Fennel, Radish and Butter Lettuce Salad with Zesty Chive Dressing

From the appearance of this here blog… I’ve been pretty lazy lately.

And I will admit, I was pretty lazy in the last week and half. 

Wes and I went on a much-needed little Hawaiian vacay to the north shore of Oahu. 

This was after my five-day work trip to Vegas. Which was right after my eight-day dork trip to New York.

So I’m not sure if I’ve been lazy as much as I’ve been exhausted.

When I’m not on the road, I should be writing about any of the tasty dishes in my pretty large backlog of things I’ve cooked lately. But more and more I’m finding myself with my new food love. The garden.

I turned over about fifty square feet of pretty crappy earth on the side of Wes’s place back in April and I have been working my developing green thumb on that little patch hoping for some yummy goodies to come out of it.

Naturally, there have been successes and failures. I seem to be able to get squash blossoms just fine, but no actual squash want to come my way. 

The basil is out of hand but my cilantro super sucked. 

Just like my early cooking days, it is trial by fire out in that little dirt patch but I’m as determined now as I was then. Maybe more so.

This dish features on of my favorite garden goodies and one of my most successful first crops. The radish. In my opinion, a highly underrated little root veggie that adds a ton of zest and flavor to anything it is served with.

You will need…

1 head butter lettuce (also known as Bibb or Boston) chopped into bite-sized pieces

8 radishes thinly sliced

1 cup croutons

1 bulb fennel, halved and light green part thinly sliced

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, radishes and fennel and set aside.

Then in a small bowl or jar, combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, chives and honey and season well with salt and pepper. Whisk or shake till the dressing is completely combined.

Drizzle the dressing over the greens and top the salad with croutons.

Toss well and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Fennel, Radish and Butter Lettuce Salad with Zesty Chive Dressing

 1 head butter lettuce (also known as Bibb or Boston) chopped into bite-sized pieces

8 radishes thinly sliced

1 cup croutons

1 bulb fennel, halved and light green part thinly sliced

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, radishes and fennel and set aside.

Then in a small bowl or jar, combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, chives and honey and season well with salt and pepper. Whisk or shake till the dressing is completely combined.

Drizzle the dressing over the greens and top the salad with croutons.

Toss well and serve.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Prosciutto, Green Onions and Homemade Croutons

Well, I somehow managed to survive and thrive during the polar vortex. I have never experienced cold like that. Nothing slaps you in the face like negative eleven-degree wind chill.

A drop of my coffee spilt while I was getting out of a cab and it froze instantly. INSTANTLY.

So regardless of the fact that I am now at home in southern California (one of the only places in the US that was unscathed by the icy freeze) and it was at one point eighty-six degrees today, I’m still in the mood for soup.

For my first update of the New Year, I decided to tackle one of my all time favorite soups.

I don’t care how much you hate cauliflower, this soup will still tickle your fancy.

All the ingredients are simple and straight forward, but together they sing.

You will need…

2 medium sized heads of cauliflower, stems removed and cut into florets

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided (truffle oil if you can get your hands on it)

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

6 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 cup homemade croutons

4 thin slices prosciutto

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the oven is preheating, toss together the 2 tablespoons oil and cauliflower and season well with salt and pepper.

When the cauliflower is lightly coated, spread it out on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. Until golden brown.

As the cauliflower is roasting, heat the remaining oil in a large pot.

Add in the onions and toss to lightly coat. Cook until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.

Toss in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Pour in the roasted cauliflower and chicken stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Season well with salt and pepper.

Simmer the soup until all the veggies are very tender. About 20 minutes.

In batches in a food processor or with a hand emersion blender, puree the soup until very smooth.

While the soup is simmering, lay the proscuitto slices on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until very crispy. Remove to a paper towel and pat off the grease. 

Break into bit sized pieces and set aside for serving.

Serve the soup hot topped with green onions, croutons and crispy prosciutto.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Prosciutto, Green Onions and Homemade Croutons

2 medium sized heads of cauliflower, stems removed and cut into florets

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided (truffle oil if you can get your hands on it)

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

6 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 cup homemade croutons

4 thin slices prosciutto

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the oven is preheating, toss together the 2 tablespoons oil and cauliflower and season well with salt and pepper.

When the cauliflower is lightly coated, spread it out on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. Until golden brown.

As the cauliflower is roasting, heat the remaining oil in a large pot.

Add in the onions and toss to lightly coat. Cook until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.

Toss in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Pour in the roasted cauliflower and chicken stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Season well with salt and pepper.

Simmer the soup until all the veggies are very tender. About 20 minutes.

In batches in a food processor or with a hand emersion blender, puree the soup until very smooth.

While the soup is simmering, lay the prosciutto slices on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until very crispy. Remove to a paper towel and pat off the grease. Break into bit sized pieces and set aside for serving.

Serve the soup hot topped with green onions, croutons and crispy prosciutto. 

Burrata, Proscuitto and Roasted Asparagus Salad

For those who know me personally, you know that I am never short for words. And for those of you who just read the blog, you also know I never shut it.

But every once in a while, I sit down at the computer and can’t think of a damn thing to say.

