Spiralized Cucumber Greek Salad

Today is Super Salad Sunday. I was recently given a vegetable spiralizer and have been experimenting with different ways to make some vegetables. The standard is zucchini noodles (zoodles), but I have yet to perfect them. So, I made something which would not require me to actually cook it.

This salad is incredibly refreshing, full of tangy flavor, and surprisingly not very time consuming to put together. I recommend you go for some higher quality ingredients (the olives, feta cheese and olive oil, in particular) because I think that those flavors really make this the stand out dish. It is good as a side, and if you put some protein with it (I have served it with grilled salmon), it can be an entree unto itself. 

What you will need:

2 medium sized cucumbers, unpeeled

1 green bell pepper, medium

1 small red onion (we will only use about 1/3 of the onion)

1 carton cherry tomatoes

1 lemon

mediterranean olives (I tried to find good olives which were already pitted, but alas, was unable to do so. These are from the olive bar at the local grocery store)

fresh tarragon leaves

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

I used the 1/8" blade for the cucumbers on this one. I also keep the skin on the cucumber because I find it gives it a little more crunch when the salad is composed. Run the cucumbers through your spiralizer--this is a very fun activity! You will get very long spirals; I tend to cut them with a knife.

Spread the cucumber on to a few paper towels and blot for a while to remove excess water as they tend to get a little drippy. I leave them on the towels and lightly covered while prepping the rest of the ingredients.

In a large glass (or other type of non-reactive) bowl, you will place the rest of your ingredients.

Slice your cherry tomatoes in halves, cut your green bell peppers into thin strips, and put in tiny dices or ribbons of red onion in a ratio that suits you. Add your olives (either pitted or unpinned--I tried using an olive pitter which was funny, but horribly frustrating and not particularly effective).

Once you get all your veggies in the bowl, take a few fresh tarragon leaves, tear them up roughly and rub them a little bit to release their oils, and drop them in. Squeeze your lemon in to give it some juice, drizzle some olive oil (a few tablespoons at most), and salt and pepper to taste. Toss all that together and let it sit for a few minutes. Then add your cucumber spirals, and toss again.

Mmmmm. It is very yummy.

When you are getting ready to serve the salad, set on individual plates, then take your feta cheese and slice a nice thick block off of it to place on top of each salad.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the feta, sprinkle a little more salt and pepper, and voila! Serve, and enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato, Burrata and Yogurt Salad

Last night, J planned an excellent date night. He took me to the local Publix Aprons Cooking School which is inside of the world's best grocery store, Publix. We were treated to a celebrity chef cooking demonstration/dinner by Harold Dieterle, the winner of Season 1 of Top Chef, my absolute favorite cooking show. I remember watching Season 1 religiously in my senior year of college, and Harold was always a stand out chef.

It seems as though Chef Harold has partnered with Chobani Greek Yogurt and themed the entire menu around its products. Publix's wine specialist did a great job pairing wines for us as well, and I left the dinner more than a little happy. We had a front row seat and we were not hungry when we left at all. The first course served to us by Chef Harold was an interesting twist on a Caprese Salad, and we all know how much I love that!! So, while still inspired and with ample time, I set out to see if I could recreate the deliciousness we had last night. The result? Obviously not as good as Chef Harold's but remarkably close!!!

Total Prep Time: 35 minutes
Total Cook Time: 15 minutes (for the fried shallots)

What you will need:

Heirloom tomatoes (3-4 of them, whatever varieties you prefer, just make sure they are nice and firm)

2 shallots, medium

5-6 leaves of fresh basil

4 oz. 4% Chobani Greek Yogurt

1 ball fresh burrata cheese (this was difficult to find--ultimately ended up at Whole Foods)

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Not pictured: a small dusting of flour and canola oil to fill a small frying pan

First, we will prepare the fried shallots, which is the garnish for this dish that gives it a nice bit of crunchy texture. Peel and slice ONE shallot into thin rings:

Separate the rings and lightly dust with flour.

Now heat canola oil in a small frying pan, deep enough to let the little shallots float:

You want the oil to get hot enough to where its shimmering, but not crackling yet. I turn the heat up pretty high (like on an 8) to get it where it needs to be, then lower to about a 6. Toss half of your shallots in the oil, and listen to the delightful frying sounds.

Let them cook for a few minutes, until they are delightfully brown and crispy, then remove on to a paper-towel lined plate. Cook your other batch and then set aside.

Next, cut your tomatoes into large wedges (eighths or so), and throw them in a large glass bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper to taste, then toss. You don't need a ton of juice (I got a little over exuberant and the next time I make this, I will probably cut back on the balsamic and oil).  Chef Harold explained that this technique is excellent for drawing some of the natural liquid out of the tomatoes to enhance the flavor and add even more juice to the bowl.

