Kick the Bread to the Curb- Italian Sub Salad

Something big big big is happening in our little house!! Love is in the air and a wedding is right around the corner. That's right, The Chef and The Baker are tying the knot. I've been waiting for this day forever, it seems. Our life has been quite an adventure so far and I just know the best years are yet to come. The planning has been in the works for some time and we're now closing in on the last couple months before the Big Day and still have lots to do. We're not going over the top, we are going to keep everything simple and casual. No fluffy white wedding gown, no tuxes, no limos, no expensive reception halls and fancy catered meals, we just want a relaxed get together with close friends and family to celebrate the beginning of our new life together. 

The Chef has had tons of experience as a caterer with different restaurants that he has worked at over the years. He has seen the easy to please couples and the bridezillas. He and I have both been to plenty of weddings, some have been simple church ceremonies followed by cake and punch at the church. Others have been private ceremonies followed by HUGE and lavish receptions at some pretty incredible locations- one couple even renting the entire zoo for their reception. As guests we had the entire zoo to ourselves, so we could enjoy cocktails while mingling with fellow guests and some really amazing wildlife. Iowa is a state blessed with some beautiful vineyards and wineries, and those are always popular locations for weddings and receptions. My son and his wife were married on the lakeshore at dusk out at the lake where our former Little Lake House is located. It was lovely with the changing colors of the setting sun sparkling off the water. He and I have both experienced weddings that offered a simple cake and punch service, to an appetizer buffet and keg of beer, to an elaborate multi-course sit down dinner with full service cocktail bar. Between the two of us, and our incredibly gifted friends and family, I'm sure we will have no trouble finding a menu that works perfectly for our plans.

Now all this wedding and reception talk has worked up an appetite! Since it's still blazing hot outside, I don't really want to fire up the stove and cook, but I'm hungry for something that's a bit more substantial that the typical salad. I'm not much of a cold sandwich person either, but there just has go to be a way to get the best of both, right? Today's recipe is a playful salad that's a fun twist on the sub sandwich shop classic- the Italian Sub. Crunchy Romaine lettuce replaces the sad shredded iceberg and adds more nutrition. Julienne bites of the best Italian sausages and Provolone cheese make the salad a filling and substantial entree with lots of the same veggie toppings you might add to your sandwich. Drizzled with a vinaigrette instead of heavy mayo helps lighten up the dish and instead of a big loaf of bread, a sprinkling of homemade garlicky croutons brings it all together. The croutons and dressing are made with Sinful Food infused olive oils for that extra bit of flavor. Give your salad a healthy sprinkle of the Signature Seasoning too, just like in the sandwich shops.

I also added some chopped baby herbs from our garden.
Fresh herbs add soooo much flavor.

You can get your Sinful Food olive oils and Signature Seasoning by clicking HERE.

Italian Sub Salad

1 head romaine lettuce

salami

pepperoni

capicola or ham

sliced provolone

3-4 Roma tomatoes

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1 large bell pepper, chopped

1 red onion cut into julienne strips

half a day old baguette

1/4 cup Sinful Food garlic olive oil

1/3 cup Sinful Food Italian Herb olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Sinful Food Signature Seasoning
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, or a big pinch dried

Chop the Romaine lettuce and add to a big bowl.

City the salami, pepperoni, and capicola into julienne strips and add to bowl. 

I found this package of three meats but you can use
whichever types you like.

Do the same with the sliced Provolone cheese. Add the vegetables and toss to combine.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the day old bread into cubes. Place in a large bowl and drizzle the olive oil over evenly, tossing to coat all the cubes. Spread out onto a baking sheet and place in the oven. Toast, shaking the pan every few minutes,until browned and crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

I employed The Chef as the Crouton Maker

Make the vinaigrette by combining the Italian Herb olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano and Signature Seasoning in small jar. Shake to combine.

You can add any herbs and spices you like to the basic
vinaigrette recipe.

Add croutons to taste to the salad, drizzle with dressing. Toss to coat, sprinkle with Signature Seasoning and serve immediately.  

