White Bean Balsamic Tomato Salad, Guest Post by Renee of Magnolia Days

Jul 24, 2012 by

Today’s post is by the lovely Renee from Magnolia Days. I have the pleasure of interacting with Renee almost daily through Social Media and the various food groups that we belong to. I not only enjoy her recipes, but also her involvement  in #SundaySupper and the wonderful advice she gives me about gardening. Renee, I’ll have my indoor herb garden flourishing in no time under your wonderful guidance! Check out some of Renee’s lovely recipes! A few of my favourites are Rosemary Focaccia, German Potato Salad, and her Crumb Cake! I have a date with that Crumb Cake recipe!! 

Thank you, Renee for being so helpful to me and for guest posting today while I spend some quality time with my family in Jamaica. I appreciate you!!

Please enjoy today’s post by Renee: White Balsamic Tomato Salad

***

Hello! My name is Renee and it is an honor to guest post on this beautiful blog. I have been following it for a while and each post brightens my day. I wish I could be in Lyn’s kitchen when she is cooking her Jamaican cuisine. Her recent post of cornmeal pudding was over the top. Being a southerner, I have had cornmeal in many ways but never as a sweet dessert. It is a recipe I will make and I will think of Lyn and the family story she shared with it too.

The recipe I am featuring is a White Bean Balsamic Tomato Salad. By now farmers and gardeners should be harvesting tomatoes. Fortunately for my area (Atlanta) they have been available since the end of May.  There is something so wonderful about a fresh-picked tomato. We enjoy them so much I will simply slice them and serve as a side dish.  The flavorless tomatoes sold in stores do not compare.

Salads are something we eat a lot of in the summer. The chilled greens help to beat the heat. It is also a way to use the available fresh produce and not be stuck in a hot kitchen. The season’s temperatures here are in the mid to upper 90’s and with the added humidity it is stifling hot. A cool salad sounds a lot better than a big heavy warm meal.

The dressing for the salad is homemade. I prefer making my own dressings because I like the simplicity of the ingredients.  Sometimes I add more oil or vinegar or fresh herbs or whatever I am in the mood for that day. I switch out the vinegars depending on the salad. Once you make your own dressing you will find it is quite fun to experiment with all the possible variations. It is very easy to do.

The recipe can be for one or up to four salads. Use the amount of salad greens and cheese you prefer for each salad. Any leftover ingredients can be refrigerated for future use (only a few days for the tomato mixture and salad greens).

 

White Bean Balsamic Tomato Salad

 

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
White Bean Balsamic Tomato Salad, Guest Post by Renee of Magnolia Days
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Ingredients
  • For the Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing:
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon (packed) brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
  • Good pinch of sea salt
  • Pinch of fresh cracked pepper
  • ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • For the salad:
  • 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
  • 1 can white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • Spring salad mix
  • Blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
  1. In a blender, add mustard, brown sugar, garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Blend on high to combine/liquefy. Turn the blender on low and slowly pour in the olive oil. Transfer vinaigrette to a salad dressing container for serving.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette. In a ramekin (about 6 to 7-ounce size), add ¼ cup of the tomato mixture. Top the tomatoes with ⅓ cup of beans. Place the ramekin(s) in the refrigerator for ½ to 1 hour. (This will marinate the tomatoes).
  3. Spread the salad mix on a plate. Invert the ramekin onto the salad and lift off the ramekin to stack the beans and tomatoes on top. Sprinkle the salad with blue cheese crumbles. Serve with additional balsamic vinaigrette to use if more dressing is desired. Enjoy!

 

White Bean Balsamic Tomato Salad – Renee Dobbs, Magnolia Days

I hope you will enjoy this salad during the summer. Stay cool and fuel up on all the glorious produce of the season!

 

 

 

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Broiled Chicken Thighs With Pineapple-Cucumber Salad

Jun 20, 2012 by

Have you ever had a pineapple-cucumber salad? I haven’t. I saw the photo on the cover of May 2012 issue of Everyday Food. I had to try it. So I did! Such a refreshing recipe! I was certainly glad to try it. Double points for me because my son ate it all ~ and asked for more! He has excellent taste buds although they are still maturing. The original recipe called for cilantro. I’m so not a fan. I used parsley from my little herb planter that sat by the bay window in the kitchen. It felt very rewarding to use it! Now that its gone (RIP indoor herbs) I’ll have to try again. But I won’t stop until I have my own flourishing indoor herb collection.

