Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Walnuts and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

It's been a while since I've made this one, but I think it's time to pull it out of retirement.

Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Walnuts and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/2 cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and ground black pepper
6 cups baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup walnut pieces

Directions

In a small container with lid, combine pomegranate juice, vinegar, oil, and Dijon. Seal and shake to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Place spinach on a serving platter and top with cranberries and walnuts. Pour vinaigrette over spinach and serve.



Original link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/spinach-salad-with-dried-cranberries-walnuts-and-pomegranate-vinaigrette-recipe.html

Cod with Lemon and Capers

I'm definitely playing catch-up, so here's a ton of new recipes all at once...

Cod with Lemon and Capers

Ingredients

4 cod fillets, each 6 ounces
2 lemons
1 teaspoon low-sodium chicken-flavored bouillon granules
1 cup hot tap water
1 tablespoon soft butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose (plain) flour
4 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray 4 squares of foil with cooking spray.

Place 1 cod fillet on each of the foil squares. Cut 1 lemon in half. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half over the fish. Cut the other half of lemon into slices, place over the fish and seal the foil.

Place in the oven and bake until the fish is opaque throughout when tested with the tip of a knife, about 20 minutes.

While the fish is cooking, remove the peel from the second lemon. Take care to cut only the peel and not the pith. Slice the peel into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Set aside.

In a small bowl, add the chicken bouillon granules and the hot tap water. Stir until the granules dissolve. Set aside.

In another small bowl, mix the butter and flour together. Transfer to a heavy saucepan. Stir over moderate heat until the butter-flour mixture melts. Add the bouillon to the butter mixture and continue to stir until thickened. Add the capers and remove from the heat. Serve over the fish and garnish with the lemon peel.

Original link:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/recipes/cod-with-lemon-and-capers/rcp-20049653

Shrimp Caesar Salad

Some people like to make their own Caesar dressing.  I haven't gotten around to trying that yet, but if I do, I'll be sure to add the recipe.  For now I use Cardini's dressing.  This isn't a paid endorsement.  I just really like it. :)

In addition to homemade dressing, there are other special touches you can add, such as homemade croutons.  As for me, I prefer to cook the shrimp myself, rather than purchasing pre-cooked shrimp.

This meal is especially good with the Roma Bruschetta.

Shrimp Caesar Salad

Ingredients

1 lb uncooked medium shrimp, thawed and de-veined and peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
Old Bay Seasoning
Romaine Lettuce, washed and torn into bite-size pieces
Salad Croutons
Caesar Dressing
Parmesan Cheese (shredded, not grated)
Lemon

Directions

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add shrimp and sprinkle with Old Bay.  Cook 2-3 mins until pink and firm.  Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Top lettuce with shrimp, croutons, and dressing.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Squeeze one lemon wedge over salad just before serving.

Shrimp Scampi

There are tons of variations of Shrimp Scampi out there.  Here's mine...

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

1 lb uncooked medium shrimp, thawed and de-veined and peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Old Bay Seasoning
2 tbsp lemon juice (1 lg lemon)
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Pasta, such as angel hair or linguine, cooked
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant (1 min or less).  Add shrimp and sprinkle with Old Bay.  Cook shrimp 1 minute.  Add lemon juice, parsley, and green onions.  Cook 2-3 minutes longer until shrimp are pink and firm.

Remove from heat.  Serve over pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Slow-Roasted Glazed Pork Shoulder

Don't let the size or the source of this recipe fool you.  It is actually very easy.  It takes a lot of planning (overnight prep).  But it's definitely worth it.

Keep an eye out for good sales on pork shoulder.  The first time I made this recipe I found a deal at the local grocery store for $1.69 a pound.  That means that for about $10 we had a large amazing meal plus tons of leftovers.

