NuM NuM

*I've written about this Caesar salad in the past, but I thought I'd give it the justice it deserves and post a photo with it. This salad is my mother-in-law's recipe and one that has been passed down to me - this was the first inclination that I was officially accepted into the family :) The recipe is so good that it's actually making its way around our family since this is my sister-in-law's "go-to" recipe as well. It's the perfect balance of salty, tangy, sharp and yummy - best of all, no egg yolks required. So if you're looking for a simple and tasty Caesar salad - look no further.

For New Year's we also enjoyed a Caesar salad with our meal. I have never made Caesar salad dressing at home and this recipe was fantastic. I prefer this type of dressing over the creamy white kind.

For my bridal shower, my bridesmaids gave me a cookbook as a gift. They compiled recipes from my friends who came to the shower and made me my own personalized cookbook. It was so sweet and this is the first recipe I've made from it. The following recipe is my mother in law's version of Caesar salad dressing and it is dee-lish. I'll be using this as my default recipe from now on.

For my New Year's resolution, I have decided to cook and eat healthier. (We'll see how long this lasts) I have made my claim to make some sort of salad with our meals at least three times a week and eat fish at least once a week. Eeek, I hope I can do it.

Caesar Salad
This is an adapted version for my taste buds
Makes about 1/4 cup of dressing

S&P to taste
2 cloves of garlic, grated
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1.5 tbs lemon juice or white wine vinegar
3.5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 bunches romaine lettuce (torn or cut into bite size pieces)
2 tbs grated parmesan or more if you desire
3 anchovies from a can of anchovies packed in oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Cut greens into bite size pieces and put in bowl. In a separate bowl finely grate garlic with a microplane grater or make garlic into a fine paste. Remove three anchovies from oil, finely chop and put into bowl with garlic cloves. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt and pepper and mix vigorously until salt dissolves. Pour salad dressing over greens and toss to coat. Add parmesan cheese, toss, add more salt if needed and enjoy!

When I see Chicken Salad on a menu I usually shy away from ordering it because it's always drowning in globs of mayo. Usually when it arrives at the table I'm always thinking, "hmmmm, would you like some chicken with your mayo?" This Curried Chicken Salad however is light, healthy and delish. The mayo is strategically substituted with Greek yogurt which makes this dish surprisingly light. It's also a little different then your traditional Chicken Salad due to the addition of pears, jicama and some smoky curry which will tantalize your taste buds. I love it when a dish is not just one dimensional and hits all the different senses on your taste buds. You get a hint of sweetness from the honey and pear, sourness from the lemon and tangyness from the yogurt...am I making you hungry yet? Well if you are, I highly suggest making this salad - I think you will likey :)


Curried Chicken Salad with Jicama and Pear
Serves 2
Adapted from Green Lite Bites

• 1/2 cup of jicama, small dice (can substitute apple)
• 1 medium bartlett pear
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup non fat greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp light mayo (I would omit next time)
• 1 tsp curry
• Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste
• 8 oz leftover cooked chicken
• Parsley, finely chopped to taste
• Toppings: lettuce, thinly sliced tomatoes

Cut the jicama and pear into small cubes. Toss with the lemon juice. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well and let sit a few minutes. (I added more honey and lemon juice to taste)
Stuff in a pita, add to a wrap or slap on some whole wheat bread. You could also be extra healthy and serve this on top of a bed of greens or eat as lettuce wraps.

Asian vinaigrette
3 to 4 servings
Courtesy of the father-in-law

2 tbs seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dijon mustard
S&P to taste
few drops of soy sauce to taste

Directions
Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste with S&P and soy sauce. Vinaigrette should taste fairly acidic and salty since they have to dress and flavor the greens. Make sure after you clean your greens they are dry and not wet so the dressing can adhere to them.

This salad was quite tasty and made for a healthy, delicious light dinner. I love finding recipes that make you feel like you're actually eating something healthy. While I do love a good mac 'n cheese, I hate the bloated after effects and the food coma that follows. I really enjoyed the flavors in this dish and it was a little spicy from the cayenne too. I made this salad a few hours in advance so the flavors could marry together and it tasted even better the next day. Since you can make this dish ahead of time, it would be a great dish to serve to company or take to a potluck.

This was my first time cooking quinoa and it cooked up in no time at all. If you've never had quinoa before, it has the same consistency as couscous and is very nutritious, full of protein and gluten free. The original recipe called for barley but I only had quinoa in my pantry, so that's what I used. But I bet this would taste even better with barley or farro since they have a nice crunchy and nutty consistency. Since the quinoa is very soft and the vegetables were roasted, everything was pretty mushy so I added a 1/4 cup of diced jicama and cucumbers for some crunch - just in case you substitute with quinoa like I did.


Mediterranean Eggplant and Quinoa Salad
Makes 2 large servings (main course) or 4 (side dish) servings
Adapted from Epicurious

3/4 lb eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 oz zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chopped scallion
3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or adjust to taste
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup roma tomatoes – seeded and cut into1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, rinsed and drained if desired
1/2 cup bell pepper cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled feta or ricotta salata

Directions:
Roast eggplant and zucchini: Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
Toss eggplant and zucchini with oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl, then spread in shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pans. Roast vegetables in oven, stirring occasionally until vegetables are golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total. Combine vegetables in 1 bowl and cool.
Cook quinoa: Heat 1 tablespoons oil in a heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook scallion, cumin, coriander, and cayenne, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add quinoa and cook, stirring until well coated with oil, 2 minutes more. Add broth bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all of liquid is absorbed for about 15 minutes.
Make dressing and assemble salad: Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add quinoa, roasted vegetables, and remaining ingredients along with cheese to bowl with dressing and toss until combined well.

Do ahead: Salad can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Return to room temperature before serving.

Now that spring is officially here, it's time to say goodbye to comfort food and hello to light and healthy cooking - let's hope. On my way home from work I picked up a couple of heirloom tomatoes along with some fresh mozzarella and made this salad. It's amazing how fresh ingredients can take a simple dish from good to GREAT. When you're making a dish that uses such few ingredients, you really should use the best you can afford. A fruity extra-virgin olive oil and good aged balsamic vinegar are a must. For this dish I used some of my fancy balsamic vinegar that I have hidden in the back of my cupboard. Using really good balsamic vinegar makes all the difference in the world. I'm not talking about the stuff you buy at the grocery store, but the thick, rich, syrupy kind you spend some bucks on - and for this salad my friends, it was a special occasion.

If you've never seen or tasted an heirloom tomato before, they are rather ugly looking but don't let their appearance turn you off. Despite getting beat with an ugly stick, these babies are much more flavorful and juicy than your regular supermarket tomato. Since they're so rich in flavor they can be a bit expensive too - but it's worth the splurge. Consider them the BMW's of tomatoes :) I only bought two from the store but lagged a bit from when I brought them home versus when I actually made the dish. Therefore, one of the little guys was looking the tiniest bit scary - okay maybe it was smelling a little rancid - so lobster made me throw it away....DAMN HIM!! But the other one was delicious and fulfilled his heirloom tomato destiny and we had a delicious salad before dinner.


Heirloom Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil Salad
One fresh ball of mozzarella (usually packed in water)
Good aged Balsamic Vinegar (Fattoria Estense Balsamic Vinegar of Modena from Sur La Table)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Marca Verde il Classico from Sur La Table)
Fresh basil leaves

Directions
Slice tomatoes 1/4-inch thick, brush with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Slice cheese into 1/8-inch rounds and season with S&P. Use one large basil leaf per tomato slice. For plating start with tomato then cheese then basil overlapping them a bit. Continue until all ingredients are used up. Drizzle all over with balsamic vinegar.

I love making dishes that I've never tried before and this one seemed like an interesting combination of flavors. I knew it would be sweet and salty and that's always a winner in my book. The sweet watermelon and salty feta compliment each other very well and make the salad very refreshing. The colors on the plate are gorgeous and would be a great starter when you have company over. Impress your next guests and serve this salad.


Watermelon, Arugula, and Feta Salad
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
2 servings

• 2 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbs minced shallots
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 2 tbs good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups baby arugula, washed and spun dry
• 1 cup seedless watermelon, rind removed, and cut in 1/2-inch cubes (watermelon should be cold)
• 2 ounces good feta cheese, crumbled (I used Greek feta)
• 2 tbs whole fresh mint leaves, julienned

Directions
Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If not using within an hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator.
Place the arugula, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Taste for seasonings and serve immediately

**When I tasted the vinaigrette it seemed a little bland but when tossed with the salad it was perfect

Today marks my 100th blog entry! Wow, I can't believe I've made 100 different dishes. Now I don't feel so bad when I look at my long laundry list of recipes I have yet to attack. So to celebrate, I made a recipe that I've had my eye on for a while now and what better occassion then for my 100th blog post. Ooooh and let me tell you, this dish did not disappoint. It was GOOD! So good in fact that it's going to be classified under NuM NuM, which is the hall of fame of the NuM Num - just in case you were wondering.

The inspiration for this meal came from a dish that lobster and I love eating at a restaurant near our house. The exotic spice mixture used in this recipe makes the meat so flavorful. There's a nice suprise at the end of each bite from the cayenne which gives a little heat in the back of your throat which is unexpected and makes it so fun to eat. This smelled sooooo good when I was grilling it on the dalmation. The smell alone had me hooked! We stuffed the meat into pita pockets along with some greek salad, grilled zucchini, and topped it off with tzatziki sauce. Each bite was loaded with a melody of flavors and it was THE BOMB! The lobster enjoyed this equally as much. After the first bite he said, "damn that's good!" I'm so glad I made a lot since we have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow. You know its NUM when you can't wait to eat leftovers the next day.

**The salad was really good too. I could've just ate that on its own.


Kefta and Zucchini Kebabs
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine in 1980
4 servings

For zucchini:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil (we used about half of this)
2 medium zucchini (1 1/4 lb total), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Prepare zucchini: Whisk together lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and oil in a large bowl and stir in zucchini slices. Marinate at room temperature while making meatballs.
**We seasoned the zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper

For kefta (meatballs)
2 slices firm white or wheat sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 lb ground turkey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg white

Make meatballs: Cover bread with water in a bowl and soak 10 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of bread to remove as much excess water as possible and put in bowl of food processor. Add onion, herbs, bread crumbs, salt and spices and pulse until finely chopped. Place mixture in bowl with meat and egg white and mix with hands until well blended. Form turkey mixture into logs and put on skewers. If meat feels too flimsy and won't stay on the skewer broil instead of grilling.

Grill zucchini and turkey on oiled grill rack, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.


Greek Salad
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
2 servings

• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved OR cut and remove seeds of vine
ripened tomatoes into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 red onion, sliced in half-rounds
• 1/4 pound greek feta cheese, (crumbled)
• 1/4 cup total of parsley and mint, chopped
• Romaine lettuce, chopped

For the vinaigrette:
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I always end up adding 1/4 tsp more)
• 1/8 cup good red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I add just a sprinkle more)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 cup good olive oil

Directions
Place the cucumber, tomatoes red onion and herbs in a large bowl.
For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta and olives and toss lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Just before serving toss with lettuce and more dressing. Serve at room temperature


Stuffing the pitas: Cut each pita in half. Once the turkey is done cooking, slice each log in half and slice each half lengthwise so the pita is easier to stuff. Add the salad, grilled zucchini, tzatziki, opened wide and scarf it down.

Since it was BLAZING hot today I thought I'd make a refreshing salad for dinner. I was originally planning to make shabu-shabu tonight but I could just imagine lobster and I sweating over a steaming hot pot of water. Strangely I'm missing the cold days of winter since I have so many soup and stew recipes I still want to try.

Anyway, this salad is more of a throw everything you have in your fridge into your bowl kinda salad. BUT, the star of the dish was the dressing. It was light, garlicky :) and super tasty!! The best part is that it uses ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, so no extra trip to the grocery store es necessario.

Spring Pazanella
4 servings for a main dish, 6 for a starter
Adapted from here

1 baguette loaf
4-5 vine-ripened tomatoes
10 basil leaves
3 tablespoons of capers drained and chopped
1 bunch of asparagus
Few handfuls of mesclun mix

Vinaigrette
1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

For the vinaigrette combine first five ingredients ad slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Toss with rest of ingredients.

Cut bread into half inch cubes and toast in 425F oven for 5-7 minutes. Ideally you want the bread to brown on the outside but still be a little soft in the midle. It's okay if they get too crispy like croutons b/c the dressing will help soften them. Broil asparagus for 5-7 minutes depending on how crunchy you like them and then cut into bite size pieces.
Combine bread and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing and serve.

My favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette - 3 servings
from NuM NuM by nummm...

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp minced shallots
1/4 tsp salt; fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and taste for seasoning

Tonight was leftovers night. Lobster made us some sammies from our pumpkin meatballs and I made a turkey burger and this tomato feta salad. The salad was very refreshing and a nice compliment with the burger and sammie. It's so nice when you're able to make a meal and morph the leftovers into something completely different. I have also discovered a new love for burgers and will be making them more and more and more often :)


*The turkey burgers were based off this recipe.

Tomato Feta Salad - 20 servings
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

4 pints grape tomatoes, red or mixed colors
1 1/2 cups small-diced red onion (2 onions)
1/4 cup good white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 1/2 pounds feta cheese
Directions
Cut the tomatoes in half and place them in a large bowl. Add the onion, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley and toss well. Dice the feta in 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes, crumbling it as little as possible. Gently fold it into the salad and serve at room temperature.

Grilled panzanella – 6 servings

Good olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 large ripe tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes
10 large basil leaves
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1 red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
1/2 small ficelle or ciabatta, cut into 1-inch thick slices and sprinkle with parmesan cheese too

Directions

Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals. Brush the grilling rack with olive oil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
Place the cucumber, tomato, basil and capers in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss together. Set aside.
When the grill is ready, brush 1 side of the onion slices and the peppers with olive oil. Place them, olive oil side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Brush the other side with olive oil, turn them over and continue cooking an additional 4 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the grill and place on a cutting board. Slice the peppers 1/2-inch thick, separate the onion rings and add them both to the cucumber mixture.
Brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil and toast them on the grill until golden. Add them to the cucumber mixture. Pour the reserved vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss together. Serve warm.