sides and salads Archive

Soba Noodle Salad with Miso Chard Pesto and Honey Roasted Carrots

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen last week, prepping and preserving in anticipation for the PDX Food Swap. Truth be told, I haven’t been spending a ton of time in the kitchen as of late. Life has been busy and chaotic and I just haven’t had a lot of time or energy for creative kitchen projects. But, the PDX Food swap was looming in the distance and I just couldn’t stomach the idea of going to the swap empty-handed.

So, I carved out some time in my week and forced myself to get into the kitchen. Over the course of a couple days, I cooked and created and canned and preserved. I made a giant mess of my kitchen, but it was totally worth it.

I felt accomplished and inspired…and strangely relaxed. Cooking has that effect on me, I suppose.

Of all the things I cooked this past week, I think this soba salad is my favorite. The chard and miso pesto is earthy and savory, dark and uniquely delicious. (Truthfully, it isn’t really a pesto at all. I just wasn’t sure what else to call it.) The savory pesto paired beautifully with the natural sweetness of the roasted carrots, and let me tell you, it made for a damn good soba noodle salad.

(Also: I begrudgingly brought a couple of jars of the chard and miso ‘pesto’ to the PDX Food Swap, but I selfishly wanted to keep it all to myself. It’s too good.)

Soba Salad with Miso Chard Pesto and Honey Roasted Carrots

Serving Size: 3 as an entree, 6 as a side

Ingredients

1 bunch swiss chard
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup red miso paste
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
freshly ground black pepper
1 package soba noodles
1 bunch rainbow carrots (or 5-6 regular carrots)
1.5 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
Green onions, ends trimmed and sliced thinly (for garnish)

Instructions

Roast the carrots (can be done ahead of time): Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and trim carrots (do not peel). If your carrots are very thin/small, you may leave them whole. If the carrots are thick, slice in half (or quarters) lengthwise. Pat the carrots dry and place in a bowl. Toss with sesame oil, honey, red chili flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Lay the carrots in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until browned and fork tender. When cooked to your liking, remove from the oven and set aside until use.
Place a large pot of salted water on the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, wash the chard and trim off the stems. Set stems aside. Roughly chop the chard leaves. When the water is boiling, add the chard leaves into the water and stir to combine. Blanch chard in the water for 2-3 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove chard and transfer to a bowl. Reserve the pot water.
Using a food processor (or blender), blend the blanched chard, garlic, miso paste, and rice vinegar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally, and blend until a smooth paste forms. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed.
Bring the pot of reserved blanching water to a boil. Cook the soba noodles in the water, according to package directions. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss the soba noodles with the chard pesto. Add a few teaspoons of the pesto at a time, until the noodles are evenly coated. (Extra pesto can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge) Taste, and season with salt, pepper, or red chili flakes as needed. Serve at room temperature and garnish with roasted carrots and sliced green onions.
Note: I adapted this recipe from Chow, and they chose to sauté the chard stems in oil before tossing them in the soba salad. I chose to go another route with the stems, and quick-pickled them in a mixture of rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. I was pretty pleased with my pickled chard stems, and thought they made a crunchy, bright, and briny addition to the salad.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/01/28/soba-noodle-salad-miso-chard-pesto-honey-roasted-carrots/

The Northwest’s Best Stuffing with Chanterelles, Hazelnuts, and Sage

Aside from the turkey, I’d argue that stuffing is the most important Thanksgiving dish. Stuffing is an absolute classic. Never mind the fact that we don’t actually stuff the turkey with stuffing anymore (it’s a health risk!), this classic still has it’s place on the Thanksgiving table.

I’ll admit, however, that I’m not crazy about the classic all-American Stouffer’s stuffing. I prefer a rustic, bread-pudding-esque stuffing. I like stuffing with flavor and texture and contrast. Stuffing should not be a lump of mushy bread, rather, a good stuffing is moist, rich, and perfectly crisp and brown along the edges.

This particular stuffing recipe highlights some of Oregon’s finest ingredients: chanterelles and hazelnuts. We are nearing the end of chanterelle season in Oregon, so I wanted to create a stuffing that highlighted these wonderful mushrooms. The chanterelles add a buttery richness to the stuffing, and the hazelnuts lend a delicious and nutty crunch. This stuffing is simple, elegant, and seasonal. If I may say so, I think it would make a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving table.

