culinarianlibrarian

Dijon Spinach & Pear Salad

Just in time for Valentine’s Day: A souped-up salad with which you can fall in love!

(Okay, I confess- I tried really hard to write that line as “A souped-up salad you can fall in love with,” but I could not, for the life of me, dangle the preposition!  I have issues…)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 5-ounce bag mixed baby greens
• 2 large ripe pears, diced
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped

Whisk first five ingredients to create dressing.  Place spinach and walnuts in a bowl; add diced pears and stir.  Toss salad with dressing and serve immediately.  Don’t be surprised if your dinner guests come back for seconds and thirds.

Serves: 6; Time: 10 minutes

Original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/Baby-Greens-Pear-Walnut-and-Blue-Cheese-Salad-107065#ixzz1mPOEAtu4

Sriracha Mac’n'Cheese

Do you ever read The Oatmeal?  Cartoonist Matthew Inman has a knack for putting into words (and illustrating) what sane humans are really thinking.  One of my favorites is his love letter to Sriracha sauce http://theoatmeal.com/comics/sriracha.  He’s definitely right- it makes EVERYTHING taste better- even macaroni and cheese!

(BTW- I make a LOT of versions of mac’n'cheese, and this Epicurious recipe is, hands down, the best one I have ever tasted.  Wine Guy agrees)

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp butter
• 4 shallots, finely diced
• 8 oz small elbow macaroni (2 cups)
• 1 1/4 c half and half
• 3 tsps Sriracha sauce
• 8 oz coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 5 oz crumbled soft fresh goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots. Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, until shallots are deep brown, stirring often, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook macaroni in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally; drain well. Reserve pan. Bring half and half and hot sauce to simmer in same saucepan over medium heat. Toss cheddar cheese and flour in medium bowl to coat; add to half and half mixture. Whisk until sauce is smooth and just returns to simmer, about 2 minutes. Mix in pasta. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread pasta mixture in prepared dish. Top with shallots, then goat cheese. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.

Serves: 6; Time: About an hour
Original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/Mac-and-Two-Cheeses-with-Caramelized-Shallots-350762#ixzz1mPMD8wSt

Sweet and Sour Salsa

I got this recipe from a woman with whom I work, and I’ve tweaked it a few times.  It’s one of the most addictive appetizers I’ve ever tasted.  Seriously, people will stand around a table and shovel this straight into their mouths, ignoring all other dishes and most conversation.  In attempting to find the recipes origin, I’ve discovered that it’s a bit like what Texans refer to as Cowboy Caviar.

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweet white corn
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 jar diced pimento, drained
• 1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 orange pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp Louisiana Hot Sauce

Combine all ingredients and stir well (I like to put it in an airtight container and shake it a bit).  Refrigerate for at least two hours, but it tastes better if you let it sit overnight.  Serve with Fritos or Tostitos scoops.