The Original Leon Superfood Salad

Photo from KeepRecipes.com

Look y'all...we've gone all international now that Eliza has given us a recipe from London!

2 tbsp quinoa
Salt and pepper
2-3 broccoli spears, cut into bite-sized florets, stalks sliced
120g frozen peas
Quarter cucumber, peeled,cut into slim batons
100g good-quality feta cheese, crumbled
1 handful of alfalfa sprouts
2 tbsp toasted seeds such as pumpkin, sesame and sunflower
½ avocado, cut into pieces
1 small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 small handful of mint, chopped
2 dsp lemon juice
4 dsp extra-virgin olive oil

Put the quinoa into a small pan. Cover with cold water to a couple of centimetres/one inch above the grain and let it gently simmer over a low heat until the water has evaporated — this takes about 15 minutes — then cool to room temperature.
Pour one inch of hot water into another saucepan, add a pinch of salt. Bring it to the boil, drop in the broccoli & peas, cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to take all the heat out and keep the broccoli good and green.
Now build your salad in layers: broccoli, peas, cucumber, feta, alfalfa sprouts, seeds, avocado, quinoa and finally the herbs. Only dress it with the lemon juice, oil and seasoning just before you eat it.

Serves 2

Mrs. Bales Watermelon Salad

SUMMER WATERMELON SALAD
1 small red onion
4 limes
1 small seedless watermelon or half a smallish watermelon
 6-8 oz feta cheese
1/2 bunch  Italian parsley
1 /2 bunch mint
1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 can black olives
 black pepper

1. Slice the red onion into long slivers & marinate in lime juice one

hour or overnight.

2. Cut watermelon into bite size chunks, add to a large bowl.

Repeat with feta. Rough chop the parsley and mint. Add onions with

lime juice, add olives & olive oil.

3. Toss gently, pepper to taste.

BACONSLUT'S CREAMY CUCUMBER AND RADISH FARMER'S MARKET SALAD

I've been grooving on this regularly lately.  Tiz the season!  Sooooo cool and refreshing.  You horz know that measuring makes me stabby, so this comes to you free-balled, as usual.  ;) 

The cukes:  The STAH

     If you get 'em from the farmer's market, screw peeling 'em as they aren't waxed.  Also, screw seeding them.  Slice them thinly, layer them, sprinkled with kosher or sea salt between layers, inside of a colander set over an accommodating bowl.  Let them release their water for about 30 minutes.  Rinse with water and squeeze gently before lobbing into a fresh bowl. 

The radishes:  The co-stah

     Slice very thin, and toss them into the cuke bowl.

The sweet onion:  Best supporting actah

     Slice thinly and quarter.  Lob into the cuke and radish bowl.

The dressing:  The directah

     To taste, swirlinate some Greek yogurt with a tiny bit of half and half or milk to thin very slightly.  To that, add a bit of lemon juice, honey, fresh or dried dill, and freshly ground pepper. 

Serve well chilled.  This salad doesn't keep well, so plan to use it that day. 

Cannelloni with Bechamel Sauce

This recipe is a summer meal for me once the garden comes in.  I use fresh oregano (and basil).  This goes well with sliced tomatoes and cucumber salad with mozzarella with fresh herbs and red wine vinegar.  If you don't want to  go to the trouble of making the bechamel sauce, just use half a jar of plain spaghetti sauce with fresh herbs added.  Yes, another recipe I wing.  I hate measuring.

1/2  package(19 ounce) Hot or Sweet JOHNSONVILLE® Italian Sausage Links (2 or 3 links)
1/2 lb. of ground round
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
2 egg yolks
6 tablespoons butter 
6 tablespoons flour

3 cups milk (not skim)

12 Cannelloni pasta shells
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon dried oregano


1.  Make the filling: In a large skillet over medium heat add olive oil, onion and mushroom cook for 5 minutes allowing the onion to soften and the mushrooms to release liquid.

2 .  Once most of the liquid has dissipated, add sausage and beef crumbling it with a wooden spoon into small pieces as it cooks. Stir and cook all ingredients until the onion is softened and the sausage is no longer pink and is starting to brown. Set aside.

3.  To make a béchamel sauce: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until well incorporated. Slowly, add milk and whisk together until smooth. Continue whisking until sauce comes to a slow boil and starts to thicken. Stir half this sauce into the sausage mixture. (Reserve the other half to pour on top of the cannelloni.) Add cubed mozzarella to the sausage and sauce mixture and continue stirring while slowly whisking in the egg yolks; mix to combine cover and set aside.

4.  Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse under cold water and reserve being careful to keep the pasta from breaking.

