Green Bean Mesclun Salad with Maple Walnut Vinaigrette

Did you ever have one of those days when you just needed a salad? Maybe you've over indulged a bit (eating a plate of mac and cheese with a full day's worth of fat and calories comes to mind for me). Or perhaps it's a warm day and you just don't want to heat up your kitchen.

Today was a salad day; one for lunch and one for dinner. I made one salad with a bit of supermarket purchased rotisserie chicken on the side and made one without.

One of the many reasons I love making salads, particularly for dinner is that I can adjust them to meet the whole family's needs. The kids, never interested in having just a salad as a meal, can have them on the side. My H and I can choose to just eat the salad or nibble on whatever else the kids are having. With the many bagged varieties available in supermarkets today, salads can be a quick, healthful meal for everyone before rushing out to dance, karate, baseball or whatever.

Super salad tips for families on the go:

Cut vegetables in the morning and store them in zippertop plastic bags with a damp paper towel then salads will be ready to assemble at a moments notice.

On nights when everyone can't eat together, make the salads in individual plastic containers with dressing in small baggies, so everyone can grab one and go.

For lunchbox salads, stuff salad mix into a pita with a bit of shredded cheese and the dressing in a small zipper top plastic bag-no fork needed!

Green Bean Mesclun Salad with Maple Walnut Vinaigrette

1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons minced shallot
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 plus 1 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 cups halved, trimmed green beans
8 cups mesclun greens
1/2 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled and cut into 1/2 thick slices
1 cup diced tomatoes

In a small food processor or blender combine the vinegar, syrup, olive oil, water, shallot, cayenne pepper, salt and 1 tablespoon of the walnuts; process until smooth.

Divide the green beans and the mesclun greens between four salad plates. Scatter the cucumbers and diced tomatoes on top. Drizzle each salad with the dressing and scatter with the remaining walnuts.

Yield: 4 salads

Barefoot Thursday! Grown Up Mac and Cheese

Welcome to Barefoot Thursday! Barefoot Thursday comes twice a month and it’s a day when food bloggers everywhere (well about 100 bloggers right now) prepare a recipe created by Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. Why don’t you join in? Today’s recipe for Grown Up Mac and Cheese was selected by Heather of Randomosity and the Girl. And oh what a fine selection it was!

Why is it that all the foods I love are so high in fat and calories? I found on a website called The Culinary Review that this recipe has 1407 calories per serving! Could that be true? I didn’t skimp on the cheese and bacon that’s for sure. I actually quintupled the recipe-not for myself (although I can shovel down Mac and Cheese with the best of them). This is my week to cook for a local women’s shelter; but now that I know that I am serving them a meal of 14,070 calories (not counting salad and dessert) I feel a tad bit guilty that I didn’t buy reduced fat cheeses.

Oh well, it sure is a tasty comfort meal though. I did make one slight change to the recipe and that was to eliminate the bread crumbs (yeah I know that’s like throwing a deck chair off the Queen Mary). But wait, I replaced the crumbs with frizzled shallots…shallots I coated with flour and cooked until crispy in some of the bacon drippings! I guess we can just go ahead and round off that calorie count to 15,000. Would anyone care for dessert?

Grown Up Mac and Cheese by Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa

4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
Vegetable oil

Kosher salt

2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated

2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch nutmeg

2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed

2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.

Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Sweet Summer Corn with Fiery Habanero-Basil Butter

I don't know about in your neck of the woods, but here in New England the corn is mighty tasty right now.


I love trying the different varieties and from a color perspective I can't decide whether or not I'm partial to the all yellow, all white or mixed kernal variety. It doesn't really matter, all I really know is that I just can't have enough of it right now. I do have a pet peeve about shopping for corn though. I hate when people take the ears of corn and pull the husks down to examine the corn and then toss it back in the bin. There are other ways to figure out if the corn is worthy of your cart. Here are a few super tips on selecting the most succulent corn:

• Make sure the outer leaves are a vibrant green free of brown spots.

• Look for the silk nearest the corn to be a light shade of yellow.

• Feel the corn to make sure it is firm from end to end.

This time of year when corn on the cob is so plentiful at farmer's markets and in supermarkets, it's usually so sweet and tasty it doesn't really need anything additional-just husk, cook and go. But if you're having a special dinner or cookout and want something to make ordinary corn seem a little less ordinary, compound butters are the ticket. Prepare several varieties of butter ahead of time and let your guests choose.


Here are some super tips for cooking your corn:

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the corn (husks and silk removed) to the boiling water, remove from the heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes or until ready to serve.

Grill the corn right in the husks, just loosen husks and remove just the silk then place the corn directly on the grill cook until charred.

