Frisée, Brown Turkey Figs, and Aged Gouda Cheese Salad

I cannot believe that it has been a few days since the last time I posted. I have been cooking but experience a backlog when it comes to posting...been busy all week since I started a new class this past Tuesday. Another core nursing informatics class which brings me closer to finishing this course. After this class, I only have one more informatics class then on to my nursing education core classes. Surprisingly this school stuff is not so bad and I am really liking it.

 Moving on...
 

Here's another salad recipe for y'all.  This is a light salad that is perfect for the summer.  I got my ingredients from WholeFoods which, as always, sells produce that are always fresh.  I do like going to their branch in Fairfax and Third.  Although it can get crowded during the day, the hassle is all worth it.

Frisee is not really something that I use as the main salad greens.  I usually have it in mixed green salad, such as Mesclun but WholeFoods had fresh ones so I bought it as the salad green base.  They say it is slightly bitter in taste when eaten raw but I can hardly taste that bitterness.  Compared to salad greens, such as dandelion, arugula, and watercress, the taste of frisee is way milder. This salad green is available throughout the year.  It has greeninsh to yellow-greenish lacy leaves and is a good source of mineral, fibers, and vitamins.

One thing to remember when using frisee is to make sure and separate the fronds then wash it thoroughly.  I find some dirt deep within the fronds close to the end...hehehe...it will not be good to eat salad with some dirt still on it.  I also trimmed the hard parts of the fronds/stems.



I also used figs for this salad.  Although fig season has just started, I went ahead and bought some since I have been on the lookout for it for a couple of weeks now.  The figs that I got were nice and sweet. Give it another couple of weeks and the season will be in full swing so it will become widely available in the market. The figs lends a hint of sweetness to the salad which does not only make it taste lighter but also balances the flavor out. I had some leftover figs after I made the salad and I already have plans to make a fig sandwich out of it...hehehe



Another great addition to this salad is the aged Gouda.  The one that I bought is a five-year old Gouda which is firm to touch.  It is not as firm as Parmigiano Reggiano though but still pretty firm compared to regular Gouda.  It has a slightly pungent smell an strong taste but very creamy consistency.  It also has a lot of crystallines which are salt-like in consistency but they are actually calcium lactate crystals which forms as the cheese ages. This cheese is yummy.




Ingredients:

1 head frisee, trimmed and washed carefully

a spring of tarragon, remove leaves from stem

1 fennel bulb, slice thinly

4 brown turkey figs, sliced thinly

salt and pepper to taste

Gouda cheese, shaved thinly using a vegetable peeler

1. combine green in a salad bowl.  toss lightly to mix.

2. Serve with lemon-olive oil vinaigrette


Olive Oil-Red Wine Vinaigrette 

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

juice of 1/2 a lemon, seeds discarded

sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

1. In a bowl, mix the first three ingredients and whisk until well blended.

2. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper according to taste

Golden and Red Beetroots, Tarragon, and Watercress Salad

Today is not a good day since I have to finish a presentation that is due for submission.  School's good because I am learning a lot but I do not like the part where we have to submit paper/project/presentation almost every week.  The good news though is that this class is almost over- one more day...Then off to another six-week course.  I do like the flexibility of online education because I can do my assignments and post participation at a time that is convenient to me.  No set time, no driving to the physical classroom.  The draw back? so darn expensive...but I guess its the same everywhere-online or campus education.

Since I am busy with academics today, I do not have much time to spend cooking and preparing dishes.  The obvious answer (of course) is a salad and sandwich combo.  For the salad, I chose watercress as the base then added tarragon, beetroots, feta cheese, and drizzled with an olive oil-balsamic vinegar dressing.




This is very easy to make.  Okay, I admit that I always say that but that is the only word that I can describe the preparation of this dish...combine, drizzle, and dig in.  Well, maybe a little prep time is required but hey if I could make it while trying to crack my brain trying to write a report and presentation, I am sure it will be easy peasy for anyone...right?  hehehe

While writing my report and presentation, I boiled the beetroots until it is fork tender.  Oh, make sure you wash them very well to remove any dirt then place them in a pan and cover with water.  Cook over medium heat ...don't forget to leave a little opening when placing the cover on top to prevent the water from splashing and boiling over.  Clean-up would be a huge problem since water turns slightly reddish-orange.  After it becomes tender, remove from heat and hot water and let it cool down.  When it has cooled down, use food preparation gloves to peel the outer layer (skin) from the beetroots.  Unless you want to end up with reddish to reddish-orange tinged hands, I suggest you make use of the gloves...hehehe.  Once the beetroots has been boiled and sliced, the rest only required assembling the salad- mix and toss.





