Iceberg lettuce is pretty flavorless;  but, it is crisp, refreshing and frankly, fun to eat.  It crunches with easy bite, and always tastes fresh.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy this vintage treat until I brought a head of it home last week.  Besides feeling lighter after enjoying a big bowl of it, I love how the leaves cradle every last drop of creamy blue cheese, it is like having a little present with each bite.  A Classic Iceberg Wedge Salad is ridiculously easy to make, so easy that I feel like this is a cop-out recipe!   You need iceberg lettuce, creamy blue cheese dressing, bacon crumbles and sweet tomatoes.  I nestled wedges of lettuce on a big platter,  then drizzled and crumbled the goodness over the top, I loved how elegant the wedge salad looked.  This would be the perfect addition to your next spaghetti feed or even an upcoming Superbowl party.  Have fun with this classic!

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We were asked to participate in the Back to School Communal Table with the Food Network.  It is a one-day event where some of the Summer Fest food bloggers will be bringing a dish to the table that they would either enjoy for lunch themselves or pack for the kids.  It was the perfect opportunity for us to talk about something other then dinner.  Now that we are working from home, full-time, we don’t lunch out very often.  Unless we have a client meeting or we get a strong hunkering for stick to your ribs ribs.  Instead we are always on the lookout for quick and healthy lunch ideas.

Tuna is easy.  We still do enjoy an occasional tuna sandwich or salad but are pretty picky about our tuna and for obvious reasons;  but, mostly taste.  We prefer firm pieces of Yellowfin when making a salad or sandwich.  The flavor comes forward more than a can of mystery tuna.

There is nothing like a creamy tuna sandwich to cure the craving when it hits.  Firm yellowfin tuna smothered in mayo, black pepper and green onions.  OH MY.  We could eat it by the spoonfuls.  Now that we are on the “low-cholesterol, dairy free diet, that is not an option.  One hungry afternoon, when we were searching our bare cupboards we decided to toss some white beans into our tuna salad, and we found the creamy we were looking for.  Not gooey, stick to your fingers creamy like mayo, but equally as good.  The white beans gently break apart while mixing, creating a creamy texture.  We love this salad by the bowlfuls or wrapped up in some lavash.  Perfectly light, filling and healthy.

Won’t you pull-up a chair and join all of us for lunch today.  

Tidy Mom: Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter Cookies
Made by Michelle: Almond Butter and Banana Sandwiches
Chez Us: Healthy Tuna Salad
And Love It Too: Healthy Lunchbox 2012: The Ultimate Collection
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Back to School Roasted Chicken Legs
Bacon and Souffle: Gruyere Grilled Cheese With Apple Salad
Zaika Zabardast: Fresh Corn Cakes With Black Bean Salad Tossed in Cumin Vinaigrette

Adult options:
This Girl Can Eat: Cashew-Curry Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Spicy-Korean “Ramen” Noodle Soup
Haute Apple Pie: Edamame Hummus
Feed Me Phoebe: Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches
Creative Culinary: Margarita Watermelon
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Swiss Chard Turnovers With Parmesan and Pistachios

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Healthy Tuna Salad

Ingredients

• 6.7 ounces of tuna
• 3 green onions, minced
• 14 ounces of white beans, rinsed with water and drained
• 2 celery stalks, minced
• 1/4 cup minced italian parsley
• 1/4 small lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon of piri piri or other crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• kosher salt, to taste

Directions

• Drain the tuna.
• Place into a mixing bowl with the onions, celery and white beans. Gently stir.
• Squeeze the lemon over the mixture, stir.
• Add the piri piri, parsley and olive oil. Gently stir.
• Season to taste with the salt.
• Serve.
• Eat.

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What is everyone up to for the Fourth of July?  Are you entertaining?  Making a big feast?  We will be out of town, celebrating the wedding of client, turned good friend.  We are really looking forward to being away for a couple days to unwind and have some fun.  Something that we are looking forward to is the small town parade that we heard will take place on the 4th.  Should be a blast.

If, we were staying in town, we’d most likely have friends over for a BBQ.  This is the first year, in a long time, that we may have actually been able to see fireworks from our new home.  Usually it is foggy in San Francisco, which does not make for romantic firework displays.