Remove the husks from the corn place on a baking sheet coat lightly with oil and salt then roast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Fiery Habanero-Basil Butter


1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 teaspoons finely chopped habanero pepper, seeds removed
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons orange juice


Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; chill until ready to use.


Use about 1 tablespoon of butter for each ear of corn. Wrap any remaining butter with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator or freezer. The butter would be great on grilled steak, you may want to substitute Worcestershire sauce for the orange juice though.

Bullies in the Produce Aisle

I love eggplant.

At Christmas time every year my sister-in-law's Italian husband prepares the most delicious eggplant rollatini. I have always been intimidated by the thought of trying to cook eggplant, so I simply dream of dinner at the in-laws all year long. In fact I almost never buy eggplant and prepare it at home, it's always been one of those things I only order in restaurants.

When I was at the supermarket the other day, there seemed to be an abundance of beautiful purple eggplants. As I caught my reflection in the glare of a particularly large eggplant's shiny skin, I said to myself "how foolish are you that you allow yourself to be intimidated by a vegetable?" I defiantly placed 2 of the shiniest eggplants in my cart.

This eggplant recipe not only makes good use of abundant eggplant, but it's also a great way to use up any fresh basil and garden tomatoes you're probably overflowing with right about now (if you're lucky enough to have a garden).

If making your own pesto is not your thing, feel free to substitute the ready made variety from your supermarket.

The stacks turned out delicious and I think I showed the vegetables in the produce aisle that I won't be intimidated any longer....brussels sprouts, your next.

Eggplant, Tomato and Pesto Stacks

1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 medium sized eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
Sauce:
1 1/2 cups diced plum tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 basil leaves
Pinch red pepper flakes
Pesto:
1 1/2 cups basil leaves, packed
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

12 thin tomato slices
6 tablespoons mozzarella cheese
Basil leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together the flour, salt and pepper on a small plate, pour the breadcrumbs onto another small plate and pour the beaten eggs into a shallow dish. Dredge the eggplant slices first into the flour, then into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Place the slices onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes, turning once, or until golden brown and tender.

To prepare the sauce, in a small food processor or blender, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, basil, and pepper flakes; process until almost smooth. Transfer mixture to a small saucepan and warm over medium temperature for 5-10 minutes.

To prepare the pesto, in a small food processor or blender combine the basil, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and parmesan cheese; process until smooth.

Preheat an oven broiler.

To assemble the stacks, divide the pesto between the eggplant slices spreading on one side of each. Place a tomato slice onto six of the eggplant slices then top the tomato with the remaining eggplant slices (pesto side up). Top each with the remaining tomato slices then sprinkle each with a tablespoon of the mozzarella cheese. Place stacks under the broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly.

To serve, spoon a portion of the sauce onto each of 6 serving plates, top with an eggplant stack. Garnish with basil leaves and additional pesto.

Yield: 6 servings

Mini Chicken Sandwiches with Veggie Spread

Why is it that if it's little it seems to tastes better?

Well that's what my kids always thought anyway. When they were really little, I would often cut my kids sandwiches into shapes with cookie cutters and magically a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread became worthy of being eaten. Even Oscar Mayer seemed to know what was going on in my kitchen - they came out with those Lunchables and of course my kids had to have them...they're little sandwiches, they're cute (I'm sure the candy and sugary juice drink that I would never have included in their lunch boxes helped too). I have found now that I actually prefer "little" sandwiches too, but that's probably because then I can eat two of them and feel like I'm getting away with something.

A creamy vegetable spread is the base for these sandwiches made using "cocktail bread". The spread can use any variety of vegetables. An obvious addition would be scallions-I've excluded them here because my family prefers to not have an "oniony" tasting spread. I had a hard time not eating all the spread, because it's rather tasty by itself just spread on the cocktail bread.

Fillings could vary according to your personal taste, but I've used sliced Boar's Head Chicken breast from my supermarket. Boar's Head in my opinion has the best tasting cold cuts-when we first moved here from New York I was devastated that you could not buy Boar's Head brand...but thankfully a makeover at our local Stop and Shop a few years later brought with it Boar's Head brand and all is now well.

Mini Chicken Sandwiches with Veggie Spread

Veggie Spread:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons finely chopped carrot

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

pinch of salt

Sandwiches:

16 slices pumpernickel cocktail bread (2"x2")

Romaine lettuce

1/2 pound good quality sliced chicken breast

1 large ripe tomato

1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and thinly slice

In a small food processor combine the cream cheese, carrot, jalapeno pepper, sun-dried tomatoes and salt; process just until combined (it's best if it's left a little chunky).

Spread a generous amount of the veggie spread onto 8 slices of the cocktail bread. Top the spread with a slice of Romaine lettuce, cut to fit the bread. Follow with a few slices of the chicken breast, a tomato slice and/or an avocado slice. Top sandwiches with the remaining bread slices.

