Warm Lentil Salad

Things have been a little tough around here recently.

I had a really rough few days at school last week, and unfortunately things are only going to get worse. I am trying hard to accept the challenges being thrown my way, and although I hate not knowing what the future will hold, I'm doing my best to keep my head up during these last six weeks before summer break.

On a more positive note, Husband starts a new job Monday! We're so excited that we'll finally have similar work hours (i.e. more time to cook/eat together at night), but also not quite sure how we're going to get everything done during the week (i.e. laundry, dishes, blog?).

SO, Bear with us as we slow down here to get through these next few weeks. I can't wait to come back to Le Man and Wife with renewed energy on June 1st! So close...!



Okay, now to this warm lentil salad. I found it in Gourmet's Comfort Magazine--exactly what I was looking for amidst a difficult school week. It's slightly warm, simple, and very flavorful. The kielbasa was such a great touch, too! Served with a side salad and a glass of red wine, it really was the perfect comforting meal.

I hope you all have a great and relaxing week! Be back soon.


Warm Lentil Salad
From Gourmet Comfort Magazine

Serves 4 (main dish)

2 cups French green lentils
6 cups water
2 Turkish bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 pound smoked kielbasa, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Place water in a medium saucepan and bring water, lentils, and bay leaves to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add in salt, then continue to simmer until tender but not falling apart, 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and a pinch of salt until just softened, about 7 minutes. Whisk together vinegar, mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl, then slowly add in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil and whisk until combined.

Drain lentils and discard bay leaf. Add them back to the saucepan, as well as the vegetable mixture and the vinaigrette. Cook over low heat until everything is heated through. Keep warm.

Brown kielbasa in the skillet, turning once, about 2 minutes. Stir kielbasa and parsley into lentils and serve.

Bacon and Apple Chopped Salad

As I was leafing through my sister-in-law's copy of Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics on Saturday night, I stumbled across a beautiful photo of Ina's Cape Cod Chopped Salad and started drooling. Sad, right? A salad? Drooling??

(Don't worry, I drooled over each and every dessert too.)

I've been craving a good salad recently, probably because we've had soup for the last five nights in a row and I'm really ready for a change. We had some leftover bacon in the fridge too so this guy was a no-brainer.



This salad is very similar to one we've made before, except this one has bacon. And orange juice. And toasted walnuts. It's really really delicious, and also very colorful and fun. Good for a sad, dreary winter day.

Oh, and did you catch the part where it has bacon? Perfect.



Bacon and Apple Chopped Salad
Slightly adapted from Ina Garten

Salad:
4 ounces lettuce (the original recipe called for arugula; we used butter lettuce and radicchio)
3-4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
1 apple, sliced
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
Small handful of dried cranberries
2-3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/3 cup olive oil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

Toast walnuts in a non-stick skillet for a few minutes until slightly browned. Toss lettuce with apples, toasted walnuts, cranberries, bacon, and goat cheese.

Put all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. Drizzle over the top of the salad, toss again, and enjoy.

"Fifteen" Christmas Salad

I first had this salad two years ago at Christmas dinner with my in-laws and was so pleased to see it on the menu again this year. This recipe from Jamie Oliver's restaurant Fifteen is absolutely delicious and also incredibly beautiful on a white plate.

I imagine this salad would also be killer with some pomegranate seeds or grapefruit wedges. I don't know though, this salad is pretty damn good just the way it is...

Hope you enjoy!



"Fifteen" Christmas Salad
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Cook With Jamie

Serves 6

Dressing:

1 3/4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

5 tablespoons best-quality extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Salad:
6 4-ounce balls of buffalo mozzarella
1 lemon for zesting
6 clementines, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick discs
3 handfuls arugula
1 radicchio, roughly torn
Small bunch of fresh mint*
6 slices prosciutto
Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Aged balsamic vinegar



Get out six salad plates and tear a ball of mozzarella into rough pieces onto each plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and grate a little lemon zest on top. Arrange the clementines over the mozzarella, using one clementine per plate.

Place arugula, radicchio, and most of the mint in a bowl and toss with the dressing. Reserve the rest of the mint leaves for garnish.

On a cutting board, lay out a slice of prosciutto and wrap one-sixth of the salad mixture inside. Place the roll on top of the clementine slices and repeat with the rest of the plates. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, a few mint leaves, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

*Although I think the mint is a beautiful garnish and an unexpected flavor in this salad, I wasn't crazy about how it tasted with the citrus. Definitely try it though and see what you think. I would probably either use less or leave it out completely next time.