Watercress is not really something that I normally choose as my salad green because it has a strong peppery and tangy taste to it.  Don't get me wrong.  I do like anything bitter, peppery, or tangy but watercress, i believe, tops them all.  The good thing is that if you combine it with the sweet beetroot taste, licorice-like tarragon, and feta cheese, you can hardly taste the peppery-tangy flavor of the watercress.  The different taste and textures compliments each other.



Ingredients:

2 red bettroots
2 golden beetroots
1 bunch of watercress- roots trimmed, washed thoroughly, and dried using a salad spinner
1 spring of tarragon- stems removed and discarded
feta cheese, crumbled
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1-2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

1. Place beetroots in a pan. Add white wine vinegar and a little salt.

2. Cover with water and heat over medium heat.

3. Cook beetroots until fork tender.  Remove from heat then set aside to cool.

4. Once beetroots has cooled, use food prep gloves to peel then slice into disks at approximately half an inch thickness.

5. In a large bowl, combine watercress, tarragon, beetroots, salt and pepper.  Toss lightly.

6. Top with crumbled feta cheese then drizzle dressing over it.

Dressing

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting cap.

2. Shake to combine and emulsify.

***this recipe can be multiplied accordingly if you are making a huge batch of salad.

Organic Dandelion, Blackberries, and White Peach Salad

Good day all. Busy... busy...busy...all day yesterday as I had to run all around town running errands.  It didn't help that the sun was blazing and the temperature was too warm.  It sapped all of my energy out and by the middle of the day I felt like I was running on empty.  I stopped by at the Corner Bakery for a quick bite and ordered turkey breast panini which was surprisingly good but a little pricey in my opinion. It was also way too greasy, or rather the bread felt like it was slather in butter or grease... They might be using too much grease on their panini grill..hmmm.  At $8 something a sandwich, I think I can do better at home.  My takeaway on the experience is that it  gave me an idea on what to make next in my sandwich series... hehehe.



After a busy day, I went over to the valley to visit family... it was good seeing everyone after a long while.  We had dinner at a Korean BBQ place and was stuffed to the brim. I always tend to overeat when I go to these AYCE (all you can eat) resto. What makes it worse is that I mostly ate meat so it felt really heavy but good nonetheless. Before I left, I got some Philippine lime (kalamansi) from my in-law's tree which I am intending to use in a dish or beverage later this week.

Today, I needed something light and easy to make for lunch to make up for all the meat consumption and heavy meal the day before.  I went to WholeFoods really early to avoid congestion both inside the store and in the parking lot as the place tends to get packed as the day wore on.  I picked up nuts (macadamia, pistacchio, brazil) and granola from their bulk food section.  For the fresh produce, I got a bunch of organic dandelion, white peaches, purple potatoes, and blackberries.  I am so happy with the produce that I picked up as they were really fresh.  The dandelion, peach, and blackberries I am using for this dish while the purple potatoes are intended for another use either tomorrow or monday.



Dandelion is not something that most people would think of when they think of salad greens.  Its not surprising because most people think of it as the weeds that ruin their perfectly manicured lawns  :) What's more surprising though is that this "weed" is edible -leaves, flowers, roots.  Of course, I wouldn't go around people's yards to pick them up as you are not sure what chemicals have been used in that lawn.  For dandelion greens, I go to WholeFoods as they have the organic variety.




As mentioned, every part of the plant , or weed if you prefer :P, is edible.  It can be boiled, stir-fried, or eaten raw as a salad.  The greens has a bite to it, slightly bitter actually, and would probably be an acquired taste.  I do not mind though as I am used to eating sauteed bitter melon (ampalaya) since I was young so the bitter taste do not really bother me.  I usually put fresh fruits such as pears, apples, peaches, and berries in the salad which helps balance the bitterness with the sweetness.  I added lightly toasted macadamia (which, coincidentally, I also eat raw at times) and crumbled feta. I used a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing.



Ingredients:

1 bunch (about 1 lb or so) organic dandelion greens, stalks trimmed

1 white peach, washed and thinly sliced with skin on (you can also remove the skin, if you prefer)

2/3 cup fresh blackberries

1/2 lightly toasted macadamia nuts

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. In a bowl, mix trimmed dandelion, sliced peach, whole blackberries, macadamia nuts, and feta cheese.

