DIY Dressings

Seriously. 

Why not DIY your dressings? Most likely you will have all the ingredients you need in your pantry AND the your salad will be completely void of weirdo things like sodium benzoate, sorbic acid and calcium disodium edta.  Those things may be perfectly fine for you, but I can barely pronounce those words! The only thing that I would want to eat that I can barely pronounce is Foie gras... (is it faux gras? or Fuuuoaa gras? oh.. and sorry PETA!) 

I mean, I shouldn't judge because I am the sort of person that will eat a crumb off the floor and decide whether it was edible until after I ate it.  

Anyway, next time you put together a salad, why not whip up a batch yourself?

Here are some of my favorites! 

Miso Dressing 

Roasted Garlic Caesar Dressing

Classic Vinaigrette 

Coconut Shrimp with Chopped Tropical Salad and Chili Vinaigrette

When I woke up on this particular day, I woke up craving a nice greasy cheese burger.  Why? Because, on this particular day, I had big plans to finally wheel my pain in the butt cart full of clothes to a popular East Village consignment shop and sell my fashion blunders away. 

Trust me, there was a reason why I postponed this task for weeks.  My huge cart (usually reserved for pre Superbowl party grocery shopping) was jammed packed with ill-fitted sweaters, not so skinny jeans, scuffed boots and neon mishaps. It was time to part ways and try to earn (what I thought) AT LEAST $50.  

Juicy, greasy, bacon cheeseburger was to be my reward for completing this mission. 

Boo. One subway ride and five blocks later, I walked away with $4.  

Always the optimist, I thought to myself... well, I can have that juicy, greasy, bacon cheeseburger and feel worse about myself OR stop by Chinatown, grab some mangos and make myself a light summer salad. 

Summer salad it is! 

Coconut Shrimp with Chopped Tropical Salad and Chili Vinaigrette 

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

This recipe is a three part-er! Don't worry, each part is really easy... 

Coconut Shrimp

serves 4 

28 large shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/3 cup cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

3 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare shrimp, peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Rinse shrimp in cold water; drain on paper towels until dry.

Combine cornstarch, salt, and red pepper in a shallow dish; stir with a whisk. Place the egg whites in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until frothy (about 2 minutes). Place coconut in a shallow dish.

Working with one shrimp at a time, dredge in cornstarch mixture. Dip in egg white; dredge in coconut, pressing gently with fingers. Place shrimp on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat the procedure with remaining shrimp, cornstarch mixture, egg white, and coconut. Lightly coat shrimp with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until shrimp are done, turning after 10 minutes.

Chili Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons of Bottled Sweet Thai Chili Sauce 

3 tablespoons of Rice Vinegar

Mix in a bowl until well incorporated and set aside. 

Chop up your favorite tropical fruit and veggies. For this salad, I used mangos, avocado, english cucumbers and vine ripened tomatoes.  Combine with your a leafy green, I picked baby spinach. 

In a bowl, toss your chopped salad with your vinaigrette and top with coconut shrimp.  Enjoy! 

Miso Clam Chowder with Green Grapes and Heirloom Cherry Tomato Salad with Rocket and Arugula

I love New England. 

I sometimes (okay, maybe all the time) fantasize about the region's seafood. 

Unfortunately, aside from the few shrimp shumai dumplings I inhaled during  

hungover dim sum brunches in Boston's Chinatown,

I don't really have that much experience dining in 

New England restaurants. 

When I found out that we were spending a weekend on 

an island in Maine, I was beyond excited to taste the 

briny treasures New England had to offer. 

The bad news was that the island did not have any 

fish markets or seafood restaurants, 

but was inhabited solely by lake houses 

of all shapes and sizes. 

The good news was that I was so taken by the picturesque landscape, crystal blue waters and warm and fuzzy sunsets, that I forgot about my mission to gorge on New England seafood until I was dizzy with crustacean delight. 

Can you really blame me? 

Merman of Maine

This is what we MAINLY  did in MAINE, hehe... get it?
MAINLY? MAINE?
ahem...moving along. 

Find the cook! 

Warm and fuzzy sunsets

Please don't fret. 

I did have the opportunity to feast on amazing clam chowder at a wedding reception I attended while on the island.  

