More Saucy Noodles

 



Here's another quick recipe using two Saucy Mama dressings. It's Asian inspired and just like last week's recipe, it has only 7 ingredients. Thanks Saucy Mama for doing all the hard work!

Chicken Sesame Peanut Noodles

8 oz linguini
1/2 cup Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing
1/4 cup Saucy Mama Sesame Ginger Dressing
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 T toasted sesame oil
4-5 chopped scallions
1/2 pound ground chicken

1/4 cup chopped peanuts or toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Crushed red pepper flakes for topping (optional)

Sauté your chicken on stovetop on medium heat with a little salt and pepper until cooked through and in little crumbles. Drain any fat from the pan and set aside. While chicken is browning, cook linguini according to package directions, chop your scallions and make the dressing.

To make the dressing: whisk together the 2 Saucy Mama dressings with peanut butter and sesame oil.

That's it, dressing is done. Doesn't it look yummy? I could dive right in. Add cooled/rinsed pasta, chicken and chopped scallions. Mix well, and plate with chopped peanuts or toasted sesame seeds. Serve at room temp and add a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes for a bit more heat.

 

Citrus Orzo Salad Re-Mixed

I love the last orzo salad recipe I posted. It was tasty. And sweet. And salty. And right up my alley. But there are a lot of folks out there that are not wild about capers, olives and raisins. So I did some experimenting this weekend and came up with a more conventional version. Well, I shouldn't put it that way, because there is nothing conventional about candied walnuts in an orzo salad. Plus I amped up the amount of sweet navel oranges, added more crunch with the addition of celery, and swapped out the creamy goat cheese for some extra tangy Gorgonzola. Serve this on a big platter or make up individual Bibb lettuce cups. It is a crowd pleaser!

Citrus Orzo Salad with Candied Walnuts

1 T unsalted butter
1 T olive oil
1 large onion diced
Kosher salt
Pepper
1 cup uncooked orzo
Additional salt and pepper
1-3/4 cups water

4 scallions chopped
4 navel oranges supremed
2 stalks celery chopped
4 oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1 cup walnuts
3 T sugar
1 T unsalted butter

Salad Dressing:
1 clove garlic finely chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
1 T rice vinegar
Liquid from supremed oranges
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard

To make the orzo: (This is my mom's method, and it is no fail). In medium size saucepan on medium low heat, melt your butter and olive oil. Add the chopped onions and some salt and pepper. Cook uncovered on stovetop to soften the onions, not brown them. After about 5 minutes they will be translucent and ready to accept the orzo. Add the cup of orzo and coat with the buttery onions. Add a bit more salt and pepper (the orzo has absolutely no flavor if you do not season it). Stir to combine onions and orzo and let the orzo toast a bit (2-3 minutes). Add water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to the lowest simmer and cook 12-13 minutes. The orzo will still be a bit watery, but keep covered off the heat and all the liquid will evaporate.

While orzo is cooling, let's candy the walnuts. In large saucepan on medium heat add the sugar and butter. Mix to combine. Now add the nuts and coat them with the sugary liquid. Toast the mixture for about 3 minutes (that's all the time it takes). Just make sure to keep an eye on the walnuts so they don't burn.

As soon as the nuts are sweet and toasty, transfer them to a piece of parchment paper and separate them the best you can. You do not want clumps of nuts on top of your salad. Set them aside to cool.

To make the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a medium size jar and shake. Or just whisk everything together until it emulsifies.

Assembly: In large bowl combine scallions, orange supremes, celery, and cilantro.

Now add your Gorgonzola and cooled orzo.

If I'm making this dish ahead, I dress the salad with only half the dressing, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Then I  dress it again right before serving time. By the way, I like this salad served at room temp, but it is still delish served cold. And don't forget, liberally sprinkle those sweet, toasty walnuts on top of your salad right before serving.

Sweet and Salty Lettuce Cups

Even though it doesn't feel like summer yet here in New England, next weekend is the unofficial start of the season. Whether you're dusting off your grill, getting together with friends, or just enjoying the day off from work, here's a nice little appetizer to help you enjoy the day. It's a new recipe for me that I made tonight for the first time, and just the dish to get you ready for the hot days ahead. And it's perfect if you're feeding vegetarians.

Orange and Goat Cheese Orzo Lettuce Cups
Inspired by excess oranges and orzo in my pantry

1 cup uncooked orzo
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup onion diced
Kosher salt and pepper
1-3/4 cups water
2 navel oranges supremed
Juice from the 2 oranges
1-2 T capers
3 scallions chopped
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
5 oz goat cheese
Boston lettuce leaves, washed and dried

Dressing
1 large garlic clove finely minced
Kosher salt
Pepper
2 lemons juiced
Extra Virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Lets cook the orzo first. In medium saucepan on medium/low heat add butter and oil. Add onions, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper and soften (3-4 minutes) stirring occasionally. You don't want the onions to brown, just soften. Now add the orzo and stir into the onion mixture. You want to toast the pasta- but again, you don't want it to brown. This takes a minute or so. Add a bit more salt at this point, just to add some flavor to the orzo and stir. Add water, increase heat to a low boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook about 12-13 minutes. Give the orzo a stir and let rest and cool.

