Kale Salad with Chicken, Avocado and Mustard Vinaigrette

 

Kale salads can be really good or not good at all. The secret is massaging the kale and adding enough acidity and liquids so that the leaves relax a bit and it’s not just like, well, chewing on leaves.

{serves 2 or 1 hungry person}

  • 1 bunch lacinto kale
  • 1 handful dried cranberries
  • 1 handful pepitas
  • juice of 1 orange
  • 8 oz cooked chicken (I used some we’d bbq’ed last night but this is pretty much up to you)
  • generous dash of ‘Everything but the Bagel Seasoning’ (Trader Joe’s)- if you don’t know now you know- I put this stuff on everything
  • heaping spoonful capers
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 2 soft boiled eggs
  • truffle pecorino- or plain pecorino

vinaigrette:

  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tbsp caper juice
  • a generous splash (or even a glug) of red wine vin
  1. cut kale along stems so you get a flap on either side, then slice it into small strips
  2. put prepped kale in a big bowl then squeeze the orange juice into the bowl and massage the kale, like I mentioned the acid from the orange juice helps break down the sometimes tough kale leaves so this is the most important step! Give it a nice massage
  3. bring water to a boil in a small sauce pan, bring it down to a simmer and gently slip your eggs into the water, leave simmering for 5-8 minutes (5 for a very runny yolk), then transfer to an ice bath (I suggest using a slotted spoon)
  4. in a small jar, bowl, or if you’re conveniently at the end of your mustard container, add dijon, caper juice and red wine vinegar and shake or stir until incorporated
  5. pour this vinaigrette over the kale situation and use tongs to toss
  6. then add pepitas, dried cranberries and Everything but the Bagel Seasoning and toss once again
  7. let sit in the fridge to marinate; meanwhile peel eggs, slice chicken, avocado and pecorino
  8. when ready to eat assemble all these components on top of the kale and you’ve got yourself a kale salad!

© 2018, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Spring Risotto with Roasted Asparagus and Smoked Salmon

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  • This is a lighter take on risotto with lots of vibrant spring flavors.

[serves 2-3]

  • 1 cup risotto (dry)
  • 3-4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2 pats butter
  • 10 asparagus spears
  • 1 spring onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • dijon mustard
  • 2 spoons of capers
  • 1 lemon
  • salt/pepper
  • 5 sprigs of dill
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 3 ounces smoked salmon per serving
  1. pre-heat oven to 350ºF
  2. roast onion (whole), garlic (keep in skin), lemon (slice) and asparagus on a baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper
  3. make risotto according to instruction
  4. when veggies are finished roasting, cut asparagus, lemon and onion into bite sized pieces and add to the risotto
  5. stir in yogurt and mustard
  6. squeeze garlic out of skin into the risotto or mince and incorporate
  7. destem and mince dill and add that as well, along with the capers
  8. serve and top with salmon

© 2016, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Savory Spring Oatmeal

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This savory oatmeal is super simple and so tasty. It’s also kind of healthy comfort food (!)

[serves 1]

  • 1/2 cup oats (dry)
  • a couple of ounces of smoked salmon
  • 5 asparagus
  • salt/pepper
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • 2 spoons yogurt sauce
  1. preheat oven to 350º F
  2. drizzle asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast until they’re starting to brown
  3. cook oatmeal according to direction
  4. top with asparagus, salmon, yogurt sauce and capers

© 2016, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Potato Salad w/ Lots of Garlic, Dill and Mustard

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I love all kinds of potato salad. This is a vinegar-y, herby one that I let marinate overnight. I was planning on having it as a cold salad but I had some lemon-infused cheese that was calling out to be used and melted cheese makes everything more exciting so I ended up sauteing it with the cheese.

