https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/big-italian-salad.html#tabrecipe
By Jennifer Segal
This Italian salad pairs nicely with Italian comfort food. You’ll love the homemade dressing!
As with many other recipes, this definitely gets better with age. It's very good from day 1, but 3-4 days later it was even better. It's easy enough to make, and my latest favorite dressing!
Servings: 6
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
1 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar, best quality such as Pompeian Gourmet
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Lucini or Colavita
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons honey
FOR THE SALAD:
1 large head romaine lettuce (or 3 hearts), washed, dried and cut into large, bite-sized pieces
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup seeded and chopped hothouse cucumbers
1 to 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
Handful grape tomatoes, halved
Handful pitted olives
Ricotta Salata (see note) or Feta, crumbled to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blitz to blend.
Place all of the salad ingredients except for the cheese in a large bowl.
Right before serving, add about half of the dressing and toss well. Add more dressing little by little as necessary; be sure to dress greens very generously, otherwise salad will be bland.
Toss in the cheese, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Note: Ricotta salata is an Italian sheep's milk cheese that has a salty, slightly tangy flavor, almost like a dry Italian feta. It is not the same as the wet ricotta in the tub. You can find it at Whole Foods, gourmet grocers or specialty cheese shops.
GLUTEN-FREE ADAPTABLE NOTE
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
This is a collection of some of my favorite recipes that prove that nutritious foods can be delicious! I love to experiment with and create new recipes. Here are some that are tried and true. Let me know what you think! If you have a better version, I'm game!
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Monday, July 15, 2019
Citrus-Marinated Salmon with Fennel Cream
photo 7/15/2019
From Amy Riolo's The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook - Harness the Power of the World's Healthiest Diet to Live Better, Longer
I should have read the instructions first - before I discarded the fronds from the fresh fennel. So the 'cream sauce' made from yogurt and herbs wasn't quite as intended. Nonetheless, the salmon was soft and tasty - I'm thinking it would difficult to overcook, since it's in liquid and baked while covered.
I'm going to try cutting the fennel and onion into smaller pieces next time and let them soak up the marinade. Making more of the marinade would help, and perhaps reserving some.
Halve the orange slices to place on top of the salmon.
Fennel is often eaten raw in salads, braised, or roasted as in this recipe. The seeds can be boiled to make soothing teas.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp EVOO
1/4 cup OJ
1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt or salt
Freshly ground pepper
4 salmon fillets, 4 oz each, skin on
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced - reserve fronds
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 oranges - one zested, 1 thinly sliced
Directions:
1) In a small bowl, whisk the EVOO, OJ, salt and pepper until emulsified.
2) Place the salmon in a glass baking dish and pour marinade over the top. Marinate for 1 hour.
3) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
4) Scatter fennel and onion around the sides of the salmon and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork and is opaque in color, 20-25 minutes.
5) While the fish is baking, combine the Greek yogurt with 2 Tbsp of fennel fronds, finely chopped, and orange zest.
6) Remove the fish from the oven and place on a serving plate. Dollop each with about 1/4 of yogurt mixture and garnish with orange slices.
Sunday, July 14, 2019
Mediterranean Herb-Marinated Chicken Breasts
Amy Riolo The ultimate Mediterranean diet cookbook
p 148
Amy Riolo is an award-winning author, lecturer, food historian and cooking instructor. This recipe is adapted from her book, The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, Harness the Power of the World's Healthiest Diet to Live Better, Longer. Part of her journey revolved around trying to understand why her relatives who continued to live in Italy were so much healthier than the ones who were living in the United States. After living and visiting Italy and other Mediterranean countries, she drew conclusions. Among others, she found that in the Mediterranean, food is treated as medicine, moderation is key and an active physical and social lifestyle is mandatory. In the medical field, we favor the same lifestyle choices.
When I was in medical school in the '80's, basic nutrition was not taught. Then again, pathology professors and respiratory techs were still smoking in the hospital and academic buildings. We've come a long way, baby.
