Great Taste Magazine

This healthy recipe of shrimp, cactus leaves and cactus pears comes alive with blood orange vinaigrette. Chef Marco Zapien runs the family restaurant, Zapien’s Salsa Grill and Taqueria with his father. He is also Corporate Chef in charge of Sports & Entertainment venues at Melissa’s. His daily duties include acting as a liaison to Executive Chefs in sports and entertainment venues as well as the Melissa’s staff.

Recipe courtesy Melissa’s Produce www.melissas.com Read more »

(serves 4)
1 Texas Rio Star Grapefruit – sectioned
12 oz boneless beef top loin steak -1 inch thick
1 10-oz package torn mixed salad greens
1 mango – sliced
3/4 C refrigerated blue cheese salad dressing
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
Cracked black pepper

Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Read more »

This grilled peach salad with Chef Kendall’s homemade mozzarella is complemented beautifully by prosciutto, a lavender honey – ricotta drizzle and a sauvignon blanc vinaigrette. Wine Director Steve Kistler recommends the Emerson Brown Sauvignon Blanc with this dish. You can’t go wrong with this salad from Carpe Diem Wine Bar.

Grilled peach salad (Yield: 4 Servings)

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Heirloom Peach Salad – Pelican Hill

Serves: 6-8

1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp lavender honey

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt (preferably sea salt) 

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 firm, ripe peaches, cut into 6 wedges

24 this slivers or prosciutto

6 cups butter lettuce

6 cups radicchio

1/2 cup feta cheese, finely crumbled

1/2 cup toasted marcona almonds

Procedure:

Whisk together vinegar, lavender honey, juice and salt, then add extra-virgin olive oil in a steam, whisking until emulsified. Salt and pepper vinaigrette to taste. Cut each peach into 6 wedges. In a mixing bowl, toss the butter lettuce and radicchio with lavender honey vinaigrette. On a place layer the greens, prosciutto and peaches topped with crumbles feta cheese and marcona almonds.

Posted By: Ashley Nicole

Grape Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese-Evandro Caregnato-Texas de Brazil

1 1/2 C Red grapes seedless
1 1/2 C Green grapes seedless
1 1/2 C Mayonnaise
1 T  Lemon juice
3/4 C  Gorgonzola cheese-crumbled

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
-Mix well
- Refrigerate before serving
Optional Add-in:
- 1 1/2 C roasted apples (golden delicious recommended)

Here is a super quick and easy summer recipe utilizing the season’s bounty of tomatoes.

Be sure not to overcook the squid or your salad will be tough.

Recipe Provided by Chef Fred Mensinga – The Hilton, Anaheim Serves 4 Salad 4 leaves    Green Oak 4 leaves    Lola Rosa 8 leaves    Belgian Yellow Endive 4leaves     Belgian Red Endive 4 leaves    Yellow Frizee 1/2            Persimmon 4                Red Pear tomato 4 halves    Kalamata olives 1                Cucumber – sliced (to wrap the lettuce) 1                Parmesan cheese shell 4 oz           Roasted almonds – sliced Pomegranate Vinaigrette: 3 T              Pomegranate juice 2 T              Red wine vinegar 1 T              Honey 1/4 C          Olive oil Salt and Pepper Parmesan Crisp: 8 oz            Parmesan – finely grated Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and use stainless steel cylinder to get the shape.  Cover stainless steel cylinder with 2 oz of finely grated parmesan and bake five minutes until golden and crisp.  Remove cylinder when still warm. Method: Wrap lettuce leaves with cucumber slice. Place lettuce wrap in parmesan shell. Garnish with almonds, persimmon slice, kalamata olives, and red pear tomato. Finish with two ladles of vinaigrette.

Zov’s Bistro

Plate Assembly: Chinaware: 8” Squared Plate

Ingredients & Presentation:

Crust:

2 T     Ap Flour

1         Egg, slightly whipped

4 T     Panko Crumb (Japanese Bread Crumb)

1½ T Grated Parmesan Cheese Cut cheese into ½” by 3”.

Dredge cheese stick over flour then egg batter and Panko crumb with parmesan cheese.

Balsamic Reduction:

3 T     Balsamic Vinegar

1 t       Honey Pinch Salt & Pepper

Place vinegar on a sauté pan then place over low heat. Reduce to 1/3 liquid, stir honey in the balsamic. Season with salt and pepper.

4 each     Fried Haloumi Cheese, prepared

3 slices   Tomato 5×6, slices 3/8" thick

½ cup     Baby Mixed Greens

2 T           Balsamic Vinaigrette, prepared

1 T            Capers

1 T            Balsamic Reduction, prepared

4 each    Chives sticks, 2" long

Preparation:

Place haloumi in deep fry and cook for 2 minutes. Arrange sliced tomatoes on the center of plate. Build the cheese sticks on top of tomatoes. Toss baby greens with balsamic vinaigrette, place in the center of cheese squares. Sprinkle capers around. Drizzle the balsamic reduction on top. Place chive sticks on top for garnish.

