Posts Tagged by soy-free
Mushroom and Herb Polenta
| May 15, 2013 | Filled under Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta, Rice, & Grains, Vegetables |
We’ve been eating vegetarian a few times a week and I’ve been experimenting with satisfying, simple, meatless meals. I’m not a vegetarian by any means, but I enjoy eating meatless meals quite often, especially when those vegetarian meals are cheesy, herb-filled comfort meals like this mushroom and herb polenta.
This recipe is adapted from ‘Plenty‘ by Yotam Ottolenghi. Famous for his famous London food shop ‘Ottolenghi’, he became renowned for his innovative vegetarian offerings. This cookbook is full of ‘vibrant vegetable recipes ‘ that are globally inspired and full of flavour. The recipes are accessible and easy to follow with interesting stories about his inspirations and beautiful photography for each recipe. It’s one of my favourites in my vast cookbook collection.
Mushrooms are so satisfying and the perfect meat substitute. You can use any mushrooms you like, and play around with the herb combinations too. I’ve used basil and parsley before, and played around with the proportions of the herbs. The options are limitless. Taleggio melts so amazingly and has a rich, salty flavour so perfect in this dish. Because Taleggio can be quite salty, it’s a good idea to add salt sparingly to the polenta.
I love that this dish is elegant enough to serve as a vegetarian main course for guests yet simple enough for a weeknight meal – perfect vegetarian eating that’s decadent and delicious.
1. Add half olive oil and half the mushrooms to pan
2. Fry a few minutes until just browned – don’t stir too much
3. Slowly add 1/2 cup of polenta to simmering vegetable stock
4. Add garlic, rosemary, butter, Parmesan, salt and pepper to polenta and stir
5. Spread polenta in oven-ready dish
6. Top polenta with mushroom herb mixture
7. Top mushrooms with Taleggoio and place in broiler
8. Done when cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve hot.
Mushroom and Herb Polenta (adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi)
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 cups mixed mushrooms, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp chopped tarragon
- 1 Tbsp chopped thyme
- 1 Tbsp truffle oil
- 2 ¼ cups vegetable stock
- ½ cup instant polenta
- 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 3 oz Taleggio cheese (rind removed), cut into 3/8” slices
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Pre-heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half olive oil and half the mushrooms to pan, and fry for a few minutes until just cooked, about 5 to 6 minutes. Don’t stir too much to get more golden brown bits. Remove mushrooms from pan and place in a bowl and set aside. Repeat with remaining olive oil and mushrooms. Remove pan from heat and add first batch of mushrooms back to pan. Add two-thirds of the garlic, and all the tarragon, thyme, and truffle oil. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Bring vegetable stock to boil in a medium saucepan and reduce to simmer. Once simmering, slowly pour in polenta, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cooking time will vary depending on brand; polenta is done when it leaves the sides but is still runny. Remove from heat.
- Preheat the broiler. Add Parmesan, butter, rosemary, and chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread polenta in oven-ready dish and top with mushrooms. Top mushrooms with Taleggio and place under broiler for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve hot.
Brie Pear Walnut Honey Flatbread
| April 18, 2013 | Filled under Sides, Snacks & Appetizers, Soup & Sandwiches |
Sweet, salty, gooey, and crunchy. This flatbread has a combination of ingredients that are delicious on their own, but when combined, are pure heaven.
This recipe is an adaptation of a popular menu item from a little brunch place in Little Italy/Portugal in Toronto called Saving Grace. It’s been years since I dined there, way before I realized I was gluten-intolerant, but I still remember the brie, pear, walnut and honey on toasted baguette. The blend of flavours were so perfect and I wanted to recreate a gluten-free version to enjoy at home. I’ve made this a flatbread here but this would be great on your favourite gluten-free bread too. Bonus, it’s super fast to whip up and fancy enough to be an appetizer, especially when served with a chilled sparkling wine. A sweet way to start summer.
