Spinach Salad with warm bacon dressing

Summer is almost here and salads are a great hit.  Here I am sharing today, one of our favorites!  Easy to make and only takes a few minutes before you enjoy a healthier lunch :)


Ingredients:

8 ounces young spinach
2 large eggs, boiled and sliced thin
8 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tspn. agave or honey
1/2 tspn. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
4 large white mushrooms, sliced
3 ounces red onion (one small), very thinly sliced


Directions:

Remove the stems from spinach and wash, drain and pat dry thoroughly. Place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Fry the bacon and remove to a paper towel to drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat.  Crumble the bacon and set aside.

Transfer the fat to a small saucepan set over low heat and whisk in the red wine vinegar, agave and mustard.  Season with a small pinch each of salt and pepper.

Add the mushrooms and the sliced onion to the spinach and toss.  Add the dressing and bacon and toss to combine.  Divide the spinach between 4 plates or bowls and evenly divide de egg among them.  Season with pepper, as desired.  Serve immediately.

Source:  Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown - Slightly adapted.

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

 

If you're looking for a delicious sandwich for those cold days lunch or dinner.  Here I have a recipe that you would certainly enjoy.  A little twist to one of the fave classics.  Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich.

I saw the recipe originally on one of the Throwdown episodes and decided to give it a try.  I was not mistaken.  This is delicious! It looks like a long prep but I promise, if you plan ahead, or even make the mushrooms, onions and peppers in advance, you'll be enjoying this jewel in a very short time!

Ingredients:

2 to 2 1/2 pound strip loin, trimmed
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Soft hoagie rolls, split 3/4 open
Provolone Sauce, recipe follows
Sauteed Mushrooms, recipe follows
Caramelized Onions, recipe follows
Sauteed Peppers, recipe follows

Directions:

Place steak in freezer for 30 to 45 minutes; this makes it easier to slice the meat. Remove the meat from the freezer and slice very thinly.

Heat griddle or grill pan over high heat. Brush steak slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds per side.


Place several slices of the meat on the bottom half of the roll, spoon some of the cheese sauce over the meat, and top with the mushrooms, onions, and peppers.

- For the Provolone Sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk, heated
1 cup grated aged provolone cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, and cook, whisking constantly until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the provolone and Parmesan until combined; season with the salt and pepper.

- For the Sauteed Mushrooms:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (cremini and shiitake), coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

- For the Caramelized Onions:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons canola oil
3 large Spanish onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook slowly until golden brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

- For the Sauteed Peppers:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 poblano peppers, thinly sliced
2 Cubano peppers, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in medium saute pan over high heat. Add the peppers and cook until soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Source:  Recipe courtesy of "Food Network" - Throwdown - Bobby Flay

Spinach Salad Wrap

I've been inspired by sandwiches recipes lately, and I saw a similar recipe on the web and decided to make a twist on a regular spinach salad and turn it into a wrap!  Hope you guys enjoy it :)

Ingredients:

- For the Salad
1 5oz.  package of baby spinach (fresh)
6 flour tortillas (10")
6 slices Muenster Cheese, cut into strings (or yellow cheese of your preference)

10 slices of bacon (cooked, and chopped coarsely)
1/2 small red onion (sliced)
3 hard eggs, sliced
1 tomato, thinly sliced


- For the salad dressing
5 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. mayo
2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tspn. dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. honey
Salt & Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

For the salad dressing:  Put all the ingredients inside of a mason jar and shake it until completely combined.  Set aside.

Before starting building your wraps, make sure you don't over fill the tortillas or it will be harder to roll them up after you put the last ingredient on them.  Divide the spinach leaves among the flour tortillas.  Start layering them with cheese, bacon, red onion, sliced tomatoes and eggs.  Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and drizzle moderately with salad dressing.

Roll the tortillas up (like a burrito) and cut them diagonally in half.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

 

Beef Tenderloin Sandwich

So... what can you do when you have some leftover meat from dinner?

You can turn it into a delicious sandwich!

We wanted to try this recipe for quite some time, though I was not able to find "truffle butter" which I assume it would be hard to find it in Chile also, I substituted it with a lemon mayo.  In this case, we used leftover beef tenderloin (which made the sandwich absolutely scrumptious and delicious), but you can use any kind of meat you have and/or want.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. beef tenderloin (or any other meat)

1 French baguette

1 cup mayo

1/2 lemon, juiced

Sliced Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)

Fresh baby arugula

Directions: 

Slice your meat about 1/2 inch thick and set aside. In a small bowl, mix the mayo and lemon juice.  Split the bread lengthwise and spread the bottom generously with the mayo mixture.  Top with a layer of sliced meat and sprinkle some salt and pepper if needed.

