Tossed Salad with Indian Spiced Chicken

I remember reading an article a few years ago stating that the average American family has about a dozen core recipes in its meal lineup, and repeats them, with a few variations, most of the time. At the time, I thought that would be awfully boring, but I've given more thought to it lately, as I haven't been making things I thought were interesting enough to post on the blog. Part of why I started writing this blog was to encourage myself to try new foods and techniques in the kitchen and it's worked, but lately I found myself in a culinary rut. Granted, this was after a summer of heavy travel when I had simply gotten out of the habit of meal planning and into the habit of pasta and veggie burgers. Now that some big life things have happened- Zach and I got married, I'm leaving my job to take some time off before the new job starts (a luxury I really do appreciate), I am ready to get the blog fired up again.

I thought I would start with a 'make the old new again' kind of recipe, turning Indian Spiced Chicken Bites into a meal but putting them on top of a tossed salad with an Indian spice dressing and serving it with warm pita. Is it the most magnificent thing I've ever made in the kitchen? Certainly not; but it was a quick, balanced meal that combines everyday ingredients with a few new tastes to add some excitement to a weeknight dinner.

Tossed Salad with Indian Spiced Chicken
Serves 2, easily doubled
Dressing based on this recipe

1/2 recipe Indian Spiced Chicken Bites
1/2 head romaine (or your preferred) lettuce, torn into pieces
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 C. raisins or chopped dried apricots

salad dressing (below)

- Toss all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl. Top with dressing and toss again. Serve.


Salad dressing (you'll probably have leftovers)

a bit of lemon zest
2T lemon juice
1/2t turmeric
1/2t cumin
1/2t coriander
1 small glove garlic, mashed into a paste
1/2t sugar
2t grated fresh ginger
chili paste to taste
salt to taste
1/4-1/2C light flavored oil

- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a wisk.

Salad Nicoise

I'm a bit afraid to jinx it by writing anything, but the weather in DC has been amazing lately. Sunny, warm but not hot, and the humidity is actually in a normal and not 'one step out of the house and even the straightest hair will frizz range.' I took the opportunity to get a head start on some baking this weekend as the windows were open and it wouldn't make the apartment insufferably hot and between that and the Olympics, by the time Sunday night rolled around, I really didn't want to do any cooking for dinner. I had picked up a copy of the The Flexitarian Table at the library and had been flipping through it during Olympic commercial breaks when I came across a recipe for Salad Nicoise. The point of the The Flexitarian Table is to give vegetarian and meat options for each of the dishes and for the salad Peter Berley suggests either tuna or cheese with this salad but since I actually like canned tuna (and am slightly ashamed to admit it) I went with the tuna option.

I think I like Nicoise salad so much because of all the contrasting flavors and textures. The crunchy beans and the warm potato, the smooth egg with the flaky tuna and the salty olives make it exciting and way more nutritious than a plain lettuce salad. It's also a great one plate meal since it has all the basics (veg., carbohydrate and protein) on the same plate. My only complaint is that there wasn't quite enough salad dressing but that was completely my own fault, as I decided to just make half the recipe and reduce the amount of oil, as I generally like my salads really lightly dressed. You might want to double the dressing listed below.

Salad Nicoise
Adapted from The Flexitarian Table
Serves 4 for dinner

For the salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and ripped up
4 small red potatoes
1/2 lb. green beans
4 eggs, hard boiled*
15-20 olives, nicoise if you can find them
1 can (6oz.) tuna, your favorite kind

For the dressing:
1 clove garlic
2 t. capers, drained
2 T. white wine vinegar
1/4 olive oil, your best
2 T. mustard
1/4 t. dried thyme
pepper

- Set a steamer basket in a small pot, add water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes and cut them into 1/2in. thick slices. Add the potatoes to the steamer basket and cook for 12 minutes, then put the green beans on top and cook for another 6 minutes.

- While the potatoes and beans and cooking, put all of the dressing ingredients into a blender and have at it, until the capers and thyme are well broken up. Arrange the lettuce on 4 plates.

- When the potatoes and beans are tender, drain them and return them to the pot, cooking for another minute or so to evaporate some of the water. Put the potatoes and bean into a bowl, add 2 T. of the dressing and stir to coat.

- Assemble the salad by arranging the potatoes, beans, olives, egg and tuna on top of the salad. Drizzle on the remaining dressing and serve.

*Peter Boyle gives the most perfect way to hard cook and egg so I will share it with you here. Put the eggs in a pan and add enough cold water just to cover them. Bring the water to a boil, wait one minute then remove the pan from the heat and cover for 11 minutes. Drain the water and shake the pan around (sort of like the eggs are doing the hula hoop) to crack the shells really well. Peter Boyle says to just peel them dry, but I think adding some cold water back to the pan and peeling them underwater makes it even easier. Your eggs will be perfectly cooked and the yolks will be a beautiful pale yellow. This method is definitely a keeper.

