ChezCindy: Spring Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

 

This spring salad of arugula and asparagus might be considered as somewhat ordinary.  Nothing special.  Maybe it is, but the magic comes from the Parmesan Vinaigrette.  By simply adding Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to the tart vinaigrette, turns this salad into a celebration.  You can use domestic Parmesan cheese or seek out the "King of Cheeses" in Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy.  

Spring Asparagus Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette 

1 large bunch of thin asparagus (about 20 stalks)

2 cups arugula

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

4-ounce chunk of Parmigiano cheese

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

4 tablespoons Parmesan Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Trim the ends of the asparagus.  Bring 1/2 cup water to boil in a wide shallow pan, wide enough to hold the full length of the asparagus.  When boiling, add in the asparagus sprinkling with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Gently nudge the asparagus in the pan to keep them partially covered, blanching them for roughly 1-2 minutes.  Transfer the asparagus and the water to a sieve to stop the cooking, running cold water over the asparagus.  Drain the asparagus on towels, setting aside to cool and dry.  Once cool, cut on the bias into 2-inch pieces.  Set aside.  

Divide the chunk of Parmesan into 2 equal pieces.  Use a grater with large holes to grate one piece.  Use a vegetable peeler to make shavings or curls with the second piece.  Set both aside.  

Make the Parmesan Vinaigrette:  

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon agave or honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

8 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano cheese

In a large bowl, add the white wine vinegar, agave, Dijon and salt, using a whisk to combine.  Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking the entire time to emulsify.  Stir in the grated Parmesan.  

Putting it all together: 

Place the arugula, blanched asparagus, and chopped basil into a large bowl.  Add 6-ounces of the Parmesan vinaigrette to the bowl, tossing all to combine.  Evenly divide the salad on 4 salad plates/bowls, topping each with the shaved Parmigiano.  Drizzle with additional vinaigrette if desired.  

ChezCindy: Blueberry Ricotta Cake

 

Blueberry cake is the new banana bread.  Blueberries are available most any time of year and can be frozen for when you are ready to bake.  Thus, this moist and scrumptious Blueberry Ricotta Cake can be made as your heart desires.  Perfect for snacking on mid-day, or as a breakfast treat, or a simple dinner dessert.  

One of my most favorite blueberry baking recipes is this scone post from several years ago.  A savory use of blueberries is this delightful salad using fresh blueberries and avocados.  

Enjoy the blues.  

Blueberry Ricotta Cake

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup whole-milk ricotta

2 tablespoons sour cream or yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, divided

sifted powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan, set aside.

Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes.  Scrape down the sides, then with the mixer on low, add in the eggs one at a time mixing well before adding the next egg.  Add in the ricotta, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest, mixing well until just combined.  

In a separate small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the batter, mixing until just combined.  Using a rubber spatula, fold in 2 cups of the blueberries.  Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing out the top.  Scatter the remaining half cup of blueberries over the surface of the cake, slightly pressing them into the surface.  

Bake the cake for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs attached.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack allowing the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes.  Remove the ring of the pan.  Lightly dust with powdered sugar.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  

ChezCindy: Broccoli Spoon Salad with Brown Rice

 

I was not familiar with "spoon salad" until recently when perusing the New York Times Recipes.  Then again in a post by the lovely Daphne Oz.  Spoon salad is simply a matter of chopping the ingredients all to a similar size so that it can be eaten with a spoon.  Thus, creating a perfect bite each time.  

In this recipe, I take a familiar broccoli salad recipe to create a spoon salad using broccoli and brown rice.  Adding the rice makes this a hearty salad, adding toasted pecans and dried cranberries.  The salad can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for a few hours.  Be sure to set it out to bring to room temperature when ready to serve.  Grab a spoon and dig in!    

Broccoli Spoon Salad with Brown Rice

2 cups cooked brown rice, cooled

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons agave sweetener

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

5 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium heads of broccoli

1 medium granny smith apple

3 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese

3/4 cup toasted pecans

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Prepare the brown rice as per the package directions.  Measure out 2 cups, setting aside to cool.  

In a large mixing bowl, prepare the salad dressing by adding in the Dijon mustard, agave, vinegar, and sea salt.  Use a whisk to combine.  Gradually add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil at a time, whisking in after each addition.  Set the dressing aside.

Prepare the broccoli heads by cutting off the dry end of the stalk.  Finely chop the remaining broccoli, cutting into 1/2-inch pieces, using the stalk and the florets.  Steam the broccoli for 1 minute using either a steamer basket and a pan of water on the stove top, or in a bowl in the microwave.  Remove the broccoli from the steamer, spreading it out onto a towel to stop the cooking process and to dry the broccoli.  Set aside.

Finely chop the apple, no need to peel.  Finely chop the cheddar cheese.  Chop the toasted pecans.  

