How you doin’? Πως είσαι'? I bet you never knew my Greek was so good—I’m multi-lingual. In Greece the salad is called “Horiatiki,” which translates to village or peasant salad. It’s a combination of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, green peppers, olives and feta cheese, dressed in olive oil and sprinkled with oregano.
 
Let me tell you a little bit about traditional Greek salads. The Greek isles have been conquered by many people and Greek salads are no different. Greek salads did not reach world popularity until the end of the 19th century when the tomato became popular in Greece.
 
There is no lettuce or any other leafy greens in a traditional Greek salad. The salad is never mixed before it is served. The feta cheese is never cut in cubes but rather large slices are placed on top of the salad. In Greece, Horiatiki, is served most often from early spring to the early part of fall when the season’s quality produce including juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and onions are at their peak.
 
What goes best with a Greek Salad? Grilled ribeye steak with sautéed onions and mushrooms, loaded baked potato, cheesy broccoli and a horseradish cream sauce is delicious with this salad. Grilled shrimp and peppers are delicious on salad. Grilled steak over this salad is also delicious!
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
For the Greek salad dressing
1-1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (1 large clove)
1 1/2 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon honey
Sea Salt, to taste
6 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
 
For the salad
4 medium Roma tomatoes, diced
1 medium English cucumber, peeled and sliced into circles
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced shreds, rinsed and drained
1 small red or yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
3/4 cup kalamata or black olives, drained and sliced
1 cup (4 ounces) sliced (not cubed or crumbled) feta cheese
1 medium firm avocado, diced
1 loaf warm crusty bread   (Optional: omit if gluten-free is desired)
 
Directions
To make the dressing

1. Add all of the dressing ingredients, except the olive oil, to a blender jar and blend well.  Let the dressing rest for 10 minutes and then blend in the olive oil.
2. Season with salt to taste and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
3. In a large salad bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onions, bell peppers, olives, avocado and feta cheese.
4. Drizzle dressing over top and gently toss to evenly coat. Add dressing within a few minutes of serving for best results.
5. Serve with warm crusty bread.

 
ChefSecret:  Add the olive oil as the last step in making any salad dressing or marinade giving the rest of the ingredients a chance bloom for full flavor. Consider adding slice grilled ribeye, grilled chicken breast or grilled shrimp as a topper to your Greek Salad.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Wash your hands like you just finished a bag of hot Cheetos con limón and you need to remove your contact lenses.”

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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 also being posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Entree #Salad #EntreeSalad #GreekSalad #Tomatoes #Horiatiki #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? How about a little lobster today? There is this little restaurant in West Los Angeles that specializes lobster rolls (and beer). You might think that this is usually a New England favorite, but at Lobster and Beer they have a few great Lobster Rolls on the menu—one with just drawn butter mixed with the lobster meat and stuffed into a split brioche roll and the California-Style Lobster Salad Rolls. I love them both! For those who don’t live in the vicinity, this one’s for you!
 
How much do you know about lobsters? Here is a quick primer Lobster 101—read it well…  there will be a pop quiz next period. When the first European settlers reached North America, lobsters were so plentiful that they would wash ashore in piles up to 2 feet high. Native Americans used lobsters to fertilize their crops and bait their fishing hooks. They also occasionally ate the abundant crustaceans by covering them in seaweed and baking them over hot rocks. This was the inspiration for the New England clambake.
Lobsters were sooo cheap because they were so many of them. Lobsters were routinely fed to prisoners (where can I sign up?), apprentices, slaves and children when America was just growing up. A servant’s diet was so lobster-heavy they included stipulations in their contracts that they would only be served lobster twice a week.

Lobsters—monsters from the deep. Maine lobsters can weigh more than 40 pounds and grow up to 3 feet long. The largest lobster on record was caught off Novia Scotia in 1988. It weighed more than 44 pounds and was 42 inches long—it was at least 100 years old—twice the lifespan of the average lobster. The fisherman who caught the mega lobster reportedly released him back to the sea.

This is really strange lobster stuff. The lobster, which has evolved little over the last 100 million years, is known for its unusual anatomy. Its brain is in its throat, its nervous system in its abdomen, its teeth in its stomach and its kidneys in its head. It also hears using its legs and tastes with its feet. One of the few things lobsters have in common with humans… they can be right-clawed or left-clawed.