Salade avec Cerises, Fleurs et Fromage de Chèvre

Why the French title? Well, this salad of mixed greens, fresh cherries, flower petals, toasted almonds and goat cheese seemed too special to get just an ordinary title and French makes everything sound so much fancier and more 'culinary', doesn't it? The inspiration for this one was really just what I had on had in the house and it turned out so well, I wanted to post it right away. It does take a few more minutes than just mixing pre-bagged lettuce with a bottled dressing but the results are like comparing apples and oranges.

The greens are fresh and crisp and the cherries decadent. When you get a forkful with everything on it the flavors just pop- creamy cheese, tart cherry, crunchy almond and fresh greens. The flower petals don't have a very distinct flavor but they add such pretty color to the salad and would totally impress your guests if you decided to serve this as a first course. Recipe after the jump.

Salade avec Cerises, Fleurs et Fromage de Chèvre
Serves 1 for dinner

A few handfulls of fresh greens, washed, dried and torn into pieces
6 cherries
scant 1 oz. goat cheese (about a fifth of the normal US size log)
1 T. toasted almond slivers
3 calendula flowers, 1 whole, 2 with petals removed
Sweet balsamic dressing (recipe below)

- Put the greens in a large bowl. Cut three of the cherries in half and remove the pit. Cut the remaining cherries into fourths. Add cherries to greens.

- Use a fork to flake about 3/4ths of the goat cheese into the greens, reserve the rest. Toss the greens mix with the dressing and plate. Sprinkle the almonds, remaining goat cheese and calendula petals. Top with the whole flower and serve.

Sweet Balsamic Dressing
For dressing one salad

I don't measure ingredients for dressings because I hate to dirty a set of teaspoons for such a little thing. I've given approximate values here but the best thing to do it make it then taste it and decide if you'd like more of any one ingredient.

1/2 t. balsamic vinegar
1 t. red wine vinegar
1 t. honey
1/4 t. dijon mustard
2 t. highest quality olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.

- Add everything but the olive oil to a bowl and wisk well. Add the olive oil and wisk again. The mustard should hold the oil in an emulsion and the dressing will get a little thick and opaque. Taste then add salt and pepper. If the dressing is too sweet, add more vinegar. Not sweet enough, add more honey. If it just won't come together (meaning the oil and vinegar don't want to get along) add a touch more mustard.

Quinoa Couscous Salad

Last night I needed to cook dinner but I also needed to get to the gym, desperately. I wanted to make something before I left that we could eat at room temperature when I got back. The protein was taken care of, or rather would be since Zach could put a piece of salmon into the oven while I was gone, so we just needed something to have on the side. I thought couscous, in a salad form, with some peppers that I nabbed from a catered event at work.

Once I got home I realized that the bag of Israeli couscous was nearly empty so I decided to make the salad with couscous and quinoa. Quinoa (keen-wah) is a grain originally from the Andes that has become sort of hip lately. It's very small and round and cooks quickly, plus is one of the most complete vegetarian protein sources out there. It doesn't have much of a taste on its own so its a good substitute for white rice or other starch, especially if you're looking for a bit more fiber and protein... but let me get back to dinner.

I rinsed the quinoa and started it cooking in enough water for it and the couscous (which I added part way through the cooking). While that was going, I sauteed some onion and then added red, yellow and orange bell pepper, which cooked just for a few minutes, so it would retain its color or texture. To dress the salad, I made a lemon vinaigrette. When the grains and pasta finished cooking (I left them a bit on the al dente side since they were going to sit for at least an hour before dinner) I mixed them into the veggies, added the vinaigrette, threw in some raisins for sweetness, then literally ran out the door to get to class at the gym.

When I got home the salmon was just coming out of the oven and the salad had cooled to room temperature. It was bright without being overly acidic and light- it would make a great lunch on top of some mixed greens. You could even add some chopped parsley (which I didn't have on hand) or feta (which I did have but forgot about) for some added color or flavor.

Quinoa Couscous Salad

For the salad:
1 C. quinoa
1 C. Israeli style couscous
1 small onion, diced
2 bell peppers, your choice of colors, cut into short, fat strips
2 t. herbs de provance
2 t. olive oil
2 handfulls of raisins

For the dressing:
Juice of one lemon
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. mustard
1 t. honey
1 t. herbs de provance
salt and pepper to taste

- Rise the quinoa (if your brand calls for it) and add it to a saucepan along with the recommended ammount of water to cook it and the couscous. (ex. my couscous calls for 2 C. of water per 1 C. quinoa AND the couscous needs 1 C. water for 1 C. couscous, so I added 3 C. water to the pan.

- Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover. Wait 4 minutes and then add the couscous and replace the lid. Set your kitchen timer to 9 minutes

- Meanwhile heat the olive oil for the salad in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it becomes translucent. Add the bell pepper and herbs and cook for another 2 minutes.

- While the onion and pepper cooks, wisk all the ingredients for the salad together.

- When the timer goes off, add the quinoa/couscous mixture to the veggies and pour the dressing on top and toss in the raisins. Mix well.

- Serve hot or at room temperature as a side or over some mixed greens for a light supper or lunch.