Mushroom Salad with Lemon Dressing

Five days into Summer and it is freaking cold...Mother Nature must be really mad at somebody. Sure hope it's not me!

Well, I'm not about to let a little freak of nature frigidness stop me from dragging out the barbecue, grilling up a bountiful & tender Tri-tip and fixing a few fresh side dishes to accompany.  I immediately decided that it would be smart of me to share an unsophisticated dish with you at some point so I don't lose your interest....my "fanciness" gene kicks in a little to much sometimes. {hey- at least I can admit I have a problem!}

I figured one of my most favorite salads was a perfect fit for the simplicity of Summer.  This mushroom & cheese salad is basically just that--and came about long ago by my obsession with it from a bistro that I used to frequent.  It has been closed for years so I did my best to recreate their amazing version and I think I came pretty darn close. At least close enough to tempt my taste buds and hopefully yours. 

Just be sure you only use enough mixed greens to make an appearance on the plate--no sense in overshadowing the mushrooms and tanginess of the cheese.

Minimalism at its best.

Have a Splendid Day!

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Ingredients for Mushroom Salad with Lemon Dressing

by Splendor in the Kitchen

1 Lb White Button Mushrooms

1 Cup Jarlsberg Cheese, grated

1/4 Cup Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped

1 Cup Mixed Greens, roughly chopped

2 Lemons

Zest of 1 Lemon

1 1/2 Tsp. Sugar

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper

Directions

Remove stems from mushrooms and discard.  Rinse mushroom caps in a strainer with water and then gently rub any excess dirt off with a paper towel. Dry thoroughly. Thinly slice mushrooms so they are 1/4" thick or less.

Layer a shallow salad bowl or platter with the mixed greens.  Layer a third of the mushrooms and cheese over the greens. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.Continue to layer with mushrooms, cheese, salt & pepper two more times until you have used them all.  Sprinkle all of the parlsey over the top of the salad. 

To make the dressing; zest 1 lemon into a small bowl.  Squeeze both lemons into the bowl to gather all of their juices {be sure not to get any seeds}.  Dissolve sugar into lemon juice & zest.  Whisk in olive oil quickly to emulsify.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate 20 minutes. 

When ready to serve the salad, whisk the lemon dressing and pour over the salad. Lightly toss to cover all mushrooms with dressing.  Crack a generous amount of black pepper over the top.

Serves 4



Jambalaya

Yesterday was my husband's birthday and most adoring wives would bake a cake to celebrate... undoubtedly, I am not most wives....I tackle Jambalaya.

 

jambalaya {juhm-buh-lahy-uh}

Noun: a dish of Creole origin, consisting of rice, ham, sausage, or shellfish, herbs, spices and vegetables, especially tomatoes, onions and peppers.

Why, do you ask?

 Is it a favorite of his?  

Nope.   I am an overachiever by nature and decided to take on this uphill battle for a wonderful home-cooked dinner instead of leading him into the demise of a restaurant with mediocre food, a silly party hat, and off-key birthday songs sung by apathetic waiters. 

So, out came my trusty Epicurious.com app, a few "Splendor in the Kitchen" modifications, and my brand-new Dutch oven {remember my gift from Mother's Day?!}.

The recipe which appealed to me most included bacon {yes, please!}, ham, chicken and sausage but I'm somewhat 

anti-ham {too salty} so I left that out and added fresh shrimp.

I would encourage you to browse my recipe and the original {see link below} and play around with both.  The colors and flavors are so bold and vibrant, you can do no wrong.    

A simple one pot dish--- you just layer upon layer with flavor. Start by rendering the bacon and browning the sausage.

Sweat out the onions and peppers. 

Layer in the spices {adjust for your own spice tolerance}, tomatoes and chicken.

Add the rice and bake in the same pot in the oven.  At the last minute, you will add the shrimp to cook just for a few, and then garnish with an invigorating squeeze of a lemon, green onions and Italian, flat-leaf parsley.

What would Emeril say?  "BAM"!

Have a Splendid Day!

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Ingredients for Jambalaya

adapted from Epicurious.com 

3 slices applewood-smoked bacon, diced

12 oz Cajun Style Andouille Sausage, sliced in 1/4" diagonal pieces

1 Rotissiere Chicken, meat shredded

2 Yellow Onions, chopped

1 Jalepeno, seeded and diced

2 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped

2 Large Stalks Celery, sliced lengthwise, then diced

1 Tbsp Garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Fresh Thyme leaves {removed from stem}

35 oz Peeled Tomatoes, squeezed of seeds, and diced

3 Tbsp Tomato Paste

2 Tablespoons Paprika

1 Tablespoons Chili Powder

1/4 Teaspoon {or more} Cayenne Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika

3 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock, divided {2 1/2 cup, 1 cup}

2 Cups Long-Grain Rice

1/2 Lb Peeled & Deveined Uncooked Shrimp

1/4 Cup Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley, roughly chopped

1 Bunch Green Onions, chopped

1 Lemon, halved

Directions

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Cook bacon in very large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until brown but not yet crisp, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add Andouille sausage and saute until meats start to brown in spots. Add onions, garlic, celery, jalapeno, bell peppers and thyme. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally 10-12 minutes.

Mix in paprika, chili powder, smoked paprika and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes,  shredded chicken and 2 1/2 cups chicken stock; stir to blend well. Add more cayenne, if desired.  Mix in rice.

Bring Jambalaya to boil.  Cover pot or Dutch oven.  Place in oven and bake until rice is tender and liquids are all absorbed, 45 to 48 minutes.  Uncover pot and pour the remaining 1 cup chicken stock over jambalaya.  Add shrimp in a layer on top of jambalaya and return lid.  Cook in oven an additional 3 to 4 minutes, just until shrimp is pink and cooked through. 

Remove lid.  Squeeze lemon halves on jambalaya and then sprinkle with chopped parsley and green onions.  Serve.

Refrigerate leftovers for following day--the flavors will be enhanced on the next day.

Serves 6-8

Blueberry-Oatmeal Muffins with Mascarpone & Orange Glaze

A perfect early summer morning consists of dragging children out of bed for a short drive up the mountain to pick blueberries.  And to make it even more so dreamy, how about stuffing handfuls of the freshest blueberries on the West Coast into their happy little mouths?


Eat your heart out Maine!

I am certain that we ate more than ended up in our bucket, but seriously, who is counting?

 

What a beautiful mess!

Which I would gladly endure again in spite of the muffin pan that I will spend two hours scouring.....maybe we will save this for a long, hot, soapy bath in the sink. It really does look as though I walked in on my daughter with a tube of finger paint and a brilliantly white wall :) 

Blueberry explosion = Success.

These muffins have somewhat of a quick break consistency rather than a spongy-box muffin type.  I used bread flour since it was all I had in the pantry.  I'm sure you could try all-purpose flour instead and see what happens.  I am a huge advocate for "seeing what sticks on the wall" rather than always following the rules. 

That's where the best recipes come from, right? 

Enjoy!

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Ingredients for Blueberry-Oatmeal Muffins with Mascarpone & Orange Glaze

by Splendor in the Kitchen

1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
3 Tbsp Honey
1 Cup Rolled Oats {instant or quick-cook}
2 Cups Bread Flour
1/2 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
4 Tbsp Canola Oil
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Egg, slightly beaten
2 Egg Whites
2 Cups Fresh or Frozen Blueberries

1/4 Cup Mascarpone Cream Cheese {softened at room temperature}
1/2 Cup Powdered Confectioner's Sugar
2-4 Tbsp Orange Juice {freshly squeezed if possible}

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper liners, or grease pan with softened butter. Set aside.

Heat buttermilk and honey in microwave until hot but not scalding, about 1 minute.  Pour in rolled oats, stir and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients {flour, salt and baking powder}.  Stir in vanilla, oil, sugar and whole egg. Add in the buttermilk/honey & oatmeal mix that has been soaking.

In another bowl, beat egg whites on high until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold egg whites into batter, careful not to break up the peaks.

Gently stir in blueberries and combine just until berries are evenly distributed in the batter.

Divide batter evenly amongst prepared muffin pan, filling until about 3/4 way full.  Bake in preheated oven, 20-24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of muffin. Let muffins cool in pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes.

While muffins are baking in the oven, prepare glaze by whisking together softened mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar and enough orange juice to thin out glaze for drizzling.  Glaze should be smooth with no lumps from the cheese.

When muffins are still warm, drizzle mascarpone & orange glaze over all muffins with a small spoon. Serve immediatley.

Makes 12-16 muffins.

Arugula & Bacon Frittata

"Whatever this is called, I love this stuff" says my 11 year old.

Words that you don't hear often from a child, unless of course you recognize the sophisticated palate beaming from this particular child. 

Could a mom really be so lucky, or is this arugula and bacon frittata just that magical?

Maybe I did wave my magic wand and sprinkle a little fairy dust if you go by my husband's review {with a mouth still full, I might add!},

"This is like a cloud....an egg flavored cloud stuffed with bacon."

A perfectly unpretenious meal with a starring role from freshly picked arugula first thing in the morning out of my garden, with a cameo of course from some succulent, maple infused bacon.


"The Art of Breakfast for Dinner"
...coming soon to a theater near you ;)

Enjoy!

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Ingredients for Arugula & Bacon Frittata

by Splendor in the Kitchen

2-3 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup

4 Large Slices Uncooked Bacon

1 Cup Arugula {packed well in measuring cup}

1/4 Cup Mascarpone Cheese

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 Cup Grated Jarslberg Cheese

1 Tbsp Chives, chopped

1/4 Cup Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, chopped

1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Nutmeg

6 Whole Organic Eggs

4 Organic Egg Whites

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brush maple syrup over both sides of bacon and place on a microwave-safe plate. Cook in microwave until bacon is crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Let cool and then use a knife to chop bacon into 1/4" pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, heavy cream and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Stir in all remaining ingredients, including cooked bacon pieces.

Spray a 9" deep-dish pie pan, or an 8"x8" square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour frittata mixture into prepared dish.  Bake until top of frittata is golden-brown, and center comes out solid yet moist {not liquidy} when poked with a toothpick; about 35-40 minutes.

Serve immediately while warm, or let cool completely and refrigerator up to 3 days.

Serves 4-6