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan cheese into thin shards and scatter them over the meat.  Finish with a sprinkling of arugula leaves.  Cover with the top of the baguette, and cut diagonally into 3 or 4 sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Source:  Recipe Courtesy of Ina Garten - "Back to Basics" - Adapted

Greek Patty Melts with Kasseri and Muhammara Sauce

Today, I want to share with you a delicious sandwich.   It is one of our favorites.  But I have to warn you: it requires a little bit of effort.  But it is totally worth it!  So delicious... you'll save it for those special lunch/dinner occasions :)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

1/3 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tspn. ground coriander, from toasted seeds

1 tspn. kosher salt

1/2 tspn. ground cumin, from toasted seeds

1/2 tspn. paprika

1/4 tspn. ground allspice

1 1/4 pounds ground lamb

Olive oil

1 (20 to 24-ounce) prepared pizza dough, rolled into 1 large or 2 smaller rough rectangles

1 pound aged Kasseri cheese, grated (usually available in Mediterranean stores.  If you can't find it you can substitute it for Provolone)

Muhammara Sauce (recipe below)

4 large sweet onions, thinly sliced and grilled

Directions:

Preheat a grill over indirect medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, combine the parsley, yogurt, garlic, coriander, salt, cumin, paprika, and allspice. Add the lamb and mix gently by hand until evenly combined. Shape the meat into 4 patties, each about 4 by 6-inches by 1/2-inch. 

Oil 1 side of the pizza dough very lightly. Grill, oiled side down, over medium-high heat until the bottom side is blistered. Lightly oil the top and flip over. Scatter the cheese over the dough and cook until the underside is blistered. Move to indirect heat, cover, and cook until the cheese is melted and the dough is cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Cut the dough into rough rectangles about the size of the patties and keep warm while you grill the burgers. 

Lightly oil the patties and arrange them on the hot side of the grill. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, flip, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes for medium-rare to medium. Transfer the burgers to the bread, top with some Muhammara and grilled onions and top with another piece of the grilled pizza dough. Put them back on the grill over low or indirect heat for a few seconds per side. Remove them from the grill, halve the sandwiches on a long diagonal, and serve immediately.

Muhammara Sauce:

1 pound red bell peppers, charred, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 to 2 small hot red peppers, charred, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 cup walnut pieces, about 5 ounces, toasted
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 tspn. ground cumin, from freshly toasted seeds
Kosher salt
1/2 tspn. smoked paprika
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses (also available in Mediterranean Stores)
1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

Put all of the ingredients, except the lemon zest, in a food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. (Start with 1 hot pepper, taste, and then add more if you want it hotter.) If the mixture is too thick, drizzle in a little more olive oil. Stir in the lemon zest by hand. Taste and add more salt and hot pepper, if desired.

Source:  Recipe courtesy of Miriam Garron from Food Network.

Liquid Autumn

If you're looking for a silky but full of flavor soup on a cold day, this is your kind of recipe. A friend of mine invited me to eat dinner at her place last Fall and I just simply fell in love with the flavors of this soup. I had to try it on my own! So after, checking and searching here and there, I found this recipe:


Ingredients:

¼ lb (1 stick) butter (113gm)
1 cup roughly chopped onion (230gm)
1 cup peeled, cored and roughly chopped Granny Smith apple (230gm)
1 cup peeled and roughly chopped rutabaga (230gm)
1 cup peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped butternut squash (230gm)
1 cup peeled and roughly chopped carrots (230gm)
1 cup peeled and roughly chopped sweet potato (230gm)
1 quart good chicken stock (1 lt) (I totally recommend homemade)
2 cups heavy cream (480ml)
¼ cup maple syrup (60ml)
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste



Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, apple, rutabaga, squash, carrots, and sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.

Add the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until all of the vegetables are cooked through and tender.

Puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into the same pot you used to cook the vegetables. Add the cream, maple syrup, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Return the pot to the stove, bring the soup to a simmer, and serve with a hearty bread.

Source: Recipe Courtesy of Patrick O'Connell's Refined American Cuisine

Stuffed Roasted Bell Peppers

All the sudden I found 4 bell peppers in my fridge and I had to come up with a dish idea since I just didn't want to freeze them and use them as condiment for other meals. So, I talked to my mom on the phone, and after she gave me a few ideas, I came up with this recipe. My husband absolutely loved them!