Lastly, tune in this Sunday, November 24th, to KPAM 860 for Missy Maki’s Ultimate Oregon Thanksgiving Show! I’ll be on air – along with a group of fantastic food bloggers – and we’ll be talking about our Ultimate Oregon Thanksgiving recipes (including this recipe). It’s going to be a blast, so be sure to listen in!

The Northwest’s Best Stuffing with Chanterelles, Hazelnuts, and Sage

Serving Size: 8-10

Ingredients

1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter
3 shallots, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
3/4 pound chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
1⁄2 cup white wine
1 cup (or more) chicken stock
8 cups cubed brioche bread (can substitute high quality white or sourdough bread)
2 tablespoons sage leaves, minced
3⁄4 cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2 large eggs
1.5 cups heavy cream
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Can be done ahead of time: To make stuffing, you’ll need dry/stale bread cubes. If you’re working with fresh bread, you’ll need to manually dry out the bread cubes. To do this, arrange the cubes on baking sheets in a single layer. Bake in a 300 degree oven, tossing occasionally, until the bread is crunchy and golden brown (about 15 minutes).
To make the stuffing: Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, onion, and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the mushrooms and 1 tsp of thyme. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms have released their liquid and the liquid has evaporated. Add in the white wine and continue to cook, until the liquid has mostly reduced. Add in 1/2 cup of stock and cook until there is very little liquid left in the pan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside until use.
In a large bowl, toss together the bread cubes, hazelnuts, sage, thyme, and sauteed mushrooms. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, and remaining chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the cream mixture over the bread mixture and toss to coat. Spread the stuffing into the prepared pan. If the mixture seems dry (it should be moist), pour a bit of chicken stock over the top of the stuffing. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Notes

Recipe adapted from NY Magazine

http://rosemarried.co/2013/11/20/northwests-best-stuffing-with-chanterelles/

Buckwheat Soba Salad with Snow Peas and Radishes

Did you know that the word ‘soba’ is the Japanese name for ‘buckwheat’?

And did you know that buckwheat isn’t really wheat at all?

In fact, buckwheat comes from an entirely different botanical family. Buckwheat is actually in the same family as sorrel, knotweed, and rhubarb.

You learn something new everyday! I think this information is amazing. Who knew that buckwheat was related to rhubarb?! (I certainly did not!)

As for the recipe? It’s light, it’s seasonal, and it’s perfect for picnics, BBQ’s, and weeknight dinners in the backyard.

Buckwheat Soba Salad with Snow Peas and Radishes

Ingredients

1 package of buckwheat soba noodles
1 cup fresh snow peas
4 green onions, diced
6-8 radishes, sliced thinly
Sesame seeds
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1.5 tablespoons Ponzu (or lemon/lime juice)
1.5 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon agave syrup (or brown sugar)
1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar

Instructions

Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. Once cooked, rinse with cold water and chill until use.
Mix together soy sauce, ponzu (or citrus), sesame oil, agave, and rice vinegar. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed. (I personally like a lot of citrus, so I used ponzu and lime juice.)
Toss together the noodles, snow peas, sliced radishes, and green onions. Drizzle the soy dressing over the salad, and toss to coat. Be careful not over-do it on the sauce (this salad’s beauty is in it’s lightness and simplicity). Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve chilled.

http://rosemarried.co/2013/06/13/buckwheat-soba-salad-with-snow-peas-and-radishes/

FRIDAY FAVORITES: SALAD EDITION

I’m in a bit of a salad phase. Blame it on the hot weather or blame it on the abundance of greens in my garden — whatever the reason may be, I’ve been craving and consuming a lot of salad.

Tis the season, I suppose.

For this reason, I decided to post a round up of my favorite spring and summer salads. Here, in no particular order, are a few of my favorites.

