Cook Your Life

Caeser Salad

Ahh...Hotel Food.  An over-sized dinner tray, over-sized glass of wine, the great 'reveal' when you lift the lid of the chafing-dish.Fantastic.

Dinner in your room is one of the things I that love when lone travelling.

Natch' I am only talking about four-star or above though! When it comes to sharing sink space with previous tenants, I do insist that they wern't paying by the hour.

Back in the day when I was defined by my white-collar career, hoping to eventually become CEO. (of something or other) I travelled quite a bit; Sent off to London, flown business class to the US for 'F2F' meetings with people I'd only previously endured over tele-con.

My life was a whirlwind of Amex, suits, PowerPoint presentations and hotel food.

No matter where in the world, I will nearly always go for the Caeser Salad.

I've had so many variations, every city has a slight twist; New Jersey Marriott gave me mounds of Smoked Bacon, NYC Millenium delivered Garlic Croutons the size of my head, and (my favourite) St Martins Lane, London served a whole Grildled Smoked Chicken Breast with delicate, fresh Anchovies.

My version of Caesar Salad is really simple to prepare, and sings with garlicky, creamy dressing, crunchy pink bacon and flavourful organic chicken.

Reduce the quantities, and serve for one with a good book and giant glass of Chardonnay. You won't mind being alone for moment!

 

Caeser Salad

Serves 2-3

Preparation Time - 10m
Cooking Time - 10m
Beverage Suggestion -  Chardonnay

Ingredients

4x Chicken Thighs, Skinless & Boneless, Diced
1 tbsp Olive Oil, for frying
80g or 0.5 Cup Smoked Lardons
2x Heads Romaine Lettuce, Torn
100g or 1 Cup Parmesan, Grated
2x Slices Granary Bread
3x Cloves Garlic
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Cracked Black Pepper and Sea Salt to taste
6x Marinated Anchovy Fillets, roughly chopped
150ml or 1/3 Cup Soured Cream
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

 

Directions

1. Chop 1x garlic clove and fry alongside the chicken (seasoned), and lardons in Oil for 7m, or until cooked through, and the bacon is crispy
2. Combine the soured cream, 1x clove garlic (chopped), 50g (0.5 Cup) of parmesan, anchovies, mustard, lemon and season to taste
3. Lightly toast the bread on both sides
4. Rub a whole clove of garlic all over the toasted bread
5. Sprinkle half of the remaining cheese on top, and allow to bubble under the grill, Cut into 1 inch square peices
6. Place the torn lettuce in a large salad bowl
7. Add the cooked meat, croutons, and mix with the dressing
8. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the salad and lightly toss
9. Serve

Pigeon, Roast Beet & Goats Cheese Salad

Digging through my freezer yesterday, I was lucky enough to discover a tightly wrapped portion of pigeon breasts.  Shot by my husband the three deep red little morsels just begged to be seared with some butter and balsamic vinegar left pink in some sort of delicate salad.

I decided to to roast some fresh beetroot over some lemon pepper and sea salt, and serve with an ashed goats cheese, ripe and summery.

Pungent white cheese, earthy sweet beets snuggling next to the moist pink pigeon made the ultimate menage

Pigeon, Roast Beet & Goats Cheese Salad

Serves 2

Preparation Time - 10m
Cooking Time - 10m
Beverage Suggestion -  Pinot Noir

Ingredients

2x Beetroots, sliced in half
3x Pigeon Breasts
2 tbsp Purple Radish Sprouts (Optional)
2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp Cassis Vinegarette
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive OIl
Cracked Black Pepper & Sea Salt to season & Serve
1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
75g or 1/3 Cup Goats Cheese, sliced
1 tbsp Lemon Pepper
3 sprigs of Lemon Thyme
2 tbsp Toasted Walnuts, chopped

Directions

1. Roast the Beetroot on a bed of lemon pepper & salt, with a sprig of thyme at Gas Mark 5/375f/190c for around 30m until tender
2. Remove covering of salt, pepper, and herb and peel, then cut in half
3.  Season the pigeon and sear in a hot pan in half of the butter & the remaining thyme for 2m each side
4. Splash in 1 tbsp of the balsamic, and sizzle
5. Remove the breasts to rest
6. Add the beets to the pan, splash in the remaining balsamic and warm through
7. Slice the pigeon, arrange on the plate with the beets and cheese
8. Drizzle the cassis  vinaigrette and some olive oil on each plate
9. Scatter the walnuts and sprouts on top to serve

Figs with Gorgonzola

This salad is one of my favourites. Piquant, sapphire-veined cheese bursts against ripe balsamic drizzled purple-fleshed figs and salty torn parma ham in your mouth. A chilled Amber Riesling help this elegant appetizer glide down.

Figs with Gorgonzola

Serves 2

Preparation Time - 10m
Cooking Time - 10m
Beverage Suggestion -  Reisling

Ingredients

6x Figs, quartered

100g or 1 cup Gorgonzola, broken into chunks

6x slices Parma Ham, torn into pieces

50g or 2 Cups Peppery Salad Leaves

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbsp Balsamic Syrup

Half loave of French Bread, torn into peices to serve

Cracked Black Pepper to finish

Directions

1. Wrap the figs in peices of parma ham (leaving some un-wrapped)

2. Divide the leaves across both plates

3. Scatter the cheese over the leaves, add the figs

4. Add the figs onto the plates

5. Drizzle the Syrup and Oil over the top

6. Finish with Black Pepper