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.

Roast Salmon with Cauliflower Pure and Pickled Fennel and Radish Salsa

While traveling is a complete joy and an education for the soul, it is always nice to be home.

I’m back in my own bed and fully recovered from the body confusing jet lag.

My trip with my brother Albert to visit our brother Joshua in Budva, Montenegro (a stunning Adriatic costal town in the middle of nowhere) and my true soul mate, Jeanelle, in the Netherlands was a smashing success.

Days were spent on cultural and foodie adventures. Nights were spent drinking well, eating even better and catching up on lost time with two of my favorite people on the planet.

The best days in each country are a no brainer.

In Montenegro, my brother’s and I rented a bright read Toyota Yaris for a windy ride up a mountain to the snow in the Lovcen national park for some sweet views and family photos.

On the way back down the mountain we stopped in the remote village of Njegusi. A small town in the mountains behind Kotor, they produce most of the regions proscuitto. We sat in a “restaurant” of one of the smokehouses and munched on fresh meat, cheese, bread and beers while playing cards on a perfectly picturesque day.

Our first day in Holland, we rented bikes (bright red again, they were warning everyone of our out-of-towner status) for a full day of Amsterdam sites, sounds and snacks. 

Bikes, delicious food (if you are in Amsterdam you must make a brunch stop at Bakers and Roasters for a Kiwi style meal) and touring a stunning city with my brother and my sister was pretty much ideal the recipe for a delectable day.

But enough rubbing your nose in my amazing trip.

The places we visited could not have been more opposite. One was a remote sea village with little population and few outsiders. The other a bustling metropolitan city full of international citizens hustling and bustling about.

However they did have one major thing connecting them.

Fish. Both countries are surrounded by water in one way or another and because of this fish is a major part of their cuisine.

So to honor one of my favorite proteins and two of my new favorite places, I’m serving up some tasty salmon.

The combination might seem odd, but it flows. The cauliflower brings meatiness to the dish and the pickled veggies on top brings a light tang to the mix.

If you can’t pop of to Europe any time soon, you should get in the kitchen and whip this up as a consolation.

You will need…

4 salmon filets, about 6 ounces each (skin off or on depending on your preference)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 lemon, thinly sliced

½ cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced

6 radishes, julienned

1 fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, toss together the cauliflower, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper.

When the cauliflower is lightly coated, spread it out onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast until browned and tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

After the cauliflower has roasted, combine the veggie with 1 tablespoon butter in the bowl of a food processor and blend until completely combined and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the cauliflower is roasting, combine the cucumber, radish and fennel in a medium bowl and toss with the vinegar and salt and pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

As soon as the cauliflower is out of the oven, heat the remaining olive oil and butter in a large oven safe pan.

Pat the salmon dray and season well with salt and pepper. When the butter and oil are hot and bubbly, add the salmon to the pan (non skin side down if your fish has skin). Sear the fish until it is no longer sticking to the pan and it is easy to flip. About 3 minutes.

After flipping, top each piece of fish with a slice of lemon and place the pan in the oven.

Finish the fish in the oven until just cooked through. About 8 minutes.

Place about ½ cup of the cauliflower mixture on each plate and top with a piece of fish fresh out of the oven.

Top with a large spoonful of the pickled veggies and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Roast Salmon with Cauliflower Pure and Pickled Fennel and Radish Salsa

4 salmon filets, about 6 ounces each (skin off or on depending on your preference)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 lemon, thinly sliced

½ cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced

6 radishes, julienned

1 fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, toss together the cauliflower, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper.

When the cauliflower is lightly coated, spread it out onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast until browned and tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

After the cauliflower has roasted, combine the veggie with 1 tablespoon butter in the bowl of a food processor and blend until completely combined and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the cauliflower is roasting, combine the cucumber, radish and fennel in a medium bowl and toss with the vinegar and salt and pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

As soon as the cauliflower is out of the oven, heat the remaining olive oil and butter in a large oven safe pan.

Pat the salmon dray and season well with salt and pepper. When the butter and oil are hot and bubbly, add the salmon to the pan (non skin side down if your fish has skin). Sear the fish until it is no longer sticking to the pan and it is easy to flip. About 3 minutes.

After flipping, top each piece of fish with a slice of lemon and place the pan in the oven.

Finish the fish in the oven until just cooked through. About 8 minutes.

Place about ½ cup of the cauliflower mixture on each plate and top with a piece of fish fresh out of the oven.

Top with a large spoonful of the pickled veggies and serve hot. 

Pickled Fennel and Onion Salad with Roasted Radish

Have you noticed lately that I’ve gotten a little boring?

My life is good. Good job. Good man. Good family. Good home. All good.

But a little boring.

And while parts of that boring are really good, like spending time on Wes’s awesome couch at Wes’s super cool new place, parts of it are leaving me feeling uninspired. In my writing, in my cooking and pretty much in most aspects of my life.

So about two months ago, I decided it was time to make a change. (I apologize for my lack of posts during that time). I had been talking about doing it for YEARS, and I finally decided to put my money where my mouth is. Or better yet, my food where my mouth is. 

On Saturday, I went and sat in line for a few hours to audition for the reality show America’s Next Food Network Star. And it was freaking awesome.

No, I did not get a call back. I will not be the season 10 winner. But you know what? That is totally fine.

When I woke up Saturday morning to head to LA for the audition, I just decided to look at it as a job interview I was grossly under qualified for and just have fun with it. And it was fun. I met some awesome people who were just like me. No training. Quit their real jobs and just went for it. People who reminded me that my dream is possible. People who were doing it. Cooking food for people and making it their career.

My real job is awesome. But I’m not making anything and I’m not making people’s lives better on a daily basis. And that is what I really want to do. Saturday was the first step of a marathon to make food my life.

