Simple Citrus-Soy Baked Salmon

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My husband and I have a regular game we like to play, and it usually starts about 2 pm when I text to ask whether he has any particular cravings for that evening’s dinner. And then I cross my fingers in hope that he doesn’t give me the dreaded response.

“Something simple,” he’ll frequently say. 

And then I really don’t know what to feed him, because what does that even mean? My experimentation in the kitchen more often leads me into complex outcomes rather than simple ones. I would rather he ask for soup and salad or grilled cheese or takeout than the nebulous “something simple.” I don’t know why this throws me for a loop, but I usually stand befuddled, the same as when I ask him what Friday night cocktail he wants, and he says, “surprise me.”

I’m trying to get better about this, and occasionally I find inspiration amid the ingredients I already have in the fridge. And that’s what happened with this vibrant dish that turned out to be simple not only in ingredients but also preparation.

What makes this recipe simple is that the marinade— which ultimately becomes a glaze in the oven— is made from common ingredients that I found in the refrigerator: freshly squeezed orange juice (thanks to a navel I forgot was in there), a bit of marmalade, horseradish, soy sauce and honey. To add a little extra something without extra effort, I decided to add a spoonful of dried onion to the marinade. The bits plumped up quite a bit during the 45 minutes the salmon soaked in its flavor bath, and it added onion flavor without the bite of fresh onions.

I’m struggling to find something else to explain about this dish, but that’s honestly it. Mix the marinade, soak it and then bake it. The oven takes care of the rest, turning the marinade into a somewhat sticky glaze that pairs well with just about anything. The flavors of the marinade do a balancing act between sweet, savory and salty. I served our salmon on a bed of basmati rice (leftovers from Indian takeout), with a sprinkling of sliced scallions and sesame seeds, plus a fresh and pretty side salad.

I didn’t want to waste a bit of the glaze, so I poured the remnants over the salmon before serving.

Hubby was right, as usual— simple is good!

Easy Citrus-Soy Baked Salmon

  • Servings: 2 or 4, depending on weight of salmon
  • Difficulty: So easy!
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From the prep to the ingredients to the cooking, everything about this dish is simple but the flavors are fantastic! The marinade is enough for a pound of fresh salmon, but please use the same amount even for a lesser weight of fish.


Ingredients

  • Up to 1 pound fresh salmon fillets, skin removed
  • Juice and zest of navel orange
  • 1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
  • 2 Tbsp. orange marmalade
  • 2 tsp. horseradish
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 1/2 tsp. minced, dried onion
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • Cooked rice, for serving
  • 2 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
  • Sesame seeds for serving

I removed the skin from our salmon before cooking, but this really was not necessary; it was just me trying to make it “not simple.” After baking, the fillets will easily pull away from the skin, so it’s cook’s choice.

Directions

  1. Whisk together all marinade ingredients. Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
  2. Pour marinade into a shallow dish that is large enough to hold the salmon fillets. Add salmon, turning a few times to ensure even coverage. If preferred, marinate in a plastic zip-top bag for easy turning. Allow salmon to marinate at least 30 minutes, or up to 45 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 350F, with oven rack in center position. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  4. Transfer salmon fillets to parchment, spooning the marinade (especially marmalade peels and onions) over the top of the fish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness of salmon and preference for doneness.
  5. Arrange fillets on plates with desired sides and sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve at once.

“Double Rainbow” Trout & Chard

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Regardless of one’s religious bent, the season of Lent presents plenty of opportunity to try new seafood dishes. For those abstaining from meat, a fresh idea on the dinner table can help prevent boredom with the same fish dishes over and over for 40 days. For everyone else, it’s simply a healthier meal option—never a bad idea, and especially when we are headed into Spring.

This nutritious, colorful dish has lots of flavor (and heat, if you want it), but is easy on effort, calories and budget. You can have it on the table in under half an hour, too!

Rainbow chard is one of nature’s superfoods, a leafy green packed with vitamin K (good for our bones), iron (for healthy blood cell production), antioxidants (to reduce inflammation) and manganese (for brain and nerve support). On top of the health benefits, chard is very versatile in the kitchen. It can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, sautéed or braised. You can add it to everything from soup to an omelet, or even use its leaves to wrap up other ingredients, the way you might use cabbage leaves. I braised it this time, and made it a bed for a crispy, pan-fried trout fillet.

I used the whole chard in this dish, but I separated and chopped the hard stems to give them a 5-minute head start in the pan. To save time chopping the leaves, I stacked and rolled them, and then sliced the roll like a giant chiffonade.

I love the vibrant color of rainbow chard!

The stems were sautéed in a bit of extra virgin olive oil along with a couple scallions (the only onions I had in the house that day), and then I lined up three of my favorite complementary flavors—coconut milk, spicy Asian Reds pepper flakes and ginger. One of my favorite freezer-section discoveries has been these little cubes of crushed ginger. I can never use up a whole root (even a small one), and these come in very handy.

This flavor combination puts an Asian-inspired twist on my double rainbow!

When the chard stems were tender, I added the leaves a handful at a time and cooked them until they wilted. My coconut milk had a ton of oil solids floating on top, so I scooped those out for another use* (see my note about this after the pictures)—and only the liquid went into the pot to braise the chard. After only a few minutes, the coconut milk softened up and absorbed some of the color from the chard stems. I love the way these ingredients merge together!

The colors of the chard stems may fade, but the flavor doesn’t!