2. Toss gently and season with salt and pepper according to taste.

3. Serve with olive oil-red wine vinaigrette

Olive Oil-Red Wine Vinaigrette


1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

juice of 1/2 a lemon, seeds discarded

sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

1. In a bowl, mix the first three ingredients and whisk until well blended.

2. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper according to taste

Wild Arugula, Glazed Walnuts, and Apple Salad

I was over at Whole Foods today and they had really fresh greens which were begging me to take them home...really, they were, I swear :0 ...

 They had good looking wild arugula and basil which I bought and took home. I was thinking of using the basil for pesto since it has been a while since I've made some but the wild arugula is intended for a salad so I picked up other ingredients like glazed walnuts (they're great as they help to cut down cooking and prep time)as well as lemons and pine nuts (for the pesto). The only thing I forgot was to buy some pears which I only remembered when I was already halfway home. I could have stopped at another supermarket but the temperature was getting warm so I was really itching to get home as fast as I can. So instead of using pear, I used some gala apple instead which I already have in my refrigerator.

Arugula has a peppery, nutty taste to it. It is sold at the supermarket as either baby or mature leaves. Cultivated baby arugula are usually rounder in shape and often resemble the shape of a spinach only smaller. Will arugula, on the other hand has a stronger and more pronounced peppery, nutty taste to it. The shaped of the leaves are also slightly different in the sense that lobes and smaller in size. It is an annual plant that is rich in vitamin C and potassium. They were once considered aphrodisiac. It is great as a salad but it can also be used in pasta or pizza.

Ingredients:

5 oz wild arugula

1 apple or pear, cored and sliced thinly

1/4 cup store bought glazed walnuts

shaved parmigiano reggiano

salt and pepper, to taste


 1. Toss the first three ingredients together.

 2. season with salt and pepper according to taste

 3. top with shaved parmigiano reggiano

 4. Drizzle with dressing (see below)

Dressing:

10 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

5 Tbsp lemon juice salt and pepper, to taste

1. Combine and whisk EVOO and lemon in a small container.

2. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.

 ***left over dressing can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days. Just make sure to let it thaw and shake well prior to use.

Salted Egg Salad

When I cooked shrimp in salted egg yolks, I ended up with tons of salted egg whites.  It was such a waste to discard them so I used them in a dish that can be served as an accompaniment to any meal. This dish is categorically not a "salad" but more of a side dish. For lack of a better term, I am using the word salad loosely for its name...hehehe

Salted eggs are either duck or chicken eggs that has been kept in a brine solution for about a month.  After a month, the eggs are removed from the solution then hard-boiled.  The hard-boiled salted eggs can be kept in the refrigerator until they are ready to be used.  As the name denotes, the eggs are salty when eaten by itself.  Filipino cuisine have a few dishes that makes use of these but they are commonly served as an appetizer by dicing them then adding diced tomatoes, shallots, and vinegar.  

Making this dish is very simple as it does not require exact measurement.  You can just go by feel and preference but I will, however, post the proportion that I used when I prepared this one.  Although I only used salted egg whites (since that was what I had on hand), you are supposed to use both the salted egg whites and egg yolks.  

This dish is great when served with grilled or fried pork, dried fish, seafood.  

Ingredients:

7 salted egg whites (whole salted eggs preferable), diced

2 large Roma tomatoes, diced

4 small shallots, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

2 stalks green onion, sliced thinly and diagonally

1/4 cup vinegar (adjust to your own preference)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Assemble all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl.

2. Season with salt and pepper according to taste

3. Mix well and let it stand for about 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

Green Papaya Salad with Beef Jerky (Goi Du Du Bo Kho)

I remember eating a Vietnamese salad a while back and it tasted really good so I wanted to recreate it at home. I adapted this recipe from Viet World Kitchen but I modified it a little bit.

Papaya trees are abundant in the Philippines and usually used in several dishes such as atchara (pickles) or in a chicken stew. It can also be eaten raw both in its unripe or ripen stages. Unripe or underripe papaya can just be sliced and eaten with salt and vinegar while ripe papaya can be eaten by itself or grated then mixed with sugar and milk. Anyway you want to eat your papaya is fine as long as you add something to it. Eating papaya by itself can be a little bland unless it really ripe. There are varieties in the Philippines that are sweet when ripe and others that remains bland even when they are fully ripe. To me, the here is nothing compared to those foundin the Philippines but it could just be me and my preference :)

Anyways, this Vietnamese papaya salad is quite tasty thanks to the dressing which is a combination of sweet and spicy. I do think it is better to serve the dressing on the side so that each person can adjust it according to preference rather than dumping all the dressing on the entire salad. Plus, it makes it looks nicer too to serve the dressing and salad separately. I am not really a huge fan of the color of the dark soy because it looks too dark (to me) and makes the salad look unappetizing.

