Chopped Caprese Salad w/ Warm Onion Dressing

My sister Shawnie is an inspiration. Look at this thing! Are ya kidding me?!

When she was 11, she would fake illness to stay home from school. I know that is neither unusual nor inspiring, but her motive was both. She wanted to bake. And not cookies or rice crispie treats. She baked challah bread. Have you ever made it? Me neither. It's too complicated.

Shawnie has an innate ability to cook and bake. She is always coming up with new, delicious recipes, and I was lucky to be over for dinner when she created this masterpiece.

Isn't it breathtaking? I'm thinking of enlarging this photo and putting it on my boring white living-room wall.

It's as delicious as it is beautiful. And a wonderful way to use tomatoes for a late summer dinner.

Thanks for the dinner, Shawn, and for your inspiration.

Love ya-

Lora

Shawnie's Chopped Caprese Salad & Warm Pearl Onion Dressing

Dressing:

1 1/2 - 2 cups peeled, fresh pearl onions (here's an easy way to peel them)

Marinate them overnight in:

1/2 c. EVOO

1/4 c. sun dried tomatoes, cut into strips

2 tsp garlic powder

sprinkle of salt

few turns of the pepper mill

Salad fixins (vary amounts based on number of servings):

4 large red tomatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 pint mixed colored tomatoes (or less, depending on number of servings)

1/2 - 1 lb soft mozzarella, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Your favorite store bought or homemade croutons

Large bunch of basil, chopped

Before serving, pour marinated onions and marinade into saute pan. Cook over med-high heat (stirring frequently) until onions are caramelized.

When ready to eat, arrange salad fixins on platter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle warm dressing over the top. Sprinkle with the chopped basil.

Israeli Cous Cous with Dried Cranberries & Almonds

We were craving Moroccan flavors last weekend. I found this recipe for a Moroccan lamb tagine (basically, a lamb stew - pictured below) and thought that this delicious cous cous recipe from my friend Beck would be a perfect side.

The cous cous are made with Israeli cous cous, sometimes referred to as pearl cous cous. They have a more pasta-like texture than the traditional variety, and they seem to absorb more flavor while they cook.

You do have to go to the Mediterranean section of the store to find them (they can't be found with the box varieties in the rice aisle). I bought this big container because I knew once I made them again I would want them again very soon.

Thanks, Beck!

Also, I highly recommend the tagine recipe. The lamb was flavorful and moist. I added a touch of greek yogurt for some creaminess, and to balance the spicy kick (from the red pepper flakes I added).

Mangia

~Lora

Israeli Cous Cous with Dried Cranberries & Almonds

(I actually forgot to add the almonds this go around - hence the almondless pictures above. Don't make that mistake! They add so much flavor and texture.)

1 med onion minced

1 lrg carrot chopped fine

2 stalks celery chopped fine

l tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp ground tumeric (if you have it, no biggie if you don't)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon (only if you add the tumeric - they work well together)

1 cup Israeli cous cous

2 cups chicken broth (brought to a boil in a separate pot)

1/2 c dried cranberries or raisins

1/2 c slivered almonds

Simmer onion, carrot and celery in olive oil until soft, about 5-7 mins. Add spices, a pinch of salt and pepper and then the dry cous cous. Saute until cous cous are toasted, about 2-4 mins. Stirring regularly. Add hot broth. Add dried cranberries. Cover and simmer on low for 7-8 mins, or until the cous cous taste tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Take off the heat and adjust seasoning to your liking if necessary. Add almonds. Serve! Would be great with some fresh parsley.

Barefoot Onion Rings

Fried food makes me weak in the knees. My willpower hides around the corner when it sees a french fry coming. Don’t even ask me what happens when a plate of calamari hits the table. It's weird that I've never fried anything at home before a few weeks ago.

So what was the catalyst for our foray into the crispy unknown?

I'm so glad you asked.

When we moved in January, Rich and I decided to just get basic cable. My beloved Food Network was the only part of this decision that gave me pause. I could literally watch Tyler, Bobby and Giada cook for hours. Ok, I watch Giada on mute. Her random "authentic" Italian pronunciations make me crazier than when people say "EXpresso".

In case you where wondering, I haven't picked up knitting or mending to fill my time now that food tv isn't readily accessible. I have, however, picked up my unbelievable obsession for food blogs. So it's safe to say that I'm still wasting the same amount of time. But at least now I'm reading, right!?!?

Rich recently came across a few Barefoot Contessa episodes on hulu and we jumped at the chance to sloth and drool for a few hours. Ina Garten is of course the queen of all things fabulous and fantastic. During one of the episodes she made FABULOUS (said in her posh, Hampton-esque way) steak with sides.

Crispy, sweet, salty onion rings were on the list of sides. She soaked them in buttermilk and encrusted them with cornmeal. They looked ridiculously delicious, and it didn't even hit me that these beauties were attainable at home until Rich said, "We are so making those tomorrow." What? We don't have a frier. Fry something? We can’t make THOSE! We don't have the right "stuff"!

Truthfully, all I needed; vegetable oil (check), vidalia onions (check), cornmeal ( check), a deep pot for the oil (check) where all in my kitchen! Wow, we can totally do this!! I felt empowered.

Now? I'm feeling very frightened...

These little babies are only 30 minutes away...

Mangia~

Lora

Ingredients

• 2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
• 1 quart vegetable oil (I think we used far less than a quart)

Directions

Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remaincrisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Source: Food Network, Ina Garten

Arroz Verde

On a recent trip to NYC, Tracey and I strolled through the West Village while we waited for Nan to get out of work. After walking 40+ blocks we were getting a bit hungry so we began a restaurant hunt. Of course, we hoped that we would discover a Mexican restaurant amongst the sea of potential targets. We got soooo lucky. We turned a corner in the Meat Packing District, and there before us stood a wonderful looking restaurant. There was Mexican music playing and tables outside to enjoy the beautiful night. Ofrenda did not disappoint. We opted for ordering a few apps and sides instead of entrees. This turned out to be a great choice because the food was superb and this way we were able to try many different things.

We started with some fresh chips with frijoles and guacamole. Both were pureed to a smooth, delicate texture. Out. of. this. world. We spent the entire time discussing how we would execute such deliciousness. Next came grilled zucchini with chili sauce, plantains with manchego cheese, pickled jalapeno quesadillas and a pile of arroz verde.

Stop my beating heart.

Rice enveloped in cilantro laden sauce!!!?!?! With lime!??! How did we not know about this sooner?!?! I think we slightly embarrassed ourselves with our over-exuberance for this rice (Tracey was a little less subtle when she stood on her chair and yelled "FIESTA!!" at the top of her voice).

We vowed to find a recipe when we got home.

Little did I know the recipe would find me! A food blog that I read faithfully put up a post for cilantro rice recently and I knew it was a gift from the good Lord, himself.

I made the rice last week for dinner, along with the grilled chicken, frijoles and sliced tomatoes pictured here. Nice dinner. Terrific rice. Since I made the rice I've been reading even more recipes for arroz verde, and this is going to be the next attempt. I feel like I've been given a gift, so I need to share this gift with you. If you like (LOVE) cilantro, make this rice and fight the urge to cry from the sheer joy and happiness it brings.

Mangia~

Lora