ÔSIMPLE SPRING MEALSÕ
A lavish salad makes a tasty
satisfying meal, especially after a winterÕs worth of heavy starches. And, itÕs
never been easier with the variety of lettuces and vegetables at farmer markets
and grocers. Go ahead, think outside the box because anything can, and does go
well on a tasty bed of greens.
Here are a few of my
favorites:
Grilled Mushrooms,
Asparagus and leaf lettuce with goat cheese
¼ c hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 medium Portobello mushrooms,
no stems
1 bunch asparagus ends
trimmed
8 C mixed leaf or baby
lettuces
1 C mixed fresh herb leaves,
flat leaf parsley, chervil or dill
1 C cherry tomatoes, halved
4 Tbsp of a basic vinaigrette
dressing
8 Oz goat cheese cut into
wedges
In a large plastic bag shake
together hoisin sauce, vinegar, garlic and a pinch of salt & pepper. Add
mushrooms and marinate for 20 minutes. Remove & grill over med. heat 12-14
minutes until tender. Allow to cool and slice into ½ inch strips. While
mushrooms are marinating steam asparagus until tender drain & dry. Toss
lettuce, herbs and tomatoes with Basic vinaigrette. Serve up in shallow bowls,
top with asparagus, cheese wedges and mushrooms.
Roasted Beet and Cucumber
on Watercress
3-4 med. beets trimmed
scrubbed and quartered
5 Tbsp cold press olive oil,
plus more for drizzling
6 C watercress washed and
spun dry
2 C seeded diced English
peeled cucumber
1/3 C plain whole milk yogurt
1 Tbsp minced tarragon or
dill
2 T white balsamic or rice
wine vinegar
2 Tbsp drained small capers
Heat oven to 425. Line an
oven proof skillet with aluminum foil and place beets on foil. Drizzle with
olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with more foil and roast
35-40 minutes. Cool, peel and slice and place on bed of watercress. Toss
cucumber with yogurt, half the tarragon and a pinch of salt. Add olive oil,
vinegar, capers, pinch of salt and pepper and the rest of the tarragon to a
skillet, heat stir 30 seconds and drizzle warm vinaigrette over salad. Garnish
with cucumber and yogurt.
Tea Smoked Chicken with
fennel and watercress
1-1/2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
4 tsp light brown sugar
3 boneless skinless chicken
breast halves
4 Earl Grey tea bags
1 Tbsp uncooked white rice
2 bunches watercress or baby
arugula
2/3 C Greek yogurt of sour
cream
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped chives, more
for garnish
1 sml fennel bulb, trimmed
and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Rub on chicken sesame oil and
2 tsp sugar and let stand for 20 minutes. Heat oven to 400. Line lrg metal roasting
pan with heavy foil. Empty tea bags onto bottom, discard bags. Add remaining 2
tsp sugar and rice. Place pan over medium heat- when mixture begins to smoke,
remove. Place chicken on rack, cover tightly with foil. Transfer pan to oven
and cook 30-35 minutes. Let chicken stand in pan covered 5 minutes. Transfer to
a cutting board, cool then slice in ½ inch strips. Puree 1 bunch of
watercress with yogurt, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, chives, salt and pepper. Discard
tough watercress stems and mix in a large bowl with fennel. Stir together olive
oil, remaining lemon juice, and ½ tsp salt and toss with salad greens.
Arrange chicken on greens and top with watercress sauce and few grinds of
pepper and a few chives.
Salad is a wonderful
refreshing springtime meal on anyoneÕs menu. Experiment with your favorite
proteins, vegetables and lettuces- then enjoy! Till next time, Rebecca