The Farm Chicks

Hearts of Palm Salad

I have an obsession with hearts of palm and am always trying new ways to incorporate them.  This salad is one of my favorite creations.

Hearts of Palm Salad

(Prepare your desired amount of salad fixings, for one or several servings).

Romaine lettuce, washed and torn

White onion, thinly sliced (optional)

Canned hearts of palm, sliced thinly

If making a single salad serving, mound fixings on a plate and drizzle with dressing (recipe below).  If making a full salad, place fixings in a salad bowl, toss with dressing and serve immediately.

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon light sour cream

1 small clove garlic, squeezed through garlic press

Salt & pepper to taste

Whisk dressing ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Note:

Canned hearts of palm can be found in most grocery stores, usually near the canned artichoke hearts.

Roasted Corn Pasta Salad

This delicious pasta salad is the perfect accompaniment to Black Bean Burgers and it's always the side that I order with my meals at the Elk in Spokane. I've adapted their recipe to make at home. And although I'm definitely not a fan of chipotle peppers, the flavor works perfectly here, adding just the right kick of spice, yet staying anonymous, making everyone ask the question: What's in here?!

Roasted Corn Pasta Salad

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1 1/2 cups frozen corn

1 lb uncooked curly or twisty pasta such as Gemelli or Fusilli

1 cup lowfat mayonnaise

2 cups packed fresh cilantro, roughly stemmed

2 tablespoons chipotle puree

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine corn, onions, butter, and oil together on a baking sheet. Using a spatula, mix together to coat corn and onions. Roast until corn and onions begin to brown, approximately 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack until ready to use.

 

Meanwhile, puree a can of chipotle peppers. (Use the entire contents of the can). Once pureed, measure out 2 tablespoons and set aside. Reserve leftovers by freezing them for later use.

  

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. (Yes, this goes against everything you've ever read about not rinsing pasta but it's necessary here). Once pasta is completely drained, add into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Combine cilantro, chipotle puree, and mayonnaise in a food processor (or blender). Once throughly combined, add mixture to pasta in bowl. Add roasted corn and onions and stir to mix all together. Salt to taste.

Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Please note: If not served immediately, you'll need to add more of the mayonnaise mixture or it will taste too dry).

Black Bean Burgers

One of our favorite Spokane restaurants is the Elk, which is a great spot to enjoy brewpub style food in a neighborhood setting.  And one of the great things about living in the Pacific Northwest is the "come-as-you-are" attitude.  Things are relaxed here, but the food is great.  One of my all-time favorite meals at the Elk is the Bean Burger.  I've adapted their recipe to be quick and simple, yet still tasty.

Black Bean Burgers

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup carrots, diced

1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 egg

1 cup dried bread crumbs

1 tablespoon canola oil

4-5 slices of provolone or pepper jack cheese

Add the olive oil and veggies to a frying pan, and cook at medium-high heat until veggies begin to soften.  While the veggies are sauteing, add  the beans into a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Mash them up a bit with a potato masher, leaving about 1/4 of the beans whole.

Add the sauteed veggies to the bean mixture and stir to combine.  Add the remaining ingredients (reserving the canola oil for frying the patties in) and mix together.  (It's best to use your hands to mix everything together at this point).

Divide mixture into 4 or 5 patties, depending on your preference of patty size.  After forming the patties, fry them in the canola oil until golden, about three minutes per side, over medium-high heat.  Top with the cheese of your choice, once bean burgers are flipped.

Serve on hamburger buns, with mayonnaise, greens of your choice, and tomatoes.

Tip:

The chefs at the Elk recommend starting your patties in a cold pan to give the patties a nice crunch on the outside.

For delicious go-to lunches at home, wrap patties individually and freeze.  When you need lunch in a hurry, just grab a patty, microwave until hot, and assemble as usual.

Thanksgiving Salad

Grandma MaryJane makes this salad every year for Thanksgiving and It is one of my all-time favorites.  I've lightened it up a bit since the Thanksgiving meal is such a heavy one, but the results are still a fruity, flavor-popping salad.  The most important ingredient is the pomegranate seeds, which are such a seasonal delight.

Thanksgiving Salad

2 heads Romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces

4 seedless mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned

1/2 cup onion, peeled, thinly sliced and quartered

Pomegranate seeds from one pomegranate

1/2 cup roasted, slivered (unsalted) almonds

Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl.  Set aside and prepare dressing.

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons fresh mandarin orange juice

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until complete combined.  (This dressing is not a thick dressing, and will appear slightly more runny than a typical dressing).

Toss salad with dressing, just before serving, or serve salad with dressing on the side.

Pomegranate image by the super wonderful and amazing Samantha Cabrera.

Rosey Lunch Party

A special lunch with friends calls for pretty little settings. I love these tiny café creamers I found at a sale, and for a recent lunch party, decided they’d make perfect personal vases. I filled the “vases” with tiny wild roses and set out a mix of beautiful old china plates to create special place settings.

Forks were placed atop cloth napkins and tied off with pretty vintage ribbon. As a final touch, I placed a sprig of wild rose buds under each ribbon.

This salad is the perfect light lunch:

Raspberry Poppy Seed Salad

Salad:

Greens of your choice
Thinly sliced red onions (enough to accent the greens)
Raspberries (enough to accent the greens)

Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing:

2-3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Canola Oil
1 tsp. Honey
1 tsp. Raspberry Jam
1/2 tsp. Poppy Seeds
Salt & Pepper to taste

Garnish:

Crumbled Feta Cheese
Sliced Almonds

Combine salad ingredients in a pretty bowl. Combine dressing ingredients, and pour desired amount over greens. Toss gently and garnish. Serve promptly, and enjoy.

TIPS:
To keep the dressing from separating, slowly pour the oil into the lemon juice, while whisking rapidly. Whisk in remaining ingredients. The result will be a creamy dressing that won’t separate.

Make delicious sandwiches by hollowing out good quality focaccia bread squares and stuffing with this yummy salad.

Chicken, Avocado, & Green Onion Soup

 

Carrie, one of the sisters I've talked about before, has been gracious enough to share her recipe for the soup from their lunch the other day.  I've had a lot of requests for it!

2 1/2 pints chicken stock
1/2 fresh chili pepper, seeded
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 avocado, diced
4 green onions, finely sliced
1 14 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
Salt & Pepper

Add chicken stock, chicken and chili pepper to a soup pot and heat to simmering.  Simmer until chicken is cooked through - about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Remove chicken and cool until ready to shred.   Pour stock into a food processor and blend until smooth.  Reheat broth and all other ingredients.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot with lemon and lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and chili pepper flakes on the side.