Goat Cheese, Apple, and Walnut Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Last weekend, Husband and I went with my sister to see The Avett Brothers at the Aragon Ballroom. They were incredible musicians and outstanding performers. Serious inspiration.

Before we headed out to the concert, we made a nice, healthy lunch at home (knowing we'd have beer and bar food for dinner). Goat cheese, apples, walnuts, and a simple maple syrup vinaigrette on top; nothing could be better. UNTIL...



Why the face, you ask?



As we were enjoying these lovely salads, the pantry shelf holding our flour and sugar canisters suddenly came crashing to the floor, making a nice little white beach in the closet. Michael wasn't too pleased. (*Note: we did not hang this shelf.)



At least Alli's happy! She got a new job internship that day. :)



Yay for the Avetts!


Goat Cheese, Apple, and Walnut Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Salad:
Apple slices
A handful of walnuts
Goat cheese
A few handfuls of spinach

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup olive oil + more to taste
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar and shake well. Wash and dry spinach. Add apples, walnuts and goat cheese and drizzle with dressing.

Shaved Asparagus Salad

I really enjoy eating salads in the summer, especially since lettuce is so refreshing and light, but sometimes I get tired of the same old greens salad created out of my refrigerator's vegetable drawer. Don't get me wrong, I love salads like this too, but I've recently been on the lookout for something a little bit different to satisfy my summer salad craving.

And then, I stumbled on this recipe. The beautiful picture hooked me immediately, so I kept reading. Asparagus and arugula?! Hazelnuts and Pecorino?? Love at first sight. I made a grocery list and went out in search of this delicious combination of ingredients immediately. (Remember, I have way too much time on my hands during the summer...)



It was exactly what I wanted in a summer salad. The raw asparagus ribbons (yep, they're raw) gave it a delicate and creamy texture, while the arugula, hazelnuts, and lemon juice gave it a great punch of flavor. I hope the sound of raw asparagus doesn't scare you; though I'd never tried asparagus raw before, I was extremely pleased with how it turned out.

This would be a great salad to serve at a summer party if you'd like to try something different, too. I'm imagining a little dinner get-together on our new deck with this salad and a porch swing...

Shaved Asparagus Salad
from My New Roots

Salad
1 bunch fresh asparagus, rinsed, bottom of stems removed
2 cups arugula
1/4 cup hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped
Pecorino Romano, for serving

Dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 shallot
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper



Cut off asparagus tips, split in half, and set aside. Take a vegetable peeler and shave down asparagus spear to make a thin ribbon. Continue around the spear until you hardly have anything left; split final piece in half with a pairing knife. Put all ribbons in a bowl, including split tips.

Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or dressing bottle/jar. Taste and add salt or pepper as needed. Toss dressing with asparagus and let marinate for 15-20 minutes. Add in arugula, toss again, and sprinkle toasted hazelnuts on top. Grind lots of fresh pepper over the salad and add Pecorino Romano if desired. Serve and be healthy!



(Need another idea for a unique salad? Try this!)

Spinach, Strawberry, and Goat Cheese Salad

Husband and I are in the suburbs this weekend to celebrate both my sister's birthday and Father's Day (see those two cuties below). I always find Saturdays to be quite pleasant in Wheaton; I love to take leisurely strolls with the dog around the neighborhood, sit and chat with my family, and grill out on the driveway with a beer in hand (my dad's favorite pastime).



Since Mother is throwing a shower for a family friend tomorrow, Husband and I will be preparing the Father's Day/birthday feast. Not sure what's in the works yet, but I really hope it involves grilling. Our grill has not yet made it downtown with us, so I'm pretty excited about using the grill out here. We definitely need a good cocktail to go with our grilled goods...maybe a Beermosa? Ha, Sis and I will have to teach that term to Dad, he'll love it (just like he loved the terms "emo", "chandelier earrings", and "lol").



I'm also thinking about making this salad again, which I made a few weeks ago when we had some fresh spinach lying around. It's really simple and adds a nice sweet touch to a savory main dish. Maybe we'll head down to the Wheaton farmer's market tomorrow morning to see if they have any spinach! Mmm, ideas...

Have a great weekend!



Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Salad
1 large bunch of spinach, washed well
A large handful of strawberries, sliced
A handful of slivered almonds
Goat cheese

Balsamic Vinaigrette
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar*
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon warmed honey

*After I mixed my vinaigrette and tasted it, I realized I wanted more vinegar to olive oil. I usually try to keep with the standard 3:1 oil to vinegar ratio, but it just didn't taste how I wanted it to taste. You might want more honey, or even some freshly ground pepper. Moral of the story: taste it first before you put it on your salad.