It was as cozy as a vintage cashmere sweater. 

When I returned home, I knew I had to replicate the dish... 

with my own spin, of course! 

I thought to myself, what can I do to contribute to an already perfect dish?  After rummaging through my refrigerator for a couple of minutes, I found a plastic container of miso leftover from miso salmon night! 

Meee Soooo Craazyyyy to add MEEESOOOO to CHOOWDDDAAAH???

Why, yes. I believe that I am. 

Let's begin! 

  

Open sesame! 

I am not a fan of celery, so I decided
to use carrots instead!
The burst of sweet loveliness that
comes with this popular veggie will
balance the salty  perfectly!

Thick.Cut.Bacon.
Par-don, lar-dons. Why are you so lovely?

I didn't have any white wine to cook my clams in,
but I found this lifesaver rolling around
in the back of my fridge! 

All you need for garlic croutons

Mmmmmm...

My new obsession, green grapes in my salad

Warm and fuzzy, like a Maine sunset

Miso Clam Chowder
Adapted from Recipe from Food and Wine Magazine
serves 6 to 8

1 bottle of your favorite lager

4 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed

6 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch matchsticks

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 carrot, finely diced

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tablespoons white miso paste

1 cup of  half-and-half

3 Yukon Gold potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 stalks of scallions, thinly sliced

1. In a soup pot, bring lager and 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add the clams, cover and cook over high heat until the clams open, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the clams to a bowl; discard any that do not open. Remove the clams from their shells and rinse to remove any sand, then coarsely chop them. Strain the broth into a heatproof bowl, stopping before you reach the sand at the bottom; you should have 3 cups.

2. Rinse out the pot and dry it. Add the butter and bacon and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and golden, about 6 minutes. Add the chopped onion, garlic, carrots, thyme and bay leaves and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the miso. Gradually add the clam broth. Add the half and half and 1 cup of water to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the potato cubes and season lightly with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for about 8 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

3. Using the back of a spoon, crush a few of the potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the soup slightly. Add the reserved clams and simmer just until heated through. Discard the bay leaves. Serve the soup in bowls, top with sliced scallions.

Brown Rice Vermicelli Salad with Turmeric Curry Pork

I am a big sucker for fancy pants noodles. 

Some noodle purists may scoff at concepts that stray away 

from the basic white variety, but I will proudly say 

that I am not one of them.

I, for one, welcome the use of yams, buckwheat, 

whole wheat, tofu, black sesame, beans, kelp and whole wheat.

The weirder the ingredient and color, the better. 

How can you not get excited by the rich variety and 

textures available??

  

(I then proceed to vehemently shake an imaginary picky 

eater who refuses to ingest food with more 

than one syllable to its name) 

I'm sure you can only imagine my excitement when I saw  

whole grain vermicelli seated proudly in the 

Asian aisle at the supermarket.  

Normally, vermicelli is used to make the much celebrated, Pho.  Since it was a bazillion (no exaggeration here) degrees outside, I chose to use the noodles in a fresh and crisp salad instead. 

Sound familiar?

Past post shout out!

This salad was inspired by 

my favorite Vietnamese dish, Bun Bo Xao. 

Whole Wheat Vermicelli Noodles

Accessories used to jazz the noodles up! 

Turmeric Curry Pork Loins

I used Curry Powder, Turmeric Powder, Sea Salt,
Onion Powder and Paprika

This papaya shredder can be found in any Asian Market.
I use this shredder to also create
pretty ridges on cucumber slices. 

Seeeee....

Ingredients for my Salad Dressin'!
I'm a southern gal, we don't say vinaigrette, we say dressin'! 

Confetti of spice and flavor

Tossed, plated and topped with avocado slices. 