A healthier solution. Although considered a rich and decadent food, lobster meat contains less calories than an equal portion of skinless chicken breast. It also boasts healthy omega-3 fatty acids, potassium and the vitamins E, B-12 and B-6.
 
Now, put on your bib and let’s eat some lobster!
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Chill time:  60 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Yield:  4 to 6 lobster rolls
 
Ingredients
For the lobster salad
1 pound fully cooked, steamed Maine lobster meat, cooled (free of shell and cartilage)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
3/4 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped
3 small scallions, thinly sliced
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
lemon wedge, for garnish
sweet gherkins, for garnish
 
For the buns
4 to 6 hot dog buns (I prefer King’s Hawaiian split-top hot dog buns)
4 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
 
Directions
To prepare the lobster salad

1. Cut the lobster meat into 1/2” diced chunks.
2. Gently combine the lobster meat, celery, vinegar, mayonnaise, dill and scallions. Do not beat up the lobster.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cover with food film and chill for at least an hour.

To prepare the rolls and assemble

1. Using a large sauté pan, melt the butter and grill the hot dog buns in the pan just until they are golden brown on the interior surface. (King’s Hawaiian hot dog buns are split on the top)
2. When the buns are ready, stuff them with the chilled lobster salad.
3. Place each roll on a plate, garnish with a lemon wedge and sweet gherkins.
4. Serve while the rolls are still warm.

ChefSecret: I like to add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest (microplane) about 30 minutes before making up the lobster rolls for the freshest flavor. If you get bored with eating too much lobster, you can use the same recipe for shrimp or crab.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  On day 127 of Social Distancing—I struck up a conversation with a spider. Seems nice.  She’s a web designer.
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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 also being posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Lobster #LobsterRolls #LobsterSalad #LobsterAndBeer #KingsHawaiian #Entrees #Sandwiches #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                         ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020

How you doin’? You will be doing just fine after eating this Mediterranean salad. It has summer written all over it. The fresh sweet basil leaves add a special flavor thrill that brightens the taste of the salad. The summer multi-colored, sweet grape tomatoes make this pasta salad a favorite during these warm season months. Once the pasta is cooked it only takes only a few minutes to toss together, a quick, refreshing summertime meal.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes
Yield:  4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
5 ounces mozzarella cheese, small diced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
4 ounces fresh basil, chiffonade cut (see ChefSecret)
12 large Kalamata olives, halved
1 lemon, seeded, cut in quarters
 
Directions

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water as directed on package; about 9 to 10 minutes until just tender.
2. Drain the pasta in a colander, plunge into ice water and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Cook the green onions, stirring occasionally, 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes being careful not to burn.
5. Transfer the cooked mixture to a bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool down for at least 30 minutes.
6. To assemble the salad, add the pasta, tomatoes, salt and pepper to the cooked/chilled mixture. Stir in the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Add the chiffonade basil leaves and olives.
7. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over each plate and serve immediately.

 
ChefSecret: I keep a small potted sweet basil plant in the kitchen window. I love the way it brightens a salad or adds a wonderful green flavor to a jarred tomato sauce. I call her Francesca—you know, you must talk to growing plants to keep them happy (they need a drink of water each morning. Francesca will last about 3 months before replacing. Live basil plants can be found in many produce departments in upscale supermarkets or farmers’ markets.
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Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Due to the quarantine, I will only be telling inside jokes for the foreseeable future.”
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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.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America.  Thanks for reading.

#Entree #Side #Salad #PastaSalad #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #InstantPot #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                         ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020

                                    A Recipe Hack of The Kentucky Colonel

How you doin”? Thinking of going on a summertime picnic any time soon? How about some chilled roasted chicken, or better yet some old-fashioned crispy fried chicken? Coleslaw is the best side with any cold (or hot) picnic chicken, of course. It is the perfect side dish to go with almost anything.
 
I’ve always been addicted to KFC’s minced creamy coleslaw. It’s quite simple to make and it only takes about 15 minutes to pull it all together. Personally, I don’t care for coleslaw that is just mixed. I like to give the final slaw about 4 hours to marry the flavors and discharge all the water out of the cabbage. Put mine next to the Colonel’s and I bet you can’t taste a difference.
 
