Spinach, Apple, and Cheddar Cheese Salad

This is another old favorite. One of my friends has been loving spinach salads for lunch recently. I knew that I had a recipe for a great spinach salad in my Bon Appetit cookbook. This is something I haven't made in a long time, but it is great and I want to have it for dinner this week.

Mullins, this one is for you....

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 maple syrup
1/4 olive oil
(2) 6 ounce packages of baby spinach leaves
2 large unpeeled Granny Smith apples, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1. Combine vinegar, maple syrup, and oil in small bowl; whisk to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Re-whisk before using).
2. Combine spinach, apples, cheese, and walnuts in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 8 servings.

Crostini with Two Toppings

I feel like it has been so long since I have posted. In all honesty, I haven't made anything recently that has been fantastic. Perhaps my lack of enthusiasm can be related to the frigid weather that we are having. In lieu of recipes that I have made recently, I will post some oldies but goodies.

This recipe for crostinis with two toppings comes from a couples cooking class that Mike and I took at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. This was a birthday gift that Mike gave me last year and we took the class entitled, T'was the Night Before Christmas. At the start of this cooking class everyone was given the recipe packet of the dishes that we would feast on that evening. After some time for review, the chef and our instructor asked for volunteers to prepare the various dishes. Mike is not as comfortable in the kitchen as I am, so we opted to make the appetizers. The great thing about making the appetizer is that it was what everyone ate while we were waiting for the rest of the dishes to be done. In other words, when we were done, we were done. We did not have to worry about the last minute prep before dinner or get up from dinner to put the finishing touches on dessert. It was a smart move on our part.

The toppings for the crostinis are very easy to make and quite impressive. I have made the olive tapanade a few times and received many compliments for it. These are so good that it makes me want to have a party just so I can eat this again.

Crostinis
1 baguette
1/2 cup olive oil
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 spring of rosemary

Slice the baguette diagonally into thin slices. In a small pan, heat the olive oil with garlic and rosemary until garlic is brown but not burned. Turn the heat off and allow to cool. Strain the garlic from oil. With a pastry brush, brush the bread rounds with olive oil. Place on a cookie sheet in a 350F oven until golden brown.

Olive Tapanade
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
3 anchovy filets
2 TBS capers
1 clove garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Place first 5 ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse on and off until it reaches a grain consistency. Add oil in a slow stream while pulsing. Season with pepper. Note: if it tastes too salty add a little bit more lemon juice.

Sun-dried Tomato Paste
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, oil reserved
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 TBS basil
3-5 TBS olive oil (use from sun-dried tomatoes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place first 4 ingredients in a food processor. While machine is running, add oil in a slow stream. Season with salt and pepper.

These toppings are so easy to make. It is an easy and impressive appetizer for a crowd.

Pork and Sauerkraut

According the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, having pork and sauerkraut on New Year's day is good luck. My grandfather first made this meal for my family one New Year's day and it seems like a sacriledge to not have this meal on the first day of the year. Last year was the first time that I made it for Mike and I. It was good last year, but the pork seemed to be too dry. This year, I decided to use my new favorite kitchen appliance, the slow cooker, to aid in my preparation this year.

1 teaspoon olive oil
3-4 pounds of country style pork ribs
1 thinly sliced large onion
1 teaspoon carraway seeds
3/4 cup water
2 (28 ounce) cans of sauerkraut

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium low heat until hot. Add the pork and brown on all sides.
2. Transfer pork to slow cooker. Drain and discard fat.
3. Saute onions with carraway seeds in skillet. Add onions to slow cooker.
   
4. Pour water into skillet and scrape up any brown bits, add to slow cooker. Add sauerkraut over meat.
   
5. Turn on cooker to Low and cook for 6-8 hours.
   

Restaurant Review - The Franklin Cafe

We finally have a "real" restaurant in Southie. This eagerly anticipated restaurant, The Franklin Cafe, comes on the heels of a previous "real" restaurant attempt, the ill-fated South. I should note that Southie does have other eating establishments. There are a lot pub type places to eat, fast food joints, as well as the restaurants in the waterfront area of Southie (which some prefer to call the Seaport District instead of Southie). The Franklin Cafe is located around the corner from the Broadway T stop.

Mike and I were looking forward to trying this place for quite some time. We were supposed to go to the opening, but it was pushed back a couple of times. We finally went on a whim after an exhausting day of running errands. We were among the first diners on that Saturday night and had to wait a little bit before putting in our order. Thankfully, our server brought a basket of bread and hummus for us to munch on while waiting.

Mike ordered mussels to start and I ordered the crisp green salad. Both were wonderful. I really like the dressing on my salad. It was a great balance of citrus and salt. For dinner, I had the steak and Mike had the Mahi Mahi special. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals. I think that the selling point on the steak was the celery root tater tots. I love when chefs take a comfort food and put their own twist on it.

My only criticisms of the Franklin Cafe is that there is no dessert menu. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a sweet tooth. I would have loved a tasty little sweet after my great meal. A suggestion would be that the Franklin Cafe team up and buy desserts from a local bakery for its lacking dessert menu. Granted, I have not as of yet consumed any pastries from Sweet Tooth Bakery, perhaps something could be worked out with this local business in the spirit of supporting the local shops. My final criticism, is that the restaurant has not updated its website to mention the new South Boston location.

It should be noted that the Franklin Cafe also has a great wine list and none are too expensive. It is so nice to have a great restaurant in the neighborhood. While I do contend that the Seaport District is indeed part of Southie, it doesn't feel like it and its restaurants are in the neighborhood. Next up, is trying the brunch. I have heard it is really good.