Supper Salad: Roasted Sweet Potato and Orange Salad

This salad combines so many flavors that I love, and includes ingredients that provide a lot of nutrients. The recipe makes a lot, too! My husband and I have been eating this one all week. (I have all of the pieces refrigerated separately and toss together individual servings for us each night.)

If you're looking for a filling, yet light, entrée salad, this one will do the trick (perfect for a warm summer night!). I roasted the onions along with the sweet potatoes, and recommend doing the same if you can't handle a lot of raw onions. Roasting brings out the sweetness of the onions and also flavors them with rosemary and garlic.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Orange Salad
(From Cooking Light, December, 2005)
Ingredients
Salad:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
1 1/2 pounds peeled sweet potato, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3 cups orange sections (about 6 oranges)
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 (6-ounce) bag prewashed baby spinach

Dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F.

To prepare salad, combine first 4 ingredients (Kate also roasted the onions), tossing well. Place potato mixture on a jelly-roll pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400°F for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven; cool. Discard garlic. Combine potato mixture, orange sections, onion, pine nuts, and spinach in a large bowl.

To prepare dressing, combine orange juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat.

Holiday Spirits: Cocktails

December is a month that is filled with celebrations: Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and most importantly, my birthday! Our December is especially packed this year with a cousin’s wedding and a new birthday added to the month – my niece’s first birthday! With holiday parties likely starting up this weekend, I thought I would help kick off the month’s festivities with some fun cocktails.

I am typically a traditionalist when it comes to cocktails. I like my classic cosmopolitan, lime margarita, and when it comes to adding other ingredients to champagne, I think you shouldn’t mess with a good thing. In the latest round of cooking magazines I’ve received in the mail, several recipes have caught my eye, and I decided I could be adventurous. These cocktails are creative and have a special touch like fresh herbs or frozen fruit.

The Sparkling Cranberry Punch is a recipe I made five years ago for a holiday dinner with our friends in New York. We set a bottle of vodka out next to the punch bowl, so those who were interested could spike their drink. The Cranberry Liqueur has been a family tradition for Christmas Eve or our annual cousin game night. It is pretty strong, but is a lot of fun to make your own flavored vodka. This can make a great gift bottled up. Of the new recipes, my favorite that we tried is the Pomegranate-Rosemary Royale. It is a twist on a traditional kir royle, and the rosemary really makes this a seasonal cocktail.

Pomegranate-Rosemary Royale
(From Cooking Light, November 2009)
Ingredients
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
2 cups Champagne or sparkling wine

Preparation
Combine 1/4 cup water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add rosemary; let stand 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids.

Pour 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice and 1 tablespoon rosemary syrup into 4 Champagne glasses. Top each serving with 1/2 cup Champagne. Garnish with rosemary, if desired. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 drinks.


Sparkling Cranberry Punch
(From Better Crocker’s Entertaining Basics)
Ingredients
1 (12-oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 ½ cups cold water
1 (64-oz.) bottle cranberry juice, chilled
4 (12-oz.) cans ginger ale or Sprite, chilled
For Ice Ring:
Sliced fruit, berries, strips of orange, lemon, or lime peel and mint leaves
Water or fruit juice

Directions
Mix the lemonade concentrate and cold water in a pitcher. Stir in the cranberry juice. Pour into a punch bowl.

Just before serving, stir in the ginger ale (or Sprite). Add the ice ring (see below) or ice cubes.

Ice Ring:
Choose a ring mold or bundt cake pan that fits inside your punch bowl. For color, arrange sliced fruit, berries, strips of orange, lemon, or lime peel and mint leaves in mold. Slowly add just enough water or fruit juice to partially cover fruit (too much water will make the fruit float); freeze. When frozen, add enough water or fruit juice to fill mod three-fourths full; freeze overnight or at least 12 hours to make sure ice ring is solid. Unmold ring and place in punch bowl fruit side up.

Makes 24 servings (about ¾ cup each).


French 75
(From Raley’s "Something Extra", Holiday, 2009)
Ingredients
2 oz. lemon juice
1½ oz. gin
2 tsp. powdered sugar
4 oz. champagne or sparkling wine
Maraschino cherry

Directions
Shake 2 oz. lemon juice, 1½ oz. gin and 2 tsp. powdered sugar with ice; strain into a tall glass. Top with 4 oz. champagne or sparkling wine and stir. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Makes 1 drink.



