Spring Break and Blogher Month in Review

Not only is today the first day of my Spring Break, but it's also the end of the month! Time to review the things I've written this month for Blogher Food and Drink. Some readers have let me know they love these links directly to my articles, great if you have a slow internet connection and have a hard time loading the Blogher site.

I started March with a post about Jo of Amuse Bouche Liveblogging Five-Hour Roast Duck. The duck looked delicious!

Next, I wrote about National Noodle Month, with links to blog posts about making your own pasta.

Yahoo Apologizes to Food Blogger was my recap of the controvery regarding Yahoo improperly using content from an Indian food blogger Surya Gayathri, then issuing an apology.

Roasting Vegetables is Easy! I showed how it's done with links to great roasted vegetable recipes.

When Mimi declared Bisquick Baking Day, I wondered whether there should be A Box of Bisquick in Every Cupboard?

Next I encouraged people to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Irish Soda Bread.

Warm Up Your Ovens for A Year of Bread spotlighted the project by Farmgirl Susan, Kevin from Seriously Good, and Beth from Kitchenmage to bake a new type of bread every month for a year.

Finally, I ended the month by Spotlighting Recipes for Passover, most of which I found on a great post by Isaiah of Gluten-Free By The Bay.

Blogher Conference Update

Yes, I'll definitely be there at this summer's Blogher Conference, July 27-28 in Chicago. The schedule of sessions is set to be released sometime in April, so stay tuned.

Reminders:

This week I wrote about Chicken Piccata with Fried Capers for Weekend Herb Blogging, and I'll be posting the recap tomorrow night. Here are the Rules for Weekend Herb Blogging if you'd like to participate. Send your entries to kalynskitchen AT comcast DOT net by 3:00 on Sunday, Utah time. You can always check the right sidebar to see Who's Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging. (Send me an e-mail at the address above if you'd like to get on the list to be a host.)

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking Blogher

Utah Food Writers Celebrate March Madness at the Metropolitan

If you're a new reader of Kalyn's Kitchen, Friday Food Porn is a bit of fun where I share photos of things I "may or may not" have eaten that week. I started doing this when I first got a good camera and was taking photos of everything edible. South Beach Dieters may need to cover their eyes, since Friday Food Porn can be seriously not-South Beach Diet friendly.

This week I had a food adventure I knew I'd want to share. Recently my blog was featured in the Deseret Morning News, the biggest newspaper in Utah. Through that, I got re-acquainted with Valerie Phillips, the Deseret News Food Editor, who invited me to a special dinner for food media hosted by The Metropolitan in downtown Salt Lake City.

Let's see now, if you were a food blogger and got invited to a dinner where you might get to meet a lot of food writers, and it was at a restaurant widely reported to be one of the most outstanding food experiences in Utah, would you even hesitate? I didn't think so.

Definitely the Metropolitan did not disappoint. I also got to catch up a bit with ever-busy Vanessa, who promises she will resume blogging soon, and briefly met another Salt Lake City resident who's a well-known blogger.

It was also interesting to hear about The Metropolitan's "culinary team" of four chefs. Rather than having one executive chef, the team works together to create new flavors for the restaurant. It's an innovative concept which seems to be working well.

Since some believe it's a violation of food journalist principles to accept free food and then review the restaurant, let me make it perfectly clear, I don't do reviews. This is a home cooking blog, where once in a while I have fun writing about restaurants I really like.

Now, here's what we had for our fabulous dinner at The Metropolitan.

Pre-dinner appetizers were Kobe Beef Sliders, seriously delicious and my first time trying Kobe Beef. Now I know what all the fuss is about.

Dinner started with a creamy, very spring-tasting Asparagus Soup, garnished with pancetta, cracked pepper, and artfully drizzled olive oil. (I should have asked for some drizzling tips while I had the chance.)

Next was a salad with Mizuna wrapped in a thin strip of English cucumber, served with cauliflower browned in butter. You've probably had Mizuna in mesclun mix.

Manila Clams in Tabasco Cream Sauce were beyond fabulous, especially the spicy kick to the sauce, which I loved. That's Valerie's thumb as she helps set up the shot!

