Soup, Salad and Dressing Recipes



We adapted this recipe from one by Terrance Brennan, the chef-owner of Picholine restaurant in New York. He tops the soup with strips of smoked salmon.
Yield: Serves 6
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 slice bacon, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
7 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
2 cups dried lentils (about 12 1/2 ounces)
2 large fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onions
Combine onion, celery, carrot, bacon and garlic in heavy Dutch oven. Stir over medium-high heat 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Uncover; add 7 cups broth, lentils, thyme and bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
Transfer half of soup to processor; cool slightly. Puree until smooth. Return puree to Dutch oven. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more broth, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.
Combine parsley and chives in small bowl. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle parsley mixture over and serve.
Per serving: calories, 272; total fat, 3 g; saturated fat, 1 g; cholesterol, 2 mgNutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit


 
Thai Style Chicken Coconut Curry Soup

servings 4
Ingredients
  • 1  cup  thinly sliced shallots
  • 2  tablespoons  grape-seed or canola oil
  • 2    serrano chilies, thinly sliced
  • 1  one-inch  piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
  • 1  clove  garlic, chopped
  • 1  teaspoon  ground turmeric
  • 1 1/2  cups  cabbage, sliced into 1/2-inch-wide strips
  • 1    carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1  cup  sliced mushroom caps
  • 14  ounce  light coconut milk
  • 1  pound  skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2  tablespoons  reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2  medium  tomatoes, cored and sliced into wedges
  • 1  cup  snow peas, strings removed, cut in half
  • 1/2  cup  fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
  • 1    scallion, greens sliced into 1-inch lengths, whites thinly sliced
  • 1  cup  jasmine rice, cooked according to package directions
  • 1    lime, cut into wedges, for serving
Directions
Combine shallots and oil in a large saucepan over high heat; saute for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add the chilies, ginger, garlic, and turmeric, and saute for 1 minute. Add cabbage, carrot, and mushrooms, and saute for another 2 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and 1 cup of water; bring the mixture to a boil. Add chicken and soy sauce and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in tomatoes and snow peas and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the basil and scallion and simmer for 1 minute more. Serve with jasmine rice and lime wedges.

Amartinez@assetval.com


 Sweet Potato And Quinoa Salad
For a range of colors, flavors, and textures, this pretty little salad is a tough one to beat. If you have leftover sweet potatoes and quinoa, you can whip it up in no time, but even if you start from scratch it isn’t much work. As is often the case, you can substitute millet for the quinoa if you like; the golden color is lovely.
Quick Info: 
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients: 
2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa or other small-kernel grain or 1 cup raw
1 large or 2 medium (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes
Salt
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup minced red onion or shallot
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic, sherry, or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced fresh chives or parsley leaves
  1. If you haven’t already, cook the quinoa or other grain. Drain in a strainer and rinse. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potato and dice it into 1/2-inch or smaller pieces. Cook it in boiling salted water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes; drain well.
  2. Toss together the potato, quinoa, bell pepper, and onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk the oil and vinegar together and toss the salad with about half of this mixture; add all or some of the rest to taste. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the chives and serve.
Southwestern Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad. Add 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced, to the mix, along with the sweet potato and quinoa; add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, chili powder, or hot red pepper flakes. Add 1/4 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds). Use freshly squeezed lime juice in place of the vinegar and cilantro in place of the chives.