In spring, it’s always great to clean house.  Both literally, and figuratively.  Though right now in Wyoming, where it is 30 and snowing, it is hard to honestly believe spring is coming.  My frost-cloth has been on my peonies for the last 3 days.  Hopefully, all will survive.

With Spring comes enlightenment.  And a shift away from winter laden heavy foods.  As an homage to this shift, I would like to share a meatless salad.   All you need to add is a good loaf of bread with some olive oil and sea salt for dipping.

Ingredients:

1 C French Lentils  (rinse, drain and pick through for particles)

2 C Water

1 Sweet Onion, chopped

4 cups Arugula    (rinsed and dried)

1/2 C toasted walnuts

1/2 C dried cranberries

1/2 cup goat cheese in pieces.  ( personally, I LOVE Chevre or goat cheese, so I add a bit more)

2/3 C olive oil

1T Dijon mustard

1/3  C white balsamic vinegar

1 T honey

Read the instructions first please.   Couple of comments you should be aware of in the recipe.

Here we go:

Lentils:

Put lentils, water and chopped onion in large sauce pan.  Cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes until lentils are done.   Should still have some bite.   Definitely DON’T want to cook to mush.   Remove from stove.  Because you want these at room temp, may want to spread out on pan to cool.  (note: this makes a lot of lentils.  I would use about half in the salad.)

Toasted Walnuts:

Put the walnuts in a dry cast iron pan and toast.   Should brown slightly and become fragrant.  ( personally, I would double or triple for other salads or trail mix).  Once toasted, remove to small bowl or plate.

White Balsamic Vinaigrette:

Pour Olive Oil, Balsamic, honey and mustard into mason jar or a personal fave, the OXO Good Grips Salad Dressing Maker.   Add salt and pepper to taste.

(Note: You can find it on Amazon.  https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Salad-Dressing-Shaker/dp/B003L0OOR6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495228690&sr=8-1&keywords=oxo+dressing+shaker

Put cleaned arugula in bowl.  Add walnuts, and cranberries.  (Optional: add thin slices of sweet onion or green onion to bowl)

Add enough dressing to lightly coat.  Lightly toss. Nothing is worse than lettuce dripping on your plate.   Next, add lentils and goat cheese.  You may want to add a bit more dressing- this is your call. Lightly toss again.

Meatless Monday, serve with bread.   Or its great with a grilled pork chop.  Either way,

Enjoy!

Terri

Everyone in my family loves these.  And I mean everybody.  There are never leftovers.  And the sauce dredged dry by good multigrain bread.  And, they are elegant enough to make for a dinner party.  Serve with a decadent green salad of butter lettuce with radishes & sundried tomatoes with a grapeseed oil vinaigrette and your eyes will eat too.

I will always tell you to get the best ingredients you can.  And it is especially true of fish and seafood.  Fresh quality is king.  And it lets your local store/fish monger know what you like.

Ingredients:

15 clean, dry, unblemished sage leaves

2 medium golden delicious apples

12 jumbo scallops

6 slices of good prosciutto

2 T unsalted butter

2 T oil

Salt and pepper

Here we go:

Prosciutto Scallops

12 jumbo scallops  ( I typically serve 4-5 per person.  Do the math for a dinner party or family)

6 slices of good Prosciutto   ( get large, thin slices.  Again the quality point)

12 toothpicks

Pat the scallops dry.  If they are not dry, they will not brown properly.  And you want these browned.

Cut each slice of Prosciutto half lengthwise.

Wrap a half of each slice of Prosciutto around each scallop.  Secure with toothpick. Set aside on plate.

Fried Sage

Heat the 2 T each,  of butter and oil in pan.  Medium heat.

Add the sage leaves to the heated oil/butter mixture.  They will sizzle,  When the sizzle stops, flip them over.  Stay near the pan with this- no one wants bitter and burned sage.  When the sizzle stops, remove the leaves to a plate lined with paper towels.  The sage leaves should be crisp.

 Scallops:

Add the wrapped scallops to the oil/butter mixture in the hot pan.  This does splatter, so I use a splatter guard while cooking.  Let the scallops brown on one side- about 3 minutes.  Don’t move them around and flip them over.  Let them cook.  When they are browned on bottom side, flip them over and brown other side.  About 2 minutes.

Remove from pan and put in ovenproof dish in oven at 200.  just to keep warm.  Remember to remove the toothpicks here.

Sautéed Apples:

Core and slice apples top to bottom into wedges.

After removing the scallops, add the apples to the pan.

Sauté until softened and caramelized.   About 3-4 minutes.

Serving:

For best presentation, place the apples on bottom of warmed platter.  Place the scallops on top of the apples.  Drizzle with pan juices.  Add fried sage on top.

Delish!

Bon Appetit!

Terri

Sure, you can start your day with a bowl of granola and yogurt.   But does that really satisfy you?  And not just your sensible approach to eating well.  Does it make you stop and savor the smells?  The textures?  Nope.  Didn’t think so.

So what do I like to eat for breakfast?  Eggs.  Yep.  The ever malleable, ever yummy, ever tasty egg.  Soft boiled (husbands fav- 7 minute), hard-boiled, deviled, scrambled, poached, over-easy egg.

Right now I am on a kick of Gruyere soft-scrambled eggs.  Served with avocado toast with black truffle butter.  And a wee bit of hot sauce.

Here’s how to do it:

Black Truffle Butter 

1/2 lb unsalted butter

4 skins of black truffle peelings   ( can find these at Italian Markets)

Healthy pinch of Salt  (personally, I like 2 healthy pinches)

Healthy pinch of Pepper

Let the butter come to room temperature.  Put truffle peelings in food processor.  Reduce to fine mince.  Add softened butter, salt and pepper.  Pulse to blend.  Transfer to covered container.  Will keep for two weeks.   (It’s great on pasta, toast, steak, chicken and roasted asparagus).

Scrambled Gruyere Eggs

2 large eggs  (Organic is nice!)

1 T water

1 1/2 T Shredded Gruyere Cheese.  ( Get the best Gruyere you can.  Quality ingredients make the difference)

1 Oil   ( I don’t use olive oil here- good canola or sunflower oil)

Heat pan to medium.   Meanwhile, put 2 eggs, and water in bowl.  Whisk together.  Put oil in pan.  Swirl oil to coat bottom of pan.  Add eggs.  I begin to move the eggs almost immediately.   Constantly moving the outer edges to the inside till eggs begin to set.  About 1 minute.  Sprinkle cheese on eggs.  Move around again, gently folding.  When almost done to your preferred set, remove from stove.  Eggs will continue to cook.  So take them out a bit before they look “done”.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Putting it together

Take a ripe avocado and split in half.  Slice or chop half for toast.

Take your nice multigrain toast out of the toaster and spread with truffle butter.

Smash avocado in slice of toast.

Place eggs, and toast on plate.  Enjoy!

This one is a keeper!

Terri