Chopped Apple Salad With Toasted Walnuts, Blue Cheese and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Total Time:20 minPrep:20 min
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Yield:6 to 8
salad
Ingredients
4 apples such as Granny Smith, Gala or Fuji, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 ounces baby spinach
2 large heads Belgian endive, thinly sliced crosswise
1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 pound blue cheese (such as Maytag), crumbled (2 cups)
1 cup Pomegranate Vinaigrette (see below)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Pomegranate Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey, or more to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Combine the apples, spinach, endive, walnuts and blue cheese in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pomegranate Vinaigrette:
Whisk together the pomegranate molasses, vinegar, mustard and honey in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. The dressing can be made 2 days in advance and stored in a container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator.

Mushroom Crepe Cake

IMG_6842

recipe from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/mushroom-crepe-cake-recipe/index.html, courtesy of Alton Brown

**Dana doubled the recipe and omitted the chives because the grocery store was out of them.

Ingredients:
1 cup diced yellow onions
3 tablespoons butter
2/3 pound shiitakes, stemmed and sliced thinly
1/3 pound creminis, 1/2 thinly sliced, 1/2 fine diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 ounces milk
1/2 cup mild white cheese, mozzarella or provolone, shredded
Savory crepes, recipe follows
2 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded

Directions:
In a large saute pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and sweat the onion. Add all the mushrooms and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper and cook until mushrooms are soft. Add the milk and reduce by half. Add the provolone and melt. The consistency we’re looking for is similar to that of a potpie.

On a buttered sheet pan layer two crepes. This way if the bottom one sticks you can still remove your “cake” from the pan. Spread a thin layer of the filling onto the crepe. Sprinkle a few chives on each layer. Top with another crepe and spread more mushroom filling on top. Repeat this method until you are out of filling. Top with another crepe and sprinkle on Parmesan. Place under broiler until Parmesan is melted and golden brown. Place onto a cutting board and slice into wedges. Serve immediately.

Savory Crepes:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped herbs, spinach, or sun-dried tomatoes
Butter, for coating the pan

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients (excepting the butter for coating the pan) and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.

Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling

Sweet and Spicy Asian Wings

(Emeril Lagasse, 2002)

Sweet and Spicy Asian Wings

Note, this make s a lot of sauce. Probably at least 4-5 X more than is needed for the wings. The chicken doesn’t require a lot of sauce since it’s got a really bold flavor.

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 20 min

Ingredients
2 cups orange juice (I used 3 cups of orange pineapple juice instead of orange and pineapple separately)
1 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (I used much less thai bird chili from my garden, gave it a nice kick)

Directions
In a large saute pan set over medium-high heat, place the orange juice, pineapple juice, orange zest, garlic, ginger, green onion, sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and red pepper flakes. Bring the pan to a boil and stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid has reduced to a thick syrup, about 18 to 20 minutes.

I let it cool for a bit thend poured some of it into the sauce into the wings. It’s not as thick as I would have liked Next time I might cook it down longer. I did cook it longer than it called for.

Overall I would give this a 7 out of 10. Sauce could have been thicker.