Decided we wanted something light for dinner after a long week of holiday foods. Happy not to see a brisket or a Turkey for some time. So we opted for salad. I opted, the rest of the family had no choice, I didn't feel so good, let's say I was sick. Sick of cooking! So I popped open my newest cookbook,
Salad as a Meal by Patricia Wells and gave a look. I already have about ten things bookmarked. Loved this book, there are pictures, not for every recipe but I didn't mind that, the recipes were interesting and not just what I would think of as a salad. It'll make you think beyond the basic lettuce, tomato, vegetables and dressing.
There is a long list of ingredients at the end and where to buy, but I didn't need to use anything so special for a lot of the recipes, I used what I had in the kitchen. The supermarket eggs from my frig made a delicious crepe and since I didn't have fresh spinach on hand and wasn't running to the store, chopped and frozen worked out fine. I really enjoyed the book, I read them like novels and for me, this one had a lot of easy to make recipes and some pretty interesting ones as well, I might never make them, but widened my horizons as to ingredients and enjoyed seeing something out of our salad comfort zone. Some nice takes on the familiar, and next up to try would be the Cobb Salad, a light Guacamole, and Marinated Artichokes. And there's more! Sauces, dressing and sides to salads. As well as bread and breadsticks. It's nice to finally have a cookbook in the collection that's not just sitting on the shelf. This one will get lots of use in my kitchen. It already has.
Creamy Lemon Dressing
Source:
Salad as a Meal: Healthy Main-Dish Salads for Every Season by Patricia Wells
>
for the original recipe click here <
adapted by
There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup light cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
zest of one lemon
Combine the lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper in a jar or container. Cover with the lid and shake well. Add the cream and mustard. Shake to blend. Taste for seasoning. The dressing can be used immediately. Store the dressing in the refrigerator for up to one week. Shake to blend again before using.
Egg Crepes with Spinach and Mushrooms
Source:
Salad as a Meal: Healthy Main-Dish Salads for every Season by Patricia Wells
>
for original recipe click here <
adapted by
There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 large mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and thinly sliced
sea salt
8 ounces fresh spinach
Freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons chopped mixed herbs (fresh parsley and thyme or dried oregano) I used chives
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly grated pepper
Several handfuls of greens, tossed with dressing of choice
In a 10-inch nonstick skillet heat 1 teaspoon of oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a platter to drain. Add the spinach to the skillet with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the spinach, chop, and season with salt and freshly grated nutmeg. Or you can use frozen chopped spinach, just make sure to squeeze all the water out of it.
Crack each egg into a small bowl. The egg should be lightly beaten with a fork (not a whisk) just enough to combine the yolk and the white well without incorporating air bubbles that might make the crepe dry out. Add 1 tablespoon of water to each bowl.
Warm the crepe pan for a few seconds over high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of oil and swirl to evenly coat the pan. Add the egg, tilting the pan from side to side to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Cook just until the egg is evenly set but still slightly liquid on top, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Quickly spoon half the spinach, then half the mushrooms, herbs and cheese in the center of the egg crepe to form a strip parallel to the pan. With a fork, carefully fold the crepe over the filling from each side. Tip the pan up against the edge of a warmed plate so that the crepe rolls out browned side up. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining egg crepe. Serve immediately.
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