Salade Composée, Day 3, Roasted Mediterranean

We went to the Farmer's Market this morning, and I picked up some beautiful organic produce.  I found a gorgeous purple eggplant and some fresh okra.  I decided to roast them with a giant zucchini from my CSA farm box.  Since I seasoned the veggies before roasting them, I only needed an ever so light spritz of dressing on the salad.  So good!

The veggies have different roasting times (eggplant 45 mins, zucchini 25 mins, okra 15 mins), so I started with the eggplant and then added the others along the way.  Mine all fit on one baking sheet, but feel free to use 2 or 3 if your sheets are smaller.

This makes a lot of roasted veggies, so I will refrigerate the leftovers to go with dinner tonight or tomorrow night.

Salade Composée, Day 3, Roasted Mediterranean


Ingredients

• 1 medium purple eggplant, washed and diced
• 1 large zucchini, washed and diced
• 1-ish pound fresh okra, washed
• olive oil
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• grape tomatoes
• olives
• leftover rotisserie chicken, shredded
• Newman's Own Light Italian dressing

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a large bowl, toss the eggplant, zucchini and okra with a few tablespoons of olive oil and several dashes of TSSS.  Place the eggplant in a single layer on one side of a large baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.  Then add the zucchini to the pan and continue roasting for 10 more minutes.  Then add the okra and finish roasting for 15 minutes until all the veggies are tender.  Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Arrange the roasted veggies with the rest of the ingredients onto a plate and drizzle sparingly with dressing.

Salade Composée, Day 2, Egg and Cheese

Just using up produce in the fridge today.

Salade Composée, Day 2, Egg and Cheese


Ingredients:

• romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 hard boiled egg, quartered
• sugar snap peas
• baby carrots
• sprouted peas
• sweet peppers, sliced
• baby cucumber, sliced
• feta chunks
• Newman's Own Light Italian dressing

Directions:

• Place lettuce on a plate and arrange the other ingredients on top.  Drizzle with dressing.

Salade Composée, Day 1, Roast Beef and Tomato

When I was in elementary school, my family vacationed in France (mostly around Paris) many, many times.  But it wasn't until I traveled there on my own during my undergraduate and graduate school years that I really developed an appreciation for the food there.  Yes, the pastries are délicieuses, the baguettes are incroyables, and the cheeses, mon dieu!  But funny enough, one of the dishes that I most fondly recall is the salade composée.

A salade composée literally translates to a composed salad.  It is a dish of fresh produce, un-tossed, arranged into a beautiful, colorful display.  There is no "right" or "standard" version, the salad is made with whatever the cook has fresh on-hand that day, and the best ones come from the tiny 5-table mom-and-pop eateries tucked down the small cobblestone alleys.  Crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, crunchy cucumbers, shaved carrots, snappy haricots verts, creamy baby potatoes, thin slices of salty salami or ham, hardboiled eggs, the variety is endless.  It is then drizzled with a simple, light vinaigrette.  During my travels if an eatery had a salade composée on their menu, that's what I'd order.

With these beautiful memories in mind, I am going to embark on a 1-week salade composée vacation in my kitchen.  For each of the next 7 days, I will be making a salade composée for lunch.  Each version different than the last. I want to show you that a satisfying salad does not have to be boring or tossed in some heavy goopy dressing.  Think fresh, and think flavorful.  I'm drooling.  Let's get started!

Salade Composée, Day 1, Roast Beef and Tomato


Ingredients:

• deli roast beef slices
• steamed asparagus, chilled
• cubed cantaloupe, chilled
• mozzarella ovals, halved
• grape tomatoes, halved
• steamed green beans, chilled
• Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette

Directions:

• Arrange ingredients onto a plate and drizzle sparingly with vinaigrette.

Steak Lettuce Wraps

I love a good steak as much as (or maybe more-so than? hahaha) the next person.  But I cannot do the baked potatoes, and many times don't even feel like a baked sweet potato.  A steak salad is delicious and usually my go-to choice, but I decided to mix it up a little today.  Lettuce wraps!  Kind of like a lettuce steak taco or burrito of sorts.  Today I served them with a side of Baked Onion Rings.  Totally hit the spot.

This is more an idea for assembly than a recipe.  Use whatever flavors you like.  Own it!

Steak Lettuce Wraps


Ingredients:

• flank steak (or tri-tip or whatever you like)
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• large lettuce leaves, washed 
• avocado, sliced
• jarred salsa
• other toppings (optional) such as shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

Directions:

• Season your steak liberally with TSSS.  Grill until medium.  Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing into thin pieces.
• Assemble steak slices with avocado and salsa onto each lettuce leaf.
• Chow down.

Off Topic - Decorated Cookies - Plumerias and Pink Ribbons

June - plumerias for a luau
2 dozen vanilla sugar cookies
The plumerias are sugar transfers.  I printed out plumeria clipart images, placed a sheet of parchment paper over the images, then traced the flowers with royal icing.  When the icing dried, I carefully peeled the flowers off the parchment paper and placed them onto freshly flooded cookies.


June - pink ribbons for breast cancer survivor
2 dozen vanilla sugar cookies

Off Topic - Decorated Cookies - Monarch Butterflies

June - Claire's birthday; monarch butterfly cookies and cake
2 dozen vanilla sugar cookies, some topping a cake and cupcakes

Garlicky Spaghetti Squash with Chard and Parmesan

I love spaghetti squash.  And I love garlic.  And butter.

Back in 2006 when I started on the South Beach Diet, I followed it pretty strictly.  Over the past few years I've made several personal modifications, though, to move more towards "real" food.  I never used artificial sweeteners; I so rarely added any sugar to my foods that I always opted for real cane sugar when I did.  Lately I've been using honey instead of sugar.  I used to use PAM cooking spray to minimize the amount of fat used for roasting, now I use olive oil in a mister.  And I used to use Smart Balance as a butter substitute on the rare occasion that I needed it, now I just use real butter.

Thus the butter in this recipe.  It seems like a lot (1/2 stick!), but this recipe makes about 8 generous servings.

Garlicky Spaghetti Squash with Chard and Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-large spaghetti squash
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 smallish head of garlic (about 6 large cloves), peeled and minced
• 1 large bunch chard, washed, dried, cut crosswise into thin ribbons, thick stalks discarded
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1-ish cup grated parmesan, plus more for garnish
• salted, roasted cashews (optional)

Directions:

• Wash the spaghetti squash.  With a sharp chef's knife, make several punctures in the hard squash "skin".  Place on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a paper towel.  Microwave on "high" until the "skin" is still firm but easily pierced with a sharp knife.  The squash strands inside should be tender but still have a firm-ish texture, not mushy.  This took 7 minutes for me.  Remove from microwave oven and let sit about 15 minutes until cool enough to handle.
• Slice off both ends of the squash.  Then slice the squash in half lengthwise.  Using a fork, remove the seeds and thin mushy fibers around the seeds and discard.  Using the same fork, scrape out the squash strands into a large bowl.  Set aside.
• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add garlic and stir until soft and fragrant, about 45 seconds.  Add the chard and stir until just wilted.  Add in the spaghetti squash strands and several shakes of TSSS to taste.  Stir until squash is heated through.
• Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan.  Sprinkle with a little more parmesan and some cashews just before serving.  (I initially served my cashews on the side, but then ended up mixing them in.  Yum!)

Lentil and Pasta Soup

I saw someone mention lentil and pasta soup the other day and thought it sounded delicious.  I Googled a few recipes and made my own version.  The kids each had seconds and thirds.  Cheap, easy and healthy.  I used water instead of chicken broth for Meatless Monday, but you could certainly use chicken broth (or even veggie broth).

Lentil and Pasta Soup
Inspired by this recipe, this recipe and this recipe.


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 cup dry lentils
• 8ish cups water (add more if necessary)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt, to taste
• 2 cups dry whole wheat elbow pasta
• shredded parmesan or crumbled feta for garnish

Directions:

• In a large (I used a 3qt. and it barely all fit) pot, heat the oil and sweat the onion.  Add garlic, carrots, celery and lentils and sauté for a few minutes until veggies begin to soften.  Add the water, dried herbs and TSSS.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook, covered for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, add the dry pasta.  Bring to a boil again, then reduce to simmer.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking.  If you like the pasta al dente, cook 8 - 10 minutes; if you like it softer (my kids prefer their pasta soft), cook 10 - 12 minutes.  Add more TSSS if necessary.
• Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.  I have a weakness for feta, so that was my choice as well as hubby's.  The kids opted for parmesan.

Chopped Cucumber, Tomato and Apple Salad

ETA on 6/11/13:  I made this today and added 1/2 of an avocado, diced.  The creamy avocado was so good with the crunchy cucumbers and apple.

Think salads need to have lettuce in them?  Think again.  I love chopped salads and they are just fine and delicious either with or without lettuce.  I'm taking the kiddos to the park for a picnic in a little bit, and here's what I packed for myself.  Refreshing on a hot day.

Chopped Cucumber, Tomato and Apple Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 Persian cucumbers, chopped
• handful of grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 a Fuji apple, chopped
• couple tablespoons of crumbled Feta
• a drizzle of Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing

Directions:

• Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes before digging in.

Roasted Bell Peppers Stuffed with Garlicky Shrimp, Arugula and Avocado

Hubby likes the shrimp mixture directly over rice, but I like to stuff it in roasted bell peppers to up the veggie count.  I like my roasted peppers still slightly firm, if you like them softer just roast a little longer.

Roasted Bell Peppers Stuffed with Garlicky Shrimp, Arugula and Avocado


Ingredients:

• olive oil in a mister
• 4 sweet red/orange/yellow bell peppers, tops and seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 (7 oz.) bag of arugula
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1 large ripe avocado, diced
• 1 small lime

Directions:

•  Pre-heat oven (I used my toaster oven) to 350 degrees F.  Spray a baking sheet with olive oil.  Place peppers, open tops faced up, on the sheet and roast for about 20 minutes.
• While peppers are roasting, melt coconut oil in a pan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add shrimp and cook until just opaque.
• Add the arugula, one handful at a time and stir until wilted.  Add TSSS to taste.
• Remove from heat and toss in the diced avocado.  Spritz with lime juice.
• Remove the peppers from the oven and divide the shrimp mixture among the 4 peppers.  Return the stuffed peppers to the oven for 5 minutes until the avocado is just warmed through.
• Serve immediately.