This bright zesty salad is so easy and would be perfect for a summer barbecue or a quick side dish. The chicken was fast and flavourful – I should try it on the grill next time!

Broiled Chicken Thighs with Cucumber Pineapple Salad

 

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Broiled Chicken Thighs With Pineapple-Cucumber Salad
 
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A light and easy dinner
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 8 Chicken Thighs, Bone in, Skin on
  • zest and juice from 2 limes
  • 2 Tsp Chilli Powder
  • 2 Cups diced pineapple
  • 1 English Cucumber, diced (1/4 inch cubes)
  • ¼ Cup Parsley
  • Kosher Salt & Ground Pepper
Instructions
  1. Place oven rack about 4 inches from the top
  2. Heat broiler (I set mine to high)
  3. In a small bowl, combine lime zest, chilli powder and salt
  4. Season the chicken with the zesty rub
  5. On a rimmed baking tray, place chicken skin side down
  6. Broil for 5 minutes
  7. Flip so that the skin side is up, broil for 10 minutes more until the chicken is cooked through
  8. In a medium bowl, combine lime juice, pineapple, cucumber and parsley
  9. Serve the chicken with the salad
Notes
Original Recipe from Everyday Food http://www.marthastewart.com/900179/chicken-pineapple-cucumber-salad

 

This is the easiest rub you could ever do. Such a terrific idea for a last-minute meal.

 

Lime Zest, Chilli Powder and Salt Rub

 

This is the first time I’m pairing cucumbers with fruit. The lime juice gave it a nice zesty kick and everything together felt so very refreshing.

 

Cucumber, Pineapple and Parsley Salad

 

A fast summer meal! Keep this recipe in mind if you’d rather be spending time soaking up the sun, than labouring in the kitchen.

 

Broiled Chicken Thighs & Cucumber Pineapple Salad with Parsley

 

Happy Wednesday!

~Lyn

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Red Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Goldenberries, Edamame and a Lemon-Cumin Vinaigrette

May 25, 2012 by

Some women buy shoes. Others buy clothes, or even make up. I use to be one of those women. I do get the occasional urge to indulge every now and again. But my real problem is visiting my health food store. Lets face it. Some of the things I use aren’t sold at the conventional grocery stores and if they are, I end up paying more than I would at the health food store. At least, that has been my personal experience. I no longer buy quinoa from the supermarket. No way! Another thing I like about my health food store is that I learn about a new ingredient upon every single visit. If I see something that peaks my interest, all I have to do is ask about it. I really enjoy going there.

Upon my last trip, I grabbed a few items, Red Quinoa was one of them. I’ve been using the regular Quinoa for a few years now but I really wanted to try the red, even just for the colourful appeal. I imagined its rich deep red colour against something green or yellow. I was flipping through Fine Cooking’s Magazine – CookFresh Spring 2012 edition, and saw a beautiful recipe using Red Quinoa. I didn’t have all the ingredients but it inspired me to get some things together. I picked up a pack of dried Goldenberries (also known as cape gooseberries) at an event a few weeks ago and I thought this was an awesome time to experiment with them.

 

Red Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Goldenberries, Edamame and a Lemon-Cumin Vinaigrette

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Red Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Goldenberries, Edamame and a Lemon-Cumin Vinaigrette
 
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A gluten-free, vegetarian meal that can be ready in minutes.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp Raisins
  • 2 Tbsp Goldenberries
  • 3 Tbsp Edamame, thawed from frozen
  • ½ Cup Quinoa, rinsed well
  • 1 Cup Vegetable Broth (or water, if you prefer)
  • 1 Large Lemon
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • ⅛ Tsp Ground Cumin
  • ⅛ Tsp Paprika
  • 1 Medium Avocado, pitted and cut into bite sized chunks
  • 1 Scallion, thinly sliced
  • Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, soak the raisins and goldenberries in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  2. In a small pot, add quinoa, a pinch of salt and a cup of vegetable broth to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer until all the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes
  3. Fluff quinoa and remove from heat and allow to cool
  4. Grate zest from the lemon and combine with the juice from the lemon in a small bowl
  5. To the lemon juice, add olive oil, cumin, paprika and a pinch of salt, whisk to combine
  6. In a medium bowl, toss vinaigrette with quinoa, raisins, goldenberries, edamame, avocado and scallion.
  7. Plate and serve, enjoy.

