Foodbuzz

Spring

Beet & Arugula Salad with Feta and Fresh Dill

 

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

arugula salad

I can’t get enough arugula right now.  It’s little leaves are spicy and flavorful yet still delicate, so it makes the perfect base for almost any springtime salad.  Here I enjoyed it with sweet beets, tangy feta cheese, fresh dill, and an easy lemon vinaigrette.  Never cooked beets before?  Just cut off the tops (clean and save the leaves to steam or saute for an easy veggie side dish), wrap them tightly in generous-size piece of foil, bake for 45 min to 1 hour at 400 degrees, then let cool until you can easily peel away the skins — then they’re ready to go.  Sound too hard?  Trader Joe’s has pre-cooked beets in the refrigerated section, so all you have to do is slice and eat.

Arugula Salad with Beets, Feta, and Dill

Print This Recipe

Number of Servings: 4

    Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Fresh Dill, frons (leaves) only
  • 6 cups Arugula
  • 3 whole Beets, cooked and peeled
  • 2 ounces Good Feta Cheese
  • 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 tablespoon Honey
  • ¼ cup Fresh Lemon Juice, from 1 lemon

    Directions

  • 1 Arrange salad

    Spread arugula over a large platter or place in a large bowl. Cut beets into small wedges, then crumble feta evenly around the salad and sprinkle with the fresh dill.

  • 2 Make vinaigrette.

    In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, honey, and olive oil. Add a pinch each of salt & pepper, then drizzle over the salad. Toss salad before serving.

Print This Shopping List

  • Condiments

    • 1 tablespoon Honey

  • Dairy

    • 2 ounces Good Feta Cheese

  • Fresh Herbs

    • ¼ cup Fresh Dill

  • Fruit

    • ¼ cup Fresh Lemon Juice

  • Oils

    • 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • Vegetables

    • 6 cups Arugula
    • 3 whole Beets

Guest Post: Easy Rhubarb Applesauce

 

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

rhubarb recipe

HOT PINK CELERY??!!

Nope, it’s rhubarb!  Ever heard of it?  My guess is yes, but you may be unsure of what to do with it. In a minute I’ll show you a quick and delicious way to eat rhubarb.  But first, let’s do a quick introduction.  I’m Kari, a friend of Amelia’s and also a private chef here in Los Angeles.  I love fresh, seasonal produce and consider myself somewhat obsessed with going to the farmers’ market.  Even if you don’t have a farmers’ market near you, you can find this “hot pink celery” at your local grocery store.  Heck, you might have even picked it up and wondered what to do with it!  So now that we’ve gotten to know each other a bit, let’s talk about how easy it is tweak something simple and ordinary like applesauce and turn it into a spring treat.

Drumroll please….Introducing Apple Rhubarb Sauce!

rhubarb recipe

Making your own applesauce is seriously simple and takes as much time as it takes to cut an apple.  Adding rhubarb to that is just as easy, and the rhubarb adds a floral note to the finished product, not to mention colors it a lovely shade of pink that is sure to feel like a special afternoon treat, a lunchbox surprise, or a way to dress up plain old oatmeal.  My favorite way to enjoy it is to mix it with plain Greek yogurt for breakfast.  That is, if it lasts until breakfast…when I tested this recipe, I taste-tested so often that there wasn’t much left for the next morning.  Oops.  Guess I’ll be making this again.  Soon.

What you need to make this pretty pink treat:

★  8 apples (I used Pink Lady apples but your favorite tart apple will work just fine)

★  1 lb rhubarb (try to choose skinnier stalks if possible, the pinker the better!)

★  3 cups of apple juice (100% real apple juice, no junk added)

That’s it!  Just 3 ingredients.  The Rhubarb is sour but the apple juice naturally sweetens this sauce.  If you like a sweeter rhubarb sauce, you can always add sugar or honey to your liking.  Taste it before you sweeten though, because you may enjoy it’s not-to-sweet flavor more than you thought.

What you do:

★ Peel and core your apples and cut them up — don’t worry about size or shape.  Throw them into your favorite pasta pot.  Wash the rhubarb and cut into small pieces, again, disregarding the need for uniformity.  Pour the apple juice over, put the lid on, and cook over medium heat for about 30-40 minutes until your apples are falling apart and the rhubarb is soft.  Mash with a potato masher or wooden spoon to break into small pieces.

★ You can call it quits at this point if you like.  Chunks of apple and rhubarb mixed all together…this is what we call yummy and rustic.

★ If you want it to be thicker, continue to simmer for 10-15 more minutes but leave the top off of the pot.

★ And if you or others in your household are finicky about texture, you can whirl the mixture in your blender or food processor to make a smooth and creamy sauce.  Voila!  Delish.  Healthy.  Seasonal.  And it sounds gourmet even though you and I know it was a breeze to make.  I hope you love this rhubarb sauce as much as I do!

Thanks for inviting me to share this recipe, Amelia :)

Snacks for March Madness

 

Friday, March 18th, 2011

prosciutto sandwichThe first weekend of THE tournament is here, and if your house is anything like mine, college basketball will be on TV pretty much nonstop…which of course means that people will come over, they’ll be hungry, and some tasty snacks will be in order.  Here are a few easy, moderately healthy food ideas to help get you through the weekend of madness.

Fig and Prosciutto Sandwiches (pictured above).  Cut some small rustic rolls in half.  Paint one side with pesto of any kind (I used mint pesto, which goes great with salty meat and fruit) and the other side with fig preserves.  Add a slice or two of prosciutto and a few chunks of brie.  Sandwich can be served at room temperature or warm (use this method to warm them).  Optional: add some fresh arugula or baby greens.prosciutto sandwichFresh fruit platter. Pick 3 fruits of different colors, then cut and plate them up for people to snack on.  Sticking to just 3 fruits makes for a clean and appealing presentation.  These in-season fruits are a good place to start: oranges, grapefruit, pears, and strawberries.

party food ideas

Dried fruit, chocolate, and cookie platter.  This is an easy way to get out of making dessert.  Just throw together some of your favorite chocolate covered nuts, dried fruits, and one or two kinds of store-bought cookies, and you’ve got a platter of sweets that will please any palate.

One other no-prep snack. Pita chips with hummus, olive crackers with tapenade, veggies with aioli…whatever you’re in the mood for will work to fill in your menu.  Keep it simple, so you too can kick back and enjoy the game!

Roasted Summer Squash

 

Monday, May 24th, 2010

To make Roasted Summer Squash, simply cut the stems of the squash discs, cut them in half or thirds, toss them in extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper, and roast for 25-30 minutes at 450 degrees (or 425 if your oven tends to burn things).  For tips on how to get the perfect roast veggies every time, check out Roasted Vegetables.

Need an entree to go with this side dish? How about these.

Asparagus & Arugula with Fried Egg

 

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Asparagus has a very short season — about 3 weeks!  Of course, we now import asparagus from abroad and are able to grow asparagus out of season.  But the thin, tender, flavorful asparagus that we all know and love is really only grown in April (give or take a few weeks depending on where you live).  So take advantage while you can.

Need an easy recipe using asparagus?  Steam it for 4-5 minutes, toss with a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper and some baby arugula.  Fry an egg in a little olive oil and serve over the veggies with some shavings of Pecorino or Parmesan cheese.  This works well for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.