Caesar salads are very popular in my home. They’re Ed’s favourite and I enjoy them too even though I’m not a big fan of leafy salads. I like to make my own bacon bits and croutons (see my crouton recipe here). Here I share with you my favourite caesar dressing recipe.
This is one of my (and Ed’s) favourite vinaigrette recipes. It’s very versatile. We love it on salad and for dipping bread served with shavings of parmesan cheese. Giada even suggests tossing it with pasta, so I used it to make a pasta salad recently. If you put it in a pretty glass container, it makes a great gift (it’ll look prettier if you throw a whole sprig or two of rosemary into the bottle). I’ve included this in gift baskets for various occasions before.
I made ravioli from scratch for the first time (recipe here). For the filling, I used porcini, chanterelle, and lobster mushrooms with ricotta, parmesan and goat cheese. I wanted to make a sauce that would pair well with mushroom ravioli, but there were so many suitable (and delicious) options, that I couldn’t pick just one or two. So, I made 4 different sauces. They are all easy to make and range from simple and comforting to sophisticated and fancy.
Mushroom Ravioli Sauce Pairing #1 is a comforting and hearty tomato sauce. It is the simplest of the 4 recipes. The tomato contrasts the creamy mushroom filling nicely.
Mushroom Ravioli Sauce Pairing #2 is a rose sauce. It is the only cream based sauce and it’s fun to make because it involves setting vodka on fire. This sauce is very similar to the sauce that I make for my vodka penne (recipe here).
Mushroom Ravioli Sauce Pairing #3 is a white wine and butter sauce that goes really well with the mushrooms. I like to serve this sauce over giant raviolis.
Mushroom Ravioli Sauce Pairing #4 is one of the simplest, yet the fanciest sauce that I’ve paired with mushroom ravioli. If only I could afford white truffles to go with this, because that’s how they serve it in some parts of Italy. I like to serve this browned butter over giant raviolis.
Photo above: Giant raviolis in White Wine Sauce
Firm polenta is perfect for hors d’oeuvres, fancy looking meals, and parties. But I prefer to eat soft polenta. Soft polenta is a simple side dish made with cornmeal. It also makes a fantastic substitute for rice or pasta when served with saucy or flavourful or meaty (or vegetarian) dishes such as stews, ragu, etc. A friend introduced it to me a few years ago when I was at her place for dinner. She served it with melted cheese and sour cream and I could not get enough of it. Prior to that, I didn’t think that polenta was eaten in any other texture than firm. I’ve been making soft polenta regularly ever since. (See my shrimp on polenta recipe here.)
I have posted two different recipes for soft polenta. The first is very basic and light, and I’ve included 2 different ways to serve it. The second is a rich, creamy, and heavier polenta recipe.
After I discovered that lima beans aren’t bad in a soup (recipe here), I tried eating them whole in a succotash. I was surprised at how much I liked this simple combination of lima beans and corn. This healthy side would be great for a picnic or a barbecue. I paired it with tilapia. My recipe was inspired by the Snapper with Succotash recipe from the Everyday Food magazine subscription that a good friend of mine gave me. This is a simple, one pot meal. One pot meals are perfect for weeknight dinners and this dish cooks in just a few minutes. It was a bit too healthy for me, though, so I added a creamy lemon and dill sauce (recipe here). I wish I could have taken a picture of the sauce poured over the fish, because it looked very pretty, but I accidentally dropped my camera into the sauce and broke it. 😦
When I cook white fish or salmon in a healthy way (ie. steamed or poached), I usually like to pair it with this rich sauce. I wish I could have taken a picture of the sauce poured over the fish because it looks much prettier than the picture below. But I accidentally dropped my camera into the sauce and broke it. My camera was just 8 months old 😦 (Canon SD1200IS, dark grey colour). I ordered a new one online right away.
Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce Recipe
makes enough sauce (approx 3/4 cup) for 2 to 3 fish fillets
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 of an onion, diced finely
3 garlic cloves, minced finely
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp dill, chopped finely
1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
coarse salt
black pepper
I love using blue cheese sauce as a dip for my hot wings and as a dressing on waldorf salads (recipe here). This blue cheese sauce is even better than store bought (in my opinion).
Ed loves twice baked potatoes. Back when I had more time on my hands, I often made these with mini potatoes for parties or pot lucks. It took a lot of work but people really loved them. They were so cute and so easy to eat. Recently, I made miniature twice baked potatoes (photo below) for a miniature bbq lunch.
I bought my Kitchenaid stand mixer in October 2009. The only savoury food that I’ve made with it so far is whipped potatoes. I love the smooth and light texture that whipping puts into mashed potatoes.
Cooking with Alison 