*You may as well know, when I say that I set aside some portion of an ingredient “for another use,” it often means I put it into the refrigerator and flat out forget about it. I cannot count the times I have dug around in there, looking for something else, and realized that I missed the freshness deadline on some ingredient I was sure I’d use. If I’d had a can of “light” coconut milk, this would not have been an issue. The full-fat version of coconut milk tends to add a stronger coconut flavor (not what I was going for). Anyway—

I sprinkled the trout fillets with salt and pepper, and then gave them a flip in flour sprinkled with more of the Asian Reds pepper flakes. I fried them in a little oil until crispy and browned, and then plated the fish on top of the chard and spooned the lingering coconut milk over the top. If you don’t mind a few carbs alongside, this would be great with steamed rice.

Trout is a delicate fish that cooks very quickly.

So, I’ve called my dish “double rainbow” because the fish counter at my supermarket had labeled this trout as “rainbow trout,” though I didn’t notice any signature rainbow stripes on these fillets. Sometimes, I get the feeling my supermarket is fibbing a little bit, or maybe they don’t know the difference, or they think we don’t. The bottom line is that any trout will be fine for this dish, and of course, another delicate flaky fish could also be substituted.

But I went with it because who doesn’t love a double rainbow?

Double Rainbow Trout & Chard

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Rainbow trout + rainbow chard = A doubly delicious weeknight meal that is inexpensive, easy to prepare and packed with nutrition.


Ingredients

  • 1 small bunch rainbow chard
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (one for cooking greens and the other for frying trout)
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion (sweet, yellow, leek, shallot or scallion would all work)
  • Salt and pepper
  • A shake or two of crushed red pepper, to taste (I love the Asian Red blend from Flatiron Pepper Co.)
  • 1 tsp. finely minced ginger (or a shortcut, like the frozen cubes of ginger)
  • 1 cup coconut milk (the canned culinary variety, preferably “light”)
  • 2 fresh trout fillets
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for dusting the trout fillets)

Directions

  1. Cut out stems of the chard and chop into small pieces. Stack the leaves and roll up tightly like a cigar, and then slice into strips.
  2. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a small skillet over medium heat. Add the chard stems and onions, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about five minutes, until slightly tender. Add chard leaves to the pan, along with red pepper and ginger. Cook a few minutes, until leaves are wilted.
  3. Add coconut milk, reduce heat and cover. Allow chard to braise about 15 minutes while you prepare the trout fillets.
  4. Pat fillets dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour onto a plate or paper towel, and add a few more shakes of red pepper flakes if you like spicy flavors. Press the flesh side of the fish down onto the flour to coat, and then shake off excess.
  5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When pan is hot, add the remaining oil and twirl the pan to coat. Place trout fillets, flesh side down, into the hot skillet and cook until fish is crispy and golden, about 4 minutes. Carefully turn fillets and cook the skin side for 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Plate the braised greens and top with trout. Spoon extra coconut milk sauce over the top of fish and serve at once.

Blender Buttermilk-Feta Dressing

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Let’s get this out of the way; today’s post is less about the salad dressing (which was just OK, and I’ll offer my ideas for making it better) and far more about my excitement in finding the new appliance I used to make it. What can I say? —I don’t take my decisions lightly.

We are approaching the six-month mark since the completion of our beautifully remodeled kitchen, and I am still on the hunt for the right tools to help equip me for success. You know how it is—you improve one thing, and suddenly everything in and around it seems outdated. My husband, Les, and I gave every countertop gadget we own a once-over when we did our update, and though a few appliances were deemed worthy, I have decided to replace my tired, old food processor (more to come on that one) and to purchase a real, honest-to-goodness blender. It’s about time!

I’ve had a Nutri-Bullet personal blender for a few years, and it’s great for breakfast smoothies and small amounts of things that I want to puree into oblivion, but not so good for anything that requires finesse, because the Nutri-Bullet has only one setting. It is also inconvenient for making anything that requires adding or adjusting ingredients halfway through, because once you open the wide, jar-like lid, the blended mixture gets all over everything and makes a mess. I needed a blender that opened at the top and had multiple settings and functions to help me with more than just smoothies.

When I had lamented to Les a few years ago that it was difficult to find a quality blender “like they used to make,” you know, with a sturdy glass carafe, he disappeared to our garage and returned with a dusty relic that had been gifted to him many years ago (for his first wedding, as he recalls). It was tall and heavy, with real glass! Unfortunately, when we finally found replacement gaskets for the ones that had dry rotted, we discovered that the blender didn’t have much oomph. It was mostly good for, well, stirring things.

After months of intense research, and reading reviews on every website imaginable, I have finally found the best blender for us. It’s tall, attractive, powerful and versatile enough to handle whatever role I give it. In other words, it’s the George Clooney of countertop appliances. The first challenge I had with it was deciding what to make first, and so far, I’ve only used it to make coconut martini cocktails and this buttermilk feta salad dressing, which was included in the little recipe cards that came with the machine. Regardless of your blender brand, I’m confident that you can make this dressing, and it only requires five ingredients, plus salt and pepper.

This dressing can’t help being tangy, with feta, buttermilk and lemon! Garlic and olive oil round out the ingredients list.

Part of the appeal of this recipe was that I already had all the ingredients, and the dressing wasn’t bad but I would recommend a few tweaks to improve the texture and balance the tang. Just about any kind of fresh, tender herb would be good here; basil, cilantro or dill would add a zesty punch. In the texture department, I would recommend addition of a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise to produce a creamier dressing that will cling better to your salad greens. If you do stick to the recipe offered by Breville, I recommend using a buttermilk with a thicker consistency so it doesn’t turn out watery.

