I Heart (Easy) Salads

I really do. From May through October, my husband and I eat salad pretty much every day because we have to to make a dent in the CSA produce overflowing in our refrigerator. During those months, I probably don't talk with too much enthusiasm about said salads. In fact, I might complain about them.

And that's why I'm posting about salads today. The weather is warming up here in Minneapolis, we can smell spring in the air, our early season greens are going to be available before we know it, and I am actually looking forward to that!

Maybe where you live, greens are already available. (Actually the greens pictured above are from Wisconsin, but I assume they are greenhouse grown.) Maybe you need some simple salad ideas to help you work your way through those neverending heads of lettuce or bags of mixed herbs and greens. So here I am, at your service.

The salad of which we have some variation almost every day is almost embarrassingly easy: greens + dried fruit of some sort + sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds + dressing. But if we throw some fresh fruit in it for color, some herbs to add a little depth to the greens, and top it off with a subtle, vinegary dressing, it's generally presentable and tasty enough to share with your friends. So below is my formula, which you can take or leave as you wish, but I'm betting you'll take it at least a couple of times if you have a CSA membership this summer.

Formula for a Good, Simple Salad

• Mixed greens or spinach or chopped romaine
• Fresh torn up herbs (basil, cilantro and mint are our usuals)
• Fresh, seasonal fruit, sliced or diced (pears and oranges are featured above)
• Something crunchy: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts if you're not allergic, chopped carrots, radishes (featured above), slightly steamed asparagus, if it's in season
• Something with a little more texture and substance, if this is your main course or if your main course is light: legumes, lentils, avocado, homemade croutons, shrimp or chicken, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts
• Toss everything with salt, pepper, ground flaxseed and/or nutritional yeast before dressing
• Dressing - using formula below, shake everything in a jar or whisk it all in a measuring cup

Dressing Formula 1 (kind of sweet, good with fruits and seeds or nuts)

Equal parts olive, grapeseed or flaxseed oil + red wine or balsamic or champagne or some sort of flavored vinegar + fruit preserves. In place of fruit preserves, you could use honey or maple syrup or agave nectar, in which case you will want to use less than an equal part, probably more like half.

Examples: 1 T olive oil + 1 T white balsamic vinegar + 1 T fig preserves; 1 T flaxseed oil + 1 T strawberry champagne vinegar + 2 teaspoons agave nectar

Dressing Formula 2 (mustardy-herb vinaigrette, good for heartier, main course salad with legumes and croutons or smaller, simple herb and veggie salad)

Equal parts olive, grapeseed or flaxseed oil + red wine or balsamic vinegar or lemon juice

1/2 part dijon mustard

1/2 part chopped fresh herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram, tarragon) or 1/4 part dried herbs

optional additions: chopped sun-dried tomatoes, capers, minced garlic, minced onion

Examples: 2 T olive oil + 2 T red wine vinegar + 1 T mustard + 1 t dried marjoram + 1 T capers; 2 T grapeseed oil + 2 T lemon juice + 1 T mustard + chopped basil, oregano and sun-dried tomatoes + 1 clove minced garlic

Seriously. We eat some variation of this almost every day. And at least for the first month or two, we enjoy it!

Stepping it up a notch: Homemade Refried Beans

So even though I said in my nachos post that I couldn't make nachos for my husband's birthday because we already served nachos to the people that were coming over for the birthday dinner, it turns out that nachos were his heart's only birthday desire. And when my husband actually expresses a true birthday wish, I can't refuse. It happens like never. So last night we had nachos.

BUT! I knew I had to step it up a notch, so this time, in lieu of Amy's Vegetarian Refried Beans with Green Chiles, I made refried beans from scratch. Oh you heard me. From scratch! I grew the beans and everything! Just kidding. I don't grow things, except babies and thighs, but I did make refried beans from dried beans and they were great. And way less intimidating than I'd imagined.

As far as photographic documentation is concerned, well, I really tried. But refried beans are not the hit that they are because they're pretty.

