Oriental Chicken Cabbage Salad with Ramen Crunch

My friend Katie has been making this salad for years and it's one of my favorites. Fresh thinly sliced cabbage is combined with red pepper, green onion and cooked chicken breast, mixed with an Asian-inspired dressing using the ramen flavor packet. The ramen noodles are broken up and toasted in the oven with chopped almonds and sesame seeds for a flavorful crunch. Try it, I think you'll like it as much as I do! Simply omit the chicken for your vegan friends (and the Nissan brand Oriental Ramen is also vegan).

Recipe

1 package ramen noodles, reserve seasoning packet (I use Nissin brand Oriental ramen)
1/2 c. whole almonds, roughly chopped (or use slivered almonds)
2 T. sesame seeds
3 c. thinly sliced or shredded red or green cabbage (about half a medium head, core removed)
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces, seasoned with salt & pepper and pan fried in olive oil & butter until done and golden brown
3 thinly sliced green onions
1 red pepper, chopped
3 T. vegetable oil
2 T. white balsamic vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350-degrees. Break up the ramen noodles into small chunks and place on a baking sheet with the almonds and sesame seeds. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until golden. Cool. Combine cabbage, chicken, onion and pepper in a large bowl.

Make the dressing by combining the ramen seasoning packet with the oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and salt & pepper. Pour over the salad. Add the toasted ramen, almonds and sesame seeds and mix well. Serves 6.
 

Strawberry Upside-Down Cakelets

These individual strawberry cakelets are just perfect for a 4th of July dessert - easy and quick to prepare. Not too sweet, they're light and creamy with the addition of buttermilk, mascarpone and pureed fresh strawberries in the batter. Makes 6 half-cup ramekins, or you could use muffin tins.

Recipe

Cooking spray (for ramekins)
1/4 c. sugar (for ramekins)
6 large strawberries, tops removed, sliced into 4 pieces
1-1/2 c. self-rising flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. butter, softened
1/4 c. mascarpone, room temperature
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. pureed strawberries
Powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Spray the bottom of the ramekins with cooking spray and sprinkle the bottom of each with a teaspoon of sugar. Arrange the sliced strawberries in a spiral pattern on the bottom of each ramekin.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In another large bowl cream together the butter, mascarpone, vanilla and sugars with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in half of the flour mixture until incorporated, then add the buttermilk and mix. Mix in the remaining flour mixture followed by the pureed strawberries. Mix until smooth with no lumps. Pour the mixture into each ramekin so they are about 3/4 full; tap on the counter to release any air bubbles. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan and bake for about 25-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool for about 15 minutes, then run a knife along the outside edge of the ramekin and invert onto serving plates. If the strawberries adhere to the bottom, just remove them with a knife or spoon and arrange on top of the cake. When cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

– Recipe by Aaron McCargo Jr., FoodNetwork.com

Roasted Cauliflower, Sausage & Green Olives

This is a simple but flavorful dish that you'll enjoy again and again. It's definitely going in my weekly menu rotation. Serve alone, on rice, or with a tasty gazpacho or other first course soup. Based on Chef Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe, I highly recommend his cookbooks, and check out his recipes at The Guardian (they also have an app). Well worth it. The guy is a creative genius and works magic with vegetables.

Recipe

1 large head of cauliflower, broken into bite-size florets
6 oz. Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Vegan Sausages (2 links), cut in chunks
1 large red onion, cut in wedges
1/4 c. pitted green olives, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and cut in quarters
2 T. pumpkin seeds
2 tsp. sweet smoked paprika
3 T. olive oil
1-1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
3 T. chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Put all ingredients, except parsley, in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour the ingredients onto the baking sheet and spread out to one layer. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring ingredients after about 15 minutes, until cauliflower is softened and getting some color. Remove from oven, let cool for about 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

– based on recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Marcona Almonds and Pecorino

A friend of mine went to Bottega for lunch in San Francisco and raved about the brussels sprouts salad. I've been wanting to make it ever since, so it was about time! What a citrusy-fresh, crunchy, all around yummy salad - why did I wait so long?

I cheated a bit on the prep: the original recipe calls for shaving six dozen brussels sprouts with a mandoline to get about 8-9 cups, but instead I bought two 10-ounce packages of them already shaved at Trader Joe, as well as Truffle Marcona Almonds which are delicious! This recipe generously serves 6.

Recipe

2 lemons, unpeeled, cut in quarters
1/2 naval orange, peeled
1 large shallot, peeled
1-1/2 c. olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
10 hard boiled eggs, peeled
(2) 10-ounce packages shaved brussels sprouts
3/4 c. Marcona almonds, finely chopped
1/2 c. grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

For the vinaigrette use an electric juicer to extract the juice from the lemons, orange and shallot. Pour the juice in a medium bowl and vigorously whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream. Season with salt and pepper. Taste, adjust seasoning if needed, and whisk again. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or up to three days).

Sieve the eggs. I used a ricer and squished three eggs at a time. Put in a bowl. If preparing the salad later, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. All of your ingredients should be nice and cold (except the almonds of course).

