Day: September 28, 2021

Nicoise a la Pittsburgh

Niçoise Salad Revisited
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Niçoise Salad Revisited

Recipe by La Bellitude
Servings

4

servings

Niçoise Salad can be a bit intimidating – all those ingredients to prepare! And I must admit this is probably the longest recipe I’ll ever post here. But each element is actually simple in this Yankee version of the French composed salad. I urge you to give it a try. My lunch and dinner guests love it!

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

  • 2 Tbsp minced shallot

  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • salt and white pepper to taste

  • 4 chicken breasts

  • white wine vinegar

  • oregano oil

  • 4 medium potatoes, in 3/4″ cubes

  • duck fat or peanut oil

  • 2 cups French beans

  • 2 quarts water

  • ¼ cup salt

  • 4 hard boiled eggs

  • 2 tbsp mayo

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

  • 1/4 cup sweet relish

  • 2 cups of cooked corn, removed from cobs

  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

  • 1 tbsp AP flour

  • 1/2 tsp cumin

  • canola oil spray

  • 4 cups of romaine or other leafy greens, torn or sliced crosswise

  • 1 cup grape tomatoes

  • 1 cup picholine olives

Directions

  • Combine lemon juice, shallot, tarragon, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Vinaigrette can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.
  • Mix equal parts white wine vinegar and oregano oil. Salt lightly. Place chicken breasts in the marinade and leave for 30-60 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
  • Cook diced potatoes in salted water for 8 minutes. Remove, drain well, and spread out to dry on a rimmed baking sheet.
  • Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add green beans and the 1/4 cup of salt. Return to boil and cook until beans are bright green and tender, 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
  • Halve the boiled eggs and remove yolks to small bowl. Add mayo, mustard, and relish and mix until smooth. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Fill the whites with the yolk mixture and set aside.
  • Combine corn, beaten egg, flour, cumin, and salt & pepper to taste. Spray mini muffin cups with canola oil spray and fill each cup with corn mixture. Bake in 375 degree oven until just beginning to brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove and cool.
  • Prepare a grill and grill chicken breasts, searing on each side and then finishing on cooler part of the grill until done. Cover until serving. Slice each breast diagonally before plating.
  • Heat duck fat or peanut oil in small saucepan to 375 degrees. Cook potato cubes in small batches until crisp and browned.
  • Toss salad greens with 1/3 of the vinaigrette. With greens on the bottom of each plate, arrange each of the elements of the salad on top of the greens. Serve with slices of baguettes and extra dressing for pouring.

Spaghetti with Seafood Melange

Spaghetti with Seafood Melange
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Spaghetti with Seafood Melange

Recipe by La Bellitude for TABLE magazine
Servings

6

servings

Whether you get your seafood from the shore or the fishmonger, this pasta is a great way to use it! Of course, you can leave out any items that you don’t care for or that aren’t available.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped

  • 3 shallots, chopped

  • 1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined

  • 1 lb scallops

  • 1 cup dry white wine

  • 1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed

  • 1 dozen mussels, scrubbed

  • 1 lb calamari

  • 1 lb spaghetti, cooked

  • 1 cup pasta cooking water

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

  • ¼ cup fresh oregano, removed from stems

Directions

  • In a large saute pan or paella pan, heat the olive oil. Add garlic and shallots, and sauté briefly. Add the scallops and sauté until just colored on each side. Remove to large platter. Add shrimp to sauté pan and cook just until pink. Remove to platter.
  • Bring the wine to a gentle boil in large pot and add the clams, mussels, and calamari. Cook until shells start to open, about 2 minutes. Remove the seafood to the platter.
  • Pour the white wine into the sauté pan and deglaze. Reheat the pasta in boiling water then add to the sauté pan. Add herbs and tomatoes and toss to mix, adding pasta cooking water as needed. Add seafood and mix gently. Season to taste.
  • Move all to serving platter and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil before serving.

Goldilocks Guac

Goldilocks Guac
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Goldilocks Guac

Recipe by La Bellitude
Servings

4

servings

When it comes to guacamole, it seems that they are too complicated (mortar and pestle – really?) or too bland (nothing but avocado and lime juice). There has to be an easy and tasty “just right” recipe. And here it is.

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado, not too hard, not too soft

  • 1/2 large onion

  • 1 lime, juiced

  • 1/4 cup of chopped green chiles, as mild or hot as you like

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

  • In food processor, chop onion coarsely. Add the peeled, pitted, and halved avocado, the chilies, the salt, and the juice of the lime. Process until the desired smoothness.