Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Sauces

Cacik (Turkish yoghurt and cucumber)

Cacik is one of the simplest Turkish meze dishes to put together. No cooking, just assembly. It’s a creamy, refreshing and healthy side dish that pairs with just about anything. An essential for any Mediterranean-style dinner party spread.

1 cup Greek yoghurt plain
1 cucumber about 300g(deseeded then grated)
1 bunch dill about 50g (finely chopped)
1 garlic clove minced
salt and pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch sumac for garnish

Cut the cucumber in half and then using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard.
Coarsely grate the cucumber and then wrap in a clean tea towel. Squeeze out the excess water (keep the liquid and use, added to water for a refreshing drink with lemon. or add a little to a gin and tonic!)
Place the cucumber in a bowl and mix in the yoghurt, dill, garlic, salt & pepper, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
Decant to a bowl and then drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a little black pepper and sumac.

Notes
Cacik complements a wide range of dishes, including grilled meat, seafood, and rice-based dishes like Chicken Pilaf.
Perfect Meze Companion: When preparing vegetable meze recipes, cacik serves as an excellent accompaniment. Simply provide ample bread or raw vegetables for dipping and scooping.
Fridge Storage: Keep cacik covered in the fridge, where it remains fresh for 2-3 days. Avoid freezing, as it tends to become watery upon defrosting. Freshness is key!

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Nuts · Salad · Vegetable-related

Jennifer Aniston’s “Friends” daily salad

Apparently this is the salad Jennifer Aniston ate every day (!!) on the set of “Friends” for 10 year. Hmmm…maybe

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water (I would use vegetable or chicken broth for more flavor)
1 15oz can of chickpeas, drained
1 cup roasted pistachios, chopped
1 1/4 cup cucumbers, diced 1/2 cup (I would seed the cucumbers first, or it’ll get too watery)
3/4 cup red onion, diced
3/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
3/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
3/4 cup Greek feta, crumbled
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Place the quinoa and water (broth) into a medium sized pot and place over high heat. Once boil has been reached, reduce heat to low and place a cover on the pot. Allow quinoa to simmer for 15 minutes and then turn off the heat. Leave the cover on for 5-10 minutes and then remove and fluff with a fork. Pour quinoa into large bowl.

Now add in rinsed and drained chickpeas, pistachios, cucumbers, onion, mint, parsley, crumbled feta, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper.

Dairy-free · Fish · Gluten Free

Buttered Salmon with Red Onion, Capers and Dill

Recipe by Alison Roman

“While salmon really is the best fish for this dish (the cooking method, the flavor profile, the whole thing), other proxies like trout and Arctic char would also work well here for their comparable fattiness.
To serve it, I just use a large spoon and scoop out large hunks of it (as in, no need to “slice” or cut into even portions). The more rustic and wild, the better.

Serves 4

1 lemon
2lbs (907 g) skin-on salmon fillet (if you can only find skinless, that’s okay)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp (90 ml) unsalted butter
¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
½ small red onion, sliced into very thin rings, divided
2-3 tbsp (30 ml) brined capers, drained
1 cup (250 ml) fresh dill (you can use parsley if you absolutely refuse to use dill)
2 tbsp (30 ml) toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325° F (163° C). Thinly slice half the lemon and remove any seeds; save the other half for juicing.

Place the salmon skin side down on a baking sheet or in a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter has started to brown, 2-3 minutes. Add the olive oil, sliced lemon and half the onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until the lemon and onion have started to brown and frizzle, 2-3 minutes (you’re looking for a kind of crisped rather than softened and caramelized). Add the capers and let them pop and fry a minute or two.

Pour the brown butter-lemon mixture over the salmon. Place it in the oven and roast until just cooked through but still medium rare inside, 12-15 minutes; the flesh will more translucent, less opaque. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish.

Meanwhile, toss together the dill and sesame seeds, if using, in a medium bowl. Give a squeeze from the halved lemon and season with salt and pepper. Scatter on top of the salmon, along with the remaining sliced onion.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegetable-related

Gorgonzola Polenta

Polenta—the Italian cornmeal dish that bears more than a passing resemblance to grits—is made even more delicious here with a combination of three different kinds of cheese, including plenty of tangy blue Gorgonzola. This recipe originally appears in Anna Stockwell’s For the Table: Easy, Adaptable, Crowd-Pleasing Recipes.

