Na'ama's Fattoush

It's not often that you'll hear me saying that I crave salad, but the Levantine salad, Fattoush, is something I'm always in the mood for. There's something about the lemony, minty dressing that I can't get enough of. Loaded with chopped vegetables and toasted {or stale} flatbread, it's very much like another favorite salad of mine, Panzanella, also known as, Italian bread salad. In both cases, the crispy bread is softened by the dressing, adding substance to an otherwise light dish. It can really be a meal in itself.
My love for this salad was in overdrive during my recent pregnancy, but I wasn't making it myself. Instead, I was buying it at one of my favorite Middle Eastern spots, and while their version is delicious, now that I've started getting a grip on my life, it's time I got busy in the kitchen making my own.
A fantastically gorgeous cookbook that's been calling my name helped get me back in my blogging boots. Jerusalem, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, is one of the more spectacular cookbooks I own. The photography is unreal, and each page has something even more delicious looking than the one before. However, this recipe for Fattoush was the one that needed to be made first.

Years ago, I made another version of Fattoush here. While also very delicious, it's quite different from this one. I've never had Fattoush with a creamy, "buttermilk-like" dressing such as this one...which was a large part of why I wanted to try it. You can opt to buy store-bought buttermilk to save time, but I followed the recipe and made my own by combining plain Greek yogurt with milk. It takes several hours for the bubbling action to take place, but if you plan ahead, you can make it the day before, and leave it in the fridge overnight.
Instead of using stale pita bread, this recipe calls for Turkish flatbread...but you could certainly substitute pita, or even naan, if you so desire. I love the Middle Eastern flatbreads from Trader Joe's, so that's what I used. I cut the flatbread into triangles and toasted them briefly to crisp them up, but leaving them out overnight to stale would have worked too. Before I added the flatbread to the salad, I broke the triangles into bite-sized pieces.

Farro & Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate and Fennel

My pregnancy food cravings this time around have run the gamut -- everything from the stereotypical pickles and ice cream {not at the same time} to sweets and chocolate milk. But I've also been craving healthy foods too. In particular, green vegetables {spinach, broccoli, or edamame} and anything tart and tangy {barely sweetened kefir, granny smith apples, and pomegranate seeds} have been topping the list.
It's a challenge some days to eat as healthy as I would like because there isn't always time to cook. But that's what makes salads such as this one a great option. It can be made ahead of time and at the ready whenever the urge strikes - and it makes a great packed lunch too. I had been on the lookout for some wholesome and substantial salad options when I found this recipe within the pages of a recent Williams Sonoma catalog {believe it or not, it's actually a great place to find recipes!} and knew I would love the combination of fennel and pomegranate.

However, as much as I try to love quinoa, I'm not the biggest fan of it on it's own. I like grains with more texture and chew, and because of that I find quinoa to be a bit wimpy on it's own {unless you're eating it as a breakfast cereal}. But paired with a grain like farro, it's a different story.
If you're not familiar with farro, it's the Italian name for the grain, emmer wheat - which is quite similar to the more commonly used wheat berry, or kamut. All are varieties of hard wheat with different names because of the region they're grown in, or the type of wheat plant they're harvested from. But I find them interchangeable in most applications, so if you have a hard time locating farro, feel free to substitute wheat berries.

