![Open-Faced Strawberry & Spinach Salad on Pita]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Apr 17, 2015 | By Season, Salads, Sandwiches & Burgers, Spring, Summer
You might notice that I love the combination of spinach and strawberries, but it’s because it’s a really great one. I know in a drink (like this one) it might be odd, but in a salad it could be just as odd to some people who have never tried it. Trust me, you really should try this. It may not be the best thing to take to work or school because unless you fold it or take a knife and fork to cut it (or pre-cut it) in a circular storage, you may struggle to eat in a mess-free way- sorry!
I used really simple ingredients that you can find pretty much anywhere:
They mostly came from a Trader Joe’s shopping excursion but if you have a farmers market nearby or grow your own, that would be so much nicer:
Basically, it’s just a few simple things- olive oil, lemon, salt (I used pink Himalayan salt, but you can use any that you have), black pepper, dates, whole milk feta cheese, strawberries, sunflower seeds (although any kind of nut or seed would be nice- almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc.). I also use Kontos brand bread because it’s certified-halal, which means there aren’t any mono or dyglicerides or dough conditioners stemming from non-halal ingredients.
Making these are pretty simple and can be doubled, tripled, etc. very quickly for a crowd. It’s a nice idea for a spring or summer brunch in that you can make this into a buffet and people can sort of create their own version if you have all the ingredients out for them to use. You can grill or heat up the bread first, if you like.
I put the spinach on the bottom, but even before that if you have a really good homemade mayonnaise, layer that on the bottom because once you add all the ingredients plus the olive oil and lemon, it’s going to be even more delicious.
Just start adding your ingredients from there, or as they say, ‘build your salad’.
And there you have it- just use a fork and knife to cut up like a pizza or simply fold it in half, and it’s pretty easy to eat.
I loved this salad so much that I’ve made even more versions of it- check back for more ideas and let me know in the comments section below if you have your own that I should try.
![Create A Beautiful ‘Eid Appetizer Table This Fall]()
by Yvonne | Oct 19, 2012 | Appetizers & Snacks, By Season, Eid, Fall
I love entertaining during the holidays more than any other time of year. It gives me the opportunity to do what I love most: make healthy gourmet meals for the people I care about most and to show gratitude and respect for that time of year when it truly feels celebratory and special. (more…)
![Sauteed Brussels Sprouts and Corn]()
by Yvonne | Nov 1, 2010 | By Season, Fall
Right now, it’s Brussels sprouts season and you can find them fresh at many local grocery stores throughout the Midwest. Places like Trader Joe’s even carry stalks of them this time of year. Unfortunately, Brussels sprouts get a bad rap because there used to be few good recipes to entice one into actually savoring what these little green veggies can do for the palate, when cooked well.
I like to pair them with other seasonal vegetables, in this case, fresh corn. You can even substitute the water in this recipe for some heavy cream, but the cooking time may be a bit longer and the heat should be lower so as not to scald the cream.
Brussels sprouts are a delicious and nutritious vegetable you simply must try. I couldn’t stop eating them when prepared this way and maybe you and your family will have the same experience.
Ingredients
1 pound baby Brussels sprouts
1/3 cup fresh corn
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small shallots, diced
2 tablespoons roasted garlic
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup water
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to top
Directions
- Clean and dry all Brussels sprouts and shuck corn from fresh ears if you are not using frozen corn.
- In a large saute pan, heat olive oil, then add shallots. Saute until they are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and saute until they are brown on each side.
- Add the corn and the roasted garlic, salt and pepper. Add the water, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes or until sprouts are soft.
- Remove from heat and place on serving tray. Serve warm, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.
![Farmer’s Market Salad]()
by Yvonne | Jun 30, 2010 | By Season, Salads, Spring, Summer
Strolling through the farmer’s market on a humid summer morning is enough inspiration to seek out the best salad ingredients you can find. I returned recently with beautiful radishes and purple scallions. Combining that with my balcony garden herbs made this a super local food.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash, cut and combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl. If making ahead of time, add lemon juice, salt and olive oil just before serving.
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![Asparagus Burgers]()
by Yvonne | Apr 23, 2010 | American, Appetizers & Snacks, By Season, Italian, Sandwiches & Burgers, Side Dishes, Spring, Vegetarian
Sunday we took a trip out to the Chicago Botanic Gardens, just to capture the budding spring flowers on trees and, of course, the beautiful, colorful tulips. We also saw asparagus, which reminded me of my mom’s recipe for asparagus burgers, which is one of my favorite dishes.
Here’s the beautiful purple asparagus plant I spotted on our last leg of hiking at the gardens. These aren’t the type I use in my asparagus burger recipe, though. In fact, I already had plucked my own bunch of green asparagus from the grocery store the day earlier, just to make the burgers.
Purple Asparagus Plant at the Chicago Botanic Garden
Use a deep and wide pan to boil the asparagus if you don’t have a pot especially for these long veggies
Beautiful Asparagues Tips with a Hint of Purple
The above photos are to show how I cook the asparagus in a large, deep pan. I cut off the woody stems and then boil for 20 minutes, or until you can pierce the thickest part with a sharp knife.
Boiled Asparagus in Blender
Add cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to the boiled asparagus
The directions below don’t instruct you to place the boiled, soft asparagus into either a food processor or a very hefty blender, such as this one, but you can. The result will be much more, well, green. You would combine all of the additional ingredients such as bread crumbs and cheese just as you would do by hand, per the instructions below. I actually prefer the resulting texture when they’re done by hand.
Make a whole bunch of burgers with your hands
The uncooked burgers smelled so good when I got up close to take these photos. I did it so you could see the texture of the burgers.
They are lightly fried until golden, about 3-4 minuts on each side. Remember, the asparagus is already cooked. Drain on paper towels.
I don’t really think these ‘burgers’ even need bread, but of course they do make a great sandwich. One friend even told me they would be great to ‘trick’ her kids into eating veggies because they will think it’s actually a burger. I think the trick could even work on any picky family member, too. They won’t be mad after taking a bite, insha’allah.
Asparagus Veggie Burgers
I grew up with these veggie burgers made confidently by mother, who often interchanged the asparagus with eggplant, depending upon the season. I’m still not exactly sure how she ever came up with the recipe, except that the breadcrumb base is the same one we also use for meatballs. There was no question in her mind whether or not we would eat them up.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
8 cloves garlic
12 ounces fresh green asparagus
1 tablespoon dry basil
1 tablespoon dry parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 cup bread crumbs (unseasoned)
1 large egg
2-3 tablespoons lightly flavored oil (olive oil or grape seed oil)
Directions
Roughly chop and dice the garlic. Remove the woody stems off of the base of the asparagus. Chop the rest of the asparagus into ½ in. pieces.
In large stockpot or deep dish, boil the cut asparagus in enough water to cover, about 12-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the garlic and all the seasonings and cheese in a large mixing bowl.
When the asparagus is done, drain it and allow to cool. Once cooled, add it to the mixing bowl and then add the egg.
Using your hands, mix and squeeze the asparagus into the eggs, bread crumbs and other ingredients. Shape into patties.
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil. Once it is hot, add the patties but do not crowd the pan. If you don’t have enough space, do the frying in two batches.
Fry on each side for about 3-4 minutes or until very brown on each side. Do not turn more than once on each side.