 

I wish I could tell you that there was more to it than this, but just put the ingredients into a bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Plate and serve.

 

Red Quinoa, Avocado, Raisins, Edamame, Goldenberries, Scallions

 

This is an excellent way to use up left over quinoa. Regular White Quinoa can be used if you don’t have the red. It will taste just as good and look just as lovely.

 

Red Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Goldenberries, Edamame and a Lemon-Cumin Vinaigrette

 

Happy Friday Friends!

 

~Lyn

 

 

 

 

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Cristina Ferrare’s Fall Off The Bone Chicken for #SundaySupper

May 20, 2012 by

I’m very pleased to participate in this weeks #SundaySupper. Our very special guest is Cristina Ferrare and we are preparing  recipes from her latest book titled “Big Bowl of Love”. The list of bloggers and links can be found at the end of my post. I have not yet purchased the book but Cristina’s website had a nice selection to choose from. At first, I couldn’t decide on what recipe to make. I thought about a traditional dinner and chose “Sunday Supper Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs”. I had all the ingredients! Perfect! I can’t wait to see everyone’s posts! I think I’ll be making a few more recipes from Big Bowl of Love.

In a Caribbean household, Sunday supper is very important and brings families together to catch up on the past week and have spirited discussions about current events and life in general. Traditionally, Sunday supper is served between 1pm – 4pm (after church) so that you can rest and enjoy each others company for the rest of the evening. A Sunday supper may involve one or two meats – Chicken (for sure) and perhaps beef. Jamaican Rice and Peas is a given on a Sunday, and of course a salad, a side dish and then dessert. Clearly, Sunday is the best day to visit a Jamaican household. I decided to pair Cristine’s Fall Off The Bone Chicken with Jamaican style Rice and Peas and a Tomato Salad. This recipe is filled with fresh herbs and the oven does all the work.

 

Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs, Rice and Peas, Tomatoes.

 

The original recipe called for 12 pieces of chicken however, I used 8 pieces. I made very small adjustments to accommodate this slight change – specifically with the quantity of broth that I used. I reduced it. Mainly because the dish wasn’t large enough to hold more than the 3/4 Cup of broth that I used. It worked out very well!

 

5.0 from 5 reviews
Fall Off The Bone Chicken for #SundaySupper
 
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A roasted chicken recipe using fresh herbs, perfect for a Sunday Supper. Recipe slightly adapted from the book Big Bowl Of Love by Cristine Ferrare
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 8 Chicken Thighs (skin on), washed and patted dry
  • ⅓ Cup Honey Dijon Mustard
  • Juice of one small lemon
  • ⅓ Cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp Fine Herbs
  • 1 Tsp Fennel Seeds (Anise Seeds)
  • 3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
  • 1 Sprig Rosemary
  • Kosher Salt
  • Freshly ground Black Pepper
  • ¾ Cup Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F (Roast)
  2. In a medium measuring cup, add mustard, lemon juice, soy sauce and olive oil. stir/whisk to combine.
  3. In an oven proof baking dish, pour a little of the mixture and spread with a spoon.
  4. Add all 8 pieces of chicken to the dish, skin side up
  5. Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper
  6. Pour the remaining mixture over the chicken
  7. Over the chicken, sprinkle fine herbs, fennel seeds, kosher salt and pepper.
  8. Place the Thyme and Rosemary over the chicken
  9. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes
  10. Uncover and baste with the liquid. Add chicken broth. Roast for another 60 minutes, basting every 15-20 minutes
  11. Watch closely as you do not want the skin to burn. Cover with foil if needed to achieve a nicely browned colour
Notes
The original recipe called for 12 pieces of chicken. I used 8 pieces so I reduced the liquid from 3 cups to ¾ cup. Cooking with the skin on the chicken increases the oil left in the dish. Remove as much of the oil/fat as possible before serving the gravy

 

The mixture of mustard (I used Honey Dijon instead of plain), lemon juice, soy sauce and olive oil smelled great! I was so curious at this point because this was the first time that I would be using this combination of ingredients.