Ingredients:

4 bell peppers (red, yellow or green)
1 small onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 stick of celery, diced
1 small carrot, grated
2 Roma tomatoes, washed, seeded and small diced
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 bundle of fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme and a couple basil leaves)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup cooked white rice
1/2 cup Shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar and Monterrey Jack)
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper


Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375ºF.

Wash the bell peppers, dry them well. Cut the top and with your hands get rid off all the cartilages and seeds. Set aside.

In a big pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute them for 5 minutes, then add the ground beef and cook until is brown. Add the herbs (finely chopped). Cook for five more minutes. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Pour the mix on a big bowl and let it cool off a little. Then, add the rice and tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and start filling the bell peppers.

Finally, sprinkle the grated cheese on top and put the bell peppers inside of a square pan. Add about 1/4' (half centimeter) of hot water to the pan and bake for 40 minutes.

(*) If you like the peppers really soft, you may need to cover them with aluminum foil and bake them an extra 20 minutes or so.

Serve with a salad (if using as a main dish), or simply use it to complement a delicious protein.

Strawberry - Spinach Crunch Salad

This recipe has become one of our favorite salads for special occasions. It is very simple to make and you can actually have the "crunchy part" made ahead as well as the salad dressing and simply assemble the salad right before serving.


Ingredients:

- For the Salad:

1 box of organic baby spinach
1 c sliced almonds
1 c sunflower seeds
1 package ramen noodles, raw and crushed
1/2 stick butter
4 to 6 strawberries, washed and sliced.

- For the Salad Dressing:

1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup red vinegar
1/3 cup honey
2 Tablespoon soy sauce.


Directions:

Melt butter in skillet. Add almonds and ramen noodles. Cook and stir constantly until they are brown. Drain on a paper towel.

Add sunflower seeds to nut mixture. (You'll have enough mix to make at least 3 salads, so use as much as you need and keep the rest in a sealed container)

While the above is cooling, spread the spinach in a big salad bowl or platter. Add about 1/3 of the nuts mix and the sliced strawberries. Right before serving, drizzle dressing to taste.

To make dressing: The best way to mix this is in an air tight container and shake. (I keep mine refrigerated, so next time I need it I simply put it under running hot water to make the oil smooth again)


If you want to "turn the volume up" of this salad, sprinkle some chopped pistachios on top ;-)


Source: Adapted from recipe courtesy of Mendi Walden.

Goat Cheese - Tomato Tart

This is a very delicious and easy to make tart. I like it especially when I have my friends over for lunch. The individual tarts look just darling!


Ingredients:

1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
Good olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
8 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
8 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet)
2 large tomatoes, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves


Directions:

Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Cut 4 squares from each sheet of puff pastry. Place the pastry squares on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry square. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each one, staying inside the scored border.

Equally divide the onion mixture on each piece of pastry, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart (or two small ones). Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.


Source: Recipe Courtesy of Ina Garten - "Back to Basics" (Slightly adapted)

Classic Caesar Salad

This is one of our favorite salads. We love the dressing, though I have to warn you that it is the real deal with anchovies and raw egg included. Still, we love it!!


Ingredients:


- For the dressing:

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 or 4 anchovy fillets, minced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon warm water, if needed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan


- For the croutons:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 loaf day-old bread, cubed into finger sized pieces
6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan


- For the salad:

2 heads romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed, or 3/4 pound romaine lettuce hearts, cut into ribbons
Freshly ground pepper


Directions:

For the dressing: Place the egg yolk, mustard, anchovies, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Blend until pureed. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until it is fully incorporated. If the dressing stops moving in the blender, stop the machine, add the warm water and then continue until all the oil is added. To finish, add the cheese and blend on low speed to incorporate. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. (You will need about 3/4 cup for one salad)

For the croutons: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it begins to foam. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the bread cubes and mix to coat. Toss bread occasionally so that both sides get toasted. When the bread is golden brown, add the Parmesan and toss to coat. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Assembling the salad: Put the whole romaine ribbons in a big bowl. Add enough of the dressing to coat the leaves and toss well. Add the croutons and toss again to combine. Sprinkle some shaved Parmesan over all and sprinkle some fresh ground pepper. Serve.


Source: Recipe Courtesy of Michael Chiarello (Adapted)