Asian Steak Salad with Noodles

First, I want to apologize for calling anything I do with soy sauce an "Asian" dish. I'm so unfamiliar with Asian cooking that I tend to throw whatever I want in it, which makes me uncomfortable tagging it as a specific Asian cuisine.

Regardless...

I started this dish with 2 flank steaks, some soy sauce and developed the dish from there.

Asian Steak Salad with Noodles

Steak Salad

• 2 Flank Steaks marinated (see marinade below)
• Baby Spinach
• Shredded Carrots
• Snow Peas (boiled for 1-2 mins)
• Dressing (see below)
• 2 tbs Chopped Scallions

Dressing

• Soy Sauce
• Lemon Juice
• Mustard Powder
• Olive Oil

Marinade

• Equal Parts Soy Sauce & Water
• Ginger Powder
• Tumeric (it smelled good so why not!)
• Garlic (a tbs of garlic from a jar)

Noodles

• Annie Chun's Glass Noodles
• 2 Eggs
• Bonito Flakes
• 1 tsp Fish Oil
• 1 Tbs Chopped Scallions

I marinated the steak for apx 30 minutes, on the counter top, so they were room temp. I assembled my salad, a simple mix of snow peas, spinach, shredded carrots and scallions and placed in the fridge to stay cool.

I had a box of Annie Chun's glass noodles (no sauce) but I figured I could flavor them with the leftover marinade and scrambled eggs (similar to a fried rice). I flavored the eggs with fish sauce and bonito flakes, scrambled, and mixed with the cooked noodles. I removed the steaks from the marinade and placed on a tray to broil. In a preheated oven I broiled the steaks for 4 mins per side (a little too long), let rest for 5 minutes and sliced against the grain. I wanted to use the remaining marinade to season the noodles, but it was a little runny, so I mixed in a tbs of peanut butter (like a Thai sauce) and reduced for apx 10 minutes. I spooned a portion of the reduced marinade over the noodles and tossed in scallions for color. I placed the remaining marinade in a bowl for dipping.

I tossed the salad with the dressing and plated with the sliced steak on top.

This was all-in-all a good dinner. The noodles were a great side dish and the fish flavor came through without being overly-fishy. My only complaint was the salad, which didn't' stand up to the dressing so it tasted a little wilty. Next time I would probably make it an equal parts spinach, red leaf lettuce, sprouts and carrot salad.

Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

I have had a random assortment of vegetables languishing in the fridge for the last week: 1/2 a carton of baby bella mushrooms, 2 carrots, 1 zucchini, and 1 green bell pepper. Last night I decided to use them, along with a can of black beans, to stuff some vegetarian enchiladas. I have never made enchiladas before, and in my recipe research I came upon many different techniques (perhaps the most authentic of which requires you to deep fry each tortilla!) Intending for this to be a healthy meal, I decided to skip the frying.

I picked up a package of corn tortillas knowing that I had the other fixings for this dish at home (sour cream, lime, cilantro, salsa verde, radish, green onion, chipotle in adobo). I started by slicing and roasting the aforementioned vegetables, along with an onion, on a sheet pan in a little bit of vegetable oil (425 for 20 minutes or until they start to carmelize). My enchilada sauce was composed of 1 small can tomato sauce, 1/2 a can of whole tomatoes & some of their juice, 2 chipotles (in adobo), 1/2 a small diced red onion (I was out of garlic), about two tablespoons of cilantro, 1 1/2 tsps cumin and salt to taste, all whipped up in my cuisinart.

When the roasted vegetables were slightly cool I scraped them into a bowl with the can of drained black beans. I grated about 1/2 a brick of cheddar and 1/2 a brick of monterey jack cheese and put my tortillas on the sheet pan to toast slightly under the broiler (not letting them brown). Now it was time to put everything together!

I started by spooning some enchilada sauce into the bottom of my lasagna dish. Then I dipped a tortilla in the enchilada sauce on both sides, put this on a plate, sprinkled a little cheese and spooned some of the vegetable black bean filling in the middle, rolled up, and placed seam side down in the dish. I repeated with each tortilla and then poured the extra enchilada sauce over the top, topped with the remaining cheese, and put in a 350 oven for 25 minutes or so.

