Chicken Satay Salad

Sometimes a recipe just does not look overly appetizing in a photograph but has unbelievable flavor.  This is one of those recipes.  I know that the funny yellow color might be a little off-putting but after one bite you will be a believer in this dish.

I honestly don't remember where this recipe came from but there have been some changes made to the original recipe over the years.  It may have come from The Australian Women's Weekly, as this was the magazine of choice in my household growing up.  It is something I used to make all the time because it can be made in advance and simply plated when you are ready to eat, so it is the perfect dish for a potluck or a picnic.  Since it is served cold it also makes a great dinner on a hot summers' night.

This dish does need to be made at least a day in advance since it needs to chill overnight.  This was always a hit with my family because although it is a curry, it is more of a sweet curry than a spicy one.

Chicken Satay Salad

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Ingredients

• 500 g chicken breast fillets (3-4)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 340 ml can coconut milk
• ½ cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ cup plain yogurt
• ¼ cup water
• 1 bunch curly leaf lettuce
• Small punnet cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup cashews, divided

Preparation

1. Cut chicken into thin strips.
2. Heat oil in a large pan. Add curry powder, onion, and garlic; cook for 2 minutes or until onion is soft.
3. Add chicken; cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
4. Stir in coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce and honey; bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes until sauce has slightly thickened.
5. Refrigerate chicken for several hours or until cold.
6. Remove chicken from sauce. Whisk yogurt and water into remaining sauce. Return chicken to sauce and add ¼ cup cashews; mix thoroughly.
7. Line a serving platter with lettuce. Top with chicken, halved tomatoes, and remaining cashew nuts.

Adapted recipe by All That's Left Are The Crumbs

Caprese Beet Salad with Balsamic Glaze

Happy Memorial Day!

Although I am a big fan of beets I have never cooked them myself.  When I saw both red and golden beets at the Farmer's Market I knew that the golden beets would be going home with me.  I decided to go for a simple preparation and use them in a salad.  I had already planned a Caprese Salad, so it was an easy decision to add the beets to it.

The Caprese Salad was created in the 1950s at the Trattoria da Vincenzo. The salad usually takes the form of tomato, mozzarella and basil.  The traditional dressing is a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil as vinegar would destroy the delicate flavor of the cheese and is never used - except in my household.  I love this salad drizzled with a little balsamic glaze.  A balsamic glaze is a reduction made from balsamic vinegar, that results in a beautiful thick syrup that has a little sweetness to it.  I guess it is also very non-traditional to add beets to your Caprese Salad - what can I say, I'm a rebel.

This salad is something that we enjoy quite often as it is so easy to prepare.  I usually slice and layer the main ingredients on a platter and then cover it and place in the refrigerator until we are ready to serve.  All it needs is the basil, a little freshly ground salt and pepper, a quick drizzle of balsamic glaze and it is good to go.  I have also served it over a bed of arugula and this is great too.

Caprese Beet Salad with Balsamic Glaze

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Ingredients

• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch slices
• 1-1lb log mozzarella cheese, cut into ¼-inch slices (I always use the one from Costco)
• 2 medium cooked beets, cut into ¼-inch slices
• 6 large basil leaves, thinly sliced
• freshly ground salt and pepper
• balsamic glaze, to drizzle

Preparation

1. Layer the mozzarella, beet, and tomato.
2. Arrange basil on top.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Recipe by All That's Left Are The Crumbs

Caesar Spaghetti

I'll be the first to admit that I find Rachael Ray a little over-the-top perky and I have to be in the right mood to watch her show.  When I saw her latest cookbook, Look + Cook, at the library I hesitated a little before adding it to the stack I was borrowing.  And then I forgot about it.  Well, not enough to earn me a library fine, but enough to give me just one quick look through before it was due.  I have to say that there were a few recipes that peaked my interest.  One recipe that jumped out at me was Caesar Spaghetti, and I quickly noted the recipe before I placed the book in the return basket.

Caesar Salad is a favorite around here, so I figured that these flavors in a spaghetti dish would be popular too, and I was right.  It is very easy to put together and the flavors were good.  I wish the sauce had been a little thicker, so I might play around with that a little.  I also found that the recipe was missing the croutons that you would expect to find on a Caesar Salad.  To fix this problem I cut some Hawaiian Sweet Bread rolls in half and lightly toasted them, and then gave them a nice schmear of garlic butter.  Problem solved.

I did have to make a few adjustments.  I looked everywhere but I could not find escarole.  Suitable substitutions are kale and spinach, so I went with spinach and it seemed to work out well.  Also, my daughters are not fans of little fishies (anchovies) so I omitted them and used the full tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce.  Leftovers were good too.

Caesar Spaghetti

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Ingredients

• salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
• 6 anchovy fillets, drained
• 4 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 medium heads escarole, washed
• 1 lemon, halved
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. 
2. Once boiling, salt the water and then add the pasta and cook until just shy of al dente, according to package directions. Before draining reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water.
3. While the pasta is cooking, put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the anchovies and cook until they've melted into the oil, about 2 minutes. 
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, stir 1 minute then add in Worcestershire. 
5. Shred the escarole and add several handfuls at a time, wilting the greens in the garlic oil. 
6. Dress the greens with lots of pepper and a little nutmeg, then squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the pan. 
7. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually add the reserved starchy cooking water to temper them - do this slowly or you will get scrambled eggs.
8. Turn off the heat and add the drained pasta and the egg mixture. Stir to combine. 
9. Add half of the cheese and toss vigorously for 1 minute. 
10. Dress the pasta with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and transfer to a serving dish. 
11. Pass the remaining cheese at the table.

Recipe by Rachael Ray