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.

Grilled Green Bean and Heirloom Tomato Salad

When I was twenty-two and a few months into my first job as a sales assistant in the fashion industry, the VP of my department sat me down to tell me that she had to let one of the sales assistants go and that she didn’t think that I had what it took to be in sales. And in the matter of twenty-minutes I lost my job and most of my confidence.

Lucky for me, other people saw something in me and I was hired back the next day to a different department.

And while owning my own restaurant is the ultimate goal, I’ve spent the last six years trying to prove that woman wrong. There is nothing I love more than proving people wrong. And foodie friends, I have.

August 1^st was my first day as the northeast sales representative for all four of my companies brands. I will be toting my lines all over New York and the surrounding areas and spending ten days a month on the east coast.

Chachachachanges.

Of course my favorite part will be the food, but proving to myself and ahem… certain other doubters that I can do whatever I put my mind to will be pretty awesome too.

Now I know I’ve been bad at writing. I do have to sleep after all. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking up some tasty delights.

We are about to hit one of my favorite times of year. That special few months when the heirloom tomato is readily available and at its most delicious. So as usual during August and September I’m trying to stick them in every dish possible.

This one happens to be the perfect blend of cool and crisp. I have no doubt it will end up in your summer rotation.

You will need…

1lb green beans, ends trimmed and halved

1lb heirloom tomatoes, diced into large but bite sized chunks

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 lemon, juiced

¼ cup blue cheese

¼ cup pine nuts

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your grill pan to a medium heat.

In a medium bowl, toss together 1 tablespoons of olive oil and the green beans and season well with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a small pan, heat the pine nuts over medium heat until they are lightly browned and toasty. About 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the grill is hot, place the green beans in a grill basket or directly on the grill. Be carefully to make sure your beans do not fall through the grill grates.

Grill the beans just until they are slightly tender. About 8 to 10 minutes. You still want them to be crisp. Remove them from the heat and allow them to cool to room temperature.

When the beans have cooled, toss together the pine nuts, blue cheese, tomato and green beans.

Drizzle the salad with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and season well with salt and pepper.

Toss well and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Grilled Green Bean and Heirloom Tomato Salad

1lb green beans, ends trimmed and halved

1lb heirloom tomatoes, diced into large but bite sized chunks

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 lemon, juiced

¼ cup blue cheese

¼ cup pine nuts

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your grill pan to a medium heat.

In a medium bowl, toss together 1 tablespoons of olive oil and the green beans and season well with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a small pan, heat the pine nuts over medium heat until they are lightly browned and toasty. About 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the grill is hot, place the green beans in a grill basket or directly on the grill. Be carefully to make sure your beans do not fall through the grill grates.

Grill the beans just until they are slightly tender. About 8 to 10 minutes. You still want them to be crisp. Remove them from the heat and allow them to cool to room temperature.

When the beans have cooled, toss together the pine nuts, blue cheese, tomato and green beans.

Drizzle the salad with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and season well with salt and pepper.

Toss well and serve. 

Arugula, Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

There are few food events I like more than a good old back yard barbeque.

After all the time spent working in the garden and the recent impulse purchase of a smoker, Wes and I have been dying to have some family over for some tasty morsels and time out in the yard. So, last minute we decided to pull the trigger and get some people together last Sunday.

As per my usual crazy, hours before people came over I was running around like a crazy person, prepping and cleaning and decorating. Heaven forbid I just freaking relax and enjoy a little get together.

About an hour out from party time I was feeling pretty good about everything coming together and after I finished on the bathroom I was going to call it a day and hop in the shower and get myself ready.

I was going to get myself good and ready in plenty of time and then sit and have a cocktail and enjoy the smoker and the good company. And then, as I was pulling out my last Clorox bleach wipe, there was a knock at the door.

At first, I thought Wesley was messing with me. But when I came down, there they were. The family that shall remain nameless showed up over and hour early.

Granted, this was a complete accident so who can blame them. But…. Um…. Instant panic.

How dare someone catch me off guard with out my perfect outfit in my perfectly decorated home with awesomely tasty smelling food cooking in the kitchen?

Luckily I was able to suck it up and realize how stupid it is for me to even care about those things and we all had a good laugh and a great time.

And I may not have looked perfect, and my place no doubt did not, but the food was a hit.

Bust this summer salad out and your party will be garmented success, no matter who shows up early.

You will need…

6 cups arugula

4 cups chopped watermelon

¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine the arugula, watermelon and goat cheese.

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the olive oil is warm, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan and bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer the vinegar until reduced by about 1/3^rd. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to about room temperature.

