Father's Day falls in such a sweet spot of the year - the weather is always perfect and who doesn’t love a little family gathering outside!? My plan to celebrate this weekend will be an afternoon of easy grilling - I can't go wrong keeping it a lil' meat-centric. :) Below are some great grilling recipes to give you some ideas for this weekend. Enjoy!
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With spring on its way, I’m getting super impatient waiting for the fresh greens and veggies that are about to explode at the farmers' markets. For me, and I feel like a lot of others, when the weather gets warmer I start to crave lighter, healthier foods. The thought of a winter pot roast just isn’t doing it for me anymore. But, truthfully, I'm not the biggest salad person! I have, however, mastered how to dress up a salad (in a healthy way) to make it more appealing to a big eater like me, combining flavors and textures to make it crave-worthy. Thought I would share a few of these tips with you guys!
THE BEST MIX-INS
You've got the greens - now what? I think the perfect salad has a great raw base but works in one or two cooked elements. Roasted beets and salad always seem to go hand in hand with me; a mixture of golden and red roasted with shallot, garlic, olive oil, fresh thyme and marjoram are the best. If you aren't a beet fan, roasted sweet potatoes, squash, fennel, cherry tomatoes or asparagus are delicious. A simple blanching of veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, etc…) is easy too - bring water to a boil, salt heavily, add veggies for a minute or two max depending on how large the cuts are and then shock the drained veggies in ice water. You just want to get rid of that raw bite and keep the vibrant colors. I love to keep blanched veggies in the fridge to throw into salads or even a fried rice....ok, back to salads! :)
HERB IT UP
Fresh herbs are aromatic, healthy and go a long way in adding flavor with just a light chop and toss in (cilantro, parley, basil, dill, mint!) There's this one stall at my local market that has amazing micro greens and mustard greens. I love the spicy bite I get when I have a mixture of mustards greens with my regular green mix….such a great surprise. Mint and cilantro are my favorite combo though - they just add such brightness and cut some of the bitterness of other greens.
MAKE A KILLER DRESSING
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The dressing makes all the difference. I always have olive oil, sherry vinegar, dijon mustard and lemons on hand. A super simple vinaigrette and always a hit!
We don't always think of oils as important, but it can completely change the flavor of a dressing. Lately, I've been using grapeseed oil for a more milder flavor than EVOO; for me, I find extra virgin gets bitter so easily. Other great oils are avocado oil (it has a faint aniseed flavor to it), hazelnut oil, walnut, macadamia and, of course, sesame oil. Infused oils also add great flavor - think rosemary, garlic, and, of course, truffle.
Once you have the base of your vinaigrette figured out you can then add other ingredients to create a creamy dressing without the cream. Mustard is an incredible emulsifier, the ingredient that makes a dressing thick, but there are so many other things you can add to do that. My current fave is tossing some roasted shallots and garlic in the blender with dijon, sherry vinegar and grapeseed oil - so tangy and delicious. Other great ingredients for a creamy dressing without the cream are tahini, miso, yogurt, avocado, and almond butter (or any nut butter, really). Also, jam or jelly makes a great emulsifier, so if you like a touch of sweetness, try a tablespoon or two of currant or berry preserves.
ADD SOMETHING PICKLED
Pickled chilies are a staple in my fridge. I pretty much put them on everything I eat, so why not salad? A little sour and a little heat….sooo good! Olives are a no brainer - nice plump, juicy kalamata or green, stuffed with blue cheese. Capers are a nice little pop of salty goodness which, by the way, are made even more delicious if you deep fry them! You can also do a quick pickle of other veggies like radishes, red onion and daikon for a nice crunchy texture, or, if you are a bit experimental, of dried fruit. Pickled raisins, sultanas or even cherries add a great sweet-sour bite.
CROUTON ALTERNATIVES
Love the crunchy topping of croutons but don’t want to eat the bread!? There are lots of crunchy alternatives. Of course, nuts are always a great option, but my latest experiment was with red quinoa. I simply soaked as usual for 10-15 minutes and baked it in the oven until crispy! You can also do it on the stove top. Buckwheat is another great grain to toast up - some grocers even sell it toasted. Sev is also a great crunchy alternative. It is an Indian snack made out of seasoned chick pea flour paste and deep fried. They come in various sizes, but are very thin…thinner than the crunchy chow mien noodles you usually see on “Asian” salads.
