winter salad: roasted acorn squash, apples & blue cheese

After all the Thanksgiving dinners, I can only think about salads (and running 6 miles a day every day this week to make up for the pumpkin brownies my Gramma made). This is adapted from December 2008 Bon Appetit, which originally called for butternut squash but I substituted acorn. (Also note, this is half the original recipe -the original serves 10.)

Grocery list: (dressing) 1 T balsamic, 1 T lemon juice, 3 T good quality olive oil; (salad) 2 T balsamic, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 2-pound butternut or acorn squash, 2 heads belgian endive, 1 fuji apple, 4 oz crumbled blue cheese, 1/4 c dried cranberries.



Start by roasting the squash. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Peel and slice crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces. Arrange on a lined baking sheet and brush each piece with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Whisk the balsamic and brown sugar together, then brush each piece of squash; return to the oven and roast for an additional 5 minutes.



Flip squash pieces and brush with remaining vinegar-sugar combination. Continue to roast until squash is fork-tender, about another 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Trim the root ends of endive and arrange leaves on plates - about 5-6 leaves per plate, for 4 plates. Core the apple and cut into thin strips, and evenly distribute across plates. Place squash strips in center of each plate, and top with cheese and cranberries.

For the dressing, whisk the balsamic, lemon juice and olive oil with salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing over each salad and serve. This would also be nice with a few pieces of toasted walnuts too...

steak with parmesan butter, balsamic glaze & arugula

A lot of food blogs have had posts lately about "the last cookout of the year," but we're fortunate in Atlanta that grilling is not limited to any season. If I've had a bad day and need to feel better, or if I've had a great day and want to celebrate it, a steak is my go-to meal. This recipe from October's Bon Appetit is perfect for any occasion. They describe the steak salad as "simple and sophisticated" - and I can't say it any better.

Grocery list (for 2 entree salad): 1 or 2 rib-eye steaks, 1 package arugula, grated parmesan + parmesan shavings, 1.5 T butter, olive oil, 1/4 c balsamic vinegar, 1/4 c chopped shallots, pinch dark brown sugar, 1 lemon.



Soften the butter to room temperature, then mix in 2 T grated parmesan, and salt & pepper to taste.



Season steak with salt and pepper, then grill over medium high heat. (Note, the recipe calls for sauteing steak, and then finishing off the glaze in the same pan - I opted for the outdoor grill.) Cook to medium rare, transfer to plate, and allow to rest under foil.



Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan (or the same pan you cooked the steaks in, if you go that route), then add vinegar, shallots and sugar.



Boil until reduced to glaze - I found it took about 5 minutes. Divide arugula and parmesan shavings between 2 plates, squeeze lemon juice over the top.



Slice the steak and top with the butter, then serve the steak over the arugula. Drizzle the glaze over top.

crispy goat cheese over arugula salad with prosciutto and figs

What could possibly be better than crispy-on-the-outside, gooey-melted-inside goat cheese rounds? Why, putting it on top of a salad to excuse it as "healthy", that's what. This recipe from October's Bon Appetit is just pure happiness.

Grocery list (this makes 8 goat cheese rounds, which they suggest is enough for 8 salads): quart fresh figs, 1 lemon, balsamic, white wine vinegar, fresh basil, sugar, olive oil, 1 log goat cheese (11 oz), 1 c panko, 1 egg, arugula, 3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, honey.



Don't be intimidated by the vinaigrette; it only takes a few minutes. If you don't want the hassle of cooking the figs, you can get fig paste or jam that would probably work. Stem and quarter 6 large figs, and heat in a small saucepan along with 1/2 cup water.



Simmer over med-low heat for about 5 minutes, mashing with a potato masher until you have a puree. Remove from heat. The recipe says to drain over a strainer, but I didn't have any excess liquid. I just let it cool for a few minutes then picked out the skins - the remaining paste was perfect.



Stir in 1 T fresh lemon juice, 1 T balsamic, 1 T white wine vinegar, 2 T olive oil, pinch of sugar, and 2 tsp chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper.



After trying this recipe, next time I will put the goat cheese in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before slicing - it was messy. Dip each piece of goat cheese in beaten egg first, then coat with panko. Chill on plate for 10 minutes in fridge before frying.



Heat a little olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat, then cook goat cheese for 1-2 minutes per side, till golden. Arrange arugula on plates and lay prosciutto slices over. Quarter the remaining figs and divide over the plates. Place goat cheese on top, drizzle with honey and the vinaigrette.

greatest steak marinade of all time (really)

This simple grilled hangar steak salad was inspired by a menu item at my favorite neighborhood restaurant, Murphy's, in Atlanta's Virginia Highland neighborhood (there's features a flank steak, but I've been wanting to try hangar steak for some time now). Here's what I learned: stop whatever you are preparing for dinner tonight, and try this marinated steak. It might be the best marinade I've ever had.

Grocery list: flank or hangar steak (about 2 pounds), balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar. If you're making a salad, well, also add greens, avocado, cucumbers, roasted onions, or whatever salad stuff you want. The steak will be all that matters anyway...



For the marinade, it's simply 1 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/4-1/2 cup worcestershire sauce. Submerge the steaks as best as you can in the marinade, turning occasionally, and allow to soak for at least a couple of hours. Then, grill over medium-high heat till the steaks are as done as you like. Allow them to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes, then slice on the diagonal. Really, the best steak I've had in a while...

salmon with agrodolce sauce

Why have I never heard of this before? A rich syrupy balsamic sauce ready in 15 minutes, served over perfectly cooked salmon fillets? Healthy, delicious, and I can make it in 30 minutes - my dream recipe. I found this in Gourmet magazine (April 2008), and hung on to it because I've been saying for a while I'm going to start eating salmon more often. A is quite the carnivore, and has been diligently trying (and liking, much to my surprise) different white fish recipes, but he has sworn he hates salmon. Last night I made the salmon for me, and a pitiful little baked barbeque chicken cutlet for him, in the hopes that my dish would be so tempting he'd convert. He tried it, and while he claims it's the "best bite of salmon" he's ever tasted, he says he still hates it. Oh well, at least this dish is simple and fast enough I won't feel bad making it just for one...

Grocery list: salmon fillets (the recipe says it makes enough sauce for 4 fillets), 2 medium red onions, balsamic vinegar, sugar.



Start by prepping the salmon -- pat it dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. In a nonstick skillet, heat 1-2 T of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the salmon, skin-side UP, for 12-15 minutes, till the underside has a crisp crust. Flip and cook on the skin-side for 3 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through (my fillet did not have skin, and was pretty thick, so it took a full 8 minutes - I really liked having the crispiness on both sides).



Meanwhile, slice the onions into wedges, and cook in a separate skillet over medium-high heat (in 1-2 T of olive oil) for 8 minutes, until the onions are golden brown.



Pour in 2/3 cup of balsamic, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook for 2 minutes -- it will reduce down to a syrupy consistency. Remove from heat and stir in 1 T of butter.



Spoon some of the sauce onto your plate, top with salmon (and pour any extra sauce right on top - you won't want to waste it!).

parmesan chicken tenders

An easy, crunchy, Italian version of fried chicken, which is a combination of my 2 favorite types of food... Grocery list: 1 pound chicken tenders, parmesan cheese, italian bread crumbs, and buttermilk. For the vinaigarette, you'll need 3 garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. The recipe below is for one pound, but you can adjust for more/less.



Start by soaking the tenders in about a cup of buttermilk, for at least 15 minutes in the fridge. In a shallow bowl, mix 3/4 cup parmesan with 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. Dip the tenders in the crumb mixture to coat, then place on a baking sheet lined with foil (brush the foil generously with olive oil first). Then drizzle more olive oil across the chicken tenders, and bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.



To make the vinaigrette, mince 3 garlic cloves and place in a small bowl or ramekin. Mash salt into the garlic, season with pepper, then pour 3 T of balsamic and 1/4 -1/3 cup olive oil. Serve the vinaigrette alongside the tenders for dipping.