Dressing:
3 tablespoons regular (light) soy sauce
1 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoons sugar
1 or 2 Thai chillies, finely chopped (you can remove the seed if you prefer it less spicy)

Combine all ingredients and mix until sugar is dissolve. Set aside.

2 cups unripe papaya, peeled then julienned
1 teaspoons salt
4 ounces Asian-style beef jerky, julienned
a handful of basil,sliced thinly


1. Peel papaya, remove and discard seeds then julienne using a mandoline slicer. NOTE: Be careful not to cut your fingers.

2. Place papaya in a bowl then add salt. Let it stand for 15 minutes then squeeze as much of the fluid out. You can either do it by hand or use a cheese cloth to wring the fluids out. Discard any liquid.

3. Transfer to a clean bowl then fluff to loosen.

4. Add beef jerky and basil and toss lightly. Serve with dressing on the side.

Kinilaw na Pusit (Marinated Squid)

This dish is traditionally eaten as a "pulutan" or accompaniments for alcoholic beverages but I like to eat it with rice. It can also be considered as an appetizer. This is a simple and straightforwar dish which needs fresh ingredients in order for it totaste yummy. I love spicy food so I added Thai chili pepper. The only cooking that is involved in this dish is blanching the squid then the rest just involve slicing, dicing, and mixing. I used jumbo squid for this recipe but it can easily be substituted with regular ones. I was originally thinking of grilling this jumbo squid but changed my mind at the last minute because it was too darn hot outside...grilled squid will have to wait another day, I guess.

NOTE: To prepare the squid in this recipe, you need to remove all the insides out then clean the squid well, take out the outer skin surface and the backbone. To clean the tentacles, cut and discard everything from the eyes down, You also need to cut one side of the tube so you are able to lay it flat on the cutting board then score it lightly and diagonally.


Ingredients:

1 jumbo squid or 1 lb regular squid, cleaned (see note above)
2 medium vine-ripened tomato, diced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2-3 inch sized ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
3-4 Thai chili pepper, sliced diagonally
NOTE: If you don't want it too spicy, remove and discard seed from chili pepper
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 key lime, sliced thinly
1/3 cup vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Prepare a bowl with cold water and ice cubes, set aside.
2. Boil water in a pan. Once it starts boiling, drop the squid and cook for about 1 minute then turn heat off, drain water and submerge the squid in cold water with ice for 2 -3 minutes. Drain and slice thinly (about 1/2 x 2 inches).
3. Place sliced squid in a bowl.
4. Add sliced tomato, onions, ginger, garlic, and Thai pepper.
5. Add lime juice, lemon juice, and vinegar. Mix well.
6. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper according to taste.
7. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes or until ready to eat.

Penne Rigate with Fresh Tomatoes,Salmon, and Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano in Homemade Pesto Sauce

Whew this has been a busy morning for me... hahaha...and all because of this dish. I made some pesto sauce prior to cooking this one and it was delish which, in turn, made this dish taste really good. The only thing that I had to cook was that pasta because I baked the salmon a couple of nights ago. As with the inngredients for making the pesto sauce, you also need to choose ripe, fresh, juicy, and succulent tomatoes for this dish. The salmon was cold since I left it in the refrigerator so I warmed it in the toaster oven set on bake and at a low temperature of 300F over 10 minutes. I did this while I was cooking the pasta. I think it took me around 30 minutes to make this dish and that includes the time spent for making the pesto sauce.



Tip on shaved parmigiano reggiano : use a vegetable peeler to do this.

Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 cup of homemade pesto sauce, recipe here (you can useas much or as little as you want as long as all of the ingredients are coated with it)
baked salmon, flaked (recipe here)
8 oz. Penne Rigate
1 to 2 tomato, diced coarsely
shaved parmigiano reggiano.
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to direction. Pour water out when cooked and drain on a strainer.
2. Transfer pasta to a bowl. Add tomatoes and baked salmon. Mix well.
3. Seasonwith salt and pepper according to taste.
4. Top with shaved parmigiano reggiano.
%. Serve warm.

