Macaroni Cole Slaw

Having a picnic? We always did. My mother used to make both cole slaw and macaroni salad. Clever idea to combine them!
Have a safe and happy 4th everyone!

Macaroni Cole Slaw
From Two Hens and Their Chicks

Ingredients:
7 oz dry macaroni
1 pkg  of coleslaw mix (approx 14 oz)
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

 Dressing:
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Method:
Cook macaroni according to package, Drain well and rinse with cold water. Mix macaroni and coleslaw mix together. Add in the chopped vegetables and mix well. 
Combine the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over macaroni/coleslaw mix and toss well.


Chill well before serving. 

Heidi's Roasted Cauliflower Rice

While I'd certainly heard of it, cauliflower rice sounded like a strange idea, but I loved the ingredient list in Heidi's recipe so gave this a try. So glad I did! Who'd have thought to add orange to this combo? It added just the right touch of citrus to an already marvelous recipe. I made it for lunch and ended up having it for supper as well. I don't normally fuss this much for lunch, but sometimes I get in a salad rut and need a refreshing change. Frankly, I think it would be a super side dish for grilling...salad plus veggie all in one.

Roasted Cauliflower Rice

From Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 medium-large head of cauliflower

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 one orange, zest and juice

 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, lightly crushed

 2 medium cloves garlic, minced

 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste

 2/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped

 2 big handfuls pea sprouts or micro greens

 1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes

 3 tablespoons fresh marjoram

 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Method:

Heat oven to 375F with a rack in the top third. Cut the stems and florets from the head of cauliflower and chop them into small pieces resembling rice. You should end up with about 5 cups. Put the cauliflower in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, zest of the orange, caraway, garlic, and sea salt. Arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet and place in the oven for about 35 minutes, tossing once along the way (after 20 minutes), or until the cauliflower is tender and golden-edged.

Put the roasted cauliflower into a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed juice from the orange. Add the hazelnuts, pea sprouts, radishes, and marjoram. Toss well, taste and add more salt and orange juice if needed. Turn out into a bowl or platter, and finish with the goat cheese.

Mother's Pickled Beet Salad

                                             Happy Mother's Day!

Rarely a day goes by that I don't remember my mother....either wanting to share some little tidbit of information, or just simply ask a question. So often I say aloud to her: I wish you could see how this or that has changed, or you wouldn't believe what color they painted your condo building!, what your grandchildren are doing now, or just share something that amuses me that only she would understand.
This was taken in 1956, the day I was married.

Mother (and yes, we called her "Mother" and not mom. her insistance) is certainly remembered for her skill in the kitchen...of course, we named recipes after her: Grandma's sandwiches (I must post those some time!) or Mother's Frozen Fruit Salad for the holidays, the list goes on and on. I'm sure you all do the same thing.

We did a great deal of picnicking when I was a child...mostly on our boat. In my mind's eye I can still see my dad hauling a huge wicker laundry basket (do they even make those anymore?) filled with picnic food, toted off the front porch, onto the dock and into the boat. You can be sure there would be blueberry or rhubarb pie, hamburger or hot dogs for a cookout, and always a variety of cold salads. One of my favorites was a pickled beet salad. My children always hated it and so did my sister, I recently discovered. :)  But I loved it (as did my father) and had such fun making it for this post, as I'm the only one who will eat it!

I suppose you could pickle your own beets, which I did NOT do for this post, but HERE is a link if you'd like a recipe. I wanted to keep this simple for busy lives, so I used bottled pickled beets. It brought back many memories when I lunched on it. I've made a few minor changes over the years as mother's recipe was just the beets, mayo and salt and pepper.

Mother's Pickled Beet Salad

Ingredients:
3 jars chilled pickled beet slices, drained
6 hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise (You may need more or less of the mayo/sour cream mixture)
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped dill
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Method:

Drain beets well. Quarter the eggs and combine carefully with the beets. Mix the remaining ingredients together and toss with the egg and beet mixture. Serve on lettuce.

Ramen Salad Redux

Do you remember that broccoli slaw/ramen noodle salad that was all the rage years ago? I confess, I always loved it, but didn't serve it anymore because everyone else did! Now nobody serves it. Probably because they all thought the same thing.
Recently I found a new riff on my old favorite. This one includes mango, avocado, edamame and a lovely vinaigrette, not using the ramen noodle packet for flavoring. But the noodles and almonds are browned and crisped up in the oven for that lovely crunch. 

