Grilled Artichokes With Green Goddess Dressing

Artichoke Ingredients

4 Artichokes

2 Cups Chicken Broth

2 Cup White Wine

1 tbs Italian Seasoning

2 Cloves Minced Garlic

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Fresh Cracked Pepper

Kosher Salt

Olive Oil

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Flat Leaf Parsley, Chopped

Method

1. Cut the ends of each artichoke off about 2 inches from the tip of each head. Remove the leaves around the base of the stem and slice each head in half lengthwise. Remove all the hair with a spoon exposing the heart at the base.

2. Place the chicken broth, white wine, Italian seasoning, garlic and red pepper flakes in a large pot and bring to a boil  Place the prepped artichoke hearts in the boiling liquid and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside to cool.

3. Once cool, drizzle the artichokes with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Grill over high heat just long enough to achieve grill marks and the artichokes are warmed. Place on a serving tray, drizzle with Green Goddess dressing and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and fresh chopped flat leaf parsley. Serve with additional Green Goddess dressing on the side for dipping.

Green Goddess Dressing Ingredients

1/2 cup Mayonaise

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1 Lemon Juiced

2 Cloves Minced Garlic

1 tbs Anchovy Paste

1 Handful Of Each Fresh Herb: Tarrago, Chives, Parsley, Dill

2 tbs Honey

Fresh Cracked Pepper

3 tbs Olive Oil

Method

1. Place all ingredients except olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth. With blender running on low, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Season to taste with additional honey and salt if desired.

              
           

              

Celery Caesar Salad & Roasted Maple Bacon

I saw this salad on the cover of my favorite food magazine, Delicious, and couldn't wait to try it. Not only is the presentation stunning, but the flavors are so very light and crisp.  It tastes like spring!  The tangy caesar dressing is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the maple bacon.  Definitely a keeper!

Ingredients

Serves 4 - 6

2 Eggs

8 - 12 Long strips of bacon

1 tbs Maple syrup

3 Thick sliced sourdough, crusts removed and cut into 1/2" squares

2 tbs Extra virgin olive oil

6 - 8 Celery stalks, thinly sliced and tender leaves picked

1/4 cup Shaved Parmesan

Pinch of Kosher salt

Anchovy Dressing

3 tbs Mayo

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbs White wine vinegar

3 Anchovy fillets, finely chopped

Fresh cracked pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Mix all ingredients for the Anchovy dressing in a small bowl and whisk until combined. If the dressing is too thick you may use 1 - 2 tsp water to thin. Set aside.

3. Boil the eggs in a saucepan over high heat for 15 minutes. Cool in cold water, peel and roughly chop or grate.

4. Weave the bacon to make a lattice pattern. Place on a baking tray with sides lined with parchment paper and brush with maple syrup.  Top with another piece of parchment paper and place another baking sheet with sides on top of it to weigh it down. Cook in the oven for 5 minutes.

5. Combine sourdough in a bowl with oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Add to the top tray in the oven and cook bacon and croutons for a further 10-12 minutes or until the croutons are golden brown. Remove the croutons from the oven and continue to cook the bacon another 10 minutes or until sticky and browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.  

6. Arrange celery bacon, croutons and egg on a serving platter. Top with the parmesan and serve dressing alongside. Enjoy!

Chiptole BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

Serves four

Ingredients
1 head romaine lettuce loosely chopped
6 scallions thinly sliced
2 Iranian cucumbers thinly sliced
Handful of grape tomatoes thinly sliced
1 lg Avocado peeled and cut into small chunks, or 2 small
4 small sweet peppers thinly sliced or one red bell pepper
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 14 oz can black beans rinsed
1 14 oz can sweet corn rinsed 
Handful of Tostitos lime flavored tortilla chips coarsely crushed
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Chipotle Spice Grilled Chicken, recipe to follow
Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce, recipe to follow
1/2 cup Chipotle Ranch Dressing, recipe to follow



Method
Combine the lettuce, scallions, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, peppers and cilantro and place on a large cutting board. Using a large knife or a Mezzaluna knife, chop the ingredients to a consistent size. Place the chopped ingredients into a large bowl and add black beans, corn and crushed chips. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Toss with chipotle ranch dressing and separate into four serving bowls. Divide the diced and sauced chicken breast into four amounts and top each salad with a portion. Sprinkle with a few crushed chips and serve immediately.


Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tbsp chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt (to taste)
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Method
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth. 1-2 minutes. Refrigerate. If the sauce thickens too much while in the refrigerator, heat for a few seconds in the microwave. The level of spiciness can be adjusted by adding more chipotle pepper to suit your taste.

Chipotle Spice Grilled Chicken
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Crushed red chipotle pepper
Ground coriander
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Juice of one lime
Cooking oil spray
2 Tbsp olive oil


Method
Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and coat both sides lightly with cooking oil spray.  Sprinkle each side of the breasts with kosher salt, ground black pepper, crushed red chipotle pepper, ground coriander. Once each side of the breast is sprinkled with the seasonings, pour lime juice over each breast. 

