Tag

walnuts

Farmer's Market Quick and Easy Salad Vegetarian

Israeli Couscous, Arugula Pesto Spring Salad

written by Ali

There’s nothing quite so wonderful in spring as a hearty salad, like this Israeli Couscous, Arugula Pesto Spring Salad. I’m in a little bit of limbo right now about whether or not we are going to be moving. Three scenarios are going on in our lives – one is that we stay where we are, one is that we move on the other side of the Portland Metro area, and the other is that we move to the Oregon coast. None of these are bad options and all have some very definite pros when it comes to cooking, food, and resourcing ingredients. But the problem is that it is spring – truly and officially spring, and what I really want to do is start planning and planting a garden. However, I don’t want to drag pots of plants with me when and if we move, so I’m (reluctantly) holding off.

What does this have to do with this Israeli Couscous, Arugula Pesto Spring Salad? Well, not much I suppose, except that I’m desperately craving fresh, spring veggies, and would prefer radishes directly from my garden, but will make do with the ones I found at Whole Foods. That said, if you’ve never planted a radish, and you have a bit of gardening space, plant some radishes immediately. The round orbs of radish will start peeking through the ground in about 45 or so days and there’s something supremely decadent about rinsing off a radish in the hose and eating it right there, whole, out of the garden.

If you haven’t cooked with Israeli couscous before, I encourage you to try it. It’s a slightly larger version of regular couscous, but is also made with semolina flour. It’s a bit toothier – has a bit more chew to it than regular couscous and is fabulous in salads. You might see it labeled as pearl couscous or Israeli couscous. In this recipe, I toasted it a bit first and then cooked it, which gives it a nuttier flavor.

I recommend either paneer cheese or haloumi cheese for this Israeli couscous, arugula pesto spring salad. Both cheeses toast, so you’ll want to take the extra time to get a light brown crust on the cheese. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Yum

Israeli Couscous, Arugula Pesto Spring Salad

Ingredients

Arugula Pesto

1 tightly packed cup of arugula
1 garlic clove
½ cup walnuts
Juice from ½ lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch salt

Salad

2 – 3 cups arugula
1 cup Israeli couscous or pearl couscous
1 1/2 cup water
1 package paneer or haloumi cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch salt
1 bunch radishes

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the couscous and toast, stirring occasionally for five to seven minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for ten minutes or until all water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
Prepare the pesto by either hand chopping the arugula, garlic clove, and walnuts or processing in a food processor. Add the lemon, olive oil, and salt to combine.
For the salad, chop the radishes into slices and set aside. Slice the cheese into cubes. Preheat a cast iron or non-stick pan and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the cheese with a pinch of salt and then toast the cheese on at least two sides until light brown (about 5 minutes per side). Remove from heat and set aside.
To assemble the salad, start by layering the arugula on serving plates. Add the Israeli couscous on top, and then divide the cheese and radishes on each salad. Spoon the pesto over the salads and enjoy!
(If you are making these for lunch, and have 1 pint mason jars on hand, layer the other direction. Add arugula to the bottom of the jar first. Add cheese and radishes next and then the Israeli couscous and finally the arugula.)

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This post is linked up to Meat Free Mondays at Tinned Tomatoes.

And to #Recipe of the Week

And #CookBlogShare hosted this week by Hijacked by Twins.

And What’s Cooking Wednesday hosted by Jess Bee Creates

March 27, 2017 6 comments

Farmer's Market Lunch Recipes Quick and Easy Salad Vegetarian

Blood Orange, Walnut, and Bitter Greens Salad

written by Ali

The first week back to work after a long break feels like the perfect time for a blood orange, walnut, and bitter greens salad. I think about food a lot (no surprise from a food blogger). I thought about food a lot before I started blogging. One of the things that I’m always curious about is the first time a human being thought to eat something. This always comes to mind for me, for example, when I eat an artichoke or some other food that seems otherwise inedible until it is transformed into something we eat. I also think a lot about food trends and how some foods aren’t regularly eaten anymore.