I was glad the dish turned out well, because Deirdre and Jen stopped by for an impromptu dinner party ;) Though the enchiladas were a little dry (next time I might make more sauce), the flavors of the roasted vegetables gave a richness to this meatless dish. The composition of this dish is quite similar to a lasagna, so don't be scared to try this at home. Plus- everything tastes good with a blob of sour cream on top!

(Left: Filling, Center: Enchilada sauce, Right: Toppings)

Soup n' Sandwich

Carrot Tomato Gazpacho with Pickled Cucumbers

Prosciutto & Herbed Goat Cheese Roll-up Sandwiches

The nearest grocery store to our apartment is a carniceria, which has fresh produce, a huge butcher counter (which we've yet to try), and rows and rows of impeccably stacked foods. On Wednesday after work I popped in for a bag of tortillas, and set home to make dinner out of the tortillas and whatever was left in the fridge. I knew I had a packet of prosciutto, a cucumber, a bag of radishes, a bag of carrots, and some leftover goat cheese and cream cheese. I decided I would attempt a gazpacho with canned tomatoes. In my large soup pot I sauteed 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 minced shallot and 1/2 a small red onion (minced) in a bit of olive oil. When the onions were soft I added five carrots (peeled & chopped), 1 cup chicken stock, 3 cups of water, and one 28 oz. can of Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes. I brought everything to a boil and then lowered the heat and let the soup simmer for approximately 25 minutes. While the soup was cooking I started on my wrap sandwiches. I made a cheese spread with 1/2 a brick of cream cheese, about 4 oz. of goat cheese, some sliced green onion, fresh basil & flat leaf parsley, a teaspoon of red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. I peeled & seeded 1/2 my cucumber and sliced into thin strips and thinly sliced some radishes. I spread a good amount of cheese spread on each tortilla, then put some cucumber strips, radish coins, and a piece of prosciutto in the middle. I rolled each tortilla into a log shape, secured with 3 toothpicks, and cut each log into thirds. These sandwiches make great party or picnic food- they are easy to make and eat! When the carrots were soft I turned off the heat and let the soup cool before pureeing with my immersion blender. I did a small dice on a remaining carrot and added that to the pureed soup to give a little texture and crunch. I put the soup in an ice bath in the fridge to cool, stirring intermittently. We served the soup with a garnish of quick pickled cucumber (peeled, seeded, diced cucumber, red wine vinegar, S&P) and fresh basil. I put the bowls in the freezer for about five minutes before serving so that the soup would stay chilled. Along with the sandwiches, this was a fresh, tasty, and healthy dinner (with great leftovers!)

Mexican Corn and Chicken "Chowder"

I decided to incorporate the leftover roasted chicken from earlier this week into a summertime soup. This soup had a similar flavor profile to the chicken and bean chili that I like to make during the winter. While no one can be expected to have mint, Greek yogurt, cilantro and jalapenos on hand, I spent $30 at the store and have enough soup for lunch all week. Not a bad deal.

Mexican Corn and Chicken Chowder

Chowder

• 4 Cans Whole Corn Kernels
• 2 Jalapenos, minced
• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
• Lg Handful Cilantro- Chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper- Chopped
• 1 Cup Chopped Roasted Chicken (apx)
• 1/2 Yellow Onion- Chopped
• 1 Container Chicken Stock
• 2 tbs Dried Oregano
• 1 tbs White Pepper
• 1-2 tbs Cumin
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tbs Chili Oil
• 3 small limes (or two big ones, whatever you have on hand)