Taking photos in a dark restaurant is still a challenge for me, and I'm sorry this shot of Lamb Chops with Orzo, Feta, and Baby Zucchini didn't do it justice, but this was the best lamb I've ever tasted. Valerie chose the Blue Nose Bass with Artichoke Barigoule, Sun-Dried Tomato Ravioli and Anchovy, which she said was delicious, but that photo was even worse than this one!

Finally, a dessert sampler with Tropical Float, Panna Cotta, and Turtle Chocolate Brownie and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, my favorite of the three.

If you're a reader who's a South Beach Dieter, you can see that I completely abandoned my diet for the evening. (Remember, I've been on phase three for quite some time now. Do not try this at home!) Thanks so much to Valerie for graciously including me in a lovely evening and to The Metropolitan for a wonderful dinner.

The Metropolitan
173 West Broadway
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
(801-364-3472)
www.themetropolitan.com

Reminders:

This week Kalyn's Kitchen is hosting Weekend Herb blogging. Here are the Rules for Weekend Herb Blogging if you'd like to participate. Send your entries to kalynskitchen AT comcast DOT net by 3:00 on Sunday, Utah time.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking Salt Lake City Restaurants

Chicken Piccata Recipe with Fried Capers

Chicken Piccata is one of those classic dishes that are relatively easy to master, quick to prepare, and always tastes great. This recipe from my current favorite cookbook, Fine Cooking Annual, caught my eye because the chicken wasn't dredged in flour, and it called for a very minimal amount of butter compared to many recipes I've seen for this dish. But what really sold me on trying it was the fried capers.

Chinese cooking involves "seasoning the oil" where garlic and ginger are fried briefly in hot oil before you add other ingredients. Here I think frying the capers in olive oil before you brown the chicken takes Chicken Picatta to a whole new level.

Capers are not berries as many people think, but the unopened green flower buds of the Capparis spinosa. They have an astringent sharp flavor, and are used a lot in Mediterranean cooking. Capers must be picked by hand, which makes them expensive. According to Wikipedia, capers are sorted and sold by their size, with the smallest ones being considered the best. They are sold pickled or salted, and both types should be rinsed. The pickled fruits of the same plant are known as caper berries, and have a more intense flavor.

Read more about capers at The Perfect Pantry, where Lydia does such a great job of helping learn more about the ingredients we're using.

Chicken Piccata with Fried Capers
(Makes 2-3 servings, but could easily be doubled. Recipe adapted slightly from Fine Cooking Annual.)

2 or 3 very large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T nonpareil capers (or less if you don't love capers like I do)
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to season chicken
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning (optional, not in the original recipe)
1 clove crushed garlic or about 1/8 tsp. garlic puree
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock (or use canned chicken broth, but be sure it's low sodium)
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Splenda or honey (use Splenda for South Beach Diet)
1 T butter, cut up (original recipe called for 2 T, but I thought 1 T was plenty)
1 T chopped fresh parsley

Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken breasts. Cut each one in half to make two pieces about the same size. One at a time, put pieces inside a heavy ziploc bag and pound chicken to make it an even 1/2 inch thick. Season chicken with a small amount of salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning if using. Chop parlsey and set aside.

Rinse the capers and pat dry with paper towels. In a 10-inch nonstick frying pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add capers and fry until they open slightly and crisp a little, took 60-90 seconds for me. Remove pan from heat and use a spoon to transfer capers to paper towel, letting the oil drip back into pan.

Get oil hot again, then saute chicken on top side until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes. Turn over and cook on other side until chicken is done, probably only 1-2 minutes on the second side. Arrange chicken on serving dish with browned side facing up. (You can cover them to keep warm if you want, but I didn't and they were fine.)

While chicken browns, measure out chicken stock, garlic, butter, and lemon juice so they are ready. Add garlic to hot pan and saute 15-30 seconds. Add chicken stock, and scrape pan to dissolve browned bits. Cook until stock is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and Splenda or honey, then turn off heat and add butter, stirring until butter is melted. Add half of capers and parsley to sauce, then pour sauce over chicken, garnishing with remaining capers.

