tabbouleh with chicken

It's been a long time since I posted a recipe, and that's mostly because we've been content to make our standby recipes over and over (and over) again. But last weekend I tried a recipe from my new Christmas cookbook, Barefoot Contessa's Family Style. 

Wow. Is this tabbouleh salad ever good. The chicken makes it a heartier than your average tabbouleh, and since the lemon dressing is just used for soaking the bulgar, the veggies don't get soggy. Delicious, I tell you. 

It's definitely more of a summer salad, but as long as you find a couple bunches of decent looking fresh herbs, a greenhouse cucumber, and those magic grape tomatoes, you're set for a summer preview. I served mine with pita bread and homemade hummus.  

tabbouleh with chicken
Ina Garten
serves 6-8

1 1/2 C boiling water
1 C bulgur wheat
1/4 C freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx. 2 lemons)
olive oil
kosher salt
1 whole (2 split) chicken breast, bone in, skin on
freshly ground black pepper
1 C minced scallions (1 bunch) -- I just used green parts, but if you want it 'onionier', use white parts too
1 C chopped fresh mint leaves
1 C chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and medium-diced
2 C (1 pint) halved cherry tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium heat-proof bowl, pour boiling water over the bulgur wheat. Add lemon juice, 1/4 C olive oil and 1 teas salt. Stir. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to stand at room temp for about an hour.

Place chicken breast on baking sheet and rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until cooked, 35-40 mins. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Remove chicken from the bones and dice into bite-size pieces. Add diced chicken to bulgur, along with the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber and tomatoes. Stir and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Either serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

summer bean salad

Whenever I see beans in a salad, I fear that they've been drowned in vinegar, like all of the poor beans in three-bean salads everywhere. You know the salad I'm talking about? It's been on American picnic tables for decades. The one made with canned green beans, canned wax beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, raw onion, and usually raw green pepper, all soaked in vinegar and sugar. Need I say, its appeal is lost on me.

This, however, is just a very simple, very summer, bean salad. Vinegar not included.

summer bean salad

serves 4

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

a handful of fresh dill, roughly chopped

juice from 1/2 lemon

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

olive oil

In serving bowl, stir together the beans, tomatoes, and dill. In small bowl, whisk togthether a couple swigs of olive oil and the lemon juice (and come to think of it, 1/2 teas of dijon mustard would've been good whisked in as well.) Season with salt and pepper, and adjust lemon juice/olive oil to taste. Pour dressing over bean mixture and stir. Enjoy on the patio with a glass of iced tea.

orzo, spinach, and feta salad

I don't think it's news to anyone that not all of Martha's recipes are winners. Some of her recipes look and sound great, but something about them never really captures the magic. Still, they are usually quite approachable, so I often find myself trying another Martha recipe.

And I have found some of her winners -- like her pecan sticky buns! Oh man. Pure deliciousness in a gooey roll. My mouth is watering at the mere thought of them (mmmm, must make a batch soon!) **If you make these, make sure to half the recipe -- I'm not sure what huge-sized muffin tin she assumes folks are using, but even half will make 12 good-sized buns.

So anyway, I wasn't so surprised that the recipes in her Everyday Food cookbook are hit and miss. I was disappointed with the orange and beef stirfry and with the Moroccan chicken couscous, but her spinach with orzo and feta is great. So simple, flavourful, and easy -- perfect BBQ fare.

-- sorry...not the best picture --

orzo, spinach, and feta salad
serves 4

1 C orzo
almost a whole "bunch" of spinach -- washed, trimmed and roughly chopped (maybe a lb, if you're measuring)
a handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped fine
3/4 C crumbled feta
fresh lemon juice of 1/2 lemon (1-2 Tbs)
olive oil
course sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook orzo according to package directions. When done, add spinach and stir until wilted. Drain.

In large serving bowl, toss the hot spinach and orzo with the mint leaves, feta, lemon juice, and a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.


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orzo and roasted carrot salad

This is great barbecue food. I got the recipe from Martha several years ago and it's become one of my standards for potlucks and backyard parties. This salad stores well, transports well, and can sit outside for a while (unlike potato salad). And from first-hand experience, I can tell you it's a darn tasty complement to grilled seafood, fish, and to BBQ chicken.


orzo and roasted carrot salad
serves 4-5 (can be easily doubled for a large crowd)

1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and ends trimmed
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
olive oil (extra virgin)
coarse salt
1/2 lb orzo
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 scallions, roughly chopped
1/3 C loosely packed fresh dill, roughly chopped
freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut carrots diagonally into largish pieces (1-2"). On a rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots and unpeeled garlic cloves with some olive oil and a couple pinches of salt. Roast until carrots are tender and browned (15-20 mins). Remove from oven and let cool baking sheet. Squeeze garlic cloves from skins and cut/mash to form a paste. Put paste into a small dish and set aside.

Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook orzo according to package directions (7-8 mins). Drain. While still warm, transfer orzo to a large bowl and toss with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Let cool slightly, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking together.

Meanwhile, in small bowl with garlic paste, mix together lemon zest, lemon juice, and scallions. Add dill to dressing. Add roasted carrots to bowl of orzo and stir together. Pour dressing over mixture. Stir to combine well. Season with salt and fresh pepper. Serve at room temp.

You can also make the salad the day before and store it in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap. Bring to room temp before serving.

beet and hazelnut salad

Honk if you love beets.

Even though I curse the fact that they'll dye anything and everything in my kitchen, I love beets (honk). If I grew a garden -- correction: when I grow a garden -- I will most definitely grow beets.

This recipe is loosely based on a similar combo of flavours we enjoyed at a little bistro a few months ago -- but since that was a few months ago, you'll have to bear with my reinterpretation.

salad with warm beets, toasted hazelnuts, and goat cheese
Serves 2

2 medium beets, greens removed and scrubbed
olive oil
mixed greens -- mix of lettuces, spinach, etc
handful of hazelnuts, toasted
a few ounces goat cheese -- enough for two
handful of fresh dill, roughly chopped
your favourite vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub some olive oil over the scrubbed beats. Wrap tightly in a couple layers of parchment paper, then a layer of aluminium foil. Place bundles in glass baking pan and bake until pierced easily with a fork, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit before handling.

Meanwhile, prep greens, (and toast hazelnuts). Peel beets when cool enough to handle and cut into slices. Toss greens in vinaigrette, mix in dill, and plate up on serving plates. Place half of the beet pieces on each salad plate, and top with half the hazelnuts and half the goat cheese. Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

warm goat cheese on mixed greens

I love goat cheese, and it simply doesn't get much better than warm goat cheese. This recipe is inspired by Ina Garten (a.k.a. Barefoot Contessa), who was inspired by a cafe in Italy. Warmed goat cheese, fried with crispy bread crumbs, served over dressed greens -- buonissimo!

I used three goat cheese rounds for a main course salad, but I would use two if serving the salad as a first course. Make sure to have the greens and dressing tossed and ready before frying up the cheese because you'll want to eat it immediately.

warm goat cheese on mixed greens

First the ingredients, then the instructions --

greens: mescalin mixed greens, baby spinach, thinly sliced bell pepper, and shaved carrot

dressing: (this are the amounts I threw together for 2 main course salads, but adjust for the amount you're making or substitute your favourite tangy vinaigrette)
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
a couple Tbs of sherry
1 Tbs or so of dijon mustard
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper

Whisk together well or shake well in dressing bottle until emulsified.

goat cheese: herbed or plain, sliced 1/2-in thick*, egg white(s), fine bread crumbs, olive oil, butter

*dental floss makes a very clean cut

how to: First, put egg whites in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, put the fine bread crumbs. Dip your sliced goat cheese in the egg white, then in the bread crumbs, making sure to get a good layer of crumbs on both sides. Chill breaded slices for a few minutes, until ready to cook.

Wash salad greens and vegetables and toss in vinaigrette. Divide among serving plates.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt a couple pats of butter and some olive oil. When hot, carefully place breaded cheese rounds in the pan. Cook for only about a minute per side, until golden and crispy. Remove from pan and place over dressed greens. Serve immediately. This salad was fantastic with a side of garlic bread.

beet and carrot salad

The beet is the most intense of vegetables.

The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of

the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent,

not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough,

yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity.

Beets are deadly serious. ~Tom Robbins

Ahh, Tom Robbins. I love his take on the beet (from the first chapter of Jitterbug Perfume, if you want to read more). This salad does the serious beet justice 'cause it's so simple -- just a little olive oil and a fresh herb to tease out its flavours. (Sorry for the bad photo!)

beet and carrot salad

serves 3-4

3 medium beets, scrubbed with greens removed
4-5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-in diagonals
olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh thyme or parsley

Preheat oven to 425. Wrap the beets in parchment-lined tinfoil -- drizzle them with olive oil before you close up the foil -- and place them in a baking pan. Roast until you can slide a knife easily through them (about 60-80 mins).

Let the beets cool until they can be handled easily. Meanwhile, toss prepped carrots in a little olive oil and a dash of salt. Roast until tender (30-35 mins).

Peel, quarter, and dice the beets into bite-size pieces (careful -- they will stain anything!). Toss together with roasted carrots. Season with a little salt and pepper and a handful of roughly chopped parsely or a few sprigs of thyme. Serve warm or at room temp.