Ramen Salad Redux
From Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients:
1 (16-ounce) bag coleslaw mix
2 (3-ounce) packages of ramen noodles, crumbled (you will not use the seasoning packet)
1 cup shelled and cooked edamame
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 mango, peeled, pitted, diced, sliced or julienned 
1/2 cup thinly-sliced almonds
1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions 

Asian Honey Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup vegetable oil 
1/3 cup honey (or agave, to make this vegan)
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
pinch of salt and black pepper

Method:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread the crumbled ramen noodles and sliced almonds out on a baking sheet, and stir a bit to combine. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the almonds and noodles are slightly toasted and golden. Remove baking sheet, and give the mixture a good stir to toss. Then return it to the oven and toast for an additional 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Add ingredients (including the vinaigrette) together in a large bowl, and toss until combined. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. If refrigerating, I usually don't add the noodles and almonds until right before serving.

Spicy Macaroni Salad

Memorial Day was always the first day of real summer when I was a kid. School was out by then, we weren't allowed to go swimming before Memorial Day and picnic season officially began with that weekend. Our little town always had some sort of service honoring our fallen soldiers. And weather permitting, we ended the day with a picnic, my mother's traditional macaroni salad included the picnic basket.

Nothing against my mother's macaroni salad (which we all loved), but I couldn't resist the idea of a spicy macaroni salad to serve this summer alongside some grilled chicken, ribs or steak. Spiced several ways in fact, so perfect next to grilled meat.

Spicy Macaroni Salad
From Noble Pig

Ingredients:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup horseradish
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped peperoncini
1/3 cup  peperoncini juice (from the jar)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked al dente and cooled
4 large hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

Method:
In a large bowl combine mayonnaise, horseradish, sour cream, Parmesan, peperoncini, peperoncini juice, lemon juice, oregano, black pepper and red pepper flakes. (You can easily make this part a day ahead. Don't worry if the consistency is thin, the pasta will soak it all up.) 

Add pasta, eggs and peas to the mayo-horseradish mixture; combine well. Place in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.

Mother's Waldorf Salad

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Every year I combine Mother's Day with my mother's birthday, as they fall within the same week. We always did it that way when she was alive, so I'm continuing the tradition. She's been gone 14 years now and I miss her.

I think the best way to remember Mom is in the kitchen as she was a super home cook and a superb baker. But this year, rather than desserts or baked goods, I'm going to feature one of her favorite salads: Waldorf. She made it all the time. We all know the history and when I looked up the Waldorf's most recent remake of this old favorite, it's a far different recipe than my mother's. But I'm going to post hers with the addition of the spiced walnuts from the Waldorf's recipe. (Mother's recipe used toasted walnuts.)

Happy Birthday and Happy Mother's Day, Mom! 

Mother's Favorite Waldorf Salad

Ingredients:

2/3 cup dried tart cherries, slightly softened in some hot water, then drained

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

4 Granny Smith apples, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/3 cups very thinly sliced celery

1 1/3 cups red seedless grapes, halved

2 cups raw walnut halves

1 egg white

1 tablespoon spice mixture (such as a combination of paprika, cayenne, ground fennel seed, and ground coriander)

1 cup sugar

Method:

For the walnuts:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, combine walnuts and egg white; add spice mixture and sugar and mix until evenly coated. Spread walnuts into an even layer on a nonstick sheet lined with parchment paper; roast in the oven until browned, about 20 minutes.

Whisk mayonnaise and next 3 ingredients in large bowl. Add apples, celery, grapes and cherries; toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange lettuce on platter. Spoon salad over. Top salad with candied walnuts.

Ottolenghi's Spiced Chickpeas & Fresh Vegetable Salad

Wonderful colors and flavors in this salad, exactly what we expect from Ottolenghi. What I think you'll really appreciate is this is a super alternative to potato salad or even a tossed salad for a picnic or pot luck. Easy to make for a crowd. The recipe says it serves 4, but I thought it went farther than that. Especially for a side salad.
Note: the chickpeas need to soak overnight.

Spiced Chickpeas & Fresh Vegetable Salad
From Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried chickpeas
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 small cucumbers
2 large tomatoes
8 ounces radishes
1 red pepper, seeded and ribs removed
1 small red onion, peeled
2/3 ounce cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 ounce flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (I used curly because I had some left)
6 tablespoons olive oil
grated zest of 1 lemon plus 2 tablespoons juice
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Greek yogurt (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Soak the dried chickpeas overnight in a large bowl of water with the baking soda. The next day, drain cover with water twice the volume of the chickpeas and simmer for an hour or until tender. Drain.

Dice the tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber, radishes and onion. Mix in a bowl with the cilantro and parsley.

