California Steak Salad - Adapted from Food and Wine

Here is an easy salad using left-over steak and fresh summer veggies.  Slice your 12 oz. steak thinly and set aside. The recipe calls for green beans but we are having a bumper crop of wax beans, so we used them; about 4 oz.., 4 oz. sugar snap peas, 1/2C crumbled blue cheese and some fresh tomatoes.  Arrange the above on a bed of lettuce on a platter and dress with a mix of 1/4C lemon juice, 1/4C wine vinegar, 2T Dijon mustard, 3/4C olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, which has been whisked together.  Garnish with some chopped tarragon. This will serve 2 nicely.

Cold Udon Noodle Salad with Chicken, Cucumber and Pea Pods

This is a delicious summer salad with a light, fresh taste.  Start by grilling 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts. Alternatively, you could use shredded left-over chicken.  Put it in the refrigerator to cool and then slice into bite-size pieces.  Blanch 2C of pea pods so they are crisp/tender.  Dice 1/2 of a cucumber into bite sized pieces.  Cook the noodles according to package directions ( your favorite pasta will work if you can't find Udon noodles).  Make a vinaigrette dressing by mixing 1/4C olive oil with 3T fresh lime juice.  Add salt and pepper to taste and 1T each of freshly chopped mint and basil.  Assemble the salad and toss with the dressing.  Perfect for a warm summer evening

Cobb Salad Sandwich

Here is a good left-over chicken sandwich for the summer.  Shred 2C of cooked chicken and simply mix it with 1/2 diced avacado, 4 strips of crumbled bacon, 1/4C mayonnaise (more or less depending on your taste), 1T fresh thyme, 1/4C crumbled blue cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Serve it in a pita along with, perhaps, some Tater Tots and a cold asparagus salad (asparagus, oil and vinegar, topped with grated mozzarella cheese)

Grilled Chicken Salad with Tomatoes, Onions and Olives

The first patio meal of the summer!  Start by marinad-ing 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 Vadalia ,onion, quartered, and 12 cherry tomatoes in 1/2C olive oil, 3T white balsamic vinegar and 1T chopped fresh oregano for a couple hours.  Cook your favorite shaped pasta according to package directions.  Grill the chicken, onions and tomatoes on the grill starting with the chicken, about 10 min/ side, onions 10/min and tomatoes only for 2 min.  toss the sliced chicken, onions, and tomatoes with the pasta and some Kalamata olives.  Serve on a bed of fresh spinach and toss with an oil and vinegar dressing.

Roasted Duck Salad with Chutney Dressing

We had some leftover duck and Dee made up the dressing recipe.  The duck was cut into bite-sized pieces and mixed with 1/2lb blanched, fresh green beans and 2 ribs of diced celery.  For the dressing, whisk together 1/2C olive oil, 1/2C of your favorite chutney, 1/4C Basil vinegar, 1T Dijon mustard, 1T soy sauce and cayenne pepper to taste (we used 1/8t).  Toss the dressing with the duck mixture and serve on a bed of lettuce.  We think the dressing would go with almost any cooked meat, but probably not fish. Nice cold salad for a warm evening.

Cold Seafood Salad

We had a couple leftover scallops and decided to add some shrimp and make a cold summer salad.  The scallops were grilled quickly on a hot Weber fire.  The shrimp were boiled until pink. Make a citrus vinaigrette by whisking together 1/4C olive oil, 2T fresh lemon juice and 1/2t Dijon mustard.  Add salt and pepper to taste and toss the vinaigrette with the seafood.  We think this would work well with leftover lobster or crab as well.  Serve on a bed of lettuce with some sliced tomatoes and cucumbers garnished with fresh basil.

Rosemary Lemon Braised Chicken with Cold Asparagus Salad - Adapted from Epicurious

Start by dredging the chicken thighs in seasoned flour and browning them in 3T olive oil. When they are golden brown add 3 sprigs fresh rosmary, a bay leaf, 1/2 small lemon, quartered and 1C dry white wine and two chunked up link sausages. Cover and place in a 250 degree oven for about 2-1/2 hr. until the chicken is fork tender.
While the chicken is cooking, microwave asparagus spears until they are done to your liking...about 1 min of crisp-tender. Chill them in the refrigerator. Put 1/3C balsamic vinegar and one clove minced garlic in a sauce pan and heat to boiling. Reduce the vinegar by 1/2. Add 3T olive oil and 1T Dijon mustard and cool the mixture to room temperature. Just before serving pour the dressing over the asparagus and top with crumbled bacon and thinly sliced red onion.
When the chicken done remove it and the sausage to a plate and thicken the sauce with 3T corn starch in 1C chicken stock. Serve the sauce over pasta or potatoes.