Many years and many studies later, we are well aware that the conclusions that Amy Riolo reached are key to good health. After all the fads have been looked at, a Mediterranean style diet is still the most favored. Fill your plate with a majority of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, legumes and healthy oils, with some fish and lean meat.
LadyDocs was fortunate to have a personalized cooking lesson at Dr. Hammersley's home several years ago, after this cookbook was published. It gives a good background about the value of Mediterranean cooking, along with many recipes that you can eat guilt-free.
Here's a basic recipe to alter to your own wishes. She notes that the marinade can also be used for turkey or fish. We're growing 'Greek oregano' this year, and this is my first opportunity to try it. I used the herbs she suggested, as well as chives, all from the garden! The chicken can be prepared in a skillet, as she suggest, or grilled or broiled - I chose the broiler. Remember to scoop up the extra sauce from the broiler pan. Leftovers are great on salads.
Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breast
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
4 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt or salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1) Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano and mint well to combine. Place the chicken breasts in a large shallow bowl or glass baking pan, and pour the dressing over the top.
2) Cover, place in refrigerator and marinate for 1-2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and season with salt and pepper.
3) Heat a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, place chicken tenders evenly in the bottom of the skillet. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken.
4) Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes each side, or until chicken is golden, juices have been absorbed, and meat is cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
p 148
Amy Riolo is an award-winning author, lecturer, food historian and cooking instructor. This recipe is adapted from her book, The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, Harness the Power of the World's Healthiest Diet to Live Better, Longer. Part of her journey revolved around trying to understand why her relatives who continued to live in Italy were so much healthier than the ones who were living in the United States. After living and visiting Italy and other Mediterranean countries, she drew conclusions. Among others, she found that in the Mediterranean, food is treated as medicine, moderation is key and an active physical and social lifestyle is mandatory. In the medical field, we favor the same lifestyle choices.
When I was in medical school in the '80's, basic nutrition was not taught. Then again, pathology professors and respiratory techs were still smoking in the hospital and academic buildings. We've come a long way, baby.
Many years and many studies later, we are well aware that the conclusions that Amy Riolo reached are key to good health. After all the fads have been looked at, a Mediterranean style diet is still the most favored. Fill your plate with a majority of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, legumes and healthy oils, with some fish and lean meat.
LadyDocs was fortunate to have a personalized cooking lesson at Dr. Hammersley's home several years ago, after this cookbook was published. It gives a good background about the value of Mediterranean cooking, along with many recipes that you can eat guilt-free.
Here's a basic recipe to alter to your own wishes. She notes that the marinade can also be used for turkey or fish. We're growing 'Greek oregano' this year, and this is my first opportunity to try it. I used the herbs she suggested, as well as chives, all from the garden! The chicken can be prepared in a skillet, as she suggest, or grilled or broiled - I chose the broiler. Remember to scoop up the extra sauce from the broiler pan. Leftovers are great on salads.
Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breast
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
4 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt or salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1) Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano and mint well to combine. Place the chicken breasts in a large shallow bowl or glass baking pan, and pour the dressing over the top.
2) Cover, place in refrigerator and marinate for 1-2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and season with salt and pepper.
3) Heat a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, place chicken tenders evenly in the bottom of the skillet. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken.
4) Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes each side, or until chicken is golden, juices have been absorbed, and meat is cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Asian slaw with ginger peanut dressing
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/asian-slaw-with-ginger-peanut-dressing.html
7/14/19
This is similar to the recipe posted for kale with a lime based dressing.
This one is cabbage with a peanut oil and vinegar dressing.
Waiting for it to marinate but it was fairly simple and tasted good right from the start!
Ended up being delish! Looked a bit soggy after a few hours. May need to reserve part of the dressing next time, if there might be leftovers. Posted on lady docs:
This slaw is really delicious! It is adapted from onceuponachef.com. I was looking for a recipe to use the cabbage I received in my Hungry Harvest basket this week. This only used 1/3 of the head for 4 cups of shredded cabbage. Any suggestions what to do with the rest?