Make the vinaigrette:
Mix 5 tablespoons of the olive oil with the lemon juice, zest, vinegar, garlic and sugar and mix well to form a dressing. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the salad, tossing lightly.

Make the chickpeas:
Mix together the cardamom, cumin, allspice, some salt and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar in a bowl and toss in the chickpeas. Shake to cover well.
In a frying pan, heat the remaining olive oil and fry the chickpeas for 2-4 minutes , gently shaking the pan so they cook evenly.

Divide the salad among 4 plates, spoon the chickpeas on top, keeping the edges of the salad clear. Optional: add some Greek yogurt, stir it in to make the salad creamy.

Amanda Hesser's Winter Fruit Salad

This bright and unusual fruit salad would be fabulous to serve at a brunch along with Nancy's Roquefort Quiche. Or any quiche, for that matter. I used the original  New York Times recipe from an article by Amanda Hesser in 2001. She suggested it for Christmas breakfast along with some tangerine juice and a morning bread pudding.  Amanda Hesser was one of our Gourmet 50 Women Game Changer chefs and I made her ultra fabulous sheet pan mac and cheese for the series. She is amazingly talented.
At any rate.....I added some pomegranate arils for color as suggested by Deb from Smitten Kitchen when she posted the recipe. Quick to make, but it should sit overnight in the fridge to allow the flavors to meld, so allow some time.

Winter Fruit Salad
By Amanda Hesser for the New York Times, December 19th, 2001

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 star anise
1 plump vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
2 2-inch long pieces lemon zest (peeled with a vegetable peeler), preferably Meyer lemons
3 firm Bosc pears
1 firm tart apple
8 dried Turkish apricots, cut in half
4 dried figs, quartered
Pomegranate arils for color

Method:
Fill a medium saucepan with 5 cups water. Add the sugar, star anise, vanilla bean and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, and cook until all the sugar is dissolved. Then shut off the heat. Meanwhile, peel and core pears and apple. Slice thinly lengthwise and place in a large heatproof bowl. Add apricots and figs. Pour hot sugar syrup on top, making sure all the fruit is covered. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; poke a few holes in plastic. Chill overnight in refrigerator.
The next morning, using a slotted spoon ladle fruit into a serving bowl and serve.


Yield: 6 servings.

Best Ever Potato Salad

Best ever? Those two words always make me give a little (feminine) snort. And to be honest, I didn't believe that title either and hesitated to use it too, until I made it and took it to my Garden Club's end-of-year luncheon. That's a discerning group, all ages, all probably having their own mother's or grandmother's "Best Ever" potato salad recipes. And it's mayonnaise-based, which, while delicious, is, let's face it, fattening and a tad dated to boot.

Need I say they loved it? I thought I made too much (we do a pot luck), but there was only a spoonful or so left. So, I'm passing on Brown Eyed Baker's "best ever" recipe. You can't go wrong with bacon and that's the secret ingredient here, not only in the salad, but in the dressing too. Naughty, naughty.

And all right, so I cheated and took  some of my favorite and completely awesome store-bought mini pastries from the Ft. Lauderdale French Bakery for dessert. Hah! Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

Best Ever Potato Salad
From Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:
 4 cups cubed red potatoes
 10 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
 ¾ cup mayonnaise
 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
 1 teaspoon salt
 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
 1 stalk celery, diced
 1 small onion, chopped
½ medium green pepper, chopped

Method:
Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender. (If you're not sure how to boil the potatoes perfectly, HERE is a good source.) Drain the potatoes and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the skillet.

Add the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar and salt to the reserved bacon drippings in the skillet and whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, onion and green pepper. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and gently stir to evenly coat. Stir in the bacon. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Mango and Papaya Pasta Salad with Creamy Lime Vinaigrette

You're going to love this vinaigrette. It's half the reason I continue to make this recipe. (The other half is the recipe came from Cathy at Noble Pig. She never misses.) It's an awesome summer salad; the colors are light and summery and I almost wish I was throwing a luncheon just so I could serve it! It really should sit in the fridge for 4-6 hours after mixing it together, so you could make it in the morning and then take it along for a picnic. Mango and papaya are fabulous right now...take advantage of it!

Mango and Papaya Pasta Salad with Creamy Lime Vinaigrette
From Cathy at Noble Pig

Ingredients:
1 pound rotini pasta, dry
2 mangoes, seeded and cubed
2 papayas, seeded and cubed
4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts
1/2 cup flaked, sweetened coconut

Creamy Lime Vinaigrette
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup sour cream
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method:
Cook pasta to the al dente stage according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside until cool.
Mix all the vinaigrette ingredients together, shake and store in the fridge until ready to use.
While pasta is cooling prepare mango, papaya and green onions. When ready, combine mango, papaya, green onion, coconut and vinaigrette, toss well. Place in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours before serving.