You can use any fresh veggies you like in this salad- whatever you might like on you sandwich! It's really delicious with some sliced pepperoncini too. I love those peppers, they add a little bit of bite with no real "heat" like hot peppers. I have a jar of pickled shishito peppers in the fridge, so I slice up a few and tossed them in the bowl- delicious!

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." As a Brand Ambassador, the company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift or something of value. Regardless,  I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

YouTube Idols and a Fresh Grilled Corn Salad

It's been about five years since the first time I put pen-to-paper so to speak and began writing about my cooking experiences. There was been a lot of changes in those five years, different social media sources, those clever super sped up cooking videos, and YouTube. YouTube is a goldmine of information and videos to watch, everything from a short clip of a single recipe to fully produced 30 minute "shows" by everyone from amateurs to professional chefs getting in on it. During the last year I really got to thinking of YouTube as a great way to keep up with some of my personal favorites, like Rachel Khoo, since I am rarely able to catch her shows on American satellite tv, and a YouTube favorite, Hilah Cooking. The brainchild of Texas cook and YouTube sensation Hilah Johnson, Hilah Cooking is a fun and "real woman" cooking show and companion blog that I find highly entertaining! Besides her great sense of humor, her recipes are killer! Hilah makes real food- fresh, pretty much in live-time and her recipes are not filled with pricey ingredients, she doesn't use an army of ridiculously expensive and unnecessary tools and gadgets, and the finished dishes look like something I want to eat. Right now. 

Recently I watched a Hilah Cooking video in which Hilah was making a fresh corn salad, starting with slightly charred ears of fresh corn. Raw corn. Still sweet and juicy and touched by a little grill heat to give you just a few bits of grilled taste. Her video is hilarious, taking a jab at that current Pinterest trendy phrase "Mexican street corn" and bringing out the giggles in me. I would soooo love to hang out with this woman! Her recipe sounded delicious, with that corn that's not really cooked. I was immediately convinced I needed to make this- or something a lot like it. I mean, come on, I am a Minnesota turned Iowa girl after all- we are all about the corn. Hilah's recipe sounds totally delicious with a nice kick of heat from those fresh Serrano chilies. I am going to switch up her recipe a bit and add some avocado maybe or even toss some pan seared scallops in there to make it an entree salad. I cheated and roasted my corn and scallions over the burner on my gas range- worked like a charm! Here is how I did it.

Tex Mex Iowa Sweet Corn Salad with Scallops

4 ears fresh Iowa sweet corn
3 scallions
1 Jalapeno or Serrano chili
1 cup halved heirloom cherry tomatoes
1 avocado, cut into cubes
1 package large scallops, thawed if frozen
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 limes
1/2 cup cotija cheese
1/4 olive oil, plus more
2 cloves garlic, grated
salt and pepper
1 package arugula
1 small bunch fresh cilantro

Clean the ears of corn, removing as much of the silk as possible. Rub each ear of corn with a small drizzle of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat a grill to high, or heat a heavy skillet or grill pan over high heat. Add the corn and grill over high heat, turning so that you get char on all sides. Set corn aside to cool. Throw the scallions on there for a just a minute or two to get some char marks and flavor. Set them aside. 

Place the scallops in a bowl and squeeze half of one of the limes and a tablespoon of olive oil over and sprinkle with the chili powder. 

Sear the scallops in a hot skillet until just cooked and they have the beautiful golden brown crust. Remove to a plate and set aside.

This is the golden brown sear you're looking for.

Cut the corn off the cobs and discard the cobs. Place the corn in a large bowl, add the tomatoes, avocado, and the scallions, which have been chopped. Add a handful of chopped cilantro.

In a small bowl or jar, juice the remaining limes. For an intense lime flavor you can also add some of the zest to the dressing. Whisk in the 1/4 cup olive oil, grated garlic and salt and pepper to taste. 

Cotija cheese crumbles like a charm.

Drizzle half the dressing over the vegetables, toss to coat everything, then add the cheese, toss again, and serve the corn salad on top of a handful of arugula with remaining dressing on the side. Top the salad with the scallops.