Here’s how things went for me.

For easier blending, the instructions say to put the liquid ingredients in first.
My feta was packed in brine, and it didn’t take much to crumble it into bits, though the blender did not need help with that.
I usually blend oil in with the machine running, but I followed the Breville instructions and just added it to the blender from the start.
I am enjoying the steady, powerful motor of my new toy!
The dressing will keep in the fridge for a few days. This recipe yields about one cup of dressing, enough for 8 salad servings.

But enough about the dressing. 😉

I am very pleased with our new Breville blender, which has a pre-programmed setting for smoothies, and eventually I will get around to making one. I especially appreciate the self-clean function, which makes cleanup a snap, even after making a creamy salad dressing like this one. It’s so easy, I literally put two drops of dish liquid into it with about one cup of water and touch the “auto-clean” button. The blender does the rest, switching between speeds and settings until the pitcher is clean. Quick rinse, and done. I should have bought it years ago. Did I mention that I paid full price for this appliance, and nobody is paying me for my opinion? Just thought I’d mention that, in case this sounds like an advertisement.

Besides the debut of our fab new blender, I am also excited to apply a new way of sharing the details of my recipes with you. When I first started my blog, my sister-in-law, Andrea, suggested adding a “print” feature to make it easier for a reader to save a recipe for later. It was a great idea, and up to this point, I have accomplished it by formatting the recipe into a PDF that I upload at the end of a post. Today, I’m doing something different.

After an hour-long chat session with WordPress support (which left me as confused as ever), and then a few friendly emails and helpful coaching by one of my blog buddies about something called “shortcode,” I have finally figured out how to apply my recipe ingredients and instructions to my posts, including a quick “print” option, without so much background work.

I first spotted this feature on a post by Maylee at BeyondGumbo.com, and when I reached out to ask about it, Maylee graciously walked me through how she uses the feature. As you’ve probably guessed, her blog is all about the regional cuisine of Louisiana (which is so much more than gumbo!), including a beautiful bibb salad with luscious Louisiana strawberries, which she just posted on Sunday. And if you think that sounds delicious, wait until she surprises us with something that she casually whips up from the satsuma trees growing in her backyard. 😊

Let’s see how this goes!

Easy Buttermilk Feta Dressing

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: very easy
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This recipe is simple and versatile, and it can be made in any blender. Consider tweaking it by adding other ingredients, such as your favorite fresh herbs, for a twist of flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk
  • Approximately 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • The juice of one organic lemon
  • 1 small clove garlic, rough-chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. organic lemon zest
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Place buttermilk, feta, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic into the jug of a blender. Puree 15 seconds, or longer if needed to achieve smooth texture.
  2. Add lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Mix on a low speed for 5 seconds, to incorporate seasonings. Transfer dressing to a jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tahini-Lemon Sauce

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One of my favorite condiments is tzatziki, the Greek yogurt-based topping that is perfect for anything you put on a pita, including gyro and souvlaki. The zesty zing of garlic and cooling notes of grated cucumber are an easy, refreshing way to pile on the flavor. But for a vegan dish, such as the falafel I made recently, tzatziki is off the table. We wanted a flavorful topping that still had a Middle Eastern vibe, and one that could play many roles, as a dipping sauce, topping or dressing.

That’s how this tahini-lemon sauce came to be, and as I whizzed up the ingredients in my food processor, it occurred to me that this sauce is basically hummus, minus the chickpeas. All the other components of hummus are in there—the tahini, which is a sticky paste made from ground toasted sesame seeds, fresh garlic, fresh lemon juice, salt, spices and good olive oil. Processing these ingredients results in a smooth, completely emulsified mixture that can be thick or thin, depending on how much water your blend into it. For my purposes this time, I kept it on the thicker side as a perfect dipping agent for my falafel, but I can easily see the benefit of thinning it to pour onto a salad or Buddha bowl.

This tahini-lemon sauce is smooth, silky and creamy, but with no mayonnaise or dairy.

My husband’s adult daughter has adopted the vegan lifestyle, and I am always on the lookout for easy foods to make when she visits. This tahini-lemon sauce fits the bill, and it’s so tasty that we non-vegans won’t feel like we are missing out on anything.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup tahini paste

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Juice of 1 large lemon

A few shakes of crushed red pepper* (see notes)

2 Tbsp. fresh dill leaves

1/4 cup water (or more, for thinner sauce)

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

*Notes

The crushed red pepper flakes that you see in pizza restaurants would be fine here, but if you can get your hands on Aleppo pepper, that is even more in keeping with the Mediterranean flavor profile. We used a three-pepper blend (Aleppo, Maras and Urfa) from Flatiron Pepper Company, and their rep informed me that it will be back in stock in a few months. I’ll update this post at that time to include a link, in case you’d like to check it out.

Instructions

  • The ingredients in this easy sauce are simple, good-for-you and vegan!
  • Tahini is a sesame paste with a consistency similar to a thinned peanut butter. Its flavor is very savory.
  • Fresh lemon juice is a must for this recipe. I squeezed it right into the processor with the other main ingredients.
  • The mixture would be thick and sticky without a little bit of water. Add a few tablespoons to start, and more as needed when the sauce develops.
  • While the processor is running, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mixture. This slow-and-steady approach will create a beautiful emulsion.
  • At this point, the mixture is nearly as thick as mayonnaise. I added another two splashes of water and processed again.
  • This soft consistency is just what I wanted for dipping my falafel. It could be thinned even more to become pourable for a salad or Buddha bowl.
  • This dip is delicious with falafel, and I will make it again next time I make gyros at home!
Tahini-Lemon SaucePrint it!