Pomodoro Fresco Pasta Salad

A while back I received a copy of the cookbook In a Small Kitchen to review. It's written by the 20-something girls, Cara Eisenpress & Phoebe Lapine from the food blog, Big Girls Small Kitchen. I'm just finally getting around to it now, which is an indication of just how insanely busy my summer has been thus far!
As much as I love cookbooks, I am extremely selective in the ones I purchase...or, even accept for free...as I don't want to amass an enormous collection of cookbooks unless they'll be used on a fairly regular basis. {Is there a term for the opposite of being a hoarder? A minimalist? If so, that's me.}
But, I happen to be a fan of these girls. I love that they've been bitten by the food bug at such a young age and I appreciate their love of entertaining. I heard about their blog for the first time while watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa on The Food Network, in which they were guests. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover...but, looking at the cover of this cookbook, I could tell right away I would like it.
The recipes within it's pages are very accessible, even for beginners in the realm of cooking. At the same time they're still sophisticated. The cookbook has an original approach, where it's recipes are organized by the occasions for which one would cook...such as meals perfect when you're cooking for one, or having a date night, or hosting a dinner party. This one was from the section titled, Potlucking...under the subcategory, Packing a Picnic. Each section of also full of stories and food inspirations. It's one of very few cookbooks I've known that reads like an actual book, in that you could read it cover to cover.
What drew me to this recipe is that it's exactly the type of meal I would naturally make for a summer dinner, albeit a bit more refined than my typical version. When I looked at the ingredients list I realized it was basically my mother's bruschetta {with a few extra ingredients} mixed with pasta. My mom makes her signature dish many times every summer with her garden tomato harvests. She serves it with toasted bread slices as an appetizer. It's something that we all look forward to!
This recipe is called a pasta salad, as it's supposed to be served at room temperature, and can be made ahead of time. But, you could certainly serve it warm by adding in the hot pasta and plating it up right away. I love their idea of adding in some balsamic vinegar and a touch of sugar, as I knew it would add a nice sweetness to balance the acidic nature of tomatoes. It couldn't be easier to make and it's sure to be popular with anyone you serve it to...even with the a picky kid crowd.
ALSO...Today, I am offering up TWO free copies of "In a Small Kitchen" by Cara Eisenpress & Phoebe Lapine! To enter for a chance to win one, just leave a comment below. Winners will be randomly selected on Monday, August 1st {my birthday!}. Don't forget to leave contact information!
UPDATE: And the WINNERS are...Comments #1 {Lindsay!} and #14 {Joanne!}. Please send me an email with your contact info, so I can mail you your cookbooks! You can find my email in the "About Me" section above. Thanks All!

Sugar Snap Pea Salad

Despite the {mostly negative} chatter I seem to be hearing regarding the new Bon Appétit magazine, I have to say I'm loving it. Frankly, new or old style, I've always enjoyed BA. But, now I'm really enjoying it.
For those of you who may not be as engrossed in the world of food magazine's as I am, Bon Appétit has a new editor-in-chief. They have for about 6 months now, but it's only been in the past couple of months that the changes have really become evident.
What are these changes? What stands out most for me is the food photography and the overall styling of the magazine. When I pick up a food magazine and want to not only cook every recipe, but also re-create the exact meal, dish by dish...then it's a winner in my book.
Along with many folks in America, I was on the lookout for some delicious looking, picnic-style foods for the Fourth of July holiday. It just so happened that this month's issue had a delicious and brilliantly photographed spread devised specifically for a Fourth of July picnic...how perfect!
I wanted to make every single item on the menu, but this year I had many dinners to attend during the holiday week {thanks to a 2 week long visit from my sister & nieces} and for most of them I was in charge of bringing a veggie side, or salad. In the end, I made this salad twice...for two different groups of people. Which was actually ideal, as it gave me a chance to change some things I wasn't wild about the first time around. The photographs here are from the first go-around. I used feta cheese, because the ricotta salata that the recipe called for was unavailable to me. I also added the full 2 tablespoons of fresh mint suggested...I thought it was bit too much. I'm a big fan of mint...in things like iced tea, ice cream, or for making mojitos. But, when it comes to a simple salad such as this, it can easily dominate to the point where you can't taste anything else.
My final version is what's shown in the printable recipe at the bottom of this post. If you can get your hands on some ricotta salata, than you most definitely should {I was able to find it at Whole Foods}. As it takes this salad from perfectly good, to fabulous...in a crave-able kind of way. I also recommend adding the mint, and dressing to suit your personal tastes. You can always add more, but taking away is a bit more tricky.