So fresh! This is a great party recipe for when you are having friends over on a summer evening- very limited indoor cooking IF you go the skillet route and lots of fresh flavors. Like that super trendy, if not slightly irritating recipe for Mexican street corn, this dish has a TexMex hint of flavor but it's totally Iowa with that crunchy sweet corn. I love it because it doesn't have any mayonnaise in the recipe, and I find the whole idea of cooking mayo on an ear of corn completely yuck. I hope you'll try it. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Summer Shrimp Salad, Just Like Mom Used to Make

Well, Memorial Day is now in the rear view mirror and the unofficial kickoff to summer has begun. While I'm not looking forward to the heavy humid August air that hangs over Iowa like a wet blanket, I certainly will take the breezy 70s and 80s of June! It's the perfect time of year for dining al fresco. Living back in the city, I am blessed to be surrounded by hundreds of choices for some lovely patio dining. The suburban restaurants, of course, have patios. They have lots of room for building that in when the restaurant is built. Now even the downtown restaurants are setting up patios. Sidewalk patios, or little nooks carved out of alleys and access ways are popping up like mushrooms allover downtown Des Moines.

When I was a little girl, Mom and Dad bought a house. I remember them looking at several houses that I really thought we should live in. Lots of cute two story homes in neighborhoods on the south side of the city. They decided we should live in Thornton Place and found a lovely ranch house, nothing too fancy, just the right amount of room for our family of four. I think the selling feature for my dad was probably the porch. Around the back of the house, just steps out of the kitchen was a screened in back porch easily the size of the living room. Dad loved this porch, and quickly set about decorating it and finding the right furniture. A couch for relaxing, a telephone and television to bring a little of the inside outside and a dining table and chairs filled the back porch and basically became another room of the house. Most nights we had our dinner out there during the summer months. Even if it was a rainy day, if it wasn't a crazy thunderstorm with wind, we could still enjoy the fresh outdoor air. 

Dinners in the summer at our house also meant some of Mom's traditional dinners. One thing she made that we all loved was a big pot of green beans, baby potatoes and ham. She had a German name for it, but I couldn't even begin to spell it, but just for fun, I'll try. Bohnen Gamese. Whatever that means! Because Dad always had a decent garden going, it wasn't uncommon for use to have an all-veggie dinner of sliced tomatoes from the garden, sprinkled with the tiniest bit of sugar, sliced cucumbers with vinegar and oil and a massive pot of hot sweet corn. How I loved those dinners. By far, though, my favorite summer dinner my mom made was her pasta salad with baby shrimp. I have no idea where she learned to make it, but it hands down is my favorite summer salad. She always, and I mean always, used the medium shell pasta. No farfalle, no penne or campanelle. Shells, always. Pasta, a can of baby shrimp (always the canned shrimp too, Mom preferred this over fresh), some chopped vegetables, usually whatever she had in the fridge, always celery and onions, and you might find diced cucumber in the bowl. Diced radishes sometimes. Black olives, always. The simplest of dressings- mayonnaise, not the salad dressing junk, a squeeze of plain yellow mustard and a splash of pickle juice, a little salt and pepper, and that's it. 

Mom's Salad recipe doesn't change much when I make it. I might add a shredded carrot if I have one, or some diced cucumber if I don't have any celery. If my celery has nice leaves, I go ahead and chop those up and throw them in too. Sometimes I swap a can of tuna for the shrimp, because, yes Mom did that too quite a bit. The only "upgrade" I have made to Mom's family favorite is to skip the salt and pepper and use Sinful Food's Signature Seasoning. Best decision ever. It literally has everything in there you could possibly want to season your dish, and then some. Even The Chef remarked how good the salad is with the seasoning.

You can get your Sinful Food Signature Seasoning by clicking HERE.

Mom's Summer Shrimp Salad 

1 pound medium shell shaped pasta

1 can baby shrimp

1/2 cup sliced black olives

2 ribs celery

2 scallions

1/4 cup diced dill pickle

1 cup mayonnaise, plus more

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

splash of pickle juice

Signature Seasoning 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a full rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, drain and rinse with cold water. Add to a big bowl. 

Drain the baby shrimp and add to pasta in the bowl. Drain and add the olives. Finely dice the celery ribs and add to bowl. Slice scallions, and in the bowl they go along with the diced pickles. Sprinkle the fresh dill over and Signature Seasoning, toss, then add mayonnaise and mustard, mixing well. Taste and add additional Signature Seasoning to taste. 