I would definitely serve this easy and healthy potato salad.  We have been enjoying it on and off for a couple weeks and love how flavorful it is.  Did I mention, it is healthy.  No dairy, at all, making it low-cholesterol.  Don’t worry, it doesn’t skimp on flavor.  And, it is really fun to use different colored baby potatoes, to make it “patriotic”.  Okay, okay, not blue potatoes;  but, pretty darn close.  The green beans add a nice crunch to make it a bit more interesting!

Like fried chicken with your potato salad?  Our recipe is being featured over at The Back Burner today.  Crispy, crunch and full of spicy flavor.  Did I mention, it is ultra moist, too!  Perfect for a Fourth of July celebration.

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Patriotic Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small baby potatoes, assorted colors
• 1/4 pound green beans
• 2 small baby red onions or 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, minced
• kosher salt, to taste

Directions

• Fill a large saucepan full of water, bring to a boil.
• Rinse the potatoes, scrubbing off any dirt.
• Once the water is boiling, add the potatoes, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
• While cooking the potatoes, remove the stem end of the green bean, and snap the bean in half if they are large.
• When the 10 minutes is up, add the green beans to the same pot the potatoes are in.
• Cook for 2 minutes. Immediately drain into a colander, and rinse with very cold water. I also had a layer of ice to help stop the cooking.
• Let the potatoes and beans cool down about 30 minutes.
• Cut the potatoes in half and put both the beans and potatoes into a mixing bowl.
• In a small jar add the olive oil, vinegar, tarragon and dijon. Shake until creamy; about 2 minutes.
• Drizzle over the potato/bean mixture and lightly toss.
• Serve.
• Eat.

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While we miss the city, deeply, we are excited to have a real summer this year.  Scorching hot days, and balmy nights.  That is the one compliant we have about San Francisco there are no real seasons.  Even though, we are only 10 minutes from downtown, the temperature is consistently 10 – 20 degrees warmer. YEAH!

As we are anticipating many balmy nights of dining al fresco, I am searching out easy and light meals to make after a long day of working.  A favorite of mine for nights like these is this amazing Chinese Chicken Salad.  I have been making (and hiding) this recipe since moving to California some twenty years ago when I had my first taste at a restaurant by the name of the Good Earth.  I loved the tangy dressing with crunchy noodles.  Over time, my recipe has evolved, and finally, I have nailed it.

When I started playing with this old favorite last week, I knew one thing, I wanted the dressing to have more flavor beyond sesame oil.  A little kick and a lot of tang.  Morris Kitchen Ginger Syrup was exactly what my recipe needed to go from good to outrageous.  I added a generous helping of this gingery simple syrup, along side sesame oil, soy, rice vinegar, chilies and lime.  It was creamy, slightly spicy and just tangy enough.

Remember the poached chicken I introduced during a Back to the Basic’s post, well, it is perfect to use in Chinese Chicken Salad.  The silky chicken loved being bathed in this tangy dressing.  To add texture to the salad I used a mixture of baby greens, carrot ribbons and blanched baby bok choy.  Crunch came in the form of toasted sesame seeds and fried won ton chips.

Hot summer days and balmy evenings are a great excuse for a picnic, as well.  This Chinese Chicken Salad packs up perfectly.  Toss the shredded chicken meat with half of the dressing.  Pack the greens and carrot ribbons separately from the chicken.  Pour the toasted sesame seeds into a small container and pack the won tons chips in another.  Put everything into a cooler, with a bottle of lemonade or Rose, grab your picnic gear, pack a blanket, and head out with the one you love.

Happy Summer.

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Healthy Asian Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• zest from 1 lime
• 3 tablespoons morris kitchen ginger syrup or 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon hot chili oil
• 1/8 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 lb baby boy choy, cut in half
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 english cucumber, thinly slices
• 1 large carrot, scrubbed clean
• 5 cups mixed baby greens,washed and dried
• 3 cups shredded poached chicken
• 12 won ton wrappers, cut in half
• 1/4 cup safflower oil