When ready to serve, put the shaved brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Add the sieved eggs and chopped almonds (reserving a few tablespoons of the almonds to sprinkle on top) and toss. I find it's best to use your hands for mixing. Pour on about 1 cup of the vinaigrette and toss again. Spoon into individual, preferably chilled bowls, sprinkle on some of the reserved chopped almonds, and top with the grated pecorino. Spoon on a little more of the vinaigrette and serve.

– "Michael Chiarello's Bottega"

Creamy Morel Mushroom & Chicken Liver Pasta

Take advantage of fresh Spring morel mushrooms for this rich, sumptuous, creamy pasta dish! I used fresh gluten free fettuccini pasta from my local grocery that only took three minutes to cook. The seared, slightly crispy chicken livers and morels are wonderful paired with fresh herbs, creme fraiche and concentrated lamb stock. Serve with a nice zinfandel or other hearty red wine. Using ghee (clarified butter) is important as it has a high smoke point, allowing you to quickly cook the chicken livers at high heat to get that nice crispy exterior without overcooking them.

Recipe

9 oz. fresh fettuccini noodles
1/2 lb. fresh morel mushrooms, cut in half lengthwise, and rinsed if needed to remove dirt
1 lb. chicken livers, trimmed, cut in half
3-4 T. ghee
2 large shallots, chopped
1/4 c. white wine
2 T. cognac
1 T. Glace d'Agneau Gold Classic Roasted Lamb Stock* (can substitute beef or chicken stock)
1/2 c. creme fraiche
2 tsp. fresh tarragon, chopped
1 T. fresh parsley, chopped
1 T. fresh chives, finely cut

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking make the sauce. If using fresh pasta, make the sauce first, then cook the pasta for about 3 minutes until al dente and drain.

Add 2 T. ghee to a skillet and heat to medium high. Add the chicken livers and cook about 2-3 minutes on each side until you get a nice dark sear. Remove to a plate. Add another tablespoon of ghee, the shallots and mushrooms to the pan and saute until somewhat soft, about 4 minutes. Add the wine and cognac and boil for a few minutes until almost evaporated. Add the glace and creme fraiche, bring to a boil, stirring. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Turn off the heat, return the livers to the pan and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and tarragon.

Put the noodles on a serving plate, spoon the morel-chicken-liver-cream sauce over the noodles and sprinkle on the chives.

* I found this ingredient in my local, big chain grocery store in 1.5 oz. packages - well worth it!

Salmon Niçoise Salad

A take on Julia Child's composed Salad Niçoise, this dish includes baked salmon instead of tuna. A perfect do-ahead dinner served at room temperature, it was particularly perfect for today's unseasonably hot, 85-degree day! It can easily accommodate your vegan guests by eliminating the salmon and hard boiled egg. Serves 4 (adjust quantities for number of diners). 

Recipe

(4) 4-5 oz. salmon fillets, skin on
1 lb. baby potatoes, red or white (3-4 per person)
1 T. finely minced shallot
2-3 T. each white wine and water
1 head Boston lettuce, washed, separated into leaves, spun or blotted dry and chilled
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half (or 4 ripe tomatoes, quartered)
1/2 lb. fresh string beans, trimmed, blanched and chilled
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and halved
1/2 c. niçoise olives
2-3 T. capers
3 T. chopped fresh parsley

FOR VINAIGRETTE:
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. each lemon juice and wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2/3 c. olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. fresh basil, chopped

If serving this salad later, make the vinaigrette, hard boil the eggs, bake the salmon, blanch the green beans, steam the potatoes, and wash/dry the lettuce earlier in the day and assemble right before eating.

For the vinaigrette, mash the pressed garlic and salt in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, wine vinegar, and mustard and whisk to incorporate. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Add a grind of pepper and the chopped basil. Alternately you could put all ingredients in a jar and shake for 30 seconds to blend.

For the salmon, preheat the oven to 400-degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and put the salmon skin side down. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette on each fillet and spread to cover with your hand; let sit for 15 minutes. Put in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Use a metal spatula to separate the skin from the fillets; discard the skin. Put on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the green beans, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the beans, bring back to a boil, and cook for 8 minutes (4 minutes for a crunchier bean). Drain well and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Spread the beans on paper towels and blot with more paper towels to dry. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the potatoes, steam whole for about 20 minutes. While still warm slice in half, then into 3/8-inch slices and put into a large bowl; immediately mix in the minced shallot, 1/4 tsp. salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Add the wine and water and toss gently; let sit for 5 minutes, tossing twice more, allowing the potatoes to absorb as much liquid as they will. Then fold gently with 1/4 c. of the vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

When ready to assemble the salad you can put everything on a large platter for people to help themselves, or create an artful arrangement on each guest's plate. Put the lettuce leaves around the edge of the plate; put the salmon on one side. Place some potato salad in the middle. Arrange groups of tomatoes around the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and droplets of the dressing. Mix the green beans with a spoonful of the dressing plus a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste and put on the plate. Distribute the eggs, yellow side up, and drizzle with some dressing; add the olives and the capers to fill in. Sprinkle some dressing over the salmon and the rest of the plate and garnish all with chopped parsley.