5.  Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread 3/4 cup of the reserved béchamel sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch oiled baking dish. Spoon filling into each pasta tube. Start from one end and using your finger to push the filling all the way through.

6.  Nestle the cannelloni in the sauce and cover with remaining béchamel sauce.

7.  Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of oregano.

8.  Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until heated through; and cheese starts to turn golden. Remove from oven, let stand for 5 minutes then serve.

Florida-style Fish Tacos

Mango Salsa Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 Jalapeño chile, green pepper or red pepper, diced within an inch of it's life.
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

If you don't know how to dice a mango, you lay it on a counter, then slice it open around the seed at the 'equator'.  Place it in the palms of your hands and twist in opposite directions.  Score the flesh as close to the skin as possible then push the bottom center of the skin up like you are putting it inside-out.  Cut the spikes.  Take the other side of the mango and remove the seed and do the same.

Here's somewhat the same technique on youtube

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the salsa ends up being a little too hot or acidic for your taste, you can temper it by adding some diced avocado.

Cook some white flaky fish (talapia, mahi-mahi, etc) by marinated it with lime juice, salt and pepper then putting it in a pan with a little oil.  Flake the fish and put on a white tortilla and top with the salsa.  

Pisco Punch

 

This adaptation of the classic San Francisco punch is a little spicier than the original and not nearly as cloying. It substitutes limoncello for freshly squeezed lemons; the ginger beer gives it a nice kick and effervescence.
Brown sugar syrup is made the same way as simple syrup, using brown sugar instead of white: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup light brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until it has dissolved, about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes, until just slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. This will make 1 1/4 cups. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.


6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks
• 12 ounces pisco
• 4 ounces limoncello
• 4 ounces brown sugar syrup (see headnote)
• Juice of 2 medium oranges
• Juice of 2 large limes
• 8 dashes Angostura bitters
• Two 12-ounce bottles ginger beer
• Thin slices of orange, for garnish

Directions:

Crush the pineapple in a large glass pitcher, then add the pisco, limoncello, brown sugar syrup, citrus juices and bitters. Add ice, then stir vigorously.
To serve, pour into 9- or 10-ounce highball glasses filled with ice and add about 3 ounces of ginger beer to each glass; stir to mix well. Garnish with orange slices.

Recipe Source:

From Duggan McDonnell at Cantina Bebidas in San Francisco.

bambam's note: RUM!!!  That is all.

Greek Pasta Salad

1/2 a box of sea shell pasta (or small penne)
1 or 2 cans of diced tomatoes
a handful of fresh basil, chopped
Fresh oregano (however much you like)
Fresh Thyme (however much you like)
a carton of Feta cheese

Cook the pasta according to the directions.  I like mine al dente, but whatever.

Rinse the pasta to cool it off a bit and put it in a bowl (or in tupperware).  Add the fresh herbs so the heat open up the flavor.

Drain about half the liquid from the tomatoes and mix in.  Add salt and pepper if you like.

When cooled, add the Feta and mix it up.

This is served at a restaurant around town, Zoe's, and I studied it to death til I figured out everything in it.  Now it's a summertime salad staple in Casa de Terri.  I grow my own herbs so add however much I have of the oregano and thyme.  I have left it out and it's great...because the basil and feta are the stars.  I'm making it right now and will post a photo later (memory permitting).

Tabbouleh Tuesdays

I fell in love with Tabbouleh (Lebanese salad) while ordering from the take out menu at the local grocer. It helped that the server was absolutely GORGEOUS. Can't blame me for saying "Sure, I'll have some of that!" It is refreshing and very easy to make. Just perfect for this time of year. Some versions require about 5 hours preparation time if you want to let the ingredients set in. But here is a quick version from epicurious that can be prepared the same day.  If you do not have cucumbers, you can also add minced onions or leave them out. It is the fresh ingredients that make this salad so delicious. Enjoy!

Tabbouleh Salad - image from wikipedia

Lebanese Tabbouleh

yield: Makes 4 to 6 side-dish servings

active time: 40 minutes

total time: 40 minutes

Fine bulgur might seem like a specialty ingredient, but it is actually in most supermarkets under the name Near East Taboule Wheat Salad Mix — just toss away the seasoning packet.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fine bulgur
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup boiling-hot water
• 2 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (from 3 bunches)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 seedless cucumber*, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Stir together bulgur and 1 tablespoon oil in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over, then cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes. Drain in a sieve, pressing on bulgur to remove any excess liquid.

Transfer bulgur to a bowl and toss with remaining ingredients, including 2 tablespoons oil, until combined well.

* These long, narrow cucumbers are often marketed as "European" and are usually sold in plastic wrap to protect their thin, delicate, unwaxed skin.