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Spinach and Feta Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Spinach Salad

Okay, Summer, welcome! The garden missed you and so did jwa. I could go either way, but I know the garden enjoys you so it’s okay. Except that it’s hot. Which I guess is okay because then I can make huge salads for dinner. Hey, kind of like this one!

I used the Alton Brown recipe for inspiration and then sort of changed it. A bit less spinach, less bacon, balsamic for red wine vinegar and I added garbanzos and feta for more of a dinner salad type thing. It was delicious! Plus, it gave me an excuse to buy bacon outside of the traditional bacon season in this household (Oct – Feb). Hooray for rule-breaking!

Spinach and Feta Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown
6 ounces baby spinach
2 large eggs
4 pieces bacon
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black . . . → Read More: Spinach and Feta Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Chile Grilled Shrimp with Corn, Avocado & Quinoa Salad

Shrimp

This is a delicious Summer meal in that it is relatively quick and can be served room temperature (or even chilled). We had it recently and there was not a leftover to be had. It was originally a shrimp & salsa-type recipe but I turned the salsa into a salad by adding quinoa, beans, and feta cheese. It was great with some hot sauce on the side and a bottle of cold Sauvignon Blanc.

Okay, I think that’s all I got. I haven’t gotten too much sleep the last two nights and it appears that’s my limit. Bedtime at 8pm? For me, ‘fraid so.

Chile Grilled Shrimp with Corn, Avocado & Quinoa Salad
Adapted from a recipe in Steven Raichlen’s Indoor! Grilling
1lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 tbsp chile powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive . . . → Read More: Chile Grilled Shrimp with Corn, Avocado & Quinoa Salad

Be My Valentine: Porcini-Crusted Filet Mignon with Fresh Herb Butter

porcini filet

This was an easy and delicious Valentine’s Day dinner. I made the herb butter the day before (as well as grinding up the dried porcinis then) and the rest jwa and I made together last night. Teamwork!

I was surprised at how much I loved the kale. I’ve always cooked kale but this was a great way to eat it raw. I plan on making this salad a lot more this Winter.

And the beef. What is there to say about filet mignon with a nice, herbed pat of butter on top? Besides, “mmmmmmmmmmmmmm…” And of course, “Thank you cow, you were delicious!”

Porcini-Crusted Filet Mignon with Fresh Herb Butter
Adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 small garlic clove, pressed
about half of a .5 oz package dried porcini mushrooms
2 1-inch-ish-thick filet mignon steaks
1 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt & freshly . . . → Read More: Be My Valentine: Porcini-Crusted Filet Mignon with Fresh Herb Butter

Asian Chicken Noodle Salad with Roasted Vegetables

Asian Chicken Noodle Salad

Well, it looks like this is the second salad post in a row. I will fix that by posting about ice cream next!

This recipe made a great cold lunch. You could serve it hot or warm, but I think it works just as well as a cold salad. The nice part there is you could roast all the veggies the night before (or in the AM), when it is cooler, toss it all together (minus the dressing), and then serve it later in the day, with the cool mango-sesame dressing. I actually made the salad at night, divided it out into bowls, packed the dressing up on the side, and both jwa and I had it for lunch at work the next day.

The original recipe just had snap peas, but I substituted green beans and added a bunch of other vegetables (and decreased the grilled . . . → Read More: Asian Chicken Noodle Salad with Roasted Vegetables

It’s Summer! Roasted Corn and Edamame Salad

Corn and Edamame Salad

The other day, I checked the freezer and discovered a bag of frozen, shelled edamame. Then, I searched online for something interesting to do with it. I found something that was both interesting and delicious, for this is a very tasty and refreshing salad. The ginger works well, as does the garlic I added to the original recipe, which sadly, had none. So sad. Everything needs garlic.

Anyway, we had this salad on the side with some Japanese grilled fish (salmon). That recipe is here and was also quite good. Together, the pair made a great, light Summer dinner.

Oh! And big discovery — I pulled the husks and silks away from the cobs, rubbed the corn with olive oil and grilled it on my grill pan! About 15 minutes total time and it was done and ready to use in the recipe. That’s a . . . → Read More: It’s Summer! Roasted Corn and Edamame Salad