Pear Brie Walnut and Honey Flatbread (makes 1 flatbread)
Ingredients
- 1 brown rice tortilla from Food for Life
- 6 pear slices
- 6 slices Brie cheese
- 12 walnut halves
- 2 teaspoons honey, plus extra for drizzling
- Arugula leaves for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Lay brie and pear on flatbread in a circular pattern, alternating the brie and pear pieces. In a small bowl, toss walnuts and 2 teaspoons of honey until walnuts are coated. Sprinkle walnuts on top of brie and pear. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown and brie is melted. Garnish with arugula leaves and additional drizzle of honey.
Grilled Zucchini with Herb Dressing
| April 15, 2013 | Filled under Salads, Sauces & Dips, Sides, Vegetables |
Here’s an easy side for your next barbecue or weeknight dinner. This flavourful herb-filled dressing, which is a cross between pesto and salsa verde with a hint of Caesar dressing, is versatile and great on grilled vegetables, chicken, steak, or fish. The best part is that everything for the dressing gets tossed into a food processor or blender and it’s ready with the touch of a button.
Grilled zucchini reminds me of summer barbecues in my parent’s backyard with my dad at the grill and my dog Pucci on a lawn chair in the shade.
Zucchini is low in calories and high in nutrients like potassium, folate, and vitamin A. Most of the nutrients are in the skin so make sure to leave the skin on. Zucchini is also great fried in a Gwenyth Paltrow inspired pasta, and in these amazing vegan chocolate chip muffins. But I really love zucchini best when it’s grilled and simply dressed with this minty pesto dressing. Hope you enjoy.
Grilled Zucchini with Herb Dressing (serves 3 to 4 as a side)
Ingredients:
- 2 medium zucchinis, cut diagonally into 1/4″ slices
- Non-stick cooking spray or canola oil
- Parmesan cheese shavings (omit for vegan version)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional, omit for vegan version)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Special Equipment: Blender or food processor, grill pan/outdoor grill
Directions:
- Preheat grill pan to medium-high heat. When pan is quite hot and almost smoking, spray with non-stick cooking spray or lightly brush pan with oil. Lay slices of zucchini onto grill pan in a single layer, and cook about 2 minutes each side, or until zucchini has charred grill marks. Remove from pan and place in serving dish. Repeat with remaining zucchini.
- Meanwhile, place dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend. Set aside. Add more olive oil if too thick and blend. Spoon over grilled zucchini and sprinkle with Parmesan shavings, drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.
PS – I don’t have access to an outdoor grill but if you have one, I would totally recommend using it for grilling instead of a grill pan indoors. Unless it’s raining or snowing, both of happened last week.
Guacamole with Pomegranates
| April 10, 2013 | Filled under Fruits, Sauces & Dips, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetables |
Are you thinking ‘What the what?! Pomegranates in guacamole? This Chinese girl from Canada is crazy.’ Seriously, I don’t blame you but I swear this is the real deal. I’ll always remember my first authentic Mexican meal after moving to Arizona at Barrio Cafe in Phoenix, where they made fresh guacamole right at our table. The waiter wheeled out a little cart with cut up limes, cilantro, jalapeno, and fresh avocados and smashed them together in a stone mortar and pestle. And just when I thought he was done, he mixed in some fresh pomegranate seeds. That, my friends, was when my mind was officially blown away.
Once I fully comprehended what had just happened, I tried the fresher than fresh guacamole on warm just-fried corn tortilla chips and died. Died and went to taste heaven. In fact, my taste buds did the Three Amigos Salute as the sweet pomegranates blended perfectly with the sour lime juice, sharp red onion, creamy avocado, and salty chips for the ultimate bite. I don’t remember what I had for my main as the rest of the night became a blur of tequila shots, but I do recall our friends losing their minds over the churros and goat’s milk caramel. At least I’ll have the memories of the guacamole for the rest of my days.
Barrio Queen is the sister restaurant located in Old Town Scottsdale. They add dried apricots to the guacamole there.
This guacamole is great for dipping tortilla chips into, or topping onto some yummy fish tacos, or even on top of a corn and black bean salad. Besides being delicious, avocados are full of healthy things like good fats, fiber, and have more potassium than bananas. Pomegranates are full of anti-oxidents and other good stuff. Plus they’re pretty. Whenever I make this guacamole, it feels like I’m in Arizona all over again. Hope you enjoy.