Serves up to 8

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups coarse polenta
1 cup Half and half or whole milk
2 oz good Parmesan, grated (about 3/4 cup)
4 oz Gorgonzola dolce, broken into 1/2-inch pieces
4 oz Fontina cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

In a large pot, bring 5 cups lightly salted water to a boil. Add polenta, and whisk to combine. Lower heat to the lowest setting and cook, stirring often, until all the water has absorbed and the polenta is very thick, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in milk and cook, stirring often, until thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and season with pepper.

Transfer to a 1.5- to 2-quart baking or gratin dish and smooth top. Cool until cool enough to stick a finger into, then scatter the Gorgonzola and Fontina pieces over top. Press cheese into the polenta with your fingers. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.

Remove polenta from fridge and let sit at room temperature while oven is heating.
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in the top position. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling and golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Note: The seasoned cooking water and Parmesan add plenty of salt to the polenta, but be sure to give it a taste test before transferring it to the baking dish. Add a few pinches of salt, if needed.

Appetizers · Dairy-free · Fish · Gluten Free

Halibut and rhubarb ceviche with salted almonds

Ceviche is a Latin American dish of fresh raw fish dressed in an acidic marinade – known as tiger’s milk – made from citrus juice, cilantro (coriander) stalks and chili (although there are many variations). This version uses the natural tartness of rhubarb to add a fruity twist, along with that gorgeous rosy hue.
Halibut is used in this recipe for its meaty texture, but any white fish works.

Serves 2

50g rhubarb
Juice 1 lemon
Juice 1 lime
¼ bunch fresh cilantro, stalks and leaves separated
1 green jalapeno chili, halved through its centre
¼ red onion
2 tbsp salted almonds
350g skinless halibut fillet

Roughly chop the rhubarb and put in a blender with the lemon and lime juice. Whizz until smooth, then transfer to a bowl and add the cilantro stalks, the top half of the chili and a pinch of salt. Leave in the fridge to infuse for at least 30 minutes but ideally 1 hour.
Finely slice the onion and put in a bowl of cold water to crisp up. Finely slice the remaining chili into rings and roughly chop the coriander leaves and almonds. Cut the halibut into roughly 2cm chunks and put in a large bowl.
Once the ceviche dressing has infused, strain it through a fine sieve and discard the chili and cilantro stalks.
Pour the liquid over the halibut, then stir in the chopped cilantro leaves, drained red onion, sliced chili and salted almonds. Leave for 5 minutes so the acid in the marinade begins to ‘cook’ the fish and turn it opaque, then divide between 2 serving dishes.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Salad

Antipasto Grain Salad

Recipe from food blog, The Kitchn

SERVES 12 and leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

1lb farro (about 2 1/2 cups)
12 cups water or broth to give the farro more flavor
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
8 oz Castelvetrano olives (1 1/2 cups), or 10 ounces pitted Castelvetrano olives
4 oz peppadew peppers (1 cup); use multi-colored if you can find them
8 large pickled pepperoncinis
12 oz multi-colored cherry tomatoes (2 cups)
12 oz bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), drained (2 cups)
1 cup loosely packed coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Cook the farro (yields 6 to 7 cups cooked farro): Place 2 1/2 cups farro in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse under cool running water, and set aside to drain. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 6-quart or larger pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the farro and toast, stirring often, until golden and nutty-smelling, about 4 minutes. Pour in 12 cups water or a broth and 1 tablespoon kosher salt and stir to combine.
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook uncovered until the the farro is tender but has a slight chew in the center, 10 to 15 minutes for pearled and 25 to 30 minutes for semi-pearled. (This is a good time to make the dressing.) Drain and spread onto a large baking sheet to cool.

Make the dressing: Mince 2 garlic cloves and place in a large bowl. Add 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and several grinds black pepper, and whisk to combine. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil and continue whisking until emulsified.

Make the salad: Prepare the following ingredients, adding each one to the bowl of vinaigrette as you complete it: Using the side of a chef’s knife, crush 8 ounces Castelvetrano olives to release the pits; discard pits. Tear the pitted olives into large pieces (if you bought pitted olives, simply tear them into the bowl). Coarsely chop 1 cup peppadew peppers. De-stem and thinly slice 8 pepperoncinis. Halve 12 ounces cherry tomatoes. Tear 12 oz drained bocconcini in half. Toss to coat all the ingredients in the dressing. Add the cooled farro and toss again. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed.
Chop basil leaves until you have 1 loosely-packed cup. Chop parsley leaves until you get 1/2 loosely-packed cup.
Just before serving, stir the herbs into the salad.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegetable-related

Greek Potato salad

This Greek potato salad recipe by food blog “Foodiecrush” is a tangy spin on the traditional potato salad, with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, feta cheese and a zesty Greek dressing that brings big, bold flavor.

