Fennel Salad with Green Apple and Parmesan
November 26, 2016 § Leave a comment
This salad made me a fan of fennel. Crunchy and has a fresh, sweetly musky taste similar to liquorice and anise. Paired with apple, it masks the licorice flavor (perfect for those not keen on its taste) and adds to the freshness of this salad. Packed with many health benefits from relieving anemia to improving eye care, this salad was my intro to this herb.
Good as a side dish — I like it with fried or grilled meats.
In fact, it has opened the door to many more delicious Fennel recipes, which I will share with you eventually.
In the meantime, here’s the recipe adapted from Molly Wizenberg’s book, A Homemade Life.
What you need:
- 1 medium fennel bulb, about 10 ounces
- 1 small Green Apple
- Olive oil
- Lemon
- Sea Salt
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
What you do:
Prepare the fennel:
- Cut off and discard the stalks and fronds.
- Using a vegetable peel or a small knife, trim away any bruises or brown spots on the bulb’s outermost layer of skin.
- Cut it in half from root to stalk, and trim the root end.
- Using a sharp knife or a mandolin and working with the one-half of the bulb at a time, slice the fennel very thinly, 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Set aside.
Prepare the Green Apple:
- Using an apple core, remove and discard core.
- Then cut the apple in half from top to bottom.
- Using a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice it very thinly, just like the fennel. Set aside.
Assembling the Salad:
- Make a layer of fennel slices. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
- Then place a layer of apple on top of the fennel. Sprinkle lightly with lemon juice, and season with salt.
- Shave thin ribbons of cheese. Drizzle with oil.
- Repeat and finish with a good sprinkle of lemon juice, a generous splash of oil and a few shavings of cheese to garnish.
- Serve with salt and pepper to taste.
Well Hello There!
July 12, 2016 § Leave a comment
Credits: Splendid Finn Now is paper in blue; zigzag stitching by shabbymissjenndesigns; Splendid Finn 4ever striped ribbon and pennets
It’s been a while… Can I tell you that I am still not spending enough time in the kitchen? So much for comfort zones and “everydays”. It’s just been a bustling kind of year for us. We’ve started a bed and breakfast up north (will write about that shortly), we just got back from a rejuvenating trip from the Holy Land, and we’ve gone on a diet since.
Nothing to do with the Holy Land, our diet, but more of a healthy resolution to keep our blood sugar and cholesterol in check. Recent check ups called for it, that’s why. So here’s sharing one of the winners (slightly tweaked from here) served on our table recently.
It’s a flavourful salad of smoked duck breast paired with a punch of a mildly sweet blueberry dressing that definitely qualified as mainstays on our table.
Arugula Salad With Smoked Duck Breast, Berries, and Hazelnuts
What You’ll Need
- 2 large handfuls Arugula
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Champagne Vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 cup dried berries (I used wild blueberries)
- 2 tbsp coco sugar
- 1 smoked duck breast, cold, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, roasted and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup very sharp, good aged Cheddar or Gouda
- Sea Salt
What You Do
- Place the dried arugula in a bowl and set aside.
- Place the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, and berries in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir with a whisk until warm (not boiling – 3 minutes or so).
- Pour over the arugula, sprinkle with a little salt, and toss to coat.
- Place the arugula on a plate and top with the duck slices.
- With a vegetable peeler, peel thin slices of the cheddar or gouda over the salad.
- Top with the chopped hazelnuts and a little extra dressing. Sprinkle with a little salt.
Tuna Avocado and Feta Salad
July 16, 2014 § Leave a comment
Do you ever use up all the herbs you buy? They tend to either dry up or wilt on me that I almost always have to throw away the left-overs (I know, I know… I can always freeze them – my excuse? I have yet to buy those ice trays). This salad was inspired by the need to use up the leftover dill I had wilting away on my crisper. And because canned tuna is my go to when I find myself in such a dilemma (see here and here), I obviously went that route again. And I am impressed with how this turned out, satisfying, hearty salad perfect as a main lunch or dinner meal.
The tuna can be made ahead of time and kept for other uses, making this salad the easiest ever. This is something I will be making over and over during avocado season.
With avocado’s good for you fats and the high source of protein that tuna provides, this is not only the easiest thing ever but the benefits that these yields make this real winner on all aspect. Yes?