By John T. Gelineau, a member of ACF Culinary Youth Team USA, St. Louis Serves 4 Pears: 2 Pears - peeled 2 C Port Wine 1/4 C Sugar 1 T Orange Zest – grated 1 Cinnamon Stick 5 Star Anise Pods 3 Whole Cloves 5 Black Peppercorns Panna Cotta: 1 C Heavy Cream 4 oz Gorgonzola cheese 5 sheets Gelatin 1/2 t Salt Toast: 1 slice White Bread 1 T Olive Oil Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste 1 t Fresh Thyme – chopped Salad: 1 stalk Celery 8 Grapes – halved 2 T Dried Cranberries 1 T Bacon – cooked & diced 3 T Red-wine Vinegar 1 T Shallot – minced 1 t Honey 1 t Sugar 1 t Dijon Mustard 1 t Parsley – chopped 1 t Fresh Tarragon – chopped 1 t Fresh Chives – chopped 1/4 C Olive Oil 8 oz Baby Greens Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste To make pears: Using melon baller, remove core and seeds of pears from bottom. Slice pears into disks. In small saucepan, combine wine, sugar and zest. Tie cinnamon, star anise, cloves and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth; add them to pot. Add pear slices; simmer mixture for 15 minutes. Remove pears with slotted spoon; cool them. To make panna cotta: In saucepan, combine cream and cheese; heat slowly, stirring occasionally, until cheese is fully melted. Stir in gelatin until melted. Stir in salt; pour mixture into 2-ounce molds. Refrigerate until chilled; remove from molds; reserve. To make toast: Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll bread slice through a pasta machine set to the number 4 setting. Cut flattened bread into four triangles. Brush with oil; sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Lay each piece over a rolling pin so it curves; bake on a sheet pan for 8 minutes. Cool; reserve. To make salad: With mandoline, julienne celery lengthwise into strips as long as stalk. Place strips in bowl of ice water so they will curl up. In small bowl, combine grapes, cranberries and bacon. In another bowl, whisk together vinegar, shallot, honey, sugar, mustard, parsley, tarragon and chives. Slowly whisk in oil. To finish and Serve: Place 3 pear slices on each plate. On one side of each plate, place toast topped with panna cotta. Toss greens with some of vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper. Place mound of greens on top of pears. Drain curled celery; toss with grape-cranberry mixture. Toss again with some of vinaigrette; divide between plates.

By Chef Thomas Keller

Serves four 4 Heads Bibb lettuce 2 T Shallots – minced 2 T Chives – minced ¼ C Italian parsley ¼ C Tarragon leaves ¼ C Chervil leaves ½ C House vinaigrette 1 T plus 1 t Fresh lemon juice Kosher salt Freshly ground pepper 1. Core the heads of lettuce. Separate leaves but keep each head by itself; discard outer leaves. Head by head, place the leaves in a bowl of cold water to refresh them and remove any dirt, then dry in a salad spinner. 2. Place the leaves from one head in a bowl; sprinkle with a pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper, 1½ tsp. each shallots and chives; and 1 tbsp. each parsley, tarragon, and chervil. 3. Toss gently with 2 tbsp. vinaigrette and 1 tsp. lemon juice. Repeat with remaining heads. 4. To serve, arrange outer leaves as the base on the plate and rebuild each head of lettuce, ending with the smallest leaves. House Vinaigrette Makes about 2½ cups ¼ C Dijon mustard ½ C Red wine vinegar 1½ C Canola oil 1. In a blender, combine the mustard and vinegar at medium speed for about 15 seconds. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in 1/2 c. canola oil. 2.  Transfer to a small bowl and, whisking constantly, slowly stream in the remaining 1 c. oil. Use immediately or refrigerate up to two weeks. Toss it right on over here.

Omega Salmon "Garden Salad"  8-4oz       Wild Salmon 1 C           Olive – dehydrated soil 1 C           Black beluga lentils – cooked 1/2 C       Champagne dill vinaigrette 1              Corn ear – shucked, blanched and sliced off cobb 1/2 lb      Haricot vert – stemmed & blanched 8 ea         Beets – quartered 1              Asparagus bunch -  blanch and cut 1              Assortment of Baby Squash 1              Radish – sliced thin 1              Avocado –  diced, sliced, quenell 3              Tomatoes – each a different type 1 ea         Capers. olives .artichokes 1              Red onion – sliced very thin 1              Bunch baby lettuce 8              Bunches hydro mache 1              Bunche hydro Watercress 8              Sprigs fresh basil 8              Seasonal flower blossoms 8              Herb Blossoms Champagne Dill Vinaigrette (Yields 1 quart= 32 1oz servings) 4oz           Dill – freshly chopped 1/2 C         Champagne vinegar 2                Shallots – finely minced 1/4 C         Dijon mustard 11/4 C       Olive oil 2 C             Canola oil Place first four ingredients in medium mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in oils and emulsify. Season to taste. For service. Or Place both in blender and blend for 20 seconds. Place in plastic bottle. Make every other day.   Olive Soil 2 C          Black Olives – minced Place minced olives on nonstick silpat and place in oven lowest setting over night Assemble In center of plate place two tablespoons lentil and spread evenly. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons dehydrated olive around lentils inside border of plates. In small bowls combine vegetables. In more small bowls place baby lettuce etc.  Season vegetable and lettuce lightly with fine Sea Salt, Several drops Oil and then several drops Vinegar. Mix Lightly and place abstractly in middle of square plates. Place freshly grilled. poached or seared salmon on top, garnish with sea salt, fresh herbs, blossums,flowers etc. Drizzle drops of Vinaigrette over the top and enjoy.