This salad is cool and crunchy, a delicious way to eat your colors! I found that after a few hours, the ingredients became a bit soggy. If you think you may have leftovers, I would favor reserving some of the dressing to add at the next sitting.
Servings: 6 as a side dish
Ingredients:
FOR THE GINGER-PEANUT DRESSING
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut butter (I like Skippy Natural No Need to Stir)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
FOR THE SLAW
4 cups prepared shredded coleslaw
2 cups prepared shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 cup cooked and shelled edamame
2 medium scallions, finely sliced
1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts (or you can leave them whole)
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing (be sure the peanut butter is dissolved). Set aside.
2) Combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing and and toss well. Let the slaw sit for at least ten minutes so the vegetables have a chance to soak up the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve cold.
This slaw is best served fresh but leftovers will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for a few days.
Make-Ahead Instructions: The dressing can be prepared up to 2 days ahead of time; store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
7/14/19
This is similar to the recipe posted for kale with a lime based dressing.
This one is cabbage with a peanut oil and vinegar dressing.
Waiting for it to marinate but it was fairly simple and tasted good right from the start!
Ended up being delish! Looked a bit soggy after a few hours. May need to reserve part of the dressing next time, if there might be leftovers. Posted on lady docs:
This slaw is really delicious! It is adapted from onceuponachef.com. I was looking for a recipe to use the cabbage I received in my Hungry Harvest basket this week. This only used 1/3 of the head for 4 cups of shredded cabbage. Any suggestions what to do with the rest?
This salad is cool and crunchy, a delicious way to eat your colors! I found that after a few hours, the ingredients became a bit soggy. If you think you may have leftovers, I would favor reserving some of the dressing to add at the next sitting.
Servings: 6 as a side dish
Ingredients:
FOR THE GINGER-PEANUT DRESSING
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut butter (I like Skippy Natural No Need to Stir)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
FOR THE SLAW
4 cups prepared shredded coleslaw
2 cups prepared shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 cup cooked and shelled edamame
2 medium scallions, finely sliced
1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts (or you can leave them whole)
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing (be sure the peanut butter is dissolved). Set aside.
2) Combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing and and toss well. Let the slaw sit for at least ten minutes so the vegetables have a chance to soak up the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve cold.
This slaw is best served fresh but leftovers will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for a few days.
Make-Ahead Instructions: The dressing can be prepared up to 2 days ahead of time; store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Thursday, July 4, 2019
grandma's eggplant dip
This is still a work in progress - I've been trying to re-create my grandmother's eggplant recipe for years, and can't quite get it. I'm getting closer, but still not really there.
Ingredients:
6 Japanese eggplants or 2 regular
salt and pepper
Juice of 1 small lemon
2 tsp capers
1 small garlic clove
2 tsp chopped parsley
2 tsp chives
1-3 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
1) Pierce the eggplants and put under the broiler for about 10 minutes, turning frequently until the skins are blackened and the flesh is soft. Set aside to cool
2) Cut off the top end and halve the eggplant lengthwise and scrape the flesh from the skins. Chop coarsely, drain in a colander and blot off juices. Season with salt and pepper. Add the other ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Variation:
1-2 eggplants
1 plum tomato
1 small garlic clove
Zest of 1/2 lemon
~2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
1/8 cup cilantro or parsley
Ingredients:
6 Japanese eggplants or 2 regular
salt and pepper
Juice of 1 small lemon
2 tsp capers
1 small garlic clove
2 tsp chopped parsley
2 tsp chives
1-3 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
1) Pierce the eggplants and put under the broiler for about 10 minutes, turning frequently until the skins are blackened and the flesh is soft. Set aside to cool
2) Cut off the top end and halve the eggplant lengthwise and scrape the flesh from the skins. Chop coarsely, drain in a colander and blot off juices. Season with salt and pepper. Add the other ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Variation:
1-2 eggplants
1 plum tomato
1 small garlic clove
Zest of 1/2 lemon
~2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
1/8 cup cilantro or parsley
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