Guacamole with Pomegranates (serves 2)
- 1 medium ripe Hass avocado, cubed
- 1 Tbsp Spanish onion, finely diced
- 1 Tbsp finely minced coriander/cilantro
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- Pinch of cayenne or chili powder (optional)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)
- Salt to taste
- 2 Tablespoons fresh pomegranate seeds
Combine all the all the ingredients except for pomegranates into a bowl and mash with a fork. Serve chunky or smooth. Stir in pomegranate seeds and serve immediately with tortilla chips.
If serving later, place the pit of the avocado in with guacamole and cover to prevent avocado from turning brown.
Baked Salmon with Turmeric and Onions
| April 3, 2013 | Filled under Fish & Seafood, Indian, Main Dishes |
This recipe is full of flavour thanks to the tasty blend of turmeric, hot mustard powder, and rice wine vinegar. I have my mother-in-law to thank for introducing me to this delicious dish. Her version involves pickling the onions, which really enhances the tastiness of this dish. However, it’s a little time-consuming for weeknight cooking so I’ve simplified her recipe to create a throw-together weeknight version.
I try to marinate the fish for at least 30 minutes while I prep my side dishes or putter around, but in a pinch, you can totally throw it in the oven right away. The sauteed onions add some serious kick in the flavour department. We have this with rice and simple sauteed vegetables to round out a simple home-cooked weeknight meal that’s light and healthy. Bonus, turmeric has been link to health benefits like liver detoxification and Alzheimers prevention. Read more about it here. Thanks to my mom-in-law for all her yummy home cooked meals. She’s super thoughtful and always makes our favourite meals when we are in town, and goes to great lengths to make sure I have lots of gluten-free options. I’m pretty lucky.
Indian Spiced Baked Salmon (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon hot mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoon rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 2 salmon filets
- Salt and pepper
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- ½ white onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Directions:
- In a small bowl, combine mustard powder, turmeric and vinegar. Whisk together to create a paste. Place the salmon filets on a small tray or plate and spread a thin layer onto each salmon filet, about ¼ teaspoon each. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes up to 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degree. Place salmon on a foil-lined pan with coated with non-stick cooking spray (or thin layer of canola oil). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness and size of salmon.
- Meanwhile, heat a non-stick wok or frying pan to medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of canola oil to pan and add onions and garlic. Turn heat down to medium and sauté for 5 minutes or until onions are softened and golden brown and fragrant. Add remaining mustard paste to onions until onions are evenly coated, about 30 seconds (no longer as the spices will become bitter). Remove from heat. Divide onions and place on top of cooked salmon before serving.
Fruit and Coconut Water Smoothie
| March 31, 2013 | Filled under Breakfast, Drinks, Fruits |
It’s officially spring and I’m feeling the urge to lighten up, especially after a weekend of epic Easter eating. It’s time to bust out the blender and get my shake on.
My go-to version is mixed berry and mango, but just about anything you like would probably work too. To give my fruit smoothies an extra boost, I use Blue Monkey 100% natural coconut water which doesn’t have any added sugar or preservatives. Coconut water has natural electrolytes and other good stuff. Learn more about the benefits of coconut water here. Perfect as a snack or a breakfast on the go. Happy Spring!
Fruit and Coconut Water Smoothie (serves 2)
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- 1 mango, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup Blue Monkey Coconut water
Combine frozen berries, mango, and coconut water in a blender and blend. Add more coconut water if too thick. Pour and serve.
Mexican Lamb Adobo
| March 17, 2013 | Filled under Main Dishes, Meat, Sauces & Dips, Southwestern |
Most of my recipes are fast, accessible, and light. But every once in while, I like to enjoy a deeply rich meaty stick-to-your-ribs caveman type of meal. The kind of meal that has you leaning back in your chair in a satisfied adobo sauce-incuded stupor.
I used to live in the mecca for Mexican food in Scottsdale Arizona. And instead of learning to cook great Mexican food, I went to great Mexican restaurants. A lot. Like all of them. There wasn’t a nacho in sight that didn’t get eaten. And in my non-stop eat-fest, I gained a true appreciation of how awesome and diverse Mexican food can be.