Directions

• In a small jar combine the first 7 ingredients, put a lid on top, and shake like crazy. Set aside.
• In a medium frying pan, over medium heat, lightly toast the sesame seeds until golden; about 2 minutes.
• Pour into a small bowl and set aside.
• In the same frying pan add the safflower oil and gently heat.
• Adding a single layer of won ton wrappers, cook, turning once, until golden brown.
• Approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.
• Transfer to a paper towel, and repeat the process.
• Once finished frying the won tons, set them aside until later.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of salt.
• Have a large bowl of ice water near by. Add the bok choy, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes.
• Immediately drain into a colander and then plunge the bok choy into the icy water. Drain and pat dry.
• In a large salad bowl add the greens, onions, cucumber slices and chicken.
• Using a vegetable peeler cut the carrot into ribbons. Add to the salad bowl.
• Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the top.
• Crunch half of the won ton chips over the salad.
• Add the bok choy.
• Lightly drizzle with half of the dressing, and toss. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the top.
• Serve.
• Eat.

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We have been locked into a conference rooms one and off for the past two weeks, and whenever I get a chance I head over to one of many favorite food sites, to torture myself.  I am been spending a few looney minutes with Stephanie.  One recipe that really screams at me is her pan seared turkey burgers.  At first it was the bun, that got my belly grumbling.  Then it was the seasoned ground turkey that kept the hunger pains growing.  Then I noticed the red onions and jalapenos dripping down the side of the burger.  Sold.  While I really want to eat the whole darn burger, those pickled red onions had me.

Our last supper at home before embarking on the next business trip was a Drunken Halibut.  I wanted to keep the meal simple, so I ran over to grab Stephanie’s pickled red onion relish recipe.  The only changes I really made was that I smoked the peppers for a bit and used fresh spring baby red onions.  The process is simple.  Simple.  Simple.  It was so good that I could not stop eating by the spoonfuls, and it was the perfect companion for the halibut.  The halibut was slightly smokey  (thanks to Mezcal) and the spicy pickled onions meshed really well.  We tenderly wrapped warm chunks of the halibut between warm corn tortillas that had been smothered with the spicy red onions, and called it a meal.

*if you have extra left over, put it into a jar and use within a couple days.  Melt some cheese on a tortilla, and spread some of the pickled mixture over the top.  Great snack or light lunch when you had a slice (or two) of avocado.

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Pickled Red Onion Salad

Ingredients

• *inspired by Oakie Dokie Artichokie
• 2 medium spring red onions, cut in half and sliced paper thin (or 1 medium red onion)
• 2 jalapeño chilies
• 5 medium limes, juices
• maldon salt

Directions

• Over a low flame on your stove, using tongs, slowly roast one of the jalapeños until blackened. This will only take about 3 - 5 minutes.
• Set aside until cooled.
• Peel off the blackened skin.
• Cut into circles, keeping the seeds.
• Cut the remaining jalapeño in half, leave (or remove) the seeds, and slice into thin pieces.
• In a bowl add the sliced onions, chilies and lime juice. Stir.
• Sprinkle with the salt to taste. Stir.
• Set aside for an hour.
• Serve. Eat.

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Geez it looks like we kind of forgot to share with you the past couple weeks.  What kind of friends are we?!   A whirlwind basically spiraled through my life recently.  Not in a bad way.  I just haven’t been able to get it together.  I have mountains of recipes sitting on my desk, a hard-drive full of unedited photos, and then there was tax time.  It is too bad as I remember some pretty darn good meals being cooked over at Chez Us.

Remember when we mentioned a few weeks ago that there were going to be some big changes happening within the next month?  Huge news!  No …. not that!  Lenny decided to get a physical as it had been forever and he was having some “guy issues”.  No;  NOT THAT!  Instead, he has high cholesterol.  And we are talking about the big bad, not so good, high cholesterol.  A whopping 275!  He We have decided that we are going to try to control it with diet and exercise.  We are both firm believers that the two go hand-in-hand, and can help a lot of issues that are going on within our bodies.  Heck, I went through premature menopause using no drugs at all.  Hopefully, this will work for him as well.

We feel that we eat pretty well.  We watch what we cook with, not a lot of fat or creamy sauces.  We always have fresh fruits and veggies around the house.  We aren’t snackers.  Okay, we do occasionally indulge in gooey sweetness;  but, not that often.  This will definitely be a challenge for both of us.  I am going to reinvent the way I cook, and Lenny is going to learn to not “devour”.  The doctor sent him home with a great list of foods that he should eat, and ones that he should limit.  Using this list, we are going to reinvent some deliciousness, and create a whole new line-up of heart healthy recipes to share with you, our friends.