FRIDAY FAVORITES: SALAD EDITION

1. ASPARAGUS & ARUGULA SALAD WITH FETA AND MINT

2. SHAVED APPLE, FENNEL, AND CELERY SALAD

3.SPICY PEANUT NOODLE SALAD

4. RED CABBAGE SLAW WITH CREAMY AVOCADO DRESSING

5. RADISH LEAF PESTO PASTA SALAD

6. THE PRETTIEST WATERMELON SALAD WITH BASIL, BALSAMIC AND MOZZARELLA

7. GREEN BEAN AND BLACKBERRY SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

8. GRILLED CORN SALAD WITH CHERRY TOMATOES AND AVOCADO

Farro and Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese and Lemon

I’ve been in a fog for nearly a week now. My nose is stuffed up, my throat is sore, and my head aches. I’m not sure if this is a cold, a sinus infection, allergies, or a combination of all three. Whatever it is, it isn’t particularly enjoyable.

I’ve had the hardest time writing this post, simply because food simply doesn’t sound good. I can’t taste anything and I can’t smell anything. It’s all a little bit pathetic.

I made this salad before I got sick — back in the good ole days when I could taste and smell and enjoy. It was bright and lemony and full of the flavors of spring. It was lovely.

I’m sure I’ll feel better in no time, and that food will taste good again. For now, I’ll have to live vicariously through all of you. If you happen to make this dish, I just ask that you take a moment and savor it.

Enjoy the flavors of spring for me, please. :)

Farro and Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese and Lemon

Serving Size: 4 as a

Ingredients

2 cups cooked farro
1 pound asparagus
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup (or more) hazelnut or olive oil
The juice and zest of 1 lemon
1.5 teaspoons minced chives
Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

First, cook the asparagus. Bring a medium or large pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating, trim the woody ends off the asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1″-2″ pieces. When the water comes to a boil, place asparagus pieces in the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from boiling water and plunge into an ice bath (or rinse with cold water). Drain asparagus, pat dry, and set aside.
To make the dressing — mix together lemon juice, olive oil (or hazelnut oil), chives, salt, and pepper. Toss the farro, asparagus, and hazelnuts together in a shallow bowl. Pour dressing over the farro mixture, and stir to coat. Gently stir in goat cheese crumbles and lemon zest. Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed.

Notes

Adapted from The Kitchn

http://rosemarried.co/2013/05/25/farro-and-asparagus-salad-with-goat-cheese-and-lemon/

Roasted Potates with Peas, Pesto, and Chives

It is precisely this time of year that I find myself in a pesto rut. It’s just that there are so many wonderful green things that exist in the world right now: basil, chives, spring onions, kale, arugula, spinach, nettles, and more. And my absolute favorite thing to do with spring greens is to make pesto. (Please see examples: A, B, and C)

But it’s easy to get into a pesto rut, to make the same pesto-ish dish over and over again. My typical pesto meal usually looks a little something like this: I boil some pasta. I toss pasta with fresh pesto. I eat said pesto pasta. If I’m feeling particularly creative, I’ll throw in some asparagus or sun dried tomatoes.

Don’t get me wrong, pesto pasta is delicious. It’s just not particularly exciting.

Last week, however, I had an inspired idea. I decided to roast some baby potatoes and afterwards, I tossed the warm potatoes with basil almond pesto, peas, mint, and chives. This dish, though somewhat humble and unassuming, was a breath of fresh air. It was exactly what I needed to get me out of my pesto rut. It was hearty and rustic, and a little bit unexpected.

Potatoes and pesto. Who knew it was a match made in heaven?

Roasted Potates with Peas, Pesto, and Chives

Ingredients

1 pound baby yellow or white potatoes
1/2 cup (shelled) peas, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup of pesto (Any pesto will do, just use your favorite pesto recipe!)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 405 degrees F.
Wash the potatoes and pat dry. Slice potatoes in half, and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. (I like to ensure that some of the potatoes lay flat side up, and some flat side down, to ensure a varied level of textures and browned edges.)
Roast the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender and starting to brown along the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
If using frozen peas, remove the peas from the freezer and run under warm water until they are thawed. Gently pat dry and set aside. If using fresh peas, steam the peas for 3-5 minutes or until they are tender, but not mushy.
Place the roasted potatoes into a large bowl. Toss with pesto, peas, chives, and mint. Taste, and add salt & pepper if necessary. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over the potatoes prior to serving. Serve warm (but the leftovers are delicious when eaten cold!).

http://rosemarried.co/2013/05/17/roasted-potates-with-peas-pesto-and-chives/

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Hazelnuts and Meyer Lemon

Fun fact: did you know that the Caesar salad originated in Mexico? An Italian immigrant named Caesar Cardini moved to Tijuana in the 1920’s and opened a few restaurants. It is rumored that he invented the now-famous salad one evening when he ran out of his usual salad dressing ingredients and was forced to make up a salad dressing on the spot. The salad was a huge hit, and its popularity quickly spread to the United States. Nowadays, you can find Caesar salads on menus across the country, from high end restaurants to fast food chains.