On a memorable visit to Sedona, D and I stopped in at one of my favourite Mexican restaurants, Elote Cafe, and after a three-hour wait and many margaritas later, we got to enjoy lamb adobo for the first time. My mind was blown. Meat so tender that it was falling off the bone, drenched in a sauce with a complex meld of flavours, a little smoky, sweet, sour, salty, perfect for being sopped up with corn tortillas. Is your mouth watering yet?
Quickie about Sedona: Aside from Elote Cafe, Sedona is known for having 4 vortexes, these energy sources. Read more about it here.
After returning to Toronto and wanting to recreate some of those authentic Mexican meals, I wanted to make that lamb adobo from the Elote Cafe cookbook (the best Mexican cookbook bar none). That’s when I realized I needed an education in chiles.
The recipe calls for three types: ancho, guajillo, and pasilla. So off I went to my local market to the Latin specialty shop looking for fresh peppers, only to discover that the chiles I needed were actually dried. The kind shop owners were eager to help me find my chiles, even writing down the names of the peppers on the little plastic bags so I’d be able to figure out which was which when I got home.
If you live in Canada, you probably won’t find these chiles in your local grocery store. I found this online store that ships all the chiles and spices needed for this recipe. Once you hunt down the necessary ingredients, the process for making this braised dish is actually very simple. Boil sauce ingredients and blend. Brown the meat (the most important step), then add the sauce, cover and bake in a dutch oven for 2.5 to 3 hours. Garnish with fresh cilantro and radishes, and enjoy with rice or corn tortillas, picked onions and a fresh salad.
I considered adjusting the recipe, to substitute more easily accessible ingredients for the chiles, but I decided to keep the recipe as legit as possible and keep my adaptations to a minimum. Sure you can swap out the dried chiles for chile powders, or swap out the lamb for your favourite cut of meat, but I figure that will happen anyway. Recipes always have a way of morphing and evolving in different kitchens. I love how friends and readers who try my recipes add little tweaks here and there to suit their taste buds – your comments are great so please keep them coming.
PS – That is our friend Donkey, a mini pinata that we like to put out on our table whenever we enjoy Mexican food. He’s totally kitschy and silly but he makes everyone smile. Well, him and the lamb adobo.
Mexican Lamb Adobo adapted from Elote Cafe Cookbook
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 Lamb shanks, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
Adobo Sauce:
- 12 garlic cloves
- 4 cups orange juice
- 3 dried ancho chiles, rinsed, stems and seeds removed
- 2 guajillo chiles, rinsed, stems and seeds removed
- 1 pasilla negro chile, rinsed, stems and seeds removed
- one 3″ stick of cinnamon
- 2 teasspoons fresh ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried cumin powder
- 2 Tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoons salt
Garnishes
- Radishes and fresh cilantro
Pickled Onions
- 1 cup red onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Place a medium sauce pan on medium high heat. Add garlic and toast until browned. Add remaining adobo sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes, when chiles are softened. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick and set aside. Cool slightly and puree until smooth.
- Combine all pickled onion ingredients together and set aside until lamb is ready, about 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large dutch oven on medium high heat, add canola oil. Add lamb shanks and brown all over, about 10 minutes. Be patient as this is the most important step. When they are well-browned, add adobo sauce and reserved bay leaves and cinnamon. Cover and bake for 2.5 to 3 hours (depending on the size of your shanks), turning the shanks after 1 hour. The shanks are done when the meat is falling off the bone and fork tender. Skim some of the excess cooking fat from the surface of the gravy with a spoon before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro, radishes, and pickled onions and serve with rice and/or corn tortillas.
Blueberry Buckwheat Waffles
| March 4, 2013 | Filled under Breakfast, Desserts, Fruits, Kid-Friendly |
I live for my weekends. For me, nothing could be more wonderful than sleeping in, snuggling under my pile of blankets. If I could be a fairy tale character, I would be cross between Sleeping Beauty who slept for 100 years and the Princess and the Pea, where I sleep under a million blankets instead of on a million mattresses. I was not born a morning-person by any means – I get up fairly early during the week and cherish every minute of extra sleep I can afford on the weekends. And as much as I enjoy heading out for brunch, I really prefer lazily waking up to make a delicious breakfast while still in PJs. So much so, that I invested in a waffle maker.
While pre-made frozen gluten-free waffles are convenient weekday breakfast solutions, weekends are for busting out that waffle maker. Since going gluten-free, I have experimented with numerous GF pancake and waffle baking mix and most have been pretty good and some great. However, being able to create golden crispy waffles from scratch feels so much more satisfying.
My waffle maker is by VillaWare and I scooped it up on Amazon a few years ago (mine’s an older model). It has plates that are dishwasher safe and removable so you have the option to make traditional Belgian round waffles or the heart-shaped ones (PS I am a sucker for all heart-shaped foods). It also has browning controls, on/off ready to bake lights, and beeps when the waffles are done. The generous spill troughs also mean I haven’t ever had overflow. Although I invested in a fancy-ish waffle maker, you don’t need to spend a lot to have homemade waffles.
Also, you can totally transform this into a dessert by adding some ice cream, chocolate sauce, and all the fixings for a sundae. Or put a scoop of ice cream between two pieces of waffle hearts for a waffle ice cream sandwich. Playing around with the fillings also transforms this into a breakfast/dessert type of meal. A world of waffle-y goodness awaits.
This recipe was adapted from the fabulous BabyCakes Covers the Classics cookbook - Erin McKenna’s second book (highly recommended if you are looking for gluten-free vegan versions of retro 50′s desserts like snickerdoodles, whoopie pies and sticky honey buns). I’ve always been a fan of buckwheat waffles and pancakes so I adapted her waffle recipe and added some blueberries. This recipe yields a pretty big batch of 10 to 12 waffles, which in our house is enough for a substantial breakfast and more to reheat during the week. A sprinkling of powdered sugar and some pure maple syrup is my preferred way of enjoying these waffles, ideally with some Motown playing in the background.
What’s your weekend breakfast like?
Blueberry Buckwheat Waffles adapted from BabyCakes Covers the Classics
Makes 10 to 12 waffles
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 1/2 cup soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 3 Tablespoons agave nectar
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- Powdered sugar and pure maple syrup to serve
Special Equipment: Waffle maker
Directions:
- Preheat waffle maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Spray with canola oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. Add milk, agave nectar, vanilla, and stir until combined. Fold in blueberries.
- Pour 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup batter into waffle maker and bake to desired doneness. Repeat with remaining batter, spraying with oil between batches. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.
Emily’s Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
| February 18, 2013 | Filled under Soup & Sandwiches, Vegetables |
It’s kind of cold out there these days with no signs of an early spring despite what the groundhogs predicted. You know the cold I mean right? The kind where your organs feel like they’re shutting down and liquids in your eyeballs feel like they’re freezing over. On days when there’s a wind chill factor, nothing but a hot soup will do - a comfort food to warm your belly and other internal organs.
This recipe is an old favourite that my fabulous sister-in-law kindly shared with me years ago and it’s now a part of my family’s recipe repertoire. Perfect for cozy nights at home yet fancy enough to serve on special occasions. Hope you enjoy as much as we do. Thanks Em!
PS – I realize that ‘turmeric’ is misspelled on my spice jar. Spelling is not my strong suit and there is no spell check on my label maker. Oh well.
Emily’s Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 butternut squash (about 1 1/4 lb) peeled, halved, seeded, and coarsely chopped (about 6 cups)
- 3 large carrots peeled and coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
-
1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce (optional)
- 6 cups vegetable stock or water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon water
-
1/2 cup plain yogurt (for vegan, use dairy-free)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 Tbsp fresh chives, diced
- 1 Lime cut into wedges
Equipment: Blender, or handheld immersion blender
Directions:
- In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add onion and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add squash, carrots and saute for 10 min. Add the paprika, cumin, turmeric and coriander and continue to saute for 10 min.
- Add the stock or water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the squash and carrots are soft. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Working with 2 cups at a time, place soup in a blender and puree on high until smooth and light. As each batch is pureed transfer it to a large saucepan. If using immersion blender, puree soup directly in pot. If soup is too thick, thin with a little water. Should have the consistency of heavy cream.
