Edamame Salad with Crisp Steak Bits

This dish was really good, and if it looks a little summery to you, you're right to think so because it came from the June 2011 issue of Cooking Light.

I. Love. Edamame. So when I saw a picture of this salad, I bookmarked it and here we are. The bite-sized pieces of "crisp" steak were just so enticing, and the slices of avocado topped it off. Well, what I thought was avocado topped it off.

I'm at the grocery store buying ingredients for maybe three or so recipes that I'm going to make that week (this was a little while ago; I'm a bit behind on my blogging, evidently). As I'm shopping, I'm wondering how I could have forgotten to put avocado on my list (as I picture this edamame salad in my mind). In turn, I grab four ripe ones; you can never have too many. I mean, I would eat avocado sliced plain if needed.

Well, it turns out that the moon-shaped slivers of avocado I was envisioning were not actually avocado, but cucumber. So, in probably more words than needed, I have explained my reasons for including both avocado and cucumber in this dish. I think it works.

Cook edamame as usual; drain, rinse, and drain. Combine tamari soy sauce, minced fresh ginger, mayonnaise, wholegrain Dijon mustard, rice wine vinegar, and dark sesame oil in a large bowl. Add edamame, halved grape tomatoes, chopped and seeded English cucumber, and chopped green onions. Toss to coat. Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Combine flank steak (cut into small chunks), salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Add steak to pan, cooking 5 minutes or until well browned and crisp.

Spoon edamame mixture onto plates and top with steak. Enjoy.

Thai Chicken and Rice Soup

The story: I pulled this jewel out of the January 2011 issue of Sunset magazine. It was featured on a page with some other soups. Sunset says that, in Thailand, this soup is usually served pretty plain for breakfast, using leftover chicken. But this recipe is dressed up with fresh herbs and fried shallots.

I'm not even sure why I chose this recipe. I usually shy away from anything fried. Especially, fried onion rings. But somehow, I knew Zack would appreciate this recipe since it was "Thai" and because he is a pretty bit onion ring fan. And I am pretty sure I will never be making onion rings. So this is the closest thing to it: golden brown fried shallots.

Put chicken broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Add shredded rotisserie chicken, cooked rice, salt, and minced fresh ginger. Simmer 15 minutes or  until flavors develop (and believe me, you will be smelling those flavors).

Heat canola oil in a small saucepan over high heat. Fry thinly sliced garlic for about 2 minutes, turning constantly. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Toss thinly sliced shallots in a small bowl with flour,  coating and breaking up the rings. Fry in the same oil used for the garlic until golden brown. Drain on fresh paper towels.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with fresh cilantro and basil, a sprinkle of fried garlic, a few slivers of fried shallot, and a few slices of jalapeno.

This soup was so comforting and the jalapeno adds some great heat. Great way to clear the sinuses. In fact, it would be so good when you're not feeling well. Or any other time for that matter. A winner.

Whole-Wheat Pasta Salad

It's been awhile since I've made a salad meant for a packed lunch. And this version (from Power Foods (a.k.a. one of my most favorite cookbooks, for those of you just tuning in)) is a really great pasta salad. This healthy version trades the usual mayonnaise-based dressing for a light vinaigrette composed of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar.

Cook whole-wheat pasta until tender, adding small florets of broccoli about 1 minute before the end of cooking. Drain.

Meanwhile, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil (or flaxseed oil if you can find it), balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice, whole grain Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, and a bit of salt and fresh ground black pepper. Add pasta and broccoli, stirring to coat with dressing.

Mix in halved grape tomatoes, shredded red cabbage (or radicchio), and torn fresh basil. Oh, and I pulled meat off a rotisserie chicken to add to the salad for a little extra something. To make it more filling, although this is a pretty hearty salad. And good too.

Refrigerate and serve at room temperature.

Coming Soon: Thai Chicken and Rice Soup!

So spicy. So good.

Dijon Herb-Crusted Salmon

This salmon was good. So good, that is didn't even matter that the salad I made to go with it was nasty.

Yeah. After a busy day of work, sometimes you come home and just decide to start throwing things together to make a "salad dressing." And that being in quotes means I'm being sarcastic right now. I had a recipe that I was using, but instead if measuring, I just decided to eyeball it. Not a good idea. This balsamic vinegar- and olive oil-based dressing ended up being mostly just olive oil. So gross. The thought of it now (days later) makes me shudder. So enough about that. Lesson learned.

