make ahead salad for a crowd

Kale Spinach Faro Salad
Serves 10-12

INGREDIENTS:

1 large box baby spinach
1 bunch kale, leaves only shredded
3-4 cups cooked faro (cooled or chilled overnight)

1 cup grated parmesan
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup toasted walnuts

For the vinaigrette:

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup white wine or champagne vinegar
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1.5 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

METHOD:

1. Make the vinaigrette by whisking ingredients together in a glass measure or combining in a jar with a fitted lid. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, kale, and cooked faro. Toss with vinaigrette, add parmesan and then transfer to a large serving platter. You can do this 1-2 hours beforehand, keep chilled until ready to serve.

3. Top with cranberries and walnuts. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

summer protein salad

Chicken Shrimp Halloumi Salad

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

12 large raw shrimp marinated with 1 tsp mix of smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper

1 brick of halloumi cheese

1/2 kabocha pumpkin, 1/4 inch sliced

3 cups baby spinach

2 cups chopped romaine

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch chunks

1/2 cup cooked farro, quinoa or brown rice

1/4 cup pesto 

4 tbsp sunflower seeds

METHOD:
1. In a large non-stick pan, heat olive oil over medium high and cook marinated shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side until done. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. In the same pan, add the brick of halloumi. Leave undisturbed for 1-2 minutes until golden. Gently flip and repeat on the other side. Transfer to a cutting board and once cool, slice the cheese in to 1/2 inch wide pieces.

3. Steam or grill the pumpkin slices until tender. Set aside.

4. In a large serving bowl, add spinach, romaine, cucumber and farro or other grain of your choice.

5. Top with chicken breast, shrimp, halloumi and pumpkin slices.

6. Drizzle pesto over top, sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve!

pickled red onions

Pickled Red Onions
makes about 1 cup

INGREDIENTS:
1 red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

METHOD:
1. Ensure you have a dry sanitized mason/pickling jar. Either wash in your dishwasher or rinse with boiling water before using.

2. Place onions into the jar. Set aside.

3. In a glass measuring cup, whisk remaining ingredients together until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour over onions.

4. Cover jar and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours before using. Pickled onions will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

a spin on chicken salad

Coconut Lime Chicken Salad

serves 4

INGREDIENTS
For the Salad:
6 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, shredded or use a vegetable peeler
1 bell pepper, julienned
6-8 radishes, thinly sliced
2 long red or green chillies, julienned
1 cup mint, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup chives, snipped
4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
1 cup roasted almonds, pistachios or cashews (optional)

For the Dressing:

½ cup coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sugar

pepper to taste

METHOD:
1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the salad. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Adjust seasoning and pour over the salad. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

picnic side dish

New Potato Salad

serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed and cut 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp white vinegar

coarse salt and pepper

METHOD:

1. Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and set aside. Let cool completely.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix well. Toss in cooled potatoes and adjust seasoning as necessary. Chill until ready to serve.

light lunch

Chicken Soba Noodle Salad

serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

Make the dressing:

1 garlic clove, minced
1 Thai chili, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Japanese rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper

Make the salad:
1 carrot

1 cucumber

1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
4 portions of Japanese soba noodles
3-4 chicken breasts, fully cooked and shredded

Garnish:
2 tbsp roasted Japanese black and white sesame seeds

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

METHOD:
1. In an empty glass jar, add all the ingredients for the dressing. Close tightly with lid and set aside.

2. Julienne or shred carrot, cucumber, pepper and set aside. You can also use a sprializer or box grater to create long vegetable strands.

3. Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Place cold noodles in a large wide serving bowl.

4. Top noodles with shredded vegetables, chicken and green onion. Chill until ready to serve.

5. Just before serving, shake jarred dressing until well combined. Pour over noodle salad and garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro. Toss well and serve.

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Kale and Romaine Salad

serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

1 head romaine lettuce
1 bunch kale
6-8 radishes, sliced thinly
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup tahini dressing

METHOD:

1. Wash lettuce and kale. Dry and cut lettuce into bite size pieces. Place into a large salad bowl.

2. Tear off kale from stem into bite size pieces and add to salad bowl. Top with radishes and parsley. Chill until ready to serve.

3. Toss with tahini dressing just before serving.

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Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa

serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup tri-coloured quinoa, cooked

1 head cauliflower
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
juice from half a lemon
extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt and pepper

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 400F (205C).

2. Rinse and cut cauliflower into large pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes until golden. Set aside.

3. In the same mixing bowl, add cooked quinoa, tomatoes, parsley. Toss with lemon juice and olive oil.

4. Shred roasted cauliflower into florets and add to bowl. Toss and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve at room temperature.

whole roasted cauliflower

Whole Roasted Cauliflower
recipe adapted from PureWow
serves 4-6 as a side

INGREDIENTS
1 whole cauliflower
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 head of garlic, minced
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 tbsp Mexican chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 400F (200 C) and cover a small baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Remove any green leaves from the base of the cauliflower and hollow out the woody stem. Rinse and pat dry. Rub the bottom of the cauliflower with olive oil and place on the prepared baking sheet.

