk again until smooth, and increase heat to medium high, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat.

3. Make it cheesy: Add all the cheeses except parmesan to the sauce, whisking constantly to prevent cheese from becoming lumpy. When it is completely smooth, add salt and pepper to taste and 1 teaspoon of thyme.

4. Combine everyone together: Pour the sauce over the pasta in the pot and stir to combine. Spoon a quarter of the pasta into each of two ramekins or oven-safe single-serve dishes. Place slices of mozzarella on top of each pile of pasta. Put the rest of the pasta on top of the mozzarella.

5. The topping: Mix the parmesan, remaining thyme, and bread crumbs together in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the two servings of mac. Drizzle with remaining teaspoon EVOO. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Serve hot.

Believe it or not, this goes really well with a glass of good sauvignon blanc. Why not make your kid-friendly meal a bit more sophisticated? That's all I'm saying.

Enjoy!

BLT Salad

The idea for this salad is so obvious, and yet I'll bet it's something most of us have never actually made before. Take the famous (for good reason) BLT sandwich, and turn it into a salad. Easy. Make a delicious homemade dressing to drizzle over it. Still easy. And now you can call it lunch, dinner, midnight snack, appetizer, or Shirley. Whatever you want.

This is a great weeknight supper, as the effort involved is minimal - the only cooking is the bacon, and there is very little chopping or stirring to do. It's perfect for a Wednesday. Hence our choice to have it tonight. But if you make it on a Thursday, I'm sure it will taste just as delicious.

BLT Salad
Adapted from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices of bacon
1/2 head of Romaine or other crisp green lettuce leaves, torn into pieces
a dozen or so cherry tomatoes (preferably of multiple colors), halved
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons EVOO

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet, and place on paper towels to drain. When it is cool enough to handle, tear or crumble it into small pieces, about 1/2 inch. Set aside.

2. Make the vinaigrette by placing mustard, salt and pepper to taste, parsley, scallions, red wine vinegar, and EVOO in a glass jar or salad shaker, and shake vigorously. (Alternatively, combine in a bowl and whisk thoroughly).

3. Arrange lettuce in individual salad bowls and place tomato halves around the perimeter. Drizzle a generous amount of dressing over each salad and top with bacon pieces in the center. Serve.

And there it is, an old school favorite made slightly newer school. Enjoy!