Weekly Dish: Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Blue Cheese is a great dressing for those summer salads. Not everyone can do creamy, however, so here is a recipe for a light and healthy, summery vinaigrette.

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 5 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Whisk vinegar, mustard and oil together. Add cheese. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper.

Variations: add minced shallots and fresh garlic.

Weekly Dish: Greek Salad

I love salads and could maybe eat them for every meal. There are so many possibilities! Here is one of my favorites:

Greek Salad

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 Cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 Cup Kalmata olives
1 cucumber, sliced into half moons
1 Cup cherry or grape tomatoes, or 1 tomato, chopped
1/2 Cup Red Onion, thinly sliced
Grilled or pan-fried chicken breast, chopped or sliced (optional)

Dressing:

1 Tablespoon homemade chicken stock
3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
6 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 cloves crushed garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon real salt or celtic sea salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste

 

Thanksgiving Menu- Check!

Thanksgiving 2011 is now 12 days away. 11 days for me, as we are having a feast with friends on Wednesday and a feast with family on Thursday. This means I had to get on the ball (Butterball?) and plan a menu. Which, of course, is not foreign to me. And I love it, just a little. But still, it had to be done ASAP or disorganization, stress, and caffeinated last minute-ness would ensue.

I offer a disclaimer right off the bat: There is white bread on my Menu. *gasp!* I am not an experienced Thanksgiving-er. This is technically my first one. So you can see why I would be a little afraid to try whole wheat or an alternative bread when other non-family member people are coming to my house to eat dinner. People who may or may not care about eating white bread. So I had to do it. However, with this one small exception, the menu is packed with REAL food. Maybe no one will know. Maybe no one will care. Except for the neurotic hippie. (That would be me.)

With that being said… let us proceed.

The Menu

Turkey
No stuffing inside the bird. Instead, lemon, orange, carrots, celery, thyme and butter. So I guess it is sort of stuffed… just not with bread.

Caramelized Onion Dressing
A classic stuffing with the addition of caramelized onions and parmesan cheese.

Cheddar Jalapeno Dressing
A dressing made with an Italian loaf, cheddar, jalapenos, and a lager beer for depth of flavor.

Green Bean Casserole
Not your grandma’s recipe. This one is made with fresh mushrooms, cream and homemade chicken stock, and topped with caramelized onions.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Bananas with Honey
For the kids as well as the adults. Takes the marshmallow topping idea to a new and sophisticated level, gracing it instead with candied pecans.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Gotta use the gravy with something! Made with Yukon Golds.

Cranberry Orange Sauce with Maple Syrup
Replacing white sugar with maple syrup is always a good idea. So is combining cranberries with oranges with cinnamon.

Appetizers, Rolls and Dessert
I am passing this off to anyone and everyone who offers to bring something. Like our friend, the Pastry Chef!

I hope to be posting many of these recipes in the near future. I have high hopes; hopefully there is nothing to disappoint on that day. But who can go wrong with caramelized onions, butter and cream?!