Tag: feta

Cold Poached Salmon, Picnic Style


heart healthy cold poached salmon over multi grain angel hair pasta
meyer lemon slivers, shaved fennel, kalamata olive, marinated artichoke, fat-free feta
olive oil meyer lemon dill sauce

The star of the meal at our Elegant Heart Healthy Picnic by the Sea
was the cold poached Canadian King Salmon. Here’s the recipe!

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Eggplant & Spiced Lamb Napoleon


Grilled Eggplant Layered with Spiced Lamb
Roasted Tomato, Feta, Mint

The seasons fly by, don’t they? We just held our Lusty Month of May Springtime Jazz Feast, and here we are already testing dishes for our Sunken City Supper Club SUMMER Event, “Mediterranean on the Pacific.”

It will be held at our friends’ home high on the hill in Rancho Palos Verdes overlooking the Pacific Ocean. For this theme we will be imagining that the ocean is the Mediterranean Sea. We’ll be cooking with seasonal summer ingredients and Mediterranean flavors. This dish made the cut…

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Butter Lettuce Salad, Smoked Salmon Rosettes

Butter Lettuce
Shell Pasta
Thin Asparagus and Petite Peas
Tarragon, Basil, Italian Parsley
Dijon Vinaigrette
Crumbled Feta
Smoked Salmon Rosettes

Cook frozen petite peas in boiling water with salt for about 3 minutes. Add thin asparagus spears and cook for one minute longer. Drain then shock in an ice bath.

Tarragon, Italian Parsley, and Basil
Jacques Pepin’s Vinaigrette in a Jar:
2 tsp chopped garlic
3 Tbs Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 c red or white wine vinegar
1 c extra virgin olive oil
I also add 2 tsp minced shallot.
Put all ingredients in a jar, screw on the lid, and shake very well.

Toss torn butter lettuce leaves with cooled cooked pasta shells, peas and asparagus, lots of chopped fresh herbs, and Dijon vinaigrette.

Serve with crumbled feta and smoked salmon rosettes made by slicing the smoked salmon into strips with one end thicker than the other. Roll the thick end towards the thin end to make a rosette.
Pretty. Summer. Salad.

Another Colorful Side

Colorful Side Dish #3
Spinach and Feta
Israeli Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbanzo, Red Quinoa

Sauté chopped garlic, chopped scallions, and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Add fresh baby spinach to wilt. Season to taste.

Toss spinach mixture with cooked Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo, and red quinoa. This blend is called Harvest Grains Blend and is available from Trader Joe’s. Crumble feta on top. This recipe was inspired by one in Gourmet magazine some years ago, they made theirs with Acini di Pepe (tiny pearl pasta) and used frozen spinach.
Something New at Home

I am very excited about this change that cost nothing but makes my home feel dramatically different for the new year. I switched the dining room and family room. The former family room is considerably larger and has a fireplace in the corner. I moved the dining table here so now there is a more open and casual space for dining, and we can eat in front of a beautiful crackling fire.

The former dining room is now a cozy den. The chandelier which was above the dining table is above the coffee table, so you can still walk by without hitting your head. Makes a great spot to sit and read cookbooks! I also switched some artwork around, and that has freshened up some of the other rooms in the house.
Have you made any changes to your home or kitchen for the new year?

Roasted Walnut Oil – Huile de Noix

Organic Baby Greens, Toasted Walnuts, Kalamata Olives, Feta
Dressed with Roasted Walnut Oil and a Splash of Red Wine Vinegar
La Tourangelle handcrafts this Roasted Walnut Oil in California strictly following the 150-year-old traditional methods of its French sister oil mill. It is slowly roasted, expeller-pressed and lightly filtered.
I have to admit I was in an oil rut. Olive oil will still remain number one in my kitchen, but this flavorful roasted oil is exceptional in salads and I also look forward to using it in pasta dishes as well. I plan to try their Roasted Pistachio and Toasted Pumpkin Seed oils, too.
How do you like my fabulous new platter?
A gift from FA. Thanks FA!
It is Mikasa China, Venice Pattern, Made in Japan.
I especially like the way the food reflects off the black rim.