Early Spring Salad

Do you ever have one of those days where dinnertime rolls around and all you can think to yourself is, "I want a giant bowl of vegetables and fruit?" I do. Typically it follows a couple days of needing to go shopping and living off of those staples that I keep around but don't eat in large quantities (like nuts, dried fruit, and frozen english muffins... not necessarily together). I went to the store with a mission to buy spinach, but for the life of me I couldn't find any. So, I ended up with frisee and arugula. I nabbed a fennel bulb to add a little complexity to the salad mix. Since citrus season is fast falling behind us, I also grabbed a sumo tangerine. The asian pears next to them looked so tasty that I grabbed one of those too. Finally, I picked up some garlic and black pepper goat cheese, since I thought that would go nicely with the greens and fruit. I decided to use my staple dressing, mustard, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, since it seems to go with so many things. The resulting salad is a lovely blend of sweet, spicy, and pungent. It's definitely a satisfying end to my day.

Early Spring Salad

2 c frisee, torn into pieces
2 c arugula, torn into pieces
1/4 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
1/2 asian pear, cored and chopped
1/2 sumo tangerine, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp spicy mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
pinch of salt and pepper
wedge of garlic and black pepper goat cheese

Wash and thoroughly dry the frisee, arugula and fennel and then place on a large plate.
Top with the pear and tangerine.
Put mustard, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a sealable container and shake until blended; pour over the salad.
Place cheese on the side and serve.

My New Spin on Chicken Salad

Let me start by saying that while the posts about food have been lacking in photographic evidence, you should be thanking me for that. Seriously, I don't think I've ever taken more unappetizing pictures ever before. So, until I have the foresight to actually set aside part of the meal so that I can take a picture of it in good light, not to mention remember that I'm supposed to take the picture the next day, you don't want to see the dark, slightly disgusting pictures I've been taking lately.

That aside, let us get to today's meal. Actually, tonight I had leftover greens and rice and cooked some Cajun salmon to go with it. But, the other night I made chicken salad, but added a little something-something to make it extra tasty. I've been eating it for lunch all week and I still haven't tired of it. Good thing, too, since I have a lot left still!

Lemon-Thyme Chicken Salad

2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp dried or fresh thyme (fresh would probably be a lot tastier, but I only had dried in the house)
salt (as needed)
3/4 lb brussel sprouts, shredded and rinsed well
6 good sized carrots, peeled, quartered and sliced thin
1/4 to 1/2 tsp sugar
12 oz small shell pasta
1/2 c mayonnaise
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp thyme
good pinch of cayenne pepper
pepper to taste

Put chicken breasts in a pot, cover with water, add salt and thyme and cook until done. Allow to cool.
While the chicken is cooking, put on a large pot of water to boil.
Once water in second pot is boiling, add salt, stir, then add pasta.
Cook pasta until done, drain and rinse in cold water until cool.
While pasta and chicken are cooking, prepare the brussel sprouts and carrots.
Put brussel sprouts in a large serving bowl, sprinkle with a bit of salt (not too much, maybe 1/4 tsp) and about the same amount of sugar.
Also while other things are cooking, mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme, cayenne pepper, and pepper (and salt if desired) in a bowl and set aside.
Once chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size pieces.
Add carrots, pasta and chicken to the shredded brussel sprouts.
Add the dressing and stir until well coated.
Allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

But, I get to eat fabulous food at restaurants

I do! I've been eating out entirely too much, but I've discovered some cuisines I want to experiment with a little more. Like the potato and cabbage mash with gravy that I can get at many Irish pubs (I didn't grow up with Irish food, and some of it is very good, so I've discovered.) I've had some very tasty bangers as well. Besides Irish food (I'm surrounded by pubs), I've also had a fair share of Thai food. Mmm, Thai food. I've made some Thai food before (green curry to die for, so much better than a lot of the kinds I had had before). But I've been eating Tom Kha (soup with a coconut base and so much flavor), Pad Thai, curries, and I had this at a small restaurant in the town I'm moving to. It's thinly sliced beef dressed with a chili and lime sauce served with iceberg lettuce, cucumber, fresh green beans, and tomatoes. The cool vegetables nicely contrasted (and calmed) the spice of the beef. I also had fresh rolls (lots of veggies and shrimp wrapped in rice paper and served with a dipping sauce), but ate them before I thought of my camera. Actually, I would have a lot more posts if I thought more about my blog and camera than my stomach.

Lime and Coconut Custard Cakes

Do you remember the plans I had for limes last weekend? I finally got around to the experiment last night. A while ago I made Lemon Custard Cakes from Martha Stewart Living (March 2007, pg.147), and instantly wondered how a lime and coconut version might be. The results were delicate, fluffy lime cakes with a thin layer of custard, resembling lime curd, at the bottom. Admittedly, the flavor of coconut lent by the shredded coconut was so subtle that I nearly missed it. I think, next time, I will either simmer the flaked coconut in the milk (and allow it to cool to room temperature before adding to the batter), or I will use coconut milk or cream in place of the milk.
Here is my version of the recipe:

Lime and Coconut Custard Cakes
Butter, room temperature, for custard cups (or you can melt it and use a brush to butter the cups)
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
zest from two limes
a little over 1/4 c fresh lime juice (juice of two limes)
1 c milk (or the substitutions listed above)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Set a kettle of water to boil.
Butter six 6-oz custard cups.
Place the custard cups in a roasting pan or baking dish lined with a kitchen towel.
In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and granulated sugar until mixture is light.
Whisk in flour.
Gradually whisk in lime zest and juice.
Whisk in milk (or substitutes).
If coconut has not been mixed in, stir it in as well.
With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form
Add to lime mixture, gently folding in with the whisk.
Divide batter among prepared cups.
Place pan in oven and fill with boiling water to reach halfway up sides of cups.
Bake until cakes are puffed and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lemons and Limes

Today we made... scratch that, my mom made Lemon Poppyseed Scones. I took the dogs for an early morning run again. Unlike the Maple Nut Scones, these are more like biscuits in moisture and texture. With the coming of spring, I crave fresh flavors. What's fresher than lemons?

Lemon Poppyseed Scones
(adapted from this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_1528,00.html)

3 c flour
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
zest of 1 lemon
3/4 c butter
2-4 tbsp poppyseeds
1 c buttermilk
juice of 1/2 of a lemon
1 c powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and lemon zest together.
Cut in the butter until coarse meal.
Stir in poppyseeds and then buttermilk. (Mix as with the Maple Nut Scones, gently.)
Divide dough in half, pat into rounds on a floured surface.
Cut each round into 8 to 10 wedges.
Arrange on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit.
Mix lemon juice and powdered sugar into a frosting, drizzle over the scones.

I have some plans for these limes. I'll post that experiment soon.