Tuna Avocado and Feta Salad
What You Need
For the tuna:
- 1 canned tuna packed in oil
- A few sprigs of dill, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sliced olives
- 1 teaspoon pimenton dulce or smoked paprika
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Honey
For the Salad:
- Salad greens
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- Feta cheese (I used the one marinated in olive oil and some herbs)
- 1 tomato, diced
What You Do:
- Drain tuna, flake apart slight with a fork and add to bowl with the chopped dill, olives, and the pimenton. Stir very gently to combine.
- Whisk together lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt and cracked pepper on a small bowl until well combined. Add honey to taste and slowly whisk in olive oil until well combined.
- Arrange salad greens, topped with tuna, feta, avocado and tomatoes. Drizzle with dressing just to coat.
Summer Salad
May 10, 2014 § Leave a comment
We’re in the middle of summer and fruity salads are my thing of late.
Nectarines. I don’t see them often in my tropical world but once in a while I chance upon them. Like last week. And so before it get all mushy, I am on apricot overload. I’d bring have it for breakfast with cottage cheese (another thing I can’t live with but, unfortunately, Nestle decided to not sell them anymore and so I wait for this whenever available). But I digress. Of course, I have to have it on my salad.
Nectarines and beef tapa is not surprisingly a winning combination. The sweet fragrant freshness of nectarines complement well with the salty, slightly sour beef. And the peppery, spicy arugula caps to the whole flavor adventure. Mangoes will be a good substitute I think for when nectarines or peaches aren’t in season.
Nectarine, Beef and Arugula Salad
What You Need:
o 50 grams of beef tapa, cut into strips (you can make your own or used this)
o A few button mushrooms, sliced
o 1 pcs. nectarine, quartered
o Arugula
o Salt and Pepper to taste
For the dressing:
o ¼ cup Honey Cider Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
o 1-2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
What You Do:
- On a frying pan, fry the beef until done. Set aside.
- On the same pan, leave just about a tablespoon of oil from the beef and discard the rest. Cook the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper.
- Combine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bottle with the cap closed tightly. Shake to combine.
- On a salad bowl, toss the nectarines, beef, mushrooms and arugula. Drizzle dressing on salad before serving.
Chicken Larp (Laotian Chicken Salad)
September 18, 2013 § 2 Comments
My aunt’s kaffir lime tree bore fruits, but she usually lets them fall off because she only uses the leaves, she told me.
Thoughts of Thailand and Laos, most especially, burned in my mind, reminding me of the various dishes flavored with this heavenly lime.
I spent a day learning Lao cooking at the Tamnak Lao Restaurant in Luang Prabang 2 years ago. Fun experience, but I haven’t had many chances of making the recipes at home because kaffir lime is usually needed and is often hard to come by.
Sure I could use lemon or calamansi… but kaffir has a distinct strong tangy flavor that can brighten up a dish.
“I could use some of those limes”, I told my aunt, suddenly missing the taste of larp. She sent me some and threw in some leaves too. Thank you Tita V.
Now I understand why she doesn’t use the fruit, most were dry. So dry, I had to use a few for this recipe.
But it was worth it. I was back in Luang Prabang, in a sidewalk café having my larp with ice-cold Lao beer, the Mekong on one side and Indo-Chinese residences on the other.
This is why I cook.
Chicken Larp
A very traditional Lao cold salad that can be substituted with pork, beef, fish and even tofu.
What You’ll Need
- 200 gram minced chicken, skin off
- 2 tablespoon banana flower finely sliced, rinsed well in water and drained.
- 2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 bunch of coriander, cut up finely green part only
- 2 stalks lemon grass, thinly sliced white part only
- 6 large rocket arugula, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon rice powder*
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon fried garlic**
- 1 tablespoon fried shallots**
- 1 medium lime or lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons chicken or pork stock
What You do
- Put the pork or chicken stock, minced chicken, and half of the lime juice in a wok.
- Place over low heat and keep stirring until the chicken is cooked through and the stock is reduced.
- Transfer chicken in a bowl.
- Add the banana flower, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, garlic, coriander, lemongrass, and arugula leaves. Mix well.