Cover and chill overnight. Stir before serving, adding additional mayo if needed. 

I'm telling you, when I was a kid this was a big time favorite at our house for summer dinners in the screens in porch. The backyard was so shady and cool, the screens kept the bugs out but it still felt like we were eating outdoors. I loved that old porch, and wish I had one where I live right now. Good memories....... 

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." As a Brand Ambassador, the company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift or something of value. Regardless,  I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Two for One Recipes- Sauteed Chicken with Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad

My friend Mary, who lives in Missouri, has a very unique business venture going. In her home, a gorgeous and charming Victorian in a sweet small town, Mary cooks gourmet three course dinners for every day or special events, and invites guests to come and dine at The House on Vine. Since she lives in a small town, restaurant options are somewhat limited and Mary offers a very unique service that even in larger cities can be hard to find- meals tailored to the guests likes and tastes and special dietary requests.

She has hosted some pretty awesome dinners. Centered around the holidays she made a steak dinner common in Des Moines but unheard of in other cities- Steak DeBurgo. Her guests were so impressed! On another occasion she had a group of ladies who are following the Whole 30 diet, and Mary's menu for their dinner fit their requirements. From incredibly creative appetizer to decadent soups Mary's dinners have quite a loyal group of regulars with word spreading fast! It won't be long and the House on Vine will have to move into larger restaurant quarters!

Anyway, since Mary and I have been friends for years you can bet we have talked food and recipes and cooking many times over. When she used to live here we would often meet for dinner or cook at her place or mine. Sometimes we'd have a dinner of all appetizers, and sometimes we'd make a regular meal, like one night when we made homemade fried chicken and Mary made the BEST chicken gravy ever. I wish I could nail the gravy like she can. We have shared recipes by the dozen and often talk about what we're making. Mary was telling me about a dinner she was making for some guests over the weekend and it sounded like something I knew I needed to try out. The original recipe called for sea scallops but both of us thought it would be just as delicious and a lot more budget friendly if we swapped pricey seafood for more affordable chicken. I am a big fan of pounding out chicken breasts into schnitzel-like pieces, giving them a dusting of flour or coating of panko and a quick pan fry with a little butter and olive oil. You can't beat that for quick cooking and delicious tender chicken. I thought about that, but in the end went for a quick saute of lightly seasoned and floured chicken tenders with a creamy leek and Dijon mustard sauce. The rest of the recipe is composed of a warm salad of shredded Brussels sprouts. I added shredded carrot for color (I still had some rainbow carrots to use up), garlic for bite, and a sauteed leek for a milder onion flavor. No added dressing is needed as I sauteed the sprouts in a little of the Sinful Food garlic olive oil and finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon for the acid you need to cut the richness. A few sprinkles of crispy bacon go on top for a fabulous and flavorful cold weather salad you will love.

This recipe also uses products from Sinful Food. I used their Signature Seasoning to boost the flavor of the chicken and to season the vegetables in the salad. Their garlic olive oil is perfect for sauteing the vegetables and tossed with a few squeezes of fresh lemon, make a lovely dressing right in the salad bowl. You can get your own Sinful Food products by clicking HERE.

Sauteed Chicken Tenders with Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad

1 lb boneless skinless chicken tenders

Sinful Food Signature Seasoning

1 cup flour
Sinful Food garlic olive oil

butter
1 leek, sliced
3/4 cup Pinot Grigio
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 lb Brussels sprouts

1 or 2 carrots

1 leek

3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 pound bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled

Sinful Food garlic olive oil

Slice the Brussels sprouts and separate into shreds. 

Use a sharp knife to slice the sprouts, then separate the
shreds with your fingers.

Shred the carrot and add to sprouts. I used a vegetable peeler to create long ribbons of carrot. Set aside.

Leave one end of the leeks uncut, so you can fan out the petals
and rinse out any sand, then you can hold together and slice.

Trim off the green tops of the leek, Slice lengthwise and clean thoroughly. Slice thinly and set aside. Finely chop the garlic cloves. Set aside.

Set all the vegetables aside for now. I sliced all the leeks together and just used half for each dish.