Prep time:  15minutes
Chill time:   4 hours or overnight
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
 
Ingredients
4 cups shredded and as well as diced cabbage (about 1/2 of a medium head)
1/4 cup minced carrot
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk (see ChefSecret below on how to make your own buttermilk)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
 
Directions

1. Shred and dice the cabbage, carrot and onion—confetti cut is what you are looking for. Do not use purple cabbage as it will discolor.
2. Place the veggie mix in large mixing bowl and mix well.
3. In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
4. Add the completed dressing to the cabbage mix and stir to combine thoroughly.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a refrigerator for approximately 4 hours, or overnight. That will give your coleslaw flavors some time to blossom
6. Mix and stir your coleslaw before serving.
7. Serve fresh within one or two days for best results.

 
ChefSecret:  This coleslaw recipe calls for 1/4 cup of buttermilk. If you don’t want to purchase a whole carton of buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk by using milk and lemon juice. Put 1/4 cup of whole milk in a measuring cup and 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice into the milk—it’s got to be fresh lemon juice, not from concentrate—that won’t cut it. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and it should become a little bit curdled. It’s kind of like magic—it’s now buttermilk and is ready to use in this coleslaw recipe.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: I don’t get it… Some people are afraid of getting fined for congregating in crowds. As if catching a deadly disease and dying a horrible death wasn’t enough of a deterrent.
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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.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Salad #ColeSlaw #KFC #SideDish #Picnic #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                            ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020

How you doin’? ¿Cómo te va? When you make this salad for your family you will be doing very well, thank you.
 
For some of us, salads can be very boring… most families use them as the first course for dinner—a little lettuce, shredded carrot and a tomato slice or two. Why is this salad so different? Yes, it’s made with fresh, crisp produce, but it’s also loaded with different flavors and textures. It incorporates many of the ingredients found in Mexican cuisine. It is easy to make with both store-bought canned corn or fresh corn off the cob that you can grill or roast. You can use a store-bought taco mix (like Lawry’s) or you can use the Perspectives recipe below. You can use store bought chips, but freshly fried tortilla chips are so much better. And finally, if you want to get really showy, you can fry flour tortilla bowls and serve the salad in the bowl. Actually, you can add or delete ingredients at will according to the tastes and the whims of the chef.
 
I have had a lot of people ask over the last several weeks, where do all our recipes come from? We have over 10,000 recipes in our data base that come from our cookbooks, restaurants and The California Kitchen (our test kitchen). Our recipes are tested by chefs and cooks and meal providers (with no professional experience) to make sure that the recipes are understandable, easy to make and, as advertised, delicious. Let’s get cooking!
 
Prep time:  25 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients
For the crisp tortillas and beef
1/4 cup light frying oil
4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken)
1/4 cup fresh tomato salsa
2 tablespoons taco seasoning (see recipe below or Lesson #24)
 
For the dressing
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup fresh tomato salsa
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
 
For the salad
1 head romaine, chopped, rinsed and dried (about 6 cups)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, picked
6 medium green onion tops, thinly sliced
1 (15-oz) can corn kernels, drained or 2 cobs of corn roasted or grilled, removed from the cob
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 medium avocado, diced
 
Directions
To make the crisp tortillas and beef

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the tortilla strips and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the tortilla strips and drain on a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt.
2. Carefully drain any excess oil from the skillet and return it to medium-high heat. Add the ground beef (turkey or chicken) and cook, breaking the meat up into small pieces with a stiff spatula, until cooked through and starting to brown, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the salsa and taco seasoning and cook until the liquid in the pan thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes more.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside as you build the rest of the salad.

To make the dressing

1. Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

To build the salad

1. Place the romaine, cilantro and scallions in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add the corn, black beans, tomatoes, cheese and avocado if using. Just before serving, add half of the dressing to the salad and use tongs to toss until well coated. Taste and add more dressing, if desired.
2. Portion out the salad, and top each serving with the browned beef (turkey or chicken) and tortilla strips.

 
                                                        Taco Seasoning
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 cup
 
Ingredients
1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 
Directions

1. Measure out and whisk all the ingredients into a medium bowl making sure to break up any clumps.
2. If not using the spice mix immediately, transfer to an airtight container for long term storage at cool room temperature.

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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.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America.  Thanks for reading.

#Salad #TacoSalad #BeefTacoSalad #ChickenTacoSalad #RestaurantStyleTacoSalad #TurkeyTacoSalad #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                              ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020