- Add salt, rice powder, chili powder, fish sauce, fried garlic, and fried shallots. Mix thoroughly.
- Pour rest of the lime juice over the salad and give it a quick stir through.
Tips:
* Make your own rice powder by dry-frying raw sticky rice until it just begins to turn golden. Then whiz in a blender until powdery. Store in airtight container.
** If you can’t find fried garlic and shallots, make your own by slicing shallots / garlic very finely and deep-fry them until they turn golden. Store in airtight container.
Avocado and Feta
August 1, 2012 § 1 Comment
I am obsessed with avocados at the moment. Partly because it is in season and I see them everywhere but mostly because I am loving its über creaminess on almost everything. It makes for a wonderful dessert when combined with condensed milk and have been greatly enjoying it for decades now. Some experimenting led me to a new discovery. Buttery avocado, sharp Feta cheese and peppery Arugula mingle well together. Finish off with some sliced fresh button mushrooms and honey-mustard dressing and they end up very good friends.
I’ve been occupied lately and I’m afraid I’ve neglected this blog a bit. But I’ve been working up a storm in my kitchen despite my absence here. In between work and travelling, I’ve been entertaining on the side so may this whet your appetite, as salads always do, for what’s to come.
Arugula, Avocado and Feta Salad
What You Need:
For the Vinaigrette:
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
For the Salad
- Baby arugula
- 1 medium avocado, cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ cup crumbled Greek feta cheese marinated in oil
- 4-5 pieces fresh button mushrooms, sliced
What You Do:
In a small bowl, combine mustard, vinegar, honey and salt. Whisk to blend well. Add olive oil and whisk vigorously to emulsify. Adjust according to your taste.
Mix salad ingredients together and toss with vinaigrette. Makes 3-4 serving.
Note: I like using baby arugula but if this is hard to find, the regular ones are good too. Feta cheese can be substituted with goat cheese. Left over roast chicken torn into bite-sized pieces goes well with the salad, as is tuna from the can.
Only in the Philippines
June 27, 2012 § 6 Comments
Or is it? This is about a dish I recently made and instantly fell in love with.
When I saw mustard greens (mustasa in my part of the world) in my favorite Saturday market last week, I dropped everything, went for it and got myself a bundle. I love that peppery tasting vegetable to pieces. Excited, I stormed my little library of ideas on what I can do with it… then I stumbled on Mr. MM’s recipe.
I first tasted this vegetable when I was a teenager. My grandmother used to make a Chinese version of the pickled mustasa, the name of which I loosely translate as “salty vegetable” – not exactly love at first bite but more of an acquired taste. I have yet to get my hands on that recipe, for now let me share this with you.
This month’s Kulinarya challenge (hosted by Cherrie and Tina) was a daunting “Only in the Philippines” theme, featuring uniquely Filipino dishes. I wasn’t planning on joining this month until this beautiful recipe came along. Why do I think it daunting? Because the dish that came to mind was Kare-Kare and that to me is a major production and can’t consider making in the near future with my busy schedule. Anywhow, I am posting albeit late, a dish for this challenge. I figured that this could be uniquely Filipino because the ingredients used are “very” Filipino. I call it Esaladang Mustasa at Lechon sa Bagoong. Stay with me here because this is one heck of a side salad. Ingredients and flavors scream Pinoy through and through.
Mustard Salads are not as popular in Manila as it is in the province, often eaten with fried dishes. If you like strong flavors then this dish is definitely worth a try.
Ensaladang Mustasa at Lechon sa Bagoong
(adapted from Market Manila’s Mustasa Salad with Bagoong and Kalamansi Dressing)
What You’ll Need:
- Mustard Greens
- Lechon, shredded and fried till crisp
For the Dressing:
- 10-15 Calamansi (in this recipe, I used 4-5 pieces of dayap)
- A dallop of Bagoong Alamang or Fine Shrimp Paste
- Chili flakes
- Patis or Fish sauce
- Freshly ground pepper
What You Do:
- Wash mustard greens carefully; wrap in paper-towel to dry and store in the ref for 2-3 hours to keep crispness and freshness.
- Chop them about 1/3 of an inch and put in a salad bowl.
- Make the dressing by squeezing the calamansi; strain out seeds.