Coleslaw with Fresh Dill

I had hoped by this point I would have some photos up of our vacation to Jackson Hole, WY. But, between the exciting week we had last week and tons of stuff going on this week, I have yet to find the time to go through them. I did, however, manage to get this post together for you.
I made this coleslaw on our very last night of the trip. I grilled some dinner for my brother and his family, along with a friend of my Mom's {hi Kathy!}, who let us stay at her gorgeous house our last night in town. I was inspired to make this because a few weeks earlier, I was shopping at Fairway and had some of their coleslaw. I actually had it on a turkey panini sandwich and was blown away by how good it was! The whole time I was eating the sandwich I was trying to figure out what it was about it that made it so good...it had something unusual about it...something I wasn't used to tasting in coleslaw.
The little sprinkles of green in there gave it away...it was fresh dill. I googled the recipe when I got home and found it right away. The actual recipe uses a ton of sugar, and I didn't remember it tasting overly sweet when I had it...so, I cut way back on that. Otherwise, it pretty much tasted exactly how I remembered it.
While cooking that evening, I had an unexpected helper...my 2 yr. old nephew, Nicholas. I put the bowl of dressing down to take a photograph, and he walked right up, grabbed the rubber spatula and started stirring away. It was as if he had just graduated from culinary school, the way he stirred that dressing! He carefully and methodically wiped the contents along the side of the bowl into the center, as if he were folding egg whites. Then, when satisfied with the consistency of the dressing, he tapped the spatula on the edge of the bowl to get every last bit in. I was blown away!
Now, this is coming from someone who's boys help in the kitchen all the time! But, even my 7 yr. old and 9 yr. old don't stir with that expertise. My brother is a chef, who now owns a Deli in Jackson Hole and my sister-in-law told me that he helps her make pancakes all the time. They have certainly trained him well!

Edamame & Fennel Salad

We arrived home from our vacation in the wee hours this morning. I'm functioning on very little sleep at the moment, but it's been so long since I've posted that I really wanted to get this recipe up!
We had an amazing trip! I know my kids will be remembering all of the adventures they had for a lifetime. It was hard coming home and being thrown back into reality. I have so much to share, including about 1700 photos {and one recipe I did manage to photograph}, but it may take me a bit to get most of it up here!
In the meantime, I'm sharing a recipe I created for the website, Babble. You may remember they included me in their Top 100 Mom Food Blogs of 2011...which was so nice of them! More recently, they asked me to create a recipe for their Meals for the Family section, which features 50 recipes from many of the Mom Food Bloggers on the list.
This salad was my contribution. The recipe happened sort of by happy accident, and was inspired by a local Asian restaurant I love, that steams their edamame with a piece of star anise thrown in. I've ordered their edamame many times, but never knew what made them taste so darn good until one day when I saw the little pod of star anise in there.
I figured if star anise was such a nice compliment to edamame then it must be equally delicious with some fennel. The verdict? Yes, it is! The only regret I had was not making twice as much. My kids aren't big fennel fans, but it was easy enough to pick it out of their serving {they were happy eating their Parmesan coated edamame}. I found this salad so addictive that I ate it at every meal for a few days following.

Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

I'm so happy that it's Spring! It's so much easier to eat healthy foods this time of year. All my favorite fruits & veggies are coming into season.
One said favorite is strawberries. Buying organic strawberries off season is nearly impossible...and, when you can find them, they're outrageously expensive. When I saw a pound of beautiful looking strawberries at the market this week, I grabbed some.
I was thinking about making a Mother's Day appropriate recipe...something that would be really pretty for a brunch. I've had strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing before & I thought I'd be able to throw something together. It came out really good...and met the approval of the whole family. This salad is perfect for kids, as it's just sweet enough to please them & it also has fruit in it!

Thai Chicken & Noodles

I saw this salad featured on one of my favorite food blogs, Dinner: A Love Story last week & knew immediately I had to make it. First, because it's reminded me of an Asian salad I used to eat on a very regular basis when we lived in Brooklyn. It was my favorite item on the menu at a place called Cambodian Cuisine, in Fort Greene, BK...about a block from our old apartment. Unfortunately, the restaurant no longer exists...which, makes my memory of this dish nothing more than a memory at this point.
Secondly, the marinade is similar to the marinade I use for Chicken Satay, which is a favorite with the Bozos...so, I knew they would love this. The fact that the veggies are raw in this salad was something I knew would also meet their approval. They both love cucumbers & carrots...but do not like cooked vegetables. For anyone else out there with picky eaters, meals like this are great because you can pick & choose what elements you add...and, each person can make their own salad to suit their taste.
Finally, this meal is healthy & quick...making it an ideal weeknight dinner.