Slow-Roasted Glazed Pork Shoulder

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/4 cup kosher salt plus more
1/4 cup sugar
1 7–8-lb. skinless bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt or picnic)
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large carrot
1 apple (such as Granny Smith or Fuji)
4 cups stemmed mustard greens
1 tablespoon olive oil

PREPARATION

Crush fennel seeds and peppercorns with the bottom of a heavy skillet, or use a mortar and pestle. Transfer spices to a small bowl; add 1/4 cup salt and sugar. Rub mixture all over shoulder. Place in a large glass baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 325°. Brush off spice rub from meat and place pork in a deep roasting pan; discard excess spice rub and any liquid in dish. Add 1 cup boiling water to roasting pan; cover pan tightly with foil. (Create a tight seal to lock in the steam and juices.)

Transfer pan to oven and roast until meat is very tender and falling off the bone (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center without touching the bone will read 195°), about 5 1/2 hours.

Remove pan from oven; discard foil. Increase heat to 500°. Stir 1/4 cup vinegar and brown sugar into juices in pan. Return to oven and roast, watching closely to prevent burning, until pork is browned and liquid begins to reduce, about 12 minutes.

Transfer pork to a rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Pour liquid in pan into a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil and cook, occasionally spooning off fat from surface, until a thick, syrupy glaze forms, about 10 minutes (there will be about 1 1/2 cups glaze and up to 1 cup fat; discard fat). Season glaze with salt and pepper; set aside.

Using a peeler, peel carrot into thin ribbons. Core, quarter, and thinly slice apple. Mix carrot, apple, greens, oil, and remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a platter. Top with pork; pour reserved glaze over pork. Serve with tongs.

Original link:

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/slow-roasted-glazed-pork-shoulder

Grilled Brussels Sprouts

Sorry, long time no post.  Nothing sucks up your free time more than having a toddler in the house. :)

I love grilling recipes for lots of reasons - they're delicious, they're incredibly easy, they're usually pretty quick, and the clean-up time is usually a snap.  All very conducive to my current life situation. 

Grilled Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts, as uniform in size as possible*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

*Cook's Note: In order to facilitate even cooking, it is important that the Brussels sprouts be as uniform in size and shape as possible.

Heat a grill to medium.

Cut off the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and remove any yellowing outer leaves. Place the Brussels sprouts into a large, microwave safe mixing bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Add the olive oil, garlic, mustard, paprika and salt and toss to combine. Allow the sprouts to cool until you can handle them.

Skewer 4 to 5 Brussels sprouts onto each metal skewer with the stem ends facing in the same direction, leaving at least 1/2-inch in between each sprout. Place the skewers onto the grill with stem end closest to the flame. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the skewers over and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. 

Serve as is or for additional flavor, remove the sprouts from the skewers, return them to the original mixing bowl and toss with any of the remaining oil and garlic mixture before serving.

Original link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/grilled-brussels-sprouts-recipe.html

Grilled Maitake

The Saturday market nearby has a mushroom stand with amazing locally grown organic mushrooms - oyster, Shiitake, Lion's Mane, Maitake... delicious!  They also have a list of mushroom recipes to go with your purchase.  They all look amazing, but this recipe caught my eye because it's so easy.

The times we've tried it, we've used small bay shrimp, and the final product has a similar taste to a shrimp scampi.  So, my new routine, after hitting the mushroom stand, is to walk over to the lady who sells homemade pasta and grab a bag of spinach linguine to go with. 

Grilled Maitake

Ingredients

Clusters of Maitake mushroom
Melted butter or olive oil (or both)
Shrimp meat or crab meat
Garlic
Cheese of choice (I use shredded Parmesan)
Salt to taste (completely unnecessary)

Directions

Place Maitake cluster on a large piece of baking foil.  Stuff petals with crab and/or shrimp and then drizzle with garlic butter/oil.  Wrap mushroom completely with foil.  Place on grill until mushroom is tender, about 15-20 mins.  Open and sprinkle with cheese and allow cheese to melt.  This also can be done in a 400 degree oven.