3 cups organic baby spinach
1 small head of organic romaine, trimmed, leaves left whole
4 large eggs, hard boiled, cooled, peeled, halved
1 English or hot house cucumber
2 large heirloom tomatoes cut into large slices (or 2 cups cherry tomatoes)
1/2 pound washed, trimmed fresh green beans, par boiled and cooled
2 pounds new potatoes boiled in salt water until just fork tender, and cooled
2 teaspoons capers
1/2 small red onion sliced thinly (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup lemon stuffed manzanilla olives
fresh chopped Italian parsley leaves for garnish (optional)
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 pound of cooked and cooled meat/protein of choice such as smoked, poached or grilled salmon, poached or grilled chicken, grilled steak, seared tuna, fried or baked tofu, etc. (there are no wrong answers here)
Dressing
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 anchovy fillet (optional)
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of UP or infused olive oil of choice (I used Hojiblanca here but dill, garlic, lemon, orange, lime, picual, etc. would all be great here)
Add the vinegar, lemon juice, anchovy fillet, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and cheese to the jar of a blender or food processor bowl. Pulse to combine well. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until thickened.
Assembly
In a large bowl, toss the cooked and cooled baby potatoes with two tablespoons of the dressing. On a large platter just before serving, arrange a bed of baby spinach topped with the whole Romaine lettuce leaves. Arrange the various components around the platter with the meat, fish or protein showcased in the center. Add a grind of fresh black pepper and serve the platter with the dressing on the side.
Serves 6 as a meal or up to 10 as a starter.
Wow what a great Saturday (even with the deluge of rainfall). Thank you “Devoted Tasters”. Have a nice Sunday everyone.
Israeli Couscous (Lemony Pearls)
1 tablespoon of butter olive oil1 shallot and the zest of half a lemon;Over medium heat, let the butter olive oil get infused with the flavors of the shallot and the lemon zest. Give this about 3 minutes. You are sweating the aromatics not browning them.
Throw in a cup of your Israel couscous and toss everything together, ensuring your couscous is covered by the shallot and butter mixture. Using our Seasonello herb infused Sea Salt & pepper to taste, toast the Couscous for about 2 minutes;
Pour in 1 and 1/4 cups of chicken broth or stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Optional: add parmesan cheese & chives. Great as a side or the next day, toss with assorted vegetables, nut crumbs (spicy, Italian or coconut curry) & raisins.
Ingredients:
For the Crab Cakes
1 large egg
2-1/2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (2 Tuscan and ½ Blood Orange)
1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper & garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion & celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 pound lump crab meat (16 oz. cup)
½ stick of herbed cream cheese
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
Extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
Instructions:
For the Crab Cakes
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Combine the egg, extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, pepper, garlic, onion, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; gently fold mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 9 crab cakes (about ½ cup each or a flattened golf ball size) and place on prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 min.
Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium heat and coat with extra virgin olive oil. When oil is med/hot, place crab cakes in pan and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Serve immediately with tomatoes, cucumbers and spinach salad.
OR, toast English muffins with our butter infused olive oil and place toasted crab cakes on top for an open faced crab cake sandwich.
INGREDIENTS:
1 turkey tenderloin (approx. 12 X 5 in.)
1 8oz pkg, cream cheese
1 jar roasted red peppers
1 pkg bacon cooked, crumbled
1 pkg. of our Parmesan Basil dried dipping herb pack
Spinach leaves fresh (to taste)
Herbs de Provence olive oil
Pomegranate Quince Balsamic Vinegar
salt & pepper
Smoked paprika
INSTRUCTIONS:
Unwrap your turkey tenderloin, filet it open, spread it out and get it nice and flat. You can use a meat tenderizer for more flattening & rolling to produce a great spiral cut.
Once the tenderloin is flat and has a good surface area, spread the cream cheese all over the top. Lay the roasted red peppers over the cream cheese then sprinkle on the crumbled bacon. Evenly sprinkle on parmesan basil herb seasoning and lay the spinach leaves all over the top.
Roll the turkey up (like you would if you were making cinnamon rolls) and tie it shut with kitchen twine. Next, rub on a mixture of the olive oil, pomegranate quince, paprika, salt and pepper all over the turkey and place in an olive oiled baking dish or cookie sheet.
Bake at 350-degrees about 45-50- or until turkey is cooked through depending upon the size and density of the tenderloin. Once cooked, slice and serve!
**This makes quite a lot. After rolling, but before baking, cut it into thirds or fourths. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze!!
Plate your dish with a chopped salad of choice tossed with the Pomegranate Quince and Herbs de Provence Olive Oil.