For the chicken, place the flour in a shallow dish and add a good 1 teaspoon Signature Seasoning. Heat a little butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet. Dredge the chicken tenders with flour and add to the hot skillet. Brown on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to plate and keep warm. Repeat to cook all the tenders.

When the chicken is done add the leek to the skillet, adding additional oil if needed. Cook for several minutes until the leeks are softened. Add the wine and chicken stock. Bring to boil and reduce by half. Add the cream and Dijon mustard. Cook until desired thickness. Keep warm.

In another large skillet heat 2 tablespoons garlic olive oil. Add the leek to the skillet, cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the Brussels sprouts and carrots and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. You want the vegetables to be barely cooked and still crunchy. Season with the Signature Seasoning. Sprinkle the lemon juice over all and toss again.

Now you can serve the salad piled onto a large platter with the chicken on top and sauce on the side. I made a small pot of couscous and served the chicken and sauce over the couscous with a mound of salad on the side. This is a great salad for lunches too. It's just as delicious chilled as warm. Next time I think I'll try it with great big shrimp, or maybe those sea scallops. I'm sure it will be fantastic.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." As a Brand Ambassador, the company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift or something of value. Regardless,  I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Another No Recipe Cooking Weekend

We all know one of those planning kinds of people. You know the ones, they sit down with a notebook and a cup of coffee, their calendar and some coupons and plan an entire week's, or more, worth of menus, and actually stick to it. I am NOT that person. Oh I tried, and tried, and tried. I failed. I threw away uncooked vegetables that went bad because I didn't stick to my plan. I just did that in fact, this morning, tossing weepy organic arugula and green beans that I forgot to use for meals during the week. Darn me. I HATE when that happens. I regretfully had to toss an unopened package of beautifully prepared chili lime grilled chicken breast strips because I got lazy and didn't make dinner a few times. I just can't plan ahead! 

A few basics in the pantry and you can make a whole
takeout menu full of recipes for pennies.

Unless.......... it's a manageable amount of food- like say, six bone in chicken breasts. I had a package in the fridge that needed to be cooked or meet a freezing fate in the freezer, so I decided it's time to make some Planned Leftovers. Easy- line a baking sheet with foils, and arrange the chicken breasts on top. Season them liberally. I used the last teaspoon of some Fines Herbes from Penzey's, some garlic salt, Montreal Steak seasoning (I use this for everything), a sprinkle of smoked paprika and some tomato basil seasoning I found on the shelf and rubbed all over the chicken. I popped the chicken breasts into a 350 degree oven and roasted them for about an hour, then I let cool, popped in the fridge, and when cold, pulled the chicken off the bone and saved for some easy meals over the weekend, and I was soooo glad I did. I think I'm going to do this again- on purpose!

Dessert is a snap when you start with a mix

Having had a fairly stressful work week, the weekend was my relax time, my time to do nothing. Cooking wasn't even on my radar. I was whiny, sad that I am missing out on the Italian American Festival and the American Cheese Society's Festival of Cheese- and come on!! Who want to miss these events? One of my Foodie Resolutions was to attend more food events in 2016- and so far it's been a tough one to meet. Not for the last of wanting, however, I have had to miss out on several awesome tastings, cooking classes, and a few other events and I'm not too happy about it. So I had a teeny meeny pity party over missing out. Cooking just wasn't in my game plan this weekend. Thankfully, that roasted chicken will come into play a couple times this weekend.

Faced with certain starvation and a fridge with some pretty tasty ingredients contained therein I opted for the easy way out- a salad. Rescued from the veggie drawer, a mostly full bag of organic baby spinach formed the foundation of my salad. I wish I'd also had some fresh basil leaves but i was forced to make do. A couple of very ripe and juicy Roma tomatoes get cut up into bite size chunks and tossed in the bowl. Half a ball of fresh mozzarella, cubed, goes in next, followed with a generous handful of cut up leftover roast chicken breast. Whip up a quick vinaigrette with some olive oil, Dijon mustard and Balsamic vinegar and toss the whole thing together with some crunchy Italian bread croutons. I didn't have any croutons and I missed that crunch. It was a great light dinner I'd definitely make again.

