Creating memorable and healthy dining experiences.
The Columbia Restaurant ‘1905′ Salad – johanna
January 3rd, 2009 | Filed under: Soup / Salad
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
2 ripe tomatoes, cut in eighths
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, cut in julienne strips
1/2 cup ham, cut in julienne strips (or turkey or shrimp)
1/4 cup green Spanish olives, pitted
2 teaspoons grated Romano cheese
Salad Dressing Ingredients:
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin Spanish olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Toss together all salad ingredients in a bowl, except Romano Cheese.
Mix garlic, oregano, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Beat until smooth with a wire whisk. Add olive oil, gradually beating to form an emulsion. Stir in vinegar and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Add dressing to salad and toss well. Add Romano Cheese and toss one more time. Serves 4.
The Columbia Restaurant Black Bean Soup – johanna
December 27th, 2008 | Filed under: Soup / Salad
Growing up, the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City was one of our favorite places to eat when visiting Tampa. The Cuban sandwiches were to die for and the black bean soup was just as amazing. I have since concocted my own version adapted from the back of a bag of black beans. It is tasty and most importantly Stephen and the kids love it. Still, it is not the Columbia. My mom is town for Christmas and black beans and rice were on the menu. On a whim we started searching the internet for a Columbia black bean soup imitation. I never thought the restaurant would post their most prize recipe on their site along with a few other favorites on their website. Lucy us.
This is a soup that is served over rice. With my own version I puree the soup slightly to get a thick consistency. That is not necessary with the Columbia’s version as the rice soaks up much of the liquid. I simmered the beans for about an hour before I added the other ingredients. Estimated time is probably 1 1/2 to 2 hours complete cooking time.
1 pound black beans
3 quarts water
1 ounce (2 tbsp) olive oil
1/2 ounce (1 tbsp) garlic
1 1/2 ounce (3 tbsp) chopped onion
1 ounce (2 tbsp) green pepper,
1/2 ounce (1 tbsp) salt
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 ounce (1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp) sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Soak beans in water overnight in a 4-quart pot.
Bring beans to a boil in the pot, using the same liquid that beans were soaked with and then simmer.
Heat oil and then brown garlic in a pan
Puree onion and peppers, then add puree mixture to oil and garlic in pan, sauté for 4 minutes. Then add mixture to the beans simmering in the pot.
Add salt, cumin, oregano, sugar and pepper to the mixture in pot.
Stir, simmer until beans are tender. cuisine
Greens with Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Dried Cranberries – johanna
December 26th, 2008 | Filed under: Soup / Salad
Source: GOOP
3 small cloves garlic, pushed through a press
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons real Vermont maple syrup
1/3 red wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 large heads of endive, washed, chopped
1 1/3 large head radicchio, washed, chopped
4 large handfuls arugula, washed
1 1/3 cup goat cheese
3/4 cup walnuts, broken into pieces
3/4 cup dried cranberries
In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, Dijon, maple syrup and vinegar. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Combine the greens in a large salad bowl. Dress with about two thirds of the dressing. Divide the greens on eight plates and scatter over the goat cheese, walnuts and dried cranberries over the greens. Drizzle each salad with a bit of the leftover dressing. Serves 12
Oriental Chicken Salad – johanna
December 3rd, 2008 | Filed under: Soup / Salad
The first time I had this salad was at my favorite Chinese restaurant, it has been so long ago the name has escaped my memory. A friend of mine used to order it all the time. It was off menu so if any one wanted one of course they had to ask for it. Their salad consisted of iceberg lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, fried wonton strips and peanuts with a peanut dressing. The dressing in my version actually came from an Asian Chicken Wrap recipe. It has worked so far but I get bored after a while and start hunting for something new.
I used to make my own crispy chicken until I discovered pre-made crispy chicken in the freezer section. Bake for 10 minutes. By the time the chicken has cooked and cooled, the salad is ready and on the table. I cut the chicken into smaller bites and serve. As far as the salad itself goes, you can also use a broccoli slaw mix with your favorite lettuce or bagged greens, pre-made Asian salad dressing and grilled chicken
Dressing:
3 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Mayonnaise or plain yogurt
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/8 tsp sesame oil
Blend ingredients well. Chill.
Salad: Use any combination
Romaine lettuce hearts
Napa and red cabbages
Baby spinach
1 carrot, chopped julienne
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
sliced almonds
crispy chow mein noodles
Mandarin Oranges
Crispy Chicken:
oil for frying
1 cup flour
salt and pepper
Skinless boneless chicken breast fillets. cut into bit size pieces
For crispy chicken: 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup panko flakes or corn flakes
Heat oil in a pan. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken completely. Fry until cooked through.