Pecan and Parmesan-Crusted Trout

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Friday fish fry. That was the thing in my upstate New York hometown, and it didn’t have to be Lent. There were a few places that everyone flocked to on Friday nights for a heaping plate of beer-battered haddock fillets, deep fried and served up with cole slaw and French fries—or cottage cheese, if it was lunch. You couldn’t order it any other day of the week. Just Friday. The “fish fry” is one of the foods I really do miss from my younger years, and I have never seen it served that way anywhere else. There are plenty of places I could find battered-and-fried cod, but it just isn’t the same.

I need to get better at deep frying before I try to make a Friday fish fry myself. Until then, I’ll satisfy my fish craving with a few other favorites, baked rather than fried, that I’ve developed on my own over the years. During the Lenten season, there’s an uptick in searches for interesting seafood recipes because observant Christians abstain from eating meat on Fridays—at least for the 40 days leading up to Easter. Here’s one that is delicious and easy to prepare. I hope you enjoy it, regardless of your religious observance.

Pecan and parmesan-crusted trout. I served it with a quick sauteed spinach side and boiled baby red potatoes.

My recipe for pecan-crusted trout has evolved over the years, and the flavors and textures are all front and center in this one. The trout fillets are brushed with an easy blend of mayonnaise, Parmesan and Dijon mustard, and then I press them into a mixture of panko crumbs, more grated Parmesan and finely crushed, toasted pecans. 20 minutes later, dinner is served! This is easy enough for even a busy weeknight, and you can prepare your sides while it bakes.

The mayo mixture serves double duty in this recipe. It’s a “glue” to hold the seasoned pecan blend in place, and it also protects the fish from becoming dry during its brief time in the oven. The trout fillets remain soft and moist inside, despite the delicate crunch that meets your taste buds with every bite.

This recipe serves 2; easy to adjust for more servings

Ingredients

2 fresh trout fillets

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup pecan pieces, toasted* (see recipe notes)

1/4 cup panko crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

A few shakes ground cayenne pepper

*Notes

To toast the pecan pieces, preheat oven to 350° F. Spread the pecan pieces onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until nuts are fragrant, roasty and slightly shiny. Remove from oven and cool completely. Do this step ahead to save even more time in preparation of the fish.

Instructions

  • Combine mayonnaise, Parmesan and Dijon mustard in a small bowl.
  • Season every layer! Sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper onto the trout fillets.
  • Brush the mayo mixture all over the fish.
  • Crush the pecan pieces with a mortar and pestle, or pulse in a food processor until they are in tiny bits.
  • Combine the pecan crumbs, panko and Parmesan in a bowl or flat dish. Season with a quick shake or two of ground cayenne.
  • Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the mayo-coated fish. Press the crumbs to firmly adhere them.
  • Bake the crusted trout at 350° F for about 18 minutes, and finish on the broil setting for one minute only.
  • The trout emerges from the oven with a beautiful golden crust.
  • The inside of the trout remains moist and tender, thanks to the protective mayonnaise treatment. Delish!

Preheat oven to 350° F. Stir together the mayonnaise, Parmesan and Dijon mustard. Sprinkle the trout fillets with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Using a food processor or mortar and pestle, pulse or crush the pecan pieces into fine crumbs. Transfer the pecans to a bowl with the panko crumbs and Parmesan. Season with a shake or two of ground cayenne.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spritz it lightly with cooking oil spray. Arrange the trout fillets on the sheet, skin side-down. Use a pastry brush to thoroughly coat the fleshy side of the trout fillets with the mayo-Parm mixture, then press the pecan crumb mixture onto the fish, generously covering every visible area.

Bake the fish for about 18 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a light twist of a fork. If the crumbs are pale, turn on the broiler for only one minute, to finish the fish with a deep golden color.

Pecan and Parmesan-Crusted TroutPrint it!

Salmon with Warm Farro Salad

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Comfort foods come in many shapes and sizes, though I usually think of them as rich, creamy sauces or over-the-top pizzas or decadent ice creams. But this entrée, despite being inherently light and healthful, is also very comforting, thanks to the variety of textures and flavors in the mix.

I designed this pretty plate from memory after a brunch with co-workers during the holiday season. It was the farro salad and roasted root vegetables that caught my eye on the menu that day. I loved the tender chew of the farro and the warmth and earthiness given by the sweet potatoes and parsnips. If you are not familiar with farro, please allow me to introduce you.

handful of quick cooking farro
Italian farro, par-cooked to be ready in just 10 minutes! Use farro any way that you would use wheat berries, barley or brown rice.

What is farro?

Farro is an ancient grain that is native to Italy. It is perhaps better described as a category of grain, given that three distinct varieties—spelt, einkorn and emmer—are frequently described as “farro.” In its most basic state, farro is a hard kernel that can either be cooked whole in water or ground into meal or flour. But it may also be partially or fully pearled, meaning that some or all of the bran has been removed. The pearling process results in altered cooking time, but the grain would still be suitable for the same kinds of dishes.

What does farro taste like?

When cooked as a whole grain, farro has a warm, nutty flavor that is similar to that of brown rice. Unlike most conventional wheat grains, farro has not been greatly hybridized from its ancient state, and some people find it more easily digestible for that reason. But as a botanical relative of wheat, farro does contain gluten and should be avoided by people with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease.

How do you cook farro?

