Soda Bread is tasty!

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Going through Paul Hollywood’s Bread cookbook, I skipped a couple pages, as I did not have all the ingredients.  (will shop today) This soda bread looked so much better than the dry soda bread I have purchased for St. Paddy’s Day.  With a little butter, this is wonderfully rich and tasty.

Ingredients

– 250g plain white flour

– 250g plain wholemeal flour

– 1 tsp salt

– 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

– About 400ml buttermilk (If you don’t have this on had, keep the dry mix that you can add to milk or water and have the same effect)

Soda Bread

Makes 1 small loaf
Bake 30 minutes

Ireland’s most famous bread is made with two of the oldest foods, wheat and buttermilk. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the bicarbonate of soda and creates the rise. If you have kids, do teach them how to make soda bread, because it’s great to be able to put a loaf on the table within 45 minutes. Once you’ve mastered it, try adding some grated Wexford cheese (vintage Irish Cheddar) and chopped raw onion to the dough.


1.Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

2. Put the flours, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the centre and pour in half the buttermilk. Using your fingers or a round-bladed knife, draw the flour into the buttermilk. Continue to add the buttermilk until all the flour has been absorbed and you have a sticky dough. You may not need all the buttermilk – it depends on the flour you use.

3. Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured surface, shape it into a ball and flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand. It is important to work quickly, as once the buttermilk is added it begins to react with the bicarbonate of soda.

4. Put the dough on the baking tray. Mark into quarters with a large, sharp knife, cutting deeply through the loaf, almost but not quite through to the base. Dust the top with flour.

5. Bake for 30 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Eat on the day of baking – or toast it the next day.

Paul Hollywood’s Irish rarebit recipe

Paul Hollywood's Irish rarebit recipe

Soda bread was popular long ago in Ireland, especially in rural areas where a regular supply of barm (brewer’s yeast) wasn’t always accessible to the home baker.

Here I’m giving you an Irish spin on Welsh rarebit, using Irish cheese, spring onions and a splash of stout. Rarebit is one of those great comfort foods that can be thrown together at the last minute. The mixture also keeps well in the fridge, so you can have it on standby for a quick lunch or supper.

Ingredients

Metric
Cups
Imperial
  • 150 ml full-fat milk
  • 1.5 tbsp plain flour
  • 400 g strong Irish Cheddar, grated
  • 160 g medium-fine white breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp English mustard powder
  • 120 ml Guinness or other stout
  • 2 medium egg yolks
  • 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 6 slices of soda bread
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 cup watercress, to serve
  • 5.3 fl oz full-fat milk
  • 1.5 tbsp plain flour
  • 14.1 oz strong Irish Cheddar, grated
  • 5.6 oz medium-fine white breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp English mustard powder
  • 4.2 fl oz Guinness or other stout
  • 2 medium egg yolks
  • 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 6 slices of soda bread
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 cup watercress, to serve
  • 0.6 cup full-fat milk
  • 1.5 tbsp plain flour
  • 14.1 oz strong Irish Cheddar, grated
  • 5.6 oz medium-fine white breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp English mustard powder
  • 0.5 cup Guinness or other stout
  • 2 medium egg yolks
  • 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 6 slices of soda bread
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 cup watercress, to serve

Details

  • Cuisine: Irish
  • Recipe Type: Main
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Preparation Time: 5 mins
  • Cooking Time: 10 mins
  • Serves: 6

Step-by-step

  1. Preheat your grill to high. Warm the milk in a saucepan until almost simmering, then whisk in the flour. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. The mixture should be smooth and slightly thickened.
  2. Add the grated cheese and stir over a low heat until it has melted. Add the breadcrumbs, mustard powder and stout. Continue stirring over the heat until the mixture comes together and leaves the sides of the pan.
  3. Tip the mixture into a bowl and leave for a minute to cool slightly, then add the egg yolks and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until well combined. Stir in the spring onions.
  4. Toast the soda bread on one side. Spread the rarebit on the untoasted side and place under the hot grill until bubbling and golden brown. Add a grinding of pepper and serve, with watercress on the side.

Extract taken from Paul Hollywood’s Pies & Puds, published by Bloomsbury. Photography by Peter Cassidy.

 

Soda Bread is tasty!

Making pizza

Like most families, my family love pizza.  It is such a simple easy dinner to make.  I like to make Margarita Pizza as it uses simple elements and tastes wonderful.  I serve with a salad using lettuce from my garden this time of year.  The pizza dough is from Paul Hollywood’s Bread book and is simple and simply wonderful.