Insalata Caprese (Caprese Salad)

This is such an easy, no-frill, no-brainer, and most of all no-work salad. All it takes is to cut the mozzarella cheese and tomatoes. after that all that's left to do is to assemble and season. I think the key to this salad is to get the freshest ingredients that you could find and getting a really good quality extra virgin oilve oil. All that quality and freshness really comes through when you take a bite of the salad and makes all the difference. This is coming from someone who, just a few short years ago (okay, two years ago), could not even tolerate eating raw tomatoes. This salad converted me from a non-raw tomato eater to someone who really likes them.

Insalata caprese originated from the Italian region of Campania. It is a simple salad composed of tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, basil and seasoned with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and olive oil. It iss served as an antipasto or starter. I deviated a little from the traditional caprese salad because I added a little bit of capers.


Ingredients:

1 large ripe tomatoes
1/4 pound fresh mozzarella cheese
a handful of fresh basil leaves, washed and well-dried
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tbsp capers

1. Wash tomatoes and let it air dry. Slice into 1/4 inch thick.
2. Remove mozzarella from container then drain liquid and discard. Slice into 1/4 inch thick.
3. To assemble: take a piece each of tomato and mozzarella cheese them sandwich a basil leaf in between them place in a serving platter. Repeat until everything is assembled.
4. Top with capers, season with salt and pepper according to taste, and drizzle olive oil on top.

Crumbled Gorgonzola and Pear Salad

I put this salad together with ingredients that was readily available in my pantry and refrigerator. This salad really turned out well. The pungent aroma, creamy texture, and stong flavor of gorgonzola goes so well with the mild and sweet flavor of Bosc pear. The balsamic vinaigrette dressing ties the dish together.

Gorgonzola cheese is a variety of blue cheese that originates from Italy. It is produced mainly in the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardi. Gorgonzola, like all the other blue cheese varieties such as stilton, roquefort, and bleu d'auvergne, has the characteristic blue vein which is caused by starter bacteria that was added to the cow's or sheep's milk. The aging process for gorgonzola cheese is usually 3-4 months. Gorgonzola become firmer as it ripens.



Ingredients:

1 Bosc pear
gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


1. In a small bowl, mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Whisk to combine.

2.Cut, core and slice pear thinly.

3. Assemble gorgonzola and pear in a plate.

4. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

5. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.

Vietnamese Green Mango with Jicama Salad

I still have some leftove mango after I made my favorite green mango shake so i decided to make this Vietnamese Green Mango Salad but I added some jicama (or singkamas in Filipino) for extra crunch. The finely chopped ginger and mint give this dish a refreshing flavor while the Philippine chili pepper (siling labuyo) gives it a nice punch.

Ingredients:

1 unripe or green mango, julienned
1/2 jicama, julienned
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 inches fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 bunch of mint, coarsely chopped
2-3 siling labuyo, sliced thinly and diagonally

Sauce/ dressing:

2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 TBsp fish sauce





1. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients for sauce.

2. In a medium bowl mix all ingredients. Add sauce and mix well.



NOTE: Be very careful when handling siling labuyo. They may be tiny but they sure are spicy. You may use disposable kitchen gloves when handling them and be sure to wash your hands very well afterwards.



The equipment pictured above is called a citrus reamer which is very handy in extracting juice from line or lemon and very useful when I am not in the mood to wash the many parts of a juicer.


The one pictured above is called a mandolin slicer. Very handy in julienning veggies...try doing that manually, Ha! This baby can do it in no time at all. It comes with 4 attachments which can be used to slice, grate, julienne, and cut into french fries sizes. Be careful and don't forget to use the holder that comes with it to prevent you from accidentally cutting yourself.

Summer's bounty salad

After a couple weeks of funs, camaraderie, and non-stop food feasts in the Philippines, I needed something light and easy. Salad seem to fit the description...easy enough to assemble and light on the stomach...




Ingredients:

Baby spinach, washed and drained thoroughly
1/2 white peach, sliced thinly
1/2 yellow peach, sliced thinly
mandarin oranges, canned
raisins
goat cheese, break into chunks
Ken's steak house honey mustard dressing

Procedure:
1. mix spinach, peaches, mandarin orange and raisins.
2. toss and mix well
3. transfer into a serving dish
4. top with goat cheese.
5. drizzle dressing over the salad