Cucina! Cucina! Chopped Salad

Are you a Chopped Salad fan? Every blue moon, I crave a chopped salad. Found this recipe a few days ago. It's from a restaurant we loved in Bellevue, WA . Lived there for two years and had two kids in that time. As my mom likes to say: "busy, busy". Anyway, this is a great side or main dish salad, depending on how much meat you add. I made it as a side for an Italian dinner last week, and omitted the chicken. Mamma Mia! You're gonna love it.





Cucina! Cucina! Chopped Salad
Cucina Cucina, Seattle, WA

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Yield: 8 servings

Italian Vinaigrette
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup olive oil

Salad
4 ounces cooked chickpeas, lightly chopped
1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
12 ounces diced poached chicken breast
8 ounces dry wine salami, diced
8 ounces plum tomatoes, diced, divided
1/2 cup grated provolone cheese, divided
3 thin green onions, thinly sliced, divided
8 lettuce leaves

To prepare vinaigrette: Combine egg yolk and water in a small bowl; whisk well. Cover the bowl with a small plate and microwave on HIGH for 10 seconds or until the mixture starts to expand. Continue to cook 5 seconds longer. Whisk with a clean whisk. Cover, then cook on high for 5 seconds. Remove from the microwave, whisk with a clean whisk, cover and let sit 1 minute. (This process heats the egg enough to kill any harmful bacteria.)

In a food processor or an immersion blender, combine egg mixture, Dijon, garlic, salt, pepper, dry mustard, oregano, sugar, vinegar and lemon juice; process to blend. Slowly add olive oil, processing until emulsified. Set aside.

To prepare salad: Combine chickpeas, iceberg lettuce, basil, mozzarella, chicken, salami, half of the tomatoes, half of the provolone and half of the green onions. Toss with dressing. (You may not need all of the dressing. Refrigerate any that remains.) Divide evenly among 8 lettuce-lined plates. Garnish with remaining tomatoes, provolone and green onions.

Tips:
-If you want to omit the egg yolk and water, use 3 tablespoons of half and half instead. After dressing is mixed, use water to thin. About 2-3 tablespoons of cold water total.

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Chicken, Apple and Smoked Gouda Salad

What's for dinner?? Every mom's favorite 6 o'clock question.

I wanted to make a salad Sheri found in Southern Living Magazine. Jake's response? Not enough of a man-salad to interest him. He wanted "5 Guys Burgers and Fries". One of his favorite places to eat dinner. I couldn't do it. Last time I ate there, I felt like I was going to give birth to a 10 lb. brick.

It was a stand-off.

In the end, he got a greasy burger and fries. I got a fresh salad, loaded with greens, crisp apples and celery, moist chicken, sweet Craisins and crunchy roasted cashews. Oh did I mention the fresh home made honey mustard basil dressing? Yum.

Chicken, Apple, and Smoked Gouda Salad (updated 1/2015)

adapted from Southern Living Magazine

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2 Gala apples, thinly sliced (about 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 (6-oz.) package baby spinach and spring greens mix
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1/4 of a small red onion, sliced thin
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
1 1/2 cups sweetened dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups salted cashews or pecans

Honey-Mustard Dressing:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
dash coarse sea salt

For Salad:

Toss apple slices with lemon juice.

Layer salad greens, apples, chicken, and next 5 ingredients in a large glass bowl. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 8 hours.

For Dressing:

Whisk together all dressing ingredients, or use immersion blender, and blend until combined.

Toss salad with 1/4 cup Honey-Mustard Dressing just before serving. Or, layer salads on individual plates and drizzle with dressing.

Tips: (after making this several times, I changed the dressing up a bit again, updated 1/2015)

-One small Rotisserie chicken may be subbed for the 3 cups cooked chicken.

-I prefer to plate the salad individually, and dress each salad.

-The original dressing recipe calls for 1 cup of mayo. Waaay too much mayo for my taste. I cut the mayo and added some olive oil and vinegar. Still a creamy dressing, just not as rich.

-Sheri used pears instead of apples. Perfect for pear season!

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Garden Tomato & Fresh Peach Salad and Giveaway!

About the Recipe:

Found this recipe in a recent issue of Martha Stewart magazine. It called for heirloom tomatoes, which were not available in my garden on Thursday. Or on any other day, for that matter. I used my little, ordinary, garden tomatoes (go ahead, feel sorry for me) and guess what? Yum.

The recipe also called for white peaches. Uh. Not happening. The closest I came was a donut peach. Yummy, but not a white peach. I'm sharing this because at times, we (I) get hung up on having exact ingredients called for in a recipe. Running all over creation for some crazy ingredient. Been there.

