Homemade Pita Chips with Olive Tapenade and Greek Salad

Crunchy little Pita Chips are fun to make yourself. Buy some pita bread, cut it in wedges, brush it with olive oil and sprinkle with your favorite seasoning (thyme, sea salt, majoram, paprika, etc). Bake it at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve the pita chips with Olive Tapenade, Hummus or a fabulous greek salad and you'll have a great snack, or lunch, or dinner....

Greek Salad

(from Ina Garten)

Ingredients

• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, large-diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, large-diced
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, sliced in half-rounds
• 1/2 pound feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
• 1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

For the vinaigrette:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup good olive oil

Directions

Place the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta and olives and toss lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

Olive Tapenade

1 cup Niçoise olives, pitted
1 cup small green French olives (Picholine), pitted
¼ cup Oven-Dried or sun dried Tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed if packed in salt
1 garlic clove
1 anchovy fillet
½ tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
½ tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
(¼ tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves) optional
½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil and orange juice. Using the pulse button, process until coarsely chopped and well blended. Continue to process, slowly adding the olive oil and orange juice. Refrigerate in a covered container. Use as needed.
Tapenade will keep up to 1 week, refrigerated, in a covered container.

Melon, Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Since it is so hot here in Chicago, we have been eating a lot of salads, cold soups and smoothies. I saw this  recipe in the New York Times and thought it was perfect for the current weather.  Although it might seem unusual to combine melons and cucumbers, they go very well together as this salad proves. To make it more filling, I added some Israelian couscous and we had a very light and refreshing dinner.

Melon, Cucumber and Tomato Salad
(adapted from Martha Shulman)
6 servings

1 European cucumber, peeled if desired and cut in medium dice

Salt to taste

1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded if desired, cut in thin wedges or diced

1 small ripe honeydew melon or cantaloupe, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice or shaped into melon balls

2 to 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon mild honey, like clover, or agave nectar

4 tablespoons grapeseed oil, rice bran oil or canola oil

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon chopped chives

3/4 - 1 cup Israelian Couscous or other grain (optional)

Fresh watercress for garnish (optional)

1. Prepare the couscous according to the packaging directions. Let cool. 
Put the cucumbers in a colander set in the sink or a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.

2. Toss the cucumbers, tomatoes and melon together in a bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, salt to taste, lime juice, honey and oil and toss with the fruit and vegetable mixture. Add the couscous and mix. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

3. Just before serving, toss with the herbs. Line plates with watercress if desired. Taste the salad, adjust the seasonings and serve over the watercress.

Advance preparation: You can make this through Step 2 several hours ahead. Because of the salt, the vegetables and fruit will give off a lot of water, so if you don’t want the salad to be too juicy, salt shortly before serving.
If you are using the couscous, you might have to make more of the dressing. Let your taste buds decide.  

Saffron Chicken, Boiled Lemon and Green Bean Salad

I know that I have been posting a lot of salads lately, and yet I have one more that I need to share.. This one is absolutely incredible. One of the ingredients is a cooked lemon peel which is absolutely great with the saffron flavored chicken. Additionally, there are green beans in this salad, but no other ingredients really. Make this salad for your next party and it will for sure be a hit.

Saffron Chicken, Boiled Lemon and Green Bean Salad
(from Ellie Krieger)

Makes 4 servings

1 lemon, preferably unwaxed
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste, divided
Pinch saffron
2 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1  1/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, pounded to 1/2-inch thick
1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed
Cooking spray
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon honey
Freshly ground black pepper

Prick the lemon in 3 or 4 places with a fork and place in a small pot with 1 teaspoon of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 50 minutes or until the lemon is very tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

In the meantime, mix the saffron, mint, garlic, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Pour the marinade into a sealable plastic bag, add the chicken and let it marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

Steam the green beans for 4 minutes and set aside to cool. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Preheat a large skillet or grill pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Set aside to cool. Cut into bite-sized chunks.

Slice the ends off of the lemon and slice it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp. Slice the peel thinly and then again into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, lemon, green beans and thyme. In a small bowl combine the rest of the lemon juice and the honey, whisk in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Lentil Mango Salad

Supermarkets are filled with ripe mangos right now and since this recipe paired them with lentils I had to try it.  In Germany, lentils are usually eaten during the winter time, most commonly as soup, stew or maybe as a side dish. I love lentils and I like that you can buy them precooked and ready to serve at many grocery stores. This way you can use them anytime and don't have to wait for them to cook. The mango pairs beautifully with all the spices and the lentils - this salad can be on your table in 15 minutes! I served this dish with a beautiful roasted Moroccan Spiced Salmon.