Recipe for Dough

For the pizza dough

  • 250g/9oz strong white flour, plus extra for flouring
  • 5g/¼oz salt
  • 30ml/1fl oz olive oil
  • 5g/¼oz fast-action yeast
  • 180ml/6fl oz water
  • semolina, for dusting (optional)
  • Method

    1. For the pizza dough, mix the flour, salt, olive oil, yeast and water together in a bowl.

    2. Turn the dough out onto an oiled work surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cut off a small piece of the dough and stretch part of it as thinly as you can. If you can see the shadow of your fingers through the dough – the light should shine through the dough like a window pane – without the dough tearing, it is ready to prove.

    3. Shape the dough into a ball and tip into a bowl.

    4. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for an hour.

    5. Divide the mix into three balls. Roll out on a floured surface into circles. Place each circle on a flat baking tray or a plastic chopping board dusted with semolina (so the pizza can be easily transferred to the oven later).

    6. Place a pizza stone or an upturned baking tray into the oven and heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 (in a non-fan oven).

    7. Add the topping of your choice and cook for 10 -12 minutes.

I like to make a very simple marinara sauce:

Ingredients:

1 can chopped tomatoes (low sodium)

5 cloves garlic, chopped finely

1/4 cup olive oil

Oregano and thyme from my garden

Salt & pepper

I cook this for about 20 minutes, then puree, so it is very fine.  I put it on top of the pizza within about 1/2 inch of the edge.  I top with small/good fresh mozzarella balls and cut basil.  I think you should use what ever amount makes you happy and looks good.  I then cook, as described before for about 10-12 minutes in a hot oven.  I do use a pizza stone and put it in the oven to heat first, then add the pizza on a pizza pan on top.  Makes the crust on the bottom cook to perfection.

Making pizza

Road Trip: The Great Myth

Starting a “Road Trip” is exciting.  Ending a road trip is heaven. That is why there have been no posts on my blog for a while.  We went on a “Road Trip”.  We left on a lovely sunny day in Kingston and headed out to Cannon Beach, Oregon.

About an hour into the journey it started raining and continued raining the rest of the way to Cannon Beach.  I had wanted to go to EVOO, a cooking school where you cook and eat your dinner, but of course the day we arrived they did a lunch class.

Searching “TripAdvisor” online we found a restaurant that sounded heavenly.  Newman’s at 988, is a small cozy restaurant in the main part of town, run by a successful chef, John C. Newman C.E.C.  We had hope to walk to the restaurant, but it was pouring buckets. We were the first to arrive at 6:15 PM and were not joined by others for a while.  I saw a lovely Brunelo on the menu, so we ordered this delightful wine.  We discovered this wine in Florence several years ago.  After touring all day, we would find a small intimate cafe and share a bottle.  The one served here is on equal par with any we had in Italy.  IMG_5291

I love scallops and theirs sounded delish, so that was my choice for appetizer.

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And yes, it was as totally delicious as it looks.  I totally savored the first course.

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For my main course I ordered the duck, as I don’t usually cook it, but love it for a festive occasion, and after driving all day in the rain, anything deserved to be a celebration.  It was beautifully presented and very, very raw in the center.  I ate around the edges and decided not to say anything.  IMG_5297

Michael, my meat eating husband had a lovely sirloin and enjoyed his meal much more than I.  We ventured back to the room and watched a beautiful sunset, as it was still pouring down rain, so a walk on the beach was sort of out of the question.

Interesting fact:  Find your rooms via TripAdvisor, but book through the hotel. Booking, TripAdvisor and Expedia, etc get a certain rate, not always better, a certain amount,of rooms, usually ones that will not fill and charge you the same.  I asked when we checked into our room if they had any view rooms, as we could not get one online and they said of course and the view above is from the room.

We continued our drive in lovely weather the next day:

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Doesn’t this look like a fun road trip. Michael drove and I played “Angry Birds” on my iPad.  Michael likes to drive and I have to say I do NOT like mountain roads or rain, or big trucks.  I am beginning to wonder about the logic of a “Road Trip”.  My idea of a road trip is stop every few hours, find something interesting and meander for a while.  His idea is to have a destination and get there.

Arriving in Coos Bay, which we changed to at the last minute, we stayed (no photos please) at a hotel one step above a Motel 6, (if you remember those) right on the highway, with lots of road noise and no movies to watch.  We did find a lovely (sort of ) local restaurant that served Escargot and home made Gnocchi.  Only problem was it was way too rich.  I think I ate a pound of butter by myself with the meal.  IMG_2911

The best part of the restaurant, was the wine bottle water fountain that separated the bar from the entry.  We ate in the bar, as there was a party in the other room.  I have always wondered why some chefs think the richer the dish the better.  Moderation is lovely to me.  I didn’t photo the food, and really did not feel well later from all the butter. I cook with butter, but a little butter is a little better.