Sunday was a lazy day. Neither the chef nor I wanted to cook again.....and we still had veggies and chicken to use. Sounds like a crazy stir fry of some sort, with rice, was in order.

Out of boredom, I thought I'd check the pantry and maybe whip up some kind of dessert. I spied some good recipe basics on the shelf and decided a cake of some kind would be easy to pull off. Simple to throw together, mix up a one layer yellow cake mix as the package directs. Pour into 8x8 pan. Grab a can of pie filling of choice- I used red raspberry, and spoon it randomly onto the cake batter, swirling a bit. Sprinkle with a topping if you like- I had some leftover pecan brittle from the Naughtiest Bacon so I used that. Chopped nuts, coconut, a streusel recipe- all would be great. Popped into the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes and it was perfect. No frosting needed, a little whipped topping or vanilla ice cream would have been great. 

This quick dessert is a great dish to use and experiment. Use your favorite cake flavors and different pie fillings, or fresh fruit, leftover fried apples, whatever!

Everything Salad

Everything at the Olive Bar anyway. Just kidding. I do love the olive bar. A couple grocery stores in the city have fantastic olive bars and I am totally like a crack addict when I go in there and grab a plastic tub and start shoveling olives into it. I almost never stop at one tub. Sometimes I get in trouble at home........

Hey, I love olives of all kinds. At the olive bar I can make my own mix of any kind of olive that's on the bar that day, plus whatever other delicious tidbits are hanging around- marinated mozzarella pearls, pickled baby pattypan squash, cubes of feta cheese or provolone, even Peppadews. I am absolutely smitten with Peppadews. A friend introduced me to these guys about ten years ago and I have been munching them, stuffing them, chopping and adding to dishes ever since. They are a bright red little round pepper with a sweet hot flavor that's just fantastic. Love em stuffed with goat cheese or Boursin. Yum.

Pasta salads are always popular around here and so are salads with grains. Naturally I happen to love that little pasta that looks like a grain- orzo. I love orzo in salads. Yes, it's just a pasta shape but it fools my brain into thinking it's nutty and toasty like a grain. So ya, I think it's nutty and toasty. It's just a shape and size that I really like and it fools my brain into thinking I'm eating something really good for me (not that pasta isn't.....)

Why "Everything" salad? Short version- I went to the big store in the city, bought lots of fresh produce, couldn't decide which ones to toss in my salad bowl so I decided to use everything. Clever, huh? Freshly cooked orzo, a couple summer squashes, chopped bell peppers, chopped scallions and more go into this colorful- and delicious- summer salad. It's a great side dish with dinner or a lunch entree. Let's make some.

Everything Salad

1 package orzo

1 small zucchini

1 small yellow summer squash

big handful cherry tomatoes

small bunch scallions

1 cup sugar snap peas

1/4 cup chopped Peppadews

1/4 cup chopped mixed olives

1/3 cup chopped bell peppers (I used green, yellow and red)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup vinegar*

palmfull herbs of choice**

salt and pepper

small log goat cheese (or feta if you prefer)

*I used my own infused vinegar to make the dressing. I used chive blossom. Use any vinegar you like.

** I used thyme, parsley, chervil and chives plus a big pinch of Montreal Steak Seasoning

Get a big pot of salty water going for the orzo.

Quarter the zucchini and summer squash lengthwise and cut into slices. Place in large salad bowl. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and throw them in the bowl. Slice the scallions- in the bowl with them also. Cut the sugar snap peas in half, I did on the diagonal for an interesting look, and in the bowl. Add the Peppadews, olives and chopped bell peppers. Toss veggies to mix.

In a jar with a screw top lid combine the oil, vinegar and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Pop the lid on and shake it up. Set aside.

When the orzo is done cooking, drain thoroughly; rinse in cold water and drain again. Add to the bowl with the veggies and toss. Pour dressing over and toss again. Break up the cheese with a fork and sprinkle over. Toss to coat. Chill or serve immediately.

