…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen How you doin’? When I was growing up my mother used to think of “cute” names of meals to make them more inviting—dinner omelets we called Conglomeration—eggs mixed with most anything. Taste Ticklers were sweet and sour Danish meatballs. Egg salad with avocado was Green Egg Surprise. Everything was a surprise in our house. You would have thought she had trouble getting me to eat—that wasn’t true. I haven’t thought about Egg Surprise in years until I saw a recipe in the Gelson’s flyer recently. What is Green Egg Surprise? It’s very green egg salad made with perfectly ripe avocados, a little chopped garlic, dill and parsley, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. It’s super creamy and fresh and I love adding the herbs to the mix for more flavor thrills. The herbs give the salad a nice flavor and spring flair without squashing its essential egginess. Even without all the mayo, this tastes like a great egg salad we all know and love. The beauty of avocado egg salad, of course, is that it’s easy to make—you can even let the kids help you out by doing the mashing. And then it’s just a matter of piling it on a toasty everything bagel. Yes, it will taste great on any sort of bagel, but the combo of creamy, herby, crunchy, oniony, seedy and garlicky is pretty damn magical. Bagel sandwiches are a no-brainer for a fancy midweek lunch or weekend brunch. Bagels are always delicious, and people are generally surprised and delighted to see egg salad—it’s one of those classics that most of us forget to make at home. Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes (eggs) Yield: Serves 6 Ingredients 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and medium diced 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons kosher salt or to your taste 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to your taste 6 everything bagels, cut in half and toasted And, yes… there is no mayonnaise Directions
ChefSecret: If you don’t have fresh dill or parsley on hand, you can use chives, tarragon or cilantro instead. I cook my eggs just until the water boils. I take the eggs off the heat and let them steep in hot water for 17 minutes. Then I plunge them in cold ice water with ice cubes until completely chilled. Surprise—those eggs will be perfect. Quip of the Day: Where can you go to learn more about eggs? The hen-cyclopedia. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your favorite recipes, pictures or thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. Recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. #Entree #Salad #Sandwich #Bagel #EggSaladSurprise #Avocado #AvocadoEggSalad #EverythingBagel #Bagel #Lunch #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024
0 Comments
Zesty Grilled Chicken SaladHow you doin’? I really hate boring salads—you know the ones that have a little iceberg lettuce and a tomato slice with a bottled commercial dressing? We can do so much better than that. The bestselling salad at my first restaurant was The Conglomeration. It was a large salad made with chopped iceberg, romaine, crisp bacon, chopped hard cooked egg, cucumber, shredded carrots, diced celery, chopped olives, red onion and chunks of soft white cheese. All of this was tossed with my secret Champagne vinaigrette—a masterpiece! The more “orts” (ingredients) the better. We even took care to serve it on a Hawaiian monkey pod, garlic rubbed salad plate. When we found out this was the bestselling salad, I put our kitchen staff’s talents to invent and test new mixed salads. I declared our restaurant would never serve ho-hum salads. Even our Angel’s Fruit & Yogurt Salad was loaded with flavors and textures. Our guests used to ask me, why can’t I make salads like this at home? You see, restaurant salads are delicious because of the variety and freshness of the ingredients. Most people don’t keep a wide variety of fresh veggies on hand for fear they will spoil before consuming. So please trust me, there's more to making salads than heaping on a pile of deep-fried croutons and boatloads of cheese. Here is what you can do from your very own kitchen to make the best salads ever:
Ingredients 4 ounces spring lettuce mix salad blend 4 tablespoons grilled chopped chicken breast 3 tablespoons grilled fresh corn 3 tablespoons low-sodium, canned black beans, drained 3 grape tomatoes, halved 2 tablespoons red or yellow bell peppers, diced 1-1/2 tablespoons Mexican cheese blend 1 tablespoon hulled pepitas, toasted 2 ounces Spicy Cilantro-Avocado Dressing, (see recipe below) 3 thin slices of fresh lemon, quartered ... and whatever you want to add Directions
ChefSecret: I sometimes use leftover chilled chicken meat or better yet warm fried chicken tenders in this salad. Zesty Avocado-Cilantro Dressing Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 20 minutes Yield: 16 ounces+ Ingredients 2 ounces toasted macadamia nuts 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves 1 teaspoon fresh, peeled garlic 1/2 teaspoon fresh, seeded and ribbed diced red jalapeño pepper 3/4 cup fresh, peeled and pitted avocado 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 5 ounces cold water 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Directions
