Beet Panzanella

 

I can hardly believe I am writing a food post about a salad.  I like salads, but I’ve never been a real lover of them, I can take ‘em or leave ‘em, if you know what I mean.  I was, however, so impressed with this salad that I had to post the recipe.  It is outstanding.

Panzanella is a bread salad and I make a delicious one in the spring/summer.  When I came across this ‘winter’ version, I was intrigued to give it a try.  The contrasting flavors really round out this salad, which truthfully can be a meal all on it’s own.  It’s sweet, savory, creamy and crunchy all at the same time and after making my own croutons I will never again buy them in a store. 

The individual parts of this salad can be made ahead and stored seperately, lasting well in the fridge for a few days.  If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know how much I love that!  This salad is slightly time consuming to make so getting several ‘uses’ out of it is a terrific payoff.  I keep the croutons in a seperate zip lock bag in the fridge and they last a long time.  The beets and shallots are put in a different zip lock back, the dressing in a container…well, you get the idea.   Just assemble as needed.

Some advice regarding this salad that I must pass on.  The first is do not wear something white or of extreme value when making this salad.  The beets stain like nobody’s business.  The second is do not assemble this too far ahead of time, the croutons will get soggy and that is just not good.  The bread must be crunchy.  I would say you can let the salad sit for about 10-15 minutes before any soggy problems start.

I’ve adapted this recipe from Tyler Florence, making just a few small changes.  My version is below…

 

2 bunches baby beets (or large beets cut into chunks) 

4 shallots, peeled

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 sprigs thyme and oregano

4 slices pancetta, sliced into small pieces

1 log goat cheese, refrigerated

1 loaf whole wheat bread, cut into crouton-sized pieces

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 orange, juiced

1 handful dates, chopped

1 large handful arugula

Salt & pepper to taste

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash beets well, cut into chunks, then place on a long sheet of aluminum foil. Split shallots lengthwise and add to foil. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, thyme, and oregano leaves and season with salt and pepper. Fold foil into a packet and roast in oven until fork tender and nicely caramelized, about 40 – 50 minutes.

In saute pan, cook pancetta until crisp. 

Toss the bread cubes with 1⁄4 cup oil until the bread is damp with the oil. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and bake until the bread begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

While the bread is baking, make the dressing. In a large mixing bowl, add the honey, lemon juice, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, 4 tablespoons oil, salt, pepper, and stir together. Add all the remaining ingredients except arugula and gently stir. Taste for seasoning. Remove beets and bread from oven and add to bowl. Stir together and season with salt and pepper. Add pancetta and arugula.  Divide onto individual plates and enjoy!

Chicken Vegetable Couscous

 

Quick and simple dishes that actually taste good are my favorite things to make.  If the dish stands up well to being left in the fridge for a few days, even better!  I discovered this recipe from the Rachael Ray magazine and only made a few small changes.  It’s a wonderful side dish, however, I eat it as my main meal, in a bowl, sitting in front of the TV…

I doubled the amount of zucchini as well as eliminating the fennel seeds (her recipe called for 1/2 tsp).  The other change I sometimes make is not sauteing the chicken in the pan – sometimes I have leftover oven roasted chicken that I shred up or cut into cubes and throw in.  Also note that I have made this dish with quinoa instead of couscous many times and it’s delicious.  Actually, I think I prefer it.  Just cook the quinoa separately (as directed on the box)  and add to the zucchini mixture for a gluten-free, protein packed version of this meal.

My version of the recipe is below…

 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 pound boneless chicken breasts, chopped (or leftover chicken)

1 onion

2 zucchini, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp grated lemon zest

Juice of one lemon

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Pinch of cinnamon

1 cup green olives, chopped

Low sodium chicken stock (use amount as directed on couscous box)

One 10 oz box couscous (or 1 cup quinoa)

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped

Salt & pepper

hot sauce (optional)

 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.   Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned, 3 minutes.  Add the onion, zucchini, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper and cinnamon.  Season with salt & pepper.  Cook for 3-5 minutes, then add the olives.  Cook for 3 more minutes.

Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Stir in the couscous, cover the pan, turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and then add the parsley, mint and lemon juice.  Toss to combine.  If you are so inclined, sprinkle some hot sauce on it and enjoy!

 

Salmon and Edamame Salad

 

I have been making this salmon salad for years, mostly in the summer.  Last week I got such a craving for not only some nicer weather, but this salmon dish.  I absolutely love it.