To cook partially pearled farro (the most common form you’ll find in stores), give it a rinse under running water and inspect the grains to weed out any small debris that may have missed screening during packaging. Add the farro to double the amount of water and heat until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer about 20 to 25 minutes for al dente, or longer if you want it more tender. Farro that has not been pearled may take twice as long, and some packaged farro is par-cooked for quicker preparation, so always check the label instructions for recommended cooking time.

What can you use farro for?

Farro is a versatile grain that can be used in pilafs, salads or soups. If ground into flour, it can be used in baking recipes, though the resulting texture would be more dense than baked goods made with typical wheat. If you want to try farro flour in a favorite bread recipe, consider substituting only about one-fourth of the total amount of flour, and increase the amount the next time when you better understand its properties.

salmon with warm farro salad - comfortdujour.com
There is a lot of lovely contrast amid all these ingredients. I especially like the feta crumbles!

The rest of this recipe is straightforward and simple—the sweet potatoes and parsnips are tossed lightly in olive oil and roasted until tender and browned, and the salmon is lightly seared in a skillet with nothing more than salt and pepper. A quick vinaigrette of lemon, garlic and oregano ties the whole dish together with a fat handful of peppery arugula greens.

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 parsnips, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup sliced fresh leeks (or chopped sweet onion)

1 cup cooked farro* (see recipe notes)

A fat handful fresh baby arugula leaves, washed

Garlic-oregano vinaigrette*

2 fillets fresh salmon, skin removed

1/4 cup crumbled feta (or goat cheese)

*Recipe Notes

As noted above, some farro products have been par-cooked for convenience. Follow the instructions on your package to cook the farro to “al dente” stage, so that it is soft but still has a bit of chew to it.

Vinaigrette is one of the simplest salad dressings to make at home. I usually make it in a glass measuring cup for easy pouring, but if you want to make it even easier, put all the ingredients into a small jar with a lid and shake the dickens out of it. My recipe for this vinaigrette is included in the downloadable PDF at the end of this post. You’ll need a light vinegar, Dijon, fresh garlic, oregano and lemon, and extra virgin olive oil.

Dijon mustard holds the dressing together.
Fresh oregano is best in this dressing.
Fresh garlic works really nicely with the roasted vegetables and nutty farro.
A squeeze of fresh lemon is like a splash of sunshine for this late winter meal.

Instructions

Follow along as I show you how I made this tasty, healthful comfort food. Scroll to the bottom for a downloadable version you can print for your recipe files.

  • Toss the cubed sweet potatoes and parsnips with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Roast the root vegetables at 400° F for about 25 minutes, or until they can be easily pierced with a fork.
  • Scatter the chopped leeks onto the roasted root vegetables, and roast another 10 minutes to soften and brown them.
  • Some packaged farro is par-cooked for faster preparation. Check label instructions to be sure.
  • Add the fresh arugula greens to the warm farro and give it a toss with the garlic-oregano vinaigrette.
  • Plate the farro salad, then sprinkle with feta and top the salad with the roasted vegetables.
  • A fresh squeeze of lemon over the salmon brightens the flavors just before serving.
  • Delicious, healthful and comforting!
Salmon with Warm Farro SaladPrint

Artichoke & Garlic Hummus

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In six short weeks, life will be turned upside down for my husband, Les, and me. This is when our kitchen tear-out will begin, and we are beginning to shift our expectations as we prepare for the eight weeks or so that we will be “without” a kitchen. Welcome, friends, to our “in-between” kitchen!

  • How about that? A two-burner “stove” right on the dining table!
  • This rack is going to get a LOT more cluttered in the weeks ahead.
At least we will have the bar nearby… 🙂

We have rearranged our dining room space to accommodate a baker’s rack that will hold some of the appliances that will help us get through the chaos. A new two-burner induction cooktop will allow us to do simple stove-top cooking, including heating water for my daily dose of French press coffee. We will make good use of our slow cooker, toaster oven and the panini griddle that doubles as a waffle iron. We have the gas grill for outdoor cooking, and so far, the only thing I haven’t quite figured out is how I will make bread without our oven, though don’t be surprised if I use one or more of the above to make it happen!

As we are preparing for the load out of the old kitchen (not to mention a bevy of random pantry and freezer ingredients), I’m giving all of our other small electrics a chance to prove themselves worthy of a spot in our new space. One item that will be (sadly) getting the boot is our KitchenAid 11-cup food processor, but not because we don’t use it; on the contrary, this thing gets so much action, it is on its last legs. The protective film over the power buttons has become brittle and is completely worn away from the pulse button, the feed chute is cracked and the inside of the “S” blade stem has some dried-on crud that I have not been able to remove. I have had the appliance nearly 20 years, and KitchenAid no longer makes my model (or any of the parts), so my only choice will be to replace the machine.

  • I’m surprised this is the only button missing the cover.
  • This probably happened while I was make parm-romano blend.
  • I don’t even want to know what dangers lurk in those crevices…
My KitchenAid processor has had a good run!

Until then, I’ll keep going with recipes like this one, for easy homemade hummus made with garbanzo beans, lemony artichoke hearts and lots of fresh garlic. Hummus is one of my favorite “blank canvas” foods, and it’s so simple at home, it makes no sense to buy it. The other key ingredients include tahini, olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon, which is a perfect highlight to the tangy artichoke. 

Warm the garbanzo beans to soften them up before you begin and use a food processor or a good blender for best, smoothest results. Enjoy your hummus on crackers, chips, crostini or fresh veggie slices.

It’s so much tastier than store-bought!