Like I often do when I’m stumped, I bug Wesley and ask him what I should write about. Usually he offers up some recent event or funny idea to help me in the right direction.

Then there are nights like tonight.

Me: Babe. What should I write about?

Wesley: Food.

Thanks for the help babe. Why didn’t I think about that?

So here is some awesome food. Enough said.

You will need…

1 bunch asparagus, rough ends trimmed

3 roma tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

4 ounces burrata

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

6 slices pruscuitto, roughly chopped

8 cups arugula

Homemade croutons

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining the burrata, vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let it marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the broiler.

Lightly coat the asparagus with the remaining olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Place them on a baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes.

Place the arugula in a large bowl or on a platter. Top with the tomatoes, asparagus, proscuitto and croutons.

Top with the buratta and vinegar mixture, gently toss and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Burrata, Proscuitto and Roasted Asparagus Salad

1 bunch asparagus, rough ends trimmed

3 roma tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

4 ounces burrata

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

6 slices pruscuitto, roughly chopped

8 cups arugula

Homemade croutons

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining the burrata, vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let it marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the broiler.

Lightly coat the asparagus with the remaining olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Place them on a baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes.

Top with the buratta and vinegar mixture, gently toss and serve. 

Place the arugula in a large bowl or on a platter. Top with the tomatoes, asparagus, proscuitto and croutons.

Top with the buratta and vinegar mixture, gently toss and serve. 

Sourdough Ceasar Croutons

Early on in my cooking life, I had a guest over for almost every meal I cooked.

And often in the beginning, I would ask a friend to take the photos for me. When I started out I had no idea what I was doing and things in the kitchen were often hectic. So to get someone to take on the task of photos for me was a great relief. Until I realized that most of the people I had taking the photos did a HORRIBLE job

They would get distracted and miss important shots, they would get drunk and the photos would be blurry or the camera would end up filthy.

Don’t get me wrong I appreciated the help, but it became way more trouble than it was worth.

So when my good friend Nicole came for a visit on Sunday, I was a little hesitant when she offered to take the photos.

But she was AWESOME. She got great action photos, great step-by-step shots and amazing pictures of the ingredients.

And in exchange for her artsy and wonderful photos, I fed her with very tasty food.

Most things really are better homemade and this is not an exception.

You will need…

3 cups sourdough bread, cubed

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining you olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowl and let it soak for an hour up to overnight.

When you are ready to make your croutons, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.

When the butter has melted, add in the garlic and olive oil.

Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Toss in the bread and coat.

Season with salt, pepper and oregano.

When all the bread is coated, pour it onto a baking sheet.

Bake the croutons for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Sere warm.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Sourdough Ceasar Croutons

3 cups sourdough bread, cubed

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining you olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowl and let it soak for an hour up to overnight.

When you are ready to make your croutons, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.

When the butter has melted, add in the garlic and olive oil.

Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Toss in the bread and coat.

Season with salt, pepper and oregano.

When all the bread is coated, pour it onto a baking sheet.

Bake the croutons for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Sere warm.

Creamy Spring Onion Soup

We may be well into Spring, but the heat hasn’t really hit us with any consistency in southern California. And I’m pretty sure that it snowed in Minnesota and Colorado last week. That’s right. Snow in May.

So even though I’m headed to ninty degree weather in a handful of days, I’m not ready to say my goodbyes to hot soup season.

This is my hot, deliciously, soupy homage to the onion. It’s featured in multiple forms with decadent additions.

You will need…

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 bunches green onions, white part and tender green parts chopped and reserved, green tops chopped and reserved separately

4 leeks, white and tender parts thinly sliced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

2 cups dry white wine

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

2 ounces softened herbed goat cheese

2 cups homemade croutons

2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.

Toss in the white and tender parts of the green onions, leeks, onion, and fennel. 

Season well with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften. About 15 minutes.

Add in the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the liquid until barely any remains in the bottom of the pot. About 12 minutes.

Add in the chicken stock and the potatoes and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, reduce to a simmer and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer until the potatoes are tender. About 30 minutes.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, toss in the dark green onion tops and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Use your emersion blender, blend the soup until completely smooth.

Pour in the cream and continue to blend until the cream is completely incorporated.

Serve the soup hot, topped with a dollop of goat cheese, chives and homemade croutons.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Creamy Spring Onion Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 bunches green onions, white part and tender green parts chopped and reserved, green tops chopped and reserved separately

4 leeks, white and tender parts thinly sliced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

2 cups dry white wine

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

2 ounces softened herbed goat cheese

2 cups homemade croutons

2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.

Toss in the white and tender parts of the green onions, leeks, onion, and fennel. Season well with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften. About 15 minutes.

Add in the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the liquid until barely any remains in the bottom of the pot. About 12 minutes.

Add in the chicken stock and the potatoes and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, reduce to a simmer and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer until the potatoes are tender. About 30 minutes.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, toss in the dark green onion tops and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Use your emersion blender, blend the soup until completely smooth.

Pour in the cream and continue to blend until the cream is completely incorporated.

Serve the soup hot, topped with a dollop of goat cheese, chives and homemade croutons.