South Beach Suggestions:
Even though butter is not recommended for the South Beach Diet, I think the small amount of butter here is important for flavor. You could use something like Smart Balance spread if you feel strongly about it. Even with the butter, I would eat this for any phase of the South Beach diet. For phase one, this would taste great with Mary's Perfect Salad and Roasted Asparagus with Garlic. For phase two or three you could replace the salad with Brown and Wild Rice with Pine Nuts and Thyme.

Look What Else Tastes Great with Capers:
(some may not be South Beach Friendly, check ingredients)
Baked Fillet of Akaroa Salmon with Capers, Chives, and Sweet Chili Sauce from Bron Marsmall
Cauliflower with Pancetta, Capers, and Parmesan from A Veggie Venture

Sweet Tomatoes Stuffed with Bell Peppers, Zucchini, Capers, and Couscous from Lucullian Delights
Savory Rugelach with Olives, Onions, and Capers from Toast
Chicken Liver Crostini from Becks and Posh
Fig and Black Olive Tapenade from David Lebovitz
Patricia Wells Fricasee of Chicken with White Wine, Capers and Olives from French Kitchen in America
Persian Spiced Halloumi from Gastronomy Domine
Beef Carpaccio from Cooking Diva

Reminders:

This week Kalyn's Kitchen is hosting Weekend Herb blogging. Here are the Rules for Weekend Herb Blogging if you'd like to participate. Send your entries to kalynskitchen AT comcast DOT net by 3:00 on Sunday, Utah time. You can always check the right sidebar to see Who's Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging. (Send me an e-mail at the address above if you'd like to get on the list to be a host.)

To Print Recipes:

You can print any recipe without the header, sidebars, or photos by clicking on the main title of the post, then printing.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Weekend Herb Blogging

Recipe Favorites: Sun Dried Tomato Pesto or Spread

If there was ever a recipe that deserved to come back again as a Recipe Favorite, this would be it! In fact, last September when I made this I called it "condensed summer in a jar" and "one of the best things I've ever tasted." Now that signs of approaching summer are finally coming to Utah, I'm craving these kinds of tastes again.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto or Spread
(makes about 6 cups, recipe adapted from RecipeZaar)

(You will need a food processor to make this successfully. There are many good brands, but I love my Cuisinart.)

2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
(drain oil before measuring if there is a lot)
2 cups coarsely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup fresh tomato sauce (see below for substitutions)
6 large cloves garlic
2 T fresh lemon juice
sea salt to taste, about 2 tsp.
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Put steel blade into food processor. Add garlic cloves and process until finely chopped. (You could use the food processor to chop the basil and parsley if you wanted too, but I just chopped it with a chef's knife.)

Add sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, olive oil, basil, parsley, and lemon juice and process until mixture is well combined. I kept mine a tiny bit chunky. Season with salt and pepper, buzz for a few seconds to combine again.

(If you don't have the fresh tomatoes to make fresh tomato sauce, use 2 cans diced tomatoes, puree in food processor, then cook down to make 1 cup sauce. Cool before using in this recipe. You could also use canned tomato sauce, but the flavor would not be as fresh.)

In the photo I served this on toasted whole wheat pita bread, but there are lots of other serving suggestions at the original post.

If you'd like to try some interesting versions of pita chips with your pesto spread, here's a great post on Baked Pita Chips Four Ways from Bliss Defined. All her variations sound great. Be sure to use 100% whole wheat pita bread if you're doing the South Beach Diet.

Reminders:

For this coming weekend, WHB comes back home with me as the host. Here are the Rules for Weekend Herb Blogging if you might like to participate. Send your entries to kalynskitchen AT comcast DOT net by 3:00 on Sunday, Utah time.