Chiffonade your basil (you can tear it into large chunks if you prefer--that was Chef Harold's method, but I like the more uniform look of a chiffonade) and throw it in as well. Then, mince half of the second shallot into a nice fine mince. J handled this part because he was very excited to use the technique he learned.

He cut the shallot in half so that it had a flat side, then made vertical, tiny slits almost all the way to the end. It's important not to cut the very end of the shallot, because that will keep all the pieces together. Then, he cut horizontally through the shallot as seen above. Next, he diced finely down the shallot.

Add the minced shallot and the basil to the tomato mixture, give another good toss, then set aside.

Now, let's talk about burrata. You know how fresh mozzarella is amazing? Burrata is like the love child of fresh mozzarella and heavy cream. It's a ball of fresh mozzarella with LIQUID CREAM inside. Burrata is great as its own appetizer with some olive oil and salt and pepper drizzled over it, served with crostini. But we're elevating the burrata right now.

That right there. It's full of cream. It's amazing.

Quarter the burrata and combine with 4 oz of the Chobani yogurt. Make sure you get all the good liquid cream that comes pouring out of the burrata into the bowl. Then add some salt and pepper to taste, and mix with your handy dandy immersion blender. You don't want it to become completely liquefied, but a relatively smooth consistency is great.

Chef Harold indicated that you could freeze this mixture and really elevate the dish, but I didn't have time for that tonight--I was too hungry. I stuck it in the fridge while I plated the tomatoes, then took it back out and spooned it into each dish. Top with the crispy shallots, serve and ENJOY!!!

Moules Marinieres

Happy 2015 to you all! I've been in quite a bit of a cooking rut recently, repeating a lot of dishes and relying on a lot of mixes. One of my resolutions for 2015 is to get out of the rut and think out of the "chicken breast and vegetable" mindset for dinners. Moules Marinieres is a good, EASY start which meets the primary goal of the Epicurean Esquire: Looks very impressive but is very simple. I am not giving you the recipe for the french fries here, but you can serve them with french fries or a crusty french bread, or even over a bed of pasta. 

The key to making moules is to make sure you get quality, fresh mussels. I have always been a bit leery of making shellfish at home (other than shrimp) because I have always been afraid that the shellfish I'm buying isn't as good quality as I would get in a restaurant. Luckily, I live near a quality seafood store, The Fisherman's Dock, which I have recently learned supplies a lot of the seafood used in the best restaurants in Jacksonville. I can see the loading dock where the trucks deliver fresh seafood every day, which is very reassuring. If you live in a coastal state, you should be able to find these types of dealers just as easily! And FYI--the seafood is NOT more expensive at these types of stores. The mussels I purchased for tonight's dinner were $3.99 a pound, which is less than chicken!

Total Prep Time: 30 minutes Total Cook Time: 15 minutes

What you will need:

2 lbs fresh mussels (try and buy them the same day you will eat them)
3 tbsp butter
1 shallot (not pictured here)
1 medium tomato
1/2 cup white wine
6 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tbsp the stuff in the jar)
thyme and fresh parsley to taste
salt, pepper and red chili flakes to taste

First you will need to rinse the mussels in cold water and scrub their shells to get rid of any grit. Most mussels that are sold nowadays are farmed and shouldn't be too dirty or gross, but giving them a quick rinse never hurt. You will also have to de-beard the mussel. Now you may ask...what is a beard? I've never noticed mussels running around with goatees like evil little hench-bivalves.

That little stringy thing hanging off the side of the mussel is its beard. It's a piece of muscle (on a mussel! Get it?!) which helps the mussel attach to a rock, but when you cook it, it becomes very tough. Some of your mussels will have retracted their beards into their shells and so you won't be able to de-beard them. However, if you notice this stringy thing hanging off the mussels when you clean them, you'll want to remove it. The way to remove them is to grip the beard between your thumb and forefinger, and pull back and away from the mussel, ripping the beard off. It can be tough, and that mussel will not want to let it go, but it's very satisfying when it pops off.

Next, dice your shallots and your tomatoes and set them aside. You want a fine dice.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and saute until they just begin to brown, and become very aromatic.

Next, add a few sprigs of thyme and some red pepper flakes. Once the mixture starts crackling, add the wine and bring back to a boil.

Once it's boiling, pour the mussels in and put the lid on the pot. After about 3 minutes, open the pot and stir the mussels to bring the ones on the bottom to the top. They should be starting to open. Replace the lid, and after another 2 minutes, put the tomatoes in, then immediately transfer to a large serving bowl with all of the liquid at the bottom of the pot.

You can add a bit of parsley if you have it on hand, but it's definitely not necessary. Serve with some delicious carb to soak up all of that juice. Then enjoy!

