Family Dinner Party - Fennel Apple Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Cherries and Pecans

I've spent the past few days in Atlanta for some meetings and to spend some time with my family and friends. I am fortunate to have a close relationship with my grandmother, who is one of the most amazing women I know. She raised seven (!) children and is kind, patient and still adventurous. When I was in high school, my family took a trip to Ireland with my Grandma. She and I were supposed to be roommates for the first portion of the trip, and then each of my sisters was to take a turn as her roommate later in the trip, but when my Grandma and I realized that we shared the same schedule (we're both early birds who love an afternoon tea) and the same sense of humor, we ended up as roommates who got along famously for the whole two weeks. Fortunately, my Grandma also shares my love of good food, so, this weekend, I volunteered to cook dinner for my parents, Grandma and one of my mom's sisters who was also visiting for the weekend.

My mom loves spinach, which, for better or worse, is just not one of my favorite greens, but since it was her only request for the meal, I figured I should find a way to work it in. My compromise was to put it in a salad filled with other flavors and textures so that it was buried beneath the salty blue cheese and sweet apples and cherries. The fennel added a really nice mild but unexpected flavor, and the chopped toasted pecans added a really great crunch. I added some fresh thyme to the salad. I was also using it in roasted potatoes and a blue cheese sauce I was serving with chicken for the main course, so it was nice to have just a hint of the flavor in the salad. With this much flavor going on in the salad itself, I kept the dressing was super simple to let all of the flavors shine.

Fennel Apple Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Cherries and Pecans
Serves 4-6

• 1 large bulb fennel
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, chopped
• 1/2 c dried cherries
• 1/3 c crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tsp fresh thyme 
• 1/4 c toasted, chopped pecans
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt

Add spinach to a large bowl. Slice fennel in half. Remove core. Slice crosswise, starting at the bottom into thin strips. You could use a mandoline if desired. Then chop long strips into thirds. Add to bowl.

Chop apple, with peel on. (If you're preparing the salad ahead, just put the chopped apple into a bowl with lemon juice and water to prevent browning.)

Add apples, cherries, thyme and crumbed blue cheese to the bowl.

Add vinegar, olive oil and salt to taste. Toss. 

Top with toasted pecans.

Chicken with Pesto and Chives

Yesterday, I was looking for a lean, protein packed meal that didn't skimp on flavor. I wanted the idea of a burger without the bun. I landed on a patty that was super packed with flavor and served it with a side of minted couscous. Though I didn't include it this time, I would recommend serving this with a pesto mayo as well. Just mix 1 tsp pesto with 1 tbsp reduced fat mayo and drizzle over the top.

• 1 lb organic ground chicken
• 2 tbsp pesto
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Cooking spray
• 4 oz fat free feta, sliced

Mix chicken, pesto, chives and garlic with hands until combined. Do not over-mix ( it makes the meat tough). Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Divide meat into four patties. Spray the pan with cooking spray. Cook patties over medium high heat until internal temperature reaches 165F, approximately 8 minutes per side. Lay slices of feta on patties and cover skillet with a lid for the last 5 minutes of cooking to allow cheese to soften. Serve over a bed of minted couscous.

Fresh Herb Salad with Lettuce and Sorrel

Spring is a fabulous time of year for salads. The greens are plentiful and interesting. We are part of a CSA (community supported agriculture). This means that we pay a set amount for a share of the season's crops. Every week, from June through November, we receive a share of that week's harvest. In this week's farm box, we received, among other things, sorrel and mint. Sorrel is a long leaf with an arrow head shape. It gets its name from the French word for sour, and it has a surprisingly sour citrus flavor. It's a bit too sour for me to eat on its own, but it's really delicious mixed in to a salad with other lettuces and herbs. Because of the citrus flavor, I didn't add any vinegar or lemon. It just needs a touch of olive oil and salt. This salad is very light and surprisingly flavorful.

• 4 c chopped red leaf lettuce (butter or romaine would also work)
• 1 c arugula
• 1 1/2 c chopped sorrel
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt

Add all ingredients to the serving bowl. Toss until all of the lettuce is lightly coated with olive oil and serve.