Lenny is the love of my life, and my focus as the main “cook” in the house is to to use low-saturated fats and low cholesterol foods.  I want him to live a very long time.  I figure the easiest way to do this is to bump up our fresh produce intact and to introduce some new but exciting grains into our diet.  Lenny has decided that he will give up dairy, which is challenging as he does love his coffee with a little milk.  Now we are exploring new alternatives for coffee.  As well, I am going to start exploring some lean meats and some good-for-you fatty fish recipes.  There will be lots of fresh herbs and the exploration of unsaturated oils and tangy vinegars as a means for making our recipes a little more exciting.  Sound fun?

Since we work from home, I am always on the out-look for recipes that are great as a lunch or that can be taken into dinner.  This farro and roasted broccolini does just that.  Farro is a debated food product;  is it a grain or a wheat?  In Italy spelt is also called faro.  Barley and faro are often interchanged here in the states.  I would probably say it is a cousin to barley.  It is healthy!  I love cooking with it as it puffs up but still holds a little crunch.  It will be perfect in summery salads;  don’t you think?

For this dish, I cooked the farro just until it was cooked, then I cooled it off (immediately) with cold water. While the farro was cooking I roasted some veggies;  roasting adds great depth and added flavor.  Have you tried roasted green garlic?  After patting the farro dry, I tossed it with the roasted mixture of broccolini, tomatoes, green garlic, spring-time red onions, fresh mint, and drizzled it with a creamy lemony dressing.  To add a little more crunch, I sprinkled crushed pistachios over the top.  I enjoyed this salad for lunch and took it to dinner by adding a lean roasted piece of fish along side it.  Saying it was delicious would be an understatement.  It was more like WOW!

**  while we are changing our eating habits with new heart-healthy meals, never fear, there are a few gooey things that will be showing up within the next couple weeks.  All planned before this announcement.  Remember, you can enjoy in moderation.  *smiles*

Recipe:  Farro and Roasted Broccolini Salad

• 1 cup dry farro
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• olive oil
• 1 pound broccolini, tough stems removed
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 green garlic stalk
• 1 spring red onion or a small red onion
• 1/2 cup mint, minced
• 1 small lemon, juice
• 1/4 cup good-quality olive oil
• kosher salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup crushed pistachios

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The first time I stumbled upon watermelon radishes was on a cold winter morning at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market, over two years ago.  I was searching for parsnips and thought this was it!  The cheery crew at Happy Boy Farms warned me that it was a spicy radish.  I had never seen a radish so …. large.  She took a knife out from her back pocket and cut it open.

I was in awe.  The vibrate color completely had me.  I fell in love with the somewhat tie-dyed design made of the brightest pink I had ever seen.  Yes, I was buying purely on beauty.  I took a paper bag and filled it with different sizes and shapes.  I had no idea what to expect when I got home.

Tenderly I took one of the radishes out of the crumpled bag, scrubbed the just picked dirt off, and took a big bite.  The spicy juices started to run down the corner of my mouth, and I was hooked.  It was like my first kiss;  wet, unknown and a little bit spicy.  I continued to slice a couple more, then I laid them on a plate and buttered a piece of still warm baguette.  I put a couple vibrate slices onto the creamy butter and sprinkled Maldon salt over the top.  It was perfect.

Since that first “kiss” some two years ago, watermelon radishes grace our winter table very often.  As an afternoon snack or mixed with tender greens for a dinner salad.  Now that, we are working from home, full-time, I am on the look-out for simple but delicious lunches.  This salad is one of our favorites.  It is full of sweet fennel and spicy watermelon radishes with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh squeezed Meyer lemons.  It screams spring time;  doesn’t it?

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This weeks’ meat heavy recipe over at The Back Burner, had to have chocolate involved.  Now before you click off, hear me out.  I made a mole sauce, that will have you begging for “mole”.  It is rich, dense, and full of smokey and sultry bittersweet chocolate, and spicy chilies.  Then throw in the caramelized bits of chicken fat, and the juices from slowly braising, and you have a pretty mean Sunday night supper.