Lentil Mango Salad
(adapted from Joanne Bruno who adapted it from Simple recipes)
serves 4

1 1/2 cups lentils (I used the "ready to eat" lentils from Trader Joe's)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup tomatoes, skinned and cut into large chunks
1 large mango or 2 small mangoes, peeled pitted and cubed
2 tbsp toasted almonds, chopped
2 tbsp cilantro or parsley leaves
couscous, rice, barley, quinoa, etc. (optional)

Method:

1. If using uncooked lentils, place lentils in a large pan.  Cover with 2 inches of well-salted water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are tender.  Drain.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray.  Stir in the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and thyme.  Cook 2 minutes more.  Gently stir in cooked lentils, mango and  tomatoes.
3. Lower the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 2 minutes.  Spoon into serving dish.  Sprinkle with chopped almonds and cilantro or parsley.  Serve with grain of your choice.

Summer Blueberry Corn Salad

Every year I look forward to summer in order to try all the new recipes that I collected over the winter. This one was on my 'to make' list for almost a year until finally I got to make it.
I tweaked the recipe a little in order to intensify the flavors. The recipe calls for the cooking of corn in water, but I baked it in the oven in foil with a little butter, salt, and pepper. It turned out to be very good. You will taste a little bit of sweet, a little bit of sour, a hint of Latin America, and it will be a little spicy.
The salad should rest overnight. I made it in the morning and served it for dinner that night. The flavors will melt wonderfully. A great dish for parties, potlucks, and barbecues.

Corn and Blueberry Salad

(from Better Homes and Gardens)


6 fresh sweet corn, husked
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cucumber, sliced
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped*
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon ground cumin

Optional: grilled shrimp or fish for serving

In Dutch oven bring salted water to boiling. Add corn. Cook, covered, 5 minutes, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cobs. (I baked the corn in foil at 425 F for 30 minutes)

In a serving bowl combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. For dressing, in screw-top jar combine lime juice, oil, honey, cumin, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover; shake well to combine. Add to salad; toss. Cover and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours). Makes 6 to 8 servings

When I saw a bunch of beautiful multicolored carrots at the grocery store the other day, I immediately thought of Jamie Oliver's baked Moroccan style carrot salad. I just had to buy them as I had made this salad last year and absolutely loved it. Baked carrots are incredible tasty and the juices of the orange and lemon gives it a wonderful light and fresh taste

Roast Carrot and Avocado Salad with Orange and Lemon Dressing

(Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients

• 1 pound medium mixed colored carrots, with their leafy tops
• Sea salt
• 2 level teaspoons whole cumin seeds
• 1 or 2 small dried chiles, crumbled
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Red or white wine vinegar
• 1 orange, halved
• 1 lemon, halved
• 3 ripe avocados
• 4 (1/2-inch thick) slices ciabatta or other good-quality bread
• 2 handfuls interesting mixed winter salad leaves, washed and spun dry
• 2 bunches watercress
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons mixed seeds, toasted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Parboil the carrots in boiling, salted water for 10 minutes, until they are very nearly cooked, then drain and put them into a roasting pan. You should flavor them while they're steaming hot, so while thecarrots are cooking get a pestle and mortar and smash up the cumin seeds, chilles, salt and pepper. Add the garlic and thyme leaves and smash up again until you have a kind of paste. The idea here is to build up the flavors. Add enough extra-virgin olive oil to generously cover the paste, and a good swig of vinegar. This will be like a marinade, a rub and a dressing all in one! Stir together, then pour over the carrots in the pan, coating them well. Add the orange and lemon halves, cut side down.

These will roast along with the carrots, and their juice can be used as the basis of the dressing. Place in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden.

While the carrots are roasting, halve and peel the avocados, discarding the pits, then cut them into wedges lengthwise and place in a big bowl. Remove the carrots from the oven and add them to the avocados. Carefully, using some tongs, squeeze the roasted orange and lemon juice into a bowl and add the same amount of extra-virgin olive oil and a little swig of red wine vinegar. Season, and pour this dressing over the carrots and avocados. Mix together, have a taste and correct the seasoning. Call your gang round the table while you toast or broil your ciabatta slices.