On to San Jose to pick up my wonderful six year granddaughter after a stop in my home town, Colusa, California for my 50 year high school reunion. That is another story for another time.

In San Jose we stayed in a lovely old mansion called the Dolce Hayes Mansion.  I wish we had more time to spend there, as it was elegant and very well maintained.  We headed to Hearst’s Castle in the morning with my granddaughter in tow.

I remember thinking Hearst’s Castle was amazing when I was young and honestly wish I had not gone back.  As an adult having studied design and art, I found it a strange conglomeration of what wealth with little taste could put together.  I know most people think it is amazing.  I think it is amazing that someone would take that much uncoordinated antique pieces and architectural pieces to the top of a hill in the middle of nowhere.  What I loved as I child, I felt totally lacked cohesion and/or taste as an educated adult.  Showy and sensational, but cold and lonely at the top of the world.

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Claire was bored with all of the tour and I had to laugh, when the tour guide kept pronouncing wainscoting – wainscoating.  If you are going to be a docent, then know your words.  She kept referring to parties they had at the castle as if she were part of them.  I wanted to say, if you want to pretend, then dress the part.  Put on a party dress and make us feel part of the adventure.  Not so…..

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The lilies and the view were the best part of the day for me.  The ride up the side of the mountain was not.

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The dinner table with Heinz and Heinz somehow did not appeal to my artistic senses, so I was glad when we took the winding trip down the hill and the tour was over.  I wish I would never have gone back and have the magic be gone from my youthful memories.

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The best part of the day for me, was the opportunity to see the Elephant Seals at the beach.  There are tons of them, and they wobble up and out of the surf and fan each other with sand.

We were going to go to The Sea Chest Oyster Bar for dinner, but read it was NOT kid friendly and had about 100 people waiting outside to get in.  We ate at the next one down the road, where the oysters were fresh and everything else was fried.  I saw more fried food on this trip than anywhere in the last five years.  I am not a fan of fried food, unless it is delicate and delicious.  I did not encounter that on our journey.

From San Simeon we drove to Napa to go to two kid friendly wineries.  Sterling winery has a fun gondola that takes you to the top, where for $50 per person you sample nine different wines and get to keep the Reidel wine glass.  Claire got a “throwaway” backpack and treats for $25.  I had to laugh, as when we went there when I was in college, the drinks and ride were free, but you had to pay for the food.  Time changes things.  Here we are, finally enjoying the sunshine at the top of Sterling.  My son, Chadwyck joined us for the day.

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From there we went to Castillo de Amoroso, which is an impressive remake of an Italian Castle.  It has only been there a few years, but is very popular with the overseas crowd, that lined the steps taking selfies, and literally would not let you get by.

The castle winery was beautiful and the tasting room was down-under, but I did not drink the wines in the tasting, as I did not enjoy them.  I think they sell the adventure hear, not the wine.

By the time we got back to the hotel, I was ready to head home, rather than go through the Gold Country, which is what I had originally planned as the basis of our trip.  It would be three more stops and I had discovered by then, my husband was not big on impromptu stops, so we most likely would have driven through the gold country.  We stayed another night in Napa at the Hampton Inn.  It is not in the heart of anything, but was the only room we could get in the area.  It was not most expensive hotel of the trip, and although we enjoyed the outdoor fireplace with a bottle of wine (or two), it was certainly not the nicest.

Next morning we headed out to on our way home, spending the night in Grant’s Pass at WeAskU Inn, a rustic hotel on the Rogue River where Clark Gable supposedly stayed with Greta Garbo.  Love this little place right on the river with a cocktail hour and a great breakfast.

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On our last (hurrah) night on the road, we went to dinner at The River’s Edge where Claire could have clams  (her favorite) Oh my gosh, they are all gone! IMG_5782

I could have scallops one more time, and these were wonderful:

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And since Claire is the world’s best traveler, she got to have dessert!

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As she finished she stated very calmly: “Now I am all sugared up!”.

We were glad to be on the last leg of our “Road Trip” and home is always a wonderful place to go.  Will we do another field trip?  Not in my lifetime!

Let’s see, I gained about five pounds, got really tired of sitting in a car, and really wonder why people think this is a great idea.  Fly somewhere nice, stay in the same hotel, rent a car or car and driver and have a lot more fun!