Ingredients

15 oz. can garbanzo beans, with liquid

3 Tbsp. tahini* (see notes)

2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

About 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts*, drained and rough-chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Kosher salt and pepper

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

*Notes

Tahini is a paste made of ground sesame seeds. It is available in most larger supermarkets, usually in the same section as olives, or perhaps in the international aisle.

The artichoke hearts I used were Trader Joe’s, marinated in sunflower oil, vinegar and spices. If you use plain hearts, consider adding a pinch or dried herbs (dill or oregano would be great), and either way, drain all the excess liquid from them.

Instructions

  • Simmering the garbanzos softens them, and helps achieve a silky texture in the hummus.
  • Drain off most of the liquid, and keep it nearby for the blending stage.
  • Transfer all the beans, still warm, into the processor (or blender) bowl. Keep the chute lid open while blending to allow steam to escape.
  • The add-ins, clockwise from top: tahini, fresh garlic, chopped artichoke hearts, salt and pepper.
  • Pouring in the warm liquid keeps the mixture nice and smooth as it processes.
  • I love my citrus squeezer because I get all of the juice and none of the seeds!
  • Drizzle the olive oil in slowly as the machine processes continuously.
  • After each step or addition, stop and scrape the sides to ensure all bits of ingredients are evenly blended.

Pour the entire contents of the canned garbanzo beans into a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat and drain liquid off beans, but do not discard it (you’ll use it for blending).

Transfer warm beans into a food processor or blender and pulse a few times to grind the beans into a meal-like texture. Scrape down sides of the processor bowl. Add tahini, garlic, artichoke hearts, salt and pepper. Pulse a few times to combine. Scrape down the sides again.

Turn processor on and run continuously while slowly pouring about 3 tablespoons of the warm liquid into the processor. Blending slowly will help to emulsify the ingredients into a smooth blend. Add more or less of the liquid, depending on your preference for hummus consistency. Remember that the mixture will become firmer after chilling. Scrape down sides once more.

Run processor continuously and slowly blend in about 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Transfer hummus to a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for up to a week.

Artichoke-Garlic HummusPrint it!
Artichoke & Garlic Hummus

Orange & Honey-Ginger Fruit Salad

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You didn’t know it when you opened this post, but you are about to witness something that doesn’t happen all that often in my kitchen—a simple, two-ingredient twist that will transform a basic fruit bowl into a mouthwatering side dish that is almost as sumptuous as dessert. Unlike some of my other “make-the-whole-thing-from-scratch” ideas, this one really is ridiculously simple. You can apply this easy twist to virtually any kind of fruit, including pre-cut if you are short on time, and the fruit itself does not have to be fancy. Look at my salad again—it’s only pineapple, grapes and berries. What elevates this simple fruit combo into an elegant and special treat is the dressing.

Nothing fancy about this fruit.

It may be that you have never considered “dressing” a fruit salad, but why? We don’t often see a vegetable salad served dry, and fruit is just as worthy of dressing up a bit. Dressing a fruit salad is not only tasty; it also helps the fruit retain moisture and color. Try this once and you’ll be craving fresh fruit salad every day.

The dressing for this salad depends on two special ingredients that can only be purchased in a boutique olive oil and balsamic vinegar shop, and they are worth every penny. You have probably seen one of these stores, with all their shiny stainless steel containers lined up on a high table. Those containers, called “fustis,” hold exquisitely flavored extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars, ingredients which have uncanny power to change the way you cook. In the spirit of full disclosure, I will tell you that I used to work in one of those shops here in my city, and it was one of my most fun jobs ever—a true foodie fantasy, come true!

These days, nobody is paying me to share about these products, but I feel compelled to do so because of the one question we received over and again at the shop, from customers who enjoyed the flavors but asked, “what would I ever do with it?” Part of my job as a sales associate was taking home various products and coming back with inspiration for the home cooks who shopped our store. I guess you could say I took my job seriously, because I’m still doing it. 🙂

These flavors work great together!

The combination I’ve used for this fruit salad is blood orange-fused extra virgin olive oil and honey-ginger white balsamic vinegar. The vinegar has a slight tartness to it, but it is mostly sweet with the warmth of honey, and the ginger is subtle but present. The olive oil is rich with the flavor of blood orange, because the oranges and olives are pressed together during production. The result is so good, it makes itself at home in sweet and savory dishes alike.

At the end of the post, I’ll share some other ideas for using up these two ingredients.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks, cut into bite-sized bits

1 heaping cup fresh strawberries, sliced into quarters

1 cup fresh large blueberries

1 cup fresh white seedless grapes

3 Tbsp. honey-ginger white balsamic vinegar* (see notes)

3 Tbsp. blood orange whole fruit-fused extra virgin olive oil*

Lime zest or fresh chopped mint or basil, optional for garnish

*Notes

I wish I could offer up a universal brand name for the olive oil and balsamics that I use, but they are bottled under various franchised shop names. Here’s a tip—if you have this type of store in your community, ask for the name of the supplier. If it is Veronica Foods, you’re in the right place. 😊

Instructions

Wash your fruit just before assembling the salad, and it’s best to add berries just before serving or they tend to get mushy. Combine all the fruit in a bowl large enough for easy tossing in the dressing.

Pour the honey-ginger white balsamic into a small bowl, or a glass measuring cup for easier pouring. Slowly pour the olive oil into the balsamic, whisking quickly and constantly, until the mixture is thick and syrupy.

Immediately pour the dressing over the fruit and toss gently to coat the fruit. Serve right away or refrigerate up to one hour before serving.

If you would like to put a little extra pizzazz onto the salad, sprinkle with fresh lime zest or thin strips of fresh mint or basil.

