Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook (11 page)

I first tasted a salad very similar to this in an upscale New York City restaurant. I resolved to figure out how to do it. I also just make the pecans for the holidays. They freeze well.

For the sherry vinaigrette:

In a glass jar with a screw-top lid, combine the vinegar, mustard, and sugar. Shake vigorously. Remove the lid, add the oil, and shake vigorously again. Add salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

Tear the greens into large bite-size pieces and place in a salad bowl. Just before serving, toss with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle the pecans over the top and toss again. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

1 egg white, from a large egg

⅓ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted

2 cups pecan halves (½ pound)

1.
Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Butter a 10 x 15-inch jelly-roll pan or rimmed baking sheet.

2.
In a small bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg white until it forms stiff peaks. In another small bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Keeping the beaters running, add the sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time to the beaten egg white. By hand, fold in the melted butter and pecans. Spread the pecan mixture in the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

3.
Remove the pan from the oven. Using a metal spatula, carefully flip the pecan mixture one small section at a time. When all the pecans have been turned over, return the pan to the oven. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Watch them carefully—do not allow them to burn. Cool the pecans on paper towels.

Makes 2 cups

Orzo is an interesting pasta, because it looks like rice but isn't. This dish looks beautiful on the plate, always a big plus.

1.
In a large pot of boiling spring water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and allow to cool.

2.
In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the tomato, celery, onion, capers, olives, and basil.

3.
In a glass jar with a screw-top lid, combine the vinegar, mustard, and sugar. Shake vigorously. Remove the lid, add the garlic oil, and shake vigorously again until an emulsion forms.

4.
Pour this vinaigrette over the pasta mixture and season with salt and pepper. Chill the salad. When ready to serve, mix in the crumbled goat cheese.

Makes 4 servings

Like the strawberries in Sugar Snap Pea and Strawberry Salad, figs are a welcome salad fruit. People also usually like nuts in a salad: They deliver a crunch unlike that of celery. The chèvre here does double duty, adding protein and a creamy smoothness to the dressing.

1.
Cut the stems off the figs, rinse them, and pat dry. Place them in a small saucepan with the port and sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and simmer gently until the figs are soft, about 10 minutes. Reserving the cooking liquid, drain the figs. Allow the figs to cool, then cut them into quarters and set aside.

2.
In a large skillet, toast the filberts over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they emit a nutty smell, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove them from the pan to cool, then coarsely chop.

3.
Return the fig-cooking liquid to the saucepan and reheat over low heat. Stir in the vinegar, shallot, goat cheese, oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Add the figs and increase the heat to medium-low. Stir the dressing until the cheese is completely melted.

4.
Toss the field greens with the warm dressing and sprinkle the nuts on top. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings

Cremini mushrooms are small portobellos and are sometimes marketed as “baby bellas.” An executive in my publishing house had tasted a dish similar to this at an upscale Denver restaurant (yes, we have them!) and charged me to figure out how to make it. This recipe is the result.

1.
To clean the mushrooms, wipe them carefully with damp paper towels. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and discard. Using a sharp knife, lightly trim the gills from the portobello or cremini mushrooms and slice into 1-inch cubes. Cut the shiitake caps in half.

2.
In a large glass bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, sherry, and vinegar until well combined. Add the oil in a steady stream, whisking all the while. Place the mushrooms into this marinade and toss gently to coat all sides. Set aside to marinate, but not for longer than 10 minutes. Do not overmarinate the mushrooms, or their delicate flavor will be lost.

3.
Coat a grill rack with cooking spray and preheat the grill to medium-high to high heat.

4.
Grill the mushrooms for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Serve immediately on a bed of field greens.

Makes 4 servings

When chopped salads were the rage, I tried to get a recipe for one past our family. This one finally succeeded. If you are a vegetarian, leave out the chicken.

1.
Place the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them with a mallet to a ⅓-inch thickness. Slice each breast in half lengthwise.

2.
In a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish, mix the lime juice with the oil and place the chicken in this marinade while you prepare the rest of the ingredients and dressing, 15 to 20 minutes. Do not marinate the chicken for longer than this, or it can turn mushy.

3.
Wash the head of romaine very well, then cut off the bottom and slice off an inch from the top (and discard them both). This will give you even edges. Carefully cut the rest of the head crosswise into ½-inch-wide slices. You should have about 8 cups of romaine pieces. Rinse these well, spin them to remove any moisture, and wrap them in paper towels. Chill until you are ready to assemble the salad.

4.
Place the rinsed hearts of palm into a bowl of cold spring water and allow them to soak for 5 minutes to remove the brine.

5.
Meanwhile, lightly coat a small sauté pan with cooking spray (or use a nonstick pan) and toast the pine nuts over medium-low to medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent burning. When the pine nuts are just beginning to turn golden brown (3 to 4 minutes), remove them from the pan, place on a plate to cool, and set aside until you are ready to assemble the salad.

6.
Remove the hearts of palm from the water, pat them dry with paper towels, and cut them crosswise into ¼-inch-thick discs. Wrap the pieces in a paper towel and chill until you are ready to assemble the salad.

7.
Coat the grill rack with cooking spray and preheat the grill to medium-high to high while you prepare the Tangy Lime Dressing.

8.
Grill the chicken for about 4 minutes per side, or until it is cooked through but not dry. Remove the chicken to a cutting board, cool slightly, and cut into bite-size pieces.

9.
When ready to serve, place the lettuce, hearts of palm, jicama, tomatoes, scallions, and chicken in a large, attractive salad bowl. Toss with half of the dressing, then add the dressing by tablespoons until the salad is lightly dressed, not overdressed. (You may have a bit of dressing left over.) Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top and serve immediately.

Makes 4 large servings

½ garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoon dried fines herbes (available in many supermarkets)

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

1½ teaspoons minced fresh cilantro

⅓ cup buttermilk

1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice

⅓ cup best-quality mayonnaise

3 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream, or more as needed

1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a mini food processor, combine the garlic, fines herbes, parsley, and cilantro and blend until pulverized, less than a minute. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, lime juice, and mayonnaise until well combined and smooth. Whisk in the garlic-herb mixture, the cream, and Parmesan, blending until evenly mixed. Taste carefully and add more cream if the dressing seems too tangy. Add salt judiciously, as the mayonnaise and cheese are already salty. Grind in some pepper and taste again. Use immediately.