Mixed Lettuces with Strawberries, Red Grapes, and Almonds

This is of my favorite salads.  It has the perfect combination of tastes and textures. I could wax poetic about how each element of the combination … the sweetness from the fruit, tartness from the lettuces, saltiness from the cheese, and crunch from the nuts … compliments the others.  But I will spare you the rhetoric and just tell you in plain terms … it’s darn good!

The Blush Wine Vinaigrette is my homemade version of Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette.  When I was writing my cookbook Simply Salads, I took some of my favorite store-bought dressings and did my best to imitate them. At times my kitchen resembled a strange sort of vinegar and oil laboratory! Some attempts worked; others didn’t.  But I am proud to say that I may even like my homemade version of this dressing better than the original. It’s brighter in flavor (thanks to the freshly squeezed lemon juice), has no preservatives or MSG, and costs so much less than the bottled original.

Hope this becomes one of your favorite salad combos too!

Enjoy!

Mixed Lettuces with Strawberries, Red Grapes, and Almonds
From my cookbook Simply Salads

For the Blush Wine Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:
1 bag (8 ounces) Mediterranean salad blend
1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
2/3 cup red grapes, halved
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (preferably Maytag)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Blush Wine Vinaigrette:

In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.  Slowly add the oil in a stream, whisking to emulsify.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the salad:

In a large salad bowl toss together the salad blend, strawberries, grapes, scallions, almond slices, and crumbled blue cheese. Add the dressing to taste and gently toss.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 appetizer or side salads.

Cooking Tip:  Mix and match this colorful salad using your favorite ingredients.  Try substituting spinach or using green grapes or dried cranberries. Goat cheese is also a nice substitute for the blue cheese.

Blackened Catfish

If you like a little kick in your food, blackening should be in your cooking repertoire.

It is so easy. It really isn’t a cooking technique at all … but instead is the use of a spicy seasoning.

Blackened seasoning is a fiery mixture of herbs and spices.  You can always pick up a pre-made blend at your local market. But if you would like to make your own blackened seasoning, it’s really not hard to do.  Just whisk together 2 teaspoons paprika and 1/2 teaspoon each of dried thyme, cayenne pepper, granulated sugar, salt, and black pepper. For a little less heat, reduce the amount of cayenne and black pepper. (This mixture will store for several weeks, tightly sealed, in your spice cabinet.)

Delicious on fish or chicken, I like to generously season the meat with the blackened seasoning and then either sear it in a skillet over the stove-top or grill it.

This recipe is the basic technique for blackening fish. Feel free to substitute chicken or your favorite fish for the catfish. Tilapia, salmon, and swordfish all taste delicious blackened.

Enjoy!

Blackened Catfish

In Memphis (my hometown), Soul Fish Café may be known for its fried catfish, but my favorite item on their menu is the blackened catfish.  This is my homemade version along with the not-so-traditional remoulade they serve on the side to cut the heat.

For the Remoulade Dipping Sauce:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely sliced scallions

For the Blackened Catfish:
4 catfish fillets (6 ounces each)
4 tablespoons blackened seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil

To make the Remoulade Dipping Sauce:

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the scallions. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the Blackened Catfish:

Season both sides of the fish with the blackened seasoning. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil until a few droplets of water sizzle when carefully sprinkled in the pan. Sear the fish on one side until the meat is well browned and releases easily from the pan, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn over the fillets and cook until desired doneness, about 5 more minutes. Serve warm with a spoonful of the remoulade dipping sauce.

Serves 4.

Do-Ahead: The remoulade dipping sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate until just before serving.

Lemon Salmon

If you have ever been nervous about cooking fish, this is the recipe to help you overcome your fear.

Despite popular belief, cooking fish is probably one of the easiest kitchen skills.  When armed with a few basic facts, you will be cooking fish like a pro.

Smell it!

When buying fish, ask to smell it.  The fish should smell more like the ocean than dead fish. If it smells overly fishy, that means it is past its prime and will taste overly fishy too.

Don’t overcook it!

Fish should be treated like red meat.  It is best served at medium-temperature. Overcooking will give your fish a strong fishy taste and odor.

I like to remove my fish from the heat (whether oven, stove-top, or grill) just before I think it’s done and let it finishing cooking in the hot pan.

Marinate it!

Marinating fish will add moisture and flavor. However, keep in mind that fishes are delicate.  Fish should never be marinated no longer than 1 hour.

In this recipe, baking the salmon in the marinade helps the fish stay tender and moist.