 

Coating the chicken

 

It was nice to use these fresh herbs. I got the chance to open my bottle of Fine Herbs. It consists of (but not limited to) a mixture of dried Oregano, Marjoram, Parsley, Basil and Chervil.

 

Chicken covered in herbs, ready for the oven

 

The chicken was beautifully browned and seriously moist. The skin was certainly holding the meat together. I considered using skinless thighs but I’m glad I didn’t. The pieces would have fallen apart! There was quite a bit of liquid left in the dish. I simply skimmed the oil (as best as possible) from the surface, then strained about 1/2 cup or so for the gravy.

 

Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs. Recipe by Cristina Ferrare  for #SundaySupper

 

The Sunday Supper spread! Chicken, Rice & Peas, Tomatoes!

 

 

I found another way to add Tomatoes into my meal. Keep it as colourful and interesting as possible. Hence, the Yellow Tomatoes.

 

Red and Yellow Tomatoes

 

I enjoyed the process of making this recipe. I see why Cristina gave this dish the title of Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs.

 

Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs with Jamaican Rice and Peas, Tomato Salad on the side for Sunday Supper. Chicken recipe by Cristina Ferrare from the book “Big Bowl of Love”

 

Here are the bloggers along with their selection of recipes from Big Bowl of Love by Cristina Ferarre. Please visit them and show some love! We are so proud to be sharing such awesome recipes!  Please join us on Twitter every Sunday from 3pm EST where we will share tips and inspiration as well as meet some great new people. Follow along using the hashtag #SundaySupper using www.tweetchat.com (or similar for Twitter chats).

 

Our recipes will be perfectly paired with wine chosen by Wine Every Day.

 

 

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Tarragon Chicken #SundaySupper

May 6, 2012 by

I’m very happy to be able to participate in this weeks #SundaySupper! Todays theme is “May Flowers, Veggies and Herbs.” I didn’t  hesitate to prepare this as a wonderful spring dish. I think I may have tweeted my joy when I saw that Tarragon was available again ~ a true indication that spring has arrived! For those that are not familiar with Tarragon, it is an herb that is quite popular in French cuisine and pairs very well with chicken and fish. It is very aromatic and reminds me of liquorice! When I made this dish almost 2 years ago for the first time, I enjoyed it immensely. I decided to serve the chicken with Fennel (a vegetable with a very similar aroma to Tarragon) as well as Zucchini and Jasmine Rice.

 

Tarragon Chicken with Pan Seared Fennel and Zucchini, Jasmine Rice

 

 

5.0 from 2 reviews
Tarragon Chicken
 
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A French dish, perfect for a comforting family dinner
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • 8 Drumsticks, Skinless (any part of the chicken is good)
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • ½ Cup Half & Half
  • ½ cup fresh tarragon and a few extra for garnish
Instructions
  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper
  2. In a large dutch oven, warm oil and butter over a medium-high heat
  3. Brown chicken in batches and set aside
  4. Add all the chicken pieces back to the pot
  5. Add broth, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes
  6. Take the chicken from the pot and set aside.
  7. Add shallot to the pot and soften, about 5 minutes
  8. Add wine, allow to reduce about 7 minutes
  9. Add half and half, stir to combine
  10. Add chopped Tarragon, stir and cover for about 5 minutes
  11. Add chicken back to the pot, cover and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes
  12. Serve and garnish with fresh Tarragon
Notes
Served with pan seared Fennel, pan seared Zucchini Slices and aromatic Jasmine Rice Recipe adapted from Laura Calder's version: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Herbs/recipe.html?dishid=9128

 

Such a lovely herb. I love the scent and flavour!