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat until just before smoking. Saute each side of the breasts until cooked through, about 3 - 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes. Dice the breasts into 1/2 inch cubes and toss in honey chipotle bbq sauce and set aside. 



Chipotle Ranch Dressing
1 Packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
2 Tbsp sauce from canned chilies in adobo sauce
2 Tbsp sugar


Method
Follow the instructions for making the ranch dressing as included on the package. Add the adobo sauce and sugar and mix until blended. For a spicier dressing add more adobo sauce to suit your taste.

Singapore Slaw with Salted Plum Sauce

On a recent visit to Toronto a couple of my work colleagues returned raving about a dish called Singapore Slaw at Susur Lee's restaurant, LEE. After some research I was able to find the recipe and set about to locate the ingredients. Luckily, everything I needed was available at our local global foods market. This dish has one of the most intriguing unique flavor profiles I have had recently. The flavors are so fresh and clean and very complex at the same time.  I served it to my family and it was met with rave reviews. I have made a few adaptations from the recipe published in the Washington Post version. I also simplified some of the steps to make it easier at home. The dressing is the secret key to this amazing dish. Don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients. I was able to find them all. Umeboshi is available at Japanese/Asian food markets as well. Enjoy! 

Singapore Slaw With Salted Plum Dressing

Serves 4
Ingredients:

For the onion oil: 
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup loosely packed chopped leeks, white parts only (cleaned) 
2 scallions, white and light-green parts, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped

For the pickled onions:
1 Small red onion, peeled and cut into thin strips (julienne) 
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 Bay leaf
1 Sprig thyme

For the dressing: 
1/2 cup pitted and pureed pickled Japanese salt plums (Umeboshi) (available at Asian food markets) 
1/2 cup Rice wine vinegar
1 cup Mirin
1 tsp Dashi (Japanese soup stock granules available at Asian food markets)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp peeled and chopped fresh ginger root
1 1/2 tbsp onion oil

For the slaw:

2 Scallions, white and light-green parts, cut into long, 3-inch pieces and cut into long thin strips
Vegetable oil, for frying (about 6 cups)
1 Medium sized russet potato julienned 

Salt, as needed 

2 oz. Rice vermicelli noodles, pulled apart into 4 sections

1 large  unpeeled English (seedless) cucumber, cut into julienne strips about 3" long

1 cup shredded carrots
1 small jicama, peeled and cut into julienne
1 (7 ounces) daikon radish, peeled, trimmed and cut into julienne
2 large Roma tomatoes cut into thin slices
4 tsp black sesame seeds
1 cup crushed roasted peanuts
4 tsp fried onions reserved from making the onion oil
4 tsp edible flower petals - optional
4 tsp thinly sliced Thai basil
4 tsp chopped cilantro
4 tsp Daikon sprouts (available at Asian markets) - optional

1/4 cup pickled onions

Method: 

For the onion oil: 
Combine the oil, leeks, scallions and onion in a medium saucepan over high heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions and leeks are crisped and browned. Remove from the heat; strain the oil into a bowl, discarding the solids or reserving them for as adding to the slaw. Place the crisped and browned onions on paper towels to drain. Set aside.


Let the oil cool before transferring it to a jar. It can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.

For the pickled onion: 
Place the onion in a medium bowl. Combine the vinegar, water and salt in a small saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil. Wrap the peppercorns, fennel seed, bay leaf and thyme in a small piece of cheesecloth tied with kitchen twine to create a sachet; submerge it in the mixture and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Pour the hot mixture over the onion in the bowl, discarding the sachet; let the onion sit for 1 hour. The yield is 1 3/4 to 2 cups. This can be made several days in advance. Keep refrigerated.

For the dressing: 
Combine the salted plum (ume) paste, rice wine vinegar, mirin, dashi, onion oil, sugar and ginger in a blender; puree until smooth.

For the slaw: 
Soak the scallions in a bowl of very cold water to keep them crisp. Line 2 large plates with several layers of paper towels. 

Heat a large pot of oil over high heat to a temperature of 350 degrees, about 6 cups. Add half of the julienned potatoes and fry for 2 minutes or until crisp and light gold in color. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and lightly season with salt.  Once the oil has returned to 350 degrees, repeat with the remaining potatoes. Once the oil returns to 350 degrees, add a section of the vermicelli and fry for a second or two, or just until the noodles curl. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate; once the oil has returned to 350 degrees, repeat with the remaining vermicelli.

Assembly:

Remove the scallions from the cold water and blot them on paper towels.

Divide the vermicelli equally among 4 wide,shallow pasta bowls, forming tall, tapering mounds.

Combine the cucumber, carrot, jicama, daikon radish, tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the pickled onion and scallions in a large bowl; mix well, then distribute even portions of the mixture among the 4 plates of vermicelli. Top with equal amounts of the fried potatoes.