I wanted some light to serve with this rich meal, and tossed together this amazing salad made with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, and a dressing made with limes, cumin, and blue agave.  Have I lost you yet?  Didn’t think so.  This salad is full of flavor, and the slightly roasted potatoes, and zesty dressing, and the perfect dinner partners with Mole.  The only thing missing was a sandy Mexican beach, and an icy cold margarita.

Don’t boil the sweet potatoes.  Don’t steam them.  Both of those options will water log your salad.  Take the time, and roast the potato, for added flavor.

Recipe:  Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 T fresh lime juice
• zest from one lime
• 1 tablespoon blue agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
• 1 small shallot minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 medium roasted sweet potato
• 2 cups black beans
• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:  Chicken braised with Mole Sauce

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I was so excited when I finally saw pears in our market a couple weeks ago.  Visions of them sitting on our counter raced through my mind, as the possibilities are endless.  I love pears simply by themselves, baked, and in savory salads.

One of my favorite recipes is this seasonal Fall salad, made with fresh spinach, pears, blue cheese, and a rich balsamic dressing.  The crisp pears go really well with the creamy cheese, and the tangy dressing.  In fact, one of my favorite afternoon snacks, lately, has been a pear cut in half, with sprinkles of blue cheese, and a mere drizzle of balsamic.  For this recipe be sure to use a very good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar, it will make all the difference of an ordinary everyday salad or a salad with WOW power.

I served this salad with with a braised beef short rib stew that literally screamed Fall, as it was slowly braised in pumpkin ale, and had big, caramelized chunks of kabocha pumpkin gently stirred throughout.  Both recipes are fantastic, and we are encouraging you to give them a try this Fall.

Recipe: Fall Pear and Spinach Salad
*serves 2

• 2 cups fresh spinach, cleaned, and patted dry
• 1 small ripe but slightly firm pear, cut into slices
• blue cheese, add as much as you like, depending on taste;  we add a lot
• 1/4 cup good quality olive oil
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• kosher salt, to taste
• fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Recipe:  Braised Beef Short Rib and Kabocha Pumpkin Stew

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I bet you didn’t know we were asked to join the Brown Bag Challenge over at the Food Network?  Well, we have been, and unfortunately, I have been so busy that I have not had a chance to write about it.  It has been crazy over at the Chez Us household for the past month, in fact, completely non-stop.  Despite the crazy, we have tried to bring healthy lunches into the office.  I usually make enough dinner the night before, to turn some leftovers into lunch.  It is really simple when you have a little left over roasted chicken, to whip up some chicken salad the night before and then pack it in the morning along with some crackers, cheese and fresh fruit.  As well I like packing salads made of spinach, pears and a little blue cheese;  light but filling.  I find if there is a little protein mixed with a lot of fresh fruit or vegetables it holds us over until dinner.

One of my favorite recipes to whip up is this amazing lentil salad.  Lentils are a great source of protein and are very filling, making this the perfect lunch time meal.  It is full of summertime cherry tomatoes, fresh mint and tangy feta.  I usually make a citrus dressing out of lemons and olive oil;  but decided to change it up a bit after reading about Za’atar.  Za’atar is a popular spice used through out the middle east.  It is a blend of oregano, basil, thyme, sesame seeds, sumac and salt.  From the research I have been doing, I have found there are different versions made with different herbs.  The particular one I found had a bit of tangy taste, which I contribute to the lemony sumac.  I did add a bit more sumac and I really enjoyed the lemony tang with the feta.  This is a very refreshing salad that is bursting with flavors.

To make this salad a complete meal, I packed our lunch bags with some homemade hummus, lavash and fresh plums. Not only was it a filling lunch but also a healthy one.  This recipe is also a crowd pleas-er for a brunch or dinner.  It is perfect served along side some grilled fish or even roasted chicken.

Do you bring lunch to work?  What is your favorite lunch to bring along side your business files?

Essentials of Nutrition: Brown-Bag Challenge, Break Room Not Required

The Undercover Cook: Buffalo Chicken-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

This Imperfect Plot: Week 4 (and a BBC side effect: weight loss)

Confessions of a Curious Cuisiniere: What Does Your Sandwich Say About You?

