An Eco-Friendly Baby Shower

In just a few short weeks, I’m going to be an aunt!  I can’t wait!

Back in September, I helped plan and catered a baby shower for my sister.  The menu was designed to be eco- and pregnancy-friendly, with a focus on high-quality, seasonal, organic ingredients for mama, baby, and guests.

The invitations were printed on recycled paper produced with “100% green hydroelectric power” (great paper and great customer service). 

Beverages were served in mason jars that will be re-used for canning.

The Menu

• Mini quiche (recipe): whole wheat pastry crust, wilted rainbow chard, caramelized red onions, Cypress Grove “Midnight Moon” goat cheese.
• Cannellini bean crostini: from dried beans; with rosemary, garlic, extra virgin olive oil,  and sundried tomatoes.
• Spinach salad: dried cranberries, toasted pumpkin seeds, “Bellavitano Raspberry” cheese, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
• Carrot cake: with cream cheese frosting; made with organic ingredients; icing dyed with natural, vegetable-based food coloring.

Salmon Caesar Salad

printable recipe

Serves 4 as a main course.

2 slices hearty whole wheat bread (½-inch thick) 
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1 egg 
½ lemon, juiced
4 drops Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and dried

16oz salmon (2 - 8oz filets)
Olive oil, for cooking

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut bread slices into ½-inch cubes.  Whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil with 1 clove of garlic (pressed or finely minced).  In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with olive oil/garlic mixture.  Spread on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  (They should be firm on the outside but soft on the inside.)

Bring about 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the egg and cook for 1 minute. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to halt cooking.

Meanwhile, heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Season salmon with salt and pepper.  Cook, skin side down, for about 5 minutes.  Flip, remove skin, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  (Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the salmon.)

In a blender, combine remaining 2 cloves garlic (peeled and roughly chopped), remaining 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, egg, and ¼ cup of the parmesan.  Blend, starting low and gradually increasing speed.  Blend for 10 seconds at highest speed to fully immerse the dressing.

In a very large bowl, tear lettuce and toss with dressing.  Add the remaining parmesan. Toss gently to combine.

Divide salad onto 4 plates.  Top each with croutons and 4 ounces of salmon. 
Serve immediately.

raw kale salad

This salad represents my first experience with raw kale.  The sweetness of the orange and dried cranberries temper the bitterness of the greens.  The salad went over very well with visiting family members.  They even came back for seconds!

 
printable recipe

Serves 4-6

1 bunch of kale
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1-2 teaspoons honey, to taste
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 oranges 
1/2 cup dried cranberries
goat cheese gouda (or another flavorful cheese), freshly grated

Wash the kale and dry thoroughly.  Remove tough stalk and center ribs.  Roll the kale into a cylinder and finely slice the kale crosswise into strips about 1/4 inch wide.  In a large bowl, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil and massage into the kale.  This will tenderize the kale. 

In a small bowl, whisk remaining tablespoon of oil (if desired), red wine vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.  Toss with kale.

Using a sharp paring knife, remove the rind and pith from the orange. 

If you have time, supreme the fruit.  To do this, after the rind and pith are removed, separate each segment from the surrounding membrane by using the paring knife to slice closely along the edge of each segment, on either side of the membrane, to free the fruit from the membrane, one segment at a time.  Do this over a bowl to catch all of the juices.  Once all the segments have been supremed, cut them into bite-sized pieces.

If  you don’t have time to supreme or don’t mind your citrus fruit slightly tougher and less presentable, simply cut the peeled orange into bite-sized pieces. 

Gently fold the oranges (and any collected juices) and cranberries with the kale until well combined. 

Serve topped with grated cheese.

Dinners for Two

Warm weather often makes me want light, refreshing meals. I love having salads for dinner. I love the endless possibilities for combining different flavors and textures. Brian always wants something more substantial, so we'll do a salad with some sort of protein. We love to make variations of taco salad. Earlier this week, I was in a salad mood, and Brian decided he wanted barbecue chicken topped with bacon and cheddar. I was also really craving green beans. And then I thought: of course. A green bean salad. A French country salad, to be specific. Well this was my take, using the ingredients we had on hand: I like to call it France’s Country Salad. ;)

France’s Country Salad
printable recipe

Serves 2.

6 to 8 oz fresh haricots verts (or regular green beans), washed and trimmed
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, washed and sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
6 strips center-cut bacon, cooked (pan-fried, microwaved, or baked)
8 oz boneless chicken breast, seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled
Tarragon-Dijon Vinaigrette (see below)

Bring a medium pot of water to boil.  Wash and trim green beans.  Blanch beans in boiling water for 1-3 minutes until crisp-tender.  Immediately drain and submerge beans in ice water for about 5 minutes in order to halt cooking.  Drain.

Heat a large pan over medium heat.  Cook bacon, turning halfway through.  Set aside.  Pour bacon drippings into a bowl and wipe pan clean. (Alternatively, you my choose to microwave or bake the bacon.)

Heat a grill pan over medium heat.  Brush chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill chicken over medium heat until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per side, depending on thickness.  Once chicken is cooked, remove to plate and cover with foil.  Allow to rest under foil for about 5 minutes; slice.

While the chicken is cooking, return 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings to sauté pan for onions and mushrooms.  (Or substitute  1 tablespoon olive oil.)  Reheat pan and fat over medium heat.  Add onions and a pinch of salt.  Sauté onions 2-3 minutes.  Add mushrooms and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and any liquid they release is cooked off (about 10-15 minutes).  Season with salt and pepper.

Toss green beans in  half of dressing and divide between two dinner plates.  Top with mushroom-onion mixture,  bacon (cut into 1/2 pieces), and chicken.  Drizzle remaining dressing over each salad.  Serve immediately.

Tarragon-Dijon Vinaigrette
printable recipe

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Whisk together all ingredients to thoroughly combine. 

 

Once Brian saw what was going into it my salad, he changed his mind about his cheddar-bacon chicken.

It was one of the best meals we’ve had in a while. And it tasted just like the French countryside. :)

Last night, we finally attempted an entire meal from our favorite new cookbook, “The 150 Healthiest Meals on Earth.” (Thanks to Betsy and Milan for introducing it to us last time we were in New York!) Following the author’s suggestion, we paired Cauliflower Cream (an unbelievably effective substitute for mashed potatoes)
with Haricots Verts (served cold with a pomegranate-mint dressing, so yummy and refreshing),

and Persian-Style Chicken – braised with chicken stock, pomegranate juice, almonds, red onions, cinnamon, and molasses! So maybe it was a little Christmas-y for the middle of July, but it was so delicious that we didn’t mind in the least.

We rounded it all off with a glass of Pinot Noir. (Yes, red wine does qualify as one of the “healthiest foods on earth!”)