For crispy chicken: In a small shallow bowl, combine flour with panko flakes, salt and pepper. In another bowl beat egg and milk. Dip chicken pieces into egg mixture then flour coating completely. Fry until cooked through.
Stone Soup: The Basics of Making Soups – johanna
November 30th, 2008 | Filed under: Soup / Salad
My sister recently sent an email with a recipe she created using ingredients from her pantry. It just so happened “stone soup” was on our menu that night. So, it got me thinking about how easy it is to whip up a simple, good for you, quick pot of soup.
Mason and I read the book Stone Soup last week at school. The premise of the book is a weary traveler stopped at the home of an old woman asking her for food. She snobbishly turned him away telling him she did not have any food in the house or garden. Before she could close the door he asked her for a stone from her yard. Confused she questioned him why would he want a stone. He told her to make stone soup. Intrigued the old woman obliged him with a pot and as the story goes on she offered him the vegetables needed to make the soup fit for a king. Like the stone soup in the story every soup starts with a base of water with vegetables or meat for flavoring.
Stock can be made up of chicken, vegetable or beef broths. It can be creamy, with flour or cream. A tomato base comprised of bits of tomato or tomato puree. Soups may also be thick or thin. The flavoring comes from a variety of herbs, seasonings, vegetables and fats from meat or butter.
* A general guideline when using fresh herbs in a recipe is to use 3 times as much as you would use of a dried herb. 1/4 teaspoon of a dried herb for a recipe that serves 4.
Allison’s Pantry Taco Style Soup:
Canned Goods- kidney beans, corn, carrots, french cut green beans, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
Add to browned meat with garlic and onions. Add taco seasoning and top with sour cream and cheese.
This is my clean out the refrigerator and pantry version of Minestrone Soup:
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup bell pepper
1 cup Brussels sprouts, halved
1 carrot, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 oz Italian sausage or panchetta
1 cup onions
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
5 cups broth, beef or chicken
2 cans diced tomatoes, puree one or both cans
1 can garbanzo beans
Heat oil in a pot; add peppers, brussels sprouts, celery and carrots. Let brown slightly then remove. Add sausage onions and garlic. Cook until sausage is no longer pink. Add the parsley and basil. Toss.
Add broth, salt, pepper and tomatoes. Simmer 30-45 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add the garbanzo beans. Simmer 5 minutes. To serve, top with Parmesan cheese.
Fall Pork Chop Vegetable Stew with Left Over Fiesta Rice – johanna
November 22nd, 2008 | Filed under: Soup / Salad
Last night’s menu consisted of fiesta rice and fajitas. The rice I learned to make from a girl I met in Texas. I added the cumin. I did not know what exactly I was going to make for dinner tonight but I had a hankering for pork chops and tomatoes. For the rice I only used the juice from a can of diced tomatoes. So this dish was a great way to use the left over tomatoes and rice.
Fiesta Rice:
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped really small but not minced
2 cloves garlic
1 cup rice
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
2 cups broth, beef or chicken
1/2 cup diced tomatos or juice from the tomatoes
Heat the oil in a small pot. Add the onions and garlic; cook over medium low heat until translucent. Add the rice; cook until rice becomes lightly browned and puffier, about 5 mins. Add the tomato juice and broth. Season with salt and pepper and cumin. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
Pork Chop Vegetable Stew:
2 pork chops, cut into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper
1/2 flour
1 cup onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large sweet potato, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup broth, beef or chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper
Toss the pork in the flour to coat. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add meat in batches only browning the outside to seal the flour. Remove from pan. Add the potatoes and brown slightly. Add the celery, onions, garlic, broth, tomatoes and meat. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the meat is cooked through, about 40 minutes.
To serve, spoon some rice into a bowl and top with the stew.
Traditional Japanese Miso Soup – johanna
November 19th, 2008 | Filed under: Soup / Salad
When I was living in West Palm Beach Florida, I practically lived at the local Whole Foods. It was near my place of work making it an easy stop for lunch. One winter when I was really sick I ate the Miso soup everyday. To this day whenever I am sick I love to snuggle up with a cup of miso soup.
Miso soup has long been known for its healing properties. Miso, a fermented bean paste, is rich with antioxidants, fatty acids, protein and vitamins and minerals such E and B12 to boost the immune system. The added seaweed is packed with additional health benefits. There are many versions of miso soup. Some include adding a variety of vegetables. Traditionally Japanese make miso as part of the meal. It is mostly common to have Miso Soup for breakfast. Miso soup an important part of Japanese culture that new brides were expected to learn how to make the soup from her mother-in-law, because it’s so important to her husband’s happiness that she make it the way he’s used to. The following recipe is a typical version of Miso Soup.