 

Road Trip: The Great Myth

Limoncello is yummy

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Limoncello is so yummy.  I had Limoncello in Italy for the first time and fell in love with the simple sweet flavor.  I do love all things lemon (right after chocolate) Making my own limoncello was first for me, and I think I like it. I am sure I will do it again, and would love to find other fruits that could infuse Vodka.  I basically followed America’s Test Kitchen recipe, but added a little lemon peel in every bottle.  Luckily there was just enough left that I got a little shot.  I think I could drink this.

I have a little thumb peeler, that made it simple to peel the lemons without getting any of the pith.  It still took a while to peel that many lemons.  Put on a good cooking show to pass the time.

How to Make Limoncello

America’s Test Kitchen This tart, sweet, ultra-lemony liqueur tastes like Italy in a bottle.

STEP #1

 

Limoncello is yummy

Yesterday’s Bread is Tonight’s Dinner

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Yesterday I posted the Rye, Ale and Oat Bread yesterday, so tonight I cut it up and served it with a couple of cheeses, some radishes cut on my very “dangerous” mandolin and Plum & apple chutney.

Main course was Borscht saved from an earlier day of cooking, served with sour cream and dill fresh from my garden.

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I think it tasted better today, than when I made it.  Don’t remember where the recipe came from, so will not include it, but it does have beets, potatoes and apples with lots of seasoning.

Since I am on a roll to cook all the breads in Paul Hollywood’s Bread book I added another one today, Stilton and Bacon Rolls.  Can’t wait to try it, but wait for tomorrow night.  He pairs it with Celery Soup which sounds good to me.

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Originally from Paul Hollywood’s Bread.
Makes 7 rolls. (times two so 14)
500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
7g salt
10g fast-action dried yeast
60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
320ml cool water
130g dry-cure back bacon rashers, rind removed
150g Stilton, at room temperature, crumbled
1. Put the flour in a large bowl and add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add the butter in small pieces and mix with your fingers. Add 240ml of the water and mix it into the other ingredients using the fingers of one hand and a clawing action. Now add the remaining water a little at a time until you have a soft, sticky dough and you’ve picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all of the water; it will depend on the absorbency of the flour you’re using.
2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for 5-10 minutes (or longer if you’re a beginner). It will become less sticky as you knead and eventually turn into a small ball with an elastic texture.
3. When the dough is smooth and stretchy, put it into a large bowl. Cover with cling film or a tea towel and leave to rise until doubled or tripled in size – at least 1 1/2 hours, but it can take up to 2 or even 3 hours.
4. In the meantime, heat your grill to medium-high and grill the bacon rashers for a minute or two on each side until cooked. Set aside to cool, then cut into small pieces (you need 90g).
5. Tip the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knock back by folding it in on itself repeatedly until it is smooth and all the air has been pushed out. Use your hands to mix the crumbled Stilton and bacon into the dough, really crushing them in so they are evenly distributed.
6. Roll the dough into a long sausage and divide it into 16 equal pieces. The easiest way to do this is to cut the roll in half, then cut each piece in two, then repeat twice more. You can weigh the dough to be sure the pieces are the same size, and they’ll cook evenly.
7. Now roll each piece of dough into a ball between the palms of your hands. Alternatively, you can shape each one into a ball by rolling it around on the work surface using the cupped palm of one hand (or use both hands to roll two balls at a time).
8. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment or silicone paper, unless you have good non-stick trays. Place a roll in the centre of each tray and arrange 7 rolls around it, so they are almost touching. The rolls will come together as they rise to form a tear-and-share loaf.
9. Put each tray of rolls inside a large plastic bag, making sure there is plenty of space above the rolls so they won’t touch the plastic and stick to it as they rise.
10. Leave the rolls to prove, or rise again, until they have doubled in size and come together. This will take about 1-1 1/2 hours. The dough is ready for the oven if it springs back when you push a finger into it. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 220C.
11. Spray the rolls with water, using a spray bottle, and then dust with flour. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

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Here is the second batch.  I need to find somewhere to give away extra bread.

Yesterday’s Bread is Tonight’s Dinner

Another Yummy Bread

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Working my way through Paul Hollywood’s Bread book, today’s selection is Rye, Ale & Oat Bread with a Plum and Apple Chutney.  The bread is dense and rich with great flavor and a little sweetness from the Ale.  I used a dark ale, as that was what was in the refrigerator and I must say, it is yummy.  It is suggested in his book to serve with chutney, cheese, a slice or two of apple or maybe radishes, with a tad of watercress on the side. Might be tomorrows dinner.  Tonight I made Margarita pizza, but forgot to take a photo.  (next time)

Rye, Ale & Oat Bread

Ingredients

For the beer batter topping

Method

  1. Mix the flours, salt and yeast in a bowl. Add the treacle, 100ml/3½fl oz of the water and 150ml/5fl oz of the ale. Using your hands, stir the ingredients together until all the flour leaves the side of the bowl. Gradually add the remaining ale and water if needed – the dough should be soft and all the sides of the bowl should be clean.