It is deeeeelicious. I made this batch kind of late one evening so I'd have lunch for the next few days at work, and I had to sneak a bowl for a bedtime snack. The orzo is so delicious coated with the dressing and slightly melted mooshy goat cheese. The veggies are crispy- those sugar snap peas- wow, what a sweet bite they add. The olives are salty and briney and delicious and those Peppadews- yum!! You have to try this salad- just use whatever vegetables you have and what you like. Make it yours!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Lake House Big Bad Fried Chicken Salad

Do you ever feel like you just cannot get enough vegetables into your diet? I know I do, and many times I will turn to a big entree salad to add some fiber and wholesome goodies to my diet. Make no mistake, I don't always keep it uber-healthy, like tonight- we're making a big bad salad with some really naughty add-ins, but that's not always the case. Remember, this is a whole meal salad, so we need some substance.

I get my salad mix from a nearby aquaponics farm not from the supermarket. You just cannot compare this to grocery store salad mix- not at all. Beautiful leaf lettuces, malabar spinach, rainbow chard, kale, nasturtium leaves and fresh basil bring so much flavor to the bowl. I sometimes add a little Romaine lettuce for some juicy crunch, and Romaine is nutritionally superior to iceberg lettuce. 

Look at all the goodness- the beautiful rainbow chard, and
that big beautiful nasturtium leaf- so delicious!

I absolutely loved the Lake House Steakhouse Salad I made a while back, so I am going to borrow an ideas from that salad- the fried onion strings. They were the perfect blend of crispy and sweet and made a fun and delicious topping. So we're going to go there again. Click HERE for the recipe for the easy onion strings and salad recipe- you'll want to try it if you haven't yet.

I'm borrowing the onion ring idea but changing up a lot of everything else. Instead of steak I'm thinking some good old fried chicken- like a couple chicken breasts, crunchy stuff and all, cut off the bone and cut up, shredded cheese, the last of our fresh home-grown tomatoes, might scope out the remains of the garden and see if I have any baby zucchini to add, and instead of just hard boiled eggs, how about a few deviled eggs instead? This is going to be big, delicious and not 100% healthy, but that's ok. I'm also going to cheat just a little bit by using a store-bought salad dressing but adding my own touches and kicking up the spice a bit- more like something we always eat around here.

Little Lake House Big Bad Fried Chicken Salad

8-10 cups mixed salad greens

1 cup shredded cheese (I used ColbyJack)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or chopped larger tomatoes)

3 deli or leftover fried chicken breasts, removed from bone and cut up

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled

mayo, yellow mustard, salt and pepper

additional fresh salad veggies of choice, olives, etc

Salad dressing of choice* (spicy ranch or honey mustard are really good)

One recipe onion strings

Begin by cutting the hard boiled eggs in half. Flip the yolks into a small bowl, reserve the whites on a plate. Mash the yolks with a fork, add mayo, yellow mustard, salt and pepper to taste, and stuff mixture back into egg whites. Chill.

Place the salad greens in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, shredded cheese, any other fresh veggies you are using, and the chicken. Toss together well. 

You can use leftover fried chicken breasts or breaded fried
chicken tenders- they work great too and no bones to mess with

 Drizzle the dressing of choice over the salad, toss well to coat all the pieces. Pile a large serving amount on each dinner plate. Add a couple deviled egg halves to each plate. Top salads with a big handful of the onion strings. Go crazy!!!

*Note- For the dressing I used about a cup of store-bought ranch dressing and dressed it up. Chopped fresh chives, chopped candied (or pickled if desired) jalapenos, a splash of the candied jalapeno juice (or milk)- just a splash- just to loosen it up a little but not to water it down. Lots of freshly cracked black pepper adds a final touch.

Now you might not be a big fan of salads as an entree. I happen to LOVE salad meals. The nutrition from all the fresh vegetables is so many times better than a burger, all the fiber, antioxidants from the colorful veggies. Salads can be good AND bad depending on what you add to them. In this case I've added some not-so-healthy additions like the fried chicken, cheese, deviled eggs, but hey, we don't always add all this stuff to salads so it's all about moderation....and FUN- we want food to be fun, and something you enjoy, not something you feel shameful about eating. That whole "guilt-free food" thing- infuriates me. Yes, there are a few naughty treats in this bowl but it's also filled with wonderful things- like that amazing superfood kale, fresh tomatoes that came from the garden (no chemicals), that aquaponic salad mix with spinach and chard (all organic), lean protein from the egg white- also organic eggs from the same farm (the yolk is a treat). Yes, I kinda threw it over the fence with the dressing, but I wanted something creamy for a change so....... once in a while won't kill me. Eating is about finding balance, so I'm going to balance this plate on my knee and enjoy!

Taking a break from steak and potatoes

Good ol' steak and potatoes. Truly an all American, stick to your ribs, man-pleasing classic and something I get a craving for every so often. I love a good steakhouse and classic steakhouse food, but there are days when it's just "too much" and I'm looking for something a little different. I also love a good, hearty salad for dinner and with garden season in full swing, salad veggies are everywhere, fresh and plentiful. Might as well combine the best of both worlds and make it a new classic!

Steak doesn't always fit in the budget these days. Meat prices are going through the roof in many parts of the country so you really have to watch the stores and get the best steaks when they are on sale. For this recipe I chose a sirloin steak which is a fairly tender steak and not too pricey. I was able to get a nice steak that weighed in at just under a pound and was the right size for this recipe. It's boneless, not fatty and a good thickness also, which will help prevent overcooking and drying out the meat. 

For the salad I went with a mix of baby spinach and romaine lettuce. The baby spinach gives a nod to the steakhouse classic, creamed spinach, and the romaine, of course, represents Caesar salad. Dressed up with salad veggies and a creamy Dijon vinaigrette, salty bleu cheese crumbles and a crunchy topper, it really comes together perfectly for a one-dish at-home steakhouse New Classic. So let's get cooking and get this on the table.

Lake House Steak House Salad

• 1 good sized steak- I used a sirloin just under a pound
• 3 tb vegetable oil
• 2 tb soy sauce
• 1 tb balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp steak seasoning/meat rub
• 4-6 cups mixed salad greens (I used baby spinach and romaine lettuce) 
• desired salad vegetables- tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, radish, etc. Use what you have and what you like
• 3 oz. package bleu cheese, crumbled
• Dijon vinaigrette (recipe follows)
• fried onions or croutons (recipe follows)

Place the steak in a resealable plastic bag. Add oil, soy sauce, balsamic, garlic and meat rub. Seal the bag and rub the marinade into the meat. Allow to marinate at room temperature for an hour (or longer in the refrigerator).

Prepare the vinaigrette dressing and chill. Prep salad veggies and hold in fridge.

Make the fried onions or croutons, allow to drain on paper towel until time to assemble.

When ready to start dinner, preheat a grill or broiler. Remove steak from marinade and place on hot grill (I use a grill pan on my stove top). Discard the bag with marinade. Cook steak to desired doneness. Around here we like it medium rare. Remove to a plate and allow to rest for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, toss the salad vegetables. Add about half the dressing, toss. 

Add half the bleu cheese crumbles to taste and toss again. Arrange salad on plates. Using a carving knife, slice the steak into bite sized strips, arrange over salad. Sprinkle with more bleu cheese, drizzle with dressing and top with fried onions or croutons and serve!

French-style Dijon Vinaigrette

6 tb extra virgin olive oil

2 tb balsamic vinegar

2 tb Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Combine ingredients in a jar. Cover and shake to blend and thicken. Chill until you need it, shake again before using. This is my favorite of all salad dressing recipes- so simple, classic and delicious. This is a basic recipe everyone should have in their repertoire.

French Fried Onions

thinly sliced onions

milk or buttermilk

all purpose flour

salt and pepper

Thinly slice as many onions as you need. For my salad I just need a small onion for two servings. Place in a bowl and cover with milk. Mix a cup or so of flour with salt and pepper in a bowl, stir to combine. Heat oil in a shallow pan. Remove onions from milk, dip in flour.

Fry in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Allow to drain before serving. Pile on top of the salads.

If you don't feel like frying onions, you CAN go with croutons. If you want to make homemade croutons, click HERE for the quick directions.

Needless to say, the salad was a hit with the Chef. He cleaned his plate completely, even loved the dressing even though he says he doesn't like balsamic vinegar. This will definitely be on the menu again. Not only was it delicious but it was a great way to stretch a steak and seemed like a very decadent treat with the bleu cheese, Dijon dressing and fried onions.