This segment is called : Si's Mini lesson on getting a grip... In this case, fresh is fresh. Sure an Heirloom tomato is wonderful. A white peach, unusual. The sub of a garden fresh tomato and a delicious ripe local peach were perfect in this salad. Which, btw, if you love tomatoes and peaches- this salad is your new bff. I modified the recipe a bit- added my new bff White Balsamic (*see note in tips section below) and wow. I think we are having this for dinner a few more times this week. Even Jake (14) asked for seconds. He tried the salad with and without the olive oil and balsamic. He LOVED the balsamic version.

Moving on... The Giveaway:

I picked up this cookbook last month, and fell in love with the beautiful photos.

I love Williams Sonoma cookbooks. I'm not a big -"I need pictures in my cookbook" type of girl, but I do love WS cookbooks. This book is filled with recipes from Meyer Lemon Jelly to Proscuitto Panini with Fontina & Fig preserves. Mouth watering type of pics and recipes.

As an added bonus, the nice people at CSN Online Stores asked if I would be interested in sharing a giveaway with ABK readers. They offered a gift certificate in the amount of $55. Good at any of their online stores.

Leave a comment about the best thing you ate this summer. Comment deadline:

Tuesday, September 14, 2010. Midnight.

Winner announced on Wednesday.

Good luck!

Garden Tomato and Peach Salad

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1 white or other variety fresh ripe peach

1 large heirloom tomato

thin sliced red onion

fresh basil

Ricotta, crumbled

Coarse or Sea Salt

Fresh Ground pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

White Balsamic Vinegar

Arrange peach and tomato slices on platter or individual salad plates.

Lay red onion slices, torn fresh basil and crumbled ricotta over top of fruit. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle white balsamic and olive oil. Garnish with basil sprigs. Serve immediately.

Tips:

-White Balsamic. I have received several emails about this product. Found in Italian specialty stores, in SLC, downtown at Tony Caputos. No more expensive than Red Balsamic. Some argue that white balsamic is not really a balsamic, whatev. You can also purchase online, one of my fave brands of olive oils and vinegars: "O Olive Oil" brand. I've tried several of their vinegars and olive oils. Great products. They may be purchased online here. Or at kitchen specialty stores (Sur La Table), or occasionally at my fave, TJMaxx.

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Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad

Summer came a little late here...mid June again this year.

Now that it's late August, tomatoes are finally on! Corn is super sweet. Fresh herbs are plentiful.

Do you love- fresh, simple and absolutely delicious?

This is it.

Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad

adapted from allrecipes.com

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6 ears corn

3 large fresh tomatoes

1/2 large onion or about 1 cup chopped ( I used a sweet onion)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

two to three sprigs fresh oregano (optional)

2 tablespoons white vinegar ( I used white balsamic)

1/4 cup olive oil

coarse sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Boil corn in large pot of water for about 7 minutes. Drain and plunge corn into cool water. Cut corn off cob and set aside to cool completely.

Chunk tomatoes and onion. Coarsely chop basil and strip the oregano off stems. Place cooled corn, chopped vegetable and herbs into large bowl. Toss with vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste. Serve chilled or room temperature

Tips:

-The recipe called for white vinegar, but I love white balsamic (sweeter) vinegar. Apple cider vinegar would also work. I don't recommend regular balsamic vinegar. The dark red color will discolor the onion and corn and the overall look of the salad will change.

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Erin and Misty's Basil Couscous Salad aka- my new favorite salad

My amazing friend Erin (who recently left our neighborhood for Cali, can't even get started on how much we miss her and her fam) , gave this recipe to me last fall. Erin inherited this recipe from her little sis, Misty . I filed it away until this summer because I thought it looked like a great summer salad. Tried this recipe out the other night, when I needed to make a salad for 60. It was a wedding shower, and perfect for the event. First try, I used the spring mix suggested, but I really dislike it when a salad goes limp. Don't you hate that? I like using romaine in salads that are heavy on other filler ingredients. Reason being- I like the green to be substantial enough to support the other ingredients. Salads are like shows. In this salad, the greens are support, and all of the other ingredients are leads. Melinda, my show-a-holic friend, who is turning 48 (yikes, you're old!) this week will love this analogy.

Anyway, tonight, I made the salad again, with romaine and spinach. Loved it. The Romaine was firm and crunchy. No problem tossing the dressing with the salad. No limp leaves. Hooray for firm lettuce! I know you think I'm weirdly obsessive about ridiculous things.

Basil Couscous Salad
Erin Blake and Misty Mayfield

printable recipe
1 package Olive Oil and Garlic Couscous
12 cups Romaine lettuce (about 1 large or two medium heads)
1/2 cup Craisins
1/2 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups or 3-4 medium ears fresh white corn, cooked, cooled and cut off cob*
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Fresh Basil Dressing:
(enough for a double batch of salad)
1 cup fresh basil leaves*
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 shallot, chopped (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

For best results- a day before, or at least a few hours before:
Cook couscous according to package directions. Cool completely. Refrigerate.
Wash and dry lettuce, set aside in refrigerator.
Cook corn, rinse with cool water. Cut corn off cob and place in refrigerator to cool completely.
Make dressing by mixing all ingredients in blender or by using a hand immersion blender. Refrigerate.

When ready to serve:
Place cooked couscous in a large bowl. Chop lettuce into bite size pieces. Add lettuce and rest of salad ingredients into bowl. Just before serving, drizzle dressing (I only use about 1/2 ) and toss. You may serve additional remaining dressing on the side.

Tips:

- When I say "large" head of Romaine, I'm not talking about a Costco head of Romaine. Those are Romaine hearts. If you are using Costco Romaine, probably about 4-5 heads will do.

-Misty said this salad was originally served with chopped chicken as a main ingredient. Great for a main dish salad.

-The first time I made this salad, I tried to cook the couscous and cook the corn and let both cool before adding to the salad. It really works best to cook both several hours or the day before and refrigerate. Also best to use really cold lettuce and dressing. I tried both ways, and had the best result when preparing ingredients the day before and then toss the ingredients when all completely chilled.

-*You may use frozen corn. I won't be as delicious, but you won't know the diff if you don't use fresh first. ;)

-*Don't even think about using dried basil.

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Mother's Day Menu 2010 -Part 1 - Mixed Greens with Jicama and Orange

Remember that little talk we had last year? The talk about Mother's Day? Yeah, that's the one. So this year, you know the drill. Mom should not cook on Mo Day. If you are new to this, click here and read last years post.

Ok, good, that's out of the way. I'm posting part of the menu this week, along with a Mother's Day giveaway on Wednesday. All of the recipes for our Mo Day 2010 menu are easy, fun (code for chick food, as in: "the food at that shower was so FUN!!") and delicious. I'll share super simple modifications too. Mom will love it. Promise.

Mixed Greens with Jicama and Sliced Orange

adapted from Sharing the Table at Garland's Lodge

Printable recipe

Salad:

4 quarts mixed salad greens

1 large jicama, peeled and julienned

3 medium oranges, peeled and thinly sliced

Sesame Seed Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

2/3 cup canola oil

*OR buy bottled dressing see Tips below

Prepare dressing:

Combine all ingredients in a 2 cup measuring glass. Blend well with whisk or hand held immersion blender.

Prepare salad:

Divide the greens onto 8 salad plates. Drizzle each plate of greens with about 1-2 tablespoons of dressing. Lay a crisscross bed of the jicama on top of the greens. Arrange 3-4 orange slices on top of the jicama. Sprinkle with a few sesame seeds. Serve immediately, or place in refrigerator (not more than 30 minutes before serving) until ready to serve.

Tips:

-Dressing: If you don't want to tackle this dressing, bottled dressing works. Use either an Asian Sesame dressing or a Raspberry Vinaigrette.

-Jicama is found in the produce section. Easily peeled with a vegetable peeler or a sharp paring knife. I think about 3/4 of a medium sized jicama is plenty for 8 salads.

It looks like this:

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Spinach, Chicken and Bowtie Pasta Salad

Loved reading all of your thoughts about Spring! Winner of the "Bliss" cookbook is Leanne, who said:

"My very favorite thing about Spring is the parallel it draws from Winter---Winter allows the rain and snow, for a couple of months, from dark, threatening clouds. Then, as if nothing ever happened, we rise to a perfectly sunny, cloudless day. A lovely, clean slate from the seemingly neverending cold. Forgiveness.It is my favorite time of year."

Beautifully said, Leann!

Spring always steers me in the direction of salad instead of soup. Found this recipe years ago in the cookbook "Favorites". It's another local cookbook, put together by the Ivory family. If you live in our neck of the woods, the Ivory Homes name is familiar. I talked to one of the authors right after she finished this book and she told me it was a compilation of family and friend recipes they had used and grown to love over the years. They originally printed the cookbook for giving to family, and quickly had requests for so many they decided to do a second printing. Ten years later, they are still printing and donating the proceeds to the Make A Wish Foundation. It's available here.

I made this salad last week, much to my son's dismay. Fruit in pasta salad? They hate it.

I love it.

They would, on the other hand, rather eat a frozen (breakfast) burrito (yes, for dinner). Personally, I would rather gnaw my hand off, than eat one of those burritos.

Happy Spring!

Spinach, Chicken and Bowtie Pasta Salad

adapted from Favorites, A Collection of Ivory Family Recipes

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Pasta:

16 oz Bowtie pasta, cooked al dente

Dressing:

2/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

2/3 cup teriyaki sauce

2/3 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salad:

1 1/2 bags fresh spinach (about 8 cups)

1- 6 oz bag craisins

3- 11 oz cans mandarin oranges, drained

2-8 oz cans sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped, green part only

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 small can honey roasted peanuts or cashews (about 2 cups)

2-3 cups cooked chicken, cut into slices

Blend dressing ingredients together in blender or food processor. Mix dressing and cooked pasta in medium bowl and marinate for two hours. Combine rest of salad dressing (except nuts) in large salad bowl, add pasta and dressing and toss gently.

Add nuts just before serving.

Tips:

-I like to marinate the chicken in about 1 cup of teriyaki sauce overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the chicken and discard the sauce. Broil the chicken for about 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before adding to salad.

-"Very Very Teriyaki" is my favorite sauce. If using this brand, reduce the amount of teriyaki sauce to 1/3 cup. Make sure to shake the bottle well before using.

_ I usually skip marinating the pasta after it is cooked, I like the pasta to be lighter in color, and the chicken to have a darker color.

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Sheri's Greek Pasta Salad

Yum yum. Loved this pasta salad recipe from Sheri. Cook the pasta while chopping the veggies and mixing the dressing. Full of flavor and color. Takes about 1/2 hour tops-start to finish. I know you're gonna love it too.

Sheri's Greek Pasta Salad

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salad:

1 lb. small- shell shaped pasta

1 cup diced celery

1 lg can (small or medium) pitted olives, drained well

1 cucumber, seeded and diced

3 green onions, chopped

3 tomatoes seeded and chopped,

or 8 oz grape or cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, optional

8-10 oz. crumbled feta (reserve some for topping salad)

dressing:

1 cup prepared Zesty Italian dressing

1 cup mayo

1 tablespoon oregano

Cook pasta according to package directions, taking care to not overcook. Rinse with cold water and drain well.

Add celery, olives, cucumber, green onions, and tomatoes to pasta in large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing, mayo, oregano and pepper. Fold dressing and cheeses into pasta- vegetable mixture. Add tomatoes, folding in gently. Sprinkle reserved feta on top of salad before serving.

Tips:

-I used about 2/3 of the dressing. I think next time I'll cut the mayo to 1/2 cup and try 1 1/4 cup Italian dressing.

-Best to make and let sit for a couple of hours in refridge.

-I used about 1 1/2 lbs pasta total.

-the large can of olives have "6 oz drained weight" label on front of can.

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Apple and Cabbage Slaw

I never used to like coleslaw. Memories from childhood are of KFC dinners my Dad brought home -complete with mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and soupy slaw. Ick. Years later, I ate coleslaw at a restaurant, and loved it! This grown up slaw was sweet and crunchy and had fruit mixed in with the cabbage. Here is my version. A must for a standard Labor Day bbq dinner.

Apple and Cabbage Slaw

printable version

1/2 large head cabbage (or 1 1/2 bags of coleslaw mix)
2 large carrots, grated (omit if using bagged mix)
1-2 apples, I like Fuji washed, cored, cut into chunks ( peel on)
1/3 cup Golden Raisins (more or less depending-if you are a raisin lover)
1/4 cup Craisins (optional)
3/4 cup Mayonnaise (not light)
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
2-3 Tablespoons sugar
3 tsp celery seed

Wash and chop cabbage. Place cabbage in large bowl. Add carrots, apples, golden raisins, and Craisins. In separate bowl, mix the mayo, cider vinegar and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. If you like the dressing more tart, add vinegar, a tablespoon at a time. If you like your slaw dressing sweet, add more sugar. When the dressing is mixed well, add the celery seed. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and fruits. This salad is best when chilled for at least an hour.

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Orecchiette with Fresh Mozzarella, Pear Tomatoes and Garlic Chives

I took one look at this recipe and knew I had to make this salad. The only problem was - well two problems. One - no garden= no tomatoes. Especially no pear tomatoes. This is where great neighbors come in. A call to the Farr's. Beg their girls to go out into the garden and see if any of those cute little pear or cherry tomatoes are ripe. Problem solved. Second problem: Read the recipe and look at the ingredients really fast, and you might think this is a SALAD recipe. It looks like a salad in the pic in August Bon Appetit. Re-read the recipe. A little more carefully this time. Right before making dinner. This is not a salad, but is a hot dish. Oh well. I decided to go with my vision, and make it as a salad. Loved it. Hopefully, you have neighbors like the Farr's, or maybe you grow your own pear tomatoes. If not, you are missing out. Big time. This salad is so yummy. Fresh. Hurry summer is slipping away...

Orecchiette with Fresh Mozzarella, Pear Tomatoes and Garlic Chives

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10 Oz Orecchiette (little ear shaped pasta, about 3 cups uncooked)

1 pound fresh mini mozzarella balls (found these at Costco)

1 pound grape or pear tomatoes, red and yellow if available

8-10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6-8 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

5 tablespoons minced fresh garlic chives or regular chives* see note below

4 tablespoons minced fresh oregano

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain, and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Pour into large bowl, and add all of the remaining ingredients. Season with kosher salt and lots of fresh ground pepper.

Tips:

-I added extra oil and vinegar to the pasta after the salad sat for a while. The pasta absorbs the oil and vinegar, and becomes a little dry.

-Using a white balsamic is important, if using red, it will discolor the pasta and cheese. White balsamic is found in Italian markets, and in some grocery stores.

-*Note that the recipe calls for 5 tablespoons minced garlic or regular CHIVES,

not 5 tablespoons of garlic.

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Asian Grilled Flank Steak Salad

Goodness, this was yummy.

Here is the manly part of the salad (below). BEEF.

Tomorrow is my little brother's birthday. He is my one and only sibling. Harold. Uncle Harry to my kids. The favorite uncle, on my side. He has a fun, YELLOW (if you are into the COLOR CODE) personality. I asked Jacob, my youngest to describe him: "Funny, strong, loud, cool, garbage gut, always happy". My little bro is always game for the park, basketball court, carnival rides, swimming pool, sledding, shopping mall- you name it- he's up for it. The two of us rode for countless hours in the back of my parents camper on road trips all over the Western U.S. We fought a little, but mostly got along, because we only had each other.

Kind. Friendly. Thoughtful. Generous. Considerate. He married a great person, Kaari, who brings out the best in him. They have two beautiful and sweet daughters. Harold is a great dad! I admire him for always putting his family first. When I go home to visit, and watch him with his own little family, I think - when did he grow up?? When did I grow up? It seems like it wasn't that long ago we were riding around in that gold camper. When we were kids, we mimicked our parents eating habits. I was just like Dad, give me anything sweet, and I could make a meal out of it. Pie and cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner - that's me. Harold was just like Mom. A piece of fruit was a great dessert. Salads? I would tolerate a salad with dinner, but mom felt like a meal wasn't complete without salad. Harold's tastes have changed a little, he likes sweets more now than in his younger days, but he still loves to eat salads with meals. He also LOVES meat. When I made this salad a while ago, I instantly thought of him. I wished we lived closer, so I could run over a big platter of this salad to him. It's a delicious summer salad. Big hit at our house. Enough meat to satisfy a manly appetite, and enough green and pasta to please the lady like eaters in your fam. We absolutely LOVED this. And I know you (and your brother) will too.

Happy Birthday little brother, I love you.

I used these noodles I brought back from my trip to Japan last October...

had to guess what this said (see package below).

Asian Grilled Flank Steak Salad

printable recipe

For Flank Steak and Marinade:

1 flank steak (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger

3 scallions, white parts only, sliced (may sub chopped onion)

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

3 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

For Dressing: (to be mixed with remaining 1/2 of marinade)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons honey

For Salad:

1 oz Asian rice noodles, or other Asian noodles

1 head leaf lettuce- Boston, red or green leaf

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 cup small sweet onion, chopped or sliced into

thin rings (optional)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, or two medium sized tomatoes, sliced

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped (I used honey roasted)

1. Score the flank steak on both sides, across the grain. This helps the meat to absorb the marinade. Place the steak into a 9x9 or 9x13 glass dish.

2. Place all of the marinade ingredients into a bowl and mix together well. Make sure the sugar is dissolved. Pour about half of the marinade over the steak in the glass pan. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Save the other half of the marinade for the dressing.

3. Add to the remaining (for dressing) marinade the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons honey. Whisk and set aside.

4. Bring about 2-3 quarts of water to a boil and cook the Japanese noodles, according to package directions. You may use soba noodles, or rice noodles. Rice noodles only need to be soaked in cold water, then drained after about 1 hour. If the rice noodles are not tender after an hour, you may need to boil in water 1-3 minutes. Drain noodles in colander, rinse with cold water, toss with a little oil. Set aside.

5. Pre-heat barbecue.

6. Place all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl, except peanuts. Toss together.

7. Brush oil or lightly spray PAM on heated grill. Place the flank steak on the hot grate and grill until cooked to taste 4-6 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to cutting board and let rest for at least 3 minutes. Cut the steak into paper thin slices across the grain by holding the knife blade at a 45 degree angle to the top of the meat.

8. If serving in a large bowl to a crowd, toss the salad ingredients and mound the noodles in the center of the salad, drizzle dressing over all of the greens and noodles. Top with sliced steak, and garnish with chopped peanuts and mint. Toss all together just before serving. If serving on individual plates, lay salad ingredients on plates, top with small amount of noodles and few slices of steak. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with peanuts. Serve immediately.

Tips:

-Rice noodles are available in Asian specialty stores, or many grocery stores. They usually only need soaking, but some varieties require soaking and a brief boil.

-This salad may be made with any type of meat: chicken, pork tenderloin, or even tofu.

adapted from: How to Grill cookbook by Steven Raichlen

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Garden Fresh Pasta Salad with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette

The other day one of my sweet neighbors called to see if we needed any zucchini. Yes! My Mom stir fried a few, then I used the rest for pasta salad. I wanted to try a new dressing, so I sent Jake out to the herb garden (pot). HA. I KNOW, I keep mentioning it. You would laugh your head off if you saw how tiny it is in reality. He snipped off some basil, oregano and thyme. Bought some beautiful green onions at the farmers market. Yummy. Cooked up some pasta I carried all the way back from Rome. Oh, my. It was good. This was not your mothers pasta. Even dried, it was better than any made in the U.S. of A. Decided to make the dressing with things I love. Guess what? It was so, so good. Try it next time you make dressing. You just need to use one part vinegar to two or three parts oil. Then just start pulling items out of your refrig or garden... for flavor, in my case fresh herbs and Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. A little mayo for a creamy effect. Original. Fresh. Summer. This is it.

Garden Fresh Pasta Salad with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette

printable recipe

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Cider vinegar

3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard ( grainy or regular)

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped

1/4 cup fresh thyme, chopped

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Blend oil and vinegar together with whisk. Add all remaining ingredients. Continue to whisk until all ingredients are mixed well. Season with salt and pepper.

Salad:

3/4 lb pasta, cooked al dente, drained and rinsed with cold water

1 small zucchini, sliced thin

1/2 red pepper, chopped

2 green onions, sliced, green part only

1 cup fresh spinach

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients in large bowl. Toss with dressing. If not serving immediately, refrigerate. When ready to serve, toss again, if pasta is too dry, mix in a little more olive oil.

Tips:

-Try buying an imported dried pasta at an Italian market, or use fresh pasta. If you live in Utah, Tony Caputos or Frank Granato Importing Co. are good sources.

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Avocado Corn Confetti Salsa

Have you tried the corn this year?? It's unbelievable. I love, I mean LOVE fresh corn. I could eat fresh corn on the cob for dinner. All by its lonesome. Tonight I had to come up with a quick appetizer to share at a church dinner, so I ran to the grocery, and picked up the ingredients for one of my all time favorite salsas. If you don't make this in the summer when the corn is fresh, you're missing out. It's good with frozen corn, but out of this world with fresh corn off the cob. If you want, it could be served as a side salad on top of some shredded lettuce, or on a piece of butter lettuce. In the word of a dear friend I spent the week with recently -"Yummalicious".

Avocado Corn Confetti Salsa

printable version

3 ears of fresh corn, white is good, yellow makes for better color contrast

2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and diced

1 medium purple onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup oregano, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried

juice of 2 limes

kosher salt, fresh ground pepper

Blanch the corn in boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from pan and place in large bowl filled with ice and water. Cut kernels off cob, and place in medium size bowl. Make sure corn is completely cooled before adding to rest of ingredients. Add avocado and next 7 ingredients to corn. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill up to 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

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Michelle King's Wonton Salad

4:00 AM- Birds chirping. Right outside my window. Most normal people would just roll over and go back to sleep. Not me. I've tried a pillow over my head, earplugs, meditation, medication...then my thoughts turn to - Where is Jacob's Airsoft gun ? Would an Airsoft gun put an end to the sounds of spring? I look out the window, could that be ONE BIRD??? It sounds like the entire Tracy Aviary.

4:30 - Maybe I should find the BB gun. My window is right next to the tree where the chirping OLYMPICS take place every morning. I'm so, so tired. I have to get up at 5:00. I mean, isn't there any etiquette birds have to follow about making noise before the sun is completely up? Please.

Stop.

The chirping.

Have you seen the movie "Failure to Launch" remember the roommate of Sarah Jessica Parker? She had a bird chirping problem too. When I saw that movie - I thought THAT'S ME!!! Anyway. In a few months, they'll migrate, or do whatever it is birds do, and the torture will end. Until then, I just have to get used to it. Like I have for the past 15 years. I am loving the nicer weather though...Two days in a row of 70+ degrees ... it must be salad time!

I love Won Ton Salad. This recipe came from Michelle King, a former Salt Lake City anchorwoman for KUTV News. She made this yummy salad at a church event I attended. I loved it so much I asked her to share the recipe. The recipe is printed as she gave it to me with my modification in ( italics) .

Happy springtime!

Michelle King's Wonton Salad

printable recipe

4 chicken breast halves, baked or bbq with salt and pepper

1 head red leaf lettuce ( I use 3 heads red lettuce total)

1 head iceberg lettuce (omit)

1 head ruffled lettuce (omit)

2 tomatoes, diced (omit, I substitute 3 cans of mandarin oranges, drained)

2 cucumbers, seeded and diced

2 handfuls sprouts (omit)

2 packages mushrooms, sliced, optional

2 cans water chestnuts, drained, sliced and cut into matchstick pieces

2 bunches green onions, chopped green parts only

3/4 package wonton skins or wrappers, deep fried, broken into pieces

toasted sesame seeds

Wash, and chop all lettuce. Add all of the remaining vegetables and fruit. Add chicken and toss all salad ingredients, except wontons in a large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Add dressing and wontons just before serving.

Dressing:

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (to taste)

1/2 cup Olive oil ( or canola)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Rice vinegar

1/4 cup Cider vinegar

2 tablespoons water (only use if using olive oil, to thin dressing)

Mix all ingredients in blender or shaker. Do not refrigerate before using. If refrigerating leftover dressing, bring to room temp before tossing on salad.

Tips:

-You may use Canola oil in place of Olive oil, if desired.

-If you don't have any Rice vinegar, substitute all Cider vinegar.

-If you don't want the hassle or smell of frying wontons, go to a chinese restaurant, and buy an order (or two) of fried wontons.

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Mother's Day is Sunday- Pacific Rim Glazed Flank Steak

Hello out there...Note to all Fathers.

Did you remember that Mother's Day is THIS SUNDAY. Oh, how I love Mother's Day. No, really I do. My Favorite Mothers Day story: Grant took Corrine about 7, and Brookie 1 yr old shopping to get a Mo Day gift. When they came home, Corrine was dying to tell me what they bought, but determined to keep a secret.

Me: "How was the shopping trip?"

Corrine: "Fine. But, I can't tell you what we bought"

Me: (in a nonchalant way) "That's ok, I already know what it is"

Corrine: "YOU KNOW ABOUT THE DRESS???"

Me: silence

ANYWAY. On to the recipe. Here is an easyeasyeasy, but delish menu for all of you who want to make Mother's Day- a lovely day for Mother.

Unacceptable excuses for not making your wife dinner on MD: (skip over this part if you are tired of my sarcastic remarks)

#1 This one's a classic - "She's not my Mother". Pay attention- She's the mother of your children.

#2 favorite lame excuse -"I don't cook". My husband, who is officially the most challenged cook in marriage history, makes me breakfast every year. So, snap out of it.

Did I already say I love Mother's Day??

OK, sooo I picked this steak, because it's a little out of the ordinary - Mommy dearest will love it, and it's grilled, so Dad can do what he does best. Hey, in our house, it's either the microwave or the BBQ grill for Grant. A microwaved Mothers Day dinner... I'll pass. Here is how it's done: Copy and paste these recipes onto your WP program ( I highlighted all of the ingredients you will need in PURPLE), hit print and get yourself into the car no later than Saturday morning. Do not wait until Saturday night, when you will find malls and grocery stores packed with men and children who have that crazed look in their eyes similar to a cat that was just given it's first bath. You know the look - if you are ever out on the night before Mothers Day, or on Feb 13th, about 8PM, same look. That - "I don't care what is costs, I need to find a gift, NOW". Save yourself the stress, and go out Saturday morning with the grocery/gift list in hand. You can do this. What better way to show your wife appreciation for all she does for you and your children?

Remember, Food=love.

Mothers Day Menu 2009:

Pacific Rim Glazed Flank Steak

Grilled vegetables

Rice

Spinach Salad with strawberries

Good quality ice cream

with home made hot fudge sauce

Pacific Rim Glazed Flank Steak

1 beef flank steak (about 2 lbs)

1 cup prepared Teriyaki sauce ( I use 1 cup soy and 1/3 cup sugar)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons chopped FRESH rosemary

1 tablespoons sesame oil

1 large clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon grated ginger

In medium shallow dish, combine marinade ingredients, whisk until blended. Remove 3/4 cup for basting. With a sharp knife, lightly score both sides of meat in a criss cross pattern. Place steak in remaining marinade in dish or gallon size Ziploc turning to coat. Cover and marinade in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Remove steak and discard marinade in dish. Place steak on barbecue grill over medium heat, Grill uncovered, for about 17-21 minutes for medium rare to medium, basting occasionally with reserved 3/4 cup marinade and turning steak once.

Place remaining basting marinade in small saucepan. Bring to boil on stove. Meanwhile, carve steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices; arranging on a platter. Spoon hot marinade over steak, garnish with orange slices and rosemary sprigs. 6 servings.

note:

-If the fresh ginger and garlic are too complicated, you may substitute bottled ginger and garlic in the produce section. Rosemary (fresh herb section) is available in the produce section too. If you don't want to buy fresh, use dried Rosemary. That will work. It won't be AS good, but it will work.

-If you are a Costco person, they sell very good Flank Steaks in a two pack. You can freeze the second one for Fathers Day. ha.

Grilled Vegetables

Assorted vegetables MOM likes:

Asparagus, beans, carrots, peppers yellow and red,

onions, mushrooms

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

This is easy: Cut some veg's like asparagus, carrots (not the minis), and some onions, mushrooms up. Uh- you washed them right? Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Grill the vegetables, turn and remove from BBQ. If you have a fresh lemon, squeeze it over the top of the vegs when they are almost done. Don't over cook, they should still be a little firm to the tooth. It takes about 10 minutes, tops with the heat on medium to low heat. Grill the vegetables before the meat if your grill is on the small side. It's OK if they are done before the meat. They don't have to be hot. After you grill the vegetables, take out a nice platter and arrange them on the platter. Cover with foil until everything is ready to serve. Vegetable shrink up a bit after cooking, so make a little more than you think you will need, you know Mom will eat the leftovers.

Rice

2 cups rice

water

butter or oil

salt

If you have a rice cooker use it. If not, a plain pot will do. Just place about 2 cups of rice in a pot, and about 4 cups of liquid. Water will work, or if you like put some chicken stock in. I like plain rice with this dish. Salt and a little butter, maybe a tablespoon. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 20 minutes, stir, add a little more liquid if you need, and continue to cook until all liquid is absorbed, and rice is done. You can also do this ahead of time, early in the day, and just serve it at room temp. You can use short or long grain rice, or brown rice.

Spinach Salad

1 bag pre washed spinach ( I like baby spinach)

2 oranges or 2 cans mandarin orange segments

1/2 cup Craisins

3/4 cup pecans or almonds, chopped

1/3 cup sugar

grated cheese, Swiss, or Parmesan, crumbled blue cheese

bottled salad dressing - raspberry vinaigrette dressing or poppy seed

Pour the spinach into a bowl. If using fresh oranges, peel the orange, and cut the orange into slices. Remove any seeds. Or if using mandarins, drain, and place in bowl. Add Craisins. Grate 1/2 cup cheese, and toss together. Store in refrig until serving.

In a small Teflon pan, heat the nuts over medium heat and sprinkle with sugar. Stir just until sugar melts and coats the nuts. Remove from heat, and pour onto a piece of foil until cooled. Break apart nuts. I like to toss the salad with dressing and nuts just before serving. Use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup dressing.

Ice cream and Homemade Hot Fudge

Ice Cream

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

2 1 oz squares unsweetened or semi sweet chocolate

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter

Combine milk and chocolate cook over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture thickens. About 5 -10 minutes. Add vanilla and butter, cook just until butter melts. Serve hot, or make ahead and store in refrigerator. Heat before serving. Make about 2 cups.

Buy some good quality ice cream - Haagen Daz or Ben and Jerry's. Western Family is for the kids. Or if you live near Nielsens, buy some frozen Custard.

Oh- Don't forget to do the dishes. :)

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