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Salad Dressings

While there are some amazingly delicious salad dressings out there these days I prefer to make my own. Sometimes you have to cave and go store bought but if you have a little extra time these are well worth a little extra effort.  It is so easy to make these salad dressings and the taste is so delicious and fresh. They will keep for a few days to a week in the fridge (Ball Jar or Good Seasons Cruet Jar; sold in almost every supermarket.)

For all of the dressing, I throw all the ingredients in a mini food processor, whole garlic and all

 My Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing 

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar

about 1/2 teaspoon of fresh minced garlic (about two small cloves)

1 egg yolk (unless you’re spooked about raw egg, in which case you can omit and substitute…

It’s springtime so I am thinking of lighter food, and of course salads come to my mind. I make this recipe with couscous or quinoa. I have another recipe for quinoa on my website so I figured that I would make one with couscous this time, but feel free to use either one. The dressing has a definite Greek flavor. This dish is perfectly tasty and served with grilled fish or chicken you have a perfect meal. As far as salads go, this one is perfection. This is not an exact science; if you like a lot of tomatoes, add more. If there is another item here that you don’t like, feel free to substitute, and I’d love to hear what you did. I love to hear variations on my recipes. This is so quick and easy to assemble. Can definitely be made ahead of time.

Ingredients: 

Vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon Dijon…

I love to use fresh tomatoes and herbs in my cooking, they are sweet and the roasting just intensifies their sweet flavor. I try to use fresh ingredients whenever possible, and during the summer there is so much to choose from. This is a light dish cooked in the oven, I used dry Herbes de Provence which is something everyone should have in their spice drawer. I used fresh tarragon which gave this dish amazing flavor, if you’re not into the tarragon flavor or just can’t get it I am sure fresh basil will work here just fine. I served with rice on the side . This is a keeper for sure. I got it from Bon Appetit magazine which has a treasure trove of delicious recipes.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. cherry tomatoes or any small tomatoes

6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

2 Tbsp. herbes de Provence

1 tsp. kosher…

These are ingredients we all almost always have in the house (just make sure you also have a shallot).  I like to marinate for a few hours but if you can’t just do it for the hour. I did it the other night for 2 hours. Also lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper before putting in skillet. I found that this added to the flavor, because chicken can be very bland, and needs a little salt (even with the soy sauce); just go lightly, it doesn’t need a lot. I made this for dinner last night and served it on top of Caesar Salad, which is here on my blog, under Caesar Salad Dressing. The dressing has a lot of bite and it’s very delicious. This chicken is easy, and I recommend that when you take it out of oven, let it sit for a few minutes, then slice it…

I have to give credit to my BFF Suki for this one. It is her recipe that I use. It is awesome and delish. Easy easy go-to for spring/ summer meals, although I’ve been known to make it anytime I see fresh basil.

Yummy PASTA Pesto

2 cups fresh basil

1/2 cup romano cheese (grated)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)

1/2 cup pignolli nuts or use walnuts

1 cup extra virgin olive oil (use a good one)

1 – 3 tablespoons butter (hafta admit I use all 3; sometimes 2)

4 cloves garlic

freshly ground pepper

1 lb. Gemelli Pasta Noodles

Put all ingredients (except the pasta, of course!) into Cuisinart food processor ’til smooth.

I use gemelli pasta or any noodle that will let pesto hold on.

Cook pasta according to directions, and add pesto. Add a little at a time ’til you get the pasta looking (and tasting!) the way…

It is really Springtime now and it just makes you want to lighten up the menu a bit, and my mind immediately goes to asparagus!  This recipe is a variation on my Summertime Tomato Pasta. I wanted to use some of those beautiful asparagus out there. Even though I knew Joel would pick them out , I still made this dish. The asparagus are large enough for him to easily pick out and put on my plate. This dish is light and delicious and pretty quick to prepare. It is like springtime in a bowl!  There are so very many things to do with asparagus but this just appealed to me tonite and if you leave the shrimp out you have a lovely vegetarian pasta dish. I used the shrimp.  I also used linguine in this , it just seems to hold on to the flavors nicely. Happy Spring and Enjoy. This recipe was inspired by Giada de Laurentis…

I always hesitate to use the word ‘healthy’. It seems that while some people are attracted to it, the rest of us tend to move past it to the next thing on the menu. So, I will not use the word ‘healthy’; I will instead just say that this is a most yummy grain, and while using the quinoa, you can also use that corn on the cob from the other night, the leftover roasted peppers and those cherry tomatoes on the verge of going bad. Now, don’t you feel so much better about making this salad already?

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. quinoa (I often buy the organic red quinoa in a bag), follow directions on package for prep.

1 red pepper, preferably roasted already (I use the pepper that I grilled previously from the fridge but you can use roasted red peppers from the jar and just eyeball…

Again, I need to thank my friend Drew for finding this recipe. It is so good, it’s restaurant worthy. The oregano, lemon and tomatoes give it a mediterranean flavor. It is healthful, simple and very delicious. Joel decided to try to eat more healthfully in 2012 (incorporate more fish, etc.) Usually he doesn’t like to eat fish and if I make it he is disappointed.  But for this, he gave me the green light and the next night I made it. Drew had also tried it, after he came across the recipe from Giada de Laurentis. Really easy and really yummy, this one’s a keeper.  Thanks Drew and thanks Giada!

Ingredients: 

4 (approx. 5 oz. each) salmon fillets (I used 3 6 oz. for the two of us and we finished it all.)

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus another 2 tablespoons

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tomatoes, chopped (I used about 2/3 of the…

It’s all about the Matzo. Matzo and Eggs or so it seems. I always loved Matzo Brei since I’m a little girl, and I always wondered why it is that we only eat this delicious concoction during Passover.  It’s such a delicious treat why don’t we eat it more often? In our house we usually eat it till the matzo runs out. Usually for the week of Passover, then we stop. It’s so good. Everyone has their own little special spin on it.  Before I met Joel I always ate my matzo brei sweet with maple syrup sort of a matzo french toast. Joel loves it crispy and salty with a lot of pepper and since I know him he always asks for it this way. I sort of grew to love it this way as well. What’s not to love?  You definitely don’t have to be Jewish to love…

I must preface this with the fact that anyone who’s ever had this farfel dish loves it. It is steeped in tradition, it was made absolutely the best by my Grandma Regina, and only seconded by my mother (G’ma Millie). It is a very tricky dish to make, and after many failed attempts, I figured out that doubling it doesn’t work, and you must let it dry out!!! It should probably sit out to dry for at least 2 hours. I know this sounds crazy, but it’s true. Of course, G’ma Regina never wrote a single thing down, so you’ll be winging the spices and the oil, because I always do. It’s not the healthiest thing in the world, but it’s so delish and we only  make it but once a year. When I was little I couldn’t wait to have it at my grandparents’ house. We looked forward to it every year…