To Print Recipes:
You can print any recipe without the header, sidebars, or photos by clicking on the main title of the post, then printing.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes

Spinach Salad Recipe with Bacon and Feta

I think spinach salad is a beautiful thing. Not only does it look stunning, expecially in this lovely coral-colored plate, but spinach is so good for you. Doesn't everyone know it's one of The World's Healthiest Foods? In fact, if you check that link you'll find TWHF site claims "Calorie for calorie, leafy green vegetables like spinach provide more nutrients than any other food." And it tastes great while it's delivering all those nutrients.

The South Beach Diet doesn't encourage eating bacon because of the saturated fat, and if that's something you feel strongly about, I advise substituting Canadian Bacon in this salad, crisping it a bit in the olive oil. I've made the salad that way and it was great. But this time I used just one strip of pre-cooked bacon, crisped it a bit in the pan and then blotted the bacon with a paper towel. Since the pre-cooked bacon only has three grams of fat per strip to begin with, I'm sure there wasn't more than a gram of fat left in the bacon I consumed, a number I'm not going to get too worried about. Lots of spinach salads use the bacon fat in the dressing, but in this one the dressing is made with olive oil, so I think this is a pretty healthful, nutritious salad.

This recipe was adapted just a bit from one I found on RecipeZaar. There it was called Spinach Salad for One, but you can easily increase the recipe to make as many servings as you want. I actually made this for dinner two nights in a row last week, that's how much I liked it!

Spinach Salad Recipe with Bacon and Feta
(one serving, can be increased as desired. Recipe adapted from this one found on RecipeZaar.)

Two large handfuls fresh spinach, washed and dried
1 strip pre-cooked bacon, cut in thin crosswise strips (I use the pre-cooked bacon that needs refrigeration)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp. garlic puree or crushed fresh garlic
1 T crumbled Feta cheese

Put spinach into large bowl, big enough to toss salad in. Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic puree in small bowl and wisk together.

Heat small 8-inch frying pan, add bacon and cook 2-3 minutes, until bacon crisps and bacon fat bubbles up on top of bacon. Remove pan from heat and blot bacon with paper towel to remove fat.

Put pan back on heat, add oil-vinegar-garlic combination and heat until just starting to bubble, then pour immediately over spinach and toss.

Arrange salad on serving plate, crumble feta over, and serve.

South Beach Suggestions:

I hope the bacon police won't come after me if I say I would happily eat this salad for any phase of the South Beach Diet. You could eat this for phase one with something like Very Greek Grilled Chicken or Sauteed Tilapia with Parmesan Crust. For phase two or three it would taste great with Baked Penne with Sausage (made with Dreamfields pasta) or Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese.

More Spinach Salad Wonderfulness:
(some salads may not be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients)
Asian Spinach Salad Many Ways
Asian Spinach Salad with Chicken, Mushrooms, Peppers, and Almonds
Spinach and Sorrel Chopped Salad with Pecans and Goat Cheese
Strawberry and Spinach Salad from Je Mange le Ville
Spinach Fig Salad from Cooking with Amy
Spinach and Grapefruit Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette from Vanesscipies
Salad of Peas, Spinach, Mint, and Warm Goat Cheese Crostini from Cook(almost) Anything At Least Once

Reminders:

This week Kalyn's Kitchen is hosting Weekend Herb blogging. Here are the Rules for Weekend Herb Blogging if you'd like to participate. Send your entries to kalynskitchen AT comcast DOT net by 3:00 on Sunday, Utah time. You can always check the right sidebar to see Who's Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging. (Send me an e-mail at the address above if you'd like to get on the list to be a host.)

To Print Recipes:
You can print any recipe without the header, sidebars, or photos by clicking on the main title of the post, then printing.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes

Easy South Beach Recipes: Greek Salmon Cooked in a Grill Pan

I love cooking salmon on an outdoor barbecue grill, but when it's too cold for outdoor grilling I use a stovetop grill pan so I can still get those lovely grill marks. This is a great way to "grill" fish or chicken breasts for people who don't have an outdoor grill too. It's also a wonderful way to cook vegetables like zucchini or eggplant.. My grill pan is a cast-iron one I got at Sears, very inexpensive and similar to this one from Amazon.com.