TOP IT OFF WITH A SPICE BLEND
I often see people add salt and pepper to their salads before eating, so why not make a spice blend to give it more depth of flavor. Egyptian Dukkah is always a great go-to. Za'atar (usually a combination of sumac, sesame seeds and thyme) adds a sort of tangy and nutty flavor to any dish. Advieh is a Persian spice mix usually containing dried rose petals, cardamon, cinnamon and cumin, so warming and aromatic. You can find these spice blends at the store if you aren’t the spice blending type of person. I also stock up on Japanese rice seasoning blends (furikake) for a quick shake of flavor on my salad. They usually have bonito flakes, dried seaweed and sesame seeds in them adding a little saltiness to your salad.
Enjoy!
Corn is summer, and at no other point in the year is it as sweet and tasty as it is now. This is all my family is eating right now and in so many different ways. I wanted to give you guys a few tips on how to maximize your corn experience - from choosing the right cobs, cooking and shucking them, to a simple "how-to" corn salad and other recipes.
BUYING TIPS: Buying the right corn can make all the difference because corn gets starchy and loses sweetness after it's picked. Obviously, you want freshly-picked corn with bright, plump kernels, but you don't have to peel back the husks and peek to check them.
Look for bright green cobs where the husk is tight over the corn.
The silks at the end should be brown and slightly tacky and damp - if they are black and/or dried, the corn is a bit older.
Feel for the kernels through the husk to make sure they are plump.
Finally, check the top for wormholes and avoid any where it looks like they may have gotten through.
COOKING AND SHUCKING: I put these two together because I'm sharing with you my favorite way of cooking corn. Some prefer boiling which requires shucking the cobs first and getting rid of all of that pesky silk before cooking. Go for it if that's what you like (or if you want to give the kids something to do)!
I personally prefer a quick roast in the husks. 25 minutes at 400˚F in the oven (right on the rack) or on the grill set up for indirect heat makes sure you have super moist, flavorful kernels. The plus side? Once they are cool enough to handle, all of the silk slides right off with the husks. No mess! I then eat them straight from the cob, cut them off for a salad (see below) or toss them back on the hot side of the grill for a little char right before serving!
6-INGREDIENT CORN SALAD "HOW-TO": Corn salad shouldn't be something that requires exact measurements. Here is what generally goes into my corn salads.
Corn - cooked and off the cob (see roasting in the husks above). For a modest side, I figure 1 cob per person.
Peppers - hot, sweet, roasted, pickled. Add enough to add color.
Another surprise ingredient - Go seasonal with grape tomatoes, radishes, zucchini or arugula. Think starchy with potatoes, lima/cannelini beans or even couscous or bulghur. Again, enough to add color and mix to the salad.
Onion - shallots, red onion, scallion, Vidalia - raw, charred, caramelized, roasted. Just enough for flavor. You can overdo here, but not really under-do.
Herbs - basil, chives, cilantro, parsley, mint, tarragon. Choose one or use a few to layer flavor. You can't really go wrong.
Acid - cider vinegar, lime or lemon juice, sherry vinegar, pickled pepper juice. A few splashes.
That's it! Mix them together in a bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add whatever is missing from above. Let the flavors marry for a few minutes before serving - it will taste even better the next day!
Looking for other recipes? Check out a few other ones I love.....
CORN WITH GREEN CHILI BUTTER & TOASTED COCONUT
SMOKY, SPICY CORN PUDDING
SOPA DE FLOR DE CALABAZA (SQUASH BLOSSOM SOUP)
Enjoy!!
For those of us that don't live steps from the water, going to the beach means lugging around a lot of stuff (and just forget it if you have kids!). The last thing you want when you are remembering 3 different sunscreens, beach blankets, chairs and towels is to get too complicated on the food side of things. So I thought I would share some of my favorite beach picnic recipes to keep it simple and delicious.
You have to stay hydrated while at the beach, and this is delicious with or without the vodka. Blueberries, mint, lemon and hibiscus tea - It's tart, lightly sweet and super thirst-quenching.
LOVE these red lentil dumplings from 101 Cookbooks. The lentils are blended with roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika and garlic and wrapped up in potsticker wrappers. These are protein-packed but not too bulky for beach-eating, and I love that they taste great (and keep) at room temperature.
The key to a great beach salad is one that can stand up to the warm weather and doesn't get all wilty. This salad is great because the fennel adds that perfect bite, basil and lemon give it brightness, and the couscous adds a bit of bulk to keep you satisfied.
