Artichoke Salad With Fried Mushrooms, Hazelnuts and Yogurt Dressing

A little sweet, a little tart, this salad balances the earthiness of sautéed mushrooms and artichokes with crunchy toasted hazelnuts and a creamy dressing that's kissed with honey. Adapted from "Home Made" by Yvette van Boven (Stewart, Tabori & Chang). Serves 4

Ingredients

4 small artichokes (or 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered) 1/2 lemon 4 ounces salad greens 2½ ounces spinach leaves 2 tablespoons olive oil 2-2/3 cups sliced wild mushrooms Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 2 scallions, sliced 1 tablespoon hazelnuts 1 tablespoon walnuts 2 teaspoons pine nuts

Dressing: 1 tablespoon honey 1/2 cup white-wine vinegar 1/2 cup yogurt 1/3 cup walnut oil (plus more as desired) Salt and freshly ground pepper

What To Do

1. Cut the tips from the fresh artichokes. Peel away the hard outer leaves. Using a sharp knife, trim away the base and the stem. Rub with lemon. Cook in boiling water until done, about 25 minutes. Scoop from pot and rinse in cool water. Quarter and set aside. (If using canned artichoke hearts, skip this step.)

2. Mix salad greens with spinach leaves and divide among four plates. Top with quartered artichoke hearts.

3. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Pan fry mushrooms until soft, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and vinegar. Pour honey over the mixture and briefly sauté. Fold in scallions. Spoon mushroom mixture over greens. Wipe skillet clean and add nuts. Cook, stirring continuously, until lightly brown and toasted. Sprinkle nuts over the mushrooms.

4. Make dressing: In a medium bowl, dissolve honey in vinegar. Fold in yogurt. Add walnut oil and whisk until thick and well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pour over each plate. Serve immediately with crunchy bread.

Paneed Pork Cutlets with Citrus-Sage Sauce

Total time: 35 minutes; Serves: 4

Ingredients

8 thin pork cutlets Salt 1 cup flour 1 cup buttermilk 3 cups panko 1 cup canola or grapeseed oil 4 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons diced shallots 2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped 4 sage leaves, roughly chopped 2 tangerines, juiced (yielding about ¾ cup) and zest removed in long strips4 packed cups frisée or any salad greens2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice

What To Do

1. Arrange flour and buttermilk in two wide bowls. Evenly spread 2 cups bread crumbs on a baking sheet. Dredge cutlets in flour and shake off excess. Dip legs in buttermilk until completely submerged. Allow excess liquid to run off. Lay each cutlet flat over panko and flip to evenly coat both sides in dry crumbs. Add remaining crumbs to baking sheet as needed.

3. Add canola oil to large pan and set over medium heat. Once oil is hot and shimmers slightly, gently shake off excess crumbs from legs and lay neatly into pan. Work in batches to prevent overcrowding. Fry at steady sizzle until golden, about 3 minutes, then flip. Fry until other side is golden and meat is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper-lined tray and season with salt. 

4. Set small pan over medium-high heat. Add butter. Once it foams and starts to brown, add shallots and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add capers and sage and cook until leaves crisp, about 1 minute. Swirl sauce often to ensure shallots do not burn. Add juice and zest. Simmer until reduced by half and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and discard zest.

5. Dress frisée with oil, lemon juice and salt to taste. Distribute salad among four plates. Serve cutlets over salad with sauce spooned over top.

Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables

This meatless salad combines couscous with roasted eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper and leeks. Cooked sausage may be added to make it heartier. Serve with rolls or baguette slices and iced tea or white wine.

Yield: Makes 6 servings1 1-to-1 1/4 pound eggplant, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges2 medium-size zucchini, each cut lengthwise into 4 wedges3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 2 1/2-inch pieces1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips10 large garlic cloves, unpeeled3 1/2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary2 1/2 cups water1 teaspoon salt1 10-ounce box couscous1 cup pitted brine-cured black olives (such as Kalamata), halved6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice3 tablespoons drained capers3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400°F. Divide first 5 ingredients between 2 heavy large baking sheets. Brush vegetables with 3 tablespoons oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle herbs over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, turning occasionally, about 45 minutes. Cool. Remove and discard peels from garlic. Coarsely chop garlic. Cut roasted vegetables into 3/4-inch pieces. Set aside.

Bring 2 1/2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 tablespoon oil to boil in medium saucepan. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork. Transfer to large bowl.

Gently mix roasted garlic and vegetables, 1/4 cup oil, olives, lemon juice, capers and basil into couscous. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.)

Ingredients

• 2 15-ounce cans lentils, rinsed
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/4 head red cabbage, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more for serving
• 4 pocketless pitas, warmed

Directions

1. In a food processor, puree 1 can of the lentils with the cilantro, parsley, garlic, and cumin until nearly smooth. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the bread crumbs, the remaining can of lentils, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Form into sixteen ½-inch-thick patties.
2. In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, lightly mash the cabbage with the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, crushed red pepper, and ¼ cup water.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook the patties until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side, adding the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet for the second batch.
4. Dividing evenly, top each pita with the patties, cabbage mixture, yogurt sauce, and the additional cilantro and crushed red pepper.

By Dawn Perry,  August 2011

Spring Lamb Stew 

by Danielle Brackett

Yield: Serves 42 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter1 pound lamb stew meat2 tablespoons all purpose flour12 boiling onions, peeled5 medium russet potatoes, peeled, quartered2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces10 small bay leaves2 teaspoons dried thyme2 cups canned beef broth1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in heavy large Dutch oven over high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Add lamb to pot and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, bay leaves and thyme and stir 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lamb and vegetables are almost tender, about 1 hour.

Uncover stew and simmer until gravy thickens and lamb and vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes longer. Add parsley. Season stew to taste with salt and pepper.