When I posted Friday Night Salmon Two Ways I explained how I rub the salmon with olive oil and fish rub, then let it come to room temperature before cooking. That same method is used in this recipe, but this time it's Penzey's Greek Seasoning and a bit of lemon zest that gives the salmon extra flavor. The idea of using Greek Seasoning on salmon was sent in to Penzeys by Alice of Los Angeles, California, so thanks to her for the great idea. (And no, Penzeys is not paying me to advertise their spices!) If you don't have Greek Seasoning, the list of ingredients is after the recipe.

Greek Salmon Cooked in a Grill Pan
(2 servings, adapted from recipe in Penzeys catalog, Spring 2007)

2 skinless salmon pieces, about six ounces each
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 tsp. Greek Seasoning (or use spices listed at end of recipe)
1 garlic clove, crushed or 1/8 tsp. garlic puree from a jar
1 tsp. lemon zest (optional, but good)
sliced lemon to squeeze over (optional, but good, use the lemon you zested)

In small bowl, mix olive oil, Greek Seasoning, garlic puree, and lemon zest. Place salmon pieces on a plate and rub on both sides with oil mixture. Let salmon marinate at room temperature 15 minutes.

Put grill pan on stove and mist with a small amount of olive oil. (If you don't have an olive oil mister, dip a paper towel in olive oil and lightly wipe the surface of the pan.) Heat pan over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes, until a drop of water sizzles. Place salmon at an angle to grill grids, and cook 2-3 minutes (until you can see grill marks.) Rotate fish a quarter turn and cook 2-3 minutes more. Turn fish over carefully and cook 1-2 minutes more on second side. Total cooking time should not be more than 7-8 minutes, possibly less, depending on how hot your pan is and how thick the salmon is. The fish should feel firm but not at all hard to the touch when it's done. Serve immediately with grill-marked side up. Serve hot, with lemon slices to squeeze over the fish.

Penzey's Greek seasoning contains coarse salt, garlic, lemon, black pepper, Turkish oregano, and marjoram. If you don't have it just use a mixture of whichever of those spices you have on hand. I also like the flavor of Cavender's brand, available at Amazon.com, if you're not sensitive to msg.

South Beach Suggestions:

This would be a great dish for any phase of the South Beach Diet. For phase one, you could serve it with Cucumber, Onion, and Parsley Salad and Roasted Turnips with Balsamic Vinegar. For phase two or three, replace the turnips with Georgette's Really Lemony Greek Pilafi.

More Ways to Cook Salmon:
Friday Night Salmon Two Ways
Roasted Salmon with Balsamic Sauce
Panko-Crusted Salmon from Simply Recipes (whole-wheat Panko crumbs are great for South Beach)
Wasabi Salmon with Lime from 28 Cooks
Mesquite Grilled Wild Salmon from Meathenge
Salmon with Cucumber-Dill Sauce from Fresh Approach Cooking
Salmon with Lemon-Mint Glaze and Rosemary Crumbs from What Did You Eat?
Salmon with Sage and Vegetables in Parchment Paper from Gluten-Free by the Bay

Reminders:
If you want to see last week's recap for Weekend Herb Blogging it's at Thyme for Cooking. For this coming weekend, WHB comes back home with me as the host. Here are the Rules for Weekend Herb Blogging if you might like to participate. Send your entries to kalynskitchen AT comcast DOT net by 3:00 on Sunday, Utah time.

To Print Recipes:

You can print any recipe without the header, sidebars, or photos by clicking on the main title of the post, then printing.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes

Easy South Beach Recipes Roasted Turnips with Balsamic Vinegar

Sometimes I create recipes, and have no memory of where the idea came from. In this case, it started with me thinking "I wonder how roasted turnips with a bit of balsamic vinegar would taste?" I had turnips I hadn't gotten around to using in soup, so I heated my lovely new counter-top convection oven and tried it. I was very happy with the results, which is saying something since I never liked cooked turnips too much before I started eating the South Beach Diet way.

After I made these roasted turnips, I started wondering if I really had gotten the idea somewhere and I saw this recipe for Roasted Kohlrabi on A Veggie Venture. I do vaguely remember seeing this, so maybe that's where my roasted turnips recipe was channeled from. For more ideas for cooking turnips, check after the recipe.