Whether it's for the car ride or while you're lazing, something salty and crunchy is always in order, and I happen to love this recipe for baked sweet potato chips. You basically slice up sweet potatoes, and all the work happens while they dehydrate in the oven...
At the end of the day after no one can see or care about your bloat, indulge in these amazing cookies. These are my most treasured, favorite cookie recipe ever and a go-to whenever I'm craving chocolate chip cookies. Crispy edges, chewy, oatmeal-y bite inside, bitter dark chocolate offset with a hint of cinnamon - the best!
Increasingly, I’m realizing that every culture has its form of “salsa.” When I was down in St. Lucia a few weeks back, I found out they have their version called souscaille. In South Asian cuisines, it’s called kachumber, and in African cuisines, kachumbari. At all points, it’s a fresh salad, often with onions or shallots, with acidity in the form of the juice or segments of citrus or vinegar. I wanted to inject a little seasonality into my salsa this week, and spring’s tart rhubarb was the perfect add.
Rhubarb, contrary to popular belief, is a vegetable, and it has a crisp, fresh texture that’s somewhere between jicama and celery with a sourness that’s reminiscent of green apples. I’ve played with it before in a dessert, a granita, but here I wanted to see what it could do from a savoury point of view.
The cucumber and rhubarb meld together beautifully. You have the cooling, soothing, watery cucumber contrasted with the tart bite of the rhubarb. The shallots add mellow onion flavor and the fresh mint a bright finish. It would be perfect on fish or shrimp tacos or a simply grilled chicken breast. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Yields approximately 2 ½ cups
2 mini seedless cucumbers, cut into a small dice
1 stalk rhubarb, cut into small dice
1 shallot, finely chopped
juice of half a lime
½ tsp kosher salt
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch white sugar
small handful fresh mint, finely chopped
Procedure
In a small bowl, toss together the cucumbers, rhubarb and shallot. Add the lime juice, salt, cayenne, sugar and mint mix thoroughly.
It’s amazing the difference a year makes. I was actually in Thailand last winter and had the most beautiful pomelo salad, the inspiration for this recipe. A pomelo is a huge, grapefruit-like fruit that is found all over Southeast Asia. It’s sweet and lacks any of the bitterness typical of a grapefruit. Pomelos have a thick, spongy pith, and the fruit shreds into segments easily, which makes it perfect for a salad. When I got back, I had a hard time sourcing one, and then, lo and behold, a few weeks ago, I found them in Chelsea Market and on Fresh Direct! They are a beautiful fruit, so I’m so happy they are becoming more accessible.
When I was in Bangkok, I had the opportunity to spend the day at Face Bangkok, a cool, open-air restaurant compound with a swanky bar, a Thai restaurant, an Indian restaurant, and even a spa on site! The restaurant is part of a larger group that has branches in Jakarta, Beijing and Pudong, and is fantastic (if you happen to be visiting Bangkok) for a nice night out or drinks soaking up the chic scenery. I did a bit of intensive Thai cooking there, and this is my version of one dish that I learned.
This salad has a few different flavors and textures that I think work really well with a beautifully-caramelized, sweet scallop (as well as on its own!). If you can’t find a pomelo, delicious mandarins (satsumas are my fave) that are in season right now would work really well with all of the tangy and salty flavors. The peanuts and toasted coconut provide a great texture, a little umami from the fish sauce, sweetness and tartness from the tart lime juice – it’s light and refreshing and perfect to break up winter’s heavy dishes and take in some seasonal citrus. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Serves 4 as a main course or 6 for a starter
Salad:
¾ cup dried, unsweetened coconut (chips or shredded)
¾ cup peanuts, toasted and crushed
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
½ shallot, finely minced
1 cup pomelo, segmented*
8-10 mint leaves, chiffonade
Citronette:
juice of 1 ½ limes
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsps sugar
pinch of cayenne
1 ½ tsps fish sauce
1 ½ tbsps extra virgin olive oil
Scallops:
3 tbsps olive oil
2 lbs jumbo sea scallops
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter
Procedure
In a skillet over medium heat, add the dried coconut and toast until the color is deep and golden. This process happens fairly quickly, so keep your eye on it. Add to a bowl along with the crushed peanuts, scallions, shallot and pomelo (and any juice that resulted from segmenting the pomelo).