So, there’s your history lesson for the day!

What I would like to do today is re-write a little bit of culinary history. I would like to reclaim the Caesar salad. Don’t get me wrong: I love a good Caesar. I love it when the lettuce is fresh and crisp, when the dressing is made from scratch (and with love!). I love the salty brine of the anchovies. The crunch of the croutons. The bite of the garlic.

But let’s be honest… when was the last time you had a good Caesar salad? Caesar salads have devolved into convenience store food; pre-packaged in plastic containers filled with with rubbery white chicken (complete with fake char marks!), soggy croutons, and wilted lettuce. Most modern-day Caesar’s resemble nothing of Cardini’s 1920’s invention.

As for my version of the Caesar, it is also a far cry from Cardini’s original recipe. My version is vegan, which means it contains no eggs or anchovies. While I love a classic Caesar dressing, there’s something about the vegan version that I adore. It actually tastes like Caesar dressing – it’s creamy, briny, peppery, and garlicky. The key to this dressing is the capers (and the caper brine), as they add that certain fishy/briny element that we all know and love in a classic Caesar.

This dressing is really simple to make, it’s flavorful, and it’s healthy. And since I want to start my new year off on the right foot, I thought I’d share this recipe with you all. I’ve been making a version of this dressing for years, but in the past I’ve made it with olive oil, almonds, and romaine lettuce. I decided to class up the recipe a little, and make it with dinosaur kale, hazelnuts, Meyer lemons, and hazelnut oil. I couldn’t be happier with the results, it’s a delightful winter salad.

One last funny tidbit, and then I’ll post the recipe. I must confess, I added some roast chicken to the salad. It completely negated the veganness of it, but oh well. It was delicious. That’s the best thing about this salad, there’s a lot of wiggle room. You can change and edit it as you see fit.

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Hazelnuts and Meyer Lemon

Ingredients

Salad ingredients:
1 large bunch Dinosaur Kale (also called Black Kale or Lacinato Kale)
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon capers
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Optional salad ingredients:
Red bell pepper, sliced thinly
Carrots, sliced thinly
Meyer lemon zest
Garlic croutons
Protein: Tempeh, Tofu, Grilled salmon, chicken, etc.
For the vegan Caesar dressing:
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3/4 cup silken tofu
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil (or olive oil)
3 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon capers
4 teaspoons caper brine
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

To make the dressing, first pulse the hazelnuts in a food processor until they are finely ground (1 minute or so).
Add in the silken tofu, lemon juice, capers, caper brine, garlic, salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar. Process until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
While the food processor is on, slowly pour in the hazelnut (or olive) oil, until the dressing is thick and creamy. (Note: There is no need to worry about the dressing being completely ‘smooth’. I happen to like the nutty texture, so I blend until it reaches the texture I like. There is a lot of flexibility with this dressing, just make it how you like it!)
Once you have mixed the dressing, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add in salt and a healthy dose of freshly ground black pepper. If the dressing doesn’t taste briny enough, add in a bit more of the caper brine. Set aside.
To assemble the salad, slice the kale into thin strips with a sharp knife. Toss the kale with the dressing and any other ingredients (carrots, bell pepper, croutons, protein, etc.). If the dressing is too thick, feel free to dilute with a bit of water or more oil.
Sprinkle the salad with remaining hazelnuts and capers, and season with a few grinds of black pepper.
Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. If you are not serving the salad immediately, I recommend squeezing a bit of fresh lemon over the salad prior to serving. If you have extra dressing, it will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

http://rosemarried.co/2013/01/06/vegan-kale-caesar-salad/