Roasted Turnips with Balsamic Vinegar
(2-3 servings, recipe can be doubled. Recipe created by Kalyn, with possible inspiration from this recipe.)

2 large turnips
1 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
additional 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar for finishing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 F for convection or 450 F for regular oven. Peel turnips with knife, then cut into pieces about 1 inch square. Wisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss with turnips, then spread in single layer in roasting pan. Roast turnips 25-30 minutes, or until slightly browned and softened.

Remove turnips from oven and place into serving bowl. Toss with additional 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar, season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, and serve immediately. (I didn't use much salt and only a tiny bit of pepper.)

South Beach Suggestions:
Turnips cooked like this would be a perfect side dish for any phase of the South Beach Diet. This would taste great with Chicken and Asparagus with Three Cheeses for phase one or Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms for phase two or three.

More Turnip Recipes You Might Like:
(may not be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients)
Roasted Turnips, Shallots, Garlic and Rosemary from What Did You Eat?
Baby Turnips and Sugar Snap Peas from Stephen Cooks
Creamed Turnips from Simply Recipes
Creamed Turnips from A Veggie Venture
Creamed Turnips from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Pickled Turnips from Fresh Approach Cooking
Slow-Braised Turnips and Cauliflower from Something in Season

Reminders:
The host for Weekend Herb Blogging this week will be Kate from Thyme for Cooking. Send your entries to kate DOT zeller AT wanadoo DOT fr. Here are the Rules for Weekend Herb Blogging if you might like to join in.

To Print Recipes:

You can print any recipe without the header, sidebars, or photos by clicking on the main title of the post, then printing.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes

South Beach Recipes of the Week #27: Salads for Spring

Some weeks seem like they just fly by. I can hardly believe it's time again for South Beach Recipes of the Week, those healthy, low-glycemic, and delicious-looking recipes I find on great food blogs and spotlight. For me, this week's all about the arrival of Spring, and when Spring gets here, people start thinking more about salads. (If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, my condolences!)

I've always loved salads, but I was a bit surprised a while back when I realized Salads is by far the biggest and one of the most used categories in my own recipe archives. Apparently a lot of other people like salad too. Here are four fabulous salads I found, and I bet you'll agree they sound great, whether you care about the South Beach Diet or not. Do give them a try.

(Edit added 3-25: I just noticed this should have been South Beach Recipes of the Week #28, but it's too late to change the number now or it will change the permalink, so hopefully not too many people will think I'm going crazy.)

Photo by Molly of Orangette

Molly of Orangette actually calls this salad, Spring, Sliced and Straight from the Bowl, and since she posted it nearly a year ago I've been noticing that everyone who tries it loves her combination of endive, cilantro, radishes, and feta. Yes, there's a bit of avocado involved and a Red-Wine Mustard Vinaigrette as well, and even some optional ingredients Molly suggests. I say, if there was nothing but radishes, feta, and cilantro, what more could you need?

Photo by Michelle of Je Mange la Ville

Isn't this a lovely version of the classic Nicoise Salad from talented cook Michelle at Je Mange la Ville? If you're a South Beach Dieter, best to skip the potatoes, but nothing to worry about because there's plenty of other deliciousness going on here with green beans, spinach, tomatoes, olives, boiled eggs, and barely seared Ahi tuna.

Photo by Nicole of Pinch My Salt

Pinch my Salt is a really great blog I just started subscribing to, and I found this recipe for Cilantro Caesar Salad with Carne Asada that I thought looked amazing. Nicole says she sometimes tops this with fried tortilla strips, but if you're doing South Beach skip those and use the toasted pine nuts and shaved parmesan shown in this photo.

Photo by Karen of Familystyle Food

At Familystyle Food great cook Karen created this Greens and Apple Salad with Avocado, Goat Cheese and Walnuts, inspired by one she saw in At Home with Magnolia. The one change I'd make would be to use regular walnuts instead of candied ones, and this would be a great South Beach choice. (There's a tiny smidgen of brown sugar in the salad dressing, which you could replace with Splenda or not, it's such a small amount.)

