Chickpea Pasta Salad

here is another quick summer side dish which can also be made head.

Chickpea Pasta Salad

Ingredients

4 cups of cooked Rotini pasta
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups of chopped cucumbers, seeds removed
1 1/2 cups of chopped red peppers
1 1/2 cups of chopped celery
4 green onions chopped from roots to green tips
1/4 cup of Italian parsley chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 tables spoons of chopped sorrel
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice, if using fresh also included the zest of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 table spoons of fresh oregano chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place olive oil, lemon juice, zest, garlic, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper: whisk together and set aside.

In another bowl place the balance of the ingredients and toss. Whisk dressing again and pour of salad, toss and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Enjoy cooking

Lentil Salad

Here is a great summer salad that you can make a head and it gets better as all the flavors marinates.

Lentil Salad

Ingredients

1 can of lentils of choice, drained and rinsed. I use red lentils
1 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup of diced cucumbers, seeds removed
1/2 cup calamata olives
1/2 cup of chopped red onions
1/2 cup of chopped yellow peppers
1/4 cup feta cheesed, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice - if using fresh all zest one lemon
1 table spoon of fresh oregano, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, zest, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper, set aside.

In a large bowl place the balance of the ingredients and toss.

Whisk dressing again and pour over salad, toss, cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Enjoy Cooking

Spiced Shrimp Salad

I like making this dish at this time of year due to all the nice citrus that is in season.

Spiced Shrimp Salad

Ingredients

Sauce

2 blood orange

1 grapefruit

2 Tangelos

Olive oil

2 table spoons of Dill

1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes


Salad

2 blood oranges

2 pink grape fruit

2 tangelos

1 cup pomegranate seeds

5 cloves of garlic - minced

2 jalapeno - minced

3 cups of fresh basil, stems removed

salt & pepper to taste


Shrimp

2 pounds of raw shrimp, pealed and cleaned with the tails on

1 cup of flour

1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon of chili powder

2 teaspoons of cumin

1 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

safflower oil


Directions

Sauce

Zest the Tangelos

Peal all of the fruit including the tangelos, slice into quarters and place in the food processor and puree.

Now strain the mixture removing all the pulp and other matter.

Place juice in a mixing bowl and add an equal amount of olive oil. Add the balance of the ingredients and the zest and and whisk to combine.

Set this aside, you will need to re-whisk prior to serving.


Salad

Peal all of the fruit and take a part into sections and place in a bowl. Add garlic, jalapenos and salt and pepper: toss, cover and chill for at least an hour.

The basil and the pomegranate seeds will be used when we plate the dish.


Shrimp

In a bowl add all of the dry ingredients and mix well together.

In a large skillet add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan about a 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch, place on medium to high heat.

Dredge shrimp in the flour mixture and place in the hot oil about 3 minutes on one side and half the time on the other side. Place fried shrimp on a cooling grate on top of a cookie sheet.


Plating

on six salad plate pile the basil, next arrange the fruit slice in a nice spiral on the center of the plate. Add pomegranate seeds to each plate. Re-whisk the sauce and spoon over the fruit, i place the balance of the sauce in a severing container should anyone wants more sauce. Now place shrimp on top of the fruit, about 3 to 4 per person based on how many were in the 2 pounds . Serve


Enjoy Cooking

Spicy Slaw

I received a request for the Spicy Slaw recipe, which is perfect for the summer.

Spicy Slaw

Ingredients

2 pounds of fresh carrots
1/3 cup cilantro
3 lemons, zest and juiced
1/3 cup of raw honey
1/2 cup of olive oil mayo
3 table spoon of rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup dried cherries
3 cloves or garlic minced
2 teaspoon of curry powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of celery seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of hot sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a medium bowl place the juice from the lemons, seeds, and vinegar, stir and set aside.
Clean, peal and grate the carrots. Place grated carrots in a large bowl with the Pineapples, cherries, zest, cilantro, garlic, curry powder and oil and toss to coat.
Now to the lemon juice and seeds, add honey and whisk to combine. Add mayo and whisk to combine. Now add the cayenne to the sauce. Our sauce over carrots and toss well to coat, cover and chill for at least an hour.