- To serve, place soup over medium-high heat and warm to serving temperature. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a small bowl whisk the water and the yogurt until smooth. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt, fresh cilantro, chives and fresh lime wedges.
Tuscan Kale Salad with Currants and Parmesan
| January 7, 2013 | Filled under Italian, Salads, Sauces & Dips, Sides, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetables |
Have you ever ordered something in a restaurant and swooned with every delicious mouthful? And then wondered how they made it so delicious, even long after the meal was over. I bet that you have experienced this feeling, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t over a salad. Now I like salad just fine, but I’m not one to get excited about them, normally that is. But then I ordered the ‘Cavolo Nero’ salad at Gusto 101 and lost it. I ate that salad so hard, with the gusto (sorry couldn’t resist) that I typically reserve for cupcakes or french fries.
The texture of the dark green bumpy leaves of raw lacinate kale (aka cavolo nero, Tuscan kale, or lacinato kale) becomes silky and velvety after marinating in the lemon vingarette, which softens the leaves. The currants add a lovely sweetness that goes perfectly with the saltiness of the parmesan shavings. Gusto 101 served the salad with pine nuts, but I’ve swapped them for sunflower seeds, perfect for those with nut allergies. I knew I nailed the recipe when D and I had this salad for dinner and it got gobbled up way before the perfectly juicy pan-roasted chicken and fingerling potatoes sharing the same plate. Buon appetito.
Tuscan Kale Salad with Currents and Parmesan (adapted from Epicurious)
Serves 4 as a starter or side
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons dried currants
- 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 bunch lacinate kale, centre ribs and stems removed, washed and dried (about 1 pound)
- 2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
- Parmesan cheese shavings
Directions:
- Place currants in small bowl and cover with two tablespoons white wine vinegar. Set aside.
- Lay several leaves of kale on top of each other and cut thinly crosswise. Add to a large bowl.
- Make vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine one teaspoon white wine vinegar, lemon rind, lemon juice, honey, olive oil and salt, and whisk. Add vinaigrette, sunflower seeds, and currents, including any additional vinegar left over from soaking, to the kale and toss to combine. Let marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature, tossing occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese shavings and serve.
Have you ever ordered something in a restaurant and swooned with every delicious mouthful? And then wondered how they made it so delicious, even long after the meal was over. I bet that you have experienced this feeling, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t over a salad. Now I like salad just fine, but I’m not one to get excited about them, normally that is. But then I ordered the ‘Cavolo Nero’ salad at Gusto 101 and lost it. I ate that salad so hard, with the gusto (sorry couldn’t resist) that I typically reserve for cupcakes or french fries.
The texture of the dark green bumpy leaves of raw lacinate kale (aka cavolo nero, Tuscan kale, or lacinato kale) becomes silky and velvety after marinating in the lemon vingarette, which softens the leaves. The currants add a lovely sweetness that goes perfectly with the saltiness of the parmesan shavings. Gusto 101 served the salad with pine nuts, but I’ve swapped them for sunflower seeds, perfect for those with nut allergies. I knew I nailed the recipe when D and I had this salad for dinner and it got gobbled up way before the perfectly juicy pan-roasted chicken and fingerling potatoes sharing the same plate. Buon appetito.
Tuscan Kale Salad with Currents and Parmesan (adapted from Epicurious)
Serves 4 as a starter or side
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons dried currants
- 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 bunch lacinate kale, centre ribs and stems removed, washed and dried (about 1 pound)
- 2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
- Parmesan cheese shavings
Directions:
- Place currants in small bowl and cover with two tablespoons white wine vinegar. Set aside.
- Lay several leaves of kale on top of each other and cut thinly crosswise. Add to a large bowl.
- Make vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine one teaspoon white wine vinegar, lemon rind, lemon juice, honey, olive oil and salt, and whisk. Add vinaigrette, sunflower seeds, and currents, including any additional vinegar left over from soaking, to the kale and toss to combine. Let marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature, tossing occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese shavings and serve.
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