Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette and Garlic Croutons

Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS:

1 ounce bacon, cut into small dices

1/4 ounce shallots, minced

1/4 ounce garlic minced

1/2 ounce cider vinegar

1 ounce olive oil

4 ounces spinach, washed and dried

1 egg, hard boiled

1 ounce button mushrooms, cleaned, thinly sliced

1/2 ounce red onions, thinly sliced

1/2 ounce croutons, as needed to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

To make vinaigrette, render bacon over medium-low heat. When the bacon is crisp, remove from pan. Save the fat in the pan. Drain bacon on absorbent paper towels and reserve. Add the shallots and garlic to bacon fat and sweat for approximately one minute. Remove the pan from heat, whisk in vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the spinach with eggs, mushrooms, onions, croutons and bacon. Add warm vinaigrette, toss once and serve immediately.

Garlic Parmesan Croutons

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 French baguette cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 ounces whole butter, softened

1/5 ounce Parmesan grated

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic minced

2 ounces olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Spread out cubed bread on sheet pan and bake in 350 F oven until firm and golden brown. While the bread is toasting mix all other ingredients together. Remove bread from the oven and toss with the butter mixture until well coated. Return to the oven and toast until cheese is melted and croutons are golden to medium brown.

Great Vegetarian Recipe !

Roasted Cauliflower and Tofu Curry

1 pound(s) extra firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp curry powder, madras variety
1 tsp Ground Cumin Seed, or other brand
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp table salt
1 large onion(s), sliced into 1/4-inch half moons
1 head(s) (medium) cauliflower, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F. Gently press tofu between several layers of paper towels to remove excess water; set aside.

Warm a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, spices and salt; swirl skillet to combine. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until onions are very wilted and browned, about 8 to 9 minutes.

Combine cauliflower and tofu in a large bowl. Pour onion mixture into bowl, mix with a spoon to thoroughly coat. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet in an even layer. Roast, until cauliflower and tofu are golden brown and smell very fragrant, about 25 to 35 minutes. Garnish with almonds

Fantastic Grilled Chicken Recipe

Citrus-Rosemary Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 1/4 cup rosemary leaves, minced
* 3 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic
* 2 tablespoons lemon zest
* 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a medium bowl combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, lemon zest and red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine and pour into a 1-gallon resealable food storage plastic bag. Place chicken breasts in the bag and seal it. Turn to ensure that the chicken is evenly coated, then refrigerate, turning occasionally, for 2 to 4 hours.

Preheat a grill to medium-low and brush the grates lightly with an oil soaked cloth. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Season the chicken well on all sides with salt and pepper, then place on the grill, skin side down. Cook the chicken about 8 to 10 minutes, turn and continue to cook an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the heat and serve while hot.

Marinade for Grilled Chicken

CITRUS MARINADE

This marinade is fantastic for grilled chicken or fish!

1/2 cup orange juice (juice of 1 orange)
1/2 cup lemon juice (juice of 2 lemons)
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 1/2 inch section fresh ginger, peeled, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced

Seeing the beautiful tomatoes at Jacinto Farms this morning at the farmer's market....

Inspired me to dig out this recipe....

Oven Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed WIth Goat Cheese

12 medium tomatoes (3 pounds)
1 2/3 pounds fresh goat cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil


Preheat the oven to 425°. Slice off the top 1/2 inch of each tomato and reserve the tops. Scoop out the tomato cores and seeds. Cut a very thin sliver off of the bottom of each tomato to help them stand up straight. Arrange the tomatoes in a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
In a bowl, combine the goat cheese with the egg, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Spoon the goat cheese mixture into the tomatoes, mounding the filling 1/2 inch above the rim. Cover with the tomato tops and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Bake the tomatoes for 35 minutes, until tender and browned in spots and the cheese is hot. Let stand for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Risotto to serve with fresh Mahi Mahi from Little Fisherman!

A lovely lady approached me at the Redlands Farmer's Market today, asking for a good risotto recipe to serve with the Mahimahi recipe from today's Redlands Daily Facts food column. This recipe is a no fail risotto recipe. The key to making great risotto is to add the broth in phases. Wait until the broth is cooked down before adding more broth- 1/2 cup at a time.

6 cups chicken broth, divided
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 pound portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced (or sub with chanterelle or another variety)
1 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 shallots, diced
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tbsp fresh chives, fine chop
4 tbsp butter
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese


In saucepan, warm broth over low heat. Warm 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in mushrooms, cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and liquid, set aside. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to skillet and stir in shallots. Cook1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When rice is pale and golden, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add ½ cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth ½ cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is totally absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Jalapeno Cornbread

Use a well seasoned 8 in cast iron skillet for this recipe with farmer's market eggs from Three Brother's Eggs. Find a good quality cheddar cheese, such as those available from Gerrards Market in Redlands.

1/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cream style corn
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup poblano chili, roasted, peeled, seeded, 1/4 in dice
1 jalapeno chile, seeded, minced

Preheat oven to 400F. Have a 8 in well seasoned cast iron skillet available to use. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and blend well, do not overmix. Pour into cast iron skillet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until cornbread pulls away from the sides and the top is slightly brown.