ChefSecrets: Freshly-roasting the macadamia nuts adds another level of flavor to the salad dressing. Quip of the Day: “Why is it called a Caesar Salad? ‘Cause Caesar ruled the romaines.” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. #EntreeSalads #Salads #PerfectSalads #Lunch #Dinner #Vinaigrette #CilantroAvocado #Dressing #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024 …from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? Fall into winter is soup season. Actually, any time is a good time for soups—even chilled soups are hearty and fulfilling during warmer months. A cozy, warm bowl of soup is exactly what many of us need during these cold days of winter. Joan’s favorite soup is minestrone… Italians have been enjoying it for centuries. But how did this hearty soup make its way from Italy to our tables here in America? It’s all due to the popularity of the soup and its versatile recipe. Minestrone is one of the cornerstones of Italian cuisine and may even be more widely dispersed and enjoyed throughout Italy than pasta. The soup was initially made from small things leftover from previous meals, combined so as not to waste perfectly good food. Sounds perfect for today’s waste reduction focused population. Gradually, the standard minestrone recipe changed, and by the 18th century, the word “minestrone” no longer implied a soup made from leftovers, and instead indicated the soup recipe we are now familiar with, which is made for its own sake. Additionally in America, the soup is now often a starter dish instead of the main course. Minestrone is a thick pasta- and vegetable-based soup. You can add any number of veggies and carbs you choose to make this soup even heartier. The core ingredients, however, are most often celery, onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, olive oil and pasta. It is often topped with shredded parmesan. I created my minestrone soup for T.R.’s Restaurants in Wichita as a way to utilize unused veggies. If you love Minestrone and don’t want to ingest the excess sodium and lack of veggies in the canned varieties, then take an hour out of the day and make T.R.’s Minestrone Soup. Serve with hearty, crusty bread, romaine salad and a nice merlot. Prep time: 35 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, chopped 2 onions, chopped 2 cups chopped celery 5 carrots, sliced 4 cups tomato sauce 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1/2 cup red wine 2 large pieces of Parmesan cheese rinds (see ChefSecret below) 3 zucchinis, quartered and sliced 2 cups baby spinach, rinsed 1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained (or fresh if you have them) 1 cup canned kidney beans, drained 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup small sea shell or elbow pasta 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping 1 tablespoon olive oil Directions
ChefSecret: I like to throw in a couple of leftover Parmesan cheese rinds when I start to simmer the soup. The soup also gets topped with shredded Parmesan when serving, but adding the rind to the pot while the soup is simmering gives it additional depth and a nutty flavor that takes the already-excellent soup up a notch. Plus, it’s a way to get a little more use out of expensive Parmesan cheese that you might have otherwise discarded. As Parmesan cheese ages, the outside of the wheel naturally hardens more than the inside and becomes what we call the rind. It’s still cheese. It’s still edible, but it’s not too enjoyable to eat in its hardened cured form. Instead of tossing them, keep them in a freezer zip-top storage bag in your freezer until you’re making a soup, stew, risotto, pasta sauce or another dish that could benefit from some extra depth of flavor. Remove the Parmesan rind before serving the soup. It will be soft and mushy. You could brush olive oil and garlic on slices of baguette or Italian bread, toast it up, and spread the softened rinds on the slices of bread to eat. Quip of the Day: What do the ducks have for dinner? They have Quackers and soup, of course! ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. #Entrees #Soup #Minestrone #TRsMinestrone #ItalianSoup #VegetableSoup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 …from the Perspectives’ Kitchen How you doin’? When looking for a great steak place in the greater Las Vegas area I tend to lean toward local Henderson restaurants. In fact, if you talk to most locals, the only time they venture down to the strip is when they have guests or clients in town. Green Valley Ranch’s upscale Hank’s Fine Steaks and Martinis is the perfect go-to place. The restaurant offers fine surf 'n' turf beneath crystal chandeliers with impeccable table side service. Professional table side service these days in many Las Vegas restaurants and Hanks does it well. But don’t think of a stuffy, old fashioned kind of place or service. Hank’s is contemporary in design and the service is all about hospitality, making it a comfortable go-to restaurant for special occasions or just a great night out for dinner. With all the wet and dry-aged beef options you want to start your meal with a light Wedge Salad. You don’t want to spoil your appetite with something like their excellent Lobster Chowder or French Onion Soup Gratinee—a little too rich to go with Chateaubriand. My personal preference is for the house Wedge Salad with homemade Ranch Dressing. This is not just any store-bought, bottled or dry mix ranch—it is house made Ranch Dressing at its finest. There are a couple of things that make my Ranch Dressing special. First, I redefined the mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk ratios so the texture is just right. It’s thin enough that you can toss it, and it’s got the perfect amount of stick-to-it-iveness so that it clings to lettuce wedge, salad