Place washed spinach in a large bowl. Sprinkle strawberries, slivered almonds, and goat cheese on the top to taste. Drizzle with vinaigrette, mix together, and serve.



By the way, you can now follow Le Man and Wife on twitter! New sidebars and menus are coming soon, too. Yay!

Salads: Chicken, Tuna, and Couscous

Sometimes after Wife goes to bed at night, I pick up a book to read. Sometimes it's intellectual, like "Guns, Germs, and Steel", and other times it's a thriller like "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo". But every so often, I reach for a cookbook. Yes, a cookbook. I know what you're thinking, this guy's a weirdo. While that may be true, I'm a damn good cook and you're reading this blog after all, aren't you?

My favorite cookbook to read is "Ad Hoc at Home" by Thomas Keller. It's big, has a great mix of simple and complex recipes, gorgeous pictures, and helpful diagrams. As I was perusing this one night while Wife was sleeping, I saw the most beautiful whole-roasted chicken and I drifted off to sleep dreaming of its golden-roasted skin and light garlicky flavor. A couple weeks later, Wife had the idea to get a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store to make Chicken Salad. I showed her the recipe and we decided to just roast one ourselves (more on the roasting process later). It was fate, I knew it.

You can see we have more than one salad recipe in this post. After we made the Chicken Salad, we got a little salad-obsessed. Lucky for you, we decided to share.

Mom's Chicken Salad

by Diane

2 pounds cooked, shredded chicken

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1-2 large bunches of red grapes, halved

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1/4 large red onion, minced

1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Add more mayonnaise or thin out with a splash of milk, depending on how creamy you'd like it. Adjust all other ingredients to taste.

Spoon onto a piece of your favorite bread and serve with a pickle.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

by Mark Bittman

Two 6-ounce cans tuna, preferably packed in olive oil, drained

Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

1 small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained, and chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1-2 more if using water-packed tuna

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Serve with a piece of romaine lettuce on naan or a pita, and some little cornichons on the side. 

Zucchini and Couscous Salad

1 medium zucchini, cut finely into rounds

1/2 sweet onion, chopped into thin strips

8 ounces uncooked Israeli couscous or grains blend

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper, to taste

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter and the couscous and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet and cook onions for about 3-4 minutes. Add zucchini to onions and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the zucchini; they are done when still slightly crunchy.

Add couscous to the vegetable mix and stir together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve while still hot.

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Peanut Chicken Pasta Salad

It's the weekend and if you haven't noticed, it's beginning to get warmer!

We were doing our weekend grocery run recently and for the first time this year, we found some basil that actually looked edible. Of course we had to buy it, because in Chicago this might be the only sign of spring that we get until late May. (Can you tell we're a little bitter about our 7-month winter?) Our beautiful basil resulted in a few very tasty meals, this being one of them.



My mom first made this recipe for me when I was in high school. She has always collected food magazines (and by that I mean collected obsessively to the point of being able to start a private library) and recognized this one as a gem long ago. It's been so good that it has slowly migrated from my family to Husband's family as a staple.

("salz" from Salzburg)

This recipe is very versatile: you can cook the chicken per the recipe, buy a rotisserie chicken at the store and shred, use tofu, use soba noodles or pasta noodles, or serve warm or cold. I love the idea of serving this salad at a summer barbeque just as much as I love eating it warm in the wintertime with a nice Lagunitas copper ale (also good year-round).

Bon appétit, mes amis!

(p.s. Though it yields four servings, we usually double this recipe and eat it as weekday leftovers. I also sometimes like to make a little extra pasta and a little extra sauce. You might have to play around with it a little to get your favorite proportions.)



Peanut Chicken Pasta Salad
from Cooking Light

For the chicken:
2 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf

For the dressing:
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons roasted peanut oil
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (or more if you like it hotter)
1/2 teaspoon salt

The rest:
2 cups cooked whole wheat spaghetti or soba noodles (about 4 ounces uncooked)
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
4 teaspoons chopped peanuts
Lime wedges (optional)

Combine chicken ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, cover and remove from heat. Let chicken sit for 15 minutes or until done. Remove it from the water, shred, and place in the bottom of a large serving bowl.

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Pour over the chicken and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add noodles and vegetables to the serving bowl and toss with the chicken and dressing. Garnish with peanuts and limes. Serve room temperature or as a cold salad.