I sauteed the onions, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, dried oregano, white pepper and paprika until the onions were soft. While the onions sauteed I blended all but a handful of corn in my Cuisinart along with the cilantro and S&P. I wanted the soup to be smooth but still have some texture, the mix of blended corn plus the handful of whole kernels achieved this. Once the onions were soft I added the corn, chicken, chicken stock, chili oil and lime juice. I brought this mixture to a boil and let simmer uncovered for apx 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. At the last minute I added in the red bell pepper and another handful of chopped cilantro. I added these ingredients last because you don't need them to cook in order to add flavor, in fact, when raw they add color and texture to the soup. A quick note if you are following this recipe. My measurements are never exact, I'm one of those "a little of this a little of that" cooks. In order to get the right balance of flavors I'm constantly tasting my food. This is a meal where you can match the flavors and spice level to your preferences. Unlike say...a bay leaf.... white pepper, cumin, oregano and chili oil don't need to cook to infuse flavor, they can be tasted right away. If you want more of something, add it, and you will be able to taste the difference right away.

Tzatziki Topping

• Greek Yogurt
• 2 Garlic Cloves (mashed to a paste)
• Minced Yellow Onion
• Chopped Mint
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped

Next I made the topping for the soup. I wanted to use a creamy topping to cut the spiciness of the soup. You could easily use sour cream on top but I wanted to make tzatziki for lamb burgers later in the week. Tzatziki is a greek cucumber yogurt, spiced with garlic, raw yellow onion and mint. I made a garlic paste by mashing the garlic cloves with my knife, mincing, then sprinkling with some kosher salt and scraping across my cutting board. I added in minced yellow onion, chopped mint and cucumber. Then I mixed in the greek yogurt. The proportions of this are really to your taste. What you want is for the mint and cucumber to balance out the rawness of the garlic and onion.

Quesedilla

• Taco Cheese
• 2 Tortillas
• 1/2 Jalapeno Minced
• Chopped Cilantro
• 1 Vine Tomato, chopped

Lastly was the quesedilla, which I fried in a saute pan w/ a bit of vegetable oil to get it nice and crispy.

This soup was spicy, delicious and really easy to make. It also can be served cold or frozen for later meals.

Cold Sesame Noodles with Tofu

I apologize for the lapse in posts-- I have been traveling (and attempting to travel). It is HOT in Chicago, and since we don't have central air I have not been tempted to spend time in front of the stove. A few weeks ago I picked up a package of brown rice Udon noodles at Whole Foods. I initially thought I would make a hot brothy soup, but with this change in weather I knew I wanted to make something cold.

I cooked my noodles according to the directions on the package, and tossed them with a dressing made of grated carrot and ginger, minced garlic, sesame oil, a bit of canola oil, a bit of vinegar, and a bit of soy sauce. I added to this some more grated carrot, blanched snow peas, thinly sliced mushrooms and green onions, canned water chestnuts, sesame seeds, and some fried tofu. I tossed everything together and let it cool in the fridge before serving with a blob of chili garlic sauce. This is a great summer meal that is a nice alternative to a textbook pasta salad.

And for dessert? Wisconsin rhubarb pie with a creamy scoop of Oberweis Vanilla Ice Cream.

Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Chicken and Arugula

I reaaaallly try to cook every night and bring my lunch to work everyday, but sometimes I just don't feel like cooking a dish from scratch. A short cut I've learned is when I have a few hours around the apartment, with little to do, I simply cook a few proteins and store in the fridge for use later in the week. This week I roasted 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts and chopped. I used a portion of the chicken for this dish, and plan on using the rest for chicken salad, and soup later in the week. This is a great dish to keep in your repertoire for fast weekday meals.

Angel Hair with Roasted Chicken and Arugula

• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (roasted and chopped)
• 2 Bunches of Arugula, rough chopped
• 1 Shallot, chopped
• 1 tbs Anchovy Paste (optional)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan
• Butter
• 1 Head Roasted Garlic
• S&P

I sauteed the shallots in butter and whisked in the roasted garlic, anchovy paste, salt, pepper and the juice of 1/2 lemon. I added in the chicken, arugula and 1-2 ladels of the pasta water. Once the arugula wilted down I added in the angel hair, parmesan, and a bunch of twists of pepper.

This meal was fresh, simple and got me the always appreciated praise of "one of your best efforts yet!" Considering it only took 15-20 mins, I'll take it.

