Green Waldorf Salad

Waldorf salad is a long time classic that I love to play with.  The part that has always been hit or miss for me is the dressing.  I finally got it right.  Aurora was all over it.

Green Waldorf Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 romaine heart
1 granny smith apple
1 lemon
3 ribs celery
1/4 c cashew chunks
1/4 c craisins
2 T honey
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c plain yogurt or sour cream
1/1 rosemary

DIRECTIONS

1)  zest and juice lemon

2)  put half of the lemon juice in a bowl with 3 c water (for apple)

3) dice apple and put in lemon water

4) thin slice celery across the stock

5) mix lemon zest, remaining lemon juice, honey, mayonnaise, yogurt and rosemary together to make dressing

6) drain apples and mix into dressing with celery, cashews and craisins until coated

7)  serve on top of romaine

garlic smoked pork...Charming approved "the Feast Hall" Spice Rub

I have heard different ideas of things to insert into your meat, including lardons (matchsticks of bacon) and garlic.  The other night I decided to put it into practice.  It turned out quite well.  As the title of this post says, it is "Charming approved".

Garlic Smoked Pork

INGREDIENTS

 2 lb pork loin or other pork roast
1/4 c Spice Rub
6 clove garlic

DIRECTIONS

1)  peel garlic and cut cloves in halt to make splinters

2)  pierce the roast 12 times a little more than halfway through, with a paring knife and insert half a clove of garlic into each, pushing it in as far as you can

3)  coat roast in as much Spice Rubhttp://www.thefeasthall.com/our-spice-rubs.html as you can get to cling to it

4)  Smoke it at about 200-250 for 2-3 hours
     ***If you can not smoke it I would recommend using a small amount of liquid smoke or a smoked seasoning like smoked paprika to help make the flavor richer***

4) ALTERNATIVE  If you do not have the capability of grilling the roast I would cook it at 225 for 2-3 hours, until it is done to your liking.

It will be worth the wait.

I hope this inspires you to try stuffing your meats.

Anthoinette

Red Quinoa

Tonight the Raging Mr. and myself had dinner with Tess, her family and other close family.  The menu was as follows:
Baby Purple Artichokes braised in olive oil, white wine and garlic

Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Baby Squash

Red Quinoa with lemon and herbs

Boneless Pork Chops

The two items that everyone OOOO'd and AWE'd over were the quinoa and the stuffed squash blossoms.  Tonight we cover the Quinoa.

I know Quinoa sounds exotic.  Quite honestly I was concerned about serving it to my husband as he does not always respond well to new foods, especially "healthy" alternatives.  We tried it for the first time the other night and he said it reminded him of rice.  The beauty of Quinoa is that it is gluten free and 53 on the glycemic index.  One of the most memorable comments at dinner was that if it is not seasoned Quinoa can taste like moist sawdust (EWE!!!).

Red Quinoa

Ingredients

1 c Red Quinoa
2 c water
1 lemon
1/2 T garlic, minced
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Directions

1)  Put 1 c Quinoa, 2 c water, 1/2 T garlic and the juice of half the lemon into a 1 1/2 qt sauce pan.  Cover and bring to a boil.

2)  Simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

3)  Adjust flavor with juice from the second half lemon, salt and pepper.

4)  Stir and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.



I hope this inspires you to try Quinoa and other alternative grains.