  • Whisk the olive oil into the white balsamic vinegar to create an emulsion. The more you whisk, the thicker it will become.
  • When properly emulsified, the dressing will have the consistency of syrup.
  • Pour it over the prepared fruit and toss gently to coat.
  • The dressing will cling to the fruit, making it glossy and also protecting it from oxidation.
  • A little lime zest sprinkled over the top, or finely sliced mint or basil completes the salad. This is just so easy!
Orange and Honey-Ginger Fruit SaladPrint it!

Looking for more ways to use your blood orange-fused olive oil?

Substitute for the equal amount of oil in your favorite carrot cake recipe

Use it in a marinade for chicken or fish

Drizzle a teaspoon over dark chocolate ice cream (yes, really!)

Toss vegetables in it before roasting

Use it in your favorite pancake or waffle recipe

Need ideas for using up the honey-ginger white balsamic?

Try it an any salad dressing, especially Asian-inspired salads

Use it in a marinade for chicken, fish, shrimp or pork

Add a splash to a cocktail or white sangria

Drizzle it onto vegetables after grilling or roasting

Add a tablespoon to your water bottle for flavorful summer hydration

Shrimp & Quinoa Salad

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One of the benefits of working from home is the flexibility to carry out personal tasks during my workday. It is not unusual, even during my job’s “busy” seasons, for me to be working on a loaf of sourdough bread or some other dinner prep amid online conference calls or in between answering emails. So when my friend, Ruthanne, texted a few weeks ago to ask if she could come to my house for an online job interview, I instantly answered, “of course!”  

Her own home was more than 45 minutes away, and she needed a quiet place to land where she could conduct her meeting without attracting suspicion from management at her current job. My place was an easy solution, being just a few minutes down the parkway, and (obviously) I also promised her a tasty lunch.

Ruthanne has a fit, healthy lifestyle that is usually along low-carb lines with an emphasis on clean, whole food ingredients, and I took that into consideration when I planned this simple lunch. It was mostly made in advance—I cooked up the quinoa and sauteed the onions and tomatoes before she arrived, then I set her up in the loft space in our home, where she connected to our wi-fi, took a few deep breaths, shook off her nerves and started her call.

The irony of the situation is that my friend was hoping to land a position with a company that exclusively employs remote workers, and that was their practice even before the COVID-19 pandemic forced so many companies to create a remote plan. Job interviews are stressful under the best of circumstances, but this one was a high-stakes situation. After 15 months of pandemic-forced remote work, her existing employer had mandated an immediate return to the office. Like so many other people, my friend had adjusted to working productively in the quiet environment of her own home, and despite her pleas to continue the arrangement for a few more weeks so that she could manage new family obligations, it was a no go. She needed this new job.

When she descended from the loft with a huge smile and an expression of relief, I popped the top on a bottle of blood orange seltzer for a quick workday-friendly mocktail. We had to celebrate what she said felt like a sure thing. With the pressure of the interview behind her, we had just enough time left for lunch. I did a super-quick sauté on the shrimp (using the pesto compound butter I already had in the fridge) and arranged this tasty plate.

So much to love about a lunch that is quick, easy, satisfying and good for you!

This was a light, clean bite with a good, healthy dose of protein. Quinoa is the only plant-based food that satisfies all nine of the amino acids our bodies need, yet it doesn’t feel heavy or too filling. Mixed salad greens in vinaigrette were a fresh backdrop to the quinoa and the gently sauteed tomatoes provided a juicy pop of acid against the sweetness of the shrimp. It was exactly what we needed, and my BFF was able to scoot back to work on time.

It’s exciting to see how quickly things can happen when you are courageous enough to put yourself out there. Ruthanne begins her new job today, and I’m so proud of her! 😀

Serves 2 for lunch

Ingredients

1 cup cooked red, white or mixed quinoa* (see notes)

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 sweet onion slices, chopped

Small handful organic baby tomatoes, halved

2 handfuls mixed baby greens

4 Tbsp. vinaigrette (I used the last bit of some Good Seasons dressing, but any vinaigrette would work)

6 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined*

2 Tbsp. pesto compound butter*

Lemon wedges for serving

*Notes

Cook the quinoa ahead to allow time for chilling it. If you have found quinoa to have a bitter taste, you may have missed the step of rinsing it before cooking. Give these instructions a quick review to see how I prepped the quinoa. I made a large batch and used up the rest in other dishes.

  • Rinse the quinoa under cold running water to remove the bitter coating on the grains.
  • Follow a 2:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa. For savory recipes, I use a blend of water and vegetable broth.
  • Stir the quinoa at the beginning of cooking to help break up any clumps.
  • Cook over medium heat and stir occasionally, and especially after about 15 minutes. The final stretch of cooking happens quickly!
  • When all or most of the water is absorbed and these little “tails” spring out of the quinoa grains, it’s finished. It should be tender, but with a slight “bite.”
  • If there is any liquid remaining in the pot, drain the quinoa through a mesh strainer. Cool completely, then chill until ready to use it in the salad.

The shrimp I used for this dish were “16-20” size, which means a pound of the shrimp would include 16 to 20 individual shrimp. Each portion of this salad included about 4 ounces of shrimp.

This recipe makes use of the compound butter I shared in my previous post, or you could swap in regular butter or extra virgin olive oil, but add a little minced garlic and herbs to the pan when you cook the shrimp.