Brown Rice Vermicelli Salad with Turmeric Curry Pork

Serves 4

1 package of Whole Grain Vermicelli Noodles 

For the pork

3 1/2 inch slices of boneless pork tenderloin

1 teaspoon of curry powder

1 teaspoon of onion powder

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 teaspoon of tumeric 

1 teaspoon of sea salt

For the salad

1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro

1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 carrot, shredded

1 avocado, sliced 

For the dressing

1/4 rice vinegar

1/4 fish sauce

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 inch knob of ginger, minced

1/2 small red onion, diced

1/2 jalapeno, sliced

2 tablespoons of honey

1. Add the spices for the pork into a small bowl and mix to make a dry rub. 

2. Sprinkle spice mix onto both sides of the pork and set aside. 

3.  Mix dressing ingredients in a non reactive bowl and mix well. 

4. Take a medium sauce pan and fill half with water. Allow to boil.  Remove vermicelli noodles from wrapper and place in large bowl.  Once the water is boiled, pour over uncooked noodles and cover.  Let the noodles sit for approximately 4 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  

5. In a heated lightly coated pan, sear both sides of the pork.  Approximately, 4 minutes on each side.  Once cooked through, place pork on a plate and allow to rest for five minutes. 

6.  Slice pork into quarter inch pieces.  In a salad bowl, toss noodles with vegetables and pork with dressing.  

7.  Serve with avocado slices.   

Bobby Flay's Miso-Ginger Salmon with Arugula and Grapefruit Salad and Miso Dressing

I love burnt toast.  

The crunchy black burnt bits always 
brings a smile to my stomach. 

I adore grilled food because it gives 
EVERYTHING the crunchy burnt bits that I adore so dearly.

Unfortunately, I live in a city where only 
a lucky few are graced with access to outdoor space.  
That's not to say I am completely void of one, but I'm almost certain that it's illegal to grill on my fire escape. 

I had to come up with an alternative.

So I bought a snazzy grill pan!

Of course, a grill pan will not replicate the delectable charcoal flavor, but you WILL achieve a crisp black beautiful char.  

I recommend using this bad mamma jamma right here: 

Circulon Contempo Nonstick 12" Round Grill Pan
  
My kitchen has an electric stove (I know, I know) with round 
ranges, so the circular shape of the pan is 
perfect for even heat distribution.  The result? 
Beautiful solid Sharpie black grill marks on
your favorite roasted pepper or steak.     

Now why did I bring up this char jibber jabber? 
Oh, yeah. Bobby Flay.  Mr. Big Red Rico Suave a Grill. 

I found this recipe online and as soon as 
I saw that it was a Bobby Flay dish, 
I knew that it was time for 
my grill pan to come out and play. 

I must warn you, searing your food indoors using 
a scorching pan will most likely smoke up your apartment like  
a bad 80's video set.  The taste, however, that you will achieve 
with this technique will make you 
wanna dance like you're Tawny Kitaen.  

Bobby Flay's Miso-Ginger Salmon

Serves 4

1/4 cup white miso (fermented soybean paste)

1/4 cup mirin

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons minced green onions

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

4 salmon fillets, 8 ounces each

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Yuzu juice, for drizzling, optional

1. Whisk together the miso, mirin, vinegar, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and sesame oil in a small bowl. 

2. Reserve a small portion to use as your dressing. 

3. Place the salmon in a baking dish, pour the marinade over, and turn to coat. 

4 Cover and marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

5. Heat grill to high. Remove the fish from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. 

6. Grill the salmon, skin side down, with the cover closed, until golden brown and a crust has formed, about 3 to 4 minutes. 

7 Turn the salmon over and continue grilling for 3 to 4 minutes for medium doneness. 

8. Drizzle with a little yuzu juice, if desired, and serve.

Panko Nutty Pork Chops with Endive Beet Bacon Bites

There was a craving inside of me that could not be satisfied with the produce found in New York. I found that every peach I bit into, every mango slice that I ate and every orange wedge I gnawed on lacked a juicy sweet and sticky slurp factor that was supposed to accompany a summer fruit. Don't get me wrong, there was some ooze after every bite, but the flavor lacked the INTENSITY that justified the 1.99 EACH price tag. I wanted each bite to scream "YA'LL!".  Instead, it screamed "you all."  Lame.  I knew then I needed to fly back home. So, I booked a ticket to my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida and off I went.

From the airport, I asked my driver (okay, my dad) to take me to the Farmer's Market so that I can get my fix.  Once there, I loaded up on mangos, peaches and strawberries and stuffed my face with fruit on the car ride to my parents' house. After my body was fully detoxed, I was ready to retox with the other thing the South is known for, fried food.  Before I went to my favorite Chicken and Waffles spot, I thought I should ease into it with a pan fried meal first then indulge in deep fried territory.  In order to get started, I needed some pork.