Tear the toasted bread into little pieces and add to the dressed carrot and avocado. Mix together, toss in the salad leaves and cress and transfer to a big platter or divide between individual plates. Spoon over a nice dollop of sour cream, sprinkle over your toasted seeds and drizzle over some extra-virgin olive oil.

Green Couscous

Since it seems that spring has already arrived in Chicago (something very unusual here at this time of the year), the time for stews and heavy soups came to an end...
In order to welcome this early arrival of spring I decided to make this recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi. It is a simple couscous dish with lots of different herbs. The savory component of spring onion and green chile is balanced with sweet caramelized onions. The dish tastes so fresh that it always leaves you wanting more! I made it with Israeli couscous that I cooked for 10 minutes (instead of the smaller version of couscous) and loved it that way.

Green Couscous

(Yotam Ottolenghi)

Ingredients

• 1 cup couscous
• 3/4 cup boiling water or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 
  
• Herb Paste

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped

• 3 scallions, finely sliced
• 1 fresh green chile, such as jalapeno, finely sliced
• 1 1/2 cups arugula leaves, chopped

Directions

1. Place couscous in a large bowl and add boiling water or stock. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion; cook, stirring, until golden and soft. Add salt and cumin; stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Herb Paste

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth, scraping down the sides and adding more oil as necessary.
2. Uncover couscous and stir in herb paste, using a fork to fluff. Add onion mixture, pistachios, scallions, chile, and arugula; gently mix to combine. Serve at room temperature.

Bologna Salad (Wurstsalat)

Do you remember that kind of food that was only available at a certain time of the year or at a certain place on earth? How you craved for it, looked forward to have it  and wished you could have it right now?
This salad was one of that for my family.
When we lived in Northern Germany we used to travel every year by car to Spain and we stopped at the Black Forest for one to get a rest and also to visit relatives. That was the only time of the year when we were able to get  this salad.  It is a typical Southern German and Swiss dish.
My husband who was born in Southern Germany taught me how to make it and funny enough I am able to get exactly the right ingredients here in the US that I could never get in Northern Germany.
You'll need a specific kind of Veal Bologna and a good original Swiss Cheese (Emmentaler) that has to be sliced very thinly and with lots of love. I serve it with Pretzel or a good rustic bread.


Southern German Bologna Salad

300 g / 10 5/8 oz Veal Bologna
110 g / 3 7/8 oz Emmentaler (Swiss Cheese)
5 T Vegetable Oil
2 - 3 T White Wine Vinegar
1/4 t Maggi Sauce
Salt, Pepper to taste

Slice the Bologna and the Cheese very thinly in matchsticks. Put in a bowl and fluff a little with your fingers.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix carefully and let sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
Serve with rustic bread or Pretzel

Zucchini and Hazelnut Salad

I am not really a friend of cooked Zucchini. However, I like them if they have a little crunch, like they do in this salad. The sliced Zucchinis are grilled for a couple of minutes on each side and then marinated in Balsamic Vinegar and Hazelnut Oil. The salad is served with toasted Hazelnuts and shaved Parmesan and makes a perfect appetizer or light salad. If you don't have Hazelnuts you can replace them easily with Pine Nuts.

Zucchini and Hazelnut Salad

(Yotam Ottolenghi)

serves 4

Ingredients

1/3 cup shelled hazelnuts
7 small zucchini (about 1¾ lb [795 g])
4 tbsp [60 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp [5 ml] balsamic vinegar
1¼ cups mixed green and purple basil leaves
3 oz [85 g] top-quality parmigiano-reggiano, broken up or very thinly sliced
2 tsp [10 ml] hazelnut oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 300ºF [150ºC]. Scatter the hazelnuts over a baking sheet and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until nicely browned. Let them cool down before rubbing them between your hands to remove most of the skins (some should remain). Chop the hazelnuts roughly.

Place a ridged griddle pan on a high heat and leave it there until it’s almost red-hot – at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, trim the ends of the zucchini and cut them on an angle into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Place them in a bowl and toss with half the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Place the slices in the hot grill pan and char-grill for about 2 minutes on each side; turn them over using tongs. You want to get distinct char marks without cooling the zucchini through. Transfer to a mixing bowl, pour over the balsamic vinegar, toss together and set aside.