I Brown Bag: Brown-Bag Challenge, Day-by-Day

The FN Dish: Using Leftovers to Create a Brown-Bag Lunch

Carmen Fitness: Brown-Bag Challenge, Going Strong

Family Fresh Cooking: Top Ten Best Lunch-Packing Tips

Canadian Mother Musings: Caught NOT Brown-Bagging It

BoysNBerry: Sandwiches . . . and a Not-so-Great Frozen Burrito

Feeding Philosophers: Lovely Legumes

Healthy Plates: Vegetable Beef Soup

Healthy Kitschy Vegan: Peace

Ali Girl Cooks: Brown-Bag Shake-Up

All Things Splendid: Ch-Ch-Ch-Chili

City Life Eats: Day 16 and a Recap of This Week’s Lunches

Grecian Kitchen: Brown-Bag Challenge

Cooking Channel: Monkeying Around Lunch Box

Reve Noir: Brown-Bag Challenge Day 9, Repeat Again

The Garden Ephemerist: Brown Bagged

Adventures in Every Day: Brown-Bag Recap

Eating Omily: My Lunch Story

Nutritious Daily: Easy, Peasy Pasta

Chick Bike: Brown-Bag Challenge Days 15 & 16

Glory Foods: Hot or Cold Lunch, That is the Question

Recipe:  Lentil Salad

• 4 cups green lentils, cooked
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• mint, handful, torn into pieces
• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon zaatar
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac
• kosher salt, to taste

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I hate making salads.  It is usually the dish, I pass on to someone else when they want to bring something to dinner.  What is it about washing some lettuce, chopping up some vegetables, and tossing it all together with a dressing, that I hate so much.  It really does not take much time or thought for that matter.

When I do decide to make a salad it is very simple.  Mixed greens, some red onion, maybe a little tomato and a vinegar and oil dressing.  If I am feeling a bit adventurous and it is summer, I may mix it up by making a refreshing Caprese, using fresh heirloom tomatoes.  Or maybe a green bean salad, using some of summer’s bounty.   And if I am really feeling it, I may add a grilled corn salad to the dinner menu.  Otherwise, you will get a bowl of mixed greens next to your main entree.

The other evening we were invited to dinner and were asked to bring the “salad”.  Damn!  A salad!  Really?  On the way to dinner, we stopped by the market, and I decided to go a step further than mixed greens.  I picked up some radishes, baby red onions, avocados, tomatoes and croutons.  God, I had not had a salad with crunchy croutons tossed into the mix in forever.  I was actually excited to make this salad.  Maybe it was the chance of nibbling on little buttery bites along the way.  Well, it really did not matter, as I was excited to toss together this “simple green salad”.   While I was slicing radishes, onions and avocados, I had flashbacks to when I use to make croutons.  What was I doing with a bag of pre-made croutons sitting on the counter, that cost me $2.99.  I could had made them in the matter of minutes.  They would have been fresh and even tastier than what was most likely a semi-stale bag of croutons.

That evening got me thinking.  So, the next night, I laid out my salad fixings, pre-heat the oven and started making my own croutons.  It is easy.  It was creative.  I used half a baguette, that I sliced in half, rubbed down with fresh garlic, drizzled with some olive oil and seasoned with fresh herbs.  I then baked it all for a few minutes, and I had fresh, and flavorful croutons.  The mixed green salad had a bad rap at our house;  well, not any longer.

Have you ever tried making homemade croutons?  If so, what is your favorite flavor combination?

Recipe:  Homemade Croutons

What you need:

• 1/2 baguette, sliced in half
• 2 cloves of garlic, each cut in half
• drizzle of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of fresh herbs, of choice
• sprinkle of maldon or kosher  salt
• sprinkle of pepper or piment d’espelette

What you need to do:

Heat oven to 425.  Rub each half of baguette with the garlic;  all over the top, bottom and sides.  Cut into small bite sized pieces. Lay the cut pieces of baguette on a cookie sheet, and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with fresh herbs, salt, and pepper.  Using your hands, mix the pieces of bread with the seasonings on the cookie sheet.  Slide it into the oven, and let bake until golden brown;  about 3 – 5 minutes.  It will depend on how hot your oven gets.  Remove from the oven, set aside until cool.  Serve.  Eat.