3. In a small bowl, make the yogurt marinade by combining the remaining ingredients together. Pour and spread evenly over the cauliflower.

4. Roast for 50-60 minutes until the yogurt marinade on the cauliflower is dry and lightly browned. Use the tip of a sharp knife and check for tenderness. Continue roasting for another 10-15 minutes if desired tenderness is not enough.

6. Transfer cauliflower to a bed of greens on a serving platter. Cool for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

ginza

A quick weekend trip to Tokyo and we stumbled upon this little izakaya next to our hotel in Ginza. The chef fires up our meat.

And then continues to charcoal grill the rest of our dinner - chicken, beef, inards and mushrooms.

The most embellished bowl of miso soup we've ever seen.

Across the street at the Mitsukoshi food hall are these perfect red and white strawberries.

And farm fresh greens, sprouts and radishes.

 That we hand carried back to HK to prepare.

Japanese Radish Salad

makes about 1 cup as a side dish or as a topping for salad greens

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chopped Japanese radishes

1 tbsp grapeseed oil

1/2 tsp sesame seed oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp chopped mint leaves (optional)

METHOD:

1. Place chopped radishes in a glass or other non-reactive bowl.

2. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Pour over radishes and gently fold in.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

salad dressings from scratch

Garlicky Dressing
makes 1 1/ 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 anchovies, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

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Tahini Dressing

makes 1 cup

INGREDIENTS:

juice from 1 lemon

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 - 1/2 water (more if the consistency is too thick)

salt and pepper

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Buttermilk Caesar Dressing
makes 1/2 cup

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup buttermilk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
2 anchovies, minced
1/8 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

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Soya Sauce Vinaigrette
makes 3/4 cup

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper

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Orange Balsamic Dressing
makes 1 cup

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper

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Cilantro Jalapeno Dressing

makes 1 cup

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup cilantro stems

1 jalapeño, deseeded

1 garlic clove

1/4 cup grape seed oil

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

salt

METHOD:

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Or you can finely chop and whisk everything together.

2. Toss with your favourite greens and serve immediately. Leftover dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

let's have surf and turf

Fresh to our table...

 

Australian southern rock lobster tails make a delicious salad starter.

USDA skirt steak turns into carne asada. 

Colorado lamb rack with garlic and rosemary serve as our main dish.

And for dessert, Momofuku's compost cookies...

...fresh out of the oven!

feeling lucky

Have you ever seen double yolks from a single egg? We cracked 4 eggs and got 2 sets of twin yolks. We're feeling lucky...

We love oysters and were recently introduced to Shigokus from Taylor Shellfish Farms. They are plump, sweet and so perfect that all you need is a splash of lemon juice to bring out their ocean-y flavour.

 We also love these roasted sesame seeds from Osaka.

 Great for topping our salads and pork chops.

We love freebies and these samples of BroccoLeaf and Kalettes didn't disappoint. Kalettes are a cross between kale and brussel sprouts, and BroccoLeaf is basically the leafy part of broccoli that you usually trim away.

We also got a sample of nutrient dense red leaf lettuce. It was larger than the regular variety and extra crunchy. Perfect for making lettuce wraps.

farmers market

We were in Toronto for part of the summer and the lovely part about being in North America are the really great farmers markets.

Summer's bounty of really fresh organic baby beets.

Ontario strawberries.

This mushroom seller was really friendly and an abundance of knowledge of just about every type of mushroom there was.

He was a really good salesman and we walked away with 4 different varieties.

I just loved the stall where they prepackaged washed and chopped organic kale grown just an hour or so away.
 

And nothing welcomes you to summer in Canada like a big tall Bloody Caesar.

belgian endive

This week we got the usual lot except some new items we tried were the collard greens and Belgian endive.

 Braised with butter.

 Chopped raw and thrown into our Red Quinoa Beetroot salad.

Hot & Spicy Johnsonville Sausages sauteed with collard greens, Belgian endive and linguine.

beetroot

We love the look of candy striped beetroot. When it is sliced raw, the contrasting colours are very sharp and vibrant. This makes a dramatic addition to any salad.

After they're cooked however, the stripes are less obvious and the dark pink and white lines will bleed into one another to create a more even muted tone. We turned this batch into a fresh and healthy quinoa salad.

1 cup cooked red quinoa
4-6 roasted or steamed candy striped beets, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1-2 roasted eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup basil, torn into pieces
1/4 cup mint, coarsely chopped
1/4 Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

Combine the above ingredients. Toss in 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Chill for 1 hour and serve.