Pork Chops, inexpensive but oh so luscious.

Invited a few friends to the pig party.

I used honey roasted mixed nuts to add to my panko parmesan coating.  Why? Because honey and pork go together like peanut butter and more peanut butter (I'm not really a jelly person).  Also, you can chop your nuts with a heavy cleaver so that you can control the size of each piece.  Use this method for when your guests arrive. Once they are settled in the next room, throw the remaining whole nuts in a zip lock bag and bang the bag with a rolling pin. 
That works too.

Mix the chopped nuts, parmesan and panko together in a bowl.

Create your assembly line - pork, whipped eggs, then your breading. Make sure you season your pork chops with salt and pepper before you begin!

In a very heated pan, crisp a few slices of bacon and for the love of everything glorious in this life, save the fat. Set cooked bacon aside on a few sheets of paper towels.

Coat the seasoned pork chops with egg then dip in panko nut mixture.  Next, gently  lay pork chops in hot bacon fat until golden brown (approximately 5 minutes), flip and brown on the other side.  Make sure you don't crowd the pan.

Place pork chops on a rack and insert into a 350 degree oven until cooked through.  Meat internal temperature should be around 145 degrees.  Aren't they precious??

After  about 10 minutes, carefully remove pork from oven... (I should really brush my hair).



Viola, crunchy panko pork chops!

But wait, there's more! Before we begin our feast, we need a side item. Ladies and gentlemen, meet my sister!

Because cooking should be a family affair, like crocodile hunting!

My latest obsession. My sis recently introduced me to this amazing show. The fiance is really going to love Swamp People clogging up our Teevo. Anybody know where I can get fried gator tail in New York, please, PLEASE do tell. Mmmm... Okay, back to the food!

Raise your hand if you find beets extremely sexy...

 

And grotesque at the same time? Femme Fatale of the root family. I digress, this recipe is super easy. 

Hey, there. What's your name? What's your sign? Oops, sorry.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Quarter your beets and liberally season your beets with sea salt and pepper. Wrap in foil. Pop in the oven, cook until you can easily spear with a fork. 

Around 40 minutes. 

Once cooked, dice in one inch pieces.

EEEK! EEEK!! BLAHHHhhahhHHH!

Okay, I'll stop.  Dice your bacon from before and assemble. 

Super easy. Ready?

Boom.

Bam.

Bim.

Bap. 

You're done! Now put it all together...

A match made in heaven! Short and simple. Why?

Because more time should be spent cuddling with puppies.

Panko Nutty Pork Chops

Serves 4

4 (5- to 7- ounce) Center-cut bone-in pork chops

2 eggs

1/4 cup panko

1/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 cup crushed honey roasted mixed nuts

5 slices of thick cut bacon

salt & pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Season both sides of your pork chops with salt and pepper.

2.  Whip two eggs in bowl and pour in flat plate

3.  Combine panko, cheese and mixed nuts in another plate

4.  Heat skillet. Once heated through, fry bacon until crisp and fat is rendered.

5.  Dip seasoned chops in eggs, then coat pork chops in breading.

6.  Gently lay the chops in bacon fat.  Cook until both sides are toasted.  

7.  Place porkchops on rack over a baking sheet and slide preheated oven.  Cook until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.  Serve immediately.

Endive Beet Bacon Bites

serves 4

4 Belgian endives

2 medium sized red beets

1 cup blue cheese

5 strips of bacon, crumbled

1/2 cup of slivered almonds  

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Seperate, wash and dry endive leave.  Place each leaf next to one another on a flat serving tray.

2. Put a large piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and put the beets on it.

3. Drizzle olive oil over them and wrap them tightly in the foil, making a packet.

4. Roast until a knife inserted into the largest beet meets no resistance, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.

5. Cool and remove the skins by rubbing the beets with a paper towel. (Gloves are a good idea to prevent staining your hands.) 

6. Cube beets.  Once cubed spoon on each endive.  Spoon blue cheese, then sprinkle almonds on top.  Top the plate with crumbled blue cheese and crumbled bacon.  Serve.