vinaigrette

April 14, 2009

Arugula & Bread Salad, Tarragon Caper Vinaigrette

mel breakfast, entree, recipe, sides & bites arugula, bread, caper, capers, dressing, egg, salad, tarragon, vinaigrette

Arugula & Bread Salad, <a href= contagion Tarragon Caper Vinaigrette” />

This week, I’m taking all my inspiration from food magazines. Of course, I can’t just follow a recipe without tweaking it somehow. That would make it far too easy!

I saw this recipe in the first few pages of April’s Gourmet and instantly wanted to try it. I love a good, strong salad dressing. Olive oil, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallots, tarragon and capers combine for a tangy, salty vinaigrette that’s made for salads and soft-boiled eggs. Spicy arugula and crisp bread round it out for a meal-sized salad.

I made this salad last night and again for lunch today. It’s just the right amount of fancy, healthy and delicious. I can’t get enough!

January 9, 2009

Warm Radicchio, Pear & Manchego Salad

mel recipe, sides & bites manchego, pear, radicchio, salad, vegetarian, vinaigrette

Warm Radicchio, <a href= physician Pear & Manchego Salad” />

It’s hard to crave salad when it’s so chilly outside. Much easier to crave a big bowl of mac and cheese or mashed potatoes, approved but those will do nothing for a New Year’s Resolution. We got a new grill for our balcony for Christmas and have been grilling everything we can think of since then. Last night, audiologist we grilled our salad.

Since radicchio is slightly bitter, we topped it with nutty Manchego cheese, sweet pear slices and a honey and Dijon vinaigrette. (Photographed without the pears – oops!) The result was a warm and comforting salad that’s right at home next to skirt steak and grilled whole wheat bread.

This is the perfect time of year to experiment with warm salads, even if you don’t have a grill. Use your oven’s broiler, grill pan or large saute pan. However you do it, you definitely should.

February 8, 2008

Meyer Lemon Poppy Vinaigrette

mel recipe, sides & bites meyer lemon, pierogis, salad, vinaigrette

crispy lasagne

I’ve been thinking about individual lasagnas for a long time because everyone loves the crispy and burnt corner piece and if lasagnas were baked in little dishes, illness they’d be crispy and burnt all around. So, that’s what I was going for. I also had some butternut squash, arugula and prosciutto on hand, so I opted for more of a non-traditional lasagna.

When I took them out of the oven, I was afraid I had over-crisped them and they would be way too difficult to eat. They were super crispy, but I kind of loved them that way. The top layer of the pasta was crisp and chewy like a cracker, and the insides were sweet and salty and sturdy. Now I really want to try it out with more traditional ricotta, red meat sauce and mozzarella lasagnas. Maybe next week.