Instructions

The sweet onion and tomatoes will add more to the salad after a quick saute.
Shrimp cooks very quickly, so watch closely and turn it over as soon as the first side turns bright pink.
Drizzle remaining pesto compound butter over the shrimp.
  1. Place a small, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Swirl in olive oil and heat until shimmering. Sauté onions and baby tomatoes just long enough to soften them. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
  2. Toss the mixed greens in vinaigrette until lightly coated. Arrange the greens on the plate, reserving leftover dressing.
  3. Add the quinoa to the bowl with dressing and toss it around to absorb it. Mound the quinoa on top of the dressed greens, then scatter the onions and tomatoes over it.
  4. Heat the compound butter in the same skillet used for cooking the onions. When it is melted and the skillet is hot, lay the shrimp into the pan, taking note of the order you added them. After about one minute, turn each shrimp over, following the same order, to cook the second side.
  5. Arrange the shrimp on top of the salad. Drizzle any remaining melted butter over the top of the shrimp.
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Green Goddess Dressing

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Don’t be surprised to see a lot of late winter recipes showing up here with highlights of fresh summer herbs. No, I haven’t lost track of the seasons (not possible with all the bad weather news everywhere). It’s more a situation of appreciating the Christmas gift that keeps on giving.

My husband, Les, undoubtedly tired of my chronic lament over the deer having eaten my summer garden, gifted me this year with an AeroGarden. It’s a hydroponic, countertop device with individual seed pods for growing whatever your heart desires (or, at least, whatever is legal in your state). Knowing my love of using fresh herbs in the kitchen, Les opted for the herbal variety pack, which included two basil varieties, chives, mint, thyme and two kinds of parsley.

At first, the thing just sort of sat on the table by the kitchen window, blazing its bright blue light across the kitchen for 15 hours a day. The thing comes on by itself at 5:00 a.m., waking the pets, who then wander in to wake us, because they know it must be almost time to eat. It took me a couple weeks to adjust to this new growing schedule, about the same time that tiny sprouts emerged, first from the Genovese basil. It has been fun to watch our little herb babies grow. 🙂

  • December 31st, just beginning.
  • February 2nd, already growing beautifully.
  • February 12th, time to start using all these beautiful herbs!

What began as a fun “let’s see what happens” Christmas gift has turned into a “holy moly, what are we gonna do with all this parsley” adventure. By Valentine’s weekend, I realized I needed to do something with the parsley before it consumed the kitchen, as my outdoor basil did last summer in the backyard garden. Les had asked for simple embellishments to our romantic dinner of lobster tails, including roasted asparagus and a Caesar salad (his fave).

“How do you feel about green goddess dressing,” I asked. And so it was.

Green goddess is a throwback food, originally created in the early 1920s at a San Francisco restaurant, and at that time the dressing included mayonnaise, chives, scallions, parsley, garlic, anchovies and tarragon vinegar. By the late ‘40s, The New York Times published a recipe for it, and it hit the grocery shelves in bottled form about 1973. Thank you, Wikipedia, for all that helpful information.

Like any other recipe, green goddess can be switched up to match your flavor (and consistency) preferences. If you want to use it as a dip, ease up on the buttermilk and add more mayo. Hate basil? Leave it out and use extra parsley. If you are gaga for garlic, double it—or roast it for milder flavor. I went rogue a little bit and added a small handful of baby spinach leaves to this version (hey, they’re green), and I love a recipe that is so flexible. The dressing seems to me a mash-up of ranch and Caesar, but with a bounty of freshness to punch up the flavor and, thankfully, a perfect vehicle for freshly picked herbs.

I’ve made my own salad dressing for years, and this was my first green goddess but definitely not my last. Obviously!

Ingredients

1/4 cup thick cultured buttermilk

Small handful of fresh basil leaves

Small handful of curly or flat parsley leaves

Several stems of fresh chives

2 scallions (white and green parts), trimmed

2 cloves fresh garlic

4 to 6 fillets of anchovy, to taste* (see notes)

2 tsp. prepared Dijon mustard

Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

Small handful fresh baby spinach leaves (optional)

1 to 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

*Notes

Remember that anchovies are fairly salty on their own, and you may or may not want additional salt in the mix. If you prefer to omit the anchovies, consider substituting a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce to add a similar punch.

Instructions

  • You know what’s great about these fresh herbs growing in the kitchen window? I don’t need to wash them first! 🙂
  • Combine the herbs, scallions, garlic, Dijon, anchovies, salt and pepper in the processor bowl. Pour in the buttermilk and pulse several times.
  • Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl, add the mayo and yogurt and pulse again to blend.
  • I started with four anchovies, and went for two more, leaning into the “Caesar” request my dear hubby had made for our Valentine’s meal.
  • A slow, steady drizzle of oil is best when mixing salad dressing. It emulsifies better into the mayonnaise-buttermilk mixture.
  • My husband would never complain about me adding spinach to anything!
  • If you want a thinner consistency, whisk in an extra splash of buttermilk; if you want it thicker for dipping, whisk in a couple spoons of mayo.
  • After some time in the fridge, the dressing will take on more of the green color of the fresh herbs.
  1. In the small insert bowl of a food processor, combine herbs, scallions, Dijon, salt and pepper, anchovies and lemon juice. Pulse several times to chop herbs into somewhat uniform mixture.
  2. Add mayonnaise and Greek yogurt and pulse about 8 times. Give it a taste and adjust seasonings or ingredients as desired, pulsing to incorporate additions.
  3. Turn processor on steady and slowly drizzle olive oil into the dressing. Transfer dressing to a bowl and chill several hours or overnight.
Great as a dressing for crisp salad, or dipping sauce for fresh cut veggies!

Want to make this dressing?

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