Grilled Grape and Oyster Mushroom Salad

All right. Before you go poo-pooing this recipe, thinking it’s all weird, lets talk about this logically.

Think of all the weird combinations of things that are totally awesome.

I bet people totally thought the first person to put peanut butter and jelly together was a total goofball.

Chicken and waffles with maples syrup I a pretty crazy idea, but people go great distances to get their hands on it.

If you haven’t had chocolate and bacon together, you are majorly missing out.

In the food world, weird works.

And this interesting salad totally entertains.

You will need…

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grapes and mushrooms

¼ cup almond oil

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup celery leaves (the leaves from one head)

¼ cup salted roasted almonds, chopped

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 pound king oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick

2 cups green grapes

2 heads butter lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 cups thinly sliced celery

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat.

Take about 5 wooden skewers and soak them for a few minutes in water.

While they are soaking, combine the grapes with some salt and pepper and about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss until the grapes are lightly coated.

Skewer all the grapes and set them aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, celery seeds, mustard half the garlic and salt and pepper.

Gradually whisk in the ¼ cup of olive oil and the almond oil until emulsified. Or combine all in a mason jar and shake well.

Then in a mini food processor, combine the remaining garlic with the parsley, celery leaves, Parmesan and almonds and pulse until finely chopped.

Add the other ¼ cup of olive oil and puree to a chunky pesto.

Lightly brush the mushrooms with another tablespoon of oil and season them with salt and pepper.

Poke quite a few small holes in a large piece of aluminum foil and lay the mushrooms out in a single layer on top of it. 

Place the mushrooms and the grapes on the grill.

Cook the grapes for about 3 minutes a side. Just until they are lightly blistered.

Cook the mushrooms just until they are tender and lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

Remove the grapes and mushrooms from the heat and toss them in a bowl with the pesto.

Lay the lettuce out on a large platter and toss the leaves with half the dressing.

Top the lettuce with the mushroom and grape mixture.

Drizzle the remaining dressing on the celery.

Finally, top the salad with the celery and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Grilled Grape and Oyster Mushroom Salad 

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grapes and mushrooms

¼ cup almond oil

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup celery leaves (the leaves from one head)

¼ cup salted roasted almonds, chopped

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 pound king oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick

2 cups green grapes

2 heads butter lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 cups thinly sliced celery

 Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium heat.

Take about 5 wooden skewers and soak them for a few minutes in water.

While they are soaking, combine the grapes with some salt and pepper and about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss until the grapes are lightly coated.

Skewer all the grapes and set them aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, celery seeds, mustard half the garlic and salt and pepper.

Gradually whisk in the ¼ cup of olive oil and the almond oil until emulsified. Or combine all in a mason jar and shake well.

Then in a mini food processor, combine the remaining garlic with the parsley, celery leaves, Parmesan and almonds and pulse until finely chopped.

Add the other ¼ cup of olive oil and puree to a chunky pesto.

Lightly brush the mushrooms with another tablespoon of oil and season them with salt and pepper.

Poke quite a few small holes in a large piece of aluminum foil and lay the mushrooms out in a single layer on top of it. 

Place the mushrooms and the grapes on the grill.

Cook the grapes for about 3 minutes a side. Just until they are lightly blistered.

Cook the mushrooms just until they are tender and lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

Remove the grapes and mushrooms from the heat and toss them in a bowl with the pesto.

Lay the lettuce out on a large platter and toss the leaves with half the dressing.

Top the lettuce with the mushroom and grape mixture.

Drizzle the remaining dressing on the celery.

Finally, top the salad with the celery and serve. 

Potato Crusted Halibut

Today is the day that I have dreaded for weeks. Today is my last day of a long vacation. I don’t know about you, but to me the last day of vacation is actually way worse than the day you go back to work or school.

Don’t get me wrong the first day back is still really bad. But for me, I’m usually so busy the first day back that I don’t really have time to think about how bad it is.

Now today, I’m going to spend most of my time thinking about how I don’t want to back.

Boo.

So today I’m going to try and distract myself with lots of tasks. Getting new tires (also boo), exchanging holiday gifts (yay), possibly going on a bike ride (maybe) and I’m going to spend sometime playing with my new best friend.

Meet Blanche.

Yes friends, I name inanimate objects. And yes, I understand that it is strange. But how much easier is it to say Blanche than it is to say eleven-cup food processor? A LOT easier. 