Mustard Chicken Salad

January, for myself & many out there, means it's time to start losing those holiday pounds. As promised, I have some healthy alternatives on the horizon. I am not doing anything as extreme as last January, when I was doing the Goop Detox...man, that thing was torture. But, I am low-carbing it.
This salad is full of flavor & I definitely didn't feel like I was missing out on a thing. I did adapt the original recipe to make it more low-cal...cutting back on the fat & upping the vegetables. I love that it's packed full of veggies & the mustard in the dressing gives it some tang & spice.
It would also make a great weekday lunch. All the components of the salad can be made ahead of time & dressed right before serving.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Feta & Oregano Flowers

So far, September seems to be tomato month. This is my third tomato based recipe this month. It wasn't planned that way...but, with people's gardens overflowing with them, it's been hard to avoid. Maybe it's my attempt at hanging onto the last glimpse of summer?
As I mentioned a few posts ago, we haven't had much luck with our heirloom tomatoes this year, as I planted them in a location that's not getting enough sun to ripen them. Well, since then, we got two ripe ones! In addition to that I got a big bowl of garden goodies from my mother...about a dozen big tomatoes, a few peppers & some of her delicious homegrown garlic. Then yesterday, a neighbor stopped by with a few of her tomatoes & a red bell pepper. So, I had a huge abundance & this is what I decided to make with some of them.
Growing up, my mother & my grandmother used to make summer salads with big chunks of tomatoes & cucumbers, or peppers, sprinkled with lots of garden oregano. It's still, to this day, one of my most favorite salads.
Normally, I am not a huge green bell pepper fan. That is, unless they're homegrown. Something about the thin-skinned garden variety tastes so much better to me than store bought. It's not just me either...the Bozo's have been eating them for the past week, sliced in their lunch boxes.
This recipe is my interpretation of my family's classic. It's flexible & if you don't have green peppers from a garden, I recommend using red, yellow, or orange ones instead...or, you can substitute cucumbers also. Right now, my oregano plant has gone to flower. I love oregano flowers. Not just in an arrangement, because they are so sweet looking...but, because they have tons of flavor & look just as pretty on a plate as they do in a vase.

Begin with 2 pounds of ripe assorted heirloom tomatoes & 1 large bell pepper {I used 2 small ones instead}. Cut the tomatoes into medium sized uneven chunks. I sliced some of them & cut some into chunks. Seed the pepper & cut into bite sized pieces.

Crunchy Peanut Slaw

This is another fantastic summer side dish. Perfect for a picnic, or BBQ. I made this for the Fourth, along with macaroni salad & balsamic ribs. Being as that was nearly 2 weeks ago...I am pretty far behind in my posts. With the Bozos out of school & summer activities in full swing, I am swamped!
Like the macaroni salad, this can be a make ahead dish. I recommend adding the dressing shortly before you serve it. If it's left on too long, it will be soggy. I found the recipe on "the kitchn" website & they recommended slicing the cabbage very, very thin. You want it to be almost thread-like & then cut into small enough lengths, that it's easy to eat, picnic-style.

Fennel & Orange Salad

I love salads like this. Super simple, no washing, or spinning lettuce & it looks so gourmet. It is sure to really impress your family, or dinner guests.
I love the flavors used in this dish. I am especially fond of fennel. My Italian grandmother frequently served it & it always reminds me of her. If you've never tried it, it has a subtle licorice flavor & a texture similar to celery.

Goop Detox~Day Six

I'm still here. I'm hanging tough. I woke up this morning with renewed energy to finish this thing out. Today will be much easier. No social plans. No shuffling to sports. I can concentrate on getting my meals ready for the next 2 days.
I think the struggling was due to being super busy. Eating healthy, whether you are detoxing, or just trying to eat a better diet, is time consuming. On a busy day, it is so much easier to order a pizza, or Chinese take out. Making homemade dressings, marinades, smoothies & juices takes time.
I like this plan. I mean, it is very low calorie....Day One=650 calories. That is low. But, I like the food {most of it} & I hope to keep several of the principles. I can use the smoothies as meal replacements. I can use the dressing & marinade for more healthy lunches, etc.
If I ever think about doing another cleanse/fast type thing, I think 3-5 days is my limit!