- Add bagoong, siling labuyo, a dew dash of patis.
- Top with shredded lechon meat and season with freshly ground pepper.
For more inspiring recipes, visit other KCC members listed below:
Palitaw from Day of Chef by Day
Avocado Shake from Malou of Skip To Malou
Pinais na Isda from Iska of Iskandals.com
Grilled Panga ng Lapu-Lapu from Erwin of Iskandals.com
Tapsilog from Cherrie of Sweet Cherrie Pie
Kutsinta from Tina of Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner
Kare-kare from Adora of Adora’s Box
Kulawong Talong from Elizabeth of Asian In America
Kalamay na Pinipig from Jun of Jun-blog
Party Favorite
May 21, 2012 § 6 Comments
This is not about fancy food fare. This salad accompanies almost any ‘inihaw” (grilled) dish that might be served during a fiesta or in my case, any gatherings at home. Easy to put together and never fails to liven up a table of food fare. I think this dish paved the way to my loving eggplants.
This month’s KCC challenge (hosted by Elizabeth and Dudut) was to feature a regional “Fiesta” specialty of one’s province. I grew up in Quezon City and fiestas I only came to know (and sometimes attend) when I am a grown up already. But this refreshing ensalada (salad) is almost always present during parties thrown at home so I think it should count as the family specialty.
Ensaladang Talong
The roasted flavor of the eggplant is the key that gives this dish a hint of the “ihaw” or charred flavor while the sili (chili) gives it a nice kick.
What you need:
- 2 tbsps. shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 salad tomato, diced
- 1 small green or red bell pepper
- 1 green finger chili (siling pangsigang), seed, deveined and chopped
- 3 eggplants (about 150g. / pc)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
What you do:
- Roast the eggplants directly over an open fire until charred or in the oven. Allow to cool. Peel the eggplants and discard stems.
- Cut the peeled eggplants into small chunks. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix all other ingredients together and drizzle with Coconut Vinaigrette.
- Garnish with the remaining portions of the bell peppers and green finger chili.
Coconut Vinaigrette
What you need:
- 1/8 cup coconut cream
- 1 gm. ginger, peeled and minced.
- ½ green finger chili, seed, deveined and chopped
- 1 tbsp vinegar (I used sukang niyog)
- salt and pepper to taste
What you do:
- Combine coconut cream, ginger, green finger, chili and vinegar in a bowl. Stir well.
- Season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir again.
Just Can’t Get Enough
November 3, 2011 § 4 Comments
Do you ever order the same dish again and again? At my gym’s cafe, I’d order a “Spinach Salad” almost every single time and the woman at the counter will give me a smile, already predicting the order. Not that there’s nothing else that is worth ordering… I simply love this salad to pieces even if in most days, there really isn’t a single leaf of spinach on it. Sometimes I’d get a plate of mixed greens or a mix of spinach and arugula… so I do get the variety in that sense. But whatever the greens are, it has become a staple lunch order when I’m at the gym.
It’s really not the greens but what goes with it that I love. Imagine… sweet caramelized apples and raisins with chunks of blue cheese and bits of bacon. A winner through and through, don’t you think? But because I can have that prepared for me once or twice a week, I thought to use this as inspiration instead. I loosely adapted Donna Hay’s recipe and came up with this terrific salad. It has the same sweet-savory combination that goes so well with the peppery taste of Arugula but with an added crunch from the walnuts.
Caramelized Apples and Arugula Salad
(adapted from Donna Hay’s The Instant Cook Cookbook)
Blue cheese and the sweet, buttery apple dressing contrasts well together, add in the peppery tang of the Arugula – perfect. If walnut’s not your thing, almonds are great too.
What You Need:
- 60 grams (2oz.) butter
- 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar (apple cider should be good too)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or 2 tablespoons coco sugar
- 1 med size apple, peeled and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup walnuts
- Rocket (Arugula) leaves
- Romaine lettuce
- 25 grams soft blue cheese, cubed
What you do:
- Place the butter, vinegar and sugar in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the apple and walnuts and cook for 4 minutes or until apples are just soft.
- Place the leaves on serving plates and top with the apple and walnuts.
- Spoon over the pan juices and top with the blue cheese.
Enjoy!
Storm In My Kitchen 