goodies and is dippable without being globby. No one likes an over-dressed giant glob of dressing on their lettuce wedge. My Ranch Dressing is light, tangy and herby, thanks to a perfect blend of parsley, chives and dill. Now for the greens--Wedge Salads are just about as simple as they come but that’s their appeal as they complement the steak course to the fullest. They are sophisticated, yet simple and special at the same time. This Wedge Salad is what you might expect to order at a country club, fancy restaurant or my house. The wedge of juicy, well chilled iceberg lettuce is the perfect blank canvas for all your favorite toppings like. Seasonally sweet cherry tomatoes, black pepper rimmed bacon, some fresh-cut chives for a pretty pop of green along with options of black olives, pickled sweet red onions, toasted croutons, plenty of crumbled bleu cheese and whatever else you love. This Wedge Salad is perfect for a lunch entrée or for a great starter for a steak or lobster dinner. Remember to keep it simple, just salt and pepper, because you’re going to want to drag that steak through the leftover dressing. Ranch Dressing Prep time: 10 minutes Yield: 2 cups Ingredients 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 3/4 cup buttermilk 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper Directions
ChefSecret: I like to make a double recipe. Once you have a jar full of the stuff, you’re going to want to dip, dunk and drench everything in it, like blistered shishito chile peppers, air-fried pickles and jalapeño poppers. It’s also amazing on the classics, from wee baby carrots to pepperoni pizza, and of course, this wedge salad. Wedge Salad Prep time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 1 firm, fresh head iceberg lettuce, cut in quarters 1 cup ranch dressing 6 strips chopped crispy-cooked peppered bacon 10 cherry tomatoes cut in half 4 teaspoons chopped chives 1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese Directions
Quip of the Day: Q. Why did the cowboy ride a horse while eating salad? A. Because he loved the ranch dressing. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. #Entree #Salad #WedgeSalad #RanchDressing #Lunch #Dinner #2023Recipes #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 …from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? My weekly personal grocery bill has gone up nearly $75/week in the last year. That’s a big hit due to the continual rise in inflation. One of our restaurants opened under similar circumstance many years ago—higher prices are restaurant killers. The success of Fanny’s Fish Market wasn’t about whole pieces of fish filets, jumbo shrimp and lobster tails. Fanny’s Fish Market was all about seafood infused sauces and meals. Our seafood sauce over a variety of pastas or salads mixed with bits and pieces gave plenty of rich seafood flavor at far lower costs. Seafood enhanced soups and chowders served in extra-large bowls with large slices of hot, cheesy garlic bread offered full meals at bargain prices. Fanny’s opened on the pier at Foster City Estuary. It was an immediate success—profitable the first month it opened. With the restaurants’ healthy variety and reasonable prices you could (and many did) come in 3 or 4 times a week. Here’s my home version of Fanny’s famous Sea Creature House Salad. The secret to our soups, salads and pasta dishes is a great thick piece of cheesy-buttered, toasted, crusty garlic bread. Prep time: 15 minutes Rest time: 5 mins Yield: 4 personal salads / 1/2 cup dressing Ingredients For the dressing 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (see recipe below) 1 tablespoon crushed garlic 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese For the salad 2 (5 ounce) packages American salad mix (lettuce blend with other seasonal ingredients) 3/4 cup sliced pitted black olives 3/4 cup thinly sliced red pickled pepperoncini 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion or pickled red onion 2 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4 cup sliced and quartered cucumber 1/2 cup warm garlic seasoned croutons 1/3 cup “baby” cooked shrimp—71-count (tiny sea creatures) Directions
ChefSecret: You don’t have to buy a special spice mix to make it Italian. You probably have all the ingredients in your own spice cabinet. Feel free to adjust the ratio of spices and the yield to make whatever size of batch you would like to your taste. You’ll find this spice mix works with hundreds of other recipes from soups to pasta, grilled meat and marinades. Ed’s Special Italian Seasoning Blend 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried marjoram 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary 1/2 teaspoon dried sage Whisk all seasonings together in a bowl until combined. Better yet process through a spice grinder for a few seconds. Use immediately or store in a sealed container. Quip of the Day: My doctor recently asked if anyone in my family suffered from mental illness and I said, "No, we all seem to enjoy it." ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. #Entree #Salad #ShrimpSalad #FannysFishMarket #SeaCreatureSalad #BayShrimp #BabyShrimp #Lunch #Dinner #2023Recipes #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 |
For over 4 decades collaboration and vision have been the cornerstones of our approach to developing innovative solutions. We fuel innovation, uncover opportunities, discover trends and embrace sustainability, turning imaginative ideas into profitable realities. Categories
All
Archives
March 2024
|