  2. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes. The dough will be wet initially but will become smooth once worked. When the dough has a smooth skin put it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean cloth and leave for two hours.

  3. For the topping, mix the ale with the rye flour and a pinch of sugar to form a thick batter.

  4. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a ball. Spread the ale paste over the loaf and sprinkle over the jumbo oats. Place the loaf onto a baking tray lined with parchment. Leave to prove for one and a half hours.

  5. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

  6. Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and bake for a further 10 minutes.

  7. The loaf will be golden-brown and should sound hollow when tapped on the base. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Plum & Apple Chutney

Plum & Apple Chutney

I could not find the recipe online, so I scanned it for you.  It is very easy and has a wonderful sweet taste.  I used a small bottle of malt vinegar and that worked perfectly. It called for 3.8 cups, but I didn’t have that much.

This would lovely in the evening, sharing a nice glass of Pinot Noir with a friend.  It might just be dinner tomorrow night.

Enjoy!

 

Another Yummy Bread

Summer Greek Salad

Greek salad

Wondering around in my favorite grocery store and thinking, “What’s for dinner”, Greek salad came to mind.  So on my iPhone, I looked up ingredients and as I was walking by beautiful ripe avocados, thought they are good on just about anything.  So here you have America’s Test Kitchen Greek Salad with avocado added.  Luckily I had grilled some peppers a week ago, put them in oil and saved what I did not use, so that saved a step.  I used two kinds of olives, instead of just kalamata olives.  We opened a nice bottle of Pinot Noir from Oregon.  Oh my gosh, the bottle is empty.  I think we liked it!

I served this with some simple barbecued Chicken chunks with a rub from Central Market!  Simple and quiet Friday night with a good book.

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Greek Salad

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

“Most versions of Greek salad consist of iceberg lettuce, chunks of green pepper, and a few pale wedges of tomato, sparsely dotted with cubes of feta and garnished with one forlorn olive of questionable heritage. For our Greek salad, we aimed a little higher: We wanted a salad with crisp ingredients and bold flavors, highlighted by briny olives and tangy feta, all blended together with a bright-tasting dressing infused with fresh herbs. For a dressing with balanced flavor, we used a combination of lemon juice and red wine vinegar and added fresh oregano, olive oil, and a small amount of garlic. We poured the dressing over fresh vegetables, including Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers, as well as other ingredients, including fresh mint and parsley, roasted peppers, and a generous sprinkling of feta cheese and olives.”

By America’s Test Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

VINAIGRETTE

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
½ teaspoon table salt
teaspoon ground black pepper
1 medium clove garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1 teaspoon)
6 tablespoons olive oil

SALAD

½ medium red onion, sliced thin (about 3/4 cup)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)
2 hearts romaine lettuce, washed, dried thoroughly, and torn into 1 1/2-inch-pieces (about 8 cups)
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes (10 ounces total), each tomato cored, seeded, and cut into 12 wedges
¼ cup loosely packed torn fresh parsley leaves
¼ cup loosely packed torn fresh mint leaves
6 ounces jarred roasted red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 by 2-inch strips (about 1 cup)
20 large kalamata olives, each olive pitted and quartered lengthwise
5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

NSTRUCTIONS

SERVES 6 TO 8 ( We will be eating this for few days)

Marinating the onion and cucumber in the vinaigrette tones down the onion’s harshness and flavors the cucumber. For efficiency, prepare the other salad ingredients while the onion and cucumber marinate. Use a salad spinner to dry the lettuce thoroughly after washing; any water left clinging to the leaves will dilute the dressing.

 

1. Whisk vinaigrette ingredients in large bowl until combined. Add onion and cucumber and toss; let stand to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.

2. Add romaine, tomatoes, parsley, mint, and peppers to bowl with onions and cucumbers; toss to coat with dressing.

3. Transfer salad to wide, shallow serving bowl or platter; sprinkle olives and feta over salad. Serve immediately.

Per Serving:

Cal 180; Fat 14 g; Sat fat 3.5 g; Chol 10 mg; Carb 8 g; Protein 5 g; Fiber 2 g; Sodium 600 mg

Summer Greek Salad