Corn and Basil Salad with a little apology

No, I haven't forgotten about this blog, I just have been so busy I've hardly had the time to work on new recipes let alone blog them.

This little recipe is a combination of a few I've seen on TV and in cooking light magazine in recent weeks. The better half wanted me to come up with a "corn salad" to put with grilled Salmon or similar. Since I smoked some salmon on a bed of red onion and basil I figured taking those elements and bringing them to the salad would sort of "marry" the two items flavor wise. It worked and as the better half says "This must be one of your go to recipes". High praise indeed.

Corn and Basil Salad

• 2 1 lb bags frozen corn thawed and drained
• cooking spray
• 1 T butter
• 1/2 C loosely packed, chopped fresh basil
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 3 T red wine vinegar
• 3T evoo
• 1/2 t fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 t coarse ground sea salt

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray and add butter. Add corn and saute for about 5 minutes or until a few kernels begin to brown. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

In mixing bowl add corn and remaining ingredients. Toss lightly until all combined. Serve at room temp or cold.

Easy and Healthy...slide into the New Year

I have to admit that a lot of nights I don't have much time to cook, hell many not enough time to spend prepping for a meal.  When I do cook I always put on a little extra for two reasons.  If the kids have someone along extra I can feed them with no hassle.  The other is that the little extra can be for those nights I don't have time to cook and having a "left over" on purpose makes life easier.

New Years Day at my house has been steaks since I was a kid in MO.  Largely because my parents but a half-a-cow at a time and there were always ample steaks.  Even if it was below freezing my Mom would still be out there grilling for us in the carport to carry on the tradition.

Costco has these multi-pack rib eyes for a fraction of the cost of only a couple at a regular market. That makes it possible to feed the fam and still have an extra one or two for adding to salads to round out a lighter meal a day or so later.

One of our favorite combos around here is bleu cheese and steaks or bleu cheese and pears.  Putting both on the plate is pretty much taste heaven.    The dressing can varie but one of our regular favorites is one made with a barbecue sauce as the base.  Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce is our most favorite variety.  Add some greens, sliced pears and stilton (or gorgonzola as was the case for this salad) on one half the plate, then lightly warm the beef and thinly slice on the other half.  Drizzle with the dressing and you have some pretty tasty eats.

Raspberry Chipotle Salad Dressing

• 1/3 c Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
  
• 1/4 c olive oil
  
• 1/4 c red wine vinegar
  
• 1/4 t fresh cracked pepper
  
• salt to taste
  

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small jar, shake well until combined.  Taste and adjust salt as needed.

Iron Chef Bacon & "Layered Salad"

In my little corner of LA we like to party. Our street is pretty special in that you get more than a couple of us together and we wind up putting together a party. It has been like that for as long a I can remember. One of our favorites of the last few years is "Iron Chef Night". We work it out more than a few different ways. Sometimes we do themes like "Provence", English Pub, Thai etc.,. Other times we do ingredients like pumpkin, peaches or cinnamon. We get a lot of great food and then move into a really good time with the neighbors.

This weekend we can attribute our Iron Chef night to my cousin Paul (two doors up from me) for the ingredient. It started with a conversation over more than a few bottles wine after an evening at a local wine bar. When he was living back east in Jersey he and his roommates joked about "man candles" or candles with scents guys would appreciate more than the frou-frou florally stuff. Bacon was their number one candle idea. We got to laughing and decided Bacon had to be our next Iron Chef night ingredient. After all who doesn't like crispy, salty pork product?

I remember my Ma used to make at Thanksgiving all the time this layered salad that I just loved that included a lot of bacon in it. I remember it coming from the mid-70's, but it wasn't something we got much as only the two of us would eat it, my Pop and other Sibs didn't do cauliflower so it didn't make sense to make it unless there was a crowd or a special occasion with guests to help eat it up.

After looking at the original recipe, that was sadly missing quantities I figured I might as well update it a little. This was going to be for a competition so I had to make it a good one.

Mom's Layered Salad
2 inches chopped lettuce
next layer 1 small box of frozen peas
next fresh cauliflower cut into little pieces
next a layer of chopped bacon crisp fried or bacos
1/2 pkg Great Beginnings garlic salad dressing mix sprinkled over last layer
Layer of real mayonnaise over the top to seal. Refrigerate 24 hours. Toss before serving

Bacon Layered Salad

1 small head iceberg lettuce chopped
10 oz frozen peas - thawed and separated
1 small head cauliflower
1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
1 1/2 c grape tomatoes - halved
1 1/2 c bacon chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 c miracle whip
1/2 package 7 Seas Zesty Italian salad mix
1 1/2 t smoked paprika
fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 c chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Chop lettuce and put into the bottom of a straight sided bowl. Pour lemon juice over the lettuce and toss lightly to distribute. Add fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Cut Cauliflower into small florets. Toss with smoked paprika in a small bowl then spread in even layer over the lettuce. Sprinkle chopped parsley evenly over the cauliflower.

Add peas. Add layer of bacon bits. Sprinkle salad dressing mix over the bacon. Carefully spread the Miracle Whip over the top of the bacon. Arrange tomatoes cut side down. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Toss just before serving.

Make life easy.....use a mandolin for the thin onion slice layer

chop lettuce in bite sized pieces

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Couscous is an ancient style of pasta made from wheat very common to the Mediterranean and known by a lot of names. I see it repeatedly show up on FoodTV on different shows and used all sorts of ways, usually associated with Moroccan or Sicilian cooking. Finally after getting beaten over the head enough with its merit I started trying it in different things based on what I saw on Food TV.

Couscous is the easiest thing in the world to make. Pour boiling liquid on it. Cover it. Wait 5 minutes and you are done. No stirring, draining or watching hoping it doesn't boil over or burn. A stupid easy way to get carbs in your diet. While it sits and steeps you can get whatever else you want with it or in it prepped.

This recipe is inspired by a lot of the flavors of the Mediterranean but doesn't pay any particular allegiance to any particular one.

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

• 1 can chicken broth (vegetable broth if you are in a vegan mindset)
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 1/4 c couscous
• 1 T mint (2T fine chopped if using fresh)
• 1 T parsley (2 T fine chopped if using fresh)
• 1 T basil (2T chiffonade if using fresh)
• 1 c grape or cherry tomatoes - halved
• 1 c cucumber, quartered then sliced
• 1/2 c coarse chopped roasted red pepper
• 1/2 c sliced kalmata olives
• 4 green onions, tops included, sliced
• 1 lime, zest and juice.
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine broth, oil, garlic, and bay leaf in a small sauce pan. Cover and bring to simmer, simmer for 5 minutes covered to develop bay leaf flavor.

Combine couscous and dried herbage, if using fresh do not add now. Pour the hot liquid over the couscous. Cover. Let it steep 5 minutes, tightly covered until liquid is absorbed.

Once liquid absorbed uncover add lime zest and juice and fluff with a fork. Add any fresh herbs, the veg and fold in gently. Add fresh cracked black pepper to taste.

NOTE: as the broth and olives bring a salt element to the salad do not test for salt until it has rested at least an hour. At the end of the rest period flavors will have melded enough to test for salt, taste and adjust as needed. Serve or allow to sit until meal time. Can be served at room temp or chilled.

Really important, resist temptation to remove lid while steeping. Doing so you run the risk of losing moisture and having a dry chewy couscous.

Toss in any board juices with the veg as it is flavor you'll lose otherwise. Be very careful with the salting as too much and both the cukes and tomato will release too much moisture making the salad wet...and those vegs very funky rubbery.