One of those foods features prominently in my blood orange, walnut, and bitter greens salad. The bitter greens category includes arugula, chard, and endive, but also includes dandelion greens. When I was growing up, dandelions were a weed. My grandparents, my mother, neighbors all spent a lot of gardening time trying to eradicate dandelions from the lawn and the garden. I did the same with my first house, digging them up and tossing them into the trash. At some point along the way, however, I learned that dandelions are edible. I would occasionally cultivate a few plants in my garden, harvesting the greens and sautéing them to toss over pasta. As it turns out, all the parts of a dandelion are edible, but that’s a story for another blog post.

Knowing that dandelions are edible and were, in fact, first brought to the US as a food and that dandelions evolved 30 million years ago (Wikipedia), makes me sad to think that we have relegated them to the status of a noxious weed in our gardens. Dandelion greens can be eaten raw in salads. The taste is a bit bitter, but also has a hint of taste that reminds me of the smell of a dandelion flower in the sun. The greens evoke some pretty serious nostalgia for me of lying in the grass as a kid in the summer. That memory makes this a perfect salad for a frigidly cold January day here in the PNW. It raises my hope level that spring really is right around the corner.

For now, dandelion greens feature prominently in this blood orange, walnut, and bitter greens salad. I found my dandelion greens at Whole Foods. Many natural grocers carry these greens in the winter. You can also substitute other bitter greens for this salad – finely chopped chard would be lovely, as would arugula. I also threw in a few strips of preserved lemon to brighten the salad and to add a bit of salt to cut the bitterness.

I prepared my salads for the week ahead of time. Instead of drizzling the dressing over the whole salad, I put a couple of tablespoons at the bottom of each jar and then added the salad on top. All I have to do is pour the salad out into a bowl once I’m at work.

Yum

Blood Orange, Walnut, and Bitter Greens Salad

Ingredients

3 peeled and segmented blood oranges
1 bunch bitter greens (dandelion greens, kale, or arugula or some combination of some or all)
1/3 cup walnuts
10 thin slices of preserved lemon

Blood Orange Dressing

Juice of one blood orange
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch salt
pinch ground black pepper

Instructions

Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl and toss gently. Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small jar and close tightly. Shake to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and enjoy!

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This post is linked up to No Croutons Required. Check out the hosts’ pages at Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa’s Kitchen.

And is also linked to Kahakai Kitchen: Souper Sunday. Check out all the great soups, sandwiches and salads!

January 4, 2017 22 comments

Farmer's Market Lunch Recipes Salad

Green Salad with Asian Pears and Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

written by Ali

There’s nothing quite so satisfying as a good green salad, especially when you add ingredients like Asian pears and preserved lemons. Asian pears are one of my favorite winter fruits: they are about the size of a very small apple, but have a brown-yellow skin and a pale white flesh. They are quite tasty while still a bit firm and can be eaten skin and all. They lend a lovely crunch to a salad and pair really well with nuts. If I could figure out where I put the hazelnuts from last year, as well as find the nutcracker, I would definitely have used hazelnuts on this salad. As it was, I do know where the walnuts are, so that’s what I went with.

I’ve been waiting weeks to start eating my preserved lemons. Preserved lemons are amazingly easy to make – all it takes is salt and lemons, though you can add in various spices, like peppercorns or bay leaves. This year, I made my preserved lemons with both peppercorns and bay leaves, but also added in the few juniper berries I had left over from pickling last summer. The lemons are perfectly salty and tart and ideal for adding to vinaigrette. I’m sure I’ll be posting more recipes with preserved lemons soon. If you are looking for a recipe, check out the preserved lemon recipe I posted last year. You can use regular lemons or Meyer lemons – both are fantastic. They do take a little bit of time, as the lemons have to cure in the refrigerator for at least a month. Use only the rind – the pulp is discarded. You can also find preserved lemons in various specialty food stores, though I have to say that these are super easy and quick to make and well worth the time to make a batch of your own.

As we move into the calorie laden holidays, I definitely will be eating salads with my lunches. This green salad with Asian pears and preserved lemon vinaigrette is a bright spot this time of year. Enjoy!

Yum

Green Salad with Asian Pears and Preserved Lemon Vinaigerette

Ingredients

4 cups salad greens
2 Asian pears, sliced and cored
1/4 cup walnuts
Preserved lemon vinaigrette (below)

Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the salad greens, Asian pears, and walnuts in a salad bowl.
In a small jar with a lid, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, preserved lemon and pepper. Shake to combine.
Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and enjoy!