Ina First Fridays: Shrimp Salad

Honestly, I don't think you can beat Ina's shrimp salad. Love, love love it. Such a simple recipe, but I always have compliments when I serve it. It sits in the fridge until you're ready to serve, in fact sitting in the fridge helps meld the flavors. I like to serve it in a radicchio cup with some tomatoes and hard boiled eggs. Perfect for summertime....a great supper and a super lunch for company.

Ina's Shrimp Salad

From Barefoot Contessa Parties, 2001

Ingredients:

4 pounds large shrimp in the shell (16 to 20 shrimp per pound)

1 lemon, cut into quarters
2 cups mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
6 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
1 cup red onion, minced
3 cups celery, minced

Method:
Bring 5 quarts of water, 3 tablespoons salt and the lemon to a boil in a large pan. Add half the shrimp, reduce heat and cook uncovered for only 3 minutes or until shrimp are barely cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and immerse in cold water. Bring the water back to a boil and repeat with remaining shrimp. Let cool, then peel and devein the shrimp.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper and dill.
Combine with the shrimp. Add the red onion and celery and check the seasonings.

Serve or cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

    **********************************************************************

Ina Fridays participants:

 Alyce @ More Time at the Table

Ansh @  Spice Roots  

Bhavna @ Just a Girl From AAmchi Mumbai..

Chaya @  Bizzy Bakes

Linda,  @ Tumbleweed Contessa

Mary @ The Egg Farm

Minnie @ The Lady 8 Home

Mireya @ My Healthy Eating Habits

Patti @ Comfy Cuisine

Peggy@ Pantry Revisited

Rocky Mountain Woman @ Rocky Mountain Woman

Shiloh @ Cheese with Noodles

Veronica@ My Catholic Kitchen

Sushi Trifle Salad

You've gotta love the presentation here....and no, I can't take credit. Saw it on Pinterest and thought it looked delicious. Indeed it was. What a super idea for a light dinner or luncheon. Very clever and it combines some marvelous flavors and textures. I baked the salmon with some soy sauce, ginger and olive oil smeared on top, topped with salt and pepper. You can cook the salmon anyway you like and with any marinade you prefer.

Sushi Trifle Salad
Adapted from Cook Kosher

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked sushi rice
2 cups cooked salmon, diced 
2 sheets Nori, crumbled
1 cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise with veg peeler
2 avocados cubed
toasted sesame seeds
For a dressing:
½ cup wasabi sauce
½ cup soy sauce

Method:
Place cooked sushi rice in a clear glass...I used brandy snifters, but any pretty clear glass will do. A variety of glasses might be fun too. Add nori over the rice and then the sliced cucumber.
Top with avocado pieces and place the salmon on top. 
Mix together the wasabi sauce and soy sauce then pour over the salmon. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. 

Ina Fridays: A Simple Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Welcome to Ina First Fridays....September is salad or soup. Still a bit hot in S. Florida for soups, so I went with this old family favorite.
And I have to add....sorry Ina, but my mother was making this salad while you were still in school!  :)  I ate it as a child and I bet all of you did too.

So I'm combining recipes. Basically, it's my mothers, but (just to make this legal) I used Ina's vinaigrette. It's a beautiful bright salad, love it with red grapefruit, a perfect first course, looks wonderful on a buffet table and is a super lunch.

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad
2007, Ina Garten, Show: Barefoot Contessa Episode: Blueprint Lunch 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good olive oil

4 ripe Hass avocados

2 large red grapefruits

Method:

Place the mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

Before serving, cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the seeds, and carefully peel off the skin. Cut each half into 4 thick slices. Toss the avocado slices in the vinaigrette to prevent them from turning brown. Use a large, sharp knife to slice the peel off the grapefruits (be sure to remove all the white pith), then cut between the membranes to release the grapefruit segments.