The salmon, however, is worth talking about. And it was so quick and easy. It, in itself, was very satisfying.

To make the herb crust, stir together minced green onions (white and light green parts only), chopped fresh basil (go a little heavier on this in comparison to the other herbs), oregano, and thyme, and minced garlic. Drizzle in a little bit of extra-virgin olive oil. A little goes a long way, people. Ha ha.

Season your salmon fillets with salt and ground black pepper. Place, skinned side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread about a teaspoon of whole grain Dijon mustard on each fillet, then spread about 2 tablespoons of the herb crust over the mustard coating.

Roast salmon at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until barely opaque.

Definitely use fresh herbs when making this. The flavor is so pungent and delicious. Such a good way to switch up your usual oven-baked salmon. Cheers.

Split Pea Soup with Cilantro

When I think of split pea, I think of the classic American soup: green pea soup with ham. When I saw this recipe, I was intrigued by its unique twist. A pretty darn good twist too.

This split pea soup has great flavor, and finely diced vegetables along with some cilantro and soy sauce add something special. The texture really was perfect and it just tasted so light and delicious. Surprisingly, I didn't miss the ham at all. Which is unusual for me...

This recipe actually comes from Nordstrom Flavors: An Artful Celebration of Food, which is the same cookbook that my Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos came from. I don't think I would have ever picked up this cookbook had it not been given to me. Nordstrom's? As in the department store Nordstrom's? They have a restaurant and a cookbook? This can't be true. But it is! And I can't even begin to tell you how incredible those tacos were, so I had to try another recipe from it.

Combine dried split peas with quite a bit of water, bringing to a boil in a large saucepan. Take care that they do not boil over. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmering until most of liquid is absorbed (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat, letting stand for 1 hour.

Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a soup pot (I used my new Dutch oven of course...thank you, Zack) over medium-high heat. Add finely diced carrot, yellow onion, celery, red bell pepper, and jalapeno (again, all finely diced). Cook, stirring constantly until vegetables soften. Add ground coriander, dry mustard (I just used Chinese mustard because that's what I had on hand), salt, and pepper. Stir in chicken broth, bring to a boil, then stir in peas. Return to a boil, adding diced potato and a bay leaf. Simmer until potatoes and peas are tender (about 1 hour).

Remove bay leaf, then add a little whole milk, soy sauce, and chopped fresh cilantro, heating until hot. Ladle into bowls and garnish with diagonally-cut green onions. And serve with a yummy, crusty (as I call it) bread; we love to pick up something fresh from Trader Joe's.

Tell me this does not sound wonderful...? I love the not-so-American influences in this recipe. It just adds a much needed kick to an otherwise basic soup. And if you're not a big "pea" fan, this just might make one out of you. It's really more like a vegetable soup. A really good vegetable soup. Cheers.

*Remember, I'm happy to share actual recipes with measurements and the sort. Just comment on my post or get a hold of me otherwise, and I'll get it to you.*

Salmon with Green Lentil Ragout

Yes, salmon again. We got a rather large package of it at Costco awhile back, some of which I put in the freezer, so it makes an appearance again. And it will be making another one tomorrow night. It's just a salmon kind of time I guess. But, I'm actually glad to be having so much of it lately because I always feel like I don't eat enough fish. And salmon is oh-so-wonderfully good for you with all its vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids!

Lentils are great with salmon. And this dish made for great leftovers the next day. I did learn one lesson though: always dice vegetables to size according to what the recipe calls for. Also, it's preferable to chop them uniformly. An occasional not-so-cooked-all-the-way potato is not so great. But really, this vegetable combination with the lentils was simple, but really tasty. And the crust on the salmon was incredible...

Cook lentils until tender. Boil and reduce some chicken stock over high heat, then remove. Warm a bit of the concentrated stock in a skillet over medium-high heat. Mix in finely chopped shallot, carrot, and potato, cooking until the liquid has almost evaporated. Pour in remaining stock, add cooked lentils, and simmer until potato is tender. Stir in kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Remove from heat.

In another skillet over medium-high heat, warm some canola oil. Season salmon fillet pieces with salt and pepper. Place them in the pan, cooking until crisp and well-browned. Serve on top of the green lentil ragout. Yum.