For the dressing, combine the lime juice, sugar, salt and cayenne and whisk to dissolve thoroughly. Add the fish sauce and then slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil whisking to combine. Toss salad with dressing, add mint, and season to taste.
For the scallops, you want to develop a nice deep color on them. Thoroughly dry the scallops before cooking and season generously with salt and pepper. If they are wet, they won’t caramelize and will sort of steam in the pan. Also, if you crowd the pan, they will also steam, so work in batches if necessary.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When it’s just about to smoke, add the scallops, dragging a little so that the side gets coated in olive oil. Cook for about two minutes and add the butter. Let cook for another minute or so and then flip. They should have a nice brown crust on them. At this point, I turn the heat down just a tad. Let them cook on this side for another three minutes or so until they are cooked to your desired level. I like mine so that the middle third looks a bit translucent and the top and bottom thirds are opaque, but remember different-sized scallops will take differing cooking times. This is what I use to cook jumbo or U10-sized scallops.
Serve scallops hot with the cool salad spooned over top.
*The pomelo is a pretty unique fruit. To segment, I like to cut off as much of the rind and pith as possible. Then, I take out the larger, membrane-enclosed segments (much like a grapefruit or orange) and slip a pairing knife under the membrane. Once this is peeled away, the inner fruit shreds into little pieces. I like to do this over a bowl and catch all of the residual juice, which adds great flavor to the salad.
I am completely in love with the concept of “bread salad”. It feels like cheating. Like you have this healthy bunch of vegetables and you just make them so much tastier by adding chunks of rustic bread that soak up all the lovely dressing. But you still feel healthy doing it because you call it a salad. I am famous for taking leftover cornbread and making a cornbread-bread salad with honey balsamic dressing. And sometimes I even throw in a few vegetables too.
Most people know about panzanella or Tuscan bread salad, which is made from crusty Italian bread mixed with tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers and basil. Delicious. But Tunisian bread salad or even Mediterranean bread salad (similar) is less well known and equally (if not slightly more…) tasty. You take beautiful seasonal vegetables – eggplant, peppers, tomatoes – and roast them off with some aromatics. Mix those in with olives, herbs, capers, fresh cheese, and chunks of stale bread and toss with a delicious, harissa dressing and you have a beautiful, alternative, light and flavorful, bread salad.
This is a fantastic way to use up old bread (or so we all tell ourselves…). But I’ve actually seen this as a roasted vegetable salad on its own, so if no bread is at hand or you want to be even healthier, you can leave it out and still have a delectable salad. Store-bought harissa is fine, but I would suggest making your own like I do in my homemade harissa recipe; it’s cheaper, fresher, and healthier without the preservatives.
I love harissa in a salad dressing, and my dressing here has honey and harissa which, by the way, is a fantastic combination – I like to just slather the two on bread as a crostini or as an hors d’oeuvre to spruce up a weeknight dinner. In any case, this salad is bright, flavorful and beautiful – great for entertaining. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Yields 4 to 6 servings
Salad:
1 eggplant, cut into a medium (bite-sized) dice
1 red bell pepper, cut into a medium (bite-sized) dice
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into a medium (bite-sized) dice
8 oz mini sweet or cherry tomatoes
3 small shallots, quartered
3 or 4 whole garlic cloves
Olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup niçoise olives, pitted
A generous handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
A generous handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 day-old round loaf of bread or whatever rustic bread you have on hand, cut into medium-sized cubes*
Garnish:
Fresh cheese (feta, goat or bocconcini will do), torn or crumbled into small pieces
2 tsps capers, rinsed and drained
1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
Dressing:
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp harissa**
1 ½ tbsps honey
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Procedure
Preheat oven to 400° F.
In a bowl, toss together eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, shallots and garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper to coat. On a baking sheet, arrange vegetables in a single layer. Roast for 25 minutes until lightly browned.
For the dressing, whisk together the rice vinegar, harissa and honey in a bowl. Drizzle in extra virgin olive oil, whisking to incorporate.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer roasted vegetables to a large bowl. Add olives, herbs, and bread and toss with dressing. Garnish with cheese, capers, and hard-boiled eggs.
*If you have fresh bread, just put the cubes of bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 350° F until lightly browned. You just want it to be crisp enough to stand up to the salad dressing and not turn to mush.
**For harissa you can use my version here or use the store-bought kind.