For a Variation, replace the carrots with Jicama, lemons with Limes, the cherries with fresh currants and remove curry powder, replace with mustard and coriander

6 cups of grated Jicama
4 limes, zest and juice
1/2 cup of currants
1 teaspoon of ground mustard
1 teaspoon of ground coriander

Enjoy cooking

Simple Salad

Well OK i said the next post was Sunday, but i was making this salad this mourning and thought i should post it. If you have not guess i do not really like making salads with lettuce; i find it boring and uninteresting. I do use lettuce sometimes, but if given a choice i will use something else. Also there is so much great fresh seasonal items around it is fun just to see what combination you can come up with.


Simple Salad

4 large tomatoes chopped
1 cucumber chopped, skin on
1 cup of chopped apricots
6 green onions chopped - end to end, no roots
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, stems removed
1/4 cup chopped mint, stems removed
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon raw sugar
1 teaspoon sumac leaves
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Dressing: in a small container with a lid place the vinegar, oil, sumac, sugar and salt and pepper and shake well and set aside. You want it to stand about 15 minutes prior to using. The containers i use are the twist top ziplocs and you can get a jumbo pack at Costco for a good price.

In an large bowl place all of the remaining ingredients and give a quick toss. Give the dressing one more really good shake to combine and pour over veggies and toss to coat.

That's it a quick simple salad that will stand up to the dressing and will not wilt if you bring it to work for lunch.

Really the next post, Sunday

Enjoy cooking

Asparagus Salad

This is another simple no cook salad to make for the summer, there is a bit of prep work but it is well worth it. I serve with seared tuna or chilled diced crab and a few toast points.

Asparagus Salad

Ingredients

! bunch of Asparagus, at least 12 stalks
1 Avocado, pealed and thin sliced
1 English cucumber
1 medium red onion quartered an sliced thin
1/4 cup pf fresh dill chopped and stems removed
4 yellow tomatoes diced
3 lemons juiced and zest
Olive oil
1 1/2 table spoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

With a peeler cut the Asparagus into ribbons, you will be able to ribbon about 3/4 of each of the stalks with the peeler - the balance of each of the stalks chop into 1/4 inch pieces. Stack the ribbons and cut them into half's.
Next take the English cucumber and cut it into thirds and the half the thirds, place the cut half side down on the cutting board and with the peeler cut the cucumber into ribbons. You will be able to ribbon about 3/4 of each of the sections and like the asparagus dice the remain part of each of the half's. Stack the ribbons of cucumber and slice sown the center to half.
Place the asparagus, cucumbers, onions, dill and tomatoes into a large bowl and toss to mix.
In another bowl add the Dijon mustard, zest, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and stir well. Now add the lemon juice and an equal part olive oil to the lemon juice and whisk to combine. You will want to whisk for at least 2 minutes or so. Now pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat all the veggies.
Cover and let stand in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Only cut and prep the Avocado prior to serving, add the slice to the salad right before the final toss and serve.


Next post Sunday night.

Enjoy cooking

Eggplant Salad

Well this sort of a salad - i based it on Baba Ghanoush -

Eggplant salad / Dip

Ingredients

1 large eggplant top removed and cut in half
2 table spoon tahini
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Zest from one lemon
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 table spoon of almond oil
1 small Italian frying pepper - top removed, seeds removed and diced
1 1/2 teaspoons of sumac leaf
3 green onions just the bottom white part diced - save the greens for another salad
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

OK this requires a bit of cooking. Place the eggplant face down on a baking dish and pop in the toaster oven on broil. You want to keep it in until the skin starts to blacken, then remove and leave it face down in the baking dish until cooled, and i mean leave it alone.
When completely cooled, remove the eggplant one at a time, holding the cut part of the top in your hand, where you removed the top, take a knife and cut the round part of the eggplant, liquid should be released from the eggplant. Once drained place in the food processor and repeat with the other half.
Next place the balance of the ingredients into the food processor, and pulse to chop, you want it like chunky salsa. Do not puree it, i think it taste better chunky but if you like it smooth go for it.