Steak Salad with "Stuffed Bread"

This is another example of a salad using leftover steak (Outback in this case). It is served cold on a bed of greens with tomatoes and red onion and topped with crumbled blue cheese. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette made by mixing 3 parts olive oil with 1 part red wine vinegar and 1t Dijon mustard. For the bread we used a Trader Joe's fresh pizza crust rolled to about 1/4 in thickness. Place the "stuffings" (we used black olives, fresh oregano, minced garlic and parmesan cheese). Roll the dough around the stuffings and place in a 450 degree oven for about 20 min, or until it is golden brown. Slice and serve.

Moroccan Chicken with Couscous Salad and Roasted Onion

This is a Moroccan "style" chicken recipe adapted from many. It could be used with a whole chicken or with parts as we did. Start by making a compound butter: 1/4C softened butter mixed with 1 clove finly minced garlic, 3 chopped scallions, 2T chopped fresh mint, 2T chopped fresh parsley, 1t salt, 1 1/2t sweet paprika, 1 1/2t ground cumin and cayenne pepper to taste. Blend the mixture well and then use 1/2 of it to coat the chicken about 2 hrs before you are ready to cook. The couscous salad is simple and tasty. Mix about 5 oz. couscous right out of the box, 1C chopped cucumber, 1C chopped tomatoes, 1/4C chopped parsley and 1 1/2C tomato juice. Mix will and chill for a couple hours to allow the juice to be absorbed. The onion was not pealed but wrapped in foil along with some sprigs of oregano and a pad of butter. We tossed it right on the coals of a charcoal fire and roasted it for about 45 min, turning it every 15 min. The skin comes out pretty well charred but the meat is soft and delicious.

Broccoli - Cauliflower Salad - Adapted from cooks.com

This post is primarily for this summery salad we found. Start by cleaning 2C each of raw broccoli and cauliflower. Add 1/2C thinly sliced carrots, 1/2C diced onion and crumbled bacon. (optional) The dressing is made by mixing equal parts of Italian dressing and sour cream and 1 clove minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Chill and serve as a side at you picnic. That is bbq chicken and potato salad on the plate.

Pasta with Pancetta and Peas

This is one that we made up on the spur of the moment. We bought the mushroom pasta and the fresh peas at our farmers market. Start by boiling the pasta until al dente, drain and set aside. Brown the diced pancetta, drain it and set aside. Some of the peas were shelled and some were too young so we just used the entire pod. Rinse the peas and mix them with the drained pasta. Add the pancetta and toss. The dressing is a vinaigrette made my mixing 3 parts olive oil with 1 part red wine vinegar and 1t Dijon mustard. Whisk together and add 1T fresh dill. Pour over the pasta mix and top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. We chilled the salad and served it with sliced tomotoes and a dry white wine. Nice quick and easy summer meal.

Beef, Tomato, Green Bean and Potato Salad with Horseradish-Dill Vinaigrette

Here's another easy summer salad using left-over roast beef. Slice the beef thinly and combine with blanched green beans, boiled new potatoes and cherry tomatoes. A red onion is a nice addition if you like. Make the vinaigrette by combining 1T horseradish, 1t mayo, 2T olive oil and 1T red wine vinegar. Whisk together and add some fresh dill and a big grind of black pepper just before serving. You could use the prepared "horsey sauce" - mayo and horseradish if you wish. Serve on a bed of lettuce including James' favorite, arugula. You can vary the zing by adjusting the amount of horseradish. The combination of horseradish and dill is very nice.

Fennel-stuffed Cod with Fennel Grapefruit Salad - Adapted from Taste of Home

For those of you who like fennel, here is your meal. We like it both cooked in things and thinly sliced in salads. We use a mandolin to shave the bulb.Its mild anise flavor is different and refreshing. Start by making the sauce for the fish; it should be refrigerated for a couple hours before serving. Mix 1C plain yogurt, 1t fresh lemon juice and 1/4C of the chopped fronds. For the stuffing saute a small diced onion, and 1/2C thinly sliced fresh fennel in a pan with 2T butter. Add 1/2C chicken stock and 1 beaten egg. Salt and pepper to taste. Place 1/2 of the cod in a buttered baking dish and pile the stuffing on top. Cover with the other half of the cod. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 min, until the fish is firm and flakey. For the salad, make a dressing by whisking together 1/3C olive oil, 3T orange juice and 1t honey. Toss with 1/2 grapefruit, sectioned, one small sliced onion and 1C shaved fennel. Serve the sauce on the side. We had a chilled, barrel aged Chardonnay with the meal.

Salad with Pears, Fennel and Prosciutto and Mint with Sole Meuniere

It's a bit unusual for us to have a two course meal but we decided to for Valentine's Day. Both dishes go together very easily. For the Salad ( Adapted from Weeknight Cooking), plate thinly sliced pears, and shaved fennel and Prosciutto. Whisk together 1T olive oil, 2t pear nectar and 1t Sherry vinegar. Garnish with finely chopped fresh mint. For the sole (adapted from Epicurious.com) dredge the fish in bread crumbs and saute in 3T butter until the flesh of the fish is firm. Remove the fish and immediately add 2T parsley and 1T fresh lemon juice. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve. We also had our favorite smashed redskins (boil the redskins and then smash them with a fork, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and brown them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 min) and steamed brussel sprouts. A chilled dry white wine is the perfect accompaniment.

