Soul Satisfying Salad

The threat of imminent rain changed our direction this week, and right now we are so glad the weather made us re-think our menu.  We had contemplated grilling pizza, but thought the dough might not cooperate with the changing weather. Plus, watching dough rise seemed a bit daunting to tell the truth. (Making dough takes a certain state of mind.)

We both happened to watch the same episode of Ina Garten’s “Eat Your Greens” and were drooling all over ourselves at the thought of this salad. It did not disappoint – in fact it is fantastic!!  It will be hard to restrain ourselves when talking about this salad. What could possibly be better than sauteed mushrooms, prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese? We cannot think of anything at this moment. We are not even embarrassed to tell you that this salad was supposed to serve four, but we demolished the whole thing. It is that good. Never mind that we had crostini while we were preparing the salad . . . 

We had talked about crostini as an appetizer, and after Sue suggested that Meg try a locally baked potato-rosemary bread, Meg raided her refrigerator and came up with this combination to go on the bread.

The pears came from Sue’s mom’s tree, which is heavily laden with fruit this year. Our good luck!  We’ll share the leftovers with her and be picking  more pears.

All together another super easy and delicious meal.

"On Hand" Crostini

"On-Hand" Crostini

Recipe developed by Meg

For Saturday Night Specials 9/22/2012

 

• 2 anchovy fillets, mashed
• I Roma tomato, diced
• 2 small sweet red peppers, roasted, skinned, seeded and diced
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
• ¼ tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried chives
• 1 Tbsp. California olive oil
• 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 6 fennel seeds, ground
• 3 stuffed garlic-jalapeno green olives, stuffing removed and olives diced
• Salt to taste 
• Garnish with chopped fresh parsley

Marinate covered at room temperature for several hours. 

Sauteed Mushrooms for the salad

Warm Mushroom Salad

Warm Mushroom Salad

2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved
Prep Time:  10 min
Inactive Prep Time:  --
Cook Time:  10 min
Level:  Easy
Serves:  4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound cremini mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 bunches of fresh arugula, washed and spun dry
• 8 slices good Italian prosciutto
• 2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
• Chunk of Parmesan cheese
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and julienned
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions

 

Clean the mushrooms by brushing the tops with a clean sponge. Don't wash them! Remove and discard the stems and slice the caps 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

 

In a large saute pan, heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until bubbly. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper to the pan, and saute for 3 minutes over medium heat, tossing frequently. Reduce the heat to low and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes, until cooked through.

 

Meanwhile, arrange the arugula on 4 lunch plates (or on a platter) and cover each portion with 2 slices of prosciutto. When the mushrooms are cooked, add the sherry vinegar and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot pan. Spoon the mushrooms and sauce on top of the prosciutto. With a vegetable peeler, make large shavings of Parmesan cheese and place on top of the hot mushrooms. Sprinkle with the sun-dried tomatoes, parsley leaves, salt, and pepper, and serve warm.

Weight Watchers:  12 points

 

 

Making the Rustic Pear Tart:

 

Ready for the oven, topped with butter and sugar.

The tart in the oven. We couldn't resist peeking -- the aroma was intoxicating!

 

Rustic Pear Tart

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri
Prep Time:  15 min
Inactive Prep Time:  20 min
Cook Time:  1 hr 0 min
Level:  Easy
Serves:  6 to 8 servings

 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, diced,
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, divided
• 6 tablespoons buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 cups pears, peeled, cored, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces, tossed with 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
• Ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

Directions

 

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the bottom blade, add the whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, and the salt and pulse 3 to 4 times to combine. Add in the diced cold butter, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon ginger, and pulse at 3 to 4 second intervals for 6 to 10 times until the mixture resembles sand. Add in the butter milk and pulse until a dough ball forms. Remove from the food processor onto a lightly floured board. Roll the dough into an oval, approximately 16 by 14 inches. Rough edges are okay, but you can trim decoratively if desired. Transfer to a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet.

 

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons flour, sugar, and the remaining spices and mix well. Toss this flour mixture with the pears, gently coating. Pile the pear mix in the center of the tart dough, leaving a 3 to 4-inch border, and then fold the edges up and around the pears, leaving an opening in the center. Crimp any breaks in the dough. Place the baking sheet with tart into the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.

 

Remove, allow to cool. Serve at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream.

Weight Watchers: 11 points
 

 

 

Our unsolicited and biased opinions:
More of this salad! What a perfect combination of silky, peppery, sweet and savory. We would not change anything. Every mouthful was sublime. You must make this, and share it with people who love food!

The topping for this crostini started out with gifted home-grown sweet red peppers and was only limited by what Meg had on hand. We strongly encourage you to experiment with what you have in your garden or refrigerator.

Meg, who grinds her own whole wheat flour( really) and is a fan of wholesome foods, thought that this crust with the whole wheat overpowered the pears. It was good, and with stronger flavored fruit would be OK. Using only unbleached white flour would be more to her taste in this recipe. Meg thinks more lemon would be good, too.

Sue is not the baker that Meg is and thought the filling needed more spice.

But when it comes right down to it, when you put ice cream on warm fruit tart . . .

Bogle Vineyard, Old Vine Zinfadel, 2009, $7.99 on sale at Raley’s

We loved the assertiveness of this wine with both the crostini and the salad. As a bonus, the cork had a message that we both loved:

"Over a bottle of wine many a friend is found. "

Yiddish proverb

We will be buying another bottle of Bogle and hoping for another proverb. Salute!