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December 13, 2016 0 comment

Baked Goods Lunch Recipes Uncategorized

Kale, Walnut, and Prosciutto Flatbread

written by Ali

I’ve been toying with the idea of making flatbread for lunch for a while now, so when I saw a big bunch of Lacinato Kale at the market this weekend, I decided it pair it with walnuts and prosciutto to make kale walnut, and prosciutto flatbread. This is a riff on a pasta dish I used to make all the time that included kale, walnuts and feta cheese. If you wanted to do a vegetarian version of this flatbread, I think feta would make a lovely substitution for the prosciutto.

At the same time that I start to miss tomato season, fall in the PNW responds with an abundant of fall veggies, including kale. I enjoy the texture of Lacinato Kale (and particularly love the fact that it’s more common name is Dinosaur Kale – I envision large primordial kale plants being munched on by some veggie loving dinosaur). Walnuts and kale are such natural partners, especially when the walnuts are lightly toasted.

You could use a pre-made flatbread for this, or use my quick no-rise focaccia recipe. The top of the focaccia was very uneven, so I flipped it over and used the bottom for the top of the flatbread. I’ve been eating this for lunch this week, along with the last of the figs of the season with some Greek yogurt. It’s been a good lunch for cooler days, particularly after I’ve taken a little break to walk around the neighborhood where I work and watch the leaves fall.

Kale, Walnut and Prosciutto Flatbread
Serves 4

No Rise Focaccia
2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons yeast (or one package)
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Prepare two cake pans by either cutting out parchment paper to fit the bottom and up a bit on the sides or thoroughly oiling them. Combine all the ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl and mix. Flour your hands (the dough is very sticky) and split the dough into two pieces. Pat each piece into a cake plan until the dough covers the bottom of the pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the top is golden and the bread sounds hollow when gently tapped. Set aside on a cooling rack to cool.

Kale, Walnut and Prosciutto Flatbread
2 no-rise focaccias or 2 store-bought flatbreads
1 bunch Lacinato kale, de stemmed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
8 pieces of prosciutto
½ cup parmesan cheese

Set your oven to broil. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the kale and salt. Sauté until the kale is wilted. Divide the kale between the two flatbreads, spreading it evenly over the surface of each. Layer the prosciutto on top and sprinkle with the walnuts. Top with parmesan cheese. Broil for five minutes or until the cheese is gently browned and melted. Enjoy!

September 28, 2016 0 comment

Appetizers Baked Goods Farmer's Market Lunch Recipes Vegetarian

Summer Squash and Goat Cheese Tart

written by Ali

I’m sure my readers have noticed me waxing rapturous about most vegetables that come my way, particularly throughout the summer time. The only summer veggie that I have a very indifferent relationship with is summer squash. I attribute it to the fact that summer squash has a propensity to become slimy when cooked, which is a texture I just can’t stand in food. That said, I really enjoy cooking with squash blossom flowers, and with that in mind, planted a summer squash plant about mid-way through the growing season this year. My logic was that it just wouldn’t produce fruit – I’d be diligent about plucking the flowers and using them.

Try as one might, it’s hard to be a prurient guardian of a vegetable’s chastity. My summer squash defied me and set out squash anyway. It turns out I had a yellow zucchini on my hands. I picked it before it became a giant and grabbed one of the smaller ones that was starting to grow, too. I decided finding a way to cook it very minimally would be the way to go, so sliced off about sixteen thin slices and set them aside for this goat cheese summer squash tart (the remainder was grated and made into zucchini coconut cashew muffins – recipe to come). It turned out so well that I almost regret not having more summer squash on the way. I’m already starting to envision planting several zucchini next year, thus starting a cycle of vegetable love and loathing all over again.

Summer Squash and Goat Cheese Tart
Serves 4

1 recipe rough puff pastry
1 very small zucchini or other summer squash
2 ounces goat cheese
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup walnut pieces (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the zucchini into thin slices – you should have at least sixteen slices.

Roll out the rough puff pastry into a square that is 8 inches by 8 inches. Divide into four squares that are 4 inches by 4 inches. Place the squares on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

Place the zucchini slices in the middle of each square, 4 slices to a square. Divide the thyme leaves, goat cheese, and walnuts (if using) over the zucchini. You can fold up the sides of each square to create a border or use any leftover strips of puff pastry to do the same.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the puff pastry is a light golden brown.

August 16, 2016 0 comment