Ginger Sesame Salad Dressing

Ginger Sesame Salad Dressing

by | Salad Dressing, Salads, Vegetables

Whip up this fresh, tangy, and nutty Ginger Sesame Salad Dressing for your next salad! Perfect for drizzling over crisp greens, tossing with cold noodles, or using as a marinade. It’s a simple, homemade way to add a burst of flavor to your dishes!

Ginger Sesame Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil

  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)

  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

  • 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

  • 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional, for a little heat)

  • 1/4 cup neutral oil (like grapeseed or canola)

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (optional, for a bit of brightness)

Instructions:

  1. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, grated ginger, and garlic until well combined.

  2. Slowly whisk in the neutral oil to emulsify the dressing.

  3. Stir in the toasted sesame seeds and chili flakes, if using.

  4. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add lime juice if you like a bit more acidity.

  5. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Shake well before using.

Serving Ideas:

  • Drizzle over a crunchy cabbage slaw with carrots, scallions, and cilantro.

  • Use as a marinade for grilled chicken or shrimp.

  • Toss with cold soba noodles and fresh veggies for a quick lunch.

 

Red Pepper Pasta

Red Pepper Pasta

by | Pastas, Vegetables

 

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I love this simple Red Pepper pasta, with a little kick of red pepper flakes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp salted butter
  • 2 tbsp oil (EVOO)
  • 2 Bell Peppers
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup whipping cream
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (use less if you have an aversion to spice)
  • 15 fresh basil leaves (sliced)
  • 1 box of spaghetti (300 grams) or 300 grams of fresh spaghetti

Instructions:

Boil water for pasta. I have my fresh pasta here which I will post the recipe to in a couple of days. Be sure to salt the water after water boils. Julienne the peppers into ¼” wide strips. Chop the onion into same size julienned strips. In a large skillet add the oil and butter to medium high heat, then add the onions and peppers, sauté for approximately 10 minutes until both are slightly browned. Add salt and toss. Add in the cream and the red pepper flakes and cook down till cream thickens. Pasta should be timed so that they are finished around the same time. Using pasta tongs, add spaghetti to the pan of peppers adding in some of the pasta water so that it dilutes the sauce a bit, so it’s not too thick. Stir pasta to coat all of the spaghetti. Place the pasta into bowls then add the sliced basil to the bowl. And voila!

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

by | Appetizers, Soups, Vegan, Vegetables

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I wanted to make a gazpacho that was thirst quenching, nutritious and refreshing, so I married some juicy heirloom tomatoes, seedless watermelon, with the traditional bell peppers and cucumbers. All of which have a high water content, making it unnecessary to add tomato juice. This recipe was pretty simple even though the list of ingredients seems a bit daunting. As long as you have the right measuring tools it’s quite simple to make. Optional: make a big batch and store in the fridge for up to five days.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of diced heirloom tomatoes + 2 tbsp for garnish
  • 1 ½ cups of diced cucumbers – seeded and peeled + 2 tbsp for garnish
  • 1 ½ cups of diced red pepper – seeded + 2 tbsp for garnish
  • 1 cup of diced onions
  • 2 cups of chopped watermelon – seeded + 2 tbsp diced for garnish
  • 1 cup of croutons
  • 2 tbsp of tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp for drizzle on garnish
  • 1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp diced garlic
  • 1 tsp salt

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Chill the soup for minimum 4 hours but can be stored in the fridge over night. Mix all the reserve garnish (tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers, and watermelon) with olive and salt. Place a tbsp onto each serving. Serve with a cool cocktail, perhaps a watermelon margarita or mojito.

Whipped Ricotta Flatbread with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Whipped Ricotta Flatbread with Zucchini and Tomatoes

by | Appetizers, Dips, Favorite Recipes, Vegetables

Zan's recipe Flatbread whipped RicottaHere is a fun appetizer I created using some (store bought) pizza dough, ricotta, and some veggies. It’s not too heavy and you can make a little extra whipped ricotta as a dipping sauce.

Ingredients:

For the Whipped Ricotta

  • 16 oz. ricotta
  • 1 tsp. fresh rosemary
  • 4 small cloves roasted garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil

For the Flatbread

  • 1 ball of pizza dough
  • flour for dusting surface and pizza spatula
  • 1/4 Tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 sliced zucchini (with cheese slicer)
  • 5 Roma tomatoes (sliced same thickness as zucchini)
  • 8 leaves of basil (sliced into strips)

Directions for Whipped Ricotta:

Place ricotta, rosemary, roasted garlic, salt, and goat cheese crumbles into the blender, blend on low speed, and slowly add in the olive oil until you reach a smooth consistency.

Directions for Flatbread:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees or grill. (I normally cook pizza on a pizza stone.) Roll out the pizza dough on a smooth floured surface, stretching on the edge of a counter then tossing in the air, as my husband normally does, (getting flour all over the place) until the pizza dough is evenly thinned out. You can leave the edges thicker (similar to regular pizza), which can be used for dipping into the sauce. Place 1/2 – 1 cup of whipped ricotta onto the center and spread to within one inch of the edges. Sprinkle with salt. Add the tomatoes and zucchini. Place onto the pizza stone and cook until the edges brown, and the center is cooked – approximately 5-10 minutes. Remove flatbread and drizzle the olive oil over the top. Sprinkle with the basil. Serve the extra whipped ricotta on the side. Slice into 3″ pieces and serve. Enjoy!!! Serves 4 as an appetizer.

Endive with Gorgonzola, Walnuts and Pears

Endive with Gorgonzola, Walnuts and Pears

by | Appetizers, Vegetables

I was slacking off in the kitchen for a while, and I can tell my husband was really looking for something new in our culinary lives, so I whipped up his favorite type of greens (or rather yellow ;-). Endives! I personally think they are a little bitter, so I added some balsamic reduction, a little sweetness to balance it. In addition, the stinky gorgonzola “paired” really well with the sweet pears. And for a little crunch, I added in the chopped walnuts. This is a super easy and simple appetizer to make, as long as you’ve made the balsamic reduction ahead of time. (Click here for that recipe). Enjoy!

Zan's recipe for Endives with Gorgonzola, pear and walnut

This only took a couple of minutes to throw together. Using the Endive as the serving utensil, you can scoop up the ingredients for a single bite, without the double-dipping.

Ingredients: (for 2 servings)

  • 1 head of endives (10-12 leaves)
  • 2 tbsp gorgonzola
  • 1 tbsp goat cheese crumbles
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 bosc pear (cubed)
  • a drizzle of balsamic reduction

Mix all above ingredients in a bowl, except for the endives. Place the endive leaves on a plate, and add the mixture into the center, then drizzle with the balsamic reduction.

Haricots Vert (French Green Beans), Almonds and Parmesan

Haricots Vert (French Green Beans), Almonds and Parmesan

by | Favorite Recipes, Vegetables

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Haricot Vert are a thinner and smaller version of the standard American green beans. I cooked these last night as a side dish to my fried trout with brown sage butter (I’ll post that recipe tomorrow). The flavor combinations came from the “affinities” listed in my go-to “Flavor Bible“, pretty much my inspiration for a majority of these recipes. For a Paleo version, just omit the Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients: 

  • 3 cups of haricot vert
  • salt for water
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • salt to taste

Directions:

Boil 5 cups of salted water in a medium sized saucepan. Add in haricot vert and blanch them for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, melt the butter, add in the garlic, and saute for 2 minutes. Add in the haricot vert, stir frequently. After 5 minutes add in the almonds and saute until beans are tender.  Remove from heat, and sprinkle the beans with parmesan cheese. Serves 4

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