Sparkling Mojito
(From Raley’s "Something Extra", Holiday, 2009)
Ingredients
2 oz. rum
3/4 oz. lime juice
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
5 mint leaves
2 oz. sparkling wine

Directions
Stir 2 oz. rum, 3/4 oz. lime juice and 1 tbsp. powdered sugar together in a cocktail shaker or small pitcher. Muddle 5 mint leaves (by mashing against the side with a long-handled spoon) in the shaker. Strain into a tall glass over ice, top with 2 oz. sparkling wine and stir lightly to mix. Garnish with a sprig of mint, if you like.

Makes 1 drink.



Citrus Basil Sparkler
(From Raley’s "Something Extra", Holiday, 2009)
Ingredients
2 oz. pink lemonade
2 oz. orange juice
1/4 tsp. basil (optional)
3 oz. sparkling wine

Directions
Combine 2 oz. pink lemonade, 2 oz. orange juice and 1/4 tsp. basil (optional) in a cocktail shaker or small pitcher. Pour into a tall champagne flute and gently stir in 3 oz. sparkling wine.

Makes 1 drink.



Cranberry Liqueur
(From Cooking Light, December, 2003)
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
3 cups vodka

Preparation
Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and cool completely.

Place cranberries in a food processor; process 2 minutes or until finely chopped. Combine sugar mixture and cranberries in a large bowl; stir in vodka.

Pour the vodka mixture into clean jars; secure with lids. Let stand 3 weeks in a cool, dark place, shaking every other day.

Strain the cranberry mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl, and discard solids. Carefully pour liqueur into clean bottles or jars.

Presented in small decanters or glass bottles, Cranberry Liqueur makes a memorable gift. Attach a gift tag and include the following: "Cranberry Cosmopolitan: 1/2 cup Cranberry Liqueur, 1/4 cup Cointreau, 2 tablespoons lime juice. Mix with 1 cup crushed ice; strain into martini glass. Makes 2 cocktails."

Yield: 4 1/2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)

Note: Liqueur can be stored refrigerated or at room temperature for up to a year.

Spiced Wine: Winter Sangria

My husband and I were spoiled with sangria from the start. There was a local Italian-style tavern in the college town where we met during undergrad, which was known for having the best sangria. At the ripe age of 21, we, along with our friends, had many fantastic evenings (followed by unfortunate mornings). Spring and summer evenings were spent sitting elbow-to-elbow at long picnic tables in their outdoor garden. The establishment’s strong sangria was served in mason jars filled with red wine and fresh fruit. Each subsequent sangria that we’ve since tried has been compared to this first taste. Few have held up to our prominent college favorite.

While our beloved sangria from yesteryear is a red sangria, I’ve made several white sangrias that we enjoy during hot summer days. A recent edition of Cooking Light included a recipe for a holiday-inspired red sangria. I purchased a bottle of Zinfandel and decided to give it a whirl. The recipe calls for satsumas oranges, which I was unable to find. Per their suggestion, I substituted with tangerines. (When I make this again I will slice the tangerines instead of segmenting them. There are far too many seeds to remove from a tangerine, and doing so while pieces are segmented nearly destroys each section of fruit.) This sangria is delicious! It is a cross between a mulled wine and a sangria. It is much more refreshing than a mulled wine, but still presents the flavors of the holidays with the clove and cinnamon.

Winter Sangria
(From Cooking Light, November, 2009)
Ingredients
• 1 cup fresh satsuma orange juice (about 4 satsumas)
• 1 cup satsuma orange sections (about 2 satsumas)
• 1/3 cup Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
• 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
• 1 (750-milliliter) bottle fruity red wine

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Celebration in Oaktown: Quinoa, Wild Shrimp & Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

During our recent trip out to the Bay, we were graciously welcomed by our friends, Amy and Chris. We spent a few days with them in Oakland, along with a fun-filled excursion to Napa. The four of us decided to venture to an area of wine country that was previously unexplored to us all – northern Napa county. We did the drive north past Napa and Oakville, and found ourselves driving through the rolling hills of northern Napa county and quaint towns of St. Helena and Calistoga. St. Helena had buildings with Victorian charm, while Calistoga reminded us of the wild west. The first stop on our wine tour took us to Chateau Montelena Winery, where we marveled at the stone castle, as well as their orange and lemon trees (the wines were good too, particularly their Riesling).




We next ventured to Sterling Vineyards, where a aerial tram takes visitors up to the winery and tasting rooms at the top of the hill.



Our last stop was Cuvaison Estate, where we had a sample of a special Cab, and the sommelier tried to show my husband a thing or two with our camera. After a wonderful meal at Tra Vigne, Chris and Amy gave us a lift to the airport, and we barely made our red-eye flight back home.



Earlier that week, Amy had been scheduled to take a graduate exam that she had long been studying for. While she was off at her exam, I went into San Francisco in search of the Painted Ladies. After an uncalculated walk through the Tenderloin, I finally found the famous row houses and had enough time to snap some pictures before heading back to Oakland to meet Amy.


She had aced the exam and a celebration was in order. Amy, Chris, and I went to a celebratory lunch at Bocanova in Jack London Square. After debating over several options on the menu, Amy and I both ordered the Quinoa, Wild Shrimp & Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette. It was delicious - so refreshing, light, and flavorful! As a fellow cook and foodie, Amy and I spent most of the meal trying to determine how it was prepared.


With the sun shining and a pleasant breeze blowing, Amy and I continued the celebration with a little wine tasting. And on this day, we did not have to hop in a car and drive north of the city to get to wine country. We instead only had to walk a few blocks to get to a couple of Oakland’s wineries. The tasting rooms of JC Cellars and Dashe Cellars are both in Oakland, and share the same location. You can taste flights of wine from each winery for $5, respectively (much cheaper than wineries in wine country!). Amy and I spent the afternoon sampling wines from JC and Dashe, and it was the perfect afternoon to follow up our delectable lunch.


I couldn’t get that quinoa out of my mind, and once I returned home and had a chance to spend time in the kitchen, I made an attempt to recreate our lunch (less the wine tasting). I was pleased that my version was pretty comparable to the dish that we had! I was only able to find a purple beet at my grocery store, but I recommend using a golden beet if you can find it. (The purple beet will color the whole dish, and if you are using one, I recommend adding it at the last minute to try to avoid coloring the rest of the ingredients purple.) You can omit the shrimp for a vegetarian version. Amy and I were contemplating adding some crumbled feta, which I did try, but found it to be too much. This is good as it is, and a lunch that I’ll forever remember!

Kate's Quinoa, Wild Shrimp & Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Ingredients
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp champagne vinegar
1 medium-size golden beet
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup carrots, shredded
10 oz. cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 orange, segmented
½ cup cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 tbsp. watercress or microgreens, for garnish

Directions
Wisk together olive oil, orange juice, mustard, champagne vinegar, and a dash of salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Cut off beet greens, wash beets, and gently scrub to remove any dirt. Wrap beet in aluminum foil and place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake until beet is thoroughly cooked (approximately 1 hour). Unwrap beet and allow to cool. Using a paper towel, rub off the beet’s skin. Cut beet into small cubes.

Place quinoa and vegetable broth in a 1 ½ quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all broth is absorbed (10-15 minutes). Allow quinoa to cool.

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, shrimp, orange segments, carrots, cilantro, beets, and salt and pepper. Toss with vinaigrette mixture until lightly coated (you may not use all of the vinaigrette). Top with watercress or microgreens to garnish and serve.

Favorite Salmon Salad - Summer Salad with Cumin-Crusted Salmon

My mother found this recipe several years ago in the USA Weekend Magazine, and it became an instant family favorite. It comes together easily and is quite healthy. There are so many ingredients in this salad that I love, and that are so good for you. What’s also nice about serving this salad as an entrée, is that it while it is light, it is actually quite filling.

Summer Salad with Cumin-Crusted Salmon
Salad:
2 ounces pine nuts
5 cups mixed greens
15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup scallions, sliced
1 large orange, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
2 Tbs. orange juice concentrate
4 Tbs. olive oil
½ tsp. cumin
1 ½ Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 garlic gloves, crushed
¼ tsp. salt

Cumin-Crusted Salmon:
1 ½ Tbs. cumin
2 tsps. Paprika
¼ tsp. salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound salmon fillet, skin removed

Heat a non-stick skillet, add pine nuts and stir until toasty, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, place all salad ingredients (reserve half of the cilantro and half of the pine nut for garnish).

In a separate bowl, stir dressing ingredients together.

In a bowl, combine cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Cut salmon into 8 strips and coat with spices. Grill (or sear in a non-stick skillet brushed with canola oil) until crusty.

Toss salad and dressing; divide on plates. Top with salmon and reserved cilantro and pine nuts.

Note – I discard of the whole crushed garlic cloves before serving the dressing. I would like to warn against mincing the garlic and serving it in the dressing – you’ll be tasting it still the next morning!