Archive for the ‘Salads’ Category

Prep time: 8 minutes / Total time: 30 minutes / Oven temp: 375° / Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce package Freekeh Foods Original freekeh (1 cup)

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 sweet potato or yam, scrubbed, diced and roasted (leave the skins on)

1 large red pepper, diced

1/2 purple onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil, or grape seed oil

3 to 5 tablespoons mild curry powder

1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

1 cup apricots, chopped

1 cup peas, frozen and thawed

1 cup sliced almonds or pepita seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Pour 2 1/2 cups of water and the freekeh in a saucepan and bring to a boil for 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes until the freekeh is tender.
• Once the freekeh is cooked, place in a separate dish to cool in the refrigerator.
• Scrub the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes.
• Place sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle a little olive oil on them.
• Bake in 375° oven for about 25 minutes or until tender.
• Remove from oven and set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat up oil over medium heat and toss in red peppers, onions and garlic.
• Cook for 3-5 minutes then toss in curry powder, salt and pepper.
• Cook further until the onions are translucent.
• Set aside to cool.
• Toss freekeh in bowl with vegetable mixture, add dried fruits, nuts, peas and sweet potatoes.
• Season to taste and serve.

Option: Try adding slightly steamed diced broccoli, sauted cauliflower, chickpeas or lentils to this recipe. Simply rinse and drain, then toss on in!

The Classic Salad Nicoise

Compliments of Chef  Paul Sorgule

I can still vividly remember my first trip to France.  It was in August, 1991 and as my wife and I took in the sights, walking around Paris, we stumbled upon a courtyard bistro across from the home of Victor Hugo, who wrote Les Miserables.  It was a beautiful, sunny day so we decided to have an alfresco style lunch while people watching.

There are oftentimes those meals that just strike a chord.  It is oftentimes more than just the food; it is partially the time, the ambience, the company, or in this case the fact that we were in Paris – but this meal was one of my most memorable.  A fresh, crisp Salad Nicoise, crusty baguette and a refreshing glass of Sauvignon Blanc – it was perfect!

Every August I try to recreate that experience in my Adirondack home and have consistently placed this item on restaurant menus where I have served as chef.  This is my rendition of one of France’s gifts to the culinary world.

Salad Nicoise

Yields 2 Servings

Ingredients:

6 oz. – Fresh Yellow Tail Tuna

2 ea. – Hard Cooked Egg

6 ea. – Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes

6 slices – Thinly Sliced Cucumber

10 ea. – Haricot Vert

10 ea. – Nicoise Olives  (split in half)

2 cups – Frisee

2 ea. – Lemon Wedges

6 ea. – Italian White Anchovies (optional)

3 Tsp. – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fresh Lemon Juice  (from ½ lemon)

Sea Salt, to taste

Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

Crusty Baguette

French Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre or Pouilly Fume)

Directions:

• Season the tuna with salt and pepper and in a hot, non-stick pan sear on all sides with a small amount of oil.
• Refrigerate immediately to stop the cooking and keep the tuna very rare.
• Chill for an hour and then slice into 6 cross-cut pieces.
• Simmer the potatoes in salted water until fork tender, refrigerate and split in half.
• Blanch the haricot vert, maintaining their snap, and shock in ice water.
• Boil the eggs for 10 minutes, chill in running water and peel.
• Cut in ½.
• Toss all ingredients except the tuna and egg in olive oil and lemon juice.
• Season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.
• Assemble as per photo or simply toss all ingredients together except the egg and tuna.
• Serve well chilled and make sure the wine is a French Sauvignon Blanc.
• Make sure that you allow ample time for people watching while enjoying this special meal.

Chef Paul Sorgule
Harvest America Ventures, LLC
28 Center Street
Saranac Lake, New York 12983
Email: psorgule@hotmail.com
Websites: www.harvestamericaventures.com  / www.culinarycuesblog.wordpress.com

In this Weekend Kitchen Chef  Jennifer Booker show’s us how to make a delicious Grilled Steak Pizzialo with an Organic Basil Martini for dad’s big day.

Fore more on Chef Jennifer and Your Resident Gourmet, log onto: www.yourresidentgourmet.com.