Arrange the avocado slices around the edge of a large platter. Arrange the grapefruit segments in the center. Spoon the vinaigrette on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

                                                                            *******************************************

Ina Fridays participants:

Alyce from moretimeatthetable.blogspot.com 

Mireya from myhealthyeatinghabits.com

Nancy from mypicadillo.com  

Veronica from mycatholickitchen.com

Linda from There and Back Again 

Chaya from bizzybakes.blogspot.com

Ansh from spiceroots.com  

Martha from simple-nourished-living.com
Minnie from TheLady8home.com

Bhavna from justagirlfromaamchimumbai.com/ 

B. from The Rocky MountainWoman 
Ria from Ria's Collection
Linda from Tumbleweed Contessa
Peggy from Pantry Revisited

Bulgur Salad with Herbs, Apricots and Pistachios

I really love experimenting with different grains, often serving them very simply (so as to become familiar with their flavors and textures) as a side with dinner, but now I'm moving on to more grain-based salads and bulgur was one I hadn't yet tried in salad form. I do know it's used in many Middle Eastern dishes like tabbouleh, often substituted for rice or couscous and even served as porridge. It has a slight nutty flavor and I prefer it to quinoa (which I just can't seem warm up to, sorry about that), although bulgur IS wheat, which I know a lot of you are avoiding now.
The latest issue of Fine Cooking featured a dish with bulgur and lots of intriguing flavors. I loved that it can double as a side OR a salad. It'll travel beautifully, so you could take this along on a picnic. The flavors are marvelous....the tangy sweet of the apricots, the crunch of the pistachios and those herbs! Yum. The mixture of herbs adds so much freshness to the salad; hopefully, you'll have some available in your herb garden this summer.

Bulgur Salad with Herbs, Apricots and Pistachios
Adapted slightly from Fine Cooking Magazine, June/July Issue

Ingredients:

2 cups bulgur

Kosher salt

2/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

Generous 1/2 cup roughly chopped apricots

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

generous 1/2 cup chopped, roasted, salted pistachios

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

In a large skillet, toast the bulgur over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until darker in color and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Remove to a bowl.

Bring 2 cups of water  with 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the skillet and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until softened. Remove from heat, stir in the bulgur, apricots and 2 cups boiling water. Stir. Cover and let stand for 30-40 minutes until all the fluid has been absorbed. Gently stir in the parsley, mint, cilantro and pistachios. Add salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining cup of olive oil into the lemon juice. Pour over the salad, correct the seasonings if necessary, and serve. Makes about 7 cups.

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The winner of the Amish cookbook is Grace, from A Southern Grace. I've sent you an email, please email me at bsmithw@gmail.com with your address and I'll mail the book ASAP.

Congratulations!

Ina Fridays: Warm Duck Salad

Welcome once again to our Ina First Friday posts! This month it's SSS....soup, salad or side. I chose salad because I had made this duck salad for guests a while back and never posted it. Where did I get the duck breasts? From D'Artagnan, of course. After seeing Ina make this on her show, I ordered ahead for the luncheon and while I usually have a recipe rehearsal before I serve a new dish, there was no need with this salad....it was perfect. Don't overcook the duck....it should be medium rare. I'm originally from Michigan and my father and grandfather were both duck hunters, so we had wild duck often when I was young. One thing I learned early: never overcook it.

If you are not a fan of duck you could use slices of chicken or turkey, but frankly, the salad would lose it's originality wouldn't it? My guests loved it. Have fun with it is what I say.

Warm Duck Salad
2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients:

2 boneless duck breasts, skin on (about 12 to 14 ounces each)

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon minced shallots

2 1/2 tablespoons good sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 cup good olive oil

3 heads Belgian endive

3 ounces mache or other delicate baby lettuce

fresh orange sections, to taste

1/2 pint fresh raspberries

1 cup toasted whole pecan halves

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Place the duck breasts on a sheet pan, skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and roast for about 20 minutes, until medium-rare. Remove from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard the fat and skin on top (unless you're making cracklings), slice the duck, and then cut the slices crosswise into julienned pieces.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the shallots, sherry vinegar, orange zest, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Whisk in the olive oil and set aside.

For the salad, trim the bottom half-inch from the endive and cut them diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Separate the leaves and discard the cores. Place the slices in a large salad bowl. Add the mache leaves, oranges, raspberries, and toasted pecans. Toss with enough dressing to moisten. Gently toss in the warm duck meat and serve immediately. 

Ina Fridays participants:

Alyce from moretimeatthetable.blogspot.com 

Mireya from myhealthyeatinghabits.com

Nancy from mypicadillo.com  

Veronica from mycatholickitchen.com

Linda from There and Back Again 

Chaya from bizzybakes.blogspot.com

Ansh from spiceroots.com  

Martha from simple-nourished-living.com
Minnie from TheLady8home.com

Bhavna from justagirlfromaamchimumbai.com/ 

B. from The Rocky MountainWoman 
Ria from Ria's Collection
Linda from Tumbleweed Contessa

.