Place in a bowl and chill for an hour. Some water may rise to the top, just pour it off.

Simple - i usually make the Humus, a herb salad and this for dinner during the summer.

Enjoy cooking

Cucumber and yogurt salad

I had made this for lunch today, I based it on a salad we had in Syria. It is really simple to make and very refreshing on a hot sticky day, like it is today.


Cucumber and Yogurt Salad

Ingredients

17.6 oz Fage Yogurt - i prefer this one because it is nice and thick and will stand up to the water content of cucumbers
1 large cucumber - diced and leave the peel on
1/4 chopped fresh dill, remove the stems
1 bunch of green onions, diced include the green tops and the bottoms all the way to the roots - no roots of course
1 table spoon minced garlic
and salt to taste.


Directions

Mix all together and chill for about an hour. Some water from the cucumbers will rise to the top just stir it in.

Simple

Variation

Remove the dill and add 1/4 cup of fresh chopped mint, stems removed.

Enjoy cooking

Potato Salad or is it chicken salad

I received an email tonight requesting my Potato and Chicken salad recipes, well the dressings on both is the same. I just change the main ingredients; this came about one summer when i was making the dressing for the chicken salad for our lunches and preparing the potato salad for a weekend party and when i had both recipes up on the cabinets in the kitchen did i realized with one slight change the dressing would be the same. There was egg in one and not the other and i thought why not add it to both.

I never really like potato salad i always thought it was rather bland, too sweet or full of things that just was wrong and it does not help matters that i do not like Mayo, ugh! But Michael loves potato salad, so i set out to make one that we both would like. I did this to many dishes that have mayo in them, i will post those recipes soon to.

OK lets start with the dressing for both recipes;

"The Dressing"

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of Olive oil Mayo
3 table spoons of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon of ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 table spoons of sherry vinegar
4 hard boiled eggs, yolks separated from the whites, dice the whites and set aside

Directions

In a small bowl add the seeds and the vinegar and let steep for at least an hour. I do the step right before i start cutting up the veggies.

In a large bowl add the balance of the ingredients and mix well, make sure that the egg yolks are completely incorporated into the mixture. Chill this part while you are preparing the main part of the recipes. Leave the vinegar and seed mixture out at room temp.

Now it is time for either the Chicken or the Potato salad, lets do the Potato salad first;

Potato Salad

Dressing - see above

Ingredients

2 Lbs of red potatoes, cubed skins left on
4 large celery stalks diced
1 large sweet onion diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 cup of fresh dill, chopped and stems removed
1 cup of green onion, just the tops chopped
1/4 cup of Italian parsley chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot add diced potatoes in enough water to cover by 1/2 inch. Salt the water, bring to a boil and cook potatoes for about 10 to 15 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain and place in an ice bath the stop the cooking process.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a large bowl place the sweet onions, celery and red pepper and toss in the vinegar seed mixture from the dressing, toss to coat and set aside.

Once potatoes are cool, drain from ice bath, try to get them as dry as posible and add them to the Mayo mixtures from the dressing along with the diced egg whites, the green onions, parsley and dill and mix well. Once all the potatoes are coated add the vinegar seed mixture to the party and and mix well.

Cover bowl and place in the fridge for at least two hours. Remix right before serving


Chicken Salad

Dressing - see above

Ingredients

Chicken prep

1 whole chicken cut up and skinned
1/4 cup olive oil
1 table spoon cumin
1 table spoon dried mustard
1 table spoon paprika
Salt and pepper

Salad

1 cup dried sour cherries
1/2 cup diced dried apricots
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 large sweet onion
4 stalks of celery diced
1 red pepper diced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
1/4 cup of chopped Italian Parsley


Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a large zip lock bag add all the chicken prep spices, olive oil and the chicken. Seal and shake bag to coat.
Place on a on pan so that all the chicken pieces are a single level, place in oven and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from Oven and let cool. Once cool, remove meat from bones and shred.