Carrot Ginger Soup

I'm big into soups these days. Every time I go to the market and look at all the fresh fruits and vegetables, I can't help but think about throwing everything into a soup pot to see what comes out.

This week I decided to make a carrot ginger soup. I started by sauteeing two large leeks (well rinsed, white & light green parts only, chopped) in a mixture of butter and olive oil. When the leeks were soft I added one Russet potato peeled & chopped, and one bag of carrots (washed, peeled, chopped). I then seasoned liberally with salt and added about 2 tbsp fresh minced ginger, 1 tsp dried coriander, a dash of cumin, one cup of chicken stock and about five cups of water.

I let everything simmer and soften before I turned off the heat and pureed the mixture with my immersion blender. Along with a blob of sour cream or Greek yogurt, this was a really lovely, fresh tasting soup.

Along with the soup we enjoyed a zucchini, radish & Farro salad with walnuts and goat cheese, topped with sliced chicken. Now that it's somewhat warmer in Chicago, we have been enjoying lighter meals with more fresh vegetables. It feels good to eat healthy!

Supper for One: Artichokes and Deviled Eggs

Last night I rode my bike home from work and got soaked in a huge rainstorm. After I got home, wrung out my clothes and poured the puddles out of my sneakers, I set about making dinner.

I had some artichokes in the fridge and deviled eggs on the brain. I started by trimming my artichokes and steam/boiling them for about 30 minutes. While the artichokes were cooking I hard boiled my eggs, let them cool in an icy bath, and then set to work.

I peeled and halved the eggs, putting the yolks in a bowl with a blob of mayo, a blob of sour cream, a tiny blob of dijon mustard, and S&P. I mashed this together and put the mixture in a ziploc baggie. I then snipped the corner off the baggie and piped the creamy yolky mixture back into the whites.

I topped the deviled eggs with a dash of paprika and some minced red onion, whipped up a quick balsamic mayo dip for my artichokes, and supper for one was served!

Out & About: NYC, Sushi of Gari

About a year ago R & I relocated to the Upper East Side. Anyone who lives in the city knows that the UES can be a culinary wasteland unless you are looking for Italian! We were delighted to discover that our block was home to one of the best sushi restaurants in the city. Sushi of Gari is recognized as a sushi mecca by many, including the elite Michelin Guides (2007 & 2008 winner). Masatoshi "Gari" Sugio serves unique and self-described "avan gardo Japanese cuisine," which is best experienced by ordering Omakase, the chef's signature line up. We saved this experience until now because it is a pricey one ($90 per person) and best reserved for a special occasion.

Our appetizer resembled a chicken meatball, served in broth, topped with pickled relish. The main meal consisted of 3 rounds of sushi, with 4 variations of sushi in each round.

Some of the highlights included what I believe was mackerel, singed with a blow torch and topped with a mushroom mix (second in), sake marinated tuna with tofu mayonnaise (back)....

Salmon with grilled tomato and possibly a cream cheese mixture (front), and eel with peppercorns marinated (soy?) until tender and fragrant (third in).

We ended the meal with two tasty and delightful deserts.

Fried Red Bean Ice Cream with a Strawberry Sauce (preferred w/o the sauce)

Fried "fish" with Red Bean Paste served with Green Tea Ice Cream

Not only were the flavor combinations unlike anything I had tasted before, but the atmosphere was relaxed and the service friendly. I only wish I could afford to go here more often!

Cacio e Pepe, Wilted Arugula with Sicilian Ragusana

Ever since Caitlin told me to check out legendary French Chef Jacques Pépin's show More Fast Food My Way, I have been HOOKED. He cooks classic, fresh, beautiful meals in no time flat. The show airs daily on PBS and is the only cooking show I save on DVR to reference later. Recently he made wilted escarole with spicy Italian sausage. I loved the colors in this dish, as well as it's simplicity, and decided to recreate at home. When Jacques made the recipe he paired it with a truffle mac and cheese. As a more warm weather appropriate dish, I decided to make Cacio e Pepe, a simple pasta with pepper, olive oil and Parmesan.

