Feb 20 2006
Salad
Archive for February, 2006
Feb 19 2006
Chicken and Asparagus Salad
This is from the cookbook “Quick from Scratch: Soups and Salads” (Food $ Wine Books/American Express Publishing, 1998)
Ingredients:
1 Lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 Cup plus 2 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
1 Lb. Asparagus, tough ends cut off and discarded
1 clove Garlic
2 Tablspoons Water
1 Cups Parsley leaves (about one bunch)
1 Tablspoon Lemon juice
1 head of Romain Lettuce or 2 Romain Lettuce hearts, torn
Directions:
Heat the broiler. In a glass dish, coat the chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Broil the chicken for 5 minutes. Turn and cook until just done, about 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board. When the chicken breasts are cook enough to handle, cut them into bit-size pieces.
Place the asparagus spears in the same dish that the chicken was cooked in without cleaning in between use. Toss the spears with 1 1/2 tablspoons of the oil and 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Broil the asparagus, turning occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes depending on the width of the spears – they should still have a slight crunch. Remove the spears from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, cut spears into 2-inch lengths.
In a blender, combine the garlic, water, parsley, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the remaining 1/3 cup of oil. Puree until smooth, scraping down the side of the blender with a spatula as necessary.
In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, chicken, and asparagus with the parsley dressing. Best if served immediatley, but can also be refrigerated and eaten a few hours later. Ifrefrigerating for later, add dressing right before serving.
Feb 18 2006
Biscuits
This recipe is from: J.P.’s Big Daddy Biscuits at AllRecipes
Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/3 Cup vegetable Shortening
1 Cup Milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 15 to 20 times. Pat or roll dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges begin to brown.
Yields 6-12 biscuits (depends on cutter used)
Feb 15 2006
Pine Nut Pasta
Spinach Alfredo:
Ingredients:
enough Spaghetti for 2 people (about a handfull)
1/2 a small Onion, diced
1 clove of Garlic, crushed
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
200 grams Cream
1/4 Cup frozen Spinach
1 Tablespoon grated Parmasan Cheese
1/8 Cup Pine Nuts
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Basil
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. In a large pan, defrost the spinach and cook off most of the water. Add onion and garlic and sautée in olive oil until onion is soft. Add cream and parmasan as well as oregano, basil, ans salt and pepper to taste. Let cook on medium-high until it has thicked a bit. In the mean time toast the pine nuts in a small skillet until slightly golden. Add to the sauce. Then, add the cooked and drained spaghetti to the sauce and mix. Remove from heat and serve immediatly.
Feb 10 2006
Avocado BLT
Ingredients for 4 Sandwiches:
8 slices of Wheat Bread
1 medium-small Avocado, sliced in slivers
8 slices of Bacon, cooked
4 slices of Gouda Cheese
1 Tomato slices into 4 rounds (or 8 thin rounds)
16 dill Pickle slices
2 leaves of Iceberg Lettuce
Mustard
Directions:
Toast bread to desired doneness. Spread mustard on each slice of bread. Layer 2 slices of bacon on each sandwich, followed by the slice of cheese, tomato, avocado, pickles (4 per sandwich), and top off with half a leaf of lettuce, folded to fit under the bread.
Vegetarian Version:
Replace the bacon strips with a vegetarian Bacon substitute, or remove all together and add alfalfa sprouts.
