…from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? Summer veggies are at their prime this time of year. So now is the best time to go to your local farms and farmer’s markets and shop for the finest produce available. I can eat corn in various forms any time of year, but especially in the summer when it is at its crisp, sweet best. I like to add corn to wraps and salads for the sweetness and crunch it adds. And if you grill it first you add flavor dimension to the mix. In this recipe, I’ve infused the cooking water with garlic, thyme, and bay leaves, and then blanched the corn in it for a few minutes, so it’s full of flavor but still pops when you bite into it. We also cut the corn from the cob in chunks/rows, so that it has a fresher presence in the salad. Then I toss the corn together with flakes of crispy salmon, fresh veggies and peppery arugula. It’s dressed in an olive oil and za’atar, (an aromatic Middle Eastern spice blend made with toasted sesame seeds), thyme, marjoram and sumac. The result is a delightful summer salad with a refreshing, flavorful and satisfying taste. This salad travels well, so I like to make it, pack it, and take it on the go. It’s particularly nice for picnics at the beach, the jazz concert in the park or just the back yard. Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients Kosher salt 2 lemons 3 garlic cloves, crushed 3 sprigs thyme 3 bay leaves, preferably fresh 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 4 teaspoons za'atar seasoning, plus more for serving 1 teaspoon kosher salt 5 fresh ears corn on the cob, husked 4 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges 1/2 thinly sliced medium red onion 4 cups baby arugula, for serving Kosher salt, to taste Freshly-ground pepper, to taste Directions
To make the salmon
ChefSecret: If you have extra za’atar seasoning you can use it as a rub for grilled meats and veggies, swirl it into spreadable cheese or hummus or whisk it into breadcrumbs to give fried fish, chicken and onion rings a Mediterranean twist. Quip of the Day: A blonde walks into a library. She asks the librarian, “Can I get the salmon salad?” The librarian answers, “Sorry, this is a library.” The blonde responds, “Oh, right! (this time whispering) Can I get a salmon salad?” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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. #Salad #Entree #SalmonSalad #MediterraneanSalmonSalad #Zaatar #Summertime #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024
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…from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? Summertime is salad and dip time. One of my all-time favorite salads is The Cobb—I can eat one every day and never get bored because of the different and interesting ingredients. The varied flavors and textures give you what we call comeback flavor. You might ask yourself, what’s the origin of this now most popular salad? Well, the story goes like this… The Brown Derby-Beverly Hills was actually Perspectives’ first client. Sally Cobb, Bob Cobb’s widow, was trying to keep the Derby in Beverly Hills afloat at a time when the entire restaurant scene in Los Angeles was changing. I used to love the Brown Derby, and especially the classic Cobb Salad. So, here's the recipe along with the Hollywood folklore of how it was invented as told to me by Sally Cobb. One night in 1925—almost one hundred years ago!—Herbert K. Somborn was chatting with Abe Frank, the manager of the Los Angeles Ambassador Hotel, and Sid Grauman of Chinese Theater fame; and as idle chatter goes he remarked, "You could open a restaurant in an alley and call it anything or you could even build it in the shape of a hat and if the food and service are good, the patrons will come flocking." To achieve the standards set for this little Derby, Somborn, the husband of the celebrated cinema star, Gloria Swanson, selected a young friend who had been raised in the restaurant business. This was Robert H. Cobb, a combination food checker, steward, buyer, cashier and occasional cook when the Brown Derby opened. During its first four years, the original Little Hat Derby restaurant added only two items to its menu—a salad and a cake. The salad was almost an accident. Bob Cobb, growing weary of the steady hot-dog-hamburger diet, found an avocado in the icebox. He chopped it up, along with some lettuce, celery and tomatoes, plus a strip of bacon and some salad dressing, and had that for his dinner. Several days later he tried it again, adding other ingredients that he had purchased on his way to work—breast of turkey (some people claim it was chicken, but it was originally turkey), chives, hard-boiled egg, watercress and a wedge of Roquefort cheese for the dressing. And that's how the Cobb Salad was really born. Everything was finely chopped and that was very laborious, so Mr. Cobb went to an engineer who was able to invent a horizontal chopper. That device was later reproduced by Hobart Corporation and named the Buffalo Chopper (named for the city in which the concept was born). Since it’s summer I decided that I wanted to invent a dip to bring to family picnics that emulated the flavors of The Cobb Salad. With the help of Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix and all of the other Cobb Salad ingredients all chopped up it was like magic—the Cobb Salad Dip. Prep Time: 15-20 Minutes Yield: 8 to 10 servings Ingredients 1 packet Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dips Mix 16 ounces sour cream 3/4 cup shredded cooked chicken 1/2 cup crumbled bacon, plus 2 tablespoons more for garnish 1/2 cup crumbled hard-boiled eggs 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, plus 1/4 cup more for garnish 3/4 cup diced avocado 1/2 cup diced tomato 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional) Directions
ChefSecret: Got leftovers? Be safe—refrigerate within 2 hours after putting the dip out, or discard it. Quip of the Day: My friend ordered a cobb salad yesterday and was disappointed there was no corn or cobs in this iconic salad. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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. #Appetizer #Dip #CobbDip #Salad #CobbSalad #BrownDerby #Brunch #Lunch #HiddenValley #Cheez-It #Ritz #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024 …from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’ pardner? I imagine that this is what Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Hop-Along Cassidy might have feasted on in the 1950’s. So, move over, wimpy dips—this recipe for my Texas Grilled Corn Cowboy Caviar is hearty and party ready. This classic summer side is chock-full of sweet, smoky grilled corn, creamy beans, juicy tomatoes, and tangy onions. Every bite is a garden-fresh mélange of wonderful flavors and textures. This recipe makes enough for the entire bunk house full of cowboys, so you’ll definitely want to share it with friends. Make a big batch and bring it to your family or friend’s 4th of July barbecue this weekend—or invite your pals over for a happy hour campfire and keep the leftovers in your fridge for snacking on later. Prep time: 20 minutes Yield: 10 servings Ingredients 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 3 teaspoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 4 ears of fresh corn (use fresh… it’s summer!) 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 15-ounce can rinsed black beans 1 15-ounce can rinsed black-eyed peas 3 diced tomatoes 1 diced red bell pepper 1 minced jalapeño pepper 1/2 cup diced red onion 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves with tender stems 1 thinly sliced green onion, tops and bottoms Directions
ChefSecret: You can serve this spaghetti-western style on rounds of grilled Italian bread bruschetta style. Quip of the Day: What style is it when someone who wears cowboy clothes? Ranch dressin’. This is as corny as my Texas Grilled Corn Cowboy Caviar. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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. #SideDish #Salad #GrilledSweetCorn #TexasCornCaviar #4thJulySalad #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024 …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 [email protected]. 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 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 [email protected]. 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 |
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