Fig, Prosciutto, and Fresh Mozzarella Salad with a Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

I think this easy salad is a taste sensation. The combination of flavors and textures really makes it a delight to eat. The figs are sweet, the lettuce leaves are crunchy, the prosciutto is salty, the salad dressing is a bit tart, and the mozzarella is soft, mild, and seems to balance the salad.



Fig, Prosciutto, and Fresh Mozzarella Salad with a Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients
4 ripe figs
1 bag of ready to use salad, or any mix of leaves you like in an appropriate portion for two
4 slices of prosciutto or other dry cured ham, cut into large pieces
Fresh mozzarella, cut into bite size pieces
3-4 tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp whole grain mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder or one garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt

Prepare the balsamic vinegar dressing. Combine the mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, and vinegar. With a whisk in one hand, and olive oil in the other, slowly emulsify the olive oil into the other ingredients by pouring it in slowly and whisking vigorously.

Assemble the salad. Cut a crisscross into the figs, without cutting all the way through. Squeeze the bottom of the fig a bit to expose the pink flesh inside. Place lettuce on the bottom of the bowl, and distribute the other ingredients on top. Just before serving, lightly dress the salad with the dressing. Alternatively, you can leave the dressing on the side so that people can choose the amount of dressing, if any, they'd like on their salad.

Mango & Avocado Salad with Citrus Dressing

We’re back! And we’re in Tennessee! If you’ve wondered where we were this past month, well, we’ve been all over the place. But the move is over and we’re setting in to our new digs. The kitchen in our new place is fantastic, it might be the main reason we chose this place.

Anyways, we were anxious to break it in, and this was the perfect dish to do so. A delicious, light, and healthy meal perfect for a hot summer day. The recipe originally called for the addition of crab, which would have been delicious, but we’ve spent all our money moving and buying new furniture so crab wasn’t exactly in our budget. :) Served with corn and some fabulous mango cilantro margaritas, and it was definitely a meal we’ll make again!

Mango & Avocado Salad with Citrus Dressing

Makes 2-4 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced paper-thin
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over, separated into chunks
1 large (15- to 16-ounce) mango, peeled, pitted, sliced
1 large avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, sliced
12 large Boston lettuce leaves

DIRECTIONS
Combine first 4 ingredients in small bowl; whisk in oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Mix in onion; let marinate 15 minutes.

Combine crabmeat, mango, and avocado in large bowl. Gently mix in dressing. Overlap ends of 3 lettuce leaves in center of each plate, forming bowl. Mound salad in lettuce bowls and serve.

Mixed Salad with Ginger Lime Cilantro Dressing

This was a side to our main meal, but due to a little mishap with the salt (ALWAYS taste before adding more salt!), the salad ended up being the best (and only edible) part of the meal. Who’da thunk?

Mixed Salad with Ginger Lime Cilantro Dressing

INGREDIENTS
Mixed greens
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Cucumber, sliced and halved

Dressing:
1 lime, juiced
2 Tbs peanut oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp fire oil (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Combine all dressing ingredients in bowl. Whisk well until combined. Drizzle over greens and salad.

Pork Chops with Toasted Spice Rub and Apple Dressing

Taylor sure got a treat this week: steak and pork in the same week. Very unusual in our kitchen. Maybe because I’ve always been biased against pork, and steak (at least the good pieces) are too expensive to eat on a regular basis. This is the reason you’ll always see more lentils and tofu on our plates than meat. That is, except for this week.

Taylor’s verdict: this is good. I shall not sway your opinion of this one way or another by saying what I thought of it. If you like pork, this is a great fall dish that’ll have your kitchen smelling delicious for the next few hours.

Pork Chops with Toasted Spice Rub and Apple Dressing

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Michael Chiarello.

INGREDIENTS
For Honey Roasted Apple Sauce:
12 apples, Gravenstein or McIntosh
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
1/3 cup honey

For Spice Rub:
1/4 cup fennel seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup pure California chili powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

4 (12-ounce) center-cut pork chops
Gray salt
2 tablespoons Toasted Spice Rub, recipe follows
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup Honey Roasted Apple Sauce, recipe follows

DIRECTIONS
Make apple sauce: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel the apples with a vegetable peeler, remove the core and cut into 1-inch chunks, place in a large bowl. Heat a large skillet or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter. When the butter begins to brown, add lemon juice, then add the apples and salt. Cook until the apples just begin to color, about 4 minutes. Stir in the honey. Roast the apples in the oven until soft and lightly caramelized, about 12 minutes. Fork mash for a chunky version or puree in food processor for a smoother sauce. Set aside.

Make spice rub: Toast the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a small, heavy pan over medium heat. When the fennel begins to turn light brown, add the red pepper flakes, and toss several times. Immediately turn the spice mixture out onto a plate to cool.

Put in a blender with the chili powder, salt, and cinnamon and blend until the spices are evenly ground. If you have a small spice mill or a coffee grinder dedicated to grinding spices, grind only the fennel, coriander, pepper, and chili flakes. Pour into a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Keep the spice mix in a glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.

Note: If you have an exhaust fan over your stove, turn it on before you start toasting the spices. Be careful not to inhale the fumes once you add the red pepper flakes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and toasted spice rub.

Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat and sear the pork chops until golden brown, about 4 minutes on 1side and 1 minute on the other side. Place pork chops on baking sheet. Remove excess oil from skillet.

Bake the chops until just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a serving platter.

Over medium heat, add the wine to the skillet, stir, and reduce to 1 to 2 tablespoons; add the apple sauce and bring to a simmer. Spoon over each chop.

Scallop & Spinach Salad with Vanilla Chili Dressing

I saw this recipe posted on Steamy Kitchen and just had to try it. Any excuse to use those vanilla beans I bought on ebay, right?

Needless to say, like all of Jaden’s recipes, it was delicious. Unfortunately, we were only able to find (and afford) the little bay scallops, which, considering we added some chopped pear to the salad, you might struggle to pick out in the photo above. Scallop, or pear? That is the question! But as a seafood drizzle or a salad dressing, the Sweet Chili and Vanilla dressing was a treat. And yes, the recipe does call for ketchup. Do not snub your nose because of this. Make it, and then make your decision.

I think this would be delicious over shrimp – and you might actually be able to see them!

Scallop & Spinach Salad with Vanilla Chili Dressing

Makes 2 servings.
Recipe from Steamy Kitchen.

INGREDIENTS
scallops, shrimp, or whatever floats your boat
salad greens (we used baby spinach)
optional: add chopped pear for some extra flavor and texture.

For Dressing
1 tablespoon bottled sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon minced cilantro
1 pod vanilla or 3 drops vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Slice open the vanilla pod and scrape out seeds. Combine with the rest of dressing ingredients.

Pat scallops dry. If you got the frozen kind, it might help to toss them with a dusting of cornstarch to really suck up the moisture. Season with salt and pepper. In hot skillet with cooking oil, sear scallops over high heat until opaque (1-1 1/2 minutes per side depending on how big your scallops are). Remove from heat immediately. Serve scallops on top of salad greens and Sweet Vanilla Chili Dressing.