{3 servings}

  • 1/2 lemon (juice and zest)
  • 5 sprigs dill
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
  • salt/pepper (lemon pepper preferably)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp dijon
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 15 tiny potatoes or 9 normal small fingerlings
  • 1/4 cup hard salty cheese (pecorino or something similar)- optional

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  1. boil potatoes until easily stabbed with a fork
  2. mince garlic
  3. in a bowl whisk together olive oil, red wine vin, mustard and garlic. season to taste with salt and pepper
  4. when potatoes are cooled, quarter them or chop (depending on the size of the potatoes you’re using)
  5. pour the vinaigrette over the potatoes and gently stir to cover all potatoes without breaking them up too much
  6. add the capers and chopped dill
  7. marinate overnight
  8. serve cold OR
  9. in a medium sized sauce pan saute the whole concoction over medium high heat and shave cheese over the top
  10. stir occasionally until cheese is melted and potatoes are starting to crisp
  11. serve with fresh dill and lemon zest

(pictured with a spinach salad, lentils and a soft boiled egg)

© 2016, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Spring Pasta with Scallops, Asparagus and Blood Orange

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I went home for spring break last week but we were only in San Diego for 4 nights so my mom and I had to plan our menus strategically. Two nights were already taken care of because fish tacos and Cardiff Crack go without saying. Some of my favorite things that I am usually too cheap to buy while I’m at school are scallops and lamb. They both also happen to lend themselves well to spring-y dishes so those took care of our other two nights.

links to the other spring recipes: Slow Cooker Lamb with Chick Peas and Grilled Eggplant, Cabbage-Beet Tahini Slaw, Chard with Anchovy Tomato Dressing

  • 1 box fussili pasta
  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • 1 blood orange (for juice and zest)
  • bay scallops
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 1 shallot
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • sprinkle truffle salt
  • 2 handfuls little yellow tomatoes
  • 4 pats butter
  • 1 handful baby kale
  • 3 sprigs basil
  • 2 cups peas (preferably fresh)
  • splash of dry white wine (plus another bottle for drinking while cooking)
  • Parmesan
  1. in a non-stick skillet melt butter over medium low heat with 1 tbsp olive oil
  2. slice shallot and add to pan, cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally until opaque, then remove from pan
  3. line a pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and put tomatoes on it, drizzle them with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with truffle salt, bake at 350°F until blistered (15 minutes-ish)
  4. slice asparagus in 1 inch pieces and remove peas from shells if necessary
  5. boil water and prepare an ice bath, cook them in the boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer them to the ice bath as fast as possible
  6. drain those guys and put them in a large mixing bowl, zest and juice the blood orange into said bowl
  7. wash kale and basil and slice them, add to the bowl, add capers
  8. cook pasta according to isntructions
  9. add the remaining 2 pats butter and the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the shallot pan over medium high heat
  10. add the scallops carefully
  11. when they start turned brown on the cook-side flip them over, with tongs slide them along the bottom of the pan to absorb the toasted butter flavor
  12. continue cooking until opaque throughout then add them into the bowl with all the other items
  13. add a splash of white wine to the scallop pan to deglaze it and transfer that sauce to the bowl with all of the other items then add all that good stuff to the drained pasta

We had grilled shrimp on the side because grilled shrimp goes with everything.

© 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Chard with Anchovy and Crushed Tomato Dressing

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We get a lot of chard in our CSA and I always tend to steam or saute it with some garlic and vinegar or citrus. And that’s always good but this time I wanted to try something different. Chard is full of vitamins and it’s actually better wilted so it is a great vehicle for warm sauces, unlike other daintier leafy greens. Anchovies and capers give this a salty-umami Mediterranean taste and the warm yellow tomatoes balance it with a little sweetness.

  • 1 bunch chard
  • 4 anchovies in olive oil
  • 15 yellow cherry tomatoes
  • 1 lg garlic clove
  • splash red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp capers
  • red chili flakes
  • pepper
  1. slice chard off of ribs then julienne the leaves (long skinny slices), I like to roll together a few pieces then slice them to save time and make them more uniform, put chard in a mixing bowl
  2. drain olive oil from the anchovies and heat it (the oil) over medium heat in a sauce pan
  3. mince the garlic and add it to the pan, once garlic is opaque add anchovies and mash with the back of a fork, add red chili flakes
  4. add capers, tomatoes and red wine vinegar then cover the pan for a minute
  5. uncover the pan once the tomatoes appear to be deflating a bit then carefully squash them with the back of a fork (angle them away so that you don’t squirt yourself or your kitchen with hot tomato juices)
  6. pour the sauce over the chard and cover for a couple minutes until chard is just starting to wilt, then mix it all together, finish with pepper

© 2015 – 2016, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

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