While orzo is cooling you can make the dressing. This is a simple lemon/mustard vinaigrette that I use for everything. Finely chop garlic and mix with kosher salt (start with 1/2 tsp). There's a technique that many chef's use to combine the salt and garlic to make make a paste. That's what I do here. I'll try to explain- take the flat side of your chef's knife and press the garlic and salt together on your cutting board in a small sweeping motion. Now chop the mixture with your knife and press (sweep) it again and again until you have somewhat of a paste, chopping every once in a while until you're satisfied with a medium- smooth paste. I don't have enough patience to get it completely smooth. Now add some pepper and place in medium size mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, mustard, olive oil (wish I had an exact amount- I don't, because it's a different amount every time, but I want to say about 1/3 cup). I also like my dressing acidic. My recommendation- taste and adjust the amount of olive oil. Whisk it well and set aside while you assemble the salad.

To cooked, cooled orzo add supremed oranges and their juice, capers, scallions and the creamy goat cheese crumbled. At the last minute I decided to add raisins and I'm glad I did. I'm a raisin lover but I realize not everybody is, so this is obviously an optional ingredient. Add your dressing and toss gently.

 
Fill lettuce leaves with about 2 tablespoons of this creamy mixture, garnish with parsley, serve and enjoy!

If you're making this salad ahead of time, refrigerate until serving time and squeeze half a lemon over the orzo mixture before plating, just to refresh the salad. I think you'll really like this sweet and salty appetizer. 
 

Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad

We're having a heat wave in New England and I've been looking for lighter type foods to eat. I know a lot of people are firing up their grills and enjoying steaks and other types of goodies, but I've been staying inside enjoying the AC and nibbling on this delicious roasted vegetable pasta salad. If you're feeling like me, Mrs Plah (thank you Carol for that nickname) you might want to give this Mediterranean inspired salad a try. The salad is not plah at all; it's perfect to fight the heat and still enjoy some healthy vegetables, creamy goat cheese and a spunky dressing that will almost make you forget how hot it is outside. And you know I've made it a simple fix.

Mediterranean Inspired Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

1 8 oz container grape tomatoes
1 8-1/2 oz can quartered artichoke hearts (in water) drained
12-15 Kalamata olives halved
4 scallions chopped
4 oz goat cheese crumbled
1-1/2 cups penne pasta (I love Dreamfields, low carb)
Olive oil or cooking spray
Salt
Black pepper
Dash of dried oregano

Dressing
1 clove garlic chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup plus 1 or 2 extra Ts rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Ready to put this quick dish together? Let's go! Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Spritz tomatoes with cooking spray or toss in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 15-20 minutes until they begin to pop a bit and get a little toasty brown.

After I roasted these I decided to roast the artichokes. Why not, I thought, because sometimes artichokes out of a can can taste a bit raw. So do the same thing with the chokes. Roast about 8 minutes and flip them over and cook about 8 minutes more. No raw artichokes invited.

While the chokes are cooking, make your dressing and cook your penne pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions and rinse with cold water. To make the dressing combine all ingredients. I like to make mine in a small jar and shake to combine. Finally, time to assemble this salad. Place all veggies in bowl and add pasta and that very small pinch of oregano.

Crumble your goat cheese, add your dressing, and ta-da! salad is ready to be refrigerated for about a 1/2 hour. Serve and enjoy, and don't let the heat get you down!

Re-Mix: to keep it vegetarian, add a T of capers, they will add a nice kick. And a drained, rinsed can of cannellini beans is great for some extra protein. To make more of a meal of this, add a can or two of tuna or salmon. Or to go another route, add a few chopped hard boiled eggs. Sometimes I find that the pasta soaks up a lot of the dressing, so before serving, add an additional T of olive oil and 2 tsp of vinegar, just to regenerate the salad. In this heat we all need a little regenerating.

Avocado Salad Dressing and Dip

Avocados are on sale this week so I took advantage and came up with a creamy, ever-so-light (in texture) avocado dressing that works beautifully in a tossed salad or maybe even better as a dip for chips or raw vegetables. If you're an avocado lover, this is a must try. Tonight I topped a spinach, romaine, chopped egg and turkey bacon salad with it and it was simply delish.

Avocado Dressing

1 scallion chopped

1 garlic clove chopped

6 oz plain fat free Greek yogurt (I think sour cream would work well too)

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp tabasco sauce

1/2 tsp kosher salt

black pepper

2 avocados peeled and chopped

Combine all ingredients in blender except the avocadoes. When mixture is smooth, add the first avocado and blend. Your dressing is basically done. Remove from blender and carefully stir in the second avocado. You now have a chunky, decadent dressing with good size chunks of this heavenly fruit that will make every bite of your salad or dip more exciting.

