Citrus BLT Salad

My recent trip to Southern California inspired this fresh and delicious recipe.  I was able to pick grapefruit, lemons and oranges right off their trees, and I opened them up when they were still warm from the sun and very juicy. They had the right combination of sweet, tart, tangy, fresh and clean. You can definitely make this recipe all your own by adding or subtracting what you like…Enjoy this fresh and uplifting salad during these cold days of winter.

BLT (Etc.) Salad with Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette

Serves 2

1 bunch arugula, washed

1 bunch watercress, trimmed of roots and washed

1-2 grapefruits or oranges, supremed (see technique below)

1 handful cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

¼ red onion, peeled and sliced thinly with the grain

1 whole avocado, scooped out of skin and sliced

4 strips bacon lardons, (uncooked bacon sliced into ½ inch strips - reserve bacon fat

Dressing:

6 oz fresh squeezed citrus juice (any combination of grapefruit, lemon, orange, lime)

6 oz olive oil

2oz champagne or rice wine vinegar

2oz honey

2 Tbsp bacon fat (liquid form)

1 Tbsp minced shallot

½ Tsp kosher salt

In a heavy bottomed skillet, cook the bacon lardons in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until crisp. Drain on paper towel, rest until cool, but reserve the fat in the pan for the dressing. Mix all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. To make the dressing, put all ingredients into a clean jar with a top. Tighten the top and shake until all the ingredients are incorporated together. Pour over the salad and toss.

*You may want to leave the avocados out and add them in the end to keep them whole slices.

Chef Technique: Supreming Citrus Fruits

To supreme a citrus fruit means to create perfect segments between the citrus membranes.

1.    Trim off the top (stem end) and bottom of fruit to sit flat on a surface.

2.    Slice away the peel and pith of the fruit, following the contour of the fruit, all the way around.

3.    Hold the fruit in one hand and with your other hand slice along one side of the membrane; make a second cut on the opposite membrane crating a V releasing a citrus segment. Repeat for all segments, and then squeeze juice in to a bowl.

Photo by Kristin Tetuan

 

Reading labels at the store can be daunting, especially when you are trying to corral little ones. That is why I try to prepare as much as I can at home so then I know exactly what goes into the food I’m feeding them. This recipe has only 6 common ingredients compared to a bottled sauce including corn syrup and unrecognizable preservatives.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

This kid friendly sauce is very versatile for a marinade AND sauce for chicken, seafood, fish, stir fired vegetables, noodles and rice dishes.

1 cup mirin (cooking rice wine)

½ cup soy sauce or tamari (gluten free soy)

¼ cup honey

1” ginger, sliced

1-2 cloves garlic, smashed

¼ tsp Sriracha sauce

Put all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes. Strain out the garlic and ginger. Sauce will keep covered in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Thai Salad

THAI SALAD

Serves 8

This salad is versatile, fresh and packed with flavor!! Other great ingredients to add are mangos, sprouts or avocados. Enjoy getting creative.

Choice of protein: (½ pound flank steak, or 1 lb ground pork, turkey or chicken or 1 ½ lb wild salmon fillet, or 2 large organic chicken breasts)

Marinade:

2 tablespoon olive oil

5 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup tamari (soy sauce)

Juice of 1 lime

Salad:

1 cup diced cucumber

½ cup shredded carrot (about 3-4 carrots)

¼ cup thinly sliced green onion (1 bunch)

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup coarsely chopped Thai basil leaves (regular basil can be used)

Shredded butter lettuce or romaine lettuce

¼ cup chopped mint

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1 lime

¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce

6 tablespoons fish sauce

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 Tablespoons olive oil

½ cup blister peanuts (trader joe’s)

  

To marinate steak, salmon, or chicken breast: Mix oil, garlic, tamari and juice of 1 lime. Pour over flank steak, chicken or salmon in marinade.  Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

To cook ground pork, ground turkey or ground chicken: No marinade needed. To cook, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan, to coat the bottom. Cook ground meat with minced garlic, then add lime juice and tamari and cook until all the juices are gone.

To cook steak or salmon: Discard marinade. Heat a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat and sear the beef or salmon about 5 minutes per side until medium rare. Peel skin of fish if present. Cut beef into thin slices across the grain or shred the salmon fillet.

To cook chicken breasts: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake chicken for 40 minutes with marinade.

Salad: In large bowl, combine the cucumber, carrot, green onion, cilantro and basil in a bowl. Add shredded lettuce to bowl and mix. In a separate bowl, combine the lime juice, mint, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, vinegars, minced garlic and oils to make the dressing.

Toss the salad with dressing and then Top with your protein of choice and sprinkle salad with peanuts. Drizzle each salad with a little more dressing. Garnish with whole sprigs of cilantro and lime wedges.

The Last Vineyard Table Secret Supper

House made chorizo

Melissa of Honeybeesting.com

 

A big Thanks to Elsom Cellars

Quiche

Quiche with an Old Fashioned All Butter Crust

 This quiche, with an impressive crust, is great for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner and is especially delicious served with a lightly dressed green salad. A nine inch spring form pan is best for this recipe, but a pie or tart pan can also be used.

8 Eggs

¼ Cup heavy cream

1 Tablespoon mascarpone

Pinch kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper

1 Bunch sliced scallions

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

½ Cup diced ham

½ Cup Beecher’s flagship cheese, shredded (or any other strong cheese like Spanish Manchego)

All butter crust (blind baked and cooled - recipe to follow)

(Try adding any combinations of these: caramelized leeks, boiled and diced potato, sautéed mushrooms, blanched asparagus, cooked bacon, chopped spinach ETC!!)

Whip eggs, cream, mascarpone, salt & pepper in a bowl. In small pan over high heat, sauté scallions in butter for 2 minutes, next add ham and cook another 2 minutes.

Pour onions and ham into the bottom of the crust. Pour egg mixture over contents (be sure eggs don’t go higher than the top edge of the crust) Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let sit 15 minutes before slicing.

All Butter Short Crust Dough
2 Cups Flour

9 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed
2 Large egg yolks

1/2 Teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons ice water

Using a food processor, add flour, butter, yolks and salt, and pulse a few times. Drizzle in ice water while pulsing. Mix until dough looks like coarse meal (about 20 seconds) Pour dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Knead only a few times to form a ball, pat into a flat disk, and chill at least 1 hour or overnight. You will pull it out of fridge and let it warm up. Roll dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap to about ¼ inch thick. Push into 9” spring form pan, making sure there are no holes, pushing the crust all the way up the sides. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool before adding the contents.