Blanche has already made my life much easier. Not only does she chop things in a jiffy, make awesome bread dough and slice things in a ridiculously small amount of time, she grates.

Um, do you know how awesome it is to be able to grate a brick of cheese or potato in ten seconds? Literally, less than ten seconds. It is really freaking awesome.

Now don’t let your lack of a Blanche discourage you from making this dish. You are only grating one potato and you really don’t even need to grate the whole thing. And other than that this recipe is a breeze.

You will need…

1 lb halibut, sliced into 4 equal portions

1 medium sized russet potato, grated

¼ cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

½ cup all purpose flour

4 cups mixed greens

1 cup red grapes, halved

1 green apple, chopped

5 stalks celery, peeled

1 lemon, juiced

¼ cup blue cheese (optional)

½ cup olive oil plus 2 extra tablespoons

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

After you have peeled your celery (I know this sounds really weird but it looks really cool), place it in a bowl of water with ice and the lemon juice and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Then, combine the greens, grapes, apple, and blue cheese if you are using it and set it aside.

In a small bowl, combine the potato, yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, and season it with salt and pepper.

Season the fish with salt and pepper and place one side of the fish in the flour so that is lightly coated.

Then, place a thin layer of the potato mixture onto the floured side of the fish.

Heat the 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick pan. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the fish potato side down and seer it until the potatoes are brown and crispy.

Remove the fish from the pan and place it on a lightly oiled (use the remaining ½ tablespoon oil) baking sheet potato side up.

Bake the fish in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, just until it is cooked through.

While the fish is baking in the oven, add the now curled celery to your green mixture.

Whisk together the remaining oil, vinegar, mustard and some salt and pepper and drizzle it over the greens.

Place about 1 cup of the greens mixture on each plate.

When the fish is done, place it on top of your greens and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Potato Crusted Halibut

1 lb halibut, sliced into 4 equal portions

1 medium sized russet potato, grated

¼ cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

½ cup all purpose flour

4 cups mixed greens

1 cup red grapes, halved

1 green apple, chopped

5 stalks celery, peeled

1 lemon, juiced

¼ cup blue cheese (optional)

½ cup olive oil plus 2 extra tablespoons

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

After you have peeled your celery (I know this sounds really weird but it looks really cool), place it in a bowl of water with ice and the lemon juice and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Then, combine the greens, grapes, apple, and blue cheese if you are using it and set it aside.

In a small bowl, combine the potato, yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, and season it with salt and pepper.

Season the fish with salt and pepper and place one side of the fish in the flour so that is lightly coated.

Then, place a thin layer of the potato mixture onto the floured side of the fish.

Heat the 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick pan. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the fish potato side down and seer it until the potatoes are brown and crispy.

Remove the fish from the pan and place it on a lightly oiled (use the remaining ½ tablespoon oil) baking sheet potato side up.

Bake the fish in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, just until it is cooked through.

While the fish is baking in the oven, add the now curled celery to your green mixture.

Whisk together the remaining oil, vinegar, mustard and some salt and pepper and drizzle it over the greens.

Place about 1 cup of the greens mixture on each plate.

When the fish is done, place it on top of your greens and serve hot. 

Apple, Grape and Endive Salad with Tangy Buttermilk Vinaigrette

It is that dreaded time of the year. No, not the holidays. Flu season.

The last couple of weeks I had been hearing mumblings about various illnesses around the building at work and now it is no longer mumblings. It is full blown screaming.

Both Lindsey B and I have running noses, and tickling coughs and I highly suggest that if you see us coming, you run the other way.

Tonight, I’m going to try and sweat it out, drink lots of liquids (alcohol free of course) and try to get a good night’s sleep.

No cooking for this little nugget until conditions improve.

Good thing I have a couple of gems stockpiled away for such an occasion.

You will need…

2 honeycrisp or fuji apples cored and thinly sliced

1 ½ pounds Belgian endives, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

2 cups green grapes (preferably seedless) halved

½ cup toasted pecans, broken into pieces

¼ cup goat cheese crumbles

½ cup reduced-fat sour cream

¼ cup low-fat buttermilk

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

Start by combining everything but the wet ingredients in a salad bowl.

In a bowl or food processor, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk and vinegar.

Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the salad with the creamy dressing and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela