My "Mr. Chow's Lettuce Cups" Salad

 

I make lettuce wraps on a regular basis and the recipes I use always grow and evolve with time.  Lately I’ve been making it into more of a salad. I’m quite often eating in my car while my kids are at volleyball so it’s easier this way and  is a perfect light dinner for a night sitting in the car and gym. 

 

My "Mr. Chow’s Lettuce Cups" Salad

 

Avocado or olive oil

1 lb ground chicken (dark meat)

Salt & pepper

½ yellow onion, finely diced

5 garlic cloves, minced 

2 T finely minced fresh ginger

2 carrots, peeled and finely diced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

½ cup hoisin sauce

1 head of butter lettuce, gently washed and dried

Cilantro

Jalapeno, thinly sliced

Avocado

Sriracha 

Broccoli sprouts or some other type of sprouts (optional)

 

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and cook onion until it starts to soften. Add the carrot for a few minutes and then add the ginger and garlic. Add extra oil as needed so the garlic doesn’t burn. Take off the heat once garlic and ginger are almost done. 

 

In another pan, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook through. Toward the end, add the green onion and a little more ginger if you have any left and cook for another few minutes. 

 

Add the chicken to the pan with the onion and carrot mix. Add ½ cup water and ½ cup Hoisin. Stir to combine. I bring it to the slightest simmer and then turn it down to low. Allow all the flavors to meld together for a few minutes more. 

 

Gently tear the butter lettuce leaves and plate in a large bowl or on your plate. Top with chicken mixture, fresh cilantro, jalapeno and avocado. I usually add roasted broccoli on the side as well, and broccoli sprouts if I have them. Top with sriracha and enjoy!

Italian Penicillin Soup

 

 

I wasn't feeling well a few weeks ago so I made this soup. It's my favorite thing to eat when I'm under the weather. It's so easy to make and it's delicious. I served it with a simple kale salad. 

Italian Penicillin Soup
 
1 yellow onion
3 large carrots
2 stalks celery
4 cloves garlic
Parmesan rind
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
Parmesan
Orzo (traditionally made with pastina but I like Orzo)

Hemp seeds (optional)
 
Cut the onion, carrots and celery into large chunks and throw into a large soup pot with garlic cloves and parmesan rind. Cover with chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover slightly and cook for 45 minutes. When almost done, cook orzo pasta (or pastina). After soup cooks for 45 minutes, remove parmesan rind and toss. Strain out the veggies with a slotted spoon or colander and add to a blender with a tiny bit of liquid. Blend until smooth, then return to the pan with the broth. Season with salt and pepper. 
 
In a bowl, place a little scoop of orzo and top with soup. Add freshly grated parmesan and hemp seeds if you want a little extra protein. 

Kale salad
 
Kale
Sliced almonds, toasted
Freshly grated parmesan
Micro broccoli
 
Dressing
Garlic clove, through press
Apple cider vinegar
Honey
Dijon
Olive oil 
Salt and pepper

My Version of the Famous Jennifer Aniston Salad

 

This salad is delicious and easy. Plus you can prep it the day before and even add the dressing. I just wait to add the nuts and feta until I'm serving or ready to eat. 

Salad

Kale – sliced thin

Persian cucumber – seeded and chopped

Radish – sliced thin

Garbanzo beans – drained and rinsed

Quinoa

Red onion – chopped & soaked in hot water to take the edge off

Parsley – chopped

Mint – chopped

Sliced almonds – toasted

Pistachios 

Feta – sprinkle at the end

Sumac – sprinkle at the end

 

Dressing 

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Dijon

Garlic smashed into a paste

Honey or syrup - just a tiny bit to offset the citrus

Salt

Pepper

Za’atar

 

You could use the recipe here or here if you want precise measurements. They are both probably great. 

Butter Lettuce Salad

Threw this together with things I had in the fridge for a little side salad. Delicious!

Butter lettuce

Radish

Persian cucumber

Chives

Avocado

Jennifer Fisher Mustard Vinaigrette

Greek Chicken Burger Salad

I saw this recipe on Jennifer Fisher's instagram feed and knew it was going to be a winner. It is so flavorful and delicious. Perfect leftovers too for lunch the next day. 

Greek Chicken Burger Salad

 

Chicken Burger

1 lb ground chicken

½ yellow onion, sautéed and softened in olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced and sautéed in olive oil

Dill – huge handful or two of fresh dill, chopped

Parsley – handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Squeeze of lemon juice and maybe a little zest

Jennifer Fisher universal salt

Pepper – lots

 

Mix ingredients and then form into 3 meatballs. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high-heat and add chicken. Flatten into patties. They don’t have to be perfect circles. Fry until browned and then flip to brown the other side.

 

Salad

Romaine

Cucumber

Tomato

Feta

Red onion

Green olive

Fresh dill

Jennifer Fisher Mustard Vinaigrette

Israeli Chopped Salad

 

A chef I know made this for me and I loved it. I've been making it a lot lately. You can prep all the ingredients and then throw small batches together all week. It's clean, healthy and satisfying. 

Israeli Chopped Salad

Salad

Kale – sliced thin

Persian cucumber – seeded and chopped

Green onion – green and light green parts sliced

Parsley – chopped

Cilantro – chopped

Almonds – toasted

Pistachios – toasted

Tart cherries – chopped

Feta – sprinkle at the end

Sumac – sprinkle at the end

 

Dressing

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Splash of red wine vinegar

Garlic smashed into a paste

Pepperoncinis – minced

Salt

Pepper

Za’atar

Shredded Chicken Taco Bowls

  

This is a new dinner I crave every few months. It’s so satisfying. It has it all… carbs, protein, spice, salt, crunch. I love it every time.

 

Shredded Chicken Taco Bowls

 

Shredded chicken (recipe below)

White rice

Cumin black beans (some version of this recipe)

Some type of cabbage slaw (this is the cabbage salad from Erewhon and I love it)

Iceberg lettuce, chopped

Cilantro

Jalapeno, sliced super thin

Tortilla chips

Steamed broccoli

Salsa

Sour cream

 

I plate it all divided so it looks pretty and then mix it all together before I eat it.

 

Shredded chicken

 

Chicken Tenders – 1 package

Simply Organic mild taco simmer sauce – 1 packet

 

Put the tenders in a small pan with the sauce and set to low for 30-45 minutes. Stir them around every so often and once they are cooked, use two forks to shred the meat. It should break apart very easily. Then leave in the sauce until you are ready to plate.

New Summer Salad Obsession

My friend Amy introduced me to this delicious summer salad and I'm obsessed. It's perfect right now with all the nectarines and tomatoes in season. Can't get enough of it. 

Arugula

Nectarines

Tomatoes

Fresh mozzarella (squeeze out the water)

Brianna's organic vinaigrette

Doug's Caesar Perfection

 

My friend Doug made a simple and perfect caesar recently. The best part was the introduction to croissant toast croutons. They were amazing and easy because you don't have to do anything to then except cube and toast, toss and toast, until golden.

Doug's Caesar Dressing

3 large garlic cloves
salt
pepper
1T mayo (I use veganaise)
1T Dijon
1T white wine vinegar
1T lemon juice
shaved parmesan
1t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup olive oil (I used 1/3 cup because I like more of a punch)

* I added a teaspoon of rinsed capers out of habit. Nice add but not necessary.

In a food processor, blitz garlic with salt and pepper. Then add mayo, dijon, vinegar, lemon juice, parmesan, worcestershire sauce and blitz again. With it running, drizzle olive oil slowly to emulsify. 

Toss with romaine, fresh grated parm, and croissant toast croutons.

Gjelina Inspired Escarole Salad with Presvered Meyer Lemon Dressing

 

I had this salad recently and couldn't stop thinking about it so this is my best stab at recreating it. 

Gjelina Inspired Escarole Salad with Presvered Meyer Lemon Dressing

Escarole, rinsed and chopped into large pieces

Sliced almonds, toasted (or smoked almonds if you can find them)

Parmesan, freshly grated

 

Dresssing

 

Lemon rind of one preserved lemon (very strong flavor so maybe use ¾)

3 clove garlic, minced 

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 T honey

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

½-3/4 cup olive oil

Black pepper

 

Remove the flesh from a preserved meyer lemon, then rinse, chop up the rind and put in a blender. Add the other ingredients and blend until smooth. 

 

Toss the escarole with the dressing and top with toasted almonds and fresh parmesan. 

Arugula Salad w/ Chicken, Artichoke Hearts and Hearts of Palm

 

I can’t get enough of this salad and am making new versions every day. I’ve been really loving this version with chicken. 

Salad Base

Arugula

Micro greens

Artichoke hearts, sliced

Hearts of palm, sliced

Cooked chicken breast, sliced or cubed 

Optional Add Ons

Hemp seeds

Cooked asparagus

Cooked broccoli

Roasted beets

Mozzarella

Shallot Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of one lemon
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
1 T minced shallot

1/2 t honey
Salt and pepper

 

Cooked Chicken Breast

Preheat oven to 350. Melt 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil in an oven safe pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Brown chicken on both sides until a nice golden crust appears. Once both sides are browned, transfer pan to the oven and cook until internal temp registers to 165 degrees. It usually take 3-10 minutes depending on the side of the chicken breasts so I check the internal temp once or twice with a meat thermometer. Remove and let rest for a few minutes, then slice and enjoy!

Kevin's Tuna Salad

I got this recipe back in 2016 from my friend Kevin Erickson. I searched through my recipe file today to track it down and voila, here she is. Just as good as I remembered. 

Good quality tuna in olive oil

Veganaise

Kalamata olives

Celery

Capers

Pickles

Dill

Red onion

Pepper

 

Serve on bread or over arugula and micro greens mixture

Arugula Salad on Repeat

 

I needed a re-set so I've been trying to eat more salads lately. I made this amazing salad the other day and now it's on repeat - on it's own for lunch or with something else for dinner. 

Salad

Arugula

Micro greens

Artichoke hearts, sliced

Hearts of palm, sliced

Garbanzo beans, rinsed

Roasted golden beets (store bought with an amazing dressing)

Steamed broccoli

Mozzarella, cut into little strips or cubes

* Next time I will add toasted pine nuts

 

Shallot Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of one lemon
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
½ t fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 T minced shallot
Salt and pepper

Perfect Weeknight Dinner

Photo courtesy of Epicurious

I love a good fattoush salad and crave it every year when it's tomato season. Tonight I finally made it happen. I love this recipe because you can prep/chop all the ingredients and extra dressing and then you can whip together a fattoush salad for lunch or dinner very quickly for the rest of the week. I served this with chicken paillard and grilled asparagus for dinner. Perfection!

Fattoush Salad

 

Romaine

Persian cucumbers, peeled and seeded

Tomatoes

Radish

Green onion, green parts

Parsley

Mint

Pita or naan (I use naan), brushed with olive oil and toasted or broiled until crisp

 

Dressing (from Epicurious.com)

 

4 t ground sumac, soaked in 4 t warm water for 15 minutes

3 T lemon juice

2 T pomegranate molasses

2 garlic cloves, minced and smashed into a paste

2 t white wine vinegar

Fresh mint, minced

1/3-1/2 cup olive oil

Kosher salt

Pepper

 

 

 

 

Mackay's Salad

Great salad recipe from my friend Mackay. I will be making this weekly because it’s so easy and delicious. 

 

Mackay’s Salad

 

Romaine

Croutons – homemade or Bay Cities

Green onion

Avocado 

 

Dressing

2 T veganaise

2 t Dijon

2 garlic cloves, pressed 

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil (roughly)

1/2 cup freshly grate parmesan

Salt and pepper

Antioxidant Salad with Chicken Paillard

 

I had this salad recently and had to recreate it. It’s so good and satisfying. It also had bee pollen and pepitas but I prefer it without those. 

Antioxidant Salad with Chicken Paillard

Salad

Mixed Greens

Goji berries

Pomegranate seeds

Blueberries

Blackberries

Pistachios

 

Balsamic Vinaigrette

 

3-4 T balsamic vinegar

1 T Dijon mustard (heaping tablespoon)

2 garlic cloves, minced

Juice from one large lemon wedge

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt & pepper

 

Chicken Paillard

Boneless, skinless chicken breast – butterflied and pounded thin 

Garlic powder

Salt & pepper

2 T olive oil

2 T butter – don’t skip the butter!

 

Sprinkle cutlets with salt, pepper and garlic granules. Heat butter and olive oil in large sauté pan over medium high heat. When it’s hot, add the cutlets and cook until perfectly browned. When they are ready, flip and brown on the other side. If you used enough olive oil and butter, you should just be able to flip it. If not, you can add more. Once browned remove to a platter. Cut on the diagonal into little strips and serve with a lemon wedge. 

 

 * My kids love this chicken. It's great with caesar salad as well. 

Caesar "ish" Salad Dressing

Here's another Caesar style dressing recipe. This one is inspired by Pamela Salzman. It's very similar to the other ones I've posted but this one has capers which is a nice touch.

Caesar Dressing

6 T Veganaise (mine was reduced fat because it’s all they had)

2-3 T fresh lemon juice (I like it more tart so might even add more)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 t Dijon mustard

1 t Worcestershire

1-2 t capers (rinsed) *

2 T olive oil

Salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

* Last time I did 1 T capers and it was too much

Seared Salmon w/ Za'atar & Sumac Tzatziki - Plus Sides

My cooking group took several classes from Carol at The Gourmandise School in Santa Monica and one lesson in a private home. Carol is the best! Our group loves her so much. She's a great chef, super knowledgeable and so fun. These are the recipes she taught at the private class. They are really simple recipes but you wouldn't know it by the flavor profiles. They are so delicious!

You can follow Carol on Instagram at carolcotnerthompson.

Seared Salmon

8oz piece of salmon

1/4 cup Za’atar (store bought or recipe below)

salt

Grapeseed or canola oil

Rinse the fillet and dry well. Press the za-atar and salt into the fillet. 

Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat until hot. Add oil. Sear salmon top side down, cooking 10 minutes per inch. 

Serve with Sumac Tzatziki.

Za-atar 

There are a million versions but this is the recipe I used

1 t dried thyme 

1/2 t oregano

1 t toasted sesame seeds

1 t ground cumin

1 t sumac

Small pinch of kosher salt

Sumac Tzatziki

1 clove of garlic, minced and smashed into a paste

1/2 t salt

1 T lemon juice

1 t sumac

1 cup whole milk yogurt (I used less because it’s all I had. Maybe 1/2-3/4 cup.)

Cucumber Tomato Salad

1 Persian cucumber, cut into rounds

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup fresh mint

1/4 cup fresh dill

2 T olive oil

1 T red wine vinegar

Pinch of salt

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and serve. 

Jasmine Coconut Rice

3/4 cup jasmine rice

1 cup water

3/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 t salt

Rinse rice. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pot. Heat and cook on low for about 25 minutes. 

Makes about 3 servings

Caesar Dressing

Caesar Dressing - Inspired by PCC Recipe

3/4 cup reduced fat Veganaise
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 T Worcestershire sauce, plus a splash more
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 T red wine vinegar
2 t Dijon mustard
1 1/2 t black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Place all of the ingredients, except oil, in a blender. With the food processor running, slowly add oil to emulsify. Check and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Homemade Croutons

My favorite croutons are the PCC deli croutons (Seattle grocery store). When I can't get my hands on them, I make my own because I can't find anything at the stores here that I like as much. 

Homemade Croutons

French Baguette, one or two days old and cut into big chunks
3 T olive oil
3 T butter
Garlic powder
Oregano
Salt 
Pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Melt butter and oil together in a sauce pan. Add garlic powder and oregano. Stir until butter melts and then pour slowly over the bread chunks, stirring until they are all well-coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Toss and bake 10 more minutes. Test one to make sure they are crispy enough. If not, add to oven for 5-10 more minutes.