The ingredients can look intimidating. Depending on where you live they can be hard to find. Try a natural food store or an Asian market. Pre-made dehydrated soup packets are also available.
Miso is very delicate paste or powder make from soybeans or rice. Boiling it destroys the health giving properties of the miso. It is best to mix the miso with a small amount of soup liquid until dissolved. Turn the heat off, before adding the miso to the pot. Miso comes in white, yellow and red. The darker the coloring the more robust the flavor.
Wakame is a medium-firm seaweed or kelp that is readily available in vacuum-sealed packets, and should be reconstituted according to package directions. Do not confuse with nori, which will dissolve instantly.
Tofu is Soybean curd. Usually found in the produce department refrigerated area. Tofu comes in silky, firm and extra firm. Store left overs in a container large enough to submerge the tofu in water.
Dashi is a stock which forms the basis of almost all Japanese cooking. Dashi is commonly made by heating bonito, dried fish flakes (katsuobushi), kelp (konbu), shiitake mushroom or iriko (sardine) to make a broth. Dashi comes in a convenient easy-to-mix powder.
About 3 cups water
1 heaping tbsp of Miso (white or red)
1/2 tsp of bonito soup stock powder [Hondashi] or kelp powder [Konbu Dashi] (about 2 shakes)
1 tbsp of dried seaweed [Wakame]
1 Green onion finely, chopped
1/8 pack of firm tofu, diced
2 Shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
Place water in a pan. Turn the heat to high and put in your choice of bonito powder or kelp powder as well as the dried seaweed in the pan. As the water is heating up, dice the tofu, chop up the green onion and scoop a spoonful of miso.
When the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and place the pan on an empty burner (or set it aside where it’s not hot), and put your spoonful of miso into a ladle and gently mix the miso with hot water so it dissolves into the water without leaving a big chunk. After all the miso is nicely dissolved, place the pan back on the heat and the turn it low.
Put the tofu and green onion in the pan and let it heat for a couple more minutes, and serve. If you don’t like seaweed or tofu or green onion, you can replace with other things like daikon or fried tofu or a squash.
Apple Feta Green Salad – johanna
November 1st, 2008 | Filed under: Soup / Salad
This is my favorite salad to serve when we have company. It is so elegant and goes with almost anything.
Mixed Partisan greens
Traditional Feta cheese
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Cucumber slices
Chopped celery
Sliced red onion
Fuji Apple, chopped
Raisins (optional)
1 Good Seasonings Cesar packet, use red wine vinegar
Mix everything together and serve.
Variations: add chopped or shredded chicken to make it a meal.
BBQ Sauce Chicken Chop Salad – johanna
October 28th, 2008 | Filed under: Soup / Salad
I have been excited to cook with barbecue sauce ever since I discovered Red Tail Ale Tangy BBQ sauce. I made a ham last week and smothered it with half the bottle. We ate it all week in sandwiches, omelets and with potatoes. This recipe for BBQ Chicken Salad comes from a friend of mine who had the salad at a ladies luncheon. It was so good she had to have the recipe. Fortunately for us, her friends, she thought we should have the recipe too. Wendy copied the recipe as stated from the book but she does not measure the ingredients, just throws it all together. She usually makes this dish with left over BBQ chicken. She adds a couple extra chicken breasts to the pan and refrigerates them to make the salad the next day. I love getting two meals out of one.
Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup barbecue sauce
Marinate chicken in barbecue sauce, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Chop into pieces and refrigerate.
Salad:
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1/2 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
3 to 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 jicama, peeled and diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Combine chicken in a large salad bowl with salad ingredients and toss. Serve with Ranch Dressing, additional BBQ sauce and crispy corn tortilla chips.
Fall Ham and Potato Soup – johanna
October 15th, 2008 | Filed under: Soup / Salad
This recipe I found on allrecipes.com called “Delicious Ham and Potato Soup.” It has a nice flavor and texture.
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk, as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot. Cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.
Variations:
For a creamy soup cook the potatoes until they are soft. I like a smooth texture with chunks of potatoes. So I cook the potatoes until they are just tender. Then, after I add the milk I puree the soup slightly to make it thicker.
I also like to add 3-4 Kale leaves, torn and 1-2 greens onions, chopped.
Some other good choices may include 2-3 cloves of garlic or garlic powder, diced carrots and chopped cauliflower.
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