Caprese Salad

This salad is delicious and so straightforward.  Just a few basic ingredients and you have the most stunning dish!

Ingredients:
2 ripe tomatoes
8 slices fresh buffalo mozzarella
8 large basil leaves (fresh)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

First you slice your tomatoes in slices about 1/4 inch.  One tomato should yield 4 nice slices.  Arrange 8 slices of tomatoes on the bottom of your platter and season with salt and pepper.  Next slice the mozzarella into 1/4" thick slices and place one slice over the bottom layer of tomatoes.  Place one nice big piece of fresh basil over each piece of cheese.  Top the cheese and basil with the other slice of tomato.  Drizzle a little olive oil and the balsamic vinegar over the salad.  Lastly, season with fresh cracked pepper and salt.

Side note: You want to make sure that the tomatoes you pick for this salad are really ripe- they should be a deep red and really juicy.  The dish just won't be the same with mealy tasteless tomatoes.  Even if it means paying a little more for a better looking variety- go for it.  Besides, buffalo mozzarella isn't cheap so you need a flavorful juicy tomato to stand up it.

A Commemorative Meal: Spiced Ground Beef, Flatbread, Tabouli, Tzaziki and Humus

As I mentioned in my previous post, Brandon and I went to this great little place in Panama City Beach called Sheesha Cafe. Although we were glad to be back home, we kind of have the post-vacation blues. It's like you look forward to going away for so long, and then it finally comes and when it does it flashes by. I thought I'd make a meal reminiscent of one we had while we were on vacation to help ease the back-to-reality sucker punch we were feeling. This is a great way to make something different and exciting with ground beef too- if you're sick of hamburgers or meatloaf.

Ingredients for Spiced Ground Beef:
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
1 lemon- (juice)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Drizzle the 1 tbsp. of olive oil into a non-stick pan and allow it to get hot. Add the ground beef and allow it to brown. Making sure to break up clumps. Drain any excess fat. While the beef is browning, dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the meat. Season the beef with the spices and let it continue to cook. Lastly, finely chop the parsley and throw it into the mix. Squeeze the Lemon juice and combine well.

For the Tabouli:
3 bunches flat leaf parsley
1 cucumber
1/2 a small red onion
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered and seeds removed. ( I omitted this ingredient this time because I was out, But I always add them)
1/2 cup cooked couscous, quinoa, millet, or bulgur
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint
4 green onion stalks
1 lemon (juice)
1 garlic clove minced
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste

First prepare one of the grains I listed above according to package directions and set aside when done. In food processor or by hand, finely chop the parsley and mint. Peel the cucumber and cut into spears, removing the seeds. Cut the cucumber into small pieces and add to the bowl with the parsley and mint. Next finely dice the red onion and green onion and add to the bowl. Quarter the tomatoes and remove the seeds and add to the bowl. Lastly whisk the olive oil, lemon and minced garlic and pour into the salad. Add salt and blend well.

For the humus:
3 cans chickpeas- rinsed and drained
2 tbsp tahini
1 lemon (juice)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup water
salt to taste

Add the chickpeas to your food processor along with the tahini, water, lemon juice and olive oil and blend well. Next run the garlic through a press or micro-plane and add to the mix. You don't want to add the garlic whole because you could end up with a big chunk. Continue to blend in the food processor until the mixture is nice and creamy. Put into a serving dish and drizzle with olive oil. Season the top with a little sumac or paprika.

For the pita bread:
6 cups all purpose unbleached flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp. salt
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 2/3 cups water
1/4 cup light olive oil
1 packet active dry yeast

Add the ingredients to your bread machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Mine said to add all of the wet ingredients first then add the dry ingredients. Turn the machine on to the dough setting and allow the dough to do it's thing. Once the bread machine stops, remove the dough and break off pieces about the size of a lemon and roll into a ball. Flatten them with your hand and with a rolling pin, begin to roll them out. I like mine kind of thin but you can make them a little thicker if you like. In a large non-stick skillet add a little oil and turn on med-high heat. Once the pan is hot, place the dough and allow for it to cook. You should see air bubbles form. Flip it over once you have a little bit of browning on one side.

Tzatziki (cucumber yogurt sauce):

1 1/2 cups thick Greek yogurt
2 large cucumbers (seeds removed)
1 tsp. fresh chopped mint

Add the yogurt to a bowl. Next peel the cucumber, cut it and remove the seeds. Grate the cucumber or finely chop and add to the yogurt. Finely chop the mint and add to the yogurt as well. Serve chilled.

I know it seems like a lot of work, but actually the food processor is your best friend when making this meal. You can really have this meal done in 30 minutes (with the exception of the bread dough, but all you do for that is dump the ingredients into the machine and walk away till it's done).

Salmon Piccata, Herbed-Linguine, Salad & Garlic Bread

This salmon Piccata was done exactly as I did when I made the Turkey Piccata dish- except I didn't pound the salmon fillets as that would destroy the flakiness not to mention shape of the fish. Either way, here's the recipe for the Salmon:

8 pieces salmon- filleted, skin removed
1 cup flour
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp.  light olive oil (not extra virgin it tastes too strong for this in my opinion
3 tbsp. capers
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

Season the fish with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour. In a skillet, add butter and oil and allow to get hot on med. high heat. When hot, add the salmon and cook through until nicely golden brown. Set aside on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Repeat until all the pieces have been cooked and transfer to the cookie sheet. Next take a little more butter and add to the skillet with 2 tbsp. of flour and make a roux. Once the flour has browned a bit add the white wine and chicken stock and whisk until the liquid and roux are well incorporated. To this, add the lemon juice and capers and stir in well. Let the sauce cook until the wine has evaporated and the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon. Once done add the sauce to the cookie sheet, making sure you coat the bottom too. Then pour the rest of the sauce over the salmon. Bake in a 35o degree oven until its cooked through and warm- about 15 mins.

For the linguine:
1 box linguine
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 large shallot
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the pasta until it is al dente. While the pasta is cooking, slice the shallots and garlic and saute in a large pan with butter and olive oil once the shallots and garlic are tender, add the white wine and allow it to cook down a little bit before tossing the pasta in. To this add the parsley, salt, pepper and cheese and combine well.

For the salad:
1 head romaine lettuce
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 a small purple cabbage
2 carrots
1 bottle hearts of palm

Chop the romaine lettuce and cabbage well. Julienne the carrots and slice the hearts of palm. Assemble the salad by adding the lettuce, then pile the cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and heart of palm. Serve with your favorite salad dressing.

Cobb Salad

I kind of feel like I'm cheating a little bit by posting this since there really wasn't a whole lot of cooking involved in making this, but it's a quick, easy, and nutritious meal that I thought was worth sharing. I also didn't make my own salad dressing, but it was Monday night- I needed a breather.

Ingredients:
1 handful baby spinach
1 carrot finely julienned
1/4 cup shredded cabbage
1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 green onion stalk, sliced in rounds
2 tbsp. home-made croutons (recipe follows)
1/2 an avocado sliced
3 pieces breaded chicken strips, cubed ( I just used the target brand and baked them)
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1/4 shredded cheddar cheese
Top with 1000 Island dressing or whatever dressing tickles your fancy.

Wash all of your veggies well. Next put the eggs to boil in a pot. In a foil-lined cookie sheet, place the pieces of chicken and bake according to package directions. Peel your carrot and finely julienne the pieces. Slice the green onion in rounds. Next, cut the cherry tomatoes. You can skip this step if you like. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan and cut into chunks. When the eggs are done boiling, put them in an ice bath to cool them off and peel after several minutes of soaking in the cold water. Slice your avocado, and remove the croutons from the oven when ready. Begin to assemble your salad. First pile the spinach leaves, then set the cabbage, avocado, carrots, and tomatoes in little piles on top of the spinach. To this add the cheddar cheese, chicken chunks, egg, and green onions. Next add the croutons and salad dressing and voila.

If you want to add a little extra healthy crunch, try adding pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.

For the Croutons:
2 slices regular whole wheat sliced bread
cooking spray
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
garlic powder and salt to taste

Cut the bread into small cubes and spray with cooking spray. Season the bread with the salt, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese and bake in a 400 degree oven until the pieces are nice and crunchy. You should take the pan out and toss the bread to ensure even baking throughout the cooking process.