 

Fresh Tarragon

 

Brown the chicken pieces in batches. If you used chicken pieces with the skin on, you may want to skim some of the fat left over in the pot. Not too much – since that’s where the base flavour is.

 

Chicken in Olive Oil and Butter

 

After you’ve browned all pieces of chicken, and cooked them down in the broth, set them aside while you build the Tarragon sauce.

 

Chicken, resting

 

Soften the shallots in the broth.

 

Softening the Shallot

 

Add the fresh Tarragon into the Broth and cream mixture. Simmer.

 

Fresh Tarragon in wine and cream sauce

 

The sauce should have a rich, thick consistency. Taste at this point, to see if you need salt and/or pepper. Add the chicken back to the pot to incorporate the flavour.

 

Tarragon Chicken Sauce

 

The sauce is terrific. The texture is great and the flavour is awesome.

 

Creamy Tarragon Chicken Sauce

 

Dinner is served!

 

Tarragon Chicken, Jasmine Rice, Fennel and Zucchini

 

 

Here are some wonderful spring inspired meal ideas for #SundaySupper using Herbs and Vegetables. These recipes will  inspire you to spend more time Around the Family Table!

Cocktails and Wine Pairings: 

Appetizers:

Entrees:

Side Dishes:

Dessert:

 

Happy Sunday! Enjoy quality time with your loved ones this evening.

~Lyn

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Spicy Thai Tuna & Fennel Salad

Apr 16, 2012 by

I’ve been doing a lot of eating over the past week. I think its time to slow it down and get back into my usual eating habits. I was looking through my recipes and realized that I really don’t post enough salads. That is not to say that I don’t eat salads ~I just haven’t posted. I made a dressing that I adapted from Everyday Food over a year ago. I don’t fancy store bought dressings that much. Generally I have my salad naked – sans dressing. I adore crunchy romaine with garden vegetables. But I also like warm salads that include Quinoa, Zucchini and other root vegetables.

Today’s recipe is a quick and easy, nutritious salad. I usually serve the dressing on the side so that I pour what I desire. For the Tuna, I added only to the plate because it was too spicy for my son so I could not mix it into the main bowl. I find regular tuna to be one of my least favourite things when its plain, so the Spicy Thai version is the one I prefer. It is quite spicy for me, so I don’t eat more than half a can at a time. A little goes a very long way for me. Regular tuna can certainly be substituted and you can use as much as you would like from the can. You can also choose to omit the tuna and serve the salad along with dinner. I am also using Fennel for the first time in a very long time. I forgot how much I liked it. I’m happy I was able to incorporate it in this freestyle salad. I believe the Fennel and Tuna are the unusual suspects and so, I named the salad for them 🙂

 

Spicy Thai Tuna and Fennel Salad

 

Spicy Thai Tuna & Fennel Salad
 
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A quick salad with Spicy Thai Tuna and Fennel
Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • Vinaigrette:
  • 2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
  • 3 Tsp Honey Mustard Dijon
  • ⅓ Cup Olive Oil
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Salad:
  • 1 Head Romaine Lettuce, chopped and washed
  • 2 Baby Cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • 2 Tomatoes, diced
  • 1 Fennel, thinly sliced
  • 1 85g Can Spicy Thai Tuna (or any tuna you like)
Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients for the vinaigrette into a jar. Shake and set aside
  2. In a large bowl, add romaine, tomatoes, fennel and cucumbers
  3. Toss to combine
  4. Add tuna and dressing, toss to coat or serve dressing on the side, serve Tuna in individual plates

 

The dressing before I shook it. Not sure why, but it looked like a flower to me. I see beauty in weird places, I guess. OK, don’t stare at it! lol

 

Salad Dressing

 

I almost omitted the tuna when I saw how attractive the salad looked. Way to go tomatoes!

 

Tossed salad!

 

So here was my turning point. Do I add the Tuna? Or have it on its own, this gorgeous salad.

 

Fennel, Romaine, Cucumbers & Tomatoes

 

I added the dressing to the salad, followed by the tuna.

 

Spicy Thai Tuna and Fennel Salad

 

I feel much better about all that eating during Easter. Much better.

 

~Lyn

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