Please don't forget to vote for my recipe on Dole Way to Snack! See the upper right hand corner of the screen for a link. I only need about 10,000 more votes to win the trip to Hawaii!!

Cookies to Smile About

My 7th grade daughter just left for school and she looked fabulous.

It is school picture day and I just can't believe how much more fashion sense she has than I did at her age. I would be way too embarrassed to post a picture of my 7th grade picture-how my mother let me out the door with what I wore that day I will never know. I wore a hideous blue tie-dye like blouse with a blue vest over it, a hand crocheted necklace (which I handily crafted myself) and here's the kicker-pinball wizard T-shirt earrings (earrings shaped like a T-shirt with pinball wizard emblazoned across the shirt. I was a die-hard Elton John fan and I wore them proudly just about every day those first few months of 7th grade.

Here they are.... (You didn't think I'd throw them away did you?? You can't find stuff like this anymore!!)

I think I am having the hardest time getting back in the "back-to-school" mode-my kids seem fine. After a summer of meals on a whim, it's hard to get into early breakfasts and packing school lunches. Yesterday we baked an old stand-by favorite-a recipe that I created for a Betty Crocker cookie contest a couple of years ago: Caribbean Lime Coolers. The cookies didn't win the grand prize, but they are now a family favorite and I think that's something to smile about too.

The cookies use a supermarket staple for us-Betty Crocker Cookie mixes; the mixes are quick and easy to use and they are easy to modify to create your "own" favorite cookie. When I created my cookie I was inspired by a cookie my mother used to pack in my lunch when I was a kid-Sunshine Lemon Coolers. You can't find them in the stores any more (as if I didn't age myself enough with the Pinball Wizard earrings) so I created my own. The cookies work equally well with lemon or lime.

Picture is from the Betty Crocker web site

Caribbean Lime Coolers

1 (17.5 ounce) package Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 tablespoon - lime zest
3 tablespoons – lime juice
1/2 cup – shredded coconut
6 tablespoons – melted butter
1 egg
1/2 cup – Confectioner’s powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir cookie mix, lime zest, lime juice, coconut, melted butter and 1 egg in a medium bowl until a soft dough forms.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart on an ungreased 11 x 16 inch cookie sheet.

Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. Cool cookies 1 minute before removing from baking sheet. Cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over the cookies.
Makes about 2 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Jumbo Gingersnaps

Everyone has one-that go to recipe that never fails you, that everyone loves and that you can make without even cracking open the recipe box to follow along on the card. For me that is a recipe that I found in Good Housekeeping Magazine years ago: Jumbo Gingersnaps.

When I stumbled upon the recipe it was a reader's request for this recipe originally appearing in the magazine in the early 1980s. I was drawn to this recipe because it was a cookie made without butter-not that we are anti-butter in our house-in fact I've caught more than one member of my family eating butter in slices off the dish (I know, gross); at the time I had a friend whose child could not eat any dairy and she was looking for butter free cookie recipes.

The recipe calls for maple syrup, try if you can to use pure maple syrup-I think it makes a real difference in the quality of taste for these cookies. Look for the pure maple syrup in your supermarket near the maple flavored versions. Once opened, store the syrup in your refrigerator. Another ingredient, cardamom, while fabulous is not always something I have on hand (or can always find at the supermarket). I have substituted cloves with great results.

One other tip-if you don't have one, a Metric Wonder Cup is the perfect kitchen tool to use for this recipe. It let's you measure sticky things like syrup and molasses with ease. I bought mine years ago at a Pampered Chef party, but now you can find them at supermarkets and discount stores; they will run you about $5.00 or $6.00 but they are worth every penny.

The recipe makes 10 jumbo sized cookies, but I usually make smaller sized ones so they'll last longer. They make the perfect lunchbox treat-oh, and the perfect little snack to nibble on with a cup of tea for you as you watch that school bus roll up the street.

Jumbo Gingersnaps from Good Housekeeping

1/2 cup Sugar plus additional for rolling

2 1/4 cup All-purpose flour

3/4 cup Salad oil

1/4 cup Dark molasses

1/4 cup Maple syrup

2 teaspoon Baking soda

1 teaspoon Ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 large Egg

Into large bowl, measure 1/2 cup sugar and remaining ingredients. With mixer at low speed, beat ingredients until well blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 2 tablespoons sugar on waxed paper. Shape 1/4 cup dough into a ball; roll in the sugar to coat evenly.

Repeat with remaining dough to make 10 balls in all. Place balls, 3 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheets. (Dough is very soft; balls will flatten slightly.) Bake cookies 15 minutes. Using a spatula, remove cookies to wire racks to cool. Store cookies in tightly covered container. Makes 10 cookies.