If you like this recipe, check these out:

Homemade Croutons

Summer Salads:  Homemade Croutons

Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

The post Homemade Croutons appeared first on Chez Us.

We don’t eat out often in the city.  Which may seem odd to anyone that knows there are over 3500 restaurants in San Francisco;  not to mention the variety.  WE have a tendency to eat most of the time at Lenny’s favorite place, Chez Us.  He still says after all these years, that it is the best place to get a decent meal in the city.  *smile*

There are a few favorites that stand out, and always come to mind, when we ware asked, “what is your favorite restaurant in San Francisco?”  Contigo, Nopa, and Bar Jules are definitely our favorite dinner places.  We can honestly say we have never had bad food at either of the mentioned establishments.  We recently add dinner with some friends at Nopa, to celebrate a somewhat monumental 40ish birthday.  I have to say, every time we have eaten at Nopa, it has been consistent;  thirst quenching cocktails, lip smacking food, and beyond the call of duty service.  Consistent, is a good thing, as it will always bring us back for more.

We had this amazing shaved asparagus salad during our last visit.  Ribbons of asparagus were tossed with a very light dressing, and little tokens of crispy bacon.  On top was a “perfectly” poached egg.  We have not been able to get that salad out of our minds.  So, I recreated it.  I slaved, yes, slaved over a 1/2 pound of asparagus, as I shaved paper-thin slices. Then I gently cooked some pancetta, until crispy, but not overly browned.  I deglazed the pan with fresh Meyer lemon juice, which was the beginning to my flavorful vinaigrette, made with olive oil, red-wine vinegar, some pancetta drippings, and lemon juice.  Just before serving, I quickly blanched the ribbons of asparagus, gently patted dry, and then tossed with a small amount of vinaigrette.  Laid on top was a perfectly poached egg.  It was not the same as Nopa;  but, it was amazing.  Crispy, and silkly ribbons of asparagus, lightly coated with warm and creamy yolk.  Perfect for a light dinner;  just add a nice glass of Rose, and a bite or two of warm crusty bread.

Recipe:  Shaved Asparagus Salad with a Poached Egg

*two large servings (as main meal) or four smaller servings

• 1/2 pound asparagus, washed, patted dry
• 4 slices of pancetta, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 meyer lemon, juiced
• 3 tablespoon pancetta fat (drippings)
• 3 tablespoons deglazed juice made with lemon
• 2 tablespoons shallot, minced fine
• 2 tablespoons red vinegar
• black pepper, to taste
• kosher salt, to taste
• 2 eggs (use 4 eggs if making smaller servings)

Bring a large stock pot of salted water to boil.  Shave your asparagus.  Using a vegetable peeler, start from the top of the spear, and gently shave downward, to create a thin ribbon.  Continue until you only have a small piece of the spear left;  I then ran a small paring knife down the middle to separate.  Firmer spears work the best.  Don’t give up.  It is meant to be rustic.  Put the shaved asparagus into a sieve, and lower into the boiling water, for 1 minute.  Remove, and immediately rinse until cold water, to stop the cooking;  keep under the running water for 3 minutes.  Lay onto sheets of paper towel or a flour sack towel, and gently pat away the water.  Let sit, until dry;  about 15 minutes.

After making the asparagus ribbons, start the dressing.  In a large frying pan, cook the pancetta over medium low heat, until slightly browned, and crumbly.  Remove the pancetta to a paper towel.  Remove 3 tablespoons of the pancetta drippings, and put into a mixing bowl.  Set aside.  Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan, and deglazed;  cook down until you have three tablespoons.  Add to the mixing bowl.  Add the shallot, vinegar, and the olive oil.  Whisk until creamy;  aobut 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  In a salad bowl, toss the dressing with the dried asparagus, and the crisp pancetta.

Poach 2 eggs.  To serve, divide the asparagus into two serving bowls.  Top with a poached egg.  Serve.  Eat.

If you like this recipe, check these out:

Shaved Asparagus Salad

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Pecorino

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Walnuts

The post Shaved Asparagus Salad with a Poached Egg appeared first on Chez Us.