Tuscany Remembered

This is a “new to us” menu, and a trip down memory lane to Tuscany, inspired by Ina Garten’s re-creation of a meal that she shared there with friends.

The Duomo as seen from Piazzale Michelangelo (Michelangelo Square).

Sue’s favorite city in Italy is Florence and when she saw this episode she declared, “We have to make to this!” Fortunately, Meg just did the bobble head thing and let Sue have her way. Sometimes, an inspiration turns into a plan that comes to beautiful fruition. Such was the case today.

Mary, Sue’s cousin/travel companion on her two trips to Italy was in town for a girls’ weekend. It was the perfect occasion to reminisce while sharing good food and great wine. 

The bonus was a Total Wine “Under the Tuscan Sun” wine tasting this afternoon.  We tasted seven Tuscan (red) wines and learned the history of the region, including family histories going back thousands of years. Meg and Sue were in wine nirvana – seven, count them, seven reds! We chose a wonderful Chianti for this meal. Forget about the candle-melting straw bottle Chianti we all remember from college – this is good stuff! And yes, we blew our wine budget, but it was worth it.


La Castellina Chianti Classico Riserva, 2007 - $19.99 on sale at Total Wine

So on to the Florence inspired meal:

The cod ready to be sealed in the parchment packets.
 

Herb- Roasted Fish out of the oven and ready to eat!

Herb-Roasted Fish

2012, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:  10 min
Inactive Prep Time:  --
Cook Time:  15 min
Level:  Easy
Serves:  1 serving

Ingredients

For each serving:

• 8 ounces boneless fish fillet, such as snapper or cod
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 large sprig fresh thyme
• 2 Ceregnola or other large green olives with pits

Extra-large egg

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the fish fillet on a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle it with the salt and pepper. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over the top of the fillet. Lay the thyme on top and place the olives next to the fillet.

Beat the egg together with 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash. Brush the egg wash around the edge of the parchment paper and fold it in half. Carefully fold the edge of the parchment paper under and around the fish to make a package. Place the package on a sheet pan and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Serve hot in the parchment paper.

Weight Watchers: 8 points

Celery Salad without the garnish.

Celery Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Shaved Parmesan.

Celery and Parmesan Salad

2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:  15 min
Inactive Prep Time:  2 hr 0 min
Cook Time:  --
Level:  Easy
Serves:  4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups thinly sliced celery hearts, tender leaves included, sliced on an angle (about 12 stalks)
• 4-ounce chunk aged Parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
• Whole flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions

 

At least 1 hour before you plan to serve the salad, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, the shallots, celery seed, celery salt, anchovy paste, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Place the celery in a mixing bowl and toss it with the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. (Even though these ingredients are in the dressing, believe me-this step makes a difference.) Add enough dressing to moisten well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the celery to crisp and the flavors to develop.

When ready to serve, arrange the celery on a platter, shave the Parmesan onto the celery with a vegetable peeler, then sprinkle with walnuts, parsley leaves, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.

Weight Watchers: 10 points

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:  10 min
Inactive Prep Time:  --
Cook Time:  25 min
Level:  Easy
Serves:  6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 1/4 cup creme fraiche
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

Directions

 

Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you're stirring. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, creme fraiche, and butter. Taste for seasonings and serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

Weight Watchers: 6 points

 

Affogato Sundae

Affogato Sundaes

2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:  10 min
Inactive Prep Time:  --
Cook Time:  --
Level:  Easy
Serves:  4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pint hazelnut gelato or hazelnut ice cream
• 1 pint vanilla gelato or vanilla ice cream
• 8 tablespoons Tia Maria or Kahlua liqueur
• 8 tablespoons freshly brewed hot espresso
• Sweetened Whipped Cream
• Chocolate-covered espresso beans, chopped or whole

Directions

 

Place one scoop each of hazelnut and vanilla gelato in each of 4 dessert or cafe au lait bowls. Spoon 2 tablespoons of Tia Maria and 2 tablespoons of hot espresso over each serving. Dollop some whipped cream onto each serving and garnish with a handful of chocolate-covered espresso beans. Serve immediately.

Weight Watchers:  15 points
 

Our biased and unsolicited opinions:

 

Celery salad? You bet! It is crisp, fresh, full of flavor and nothing like we imagined. This is totally do-ahead, portable and absolutely delicious! If you are hesitant to use anchovies, remember that anchovies are teeny-tiny little fishes and in this recipe they subtly marry the lemon juice and the olive oil. The dressing was tangy and the celery stayed crisp after 5 hours of marinating. Neither of us had celery salt and Meg, being Meg, made her own by combining ground celery seed and salt. We would totally do this again. We think it will keep well, which makes it even better.

The parmesan polenta was rich and gratifying. What’s not to like about butter, cheese and crème fraiche?

We thought our fish was slightly overdone, because it continued to steam in the unopened packets while we were busy taking pictures. If you omit the lemon juice when you make the packets, they can be assembled as early in the day as you would like. The lemon juice will not cook the fish. We think adding long strips of lemon zest and a few red pepper flakes to the packets and a splash of fresh lemon juice when the packets are opened would give a different dimension of lemon flavors. We used cod. It was on sale. It was beautiful.

Affogato is our favorite dessert of the week. Affogato is "drowning" in Italian and the gelato drowning in espresso and Kahlua was sublime. We omitted the whipped cream. (Give us a break! It was eleven o’clock and we were tired.)

 

 Ciao!

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy