Bean and Zucchini Salad with Fresh Mint and Toasted Pecans (vegan/vegetarian)

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living Everyday Food 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Serves 4

This is one of my absolute favorite salads and I’m ashamed to admit that when it’s on the table I really don’t wish to share it with anybody.  It is fabulous and it takes less than 20 minutes to make!  The combination of flavors (especially the lemon and mint) and textures (the creamy beans and the crunchy pecans) will make your mouth tingle. 

1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1¼ pounds zucchini, thinly sliced (about 2 medium)
1 can (about 2 cups beans) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
½ red onion, sliced very 
1 large bunch fresh baby spinach or kale leaves, rinsed well and spun dry
¾ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (use vegan Parmesan cheese to make this vegan)
¼ cup fresh mint, chopped

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, the lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Add the zucchini slices, onion, and beans and toss to coat.  Allow them to marinate while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Place the pecans in a dry skillet.  On medium heat, stir the pecans around until they become toasty and fragrant. Remove the pecans to a cutting board and coarsely chop.
Add the greens, the Parmesan and the mint to the zucchini/bean mixture.  Toss well and then top with the toasted pecans.  Serve.

Pow Pasta

Recipe from Alice's Kitchen

Makes 2 very generous servings

I bought some Pow Pasta (Red Lentil Rotini) and decided to give it a try with bits and pieces of things that I had in my fridge/pantry.  The hubster and I ate the ENTIRE dish in one sitting.  The pasta by itself seemed a bit gummy, but with all the lovely additions, we didn't notice.  Here's how I put this yummy dinner together.  (The measurements are approximate.)

1 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup Fennel Pistachio Pesto or regular pesto

2 cups baby greens

1/3 cup marinated artichokes, roughly chopped

¼ cup Spicy Pepitas

8 oz. box of Pow Pasta (red lentil rotini), cooked per package instructions

Put everything in a bowl and toss with the hot pasta.  The heat from the pasta will loosen the pesto and wilt the greens. 

Sautéed Portobello Mushrooms with Leeks and Greens Salad

Serves 4-6

Recipe by Scot Evans

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

If you are having a light main dish, such as fish, and need a substantial salad or if you want a vegetarian main salad for Meatless Monday, this will be a good choice.  We love the meaty texture of Portobello mushrooms.  The dressing can be made in advance.  The salad is quite pretty and would be perfect for a small dinner party.

For the Dressing:

2½ Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

¾ teaspoon sugar

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Salad:

2 large Portobello mushrooms caps, wiped clean with a damp cloth and cut into ¼ inch think slices

2 leeks (white and pale green part only), chopped, rinsed well and patted dry

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

½ cup vegetable broth or chicken broth

6 cups loosely packed mixed baby greens

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Place all dressing ingredients in a jar.  Place a lid on the jar and shake until the ingredients are blended well.  (Can be made in advance.)

Arrange the mushroom slices on a rimmed baking sheet.   Drizzle them with half the dressing.  Roast the mushroom slices in the oven for 10 minutes.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté the leeks for about 6 minutes or until lightly browned.  Add the broth and boil until almost all of the liquid is evaporated. Add the remaining dressing.

Mound the greens on a platter.  Fan out the mushroom slices over the greens and then top with the leek mixture.  Serve immediately.  (Full disclosure:  The picture shows the mushrooms on top and that’s because I made a mistake and put the leek mixture over the greens first and then put the mushrooms on, but it still turned out great.)

Nutritional Info:  (per serving)  123 calories; 61% calories from fat; 9 grams of fat; 74 mg of sodium

Chicken Milanese with Arugula or Spinach Salad

Serves 4**

Recipe from Everyday Food May 2008

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This is really good and worthy of company. Arugula is a delicious peppery green. When you bring it home, give it a good soak in cold water right away, spin it dry in your salad spinner and then place it in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. It’ll then be ready to go for salads or sandwiches. The bite of lemon, arugula, and onion cuts through the richness of these crisp chicken cutlets. Use baby spinach if arugula isn't available. You can skip step 3 if you buy chicken at Lost River Market & Deli that’s already thinly sliced, which makes this dish even more quick to prepare. I served these with potatoes I roasted in the oven at the same time I baked the chicken.

1 ¼ cups plain dried breadcrumbs 

¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup all-purpose flour or whole-wheat flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (From about ½ a lemon, cut the other ½ lemon into wedges for serving)

5 ounces baby arugula (Use baby spinach if arugula isn’t available.)

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss breadcrumbs and oil until well combined; spread on sheet. Cook, tossing once, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.

2. Place flour and eggs in separate bowls; season with salt and pepper. Place a rack on another rimmed baking sheet.

3. One at a time, place chicken breasts between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or bottom of a small heavy pan, pound until 1/2 inch thick.

4. Coat chicken on both sides with flour (shaking off excess), then dip in eggs (allowing excess to drip off); dredge in breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to adhere.

5. Bake chicken on rack, without turning, until opaque throughout, 10 to 15 minutes.

6. In a bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Add arugula and onion; toss. Top chicken with salad; serve with lemon wedges on the side.

**Note: The recipe says this makes 4 servings, but when the chicken breasts are pounded out (or even bought thinly sliced) the breasts fill up half a dinner plate. You could certainly cut the chicken in half crossways after they are cooked and get twice the servings. (Remember, a serving of meat should only be the size of a deck of cards.) This will save you calories and money!



Per Serving: (See Alice's note above) 590 Calories; 27 g fat (4.6 g sat. fat); 49.1 g protein; 35.9 g carb; 2.7 g fiber

Roasted Pear Salad

Recipe found at Epicurious by Ellen Ecker Ogden

The Complete Kitchen Garden

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

If you are looking for a perfectly lovely autumn/winter salad to serve special guests, this is it.  There’s the sweetness of the roasted pears, the crunch of the toasted nuts, the sharpness of the gorgonzola cheese and the tartness of the cranberries all dancing on the tongue in one bite.  Delish!!  All the ingredients can be found at Lost River Market & Deli.

4 firm, almost-ripe pears (Bartlett or Bosc), peeled, cored, and cut lengthwise

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

2 Tablespoons pine nuts or chopped walnuts

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon maple syrup

6 cups arugula or mixed salad greens

2 Tablespoons dried cranberries

1/4 cup fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Wedge of Gorgonzola cheese

Crisped Prosciutto, if desired (See directions below.)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. In a medium bowl, toss the pears, sugar, and butter. Arrange the pears in a single layer in a baking sheet. Bake, turning once, until the pears are barely tender, 10—15 minutes.

3. Dry roast the pine nuts in a skillet for 5 minutes, until toasty brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. In a large salad bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, mustard, and maple syrup. Add the arugula or salad greens and toss to coat.

5. Divide the salad onto four chilled plates. Arrange the roasted pears in a fan around the center, and sprinkle with the cranberries, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts. Scatter with petals from the calendula blossoms.

Crisped Prosciutto

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place slices of Prosciutto on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or fit a wire cooling rack into an edged cookie sheet, which allows air circulation and crisping on both sides of prosciutto in addition to catching any grease.  Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Break into shards.

Green Salad with Carrot-Ginger Vinaigrette & Candied Almonds

Recipe from The Best Light Recipe

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 6 to 8

Our family, including our 17-month old granddaughter, Sandrita, was invited to Bob and Debbie’s for a salmon dinner and I was asked to bring a salad.  Poor Bob is allergic to garlic, so I needed to find a delicious salad dressing that didn’t have garlic.  Then, I used the veggies I happened to have in my fridge for the salad.  I added mandarin oranges and candied almonds to the mix because my hubby loves those ingredients and because the dressing has an Asian flavor.  I made this salad in the time it took Granddaddy to read some board books to Sandrita.  As you can see by the photo, the salad turned out quite pretty. 

Carrot-Ginger Vinaigrette:

6 Tablespoons water

¼ cup peanut oil

3 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 ½ teaspoons minced shallot or red onion

1 ½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger (do not substitute powdered ginger)

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Shake all of the ingredients together in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.  The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 7 days; bring to room temperature, then shake vigorously to recombine before using.

Candied Almonds:

3 Tablespoons sugar

½ cup slivered almonds

Place sugar in a heavy skillet.  Melt over medium-low heat.  Add almonds and stir until golden brown and coated with the melted sugar.  Immediately pour onto a piece of foil to cool.  When cool, break apart into bite size pieces.  The candied almonds can be made in advance and stored in an air tight container.

Salad:

1 bunch green leaf lettuce

1 bunch baby spinach

8 mushrooms, sliced

1 can mandarin orange slices, drained

4 baby turnips, sliced (optional)

1 zucchini, sliced

Toss the salad ingredients together in a large bowl with the vinaigrette.  Sprinkle with the candied almonds.  Serve immediately.