Caesar Salad In a Glass – No Forks Needed!

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Makes 1 cup of dressing          Difficulty Level: Easy +

Dressing

  • ½ teaspoon anchovy paste – can be found at grocery stores, usually in the canned tuna isle
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ¾ cup olive oil

Salad

  • Romaine lettuce hearts – see below notes for amount
  • 1/3 of a Baguette
  • olive oil for brushing
  • 1 clove of garlic, cut in half
  • Parmigiano Reggiano, about 2 ounces or 1/3 cup

Notes:

  • You typically will use more dressing if making individual servings. If making a full salad in a bowl, you most likely will not use all the dressing.
  • The same is true with romaine lettuce. You will need about 3-4 hearts to make about 6-8 individual servings because you will use just the smaller leaves in the center. If making a full salad in a bowl, about 2 romaine hearts will serve 3-4 people as a side salad.
  • Classic Caesar dressing is made with anchovy filets, mashed with a fork. It also does not have mayonnaise. The creaminess comes from a raw egg yolk.

Caesar salad at Amy's

Instructions:

Put all ingredients except the olive oil in a small bowl and whisk together until well combined. Drizzle the olive oil in a steady but slow stream while whisking constantly. This will help emulsify the dressing.

Alternatively, put all ingredients in a mason jar, cover with the lid and shake vigorously until all ingredients are combined.

Wash and separate the lettuce leave, using only the smaller leaves that will fit in your individual serving dish.

Slice the baguette in exaggerated bias cuts. Brush one side with a little olive oil and toast in the toaster until crunchy. Alternatively, toast them in a 375° oven for about 3-4 minutes.

Once cool enough to handle, rub the oiled side of each slice with the glove of garlic. Remember, don’t go crazy! You just need to 2-3 strokes.

To assemble your individual salads, place about 1 tablespoon of dressing on the bottom. Pick 2-3 of the best leaves for each serving dish and dip the bottom in the dressing.

Put one slice of toasted baguette in each dish, and finish with some grated or shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

Variations:

  • As mentioned before, you can use this recipe and make a full salad in a bowl. You can still make the “croutons” the same way as described above and just crumble them into pieces in your salad
  • Add a cut piece of grilled chicken breast for each serving.

Do Ahead:

  • The dressing can be made up to 7-8 days ahead. In fact, when you are making it, why not make a double batch. That way you have fresh salad dressing all week.
  • The lettuce can be washed, and leaves separated one day ahead. To keep them crisp, loosely wrap the leaves in a damp paper towel, put in a plastic bag and keep in the fridge. Do not close the top of the bag. Give the lettuce a chance to breathe.
  • The croutons can be made up to one day ahead. If they get stale, pop them in the toaster to reheat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farmers Market Green & Purple Bean Salad

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Green Bean Salad

It’s amazing all the beautiful produce you can find at Farmers Markets. I’m always inspired by all the colors, textures, and fragrances. Please watch the video below for a simple, refreshing, and delicious salad that was inspired by a trip to the Farmers Market recently. This is one of those recipes that will not have exact amounts so just go with it. It’ll be fine. I promise!

Serves 2 as a side dish          Difficulty Level: easy peasy

Ingredients:

  • about 2-2 1/2 cups cut beans. I used green and purple, but you can use other varieties like purple or yellow
  • about 1/4 of a small red onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 medium-ish tomato, chopped
  • 1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
  • basic vinaigrette

Green Bean ingredients

Instructions:

Snap off or cut the flowering end of the beans. Cut into bite-sized pieces, about 1.5-2″ long. Add all the ingredients in a bowl and toss with some of the vinaigrette. See? Easy peasy!

Green Bean Salad 1

Variations:

  • Use cherry tomatoes
  • Add Thai basil for a little sweeter taste. You can also add mint, chives, or tarragon. Either instead or in addition to the basil.
  • Add chopped lettuce to add volume. With lettuce, it can serve 2 people as a meal
  • Serve with grilled chicken breast or grilled shrimp
  • Use any acid for the dressing, like lemon or lime juice, apple cider vinegar, etc.

Do Ahead:

  • The best part of this salad is that it’s fresh, so there is not a whole lot you can do ahead. But…You can cut/slice/chop the beans, tomatoes, and onions 1 day ahead. Keep them in separate bags or containers until ready to dress the salad.
  • The dressing can be made up to 1 week ahead.
  • If serving with grilled chicken, shrimp, or any other protein, you can make it one day ahead. Since it’s being served with a salad, there is no need to reheat. Serve cold or at room temperature.

 

Easy Thai Pork Skewers (Moo Ping)

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Thai is one of my favorite cuisines to eat and to cook. I love all the spices and the fresh ingredients used to create deliciously fragrant and quick meals. And I love spicy! This one here is perfect for a quick weeknight meal or a lazy Sunday lunch. And if you have not tried Thai cooking before, do not be intimidated! This recipe is super easy and a great way to get you on your way to try more Thai dishes.

The video has a quick overview of the recipe at the beginning, but I encourage you to watch the entire thing to learn some great tips like how to tell your steak is cooked to your desired doneness just by touch.

Thank you to my friend Alex for cooking with me. We had so much fun.

The recipe and instructions follow below and per usual Variations, and Do Ahead are included at the end of the recipe. Enjoy!

Makes 8 skewers          Difficulty level: easy peasy

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 pound ground pork
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
  • 1 cup cilantro , chopped (I don’t use cilantro in the video. I decided to add some later for more flavor.
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 8 lemongrass stocks, trimmed and slightly bruised
  • Sweet chili sauce to serve

Instructions:

Place the ground pork, crushed garlic, chopped cilantro, sugar, and soy sauce in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

Divide into 8 portions and mold each one into a ball. It may help to dampen your hands before shaping the mixture to prevent sticking.

Stick a length of lemongrass halfway into each ball, then press the meat mixture around the lemongrass to make an elongated meatball shape.

Cook the pork sticks on a hot grill (or under the broiler) for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Serve with the chili sauce for dipping.

Variations:

  • You can use ground beef, ground turkey, or a combination
  • Serve with steamed jasmine rice
  • Add a tablespoon of grated ginger to the pork mixture

Do Ahead:

The ground pork mixture can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.