Provencal Style Chicken and Asparagus Casserole

Sunday was just a gorgeous day here in New York. It was sunny and warm with a constant breeze and no humidity - a rare day here! For dinner, I needed to use up some chicken and saw a recipe for chicken and asparagus casserole that looked delicious but did not look like it would help me on my quest for pre-wedding "waist management." I also had some tomatoes that I really needed to use, and I had been flirting with the idea of a tomato basil salad using some of the fresh basil from my window box herb garden. Instead, I decided to mix them all together to make the casserole healthier. I threw in some olives for a Provencal kick and was quite happy with the result!

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 12 oz asparagus, chopped into bite size pieces
• 1/3 c chicken stock
• 1 pt cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 4 tbsp kalamata olives, sliced into thirds
• 2 tbsp green olives, sliced into thirds
• 3 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
• 3 servings whole wheat fusilli
• 3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375F. 

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute until onion is translucent but neither garlic nor onion is brown. Add chicken and sear. Add asparagus, chicken stock and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add oregano, olives and cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese is incorporated. 

Meanwhile, boil water and cook pasta to al dente. Pour pasta into casserole dish. Add chicken mixture and 1/2 c Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Top with remaining 1/4 c Parmesan cheese. Bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling.

Kale Pesto Pasta with Spinach Feta Sausage

Though Kale was the darling of yesteryear (replaced by the versatile cauliflower this year), kale will always have a special place in my heart and on my plate. In my attempt to continually make all luxuriously delicious dishes *slightly* healthier, I made a kale pesto. Next time, I think I'll throw in some basil as well, but this one came out pretty darn tasty.

• 1/3 c toasted pine nuts
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 10 oz baby kale
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 1/2 c Parmesan or Asiago cheese, grated, plus more to for sprinkling
• 2 servings penne pasta
• 2 links spinach feta chicken sausage

Add pine nuts, garlic, lemon zest and juice to a food processor or blender, and puree. Slowly add the kale and olive oil, alternating until smooth. Remove to a bowl and stir in the cheese.

Heat a grill pan to medium high heat and heat sausage until cooked through.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook to al dente. Drain the pasta reserving 2 tbsp of the starchy water. Add 1/2 c pesto to the pasta and toss. (You can add more or less depending on your taste.) Plate the pasta and top with the sliced sausage. Sprinkle with more cheese and serve.

*Note: this recipe serves two but makes enough for 4+ servings of pesto.*

Container Garden Update

They're alive! Believe it or not, my indoor potted plants have actually lasted several weeks now. This is truly a feat for me. They usually die almost instantly. In fact, the parsley (towards the top of the image) got so big it was taking over its shared container and had to be moved to a separate one. The true accomplishment, however, are the tiny little buds in the bottom of the frame. Those, my friends, are basil plants grown sprouted from seeds. Now let's see if they last another few weeks...

Minted Watermelon

Spring and Summer bring such a wonderful abundance of fruits and vegetables. One of my favorites is juicy, sweet watermelon. With it's bright pink color and amazing ability to fill me up and satisfy my sweet tooth, it's a summer go-to. Here's a super easy way to jazz it up.

• 1/2 large watermelon
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Chop the watermelon into 1/2 inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Add the chopped fresh mint and toss together. That's it. Really. It's that easy and  SO delicious!

Window Herb Garden

I've decided to put my black thumb of death to the test once again with a summer herb garden. Living in New York City, I don't have access to a patio or a plot of land, but I do have a south-facing window that gets great light all day long. Though I have killed every other herb I owned within a matter of weeks (if not days) I've decided to give it another go! This lot includes Peppermint, Common Sage, Basil, Flat Leaf Parsley and Thyme.

In addition, I'm giving the Chia Herb Garden I received as a gift a whirl. I have more Basil plus Margoram and Chives germinating on top of the wine refrigerator. (The instructions recommended the top of the refrigerator, but there wasn't enough space above the regular one.) Wish me luck on having fresh herbs for my cooking all Summer long!