Drizzle the salad with the balsamic vinegar and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper and toss well. Top with basil and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Arugula, Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

6 cups arugula

4 cups chopped watermelon

¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine the arugula, watermelon and goat cheese.

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the olive oil is warm, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan and bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer the vinegar until reduced by about 1/3^rd. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to about room temperature.

Drizzle the salad with the balsamic vinegar and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper and toss well. Top with basil and serve. 

Four Years Young and Roasted Leek and Potato Salad

Since I was away on my birthday this year, I had some of my friends over for a little get together at Wes’s place a week or so before we headed East.

The older I get, the less I feel the need to celebrate my own birthdays. So I was really trying to get attendees to think of the party as more of a welcome spring type get together and less of an Angela is getting one year older party.

But my wonderful friends pretty much ignored me and managed to make me feel really special for my birthday (I really am the luckiest lady).

My personal favorite new addition is this New Food Tuesday pillow from Lish. It was just in time for NFT’s fourth birthday!

We celebrated this little blogger milestone the best way we know how. Cooking and eating with friends and loved ones.

This is a quirky little salad fitting of a celebration. It is equal parts hearty and refreshing. And is an unexpected crowed pleaser.

You will need…

3 leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise

1 lb baby yucon gold potatoes, halved

2 hardboiled eggs, thinly sliced

4 cups mixed greens

¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F.

Drizzle the leeks and potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Lay the leeks and potatoes flat side down until the leeks are starting to brown and are tender. About 20 minutes.

Remove the leeks from the oven and set them aside to cool so you can handle. 

Continue cooking the potatoes until they are golden brown. About 10 to 20 more minutes.

In a mason jar or bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, mustard, vinegar and season well with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the mixed greens and lay them out on a platter.

Chop up the leeks into bite sized pieces and top the greens with leeks, potatoes and egg.

Serve warm or chilled.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Roasted Leek and Potato Salad

3 leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise

1 lb baby yucon gold potatoes, halved

2 hardboiled eggs, thinly sliced

4 cups mixed greens

¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F.

Drizzle the leeks and potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Lay the leeks and potatoes flat side down until the leeks are starting to brown and are tender. About 20 minutes.

Remove the leeks from the oven and set them aside to cool so you can handle. Continue cooking the potatoes until they are golden brown. About 10 to 20 more minutes.

In a mason jar or bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, mustard, vinegar and season well with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the mixed greens and lay them out on a platter.

Chop up the leeks into bite sized pieces and top the greens with leeks, potatoes and egg.

Serve warm or chilled.

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

I’m finally starting to feel like my self again after a pretty fun weekend away with some couple friends. We really showed the world we can still throw them back even though some of our members now come with babies. Even if some of us (me) fell asleep at seven-thirty in the evening on Saturday.  We also proved we are WAY too old to hang.

A really wonderful weekend culminated in me getting on the only freeway that was jam packed coming home early Monday morning on a holiday that I did not have off from work. Then getting lost after getting off said freeway and then proceeding to irrationally losing it on Wes.

Real nice Ange. Real nice.

But all is right with the world again. I’m home and back in the kitchen. Where I belong.

When I wanted to do a little remix on a night at a steakhouse for mom and pop, I was SHOCKED that I had never made one of my all time favorite indulgences. The wedge salad.

How have I not made myself some of this blue cheese and bacony goodness?

Well don’t worry. I made up for it. This thing was decadently delicious.

You will need…

1 head iceberg lettuce

1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced

3 slices of your favorite thick cut bacon

8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

¼ cup buttermilk

¼ cup Greek yogurt

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ lemon, juiced

Start by cooking your bacon over medium heat in a large pan until crispy. About 7 minutes a side. 

Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to remove the grease.

Roughly chop the bacon and set aside.

Removing the more damaged outer leaves, quarter the head of lettuce  and lay it on the platter.

Top the lettuce with the shallots, ½ the blue cheese and the bacon.

In a mason jar or food processor, combine the remaining blue cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, vinegar, salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Blend or shake until completely combined.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

1 head iceberg lettuce

1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced

3 slices of your favorite thick cut bacon

8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

¼ cup buttermilk

¼ cup Greek yogurt

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ lemon, juiced

Start by cooking your bacon over medium heat in a large pan until crispy. About 7 minutes a side. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to remove the grease.

Roughly chop the bacon and set aside.

Removing the more damaged outer leaves, quarter the head of lettuce  and lay it on the platter.

Top the lettuce with the shallots, ½ the blue cheese and the bacon.

In a mason jar or food processor, combine the remaining blue cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, vinegar, salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Blend or shake until completely combined.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve. 

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.