Sprinkle each portion of slaw with equal amounts of the sesame seeds, hazelnuts, fried onions, flowers, Thai basil and cilantro, daikon sprouts. Serve the slaw with salted-plum dressing on the side (4 tablespoons of dressing per bowl should be ample); furnish the guests with the appropriate utensils so that they can toss the slaw themselves. 

Endive, Gorgonzola and Candied Pecan Salad


Ingredients: Serves 4
2 Endive heads separated
1 Orange
1/2 cup candied pecans, recipe follows
1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
Citrus vinaigrette, recipe follows

Method:
Place separate Endive leaves in a stainless steel mixing bowl. Peel and halve one of the oranges removing all of the pith. Cut each half into 1/4 inch slices. Toss the endive and oranges with the Gorgonzola cheese and pecans. Mix in dressing and arrange on serving plates.

Citrus Vinaigrette
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
Whisk to combine and season to taste.

Candied Pecans

Ingredients:
1 cup pecan halves
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla

Method:

Place pecans and oil in a flat baking pan; stir until pecans are coated. Roast in 300º oven 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt and water in a saucepan; cook, stirring over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Boil to 236º on a candy thermometer or to soft ball stage. Remove from heat; blend in vanilla. Add pecans and stir until mixture is creamy. Turn out onto wave paper and use s fork to separate pecans.

On a recent visit to The Block a great neighborhood restaurant that utilizes fresh local ingredients, I tried their spinach salad for the first time. It was topped with a fried poached egg. I was quite impressed with the idea of frying a poached egg. Overall, I found the flavor combinations to be incredibly flavorful and interesting so I decided to try it at home, minus deep fried poached egg. For the time I had to work with I opted for the traditional poached egg instead.  On another day, I will definitely attempt the deep fried version.  Stay tuned.

 Summer Spinach Salad 


Ingredients:
1 Bag fresh baby spinach
4 Scallions thinly sliced, both white and green parts
4 Slices Boar's Head salami diced
4 Slices Pancetta fried crisp and crumbled
Sprinkling of pickled peppers and red onions, recipe follows
Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
4 Eggs poached
Basil vinaigrette dressing, recipe follows

Method:

Place the first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl, gently toss and set aside. Poach the eggs in a large frying pan filled with water and 1 tbsp of white vinegar.  While the eggs are poaching, toss the salad with the dressing and season with fresh cracked pepper.  Portion the salad onto serving plates and top each with a poached egg. Serve immediately.

Basil Vinaigrette Ingredients:
Handful of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp sugar, or to taste
Fresh cracked pepper


Place all ingredient in a blender and process to a fine puree. Adjust seasonings to taste.


Pickled Peppers and Red Onions:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Red onion thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced sweet peppers or your favorite variety
1 tsp dried oregano


Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium nonreactive bowl and let stand until salt and sugar dissolve.  Meanwhile peel and halve the onion and cut into 1/8 inch slices. Add the onions, oregano and peppers to the lime juice mixture and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 2 days. Drain before serving.

Watermelon Caprese Salad
Ingredients:
Seedless watermelon sliced 1 inch thick and cut into rounds
Fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese sliced 1/2 inch thick 
Pancetta
Basil
Balsamic vinaigrette
Salt
Fresh crack pepper


Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp white Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp sugar
Combine all ingredients and shake well


Method:
Slice watermelon into 1 inch thick slices and remove rind. Create small rounds from the melon using a biscuit cutter. Utilize the same biscuit cutter to create 1/2 inch thick rounds of mozzarella cheese. Set aside. Fry the pancetta until crisp and remove to paper towel lined plate. Once cool, break into "shards" or crumbles depending on desired presentation. Arrange watermelon rounds on a plate and sprinkle with salt. Top each with a mozzarella round. Insert each with a pancetta shard and fresh basil leaf in the center of each cheese round. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and season to taste with salt and freshly cracked pepper. So fresh and light!

Burmese Glass Noodle Salad in Endive Cups


Salad    
Rice noodles
1/2 cup thinly sliced and chopped red cabbage
2 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthways, thinly sliced 
2 small red chillies, seeds removed, thinly sliced into strips
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
2 tsp crushed salted peanuts
Handful of fresh snipped cilantro
2 Heads endive for serving, each leaf carefully removed (optional)

Dressing
2 tbs mirin (Japanese rice wine)* 
1/4 cup (60ml) rice vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbs sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon 

Method

Break rice noodles into 3 inch long strands and place in boiling water that has been removed from heat. Let sit a few minutes until softened.  Remove from hot water, place in colander and rinse in cold water. Set aside. 
Meanwhile, whisk dressing ingredients in a large bowl and add the remaining salad ingredients. Fluff the noodles with a fork, then toss with the salad. Serve in endive leaves used for cups.  Makes a great party appetizer.