Once Upon a Tine
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Greek Salad
It's no secret, I am completely obsessed with the new WHOLE FOODS store that just opened in Scottsdale at 101 and Scottsdale Road, just 2.7 miles from my eastside residence. This store is a virtuous circle entwining the food chain, human beings and Mother Earth: each is reliant upon the others through a beautiful and delicate symbiosis. Walking through the door sends me right into that Zen Place that I aspire to always reside in. One of the more delicious finds this week, and my current obsession is the Greek Salad found in the Bistro Bar for a mear $11.99 a pound. Yikes! Sick of paying out the nose for tomatoes and feta, I reproduced their recipe today with good results! Here's what I came up with:
Country Feta and Tomato Salad
Saláta Horiátiki
2 firm cucumbers
3–4 ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into bite-sized slices
1 large green pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4–6 ounces Feta cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. With a small spoon, scrape out seeds, then cut into bite sized chunks. Place in a large bowl and gently combine with tomatoes, green pepper, onion, Feta cheese and olives. In a small bowl combine oregano and vinegar and whisk in olive oil. Pour half the dressing over salad and season with salt and pepper. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.
2 firm cucumbers
3–4 ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into bite-sized slices
1 large green pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4–6 ounces Feta cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. With a small spoon, scrape out seeds, then cut into bite sized chunks. Place in a large bowl and gently combine with tomatoes, green pepper, onion, Feta cheese and olives. In a small bowl combine oregano and vinegar and whisk in olive oil. Pour half the dressing over salad and season with salt and pepper. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.
A taste extravaganza! It's all just Greek to me.................
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Butternut Squash Soup
We always have the most amazing squash soup when we go to Tutti Santi's that I made this attempt to duplicate it.
Ingredients: 4 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground peppe
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup white wine
3 cups chicken broth
1 jar (32 oz.) butternut squash puree **
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions:
In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until crispy, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel. Set aside. Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat from the pan and return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bay leaf, chopped sage, the 4 tsp. salt and the 1 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, just until the vegetables are soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the wine and simmer, stirring to scrape up the browned bits, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Add the butternut squash puree and bacon and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Ladle the chowder into warmed bowls and garnish with sage leaves. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8. Make-Ahead Tips: Make the soup (withholding the cream) up to 1 day in advance. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until just before serving time. When reheating the soup, stir in the cream.
Butternut Squash Puree'
Cut the Squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and dry them for planting. Place each half of the squash cut side down on a cookie sheet with a little water on the bottom. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and let cool. The squash will be soft. Scrape the pulp out with a spoon and put it in a blender or food processor. Add a little buttermilk, salt & pepper and blend until it is a smooth puree".Friday, February 15, 2008
Chicken and Pistachio Pate'
My french mother-in-law used to make the most God awful Pate' and I choked it down holiday after holiday. Hers had pockets of some gelatin like substance that I would pick out and set aside for later scrutinity. I do love a good pate' and have attempted to bake my own without the mystery goo. This is the result of my experiment.- 2 pounds boneless chicken meat
- 1 (6-ounce) skinless boneless chicken breast
- 2/3 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 egg white
- 4 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 3 ounces cooked ham, cut in 3/8-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper
INGREDIENTS
- DIRECTIONS
- 1. Trim all the fat, tendons and connective tissue from the 2 pounds chicken meat and cut into 2 inch cubes. Put in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse to chop the meat to a smooth puree in two or three batches. Or alternatively pass the meat through the medium or fine blade of a food mill. Remove any white stringy pieces.
- 2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken breast fillet into 3/8 inch cubes.
- 3. In a large mixing bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in the cream. Add the pureed chicken, egg white, scallions, garlic, ham, pistachio nuts, tarragon, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or your fingers, mix until very well combined.
- 4. Lay out a piece of extra wide strong foil about 18 inches long on a work surface and lightly brush oil on a 12 inch square in the center Spoon the chicken mixture onto the foil to form a log-shape about 12 inches long and 3 1/2 inches thick across the width of the foil. Bring together the long sides of the foil and fols over securely to enclose. Twist the ends of the foil and tie with string.
- 5. Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Let cool in the dish and chill until cold, preferably overnight. Serve the pate sliced with a green salad and a crusty loaf of french bread.
http://www.grouprecipes.com/39838/chicken-and-pistachio-pate.html Sunday, January 13, 2008
Waldorf Hysteria
A crunchy, sweet and hearty salad of apples, celery, nuts and mayonnaise. This salad can easily become a summer luncheon main dish by adding cooked, diced chicken. You will probably need to add a little more mayonnaise. Another nice variation is halved grapes in addition to the apples, or pears as a replacement for the apples. Add fresh chopped vegies of your choice.
WALDORF SALAD
1 1/2 cups apples, diced
1 1/2 cups apples, diced
Grapes (whatever is in season - seedless)
3 tablespoons French salad dressing
3/4 cup celery, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons of walnuts, coarsely chopped*
lettuce
Miracle Whip salad Dressing, ** see note
1. Wash, quarter, core, and pare apples, and then dice.
2. Mix thoroughly with French dressing.
3. Add sliced celery, salt, and coarsely chopped English Walnuts.
4. Toss with a fork to coat all ingredients with the French dressing.
5. Arrange on lettuce leaves.
6. Garnish with mayonnaise or cooked salad dressing if desired.
Labels: Appetizer, Breakfast, Starters, Vegetables