This was one of the dishes I created that gave me the confidence to take that first step. My dad was in awe that radish chips were something I just came up with. Radish chips, these tasty little suckers, gave me the confidence to start hanging my career. They are powerful my friends. Give them a try.

You will need…

1 bunch radishes, stems removed and thinly sliced (I used my mandolin because I like shortcuts)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 sweet yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 fennel bulbs, halved and thinly sliced

1 bunch dandelion greens or other hearty bitter green, chopped into bit-sized pieces

¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl toss together the radishes, 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown sugar. Season well with salt and pepper and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast the radishes for 30 to 40 minutes. Just until they are browned and slightly crispy.

While the radishes are roasting, combine the fennel, onions and vinegar in a small bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Let the onions and fennel soak in the vinegar for about 30 minutes, tossing ever 5 minutes.

When the onions and fennel have become slightly pickled, drain the vinegar.

Whisk together, or shake in a mason jar the vinegar, orange juice, remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the greens.

Toss together the fennel, onions, greens and cheese.

Top with warm radish chips and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Pickled Fennel and Onion Salad with Roasted Radish

1 bunch radishes, stems removed and thinly sliced (I used my mandolin because I like shortcuts)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 sweet yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 fennel bulbs, halved and thinly sliced

1 bunch dandelion greens or other hearty bitter green, chopped into bit-sized pieces

¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl toss together the radishes, 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown sugar. Season well with salt and pepper and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast the radishes for 30 to 40 minutes. Just until they are browned and slightly crispy.

While the radishes are roasting, combine the fennel, onions and vinegar in a small bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Let the onions and fennel soak in the vinegar for about 30 minutes, tossing ever 5 minutes.

When the onions and fennel have become slightly pickled, drain the vinegar.

Whisk together, or shake in a mason jar the vinegar, orange juice, remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the greens.

Toss together the fennel, onions, greens and cheese.

Top with warm radish chips and serve. 

Fennel, Shrimp and Chorizo Ravioli with Mascarpone Cheese

Last night I was super upset. After two hours working on a blog post, I lost it all in an instant. Such a sinking and defeating feeling.

Today, I had a really rough day at work. All day I just kept telling myself, relax. It is not a big deal. You are a good person and you have a beautiful life.

Yet all I could do was think about all the bad.

Then I talked to my friend Nicole who is a high school guidance counselor and always manages to put things in perspective. She told me all about teens doing crazy things to themselves and others. Drinking too much and harming their bodies.

For sure there are times, days, even weeks when life is hard or just plain sucky. But you couldn’t pay me to go back and be a teenager who hadn’t figured out how to live in my own skin yet. Even on the worst days, I know that the worst is behind me and the best is yet to come.

I know what I want. And I want to be a good person who makes people laugh and cooks good food.

So I’m getting after it one insane dish at a time. And this is an all time top five.

You will need…

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 fennel bulbs, white parts roughly chopped and greens reserved

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

¾ lb chorizo

¾ lb shrimp, peeled, de-veined and tails removed

1 cup mascarpone cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Flour For Dusting

Water

Homemade pasta dough

Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce or White Wine Parmesan Cream Sauce

Start by heating the olive oil in a large sauté pan.

When the oil is hot, add in the fennel and onion. Lightly toss to coat the onions and fennel and cook until they start to soften. About 5 minutes.

Add in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 30 seconds.

When the garlic is fragrant, add in the chorizo and stir, breaking it up with your spoon.

Cook until the chorizo is browned, about 5 minutes.

Add in the shrimp and cook, stirring often until the shrimp is just pink. About 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

In a food processor, blend together the cooked veggies, chorizo, shrimp and mascarpone.

When the filling is combined, season well with salt and pepper.

Heat a large pot of water till it’s boiling.

While the water is boiling, roll out your pasta dough into long thin strips about 3 inches wide.

Place about 1 tablespoon filling every 2 inches apart on a bottom layer of pasta. 

Gently brush the pasta sheet with water and place the top layer gently on top. Press with your fingers and cut with ravioli cutters or a knife.

Make sure to generously brush with flour so they do not stick.

Cook the ravioli in the boiling water until hot throughout and float to the top. About 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve hot with your favorite pasta sauce and topped with fennel greens.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Fennel, Shrimp and Chorizo Ravioli with Mascarpone Cheese

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 fennel bulbs, white parts roughly chopped and greens reserved

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

¾ lb chorizo

¾ lb shrimp, peeled, de-veined and tails removed

1 cup mascarpone cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Water

Homemade pasta dough

Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce or White Wine Parmesan Cream Sauce

Start by heating the olive oil in a large sauté pan.

When the oil is hot, add in the fennel and onion. Lightly toss to coat the onions and fennel and cook until they start to soften. About 5 minutes.

Add in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 30 seconds.

When the garlic is fragrant, add in the chorizo and stir, breaking it up with your spoon.

Cook until the chorizo is browned, about 5 minutes.

Add in the shrimp and cook, stirring often until the shrimp is just pink. About 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

In a food processor, blend together the cooked veggies, chorizo, shrimp and mascarpone.

When the filling is combined, season well with salt and pepper.

Heat a large pot of water till it’s boiling.

While the water is boiling, roll out your pasta dough into long thin strips about 3 inches wide.

Place about 1 tablespoon filling every 2 inches apart on a bottom layer of pasta. Gently brush the pasta sheet with water and place the top layer gently on top. Press with your fingers and cut with ravioli cutters or a knife.

Make sure to generously brush with flour so they do not stick.

Cook the ravioli in the boiling water until hot throughout and float to the top. About 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve hot with your favorite pasta sauce and topped with fennel greens.