Spinach and Romaine Salad

2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
1 cup chopped baby spinach
4 strips turkey bacon cooked and chopped
2 eggs hard boiled and chopped
3/4 cup croutons (I love home made-Ann Burrell's recipe)

Combine all salad ingredients, toss with dressing and dig in. You won't be disappointed. This salad should serve two. You will have some left over dressing so get creative and slather it on sandwiches, bring out the pita chips, or mix it with some rotisserie chicken, celery and carrots for a very tasty chicken salad. Use it up though, since I don't think it will last more than a day or two.

Green Goddess Dressing

Have you noticed a major change in the dairy aisle of your supermarket? I sure have. It seems that my market has been slowly replacing good old Dannon and Yoplait with the pricier, richer "Greek Style" yogurt. I hadn't tried this newcomer because I'm stubborn and also very brand loyal. But then I saw that the recipes in the cooking magazines I read were featuring Greek yogurt in so many dishes that I just had to give it a shot. I have a standard Green Goddess salad dressing recipe that I make with lite sour cream and decided to swap plain, no fat Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. The flavor of the dressing didn't change much, but the richness is definately over the top. Maybe a bit rich for me, but I'll let you be the judge.



Greek Yogurt Green Goddess Dressing

6 oz plain fat free Greek yogurt
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 small scallion chopped
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp anchovy paste
1 garlic clove minced
1 T Italian parsley chopped (or 1 T Gourmet Garden Parsley Blend)

Place all ingredients except parsley in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add parsley and whirl until combined and the mixture becomes a light green color. Serve on your favorite salad. I used Bibb lettuce, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, crumbled blue cheese, scallions, homemade croutons and a hard boiled egg. A little bacon would have been nice. All in all, very tasty. And very rich.

Caesar Salad (no raw eggs invited)

Anne Burrell is possibly my favorite chef on the Food Network. Her flavors are as bold and big as her personality and her recipes never disappoint. A few months ago she did a show that featured a Caesar dressing that didn't include raw eggs. I bookmarked that in my memory and finally made it today. Delish. I changed her recipe slightly because I didn't have all the ingredients she specified. However success was achieved. It was cheesy, garlicky and as good as the real thing!

Caesar Dresssing
1/2 cup shredded Romano cheese (Anne used 1 cup grated Parmesan- that sounded like a lot to me so I cut back on the amount, plus I only had shredded in my fridge)
2 lemons juiced
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1-1/2 T Dijon mustard (Anne used 2 T)
1 tsp anchovy paste (Anne used 3-4 anchovies)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt


In large bowl combine all ingredents and whisk until combined. Anne used a food processor but I chose the old fashioned method.

Croutons
4 slices Italian bread sliced into 1/2 to 1 inch squares
2 cloves of garlic smashed
1/2 cup olive oil
Kosher salt

In medium to large skillet, on medium heat, add oil and smashed garlic. Cook the garlic until it becomes warm and amber colored and the aroma permeates the room. Do not cook the garlic too long or it will burn. Remove garlic from oil, lower heat slightly and add bread cubes and a pinch or two of salt. Cook cubes until golden. This happens pretty quickly, so don't take your eyes away from the pan. Remove croutons and drain on paper towels.


To assemble the salad for 4 people I used one Romaine lettuce heart and left the leaves whole (that's what Anne did) and I loved the informality of the presentation. Drizzle lettuce with dressing and garnish with croutons. Add freshly ground pepper if desired.

Garden Fresh

I was lucky again this weekend to get more vegetables from Fran's garden and her tomatoes are out of this world FRESH. I decided to incorporate them into an old fashioned salad that back in the day was a staple at every steakhouse in the country- The Iceberg Wedge. I used to make this type of salad many years ago before we had the availability of all the lettuces we have now. Anyway, this is a blast from the past for me and I decided a blue cheese dressing jazzed up with turkey bacon chunks might put this salad right where I wanted it- over the top.

Iceberg Wedge Salad (serves two)

1/2 Iceberg lettuce cut in half
2 medium garden fresh tomatoes sliced
2 hard boiled eggs sliced

Blue Cheese Dressing
4 slices turkey bacon
1/2 cup Lite Mayonnaise- I like Hellmann's
1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic- optional
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

To make the dressing: Cook the turkey bacon. I bake mine in a 385 degree oven until crisp, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. When cool, chop into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. Combine all ingredients except cheese and bacon in a medium-large bowl and whisk until combined. Fold in cheese and bacon and refrigerate for 1 hour to let the flavors meld.

To prepare the salad: Place lettuce wedge, tomato slices and sliced egg (plus any other vegetables you might like- scallions and carrot slices are nice) on serving dish. Spoon blue cheese dressing liberally over vegetables and dig in and enjoy the crunch.

Re-mix: My mom used to make this salad with a homemade Russian dressing and it's equally as good. She'd mix mayo, ketchup, chopped egg and sweet relish. I don't remember the proportions exactly but will be happy to figure them out if anyone is interested.