Bellygasm

Hail, Caesar Salad! Light & Classic, 1.0-3.0

Hail Caesar! Salad, that is. I love Ceasar salad. I love MAKING caesar salad dressing even more with my beloved mortar and pestle. You can make this recipe with a food processor, but the mortar & pestle is just perfecto for making cesar dressing. Let the truth be told: I haven't bought any salad dressings period (uh huh,thats right ) for 8 months, and I have yet to look back. This is the 1st of many salad dressing recipes to come.

This homemade caesar salad dressing recipe with no egg is so easy that you'll want to make it fresh everyday. It's also low calorie so you can enjoy it guilt free. I also have several variations (below) to tantalize your tastebuds and hopefully inspire your creativity.

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoon of anchovy paste or 3 anchovy fillets
2 teaspoon of pepper
2 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano is my fav)
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of Romaine hearts, chopped

Preparation

1.0 - Light & Classic

1. Crush and mash garlic with salt using a mortar & pestle or food processor.
2. Add anchovy paste or fillets and mash with garlic.
3. Add pepper, lemon juice, 3/4 of a cup of Parmesan and mix well.
4. Drizzle in olive oil and continue to whisk until emulsified. (Tip: If time permits, chill in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes or 5 minutes in freezer allows ingredients to intensify.)
5. Toss with chopped romaine hearts and remaining Parmigiano Reggiano.
6. Salt & pepper to taste.

2.0 - Creamy & Complex

    Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, Tobasco, & Worcestershire sauce before step 4.

3.0 - Pesto-esque

    Add 1/2 cup of basil before step 2 and mash.

Serving suggestion: Top with croutons or add grilled chicken, shrimp or salmon for a low-carb meal.

Quick & Easy Deviled Mashed Potatoes

 

Low-cal mashed potatoes? You say no way; I say YES way. Instead of cream or milk, I use broth for moisture without sacrificing any flavor. This is not only a low-calorie mashed potato recipe, but it can easily be vegetarian or vegan. You can also serve it as a side dish for everyday dinner. But let me tellya, it's a real crowd pleasure for any party. Serve it with a miniature burger patty underneath or better yet, with a grilled, meaty shitake mushroom like they do at the glorious Sakura House, my favorite yakitori joint in LA, and you've got yourself an instant hors d'oeuvre hit. Ooh, it's bellygasmic!

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of golden potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 1/2-inch piece
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3/4 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons of stock (chicken or vegetable)
1/4 teaspoon of celery salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon of white balsamic vinegar or rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon of paprika

Preparation

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan. Add water to cover by 1 inch. Add salt and garlic. Bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until a fork can be inserted easily through them.
2. Drain water from potatoes and return to saucepan. Add warm stock, Dijon mustard, celery salt, ground pepper, vinegar, cayenne, and paprika. Mash potatoes with a potato masher until light and fluffy. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately or cover to keep warm.

Simple, Savory Swiss Chard

 

Getting your veggies on has never tasted so good and so eeeeeeeasy. Although available all year round, June through August is the height of Swiss chard season. And, I've never seen it so gorgeous as I did today. Swiss chard is from the beet family with large leafy greens, much like mustard and collard green. Both leaves and ribs are edible. Chard with white ribs are commonly found in grocery stores, though red and rainbow chards appear more frequently these days than just in farmer's markets and at wholepaychex.

My recipe for Swiss chard is pretty much the same as my collard green and mustard green recipe.  The flavor profile is similar to spinach: slightly bitter yet sweet and buttery once cooked. To be honest, I spent more time washing the chards than cooking them. In just minutes, I'm swooning over my Swiss chard. Savory and pleasantly sweet, now that's what I call best of both worlds.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 8 minutes
Total time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound mustard greens, stems & large ribs removed
2 garlic cloves, crushed & minced
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 tablespoon of Cognac or good quality brandy
3 tablespoon of broth (chicken or vegetable)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over low to medium heat. Add crushed garlic cloves to release flavor for 1 minute but be careful not to burn them.
2. Increase heat to medium and add onion to sauté for 7 to 8 minutes until translucent.
3. Add the mustard greens, salt, and Cognac (or brandy).  Toss until the greens start to wilt.
4. Add sesame oil and pepper. Toss quickly to combine and turn off heat.