Wilted Arugula with Sicilian Ragusana

• 3 bunches local Arugula, roots chopped off, triple rinsed to remove grit
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Shallot, minced
• 3 Sicilian Sausages Ragusana (store bought)
• 1 tbs butter

Cacio e Pepe

• Medium Shells
• Grated Parmesan
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• Olive Oil

Wilted Arugula with Sicilian Ragusana

For the greenery in this dish you could use a number of things; escarole, kale, spinach, or my choice, local fresh arugula. Because arugula has a bit of a bite, I selected a sausage that would balance that flavor. I ended up with a Sicilian Sausage Ragusana. The sausage was a mix of veal, pork, cinnamon, cayenne and small raisins. I'm sure it had other ingredients, but when I google it, no results!? Anyways, I thought the sweetness of the sausage would be a great balance for the spicy arugula. The sausage and arugula were the stars of this dish, so I didn't muddle them with too many additional flavors, just a bit of garlic, shallots and olive oil. Shallots are a good addition to this dish because they provide an oniony taste that is also a bit sweet.

I removed the sausage from the casings and formed into balls (1 inch diamter). In an olive-oiled pan over medium heat I browned the sausage on one side (apx 4-5 minutes) then I flipped to brown the other side. At this point I reduced the heat a bit, to avoid burning the garlic, and added in the butter, shallots, and garlic. I let this mixture cook for a few minutes, then added a few tablespoons of water and piled the arugula on top. Whatever greens you choose will wilt dramatically, so really pack it in there! I covered the arugula and let steam cook for about 10 minutes. Then I tossed and cooked until it looked like this, with still crispy stems.

To reduce some of the cooking liquid I cooked uncovered for a few minutes. Note! Don't sacrifice the texture of your arugula to evaporate liquid, it makes a great sauce!

While the arugula cooked I boiled my pasta, and drained, reserving about 1/2 cup of pasta water in the bottom of the pot. I put the pasta back in the pot, added about 1/3-1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan, a swirl of olive oil and a good bunch of turns of fresh pepper. I stirred this all together and joila! Cacio e Pepe.

This dish was a great combination of flavors, very elegant despite it's simple preparation. I would recommend this as a good dish to entertain with, as it allows you time to enjoy your guests.

Tikka Masala

Last night I made a quick and easy Tikka Masala, with some serious help from the store. There is this one brand I love (forgot the name!) which make a series of delicious Indian sauces that can be quickly added to a protein and paired with rice for a flavorful meal. As I didn't have any chicken on hand I decided to make it with ground beef.

I started by cooking the rice. I chose a white rice, which I cooked in beef stock with 1 tsp each of cumin, ginger, sprinkle of cayenne and paprika. I chose those spices because they mimicked the spices in the tikka masala sauce. While the rice cooked I quick browned the beef and drained it. I then added in the sauce as well as a splash of water to give the sauce some space to reduce. I also added in some rough chopped potatoes. Once the rice was completed, I squeezed lemon juice over the rice and tossed. I then added defrosted green peas to the tikka masala and served.

This tasted really good, but I prefer tikka masala with chicken. Also, I didn't like the way I served it, it made it look much less appetizing then it was!

As a quick starter I toasted some bread and served with a leftover Mediterranean sauce from delivery, pickles, capers and hummus.

Potato, Heirloom Tomato, Fennel and Sausage Strata

Despite it being summer, the rainy weather has not exactly encouraged seasonally appropriate cooking. Hence, making a rather wintery gratin in the middle of June.

Last night I tried to make a strata/gratin, but I'm not even sure that is the correct thing to call this dish. What I'm referring to is vegetables thinly sliced and layered, then topped with cheese and baked. It's similar to a lasagna without the noodles. When I was out in Chi visiting Caitlin she made a beautiful gratin and I've been meaning to try one myself but the prep can be time consuming. An early departure from work, thanks to "summer Fridays" presented a perfect opportunity to test out my sausage, potato, fennel and tomato gratin.