Reminders:
The host for Weekend Herb Blogging this week will be Kate from Thyme for Cooking. Send your entries to kate DOT zeller AT wanadoo DOT fr. Here are the Rules for Weekend Herb Blogging if you might like to join in.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes

Cilantro Salsa Dip Recipe

People are always asking me, "How do you come up with your recipes?" When someone asks me this, I laugh, because most passionate cooks always have a huge pile of recipes they're planning to try someday. This recipe is one that had been on my pile for years, torn out of a magazine I've long forgotten the name of.

The recipe was from East Bay Crab and Grill in Egg Harbor, New Jersey. At the restaurant they serve it as an appetizer to dip up with hot, freshly-baked bread. (If anyone knows if the place is still there, or has tried this appetizer, please chime in with a comment.) I ate mine on toasted 100% whole wheat pita chips, and it was fantastic. Since there's a big football game coming up tomorrow and I'm wondering about what to take the the Denny Superbowl party, I thought about this recipe again and realized it definitely deserved to be a recipe favorite.

I've written about cilantro so many times for Weekend Herb Blogging, and it was even declared the favorite herb for the WHB One-Year Anniversary. I'm not sure what's left to say, except that people either love it or hate it, possibly due to genetics. If you're one of those who love it, this recipe's for you. Here are the Rules for Weekend Herb Blogging if you might like to join in. The host this week will be Kate from Thyme for Cooking. Send your entries to kate DOT zeller AT wanadoo DOT fr.

Cilantro Salsa Dip Recipe

(Makes about 2/3 - 1 cup, depending on how big your bunch of cilantro is. Recipe from East Bay Crab and Grill, slightly adapted by Kalyn.)

1 large bunch of cilantro, 4-6 oz.
2-3 green onions, cut into pieces
1 T red wine vinegar (or slightly more)
1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice (or slightly more)
2 T olive oil (or slightly more)
2 T water
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce or more, to taste (I used Green Tabasco sauce)
salt to taste

Remove tough stems from cilantro. Rinse dilantro and drain but do not spin dry. In food processor with steel blade, pulse together cilantro and green onions until well chopped. Transfer mixture to small mixing bowl.

Stir in vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, water, hot pepper sauce, and salt. Taste for seasoning, and if using a large bunch of cilantro, add more seasonings as desired. Serve immediately with toasted pita chips, or refrigerate up to 2 days. (For non South Beach dieters, this can also be served with hot french bread or corn chips.)

Toasted Pita Chips:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut 100% whole wheat pita bread in half, then cut each half circle into three triangles. Mist with olive oil. Arrange in single layer on cookie sheet and toast in oven about 5 minutes per side, or until slightly crisped and barely starting to brown. (They quickly go from toasted to overly done, so watch them carefully and check often.) Pita chips don't keep well, so only make what you'll be eating.

South Beach Suggestions:

With 100% whole wheat pita, toasted or not, this is a perfect appetizer for phase 2 or 3 of the South Beach Diet. For those who love cilantro, I think this would also make a great sauce for fish or chicken, or would taste great stirred into bean salads, rice, or hummus.

More Cilantro Dips, Salsas, or Pestos

Cilantro Pesto Dip from 28 Cooks
Cilantro Pesto from Is It Edible?
Salsa Fresca from Bakingsheet
Fresh Cheese and Cilantro Dip from Chocolate and Zucchini
Cashew Curry Sauce or Dip from Je Mange la Ville
Eggplant Dip from Poco-Cocoa

To Print Recipes:

You can print any recipe without the header, sidebars, or photos by clicking on the main title of the post, then printing.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Weekend Herb Blogging

Recipe Update: Slow Roasted Asparagus

Finally it's officially Spring, but this year I got started a little early with the asparagus. This one is a recipe I've had in my archives for a while, but it was sorely in need of a new photo. The new picture above gives you a much better idea of how tasty asparagus can be when it's coated with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then slowly roasted so the vinegar slightly carmelizes. Nothing could taste better.