In a large bowl place sweet onions, cherries, apricots, celery, red pepper and add the vinegar mixture, toss to coat and set aside.

Next add chicken, egg whites, walnuts, jalapeno, parsley to mayo mixture. toss to coat chicken. Now add the Vinegar mixture, mix well and chill for at least two hours.

Both recipes will keep for a few days.

I do not know what well be next. Maybe some of my seafood recipes or other salads, i will see what comes to mind.

Enjoy cooking

Salsa

Here are a few Salsa I came up with over the years, which are great anytime of year but they are great in the summer since there is no cooking.


Cilantro Salsa

Ingredients

3 bunches of Cilantro, chopped and stems removed
3 large vildalia onions, diced
4 gloves of minced garlic
3 jalapeno, seeded and minced
5 sprigs of fresh oregano, leafed, chopped and stem removed
3/4 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
zest of one lime

Directions

in a small bowl place lime zest, coriander, cumin, cayenne, olive oil, vinegar, blend well and set aside.
In another bowl mix the balance of the ingredients.
Once the dressing has rested for 15 minutes add to the cilantro mixture and toss.

Now if you reduce the amount of cilantro and add a few more ingredients you have what i was told was a Rancho Salsa

Rancho Salsa

Ingredients

5 tomatoes, chunky chopped
2 Anaheim peppers, seeded and chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 limes juiced and zested
5 sprigs of fresh oregano, leafed and chopped stems removed
1 red onion diced
3 cloves of garlic diced
2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of funnel seeds
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped and stems removed
2 table spoons of red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons of tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In small bowl place lime zest and juice, cumin, funnel seeds, vinegar and tomato paste mix and set aside and let rest for 15 minutes.
place the balance of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Once the dressing has set add to large bowl and mix well. Chill salsa for at least an hour before serving


Mango Salsa

Ingredients

2 cups of Pineapple, chopped
2 cups of Mango, chopped
1 red onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 orange pepper chopped
1 lime juiced and zested
1 cup of chopped Cilantro
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
8 oz of pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Really simple - combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, mix well and chill for at least an hour before serving


Now this not really a salsa and it takes a bit of cooking, but it is minor. But its a great addition to all the above.

Tomatillo Verde

Ingredients

6 tomatillos
4 pablano peppers
2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 large red onion cut into large thick sliced
1 red pepper
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 limes zested and juiced
4 sprogs of fresh oregano, leafed and chopped stems removed
bunch of cilantro, chopped and stems removed
1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 table spoons of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Now this best if you have a grill or BBQ, but if you do not a toaster oven works well too.

The tomatillos, red pepper, pablano and onion all need to be grilled or roasted until they take on a charred appearance. Once charred, set aside to cool.
Place all the ingredients into a food processor but only half the cilantro and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl mix in the remain cilantro and chill for at least an hour before serving

Hummus

Hummus is the prefect dish to have on hand, it is easy to make and stores for over a week in the Fridge. I have three ways I make hummus, the traditional way, a Red Pepper Hummus and a Navy Bean Hummus.

Traditional

Ingredients
3 Cans of Chickpeas
6 to 8 cloves of garlic - we like with a strong garlic taste
1/4 to 1/3 cup Tahini
1 lemon juiced and zest
1/4 cup or less olive oil
1/4 cup of green onions, just the tops
1 teaspoon of Sumac
Dash of Paprika
Salt to taste

Directions

Place everything in the food processor except the olive oil and lemon juice. When adding the Tahini start with a 1/4 cup, if when you taste it when you are adding the lemon juice and it's a bit dull add the balance of the Tahini to make a 1/3 of a cup. Pulse to combined. Next turn on the food processor and slow drizzle in the olive oil, stop once the mixture is smooth. Add a dash of the lemon juice at a time, stop the processor and taste. You want the Hummus to have a hint of lemon taste. If its prefect stop, if not keep adding a dash until it has the right taste.