Potato, Heirloom Tomato, Fennel and Sausage Gratin

• 4 Large Red Potatoes, thinly sliced
• 3 Large Heirloom Tomatoes, sliced
• 2 Fennel Bulbs, sliced
• Sausage (any kind), browned and strained.
• Bacon rough chopped

"Bechamel"

• 1-2 Garlic Head
• Butter
• Flour (1-2 tbs)
• Cumin 1 Tbs)
• S&P
• 2 Egg Yoks
• 1 Cup Milk (apx)

Before I began my vegetable prep I roasted a few heads of garlic. Roasting garlic is an easy way to add depth of flavor without much work. You cut off the top part of the garlic so that the tops of the individual cloves are exposed. Then remove any loose shelling around the garlic, maintaining the outer wall of skin. Drizzle the garlic with olive oil, using your fingers to make sure the garlic is fully coated. Then wrap the heads individually in tin foil. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Roasted garlic is almost sweet, you can literally eat the warm cloves right out of the head.

I thinly sliced my vegetables, salt, peppered and sauteed them in bacon fat (mmmmmmm) until they were just tender. It's important to season each element of the dish so the whole thing is flavorful, not just the bites w/ cheese in them. You want to make sure the vegetables are tender enough that when you cut into the gratin the layers won't slide off eachother, but your fork will go cleanly through them.

After I cooked my vegetables I made a quick bechamel to act as the binder for the gratin. I melted butter into a pan (apx 2-3tbs) and whisked in a few tbs of flour, followed by about 1 cup of milk and 2 egg yolks. Then I added cumin, salt, ground pepper, and 1 head of roasted garlic (ground into a pulp). I turned the heat off of my sauce and began layering my vegetables: potatoes, fennel, ground sausage, tomatoes, parmesan, bechamel. I repeated this sequence twice and topped with an extra helping of parmesan, a bit of olive oil and some fresh pepper.

I cooked the gratin covered in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, then removed the lid and cooked for an additional 10.

The flavors came together really well in this dish, although there were a few obvious improvements. R described the dish as "really delicious scalloped potatoes," which isn't exactly what I was going for. While you could taste the tomatos and fennel, the potatoes were the most structurally sound vegetable in the dish and therefore stood out above everything else. Next time I would add another sturdy vegetable, one with a bit of color, to layer in with everything else. Despite the above improvements, I felt this was a successful dish. In a month where it has rained 15 of the last 20 days, a little scalloped potato dinner was exactly what the doctor ordered.

On the Road...Boulder

This week I've been very lucky to be able to travel to Boulder, Colorado for work. When I travel I pray for quality hotel food, because I don't always feel like popping out for dinner after a long day of work/travel. Looking back on my history of room service orders I realized my default order is a cup of onion soup au gratin along with a green salad. I'm not sure how I stumbled onto this ordering pattern but consistently proves to be a safe option. I mean how can you screw up soup covered in cheese?!

Unfortunately this hotel menu was particularly uninspiring (never trust room service steak!) to the point of driving me out of my hotel, in a daze of post-flight exhaustion, to hunt for food. I googled "grocery stores boulder colorado" and found out that Whole Foods is actually headquartered out of Boulder (and Austin). I plugged the address into my GPS and auto piloted my way over.

Whole Foods has an awesome selection of prepared food that is rarely overdressed and always fresh. I made my own salad at the salad bar (complete with edamame..yum!!) and picked out a delicious piece of salmon. To top it off I grabbed a few pieces of chocolate covered ginger and a 4 pack of mini sauvignon blanc.

Now this is what dinner-on-the-road should look like!

Tomato and Spinach Soup with Fresh Veggies

Monday night I was tired and craving something fresh and healthy for dinner. I wanted to make tomato soup, and I had a bag of fresh spinach from the Wicker Park Farmer's Market that I wanted to incorporate. Looking through the fridge, I also found a zucchini and 1/2 a red bell pepper leftover from my pasta salad.