Put it all together:  Add the cooked rice and steamed broccoli (both cooled) to the bowl with the prepared salad dressing.  Add in the chopped apple, cheese, toasted pecans, cranberries, and the sunflower seeds.  Using a large spoon, stir all to combine, coating the ingredients with the dressing.  Taste for seasoning, adding more salt as needed.  Serve at room temperature.  The mixed salad can be stored in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature for serving.  

ChezCindy: Apricot Mostarda Sweet-savory Jam

 

Dried apricots are used to make this delicious sweet and savory, somewhat spicy, jam.  The Italian name for this condiment is "mostarda" as it uses mustard seeds to add the edge to the sweet jam, as well as crushed red pepper flakes for an unexpected taste of heat.  

Make a full recipe, or even double it, as the mostarda stores well in a glass container kept in the refrigerator for a few weeks.  Pictured here I have used the mostarda with a soft goat cheese, pistachios, and sourdough crackers.  It also works well added to mayonnaise to make a sandwich spread for turkey sandwiches served with tea for a tea party.  Most commonly, the mostarda is used as part of a charcuterie board paired with cured meats, cheeses, spiced nuts, olives, and breadsticks.  All delicious together.  

 Apricot Mostarda 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon coarse grain mustard, such as Maille

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 cups dried apricots, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add in the chopped shallot and salt, stirring to combine, cooking for about 2 minutes until the shallots are soft.  Stir in the coarse grain mustard and red pepper flakes, cooking for 1 minute.  Add in the vinegar and sugar.  Bring to a simmer, stirring often until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.  

Whisk in the Dijon mustard, and 1 cup of apricots.  Bring this to a simmer, stirring often, cooking for 8-10 minutes.  The apricots will become plump and begin to thicken into a jam-like consistency.  Turn off the heat, stirring in the remaining apricots.  Cover the pan with a lid, cool to room temperature.  Serve with soft cheeses, cured meats, nuts, and with crackers or toasted crostini.

Mostarda can be stored in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for several weeks.  Serve at room temperature.  

ChezCindy: Spring Puttanesca with Linguine Pasta

 

Classic puttanesca is traditionally made with big bold flavors, most always including tomatoes and/or tomato paste, along with capers, olives, and garlic.  Punchy, fragrant and enticing in so many ways.  

This recipe brings a curve ball eliminating the tomatoes and leading off with a line-up of spring players.  I use wild ramps, a wonderful aromatic allium only found in early spring.  It has the flavor combination of leeks and garlic.  Check the local farmers markets in April to score this treasure.  If ramps are not available, the market will likely have spring onions, a cousin to common grocery store green onions, or scallions.  I'm also including herbaceous spring salad greens such as baby arugula or spinach.  

Anchovies, or not.  They offer such depth of flavor.  You can leave them out or substitute white miso paste or Worcestershire sauce.  Pasta choice for this recipe is linguine, but your favorite or what you have available is good too.  That is the beauty of puttanesca as it uses mostly pantry staples, onions, garlic, olives, capers, Calabrian peppers, and traditionally, canned tomatoes.  An easy go-to that is quick to bring to the table.  This classic change-up will score big with your loved ones.  

Spring Puttanesca with Linguine Pasta

1-pound uncooked linguine

1 large bunch ramps, or 2 spring onions, or 6 green onions

1/2 cup olive oil

5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1-ounce flat anchovy fillets in olive oil, or 1 tablespoon white miso paste, or 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup capers, drained

2 teaspoons jarred Calabrian chilies in oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (or your favorite olive)

3 cups loosely packed baby arugula

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley

Additional olive oil for serving

Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil.  Add in 2 tablespoons of salt and the linguine, stirring to keep the pasta from sticking together.  Cook for 2 minutes less than the time listed on the pasta package.  Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.  Set aside.

While the pasta cooks, thinly slice the ramps, or onions, separating the bulbs form the greens.  Thinly slice the garlic, chop the olives and the parsley.  Set aside.  Measure out all other ingredients as the cooking process moves quickly.  Best to be ready with each ingredient.

Working with a large high-sided pan, such as a Dutch oven, over medium heat, add in the olive oil, cooking for 1 minute.  Add in the prepared ramp bulbs or onion bulbs, garlic, anchovies or substitute, drained capers, and chilis, stirring to combine, cooking for about 3-5 minutes, until the anchovies have melted in and the ramp bulbs begin to soften.  Increase the heat to medium-high, add the wine, stirring often, cooking for 2-3 minutes until the wine is nearly evaporated.  Stir in the olives and ramp/onion greens stirring often until heated through, about 2 minutes.  

