Published by mel on October 2, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Lately, I’m loving big, delicious sandwiches full of meats, cheeses and “slaws”. I tried looking up the definition of a slaw, but all I got was “sliced cabbage”, which isn’t really what I had in mind. Here’s my definition. Slaw (n.): A crunchy mix of thinly sliced vegetables and herbs, dressed with mayonnaise or vinaigrette, and usually served as a side or topping with a sandwich. There. I feel better. Now I can use the term slaw as loosely as I have been and we can get back to talking about the sandwich.
I like to think of this sandwich as a transition meal between Summer and Fall. The fennel and basil make it taste Summer-fresh, but the green apple definitely says Fall. The rest of the sandwich is a neat little stack of prosciutto, Saint Albray Cheese — a creamy, Brie-like, spicy cheese — and the slaw. It was perfectly simple, a nice balance between meat and cheese and vegetables, and absolutely delicious!
Continue reading ‘Prosciutto Sandwich w/Basil Apple Fennel Slaw’
Published by mel on August 25, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I had a perfect birthday. This year, it was on a Sunday and I was on vacation. I slept in, watched some Olympics, ate a Japanese hot dog, went shopping, toured the Vancouver Aquarium, took a nap and was taken out to a most fabulous dinner at Parkside. As with most meals on our Pacific Northwest adventure, Parkside is all about fresh, seasonal ingredients. Everything, including the wine, was responsibly farmed and delicious. The dishes themselves were simple, but interesting. For my appetizer, I had a very memorable chilled fennel soup topped with Dungeness crab, avocado and grapefruit. I knew I had to try to imitate it and noted as many ingredients as I could identify on my trusty iPhone.
I think I did an admirable job, though I definitely suffered from a lack of awesomely fresh crab. It’s just the wrong coast, I suppose. Next time, I think a juicy hunk of Florida Lobster tail will make a nice substitute for the crab, and is much more appropriate for the area. But the soup itself was Miami perfection. Light, refreshing and chilly enough to cool you off after a long, hot day on the beach.
Note: Where’s the crab in the picture? It sunk. I recommend using more shallow bowls if you’re trying for a nice presentation…
Continue reading ‘chilled fennel soup w/crab, avocado & grapefruit’
Published by mel on August 20, 2008 in recipe and sides & bites.
Everyone’s had a classic Waldorf salad right? Sliced or julienned apples, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise? Wikipedia says the Waldorf salad dates back to 1893 and was first served at The Waldorf Hotel (later the Waldorf-Astoria of many-movie fame). It’s sweet and tangy and crunchy. Perfect for a summer BBQ, you can make it a few hours in advance and best of all, you only need four ingredients.
The classic Waldorf is great. If you’ve had it, you know it’s pretty perfect. But some people don’t like mayonnaise. Some people want something more inventive. Some people (me) just can’t leave a recipe alone. So, I’m proposing some variations and twists on the original recipe. There’s really no way to mess this up, so feel free to play with the proportions and substitute anything you think might work here. Just make sure you taste it constantly so you know you’re on the right track.
Some twists on the classic (recipe for that below):
- Substitute thinly sliced fennel for half of the apple amount
- Add tarragon to the classic
- Add thinly sliced Napa cabbage (or sub for half the apple amount)
- Substitute plain Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise
- Add some curry powder to the classic (or yogurt version)
- Substitute any other nuts for walnuts
- Add fresh basil, cilantro and mint (would be perfect in combination with the Napa cabbage)
- Make it your own
Continue reading ‘classic waldorf salad, plus some twists on the original’
Published by mel on August 15, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Phew! I’m back from vacation! I was actually back on Monday, but have been so busy working and running around that I’ve neglected the blog, which is very very bad of me. But here I am, and so ready to start cooking.
I ate so well on my trip! We had farm-fresh salad, pork loin, blue cheese and tons of wine in Napa. Delicious chorizo and polenta mussels in Portland, which I am dying to recreate. Fried chicken on biscuits with honey, mustard and pickles (awesome!). Chilled fennel soup with dungeness crab, avocado and grapefruit in Vancouver. Oh! and Japanese-style hot dogs with terriyaki, kewpie mayonnaise and toasted nori (best hot dog ever!). And so many micro-brewed beers and local wines! I can’t wait to re-create all of those flavors.
But for now, I’ve got 2 recipes to post. (I’m trying to make up for being such a slacker.) The first is a pretty fig and fennel salad with shaved pecorino cheese and a lemony dressing. It’s a light and easy meal perfect for summer and fancy enough to serve guests. But you have to make it now before figs go out of season!
The second is a 10-minute honey mustard chicken. It’s honestly as simple as five ingredients and a hot pan. The result is a sweet and tangy chicken perfect for a side of potatoes or on top of a salad. So easy and I bet you have the ingredients in your fridge right now.
This weekend, I’ll be making some new things inspired by my Pacific Northwest trip. I’m hoping they come out well enough to post some fun new recipes.
Continue reading ‘fennel & fig salad | 10-minute honey mustard chicken’
Published by mel on April 23, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I love to dip my bread into sauces and dressings. If it were up to me, I could make a full meal out of marinara sauce and a big hunk of bread. In fact, I’ve often been caught bent over a big pot of something, scooping it straight into my mouth with a piece of bread. Oops.
Panzanella is a bread salad, which means that it’s basically crunchy bread soaked with dressing. Like my perfect meal. Wikipedia says that panzanella is often thought of as a “leftover salad.” This definitely applied in my case since the bread in question came from a leftover (stale) loaf of Ciabatta. As for the vegetables, I just used whatever I had lying around — sliced fennel bulb, sliced apple, chives and some greens.
I made a nice, acidic dressing with lots of white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil and fresh garlic that soaked into the bread. The bite of the mustard was a good compliment to the sweet apples and crisp fennel. And I got to eat a big bowl of bread and still get away with calling it a salad.
Continue reading ‘apple & fennel panzanella’
Published by mel on March 22, 2007 in entree and recipe.
I love baked things. I especially love baked things with browned, bubbly cheese and crispy corners. I do not love that when you boil store-bought gnocchi, it becomes and soggy mess. The solution? Bake the gnocchi in liquid-y sauce. The baking cooks them through without making them mushy. AND there’s melted cheese all over the top.
Continue reading ‘baked deliciousness’
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