I started by dicing one shallot and two cloves of garlic which I sauteed in some olive oil. I added a blob of tomato paste, and let it caramelize slightly in the pot before adding 1 diced zucchini, the red bell pepper diced, a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes, about a teaspoon each of dried oregano, basil, and crushed red pepper, and a big squeeze of lemon juice. I then added two cups of chicken stock and one cup of water and brought everything to a low boil. I keep baggies of frozen Parmesan rinds in my fridge, so I tossed one of those in my soup and let it simmer.

After 15-20 minutes the soup was very fragrant and the Parmesan rind was soft and melty. I removed the rind, turned off the heat, and let the soup cool before pureeing with my immersion blender.

Meanwhile, I had washed and chopped my spinach into thin ribbons. I put the ribbons in a clean soup pot and then poured in the hot pureed tomato/zucchini/red pepper mixture. The spinach wilted with the heat of the soup, and after seasoning to taste with S&P the soup was ready to be served along with some pita chips "croutons" and a blob of Greek yogurt. Trevor loved the hint of spice from the crushed red pepper and the acidity of the lemon juice, and I loved the texture of the chopped spinach vs. the creaminess of the pureed soup. This soup was easy to make and really really good!

Chicken, Zucchini and Spring Onion Pasta Salad

This weekend kicked off Wicker Park's seasonal Farmers Market. My cousin Sam was in town and Sunday morning he accompanied me to the Market.  We picked up two bunches of spring onions, which are like big scallions with onion bulbs at the end.  Unfortunately I had to take Sam to the airport so he couldn't stick around to try them.  I wanted to make a big pasta salad that we (Trevor, Paul and I) could eat for dinner/lunch/snack, but I wanted it to be very healthy.  The salad was composed of 1 box Whole Grain Rotini, two baked and shredded chicken breasts, 1/2 a diced red bell pepper, one large zucchini very thinly sliced, cubed feta, and my spring onions, which I grilled for 2-3 minutes in a very hot grill pan and then chopped roughly.  I made a simple dressing with two cloves minced garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, S&P, and dried oregano and basil.  I tossed the salad with the dressing but it still needed something extra, so I threw in some dry roasted pine nuts and squeezed a good amount of lemon juice over the top.  

Pasta salads are one of my favorite summertime meals: you can use so many different combinations of cheeses, fresh or dried herbs, and vegetables.  Throw in some protein- like my chicken breast- and you have yourself a well-balanced meal!

 

Gone Greek

Last Thursday I wanted something healthy and easy for dinner.  We had some leftover pepperoncini, black olives, and greek yogurt, so I thought I'd make another Greek Salad.  When Sarah and I were in high school we were fortunate enough to each spend a summer in Greece. I loved our lunches of Greek salad, watermelon, and orange Fanta, followed by an afternoon siesta.  Though a traditional Greek salad does not use Iceberg lettuce, I like using lettuce as a filler, particularly when I'm not using garden fresh produce.  

As an accompaniment to the salad, I wanted to make Tzatziki, which is a Greek cucumber, yogurt, and garlic dip.  

For the Tzatziki, I peeled and seeded one and a half cucumbers, which I then sliced very thinly.  I could have used a mandoline for this, but if you are patient a sharp knife works just as well.  I then salted the cucumber and let it sit to release some of the moisture.  After fifteen minutes, I rinsed the cucumber and squeezed out the excess liquid.  In a separate bowl, I had combined 3-4 cloves of minced garlic, about a cup of Greek yogurt, and then mixed in some olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.  I added the cucumber to this mixture and voila: Tzatziki.  

For the salad, I chopped about 3/4 a head of iceberg lettuce, which I combined with 1 peeled & sliced cucumber, 1 cup grape tomatoes, 1/2 a thinly sliced red onion, 3/4 a cup cubed feta, and the leftover pepperoncini and black olives.  I made a dressing with 1/4 cup olive oil, 2-3 tsps red wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt & pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.  

We toasted some pita for the Tzatziki, and dinner was served! This was a healthy, filling and well-balanced vegetarian dinner that brought me right back to my summer in Greece. Yiamas!