Add in the pre-cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, simmer and tossing to combine, about 3-4 minutes.  Off the heat, fold in the arugula and parsley, allowing the pasta to absorb the water, about 3-5 minutes.  Divide among serving bowls, drizzle a bit more olive oil on top and serve.  

ChezCindy Ligurian Olive Oil & Citrus Cake

 

Liguria is one of Italy's best regarded regions known for its terroir for olive trees and the subsequent production of extra virgin olive oil.  Ligurian olive oil has a fruity more delicate flavor that enhances the ingredients it is paired with.  Using it here in this recipe for Olive Oil Citrus Cake results in a cake with a golden hue and a moist crumb.  The cake does not taste like olive oil nor citrus, but more of a well-balanced bite that leaves you wanting more.  Offering a cake uniquely different than one made with butter.  

Ligurian Olive Oil & Citrus Cake 

1 1/2 cups Ligurian extra virgin olive oil

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/4 cups whole milk

zest and juice of 1 large lemon

zest and juice of 1 large orange

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Using a 9-inch springform pan, lightly butter and flour the bottom and sides of the pan, or evenly spray with baking spray.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, setting the springform directly onto the parchment.  Set aside.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the olive oil and eggs, whisking until smooth.  Add in the milk, lemon juice and zest, orange juice and zest, and the sugar.  Whisk until combined and smooth.  

Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a separate small bowl, whisking to combine.  With the mixer turned off, add the flour mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer, gently whisking until just combined.  Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, whisking again for just a minute.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan.  Place the sheet pan with the filled springform into the preheated oven, baking for 80-85 minutes.  As the time comes close to 70 minutes, check the top of the cake to be sure it is not browning too quickly before the cake is done.  If so, place a large sheet of foil loosely over the springform to prevent excess browning.  Test the cake for doneness at 75 minutes to gauge the baking time.  The cake-tester or toothpick should come out clean with just a few crumbs attached.  Continue baking at 5-minute intervals until the cake is fully baked.  Remove from the oven, allowing it to cool completely before removing the outer ring of the springform pan.  Serve with fresh berries if desired.  

ChezCindy: Shrimp Burger Sliders

 

This delightful sandwich has become my personal go-to dinner when I am home alone, free to make anything I desire.  I turn shrimp into a slider sandwich, topped with a remoulade sauce, that pairs really well with a sparkling brut rose wine.  Very indulgent for just me and the pups.  Although, they're not eating shrimp.  Maybe just a few potato chips.  

The key to making the shrimp burgers is to puree a portion of the shrimp in a food processor, keeping the remaining shrimp in a rough chop.  The pureed shrimp, combined with the chopped, keep the burger from falling apart as the natural gelatin in the shrimp creates the necessary binding factor.  The burger is 100% shrimp with no extra fillers needed to bind it together.  

I top the shrimp burgers with my remoulade sauce, which is a what I serve with chilled shrimp cocktail instead of the standard red horseradish sauce.  The burgers are quick cooking in a skillet, served on a toasted bun.  A simple garnish of sliced Roma tomatoes is all I use.  

Shrimp Burger Sliders

1-pound medium shrimp (16-20 count)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

a few grinds of black pepper

Slider bun of choice 

butter for toasting the buns

Roma tomatoes, sliced

Prepare the remoulade sauce.  Set aside.  

Working with a small food processor, place about 1/3 of the shrimp into the processor bowl.  Pulse to create a rough puree of shrimp.  Remove the pureed shrimp, to a small bowl.  On a cutting board, roughly chop the remaining shrimp into small 1/2-inch pieces.  Combine these with the pureed shrimp.  Season with salt and pepper, stirring to combine.  With slightly wet hands, form the shrimp into small 2-inch patties, basically to fit the size of your slider bun.  

Heat a medium size non-stick skillet over medium heat, drizzle with a bit of oil.  Add the shrimp burgers to the hot pan, cooking on side one for about 3 minutes.  Flip each shrimp burger to continue cooking on side two for another 3 minutes.  These are small so they will cook quickly.  If you decide to make larger size burgers, adjust cooking time accordingly.  The internal temperature should read as 145 degrees.  Remove to a plate to rest.  

Meanwhile, prepare the slider buns for toasting by buttering the buns, placing in a hot grill pan or skillet, toasting until lightly brown.  

Place a shrimp burger onto the bottom toasted bun, top with a generous amount of remoulade sauce, add sliced Roma tomatoes.  Serve immediately.  

Remoulade Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon course ground mustard

a few shakes of hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots

1 large garlic clove, finely minced 

1 tablespoon finely chopped cornichon pickles

1 tablespoon capers, drained, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Prepare all ingredients as listed.  Add to a small mixing bowl, mixing well to combine.  Taste for season, adjust as desired, adding more of what you like best.  I like more capers, but you might prefer more chopped shallots.  Add hot sauce as you prefer.