Tomato, Avo and Mozzarella Salad (Caprese Deluxe)

Happy New Year!!! For all of you who are trying to start 2014 off with healthier, lighter foods, this salad is for you (though the mozzarella doesn't help a ton). I love a good caprese salad, and I love avocado, so this just plumps up an old classic!!!

Total Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Total Cook Time: 0 minutes!! (it's a salad!)

What you will need:

1 package of baby spinach (I use the "mini" bags since the spinach isn't the star of the show and there are only two of us eating)

1 or 2 tomatoes (if your tomatoes are particularly small, use 2, but I recommend starting with just one and seeing if you want more)

2 balls of fresh mozzarella (I use the medium-sized balls fresh-packed in water)

1 hass avocado

2 large leaves of fresh basil (you can use dried too if it's handy)

good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegars

sea salt

black pepper

First, divide the baby spinach into two bowls (or however many people you are serving). It should just form a light bed. 

Next, dice your tomatoes in a large dice. The end goal will be for all of the components of the dish to be roughly the same size dice.

Now, cube your avocado.

Drain two mozzarella balls in a paper towel and cube to similar sizes of the avocado and tomato.

Place the avocado, tomato and mozzarella in the bowls on top of the spinach. Chiffonade* your basil so it's in tiny little ribbons:

*chiffonade: best way to cut basil or other fresh large leafed herbs. Stack the leaves, roll them up, then slice horizontally to create ribbons. Longer ribbons can be created by slicing lengthwise down the leaves.

Sprinkle on top of the salad, then drizzle olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper over to taste.

Serve, and enjoy!!!

Cucumber, Tomato and Dill Salad

Sometimes, you just want some crisp, raw vegetables with a bite. And this salad delivers. Plus, it's so easy to put together you don't really have to think ahead; just pull a couple of veggies out of the crisper and any well-stocked pantry will guide you home. 

Total Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Cook Time: 0 minutes!

What you will need:

2-3 salad cucumbers (always try and pick skinnier cucumbers, as they have smaller and fewer seeds)

6-7 cherry tomatoes (any tomato really works in this dish, just whatever you have on hand)

1/4 red onion (I omitted it because when I cut into it, it had already sprouted but I didn't miss it!)

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (not pictured)

2 tbsp white vinegar

sea salt, black pepper to taste

dill OR cumin (depending on what taste you want--it can also be fresh or dried dill, depending on what you have on hand)

This is super simple. Dice your cucumbers and tomatoes into small chunks.

Add to a bowl, then add vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Depending on what type of seasoning you want for your salad, use either cumin to taste or dill to taste. If you have fresh dill, it tastes great, but dried dill does the trick just as well. If you have ten minutes to let it marinate together on your counter, you'll be even happier! Then, just serve and enjoy!

Pan Sauteed Tomatoes

Again, I've been on hiatus. I know. Holidays and work have caused me to resort only to cooking things I've already posted, or I forget to take pictures until halfway through a meal. Don't give up on me.

So, what do you do when you buy a couple of nice vine-ripe tomatoes (or get them in your CSA vegetable delivery box), life gets in the way before you can use them while they're still just perfectly ripe, and you are left with a slightly soft, overripe tomato? If you're anything like me, you don't want to eat that tomato raw. You know it's going to be slightly starchy, and mushy, and just won't live up to its tomato potential. Too many times, those tomatoes end up in the garbage or on the compost pile.

Until now. 

This dish is VERY quick and is simple in its flavor profile. You can fix these tomatoes while you cook a full meal, can make them for breakfast with some hummus and rustic bread (try toasting it in the oven!), or use them as a side for tons of other dishes. They have a little bit of heat, and are super healthy.

Total Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Cook Time: 10 minutes

What you will need:

1-2 vine ripe tomatoes (slightly soft, overripe is the best kind of tomato for this dish)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
Sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

Using a serrated knife, slice your tomatoes into thick horizontal slices, like so:

In a small saute pan (avoid non-stick pans for this dish), heat the olive oil on medium heat, and make sure it coats the entire bottom of the pan. You want the oil to be shimmering, but not actually crackling yet. If it gets too hot accidentally, then just reduce the heat and let it cool for a minute before taking the next step.

Place your tomato slices in a single layer on the bottom of the saute pan. They should make a delightful frying sound. 

Once they're in the oil, sprinkle salt and pepper over them, then take a tiny bit of garlic and spread it on each piece of tomato. Shake a few chili flakes on the tomatoes, too.

Let the tomatoes cook for a few minutes, then flip them. Season the other side, which should be slightly bubbled from the oil.

Let the tomatoes cook on the second side, adding whatever garlic is left directly to the oil, for approximately three minutes. Then, turn off the heat and transfer to a serving dish, pouring the oil over the tomatoes. They should stick together, but it's ok if the skin is starting to separate from the tomato a bit.

Serve, and enjoy!