DAY SIX:
7:00am {or upon rising}: A glass of room temperature lemon water
8:00am: Herbal Tea {still doing black coffee}
10:00am {breakfast}: Blueberry & Almond Smoothie
11:30am: Coconut water
1:30pm {lunch}: Mixed Greens with Steamed Salmon, Olive Oil & Lemon Juice
4:00pm {snack}: Super Greens Juice
6:00pm {dinner}: Detox Teriyaki Chicken, brown rice & steamed zucchini

Arugula Salad with Lemon-Parmesan Dressing

I've recently become obsessed with arugula salad. Especially, served this way with lemon & Parmesan. The spicy greens, paired with the salty cheese & tart lemon are amazing together. The salad is great alone, but is even better as a pizza topping, or served with Italian chicken cutlets.

Green Bean Salad with Arugula, Tomatoes & Basil Dressing

This recipe is also from the Fine Cooking, "Big Buy" magazine I picked up. It looked so colorful & healthy, I wanted to try it. As I have said before, I am a big fan of fresh mozzarella, tomato & basil...so, this one drew me in right away.
As the summer is coming to an end, we also have an abundance of tomatoes & basil in the garden. This is a great way to use some up.
All of the elements of this salad can be made ahead of time & assembled when serving.

Begin with 2 pounds of slender green beans. Here, I used a mixture of green beans & yellow wax beans. Trim any long ends off, wash & set aside. Next, you'll need a loosely packed cup of fresh basil leaves,

Fattoush

As I have mentioned before, I love Lebanese food. DH & I used to eat at a restaurant named, Moustache, on Atlantic Avenue, in Brooklyn very regularly. I always ordered the Fattoush, which is a chopped green salad with toasted pita bread, in a lemony-minty dressing.
I've never made it at home, until now. This recipe is very much how I remember it...delicious!

Mexican Chopped Salad with Agave Lime Dressing

My friend, Rhoby, recently hosted a potluck dinner with some of our friends, and our kids. She was planning on making a tortilla pie and I was assigned the task of bringing a tossed salad. I wanted to go with the Mexican food theme, so this chopped salad was what I brought. I doubled the recipe for this particular occasion, but you could easily halve, or quarter the recipe for a smaller crowd. Everything was delicious. I requested that she make her tortilla pie for me as a guest blogger because it was so good!

To make the salad, begin by removing the kernels from 3-4 ears of corn. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of corn when finished. Next, rinse and thoroughly drain one 15 ounce can of black beans.

Dice 1 1/2 cups of jicama, thinly slice one bunch of radishes {1 1/2 cups}, chop one sweet bell pepper {I used yellow}, and chop one large tomato. Then, chop 6 cups of romaine lettuce. Place the lettuce in a large salad bowl, and add in all of the previous ingredients.

Caesar Salad

DH & I are huge fans of Caesar Salad. I don't think we could ever get sick of it.
I had this recipe for the first time at my Pop's house. Since then, it's my standby. Although, I do adapt it a bit.
I have doubled the recipe here, because I like to have it in the fridge for a few days {or longer}. So, if you need less, just halve it.

Start by making the dressing.
Into a blender, add a 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice,

a chopped clove of garlic,

1 cup of reduced-fat mayonnaise,

a half cup of shredded Parmesan cheese,

and 1 chopped anchovy. {Add 2, if they are small}

Add enough water to blend, about a 1/4 cup & mix until smooth.
{There is no water in the actual recipe. But, on the show they add it.}
The dressing can be stored in the fridge until ready to use.

Next, chop & wash 2 romaine hearts...or, more if you'd like.

Toss the lettuce with about a 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan.

Then, add some of the dressing, toss & serve.

Optional Croutons:

I made these a few days ago, intending to use them for this post. But, DH found them in the cabinet & well, they're gone.
But, making homemade croutons is super easy.
Start with some cubed bread....Italian bread works well. But, it can be anything. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Toss the bread in a mixing bowl with olive oil, salt & pepper until all the pieces are coated.

Arrange the pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet & cook for about 5 minutes.

Toss them around a bit & bake for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the croutons cool. Once cool, they can be stored in an airtight container, for up to a week.