It’s a jumble not a salad – what?

Yep, I like to call any salad that is less than 25% lettuce and has 75% “stuff” a jumble. I just think it better describes the dish and also it sounds more filling than a salad, right? The beauty of creating jumbles for meals is they can be vegetable or protein centric or a combination of both like the one below. Here is a recipe for Southwest Shrimp Jumble, a tasty salad for those days when the weather starts to heat up…….

I like to combine both raw, grilled and roasted vegetables into a jumble with a protein, in this case shrimp. You could use chicken in this same recipe of vary the vegetables. Sometimes a jumble is a great way to clean out the frig or use leftovers.

Southwest Shrimp Jumble                                                                 4 servings

Shrimp, peeled, deveined                               1 lb.

Olive Oil                                                          1 T

Chili powder                                                    1 T

Lettuce, spring mix                                         1 C

Cucumber, peeled & sliced                             ½ C

Grape tomatoes, halved                                 1 C

Grilled Asparagus, cut into 1/3’s                   ½ lb.

Golden Beet Slices, peeled & roasted                       1 C

Orange* slices, quartered                              1 orange

Carrots, grilled, sliced                                     1 C

Red onion, sliced                                            ½ C

Avocado, chunks                                             1 Whole avocado

Salt & Pepper                                                  To Taste

Dressing

Lime juice                   2 T

Honey                          1 T

Dijon Mustard             1 T

Rice Vinegar               3 T

Avocado Oil                 ¼ C

Procedures:

1.     Toss the shrimp in oil, and then season with chili powder

2.     Place on a medium –hot grill and cook until done – turn once, remove and cool

3.     In a large bowl place the Spring mix, cucumber, grape tomatoes, grilled asparagus pieces, beet slices, orange slices, carrot slices, red onion, and avocado

4.     Season with salt and pepper and toss well

5.     Add the cooled shrimp, toss again

6.     In a separate bowl make the dressing by adding the lime juice, honey, Dijon and rice vinegar. Drizzle in the avocado oil and whisk to emulsify

7.     Add enough dressing to the jumble bowl and toss well – DO NOT OVER DRESS

8.     Check and adjust seasoning – serve

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All about the Carrots!!!

Yep right now the carrots are in full swing in the garden......the new recipes follow.  Nothing beats being inspired to cook by great ingredients you grow yourself. More recipes to come

"Winter" weather - means warming side dishes

Chicken Roasted Vegetables

Well the temperature has finally fallen here on the Gulf Coast to 50ish during the day, at least for a few days. Which means fall/ winter hearty cooking is happening in the Kitchen. It is time for soups, stews, braises and all those comforting dishes that signal a change of season. This has to be one of my favorite food times of year, as long as I don't have to shovel snow!

The other evening Linda cooked one of her classic roast chickens for us to enjoy with a lovely glass of Cahors Red from France.  My job was to make the sides - but I did not work to hard, so I let the chicken do the cooking. The recipe will follow - I diced up some onion, fingerling potatoes, celery root and crimini mushrooms, tossed them in olive oil with salt, pepper and thyme. Placed the entire mixture in the bottom of the roasting pan under the chicken that was on the rack above. Allowed everything to cook the full 1 hour the chicken roasted, removed the chicken. Placed the roasting pan on a medium high burner, added a 1/2 cup white wine and deglazed the pan, scrapping the good bits until the wine had almost evaporated. Transfer everything to the serving dish and "boom"one side was done, with out a lot of work. ;-)

RECIPE

1 C         Mushrooms, quartered
1/2          Medium Onion, large dice
12 ea       Fingerling potatoes, large dice
1/2 C       Celery root, large dice
1 T           Olive Oil
1/2 t         Thyme, fresh
To Taste   Kosher Salt & Blk Pepper
1/2 C        White wine

Place all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl, toss to coat and distribute evenly.
Place mixture in an even layer in the roasting pan under the roasting rack for the chicken.
Place prepared chicken on rack, roast for 1 hour
Remove chicken and let it rest
Place the roasting pan with vegetables over a medium high burner, stir add white wine, deglaze the pan until almost all the wine is evaporated
Transfer to a serving dish

WHAT IS NEW IN POTATOES?

WHAT IS NEW IN POTATOES?

Having fun with a new variety of fingerling potatoes – these are so buttery good cooked only with olive oil miss the calories. Give these a try next time you are grilling.

1 bag    Cinacia Crimson Goldfinger

2 T       Olive Oil

1 t        Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

½ t       Black Pepper Fresh Ground

2 ea.    Fresh Rosemary Sprigs, chopped

1.     Split the fingerling potatoes lengthwise, add to a medium size pan, cover with water.

2.     Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, remove and drain.

3.     In a bowl, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper while still warm.

4.     Over a medium hot grill place the fingerlings cut side down and grill for 3 to 5 minutes.

5.     Turn and cook on the skin side for an additional 4 minutes, the potato should be hot throughout.

6.     Return to a large bowl and toss with fresh rosemary, place on plate/ platter and serve.

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