Romaine Salad with Pickled Sugar Snap Peas

This is a great spring time salad that Mr. Wright and I are currently obsessing over.  We try to eat salads as much as possible and this is a nice change up from the boring old salad and vinaigrette.  I have even been pickling the sugar snap peas to have on hand for a quick snack or appetizer.  They are so addicting!!

Romaine Salad with Pickled Sugar Snap Peas

Salad: 5 oz. baby romaine lettuce 1 cup quick pickled sugar snap peas, recipe follows Panko breadcrumbs, recipe follows

1/2 cup of Thousand Island dressing

Quick Pickled Sugar Snap Peas: 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds 1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seeds 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed

Homemade Breadcrumbs: 1/4 plain panko bread crumbs Olive oil Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Directions:

For the Snap Peas:

Place the vinegar, sugar, salt, coriander and mustard seeds in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat. Place the snap peas in a bowl or canning jar and pour the pickling brine over them so they are submerged. Cover with plastic wrap or a jar lid for at least 30 minutes before removing.  They can also keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one month.

For the bread crumbs:

Heat a small pan over medium heat.  Once hot, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  Add the panko bread crumbs to the hot oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toast the bread crumbs until they are light golden brown, stirring frequently, about 3-5 minutes.  BE CAREFUL! You must keep an eye on them because they can burn quickly!

For the salad:

Arrange the lettuce on a serving platter.  Place the pickled snap peas on top of the lettuce and drizzle with the thousand island dressing.  Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs on top.

Lunch Time!

Panzanella Salad

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 small loaf of good bread, preferably day-old, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
• 10 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained (optional)

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons of your favorite vinegar
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

In A Pickle

Our garden is looking great this summer.  However, I am now picking about 10 cucumbers a day and can not eat another salad! Our goal this season is to let nothing go to waste, so this past weekend Ryan and I took a stab at making homemade dill pickles.

It turns out it was super simple and a huge success!  Here is how we did it:

This recipe made four 16oz. jars

Ingredients for the brine

• 2 cups white vinegar
• 4 cups of water
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons peppercorns

Pickles

• 6 to 8 cucumbers, cut into 1/2-inch spears or 1/2-inch chips
• 12 sprigs of fresh dill
• 12 cloves garlic

Directions

1. Sterilize canning jars on the stove top by boiling in a water bath for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and leave jars in the water until you are ready to fill them. Leave water bath on and sterilize the lids the same way.
2. While jars are boiling, combine the brine ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, then remove from heat and cover to keep hot.
3. Remove jars from hot water with tongs, and set on a padded layer of clean towels. Fill the still-hot jars with the cucumbers, and divide the dill and garlic among them.
4. Ladle the hot brine into the jars, filling to just below the threading for the lid; this will leave space for expansion during canning.
5. Bring the water bath back to a rolling boil, and leave the heat on. Put the lids on the jars, then add rings, and close firmly but not too tight.
6. Submerge jars in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Then remove with tongs, and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours so a vacuum seal forms. When the jars are cool, check for a slight indentation in the lid, which indicates a vacuum seal. If any jars did not seal properly, refrigerate and eat within a few days. Properly sealed jars can be stored unopened for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening and eat within a week.

Ginger Lime Melon Salad

I made this for a Memorial Day party last week and it was a hit.  I stole the recipe from The Chew's Clinton Kelly.  It was so amazing I made it again this week and added some watermelon.  You can use any fruit you have on hand.  Many have asked for the recipe so here it is: Ginger Fruit Salad

For the Fruit Salad:

• 2 cups Pineapple (cubed or balled)
• 4 Kiwi (peeled and sliced into rounds)
• 2 cups Cantaloupe (cubed or balled)
• 2 cups Honeydew Melon (cubed or balled)
• Zest and Juice of 2 Limes
• 1/2 cup Mint Leaves (torn)
• 1/4 cup Ginger Simple Syrup - below

For the Ginger Simple Syrup:

• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Water
• 1 large piece Ginger (peeled and sliced into thin rounds)

For the Fruit Salad: Toss all the fruit together, and add the lime juice, lime zest, mint, and 1/4 cup of ginger simple syrup. Allow to sit a few minutes to allow the flavors to brighten.

For the Ginger Simple Syrup: Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Add ginger and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and let steep for 1 hour. Pour syrup through a sieve into an airtight container and discard ginger. Refrigerate between uses.

What's for Dinner

This was dinner last night.  It is a quick, healthy, and delicious pasta that is a favorite in my household.  I make it year round, but add whatever veggies are in season.  The asparagus is the perfect spring addition to this dish! Pesto Pasta with Asparagus and Roasted Red  Peppers

Ingredients:

1 lb. of your favorite pasta

1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts

3  cloves of garlic

4 cups fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 - 3/4  cups good olive oil

1/2  cup freshly grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta according to instructions on the package.  Add the chopped asparagus to the boiling pasta during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Meanwhile, place the nuts and garlic in the food processor and process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper and pulse until combined. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed.  Add the Parmesan and pulse until combined.

Drain the pasta and asparagus, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.  In a large serving bowl, add the pasta, asparagus, pesto, and roasted red peppers.  Toss with the pasta water, adding a little at a time until the pesto becomes saucy.

Serve with more freshly grated Parmesan cheese.