Proud Italian Cook

Chicken Nicoise Salad

April 29, 2014 by Marie 15 Comments

The latest kick I’ve been on is making composed salads. Just what is a composed salad you might ask? Here’s the definition, “A salad in which the components are elaborately put together or arranged, then drizzled with a vinaigrette rather than tossed”.

A composed salad is a balance of different colors, flavors and textures and when it’s arranged on a platter it’s very appealing to the eye, and the more color the better!

I repeat, it must be placed on a platter, no bowls allowed and no tossing!

It doesn’t matter what ingredients you use, the possibilities are endless! We all know of the famous Tuna Nicoise salad, well I swapped out chicken for the tuna and used other ingredients that I had on hand.

This salad was inspired from a rotisserie chicken I got from Whole Foods and some vegetables I cooked up before they went bad, which in my case were beets, red potatoes, green beans and some peppers. I added in hard boiled eggs, sliced tomatoes, artichoke hearts and olives, placed it all on a bed of arugula and drizzled it with a fresh lemon and olive oil dressing. This is a very substantial salad, maybe a little bread on the side and that’s it!

No exact recipe here just let your imagination go wild, use what’s in season and what you have on hand, it’s hearty, healthy and oh so delicious!

15 Comments Filed Under: Poultry, Salads Tagged: composed salad, gluten free, Nicoise salad, rotisserie chicken

Roasted Vegetable Tart with Eggplant Crust

April 24, 2014 by Marie 20 Comments

Here’s an all vegetable tart with an extra healthy spin on a it because there’s no pastry involved when putting it together!

Thick sturdy slices of roasted eggplant form the perfect crust to encase all your vegetables, it’s healthy, much lighter and very pretty in it’s presentation.

Simple to do with just a little prep work of roasting or grilling your vegetables ahead of time, then all you do is layer the cooked eggplant all around your tart pan, your favorite cheese will bind it all together.

Arrange all your vegetables on top and then place it all into the oven.

The cheese will bond everything together when melted, and the top will be nice and golden, just like this!

It’s crispy on the edges and creamy in the middle. Would you care for a slice?

Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Tart with Eggplant Crust

Ingredients

9 inch flutted tart pan with removable bottom, lightly brushed inside with olive oil
3 medium eggplant, cut longwise into ½ inch slices
2 zucchini, cut on the diagonal
1 yellow squash, cut on the diagonal
a handful of grape tomatoes, halved
6 to 8 small asparagus
shredded fontina and asiago cheese,plus a couple of tablespoons of grated parmesan.
chopped basil and parsley for garnish
olive oil

Instructions

Heat oven to 425 F. drizzle a sheet pan with olive oil, place eggplant slices on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper and more olive oil, roast until soft and nicely golden, watch so they don't get well done and too crispy, you want them still pliable. Set aside.
Roast the zucchini and yellow squash the same way. No need to roast asparagus or tomato slices.
To arrange the tart place eggplant slices all around the pan and bottom, you want the rounded part of the eggplant to form the scalloped edge.
Shred enough cheese to generously cover the bottom of the tart then arrange your veggies all around.
And some of the shredded cheeses on top but do not totally cover the vegetables, you want to be able to see them.
Place tart pan on top of a baking sheet and place into a 400 F. preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, the cheese should be melted and the top a golden brown.
Cool down before cutting.
*** NOTE**** You can replace roasted veggies with grilled.

20 Comments Filed Under: Savory Tarts, Vegetables Tagged: eggplant crusted tart, vegetable tart

Grilled Vegetable Salad

April 15, 2014 by Marie 11 Comments

Here’s a fresh and healthy side dish to serve along anything you’re about to throw on your grill this weekend. It’s a combination of grilled veggies and a salad all in one! I actually recreated this from a salad I had at a restaurant recently.

It couldn’t be easier to make, just grill up your favorite veggies, go for a variety of colors, the more color the better, it adds to a pretty presentation. I even used some mini eggplant I found called Indian eggplant, which I thought gave it a nice visual and something different.

All the vegetables can be grilled ahead of time and set aside until you’re ready to plate everything together.

Crisp romaine lettuce is dressed with a rich, slightly sweet aged balsamic vinaigrette. I also added sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and creamy avocado into the mix.

Feel free to crumble some creamy goat cheese or feta on top with a sprinkling of pine nuts for more bling!

This is great for entertaining with ease and the presentation is gorgeous sitting on your platter!

Grilled Vegetable Salad

Ingredients

red, yellow and orange bell peppers
eggplant
zucchini
yellow squash
asparagus
artichoke hearts, grilled or canned, drained of any liquid
sun dried tomatoes ( soft and tender)
sliced avocado
crumbled feta or goat cheese and pine nuts, (optional)
FOR BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
¼ cup of a good aged balsamic vinegar
1 cup, extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced finely
¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Instructions

Prepare and slice all your veggies, place in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill them all ahead of time until tender with nice grill marks, set aside.
Whisk all your balsamic vinaigrette ingredients together until well incorporated.
Right before you're ready to eat place chopped romaine, sun dried tomatoes into a bowl and dress with the vinaigrette, place onto your platter.
Take the same bowl, toss in all your grilled veggies and carefully drizzle balsamic vinaigrette all over them, not too much, a little goes a long way, taste to your liking.
Carefully arrange the veggies on top of the lettuce mixture with slices of avocado all around the perimeter.
Add cheese and nuts if so desired.