Eightieth Post ~ Salmon Caprese

Due to an outpouring of requests for the return of the Accidental Chef (thanks Arun!) I'm back in the kitchen and back online!  After an awesome trip to Mexico (full of inspirational food!) I'm refreshed, rejuvenated, and excited about kicking things off with Post #80!

This dinner was easy, delicious, and fast.  I would, however, recommend baking the salmon after the initial sauté rather that continuing to cook it on the stovetop.  While this meal turned out yummy, I feel that a few minutes in the oven would have melted the cheese a little more.

Here's what you'll need for this easy, breezy aquatic Caprese:

From the Mediterranean Bar at Wegmans:
~ Oven roasted tomatoes
~ Roasted garlic cloves
~ Mozzarella ball

: : PAUSE : :

Now, I know what you're thinking.  "CHEATER!"  Sure, sure - this is a little bit of a cheater's dish.  I could have roasted the tomatoes and garlic myself, but honestly, when a busy day and late evening forced me to choose between Not Cooking and Cheating a Little, I choose the latter.

: : UNPAUSE : :

~ One salmon fillet
~ Prepared basil pesto
~ EVOO
~ Italian breadcrumbs
~ Veggie side of your choice

Open the paper that's wrapping  the salmon and sprinkle on the breadcrumbs.  Maximum flavor, minimum clean-up.  Start some EVOO smokin' and set the salmon carefully into the oil.  Let it sauté until it's nicely browned (but not necessarily cooked all the way through).  Arrange the mozzarella, tomatoes, garlic cloves and pesto over the top of the fish.  Here's where I'd recommend transferring it to a pan and baking it for about five minutes on 350 or so, or until the cheese is melted and the fish is cooked to your liking.  It turned out great on the stove, but as I said, it could have been a little more melted for my taste.

I paired this savory dish with Portal Roble from Spain (a cab, garnacha, merlot, tempranillo and syrah blend) and it balanced out the savory tones with deep berry flavors and cleansed the palate with a balanced finish.

All in all, a great dinner to kick off another great semester of studies AND cooking adventures!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Sixty-first Post ~ Simple (but pretty!) Insalata Caprese

Okay, dear readers, I understand that this is my third post about the simply joy of mozzarella and tomatoes.

But I think that it merits repeating that this is just about the freshest, most appealing combination of foods - especially in the hot summer months. And this presentation makes it all the more fun - your guests will think they're getting the royal treatment, and you'll think you've found the perfect solution to that question of "what to feed them while the meat is still cooking."

I saw this unique way of presenting insalata caprese on my cruise on the Celebrity Millennium. It was one of their every-night options for the salad course, and I've got to say I indulged quite regularly, and then bookmarked the concept to bring home as a "souvenir."

Here's what you'll need for this dish:

~ Roma tomato
~ Mozzarella ball (roughly the same size as your tomato)
~ Dash of olive oil
~ Dash of lemon juice
~ Dash of balsamic vinegar
~ Course ground sea salt
~ A few snips of fresh basil
~ Salad greens of your choice

Cut the tomato and mozzarella and place them on your plate. Drizzle a bit of the olive oil over it and add a few drops of lemon juice. Snip up the basil and arrange that around the caprese with your greens on the opposite side of the plate. Add a few drops of balsamic to the plate and grind some salt to taste over the top.

And here's the best part - you can pop it in the fridge ahead of time, so that as your guest enters you can whip it out for immediate dining joy!

Yours in the love of good food (and the wine that surely would come with the next course!),
AL

Fiftieth Post ~!! ~ Quick and Light Insalata Caprese

Today the girls invited me out to lunch for sushi. You all know how much I love sushi AND girl-talk, so this was one painful invite to turn down. Today needs to be spent focused on the books.

...But a girl's still gotta eat, right?

...And it's got to be packed with goodness to create a day of massive productivity...

...And it's gotta be darn quick.