Steak Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Eggs

Here's a warm weather dish made from lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and eggs from our CSA, Fresh Fork Market. Start by hard-boiling some eggs. Make the dressing by whisking together 1/4C olive oil, 2T red wine vinegar, 1T Dijon mustard, 1T fresh, chopped rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Allow the meat to marinade in the dressing while you put the salad together. The meat was left over steak but chicken or pork would work as well. Toss together in a salad bowl lettuce, chopped cucumber, and quartered cherry tomatoes. Add the shelled, sliced eggs and toss with the meat and dressing. Serve with warm sour dough bread and a big red wine. Nice cool dinner for a warm summer evening.

Grilled Shrimp with Potato Salad

Greetings from Coastal Georgia! The shrimp here are fresh and wonderful so we decided to grill some. We pealed and de-veined some and skewered them on water soaked wooden skewers. They were grilled for about 5 min. on a side on the weber. Poach 2 cloves of minced garlic in about 4T butter for 15 min, just to take some of the edge off the raw garlic. Mix in 2T fresh lemon juice and toss with the shrimp. The potato salad was made from boiled redskins, fresh, raw green beans and tomatoes. It was dressed with a mix of 2/3C sour cream, 2T lemon juice, 1/4t dill weed and salt and pepper to taste. We served it with crusty bread and a chilled, dry white wine.

Lobster Bisque with Caesar Salad

There is a product line called Better than Bouillon which includes Lobster Base.  We decided to make a lobster bisque as a main course and served it with a traditional Caesar Salad.  We bought a live lobster and cooked it seperately in order to enhance the bisque.  For the bisque, mix 2C Half-and-half, 1C water, 1C white wine, 1T Lobster Base, 3T flour, 2T tomato paste and 1/4t paprika.  Whisk until smooth and simmer for 20 min. or so.  Chop the lobster and add it just before serving.  We garnished the bisque with some chives and pieces of claw meat.

For the Caesar Salad: Make some crotons by first browning a garlic clove in 3/4C olive oil.  Brown some thin slices of French bread and remove to drain.  Reserve the oil.  Put 2T olive oil in a wooden salad bowl and rub 1/2 of a garlic clove all around to flavor it.  Using 2 forks, mash 4 anchovie filets in the bowl.  The whisk together in the bowl 1 raw egg, 2T fresh lemon juice.  Slowly drizzle in the reserved oil, whisking vigorously until smooth.  Toss in 1 large head of romaine lettuce and toss with the dressing.  Top with the crotons, anchovie filets and some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  The bread was made by rolling pizza dough, brushing with olive oil and topping with your favorite fresh herbs.  The meal is very rich so serve it with a bone dry cold white wine.

Salad Nicoise

This is a wonderful salad for a warm summer evening.  We grilled fresh tuna but you can used canned if you wish.  Arrange on a bed of lettuce, hard cooked eggs, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, boiled redskin potatoes, blanched green beans, and olives.  The dressing is made by whisking together 1/2C olive oil, 1/4C dry white wine, 1t Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste, and chopped fresh basil.  Pour over the salad just before serving.  Serve with a crusty bread and chilled white wine.

Grilled Salmon Salad with Baby Bok Choy, Spinach and Green Onions

This recipe in-corp-orates ideas from several we found online.  We wanted to use the bok choy, spinach and green onions we got from Fresh Fork, our local CSA group.  Start by trimming the white part off a head of baby bok choy and dicing it.  Chop 3 green onions including the green part.  Mix these greens with 1C Greek style yogart (it is strained and thicker then you may be used to), 1 clove minced garlic, and 2T crumbled blue cheese.  Chill this dressing until just before serving.  Season a 1/2 lb. salmon filet with your favorite herb; we used thyme, salt and pepper.  Grill the salmon and then cool before proceeding.  Just before eating, arrange the salmon on bok choy leaves and spinach leaves.  Top with the dressing.  This served two nicely.

Ribeye Steak with Composed Salad of Beets, Leeks and Carrots

Start by baking a large beet for about 60 min or until just tender.  Clean and slice a leek and blanch it in boiling water for 2 min.  The carrots were shreaded.  Make a dressing by whisking together the juice of one lemon and 1/4C olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Serve the vegetables on a bed of lettuce.  

The steak was browned in an oven proof pan and finished in a 400 degree oven for 10 min.  Remove the meat to a plate and deglaze the pan with 1/3C red wine.  Add 3T Worchestershire sauce, 1T capers and 1T butter.  Serve the pan sauce over the steak.  A big bold red wine is wonderful with this dinner.