The January 2014 issue of Bon Appétit included a “Food Lover’s Cleanse” article that highlighted a few of their favorite recipes to “help you balance the excesses of the holiday season.” Well, now that it’s July, those days are long gone. I’m not on a cleansing diet (though I can always use help “balancing excess!”). I was intrigued by one of the recipes: Sesame-Miso Vinaigrette. I am particularly fond of roasted sesame seeds and miso, whether it be white, yellow, or red.
The vinaigrette is especially delicious on a salad with crunchy butter or iceberg lettuce, cucumbers and sugar snap peas.
Tucked away at the top of the hill in Wailea you’ll find Matteo’s Osteria, a fine choice for lunch or dinner. Each time I visit Matteo’s I order their “Superfood Salad,” hearty and filling. I enjoy it so much I decided to experiment with a lemon-honey dressing in hopes of coming up with a tasty rendition that I could make at home any time. I am happy to say this lemon-honey dressing is quite sublime. I’m a big fan of zesty dressings and the bright flavor of fresh squeezed lemon juice is delicious and refreshing.
How convenient! I found this mix of kale, red cabbage, and carrots at our local market. John is not a fan of kale to say the least. Yet he devoured the salad and confessed that it was very good indeed.
I’m in love with hemp seeds. I found them in the bulk section at Mana Foods. They are tiny little seeds that taste somewhat like sunflower seeds and are delicious sprinkled on salads. They are very nutritious as well.
The dressing has just the right tartness with a hint of honey.
Adding a few tablespoons of quinoa to each individual bowl adds a nice texture to the salad and a hit of protein as well. Many recipes use quite a bit of water and the quinoa can turn out soggy. I find that using just 2/3 cup of water works well for 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa.
Kale Salad with Quinoa, Hemp Seeds & Lemon-Honey Dressing
Inspired by the Superfood Salad at Matteo’s Osteria
Serves 4
Dressing
1 1/2 tablespoons diced onion
5 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in the cup of an immersion blender and process until completely incorporated. If you do not have an immersion blender a regular blender will work fine.
Salad
8 ounces kale salad mix (kale, red cabbage and carrot)
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
12 tablespoons cooked quinoa, white or tri-color (see cooking directions below)
4 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (I toast the seeds on a piece of foil in my toaster oven, 300 degrees about 5 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t burn).
4 tablespoons hemp seeds
Prepare quinoa: Place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly. Drain well. In a small saucepan heat 2/3 cups water with a dash of salt. Once the water comes to a boil, add quinoa, turn the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 15 minutes without lifting the cover. Remove from the heat and leave the pan undisturbed for 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork.
Wash kale salad mix, pat dry. Place in a large bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat the salad generously. Divide salad into 4 individual bowls.
Scatter tomatoes, quinoa, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds over each bowl. Drizzle extra lemon-honey vinaigrette over the salad and serve right away.
When I was young we made tuna sandwiches on soft, white, bread. If you gently pressed down on the bread it would flatten and would not spring back! Is that why it was Wonder bread? Back then our options of canned tuna were quite limited, as was our selection of bread. These days there is a multitude of really good canned tuna available and though I prefer tuna packed in nothing but its own juices for sandwiches, tuna packed in olive oil is mandatory for this salad.
When I travel to San Francisco I stock up on As Do Mar tuna from Portugal or Ortiz tuna from Spain. Wild Planet tuna in olive oil is also very good and is readily available at most markets such as Mana Foods on Maui. If you can’t find any of these tunas in your market, consider buying them on-line from Amazon.
This is a beautiful salad full of bright colors and a vibrant parsley vinaigrette.
The parsley vinaigrette is so simple to make. Throw all the ingredients in to a blender and shortly you’ll have this gorgeous dressing.
White Bean & Tuna Salad with Radicchio & Parsley Vinaigrette
Pulse parsley, oil, lemon juice, vinegar and garlic in a blender. I used my immersion blender. I tried using my food processor the first time however it didn’t puree the ingredients as well as the blender did. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Salad
2 ounces radicchio, leaves torn (about 1/2 medium head of radicchio)
1 cup canned white beans, rinsed (S&W white beans are a good choice)
1 large celery stalk, sliced thinly on an extreme diagonal
1 jar (4.5 ounce) Wild Planet tuna in olive oil, drained and broken into large pieces (or other good-quality olive oil packed, canned tuna)
Preparation
Place radicchio in a medium bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of parsley vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season radicchio to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter, spreading out in an even layer.