Serves 10

2lbs petite white or red potatoes
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
7 oz oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
4 oz capers, drain and reserve brine
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Greek Salad Dressing
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Add the potatoes to a medium pot and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch, then bring to a boil. Add 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt, reduce to a rolling simmer, and cook until tender or when the potatoes can be pierced with a fork or skewer, about 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the dressing.
To a jar fitted with a lid, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dry mustard, oregano, thyme, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Top with lid, shake well, and set aside.

The potatoes are done cooking when they can be easily pierced with a sharp knife or skewer. Drain them. Then when the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half or into bite-sized chunks, depending on how big they are. While they’re still warm, drizzle with the reserved caper brine, toss, and set aside to cool.

Add the kalamata olives, red onion, capers, sun dried tomatoes, and dill. Gently toss with the dressing. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste, then top with the feta cheese.
Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. This salad is best served at least an hour after cooking so the potatoes absorb the dressing and flavor. Keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegetable-related

Hot & sticky eggplant salad

A simple, delicious crowd pleaser for summer from Willow Crossley

Serve 4-6

1 large plump eggplant, cut into 3-inch wedges
2 tbsp date syrup
1 tbsp honey
1 garlic clove, slice thinly
4oz goats cheese,crumbled
2 tbsp yoghurt
½ tbsp coriander seeds
1 lemon, zest and juice
A small bunch cilantro, save some leaves for topping
1 green chili
olive oil
1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 tbsp pomegranate seeds

Preheat oven to 425F/220C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and lay your eggplant out and sprinkle with olive oil and salt.
Roast for 10-15 mins, turning once, until golden brown. Toss in a bowl with the date syrup and honey.
Place back on the tray and put the garlic chips on top. Lower the temperature to 350F/180C and cook for a further 10 mins
Dry roast the coriander seeds and crush in a pestle and mortar.
Add to a bowl with the goat’s cheese, yoghurt and lemon zest. Season to taste.

Blitz your cilantro bunch (stalks and all) in a blender (if you don’t have one then in a pestle and mortar),
with the lemon juice, green chili and a good glug of olive oil. Season to taste.

Lay the eggplant on a serving dish (holding back the garlic chips for the top).
Dollop the goats cheese mixture, then green salsa, then sprinkle the pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and add the remaining cilantro leaves and garlic chips.

Enjoy!

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Salad

Creamy cucumber salad

Not being American, I have no concept of the old fashioned version of this that was ultra sweet and thick with no fresh dill. I found this served with a piece of grilled sea bass very light and more-ish.
You need to make it about 2-3 hours before serving so the flavors have time to meld and they really do, it tastes completely different after several hours hanging out in the fridge. Check and tweak seasonings if necessary before serving.

3 cups thinly sliced peeled cucumbers
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup sour cream
1.5 tbsp white vinegar
1.5 tbsp minced fresh dill
1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder or more to taste

In a medium mixing bowl stir together sour cream, vinegar, dill, sugar, salt, and garlic powder.
Add cucumbers and red onion; toss to coat.
Cover and refrigerate 2 or more hours.

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Fish · Gluten Free · Rice

Killer crack salmon muffins


Makes 12

3 sheets nori paper
1½ cups cooked sushi rice, fully cooled

Killer crack salmon:
1 lb salmon, skin removed + cubed small
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs low sodium soy sauce
1 tbs unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tbs honey
1 tbs ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs sesame seeds
2 scallions, diced
Glaze:
1 tbs toasted sesame oil
2 tbs honey
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp sesame seeds
Optional toppings:
sliced scallions, shredded carrots

Preheat your oven 400℉. Grab scissors and cut your nori sheets into 4 equal squares.
In a large bowl, whisk the olive, oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds and scallions. Add in the cubed salmon and marinate for an hour or up to overnight.
To each nori square, add about 1 heaping tablespoon of rice and spread out slightly. Transfer the square to your muffin slot, pushing down gently to center the rice in the middle with the edges coming up along the sides of the slot. Grab out 4-5 salmon cubes and fill each muffin slot. Transfer the pan to your oven and bake for 15 minutes. Broil, if needed, at the end, to get a little tan on the salmon .. 1-2 minutes.
Whisk together all the ingredients for the glaze. Taste and adjust if needed.

Special Note: I find my Silicone Muffin Tray to keep them from getting soggy the best (as compared to my metal muffin tray).
Make sure your rice is fully cooled prior to adding to the recipe.
And don’t over fill with salmon.