Ready, Set, Fish!

Enjoy!

Lemon Salmon

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 boneless salmon filets (4 to 6 ounces each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a shallow non-reactive baking dish whisk together the lemon juice, white wine, and oil. Scatter the shallots, lemon slices, and thyme sprigs evenly across the bottom of the pan. Place the salmon filets, flesh side down, into the pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but no longer than 1 hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 385 degrees.

Remove the pan from the fridge, and let it stand until the fish is to room temperature, about 10 minutes on your kitchen counter. Turn the fish over, so the flesh side is up and the skin side is down, and place it back in the marinade. Generously season the fish with salt and pepper. Bake the fish in the marinade for 30 minutes, or until cooked to desired temperature.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Cooking Tips:

This lemony marinade is also delicious with other types of light and flaky fish (such as tilapia, orange roughy, and halibut) as well as shellfish (scallops and shrimp). The cooking times may vary slightly depending on thickness.

When marinating anything in an acid such as lemon juice, wine, or vinegar be sure to use a non-reactive container. Cookware made from glass, ceramic, plastic, or stainless steel are all non-reactive and safe to use. (Plastic storage bags are also a great, mess-free option.) Avoid cookware made from aluminum or copper when marinating because those metals will react with the marinade and give your food a metallic taste.

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Candied Walnuts & Citrus Vinaigrette

Beets are one of those things that I used to always turn my nose up at.  Well…to be honest…that’s putting it mildly.  I’d say for the first thirty-something years of my life, they would have been listed at the top of my “Yuck!” list.  “Why would anyone want to eat those slimy canned red things that seemed to just languish on the salad bar?” was my sentiment.

Then one day…it all changed.

I was at my favorite NYC restaurant (Balthazar) and when my salad arrived, there were beets!  How I missed that on the description I have no idea.  I would have never ordered anything with beets!   

My friend laughed at me as I forked through the lettuce leaves like a picky toddler.  She dared me to eat a beet and, never one to turn down a food challenge, I took a bite. 

I am sure there was a look of shock on my face.  What I tasted was nothing like the beets I had eaten so long ago in my high school cafeteria.  These little red slices were sweet, earthy, and … surprisingly delicious. 

Since that fateful day, I have become a huge fan of fresh roasted beets.  (I still won’t touch the canned variety!) The simple process of roasting these little orbs brings out their almost candy-like sweetness.  Just wrap them in foil, pop them in the oven, and 45 minutes to an hour later…you have a delicious treat.

Give beets a try in this Roasted Beet Salad from my cookbook Simply Salads.  The orangey citrus vinaigrette complements the beet’s sweetness and the tangy goat cheese adds a nice contrast.

Enjoy!

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Candied Walnuts, and Citrus Vinaigrette

Makes 4 dinner salads or 6 appetizer salads   

Roasting beets brings out their natural sweet and earthy flavor. They will taste nothing like the canned beets that you find in the self serve salad bar.

For the Citrus Vinaigrette:

1/2 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:

1/2 pound small to medium beets, stems trimmed and scrubbed
1 bag (5 ounces) Sweet Baby Greens salad blend
1 log (4 ounces) fresh goat cheese
1/2 cup candied walnuts 

For the Citrus Vinaigrette:

In small bowl whisk together the shallots, lemon juice, orange juice, orange zest, Dijon mustard, and oil until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the salad:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil. Place the foil packet on a baking sheet and bake until the tip of a sharp knife easily slides through the beets, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool. Once cool enough to handle, use paper towels to peel the beets. Cut into quarters.

Divide the salad blend equally among the plates.  Top with the beets and then drizzle with the vinaigrette to taste.  Crumble the goat cheese on top and garnish with candied walnuts.

Lemon Tart

Serves 8

For the crust:                          
2/3 cup pecans, lightly toasted & cooled                   
1 cup graham cracker crumbs             
¼ cup granulated sugar                      
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted & cooled                 

For the filling:                        
2 large egg yolks                    
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk 
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice              

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a food processor, finely grind the pecans with the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar.  Blend in the melted butter.

Press the mixture onto the bottom and sides of a 9” pie dish (I prefer a tart pan with removable sides) and bake until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.  Let the pie crust cool on a rack.

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the condensed milk.  Whisk in the lemon juice, a little at a time, until the filling is well mixed.  Spoon the filling into the pie crust.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the filling is set.  Let the pie cool on a rack.  Then chill for at least one hour.

Garnish with whipped cream and fresh berries if desired.