Salmon could be expensive these days.  Particularly the wild salmon, the kind that is supposed to be more healthy for us.  As it turns out, last week I found myself in Flushing, NY for the first time and discovered the many interesting and inexpensive markets there.  It’s a fascinating spot, once you walk out of the subway you literally feel as if you have been transported to China or Korea.  The markets carry wonderful produce as well as tons of fish!  The salmon, although not the wild variety, was calling out to me and I immediately thought I would use it in this salad.

This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten’s Salmon Salad.  The main change I made was swapping out the celery for edamame.  I’m sure the celery version is great, but I saw an opportunity to use edamame, a soybean, instead.    Edamame is a complete protein containing all of the amino acid building blocks.  It also provides an antioxidant boost from plant chemicals called isoflavones, is high in protein and fiber and is gluten free.  They are so easy to prepare because they are sold frozen, just like frozen corn.  All you need to do is defrost!  They are so delicious.

This dish is a sinch to make and holds up well in the fridge for a few days.  Actually, it gets better as it sits.  I find myself snacking on this by the spoonful when I have it on hand.  This salad is best served chilled, or at room temperature.  You can spoon some onto a mixed green salad, put some into endive spears as an appetizer or just eat it by the spoonful, as I usually do. 

Treat yourself to a healthy, low-calorie snack for a change, one filled with healthy Omega 3’s, soy, protein and fiber.  You’ll feel a tiny bit better about the impending bikini season.  Maybe.  Ugh!

 

1 pound cooked salmon, chilled (I  use fillets, no bones!)

1 cup frozen edamame, defrosted

1 tablespoon red onion, very small dice

2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced

1 heaping tablespoon capers, drained

1 1/2 tablespoons raspberry wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

 

Cook the salmon.  (I usually just bake it in the oven at 375 for about 20 minutes).  Allow to cool completely.  Break up salmon into very large chunks, removing skin and of course any bones.  Place the salmon in a bowl.  Add the edamame, red onion, dill, capers, raspberry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix well and serve chilled.

White Bean and Escarole Soup

 

This soup is the perfect antidote to the cold and blustery weather we are having in New York.  It’s….blizzard-worthy.

I melded a few different white bean and escarole soup recipes and created this one and am very happy with the results.  It’s hearty and filling, however, it’s not thick and overwhelming.  It still maintains a thin consistancy.  The flavors are wonderful, the rosemary, sage and pancetta really do wonders to this soup, providing a delicious depth of flavor.  Whenever I have a parmesan rind leftover I dump it in the pot, however, it’s not mandatory for this soup.  If you don’t have it, don’t fret, just omit it.  This soup is relatively quick and easy to prepare yet tastes as if you have been slaving over it for hours. 

Aside from those few slabs of pancetta I mentioned, this is a healthy soup.  The beans and escarole provide us with a healthy dose of folic acid, fiber, and vitamins A and K.  Escarole is a great, hearty green we can incorporate more into our diets, perhaps when we get tired of always grabbing swiss chard and kale.

You will have to skim the soup once or twice during the cooking time and you will need to take out the food processor to puree some of the beans but it is worth that small effort.  This soup really is very tasty, so make a big pot and keep it in the fridge so you can treat yourself to a big bowl of heaven once you come in from the snow.

Here’s what you will need to make a big pot…

 

2-3 thick slices pancetta (roughly 1/4 inch thick)

1 large onion, quartered

3 whole garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 sprig sage

1 large sprig rosemary

3 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

3 quarts low-sodium chicken stock

1 head of escarole, chopped

olive oil

salt & pepper

parmesan rind (optional)

 

In a large stock pot over medium heat add a few tablespoons of olive oil, pancetta, onions, sage, rosemary and red pepper flakes.  After 2-3 minutes, add the garlic.  Allow to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring the ingredients and turning the pancetta occassionally.  Remove the rosemary and sage.

Add the drained beans, chicken stock , cheese rind (not necessary) pepper and a pinch of salt (keep in mind the pancetta is salty), bring to a boil.  This is usually the first time I need to skim the soup to discard some of the fat that surfaces on the top, so go ahead and skim.  Reduce heat to a simmer and allow to cook for approximately 20 minutes.  Skim again if need be.

With a large slotted spoon remove the pancetta, onions, garlic and 3/4 of the beans, reserving in a bowl or tray.  Pull out the pancetta and set aside.  Remove some of the larger pieces of onions and discard.  Put all remaining onions, garlic and beans in a food processor, add 2 tablspoons of olive oil, one ladle full of broth from the soup pot and salt & pepper.  Puree.  Add pureed bean mixture back to the pot and stir to combine.  Continue to simmer.

Meanwhile, chop up all the pancetta into a small dice and add them to the pot of soup.  Add chopped escarole  and allow to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until wilted.

Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy alone or with a chunky piece of toasted bread.