Romaine Salad with Apple, Pecan, Red Onions and Cider Vinaigrette

Mar 3, 2009 by

Romaine with apples, red onions I try out a lot of recipes. But I only give you my best ones, the real keepers. This salad is one I have made many times. It’s truly scrumptious and a hit with everyone who's tried it. It’s also a good Caveman Diet recipe: raw greens, onion, fruit and nuts.

This dressing is enough to dress many salads. Cut it in half if you don’t want a bunch of extra. It can be kept in the fridge and used for a couple of weeks on any green salad.

1 ¼ C vegetable oil

1/3 C cider vinegar

3 T frozen apple juice concentrate

2T minced red onion or shallots

1 ¾ t salt

½ t ground nutmeg

½ t ground ginger

¼ t ground black pepper

½ C very thinly sliced red onion.

2 Gala apples, peeled or not,…

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Steamed Tilapia with Crisp Vegetables

Mar 3, 2009 by

Papillote 

This is a super simple, quick and yummy early springtime recipe that I am sure would have intrigued me when I was a kid, with its foil "en papillote" (al Cartoccio in Italian) cooking technique. Heck, I’m impressed with myself now when I use it. It adds gourmet flair to a meal and it’s perfect for delicate fish fillets.

16 thin asparagus

¼ lb snow peas

1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick

1 small red, orange or yellow bell pepper

½ C chopped mixed herbs, such as tarragon, chives, parsley (optional, or do the best you can. It’s not worth spending $2 a piece on fresh herbs at the store)

Salt and pepper

Four 6-oz tilapia or cod fillets

4 T white wine (I buy the small bottles that come in a…

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How Seasonal Bargains Came Together Quick for a Super-Satisfying, Healthy Meal

Feb 27, 2009 by

 

Grocery shoppingI went to Central Market yesterday with my list. I was planning to make Curly Endive Salad with Poached Pear, Pecans and Blue Cheese (see previous post for the recipe) that night.

Walking in, I was pleased to see some really nice, fresh looking jumbo asparagus for only $1.99 a pound. With some hollandaise sauce,it would make a scrumptious partner to the salad.

Then I saw they had fresh blueberries and lovely strawberries on sale. Like the asparagus, strawberries must be newly in season, and therefore, not only looking better than usual but also cheaper than usual. I rarely buy either one because…

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Curly Endive Salad or Frisee with Poached Pear, Pecans and Blue Cheese

Feb 27, 2009 by

 

 

This salad recipe is a definite keeper! Out-of-the-ordinary, highly flavorful, elegant, and good-for-you in every way, yet quick and easy. It’s a huge favorite of mine, one of those winners that never falls off your list. It also includes nuts, a great source of protein and a nice change from meat, along with a little cheese. A full plate of it is a meal in itself, and an excellent option for vegetarian teenagers.

I’ve always served dishes like this to my kids, even when they were toddlers. They’ve always eaten everything because no one ever told them they weren’t supposed to like it.

If you expect resistance from your child, act a little happy-mad-scientist / exuberant chef while fixing it. Then just eat it yourself, act like…

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What I'm Cooking This Week

Feb 23, 2009 by

"Many cards and letters have come in requesting" some sample menus. That’s what my old French teacher used to say before he gave us some disagreeable exercise. I’m trying three new recipes this week, which I hope will be easy and delicious, anything but disagreeable. If they're winners, I will post them on this blog.

Moosewood Tonight, I’ll serve "Warm Salad," from the Moosewood vegetarian cookbook (http://www.nibblous.com/recipe/347), "featuring an assortment of ultra nutritious leafy greens, lightly cooked and delicately marinated."

I just came home from Central Market with armloads of ingredients: escarole (a curly salad), red Swiss chard, Savoy cabbage, mustard greens, leeks, cauliflower, celery and mushrooms. It's marinated in just vinegar, Parmesan and pepper. Seems like it could use a little olive oil to me. We'll see. With it, I’ll probably serve a garlic-pesto marinated pork…

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Fennel, Beet and Orange Salad with Olives and Walnuts

Feb 4, 2009 by

Fennel beet I'm well aware that there are a lot of kids out there who wouldn't eat this salad, or they would pick out the oranges to eat. Kids will eat things like this if you start from the beginning and consistently serve all kinds of Real Food without fear. My kids have always eaten everything. I never asked them to eat anything, never bribed them, never tricked them. I'm not afraid of their hunger and they're not afraid of my food.

I don't believe in disguising food or in trying to get kids excited about food by making food look like something else, such making cherry tomatoes look like tiny baskets, or cutting carrots into flower shapes. Food is exciting as such.

This salad is bright, beautiful, and offers numerous distinctive and sumptuous flavors. Except that the beets…

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