Combine 2 tablespoons parsley vinaigrette, white beans, and celery in the same bowl you used for the radicchio, toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange bean mixture on top of radicchio. Top salad with tuna and drizzle some vinaigrette over.
***Serve leftover vinaigrette over fish, grilled vegetables or double the salad ingredients to serve 4.
Who knew that making your own mustard could be so simple? Pour a few ingredients into a jar, let it sit for 5 days, then add a few more ingredients and let it sit for another 5 days. Puree in a blender and voila! You now have a fantastic whole grain mustard that’s far superior (and fresher) than store-bought varieties. Simply dressed with a combination of whole grain mustard, red wine vinegar and shallots, this potato salad shines.
Yukon Golds are my favorite potatoes. With thin skins, moist and sweet interiors, these potatoes hold their shape well and are equally good roasted, baked, boiled, grilled and fried.
The cooked potatoes are fried for a short time until they become golden and crispy.
This dressing couldn’t be simpler to make. If I have leftovers I mix a bit with mayonnaise and slather it on good bread for ham or pastrami sandwiches.
In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the potatoes until just tender (test with a thin knife) about 25 – 30 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, place the shallots and vinegar in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Whisk in Dijon, whole grain mustard, 1/4 c olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slip off their skins. Cut potatoes into fairly large chunks, about 1 1/2 inch pieces. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive. Add the potatoes and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook, over moderately high heat, turning, until golden and crisp, about 6 – 7 minutes. Place warm potatoes in a large shallow bowl and drizzle some of the mustard dressing over the potatoes using as much as you like. Toss gently. Sprinkle upland watercress over the salad if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.
There is beautiful kale everywhere! I went to a farmers market upcountry in Kula and was surprised to see that so many of the vendors were selling some variety or other of kale. That being said, I came home with a big bunch of kale along with some other delightful vegetables.
I am partial to Tuscan kale (also known as Dinosaur kale and Lacinto kale). Their tall, slender, deep blue-green color is gorgeous and their hearty leaves retain their texture once cooked. It’s just perfect for a tasty side dish.
Korean chili pepper flakes are a mainstay in my pantry. They have a vibrant red color, a bit of heat but not too much, and a hint of sweetness. I am very happy with the quality of the Korean chili flakes I purchase from Whole Spice.
Blanch kale in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the kale from cooking further. Pat dry between paper towels. Gently fluff the kale and place in a small serving dish.
In a small skillet heat 1 teaspoon canola oil over medium low heat. Add garlic, and sauté, stirring often for about 3 minutes. Turn down the heat if necessary so the garlic doesn’t burn and turn bitter. Remove from the heat and stir in the ginger, soy sauce, water, sesame oil, Korean chili pepper flakes and sesame seeds. Stir to combine. Drizzle sauce over kale before serving.
Now that the weather has turned a bit cooler, we have been enjoying Manoa and butter lettuce from the garden. During the summer it is impossible to grow lettuce in Kihei, it’s just too hot. We also planted radishes that turned out to be a tasty addition to our salads.
Our new lilikoi (the most fragrant of tropical fruits) are doing well. Their vigorous vines quickly claimed the fence as their home with their tendrils grabbing on to anything within reach. We even caught one reaching up to the sky and fastening itself to a mango branch. Our first season of growing lilikoi yielded a small, healthy, crop of fruit that we quickly used to make the best jelly ever. Lilikoi vinaigrette came to mind when I was picking those tender lettuce leaves from the garden. So with the few fruits left on the vines, the juice was frozen in small containers and will be enjoyed throughout the next few months.
Lilikoi makes everything better.
Press the pulp to extract the precious juice.
Manoa and butter lettuce with cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, avocado and feta.
The January 2014 issue of Bon Appétit included a “Food Lover’s Cleanse” article that highlighted a few of their favorite recipes to “help you balance the excesses of the holiday season.” Well, now that it’s July, those days are long gone. I’m not on a cleansing diet (though I can always use help “balancing excess!”). I was intrigued by one of the recipes: Sesame-Miso Vinaigrette. I am particularly fond of roasted sesame seeds and miso, whether it be white, yellow, or red.
The vinaigrette is especially delicious on a salad with crunchy butter or iceberg lettuce, cucumbers and sugar snap peas.