So, in keeping with the theme of summery goodness, here's what you'll need for this ingredients-to-tableside in less than 5 minutes Insalata Caprese:

~ Prewashed grape tomatoes

~ Fresh basil

~ Mini mozzarella balls

~ Lemon

~ Balsamic vinegar (see August's post on Insalata Caprese before you jump to conclusions on this one!)

~ Ground sea salt

In a bowl, combine your mozzarella and grape tomatoes (sliced if that's your thing). Squeeze the juice of less than half of a lemon over the whole thing. Snip up some fresh basil, add a dash of balsamic, ample salt, and toss.

Enjoy!

Yours in the love of tasty, quick lunches,

AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Twenty-Sixth Post ~ Caprese Salad à la Accidental Chef with Mixed Greens

Ah, caprese... many years of my life I was drawn to this simple, colorful salad only to find it lacking in taste. Apparently, for many years, I hadn't been eating the right kind of caprese. After a weekend touring the Ohio wine country, I have Meg to thank for turning me into a fan of all things caprese (and in return, I succeeded in turning her into a fan of chardonnay - although she still prefers stainless to oak barrels, but we can work on that!).

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So in any case, I got hooked. It just took one particular caprese (from CK's Steakhouse at the Quail Hollow near Cleveland, OH) served with a hint of balsamic, the freshest, most flavorful tomatos I've ever tasted and a salty mozzarella to turn me. From that moment on, I knew that caprese salads would be an important part of my summer culinary capers.

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The day I got back, I rushed to Wegman's to get the ingredients to make it at home. So here's what you'll need to create the dinner pictured above, including one ingredient that I forgot:

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~ Tomato (I chose a large, locally-grown one)

~ Mozzarella (fresh is best)

~ Greens (I chose organic mixed from Wegmans - normally expensive, but the amount I bought cost just under 50 cents)

~ Olive oil

~ Balsamic vinegar (I used the balsamic marinade from past posts)

~ Lemon juice

~ Salt/pepper

~ Fresh basil (how, how, HOW could I have forgotten? The morning after I cooked this I woke up, watered my basil plant in the window and smacked myself. Guess this just means I'll have to make it again)

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::PAUSE::

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I read up on it a bit online, and I guess there's something personal about how everyone makes a caprese and whether their rendition qualifies as a true caprese or not. Technically, it shouldn't even have greens with it, but I liked the variety. At one point I encountered a thread containing a flame war - an all-out, no-holds-barred vicious flame war - regarding whether or not to use balsamic. It was then that I decided to go it alone. I'd do it my way, and if it was not quite "caprese" enough for some people, well, then I'd ask them to remember that everyone is different! After all, chicken soup consists mainly of chicken, onion and celery, but I'd dare anyone to say that their homemade chicken soup tastes exactly like someone else's!

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::UNPAUSE::

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So here's how I made MY caprese salad à la Accidental Chef:

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Slice the tomato. I have to say that the home-grown was a good pick - it was the first time in my life that I actually picked up a piece of tomato that didn't have anything on it and ate it. It was awesome.

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Drizzle some olive oil over the tomato and let the slices soak in it. Now, here's the really controversial part: Drizzle a tiny bit of balsamic over the tomato slices and let THAT soak in. Fend off flames from angry readers.

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Slice the mozzarella. In retrospect, my slices of tomato and mozzarella were a little thick. I would suggest cutting them a bit thinner than I did, just to give it more variety on the plate.

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Layer the mozzarella and tomato on the plate. Place the greens next to the arrangement. Add a bit of balsamic to the greens. Squeeze some lemon juice over the whole plate and add some salt and pepper. Add fresh basil, if you remember. If you wish, you can set it in the fridge to chill and meld before you eat it.

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Given the origins of the caprese salad, I felt it only appropriate to serve this fresh dinner with an Italian pinot noir (Cadonini vineyards). It tasted of sun-ripened strawberries and raspberries but was still earthy enough to balance out the richness of the dark greens and saltiness of the cheese. A wonderful pairing for a hot summer night!

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Yours in the love of good food, wine, and the joy of broadening your culinary horizons,

AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.