Recipe #74... Citrus Caesar Dressing on Grilled Romaine Salad... Grill A Meal

A few summers ago, my husband and I took a trip to Stowe, Vermont with my parents.  We had many memorable meals, including one at the Von Trapp Family Lodge (yes! the musical family from the Sound of Music)... but one that stands out to me still was a grilled romaine salad at Simon Pearce's restaurant in Quechee, Vermont.  Located within a beautiful, one of a kind glass blowing studio and mill, the restaurant delights all of your senses.  I haven't forgotten the grilled romaine and we finally got around to trying it!

Citrus Caesar Dressing
Add the following to your mixer of choice...
Makes 4-6 Servings

1 clove Garlic
1 Tbsp Lemon zest
3 Tbsp Fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp Anchovy paste
1 Tbsp White wine vinegar
2/3 c Olive oil
1/4 c Mayo
Salt + Pepper

Grilled Romaine
2 Heads Romaine Lettuce
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Parmigiano-Reggiano

Coat grill with olive oil and turn it to Med/High Heat.  Cut romaine in half lengthwise and grill 4-5 mins, turning occasionally.  Place a romaine "wedge" on each salad plate and drizzle with dressing.  Shave fresh cheese on top!  The romaine is crunchy, smokey, and sweet paired with a citrusy, bitey dressing.  My husband is a caesar salad aficionado and while it was a little lemony for his taste, it earned high marks on presentation!  Happy Crunching... -A  

Recipe #69... Whole Living's Roasted Red Pepper Hummus... DIY popular snack

Note:  This recipe hails from the June edition of Whole Living Magazine.  I haven't blenderized hummus in the Vitamix for a while and so it seemed like a decent thing to do...  literally mixing it up a bit in my kitchen.


Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Add the following to your mixer of choice...
Makes 4-6 servings

1 whole roasted sweet red pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic (optional, in my opinion)
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
salt + pepper to taste

Serve with veggie slices or your favorite Crack-a-lackers!  You can even make a hummus experimental day and blend up other beans, add herbs or veggies (more experimentation on this blog is in store)... Have a happy hummus humdinger of a day! ... -A

Recipe #56... Basil Macadamia Nut Pesto... striking gold at the Kauai farmer's market



Trying to get every last bit!

Note:  We stumbled across this gem while perusing the Hanalei farmer's market.  I was magnetically drawn into the fresh goat cheese tent, where I happened to sample their macadamia nut pesto.   Fast forward to last Saturday at our local farmer's market, where I was introduced to pineapple balsamic vinegar.  What sweet summer luck... I bought fresh basil, had leftover macadamia nuts from Hawaii, and pulled out the Vitamix...

Basil Macadamia Nut Pesto
Blend for the makings of endless possibilities

1 c fresh basil 
1 c mixed loose spinach
1/2 c macadamia nuts
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil - drizzle more to aide blending 
2 tbsp white vinegar (hopefully you can procure pineapple balsamic)
salt + pepper to taste

This version is a little sweeter than other pestos I've blenderized; likely due to the pineapple balsamic vinegar.  It might partner splendidly with a dollop of goat cheese and a cracker... After all goat cheese did bring this pesto and I together... Happy transition to summer! Hats off to basil... -A

Recipe #49... Pizza with Spinach-Basil Pesto... Mama Mia!

Ready to bake!

Note:  Frozen Pizza Crust... Check!  Red Sauce... Check!  Mozzarella Cheese... Check!  Soft Cheese for Dolloping... Check!  Chicken... Check!  I'm still not super stoked about my pizza.  What to add?  Perhaps a pesto...

Pizza with Spinach-Basil Pesto
Pizza topper + extra
Blend & drizzle over the top of your finished pizza...

2 tbsp fresh basil (or Dorot Frozen Fresh)
1 clove of garlic
2 c mixed loose spinach
1/4 c loose shredded parmesan cheese

Ordinary sandwiches beware!

1/4 c sunflower seeds or pinenuts
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil - drizzle more to aide blending
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 inch of lemon zest
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt (you can adjust with more, but never less!)

Did you know that people in ancient Rome believed that eating basil would protect them from the dragon Bazilik, which is how basil gets its name?  Out of love and protection for my family, I pledge to eat more basil!  In health.. Salute!  Ciao... -A

Recipe #47... Sesame Ginger Garlic Dressing... Chicken salad jumps continents

Note:  Why don't I make more chicken salad?  Especially when I am able to use a rotisserie chicken and someone else has done the raw meat handling for me!  As I ponder over my edible contribution to an upcoming baby shower, I settle on this variation of a classic for the mama and her baby on board.  It includes the gentle warmth of ginger to soothe a sometimes tender and beautifully blooming belly...

Sesame Ginger Garlic Dressing
Mix with 4+ Chicken Breasts

1/2 c olive oil 
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1/4 c cashews
2 c napa cabbage, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh ginger (try Ginger People Minced Organic)
2 tbsp roasted sesame seed oil
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 c water
Salt+Pepper to taste

Mix this recipe (or a portion of it) with your next chicken salad and give your mayo and vinegar/dijon mustard the weekend off.  Toss in some crunchy water chestnuts, celery, carrots (for color) or even whole cashews.  Then top with toasted sesame seeds.  Allow your traditional chicken salad to venture across the Pacific... In good fortune... -A

Recipe #46... Gingery Nut Butter... A treat for your kiddos or the kiddo in you

Note:  Self sufficiency and trust are two qualities that the bulk section of the grocery store promotes in shoppers.  Bulk food foragers can weigh and thereby control their product, and they are trusted to enter the correct PLU... and print & affix a label.  Who doesn't appreciate being shown good faith in their person now and again?  In need of the feeling that I have control over my own destiny, I paid a visit to the bulk section.  I filled my bag with a mixture of roasted nuts; cashews, almonds, filberts, pecans, and hazelnuts.  I then chose to filter them into the Vitamix...

Gingery Nut Butter
Makes 8-10 servings
Add the following to the blender and blend on high speed... 
Use the "smushing tool" - technical term - to push the ingredients down into the blades

2 c roasted mixed nuts
**or buy the nuts raw and give them a tan in your oven
1 tbsp simple syrup (raw sugar and water)
1 tsp fresh ginger (try Ginger People Minced Organic)
1 pinch of salt

Vitamix warns not to process nut butters for more than a minute.  As with my last attempt, I felt my Vitamix heading toward burn-out and so I stopped it.  It took me two passes on high speed to arrive at a crunchy nut butter.   Instead of spreading my fresh creation on a piece of toast, I decided to treat my inner child to "ants on a log" and homemade nut butter -n'- crackers!  Play and have fun today... -A

Recipe #40... Pesto Chicken Salad... One variation with endless possibility

Note:  Recall the pesto formula from earlier posts... So elegant and easy to toss together... nuts/seeds + greens + an oil + a vinegar = something to shake up your next chicken salad.

Pesto Chicken Salad
Makes 6ish servings of chicken salad

For your blender...
1/2 lemon (peeled, no pith) + a bit of lemon zest
2 c mixed loose lettuce... I like Endive and Arugula
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil 
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt (you can adjust with more, but never less!)

For your mixing bowl...
The pesto creation from above
2 chicken breasts (cooled and cubed)
1 green apple (cut into small cubes)
2 hard boiled eggs (chopped up)
1/4 c creamy cheese (marscapone, quark etc..) or mayo 
Salt + Pepper to season

This chicken salad is just as versatile as the pesto that binds it.  Top your greens salad with a scoop, smoosh it between two slices of wheat bread, use it as an appetizer cracker topper, or as a filler for lettuce wraps... Play with combinations and have an easy button, anything-goes dinner prep!... -A

Recipe Update... Parsley Pesto Pasta with Egg... A dish for Spring

Note: Recall the previous post for the Lemony Spinach Pesto?  I thought I'd provide a use for it with this Spring dish... It combines my faves... pasta, pesto, and eggs over easy!  Enjoy!
  
Parsley Pesto Pasta with Egg

Serves 2

Pasta for two (Can use brown rice pasta for a gluten free option)
Lemony Spinach Pesto - Sub in fresh parsley for spinach
4 eggs 

Boil your pasta then toss with a few tablespoons of the pesto...  You can refrigerate or time it so that you can cook your eggs over easy and top them right on the warm pasta... pretty easy... season with salt and pepper and you have a quick Spring supper or one dish lunch! Bellisima!  Nothin' says Spring like the bright yellow yolks of an egg... -A

Recipe #33... Roasted Sunflower Seed Butter... First foray into nut butters

Note:  Why go to all this trouble over a little nut butter when they sell a variety of options in the store?  One reason behind my interest in alternative nut/seed butters is due to my developing a peanut allergy in college... A serious bummer when your friend's bachelorette party incorporates a cooking class featuring a delectable and healthy array of thai-style foods (yum! but... oh dear...).  Those thai-folks love their peanuts... and I digress... A few more reasons to experiment on nut butters in your home laboratory... almond butter is spendy... there are strange ingredients and extra oils in some of the store-bought butters, and also... I'll make up any excuse to use the vitamix.

Roasted Sunflower Seed Butter
Makes 8-10 servings
Add the following to the blender and blend on high speed... 
Use the "smushing tool" - technical term - to push the ingredients down into the blades

2 c roasted sunflower seeds 
**buy the nuts raw and give them a tan in your oven
1 1/2 tbsp honey or maple syrup 
1 pinch of salt
(If you go with honey and feel adventurous... add 1 tsp ginger)

Vitamix warns not to process nut butters for more than a minute.  I felt my Vitamix beging to veer off into overdrive-mode and so I stopped it.  It took me two passes on high speed to actually get this to a nut butter consistency... Not sure I can taste the sweetness, though... You could add a little more honey or maple syrup if you like.  Store in an airtight container...  Food for thought... buying raw sunflower seeds costs $.25/oz, sunflower seed butter is $.42/oz while almonds cost $.50/oz, almond butter at $.85/oz... Now who doesn't like a little extra change in their jar...  -A

Recipe #24... Lemony Spinach Pesto... Brighten up your next fish dish

Note:  I adore pesto.  The endless possibilities one can create from a simple formula - nuts/seeds + greens + olive oil + a vinegar - is so freeing... especially when you just want a decent sauce (darn it), but can't muster up the juice to venture to the store.  Inhale.  Exhale.  Presto!  You've got pesto.

Lemony Spinach Pesto
Serving size - it depends... if you are drizzling it over fish or roasted potatoes, it could serve 4 people... as a pasta sauce, I'd say 2... and if you're like me; occasionally skimming the top off with a spoon... well then happily, 1... 

1/4 c sunflower seeds
1-2 slices of lemon (I left the skin on, but feel free to lose it)
2 c spinach (loose leaves)
1/4 c parsley (loose)
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil 
2 tbsp red wine vinegar 
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt (you can adjust with more, but never less!)

It was clear upon first taste that this pesto, in all its lemony glory, would be a perfect match for whitefish... grilled or baked; the pesto won't discriminate!  No pressure... modify the formula with what you have in your pantry...  and consider your sauce/store dilemma one less problem to solve... -A