Once the zucchini have cooled down, add the remaining olive oil, the basil and hazelnuts. Mix lightly, then taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Transfer the salad to a flat plate, incorporating the parmigiano-reggiano, and drizzle over the hazelnut oil.

Saffron Couscous, Chickpea and Lentil Salad

Isn't it great when you are looking for a recipe and then when you find one you happen to have almost all the ingredients at home? That's what happened to me when I found this recipe. I used already cooked lentils that I bought at the store, switched the lemon with a lime and replaced the red endive with arugula. The salad combines different textures and the flavor was on the sweet and sour side. Great for lunch or to bring to a Potluck.
Another very good recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi's great book "Plenty"

Saffron Couscous, Chickpea and Lentil Salad
Yotam Ottolenghi
(serves 4)

You may ask, "Why is he cooking three types of carb for one measly salad?" Well, my answer is simple: it's all about texture. Take your average couscous salad and it's almost always a sloppy mush, no matter how much attention has gone into getting flavours in there. Asians tend to derive as much pleasure, if not more, from the texture of their food as they do from the flavour combinations; it makes eating so much more sensual. I try to apply this philosophy wherever I can. In this salad the different sizes of the couscous, lentils and chickpeas, and their different degrees of hardness, create constant surprises to match the wealth of flavors.

• 225 g couscous
• ½ teaspoon saffron strands
• Salt and black pepper
• 260m l boiling water
• 150 g cooked chickpeas (tinned are OK)
• 150 g cooked Puy lentils (follow the cooking instructions given on the packet – they can vary)
• 80 g dried cranberries
• 1 red endive, cut into 1cm-thick slices
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons chopped mint
• 3 tablespoons chopped coriander
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Grated zest of 2 lemons
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

1.Put the couscous in a shallow bowl. Add the saffron and a pinch of salt to the boiling water, and pour this over the couscous to cover. Wrap the bowl in clingfilm and set aside for 15 minutes, so the couscous soaks up the liquid. Remove the clingfilm, fluff up the couscous with a fork, then set aside to cool down.

2.Transfer the cold couscous to a mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, lentils and cranberries, and toss. Add the endive, spring onion, herbs, lemon zest, garlic and nigella seeds, stir gently to combine, then stir in olive oil and season to taste.

3.Serve this salad straight away, or chill it for up to 24 hours; the flavours actually improve over time. Before serving, bring back to room temperature and add more olive oil or seasoning as necessary.

Bye, bye Summer Salads

Fall is almost here and before the tomato season is totally over you have to give one of these fresh salads a try. One of them has a very mediterranean touch to it with kapers, olives, lots of herbs and anchovies. I burned my vinegar reduction a little and didn't want to make it again, so I just drizzled some balsamic vinegar over the finished salad and I think it was as great as with the balsamic reduction.

The other salad has an Indian touch. Tomatoes are paired with pieces of juicy mango and the vinegraitte is spiced with coriander, clove powder, mango juice and lemon juice. These salads will really make you miss the summer...

MANGO AND BABY TOMATO SALAD

(Bal Arneson)

serves 4

• Dressing
• ¼ cup mango juice (I took orange juice)
• 3 tablespoons flaxseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Pinch coriander powder
• Pinch clove powder
• Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Salad
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
• ¼ cup minced red onion
• 1 cup baby tomatoes (cherry or grape), cut in half
• 1 cup ripe mango chunks
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk the mango juice, oil, lemon juice, coriander, clove powder, salt, and pepper together in the bottom of a salad bowl. Add the mint, onion, tomatoes, mango, and cilantro and toss well. Taste the dressing and season again with salt, and pepper, if necessary. Let the dressing sit for 5 minutes before serving.

ROMAN SUMMER SALAD

(Giada de Laurentis)

serves  4

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup pitted green and black olives, halved
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 8 fresh basil leaves, shredded
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. vine-ripened tomatoes (about 3 tomatoes)

1.Cook the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over low heat until thick, syrupy, and measuring 1/4 cup, about 20       minutes. Set aside to cool.

2.Combine the olives, parsley, anchovies, capers, garlic, basil, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl and toss to combine.

3.To serve, slice the tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick rounds and place, slightly overlapping, on a serving plate. Spoon the olive and parsley mixture over the tomatoes. Drizzle the reduced balsamic over the salad and serve.