Place in seal-able bowl and chill.

Place an amount in a serving bowl, make a swirl in the top, add a bit of olive oil and a dash of Paprika and serve.


Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients

Same as above only reduce the chickpeas by one can and add a cup of roasted red peppers drained. I pat them dry with a paper towel prior to adding them into the food processor.

Directions

Follow the Directions for the traditional Hummus


Navy bean Hummus

Ingredients

The same as the traditional hummus only swap out the chickpeas for three cans of navy beans drained.

Directions

Follow the directions for the traditional Hummus.


Tomorrow I will post more summer recipes.

Enjoy cooking

Summer Recipes

Last year we took a trip Jordan and Syria, we loved it. The sights were breath taking, the people were friendly and the food was great and good for you - lots of fresh veggies and herbs. I asked every cafe owner and chef how they made the dishes and they were all willing to share their recipes; and the ingredients tasted much better than here due to they were picked that mourning and still farmed the traditional way they have done for years. I am all for local produce or growing your own.

The staples you need for almost every recipe are:

Italian Parsley
Tomatoes
Lemon
Cucumbers
radishes
pomegranate
onions
garlic
Sorrel
lettuce
red peppers
mint or spearmint
Sumac

Now take a basic Salad:

Salata Khadra

Ingredients
6 small cucumbers, diced
4 tomatoes, diced
1 bunch of Italian parsley, rough chopped stems removed
1 small onion pureed and excess liquid removed
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Place all ingredients in a large below with the exception of the lemon and the olive oil. In a small bowl whisk the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Combined dressing with salad and toss to combine - done simple

Now if you add a few more ingredients you will have another salad,

Fattoush

Ingredients
all the above plus
2 cups shredded romaine
1/2 cup of chopped fresh mint or spearmint - we had the mint in Jordan and the spearmint in Syria
1 medium red pepper, diced
1 cup of grated radishes
1 bunch of green onions, just the tops diced
1 teaspoon of Sumac
4 cloves of garlic, diced

Directions
Dressing
In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice and zest, olive oil, garlic, sumac, salt and pepper.
Add all the remaining ingredients into a large bowl mix in dressing and toss to combine.

In some places in Syria we also had Fattoush with Pomegranate seeds mixed in

Variation on the Fattoush,

Add 1 teaspoon of pomegranate syrup to the dressing before whisking, it makes the dressing less tart. And 1/2 cup of chopped Sorrel to the salad.

Change a few of the ingredients in the above Fattaush and you will get Tabbouli

Tabbouli
Ingredients
Remove the following from the above:

Mint or Spearmint
Radishes
Green Onions

Now add
1 cup of Bulgar wheat
Juice of 1 lime (my addition)
1/2 cup of chopped Sorrel (also my addition)

Directions
Pour the Bulgar wheat into a bowl and cover with enough hot tap water to cover the wheat plus two inches, let stand for 1 hour.
Mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, by now you should know what those ingredients are, hold back the romaine lettuce.
Once the wheat has taken up all the water transfer to another bowl and add to it all the dressing ingredients and mix well to combine.
Pour dressing over salad ingredients and chill up to an hour but now more than 24 hours.
When ready to serve, place a bed of romaine at the bottom of each bowl and add the salad to the top. I do not add the romaine to the salad since it wilts when being dressed and chilled.

Now there is one other combination that is just great. We had it while in the Bedouin village in Syria, i do not know the name and i have switched out some of the ingredients that are hard to find.

Ingredients

6 tomatoes diced
2 cucumbers diced
1 cup of Sorrel ribbon chop
1 teaspoon of Sumac
1 cup of pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup of spicy middle eastern red pepper, diced
2 lemons juiced and zest
2 table spoons of the liquid from a grated onion
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions
In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice and zest, olive oil, paprika, sumac and onion juice.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and add dressing and mix well.
set aside at room temp for one hour before serving. I though of this as a middle eastern Salsa.



Serve all the above salads with warm Pita and Hummus. Variations on Hummus on my next post in a few days.

Enjoy cooking