There's my best shot. Literally. They look like... refried beans.

Homemade Refried Beans

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Yield: about 4 cups (which is way more than you need to put on nachos for eight people!)

1 pound dried pinto beans

1 bay leaf

3 quarts water

3 tablespoons bacon fat/lard/olive oil (I used the fat from the sausage I cooked for Aunt Judy's Egg Casserole on Saturday)

4-5 green onions, white and pale green parts finely chopped

2 jalapenos, finely chopped (remove seeds if you want the spice to be milder (like me))

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt & pepper

1/2 cup water (or maybe broth if you have some lying around?)

cilantro

juice from half a lime

Rinse and drain the dried beans. Place the beans and bay leaf in a large pot or dutch oven and cover with three quarts water. Bring to boil. You will hear a weird noise that I have never heard before when I've cooked beans - it is the beans jumping. Seriously. I am not sure if this is a unique characteristic of pinto beans (perhaps the reason for the phrase "Mexican jumping bean"?) or if it happens to other kinds of beans too when there is no pre-soak involved (I have never not pre-soaked dried beans before), but either way, it's sort of interesting (at least if you are me, and you stay home with your baby, and you sometimes watch Full House reruns on ABC Family to add a little dialogue to your day). Once the water boils, lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 2-1/2 hours. (As in "two and a half." Or 2.5. Just making sure my font is not misleading in any way.)

After about 2.5 hours go by, check the beans, they should be sort of peeling a bit and v. soft. Drain them. Add your fat of choice to the pan and add green onions and jalapenos. Cook and stir over medium heat until soft (2-3 minutes) and then add the beans back into the pan. Add the cumin, and a good few shakes of salt and pepper. Stir until the beans are coated in the oil and spices, then add the water or broth. Mash the beans with a potato masher until they are the consistency you want. Add more water or broth if you prefer a saucier pot-o-beans. Once the beans are mashed perfectly and heated through, remove from heat and add the juice from half a lime and cilantro.

I think that if you use olive oil, and add an extra jalapeno or double the cumin or otherwise spice 'em up, these would make a great nachos topping for vegetarian nachos. In fact that's what we might end up having for dinner tonight... because evidently we really like our nachos in this household.

Brunch Part 5: Sides and Game Plan

This post is the final installment of my brunch recap. In addition to the breads and egg dishes that were served, we had fruit and potatoes. I tried to keep it seasonal (and inexpensive), so I served my favorite citrus: Cara Cara and Blood Oranges, with some chopped mint, and some Wisconsin-grown red potatoes, which we quartered, boiled for about 20 minutes, and then sautéed and smashed up a bit with some butter, dried herbs, salt and pepper. (I was hoping to roast the potatoes but the oven was overpopulated and set at too low a temperature all morning, so stove top it was.)

In case you want to copy my brunch idea which I copied from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and together we can start a brunch cafe sensation across the nation, here is my game plan, inspired by Smitten Kitchen's tips on how to make a good brunch "and still sleep in"... and thirty-one years of watching my Mom entertain with gusto.

Days (or months) before: Make quick breads and muffins and stick in freezer.

2 days before: Cook sausage for Aunt Judy's Egg Casserole. (Btw, if you are making a tofu-based scramble instead of egg dishes, make two days ahead because that will allow flavors to blend and intensify. It can be reheated on the stove with some water on Saturday morning. More on that at a later date.)

Day before: Go grocery shopping for eggs and produce.

Night before: Make Aunt Judy's Egg Casserole and stick in refrigerator overnight. Rinse and drain leeks, rinse and cook greens, and grate cheese for frittata. (Confession: I scored the oranges the night before and put them in the refrigerator, thinking that would save me ten minutes in the morning. It actually made them harder to cut, so don't do that. Just leave them out at room temperature overnight.)

Morning of: Put casserole in oven about 90 minutes before guests are expected to arrive. Arrange breads on platters. Chill champagne for mimosas and vodka for Bloody Marys, and set up your beverage station. An hour before people are expected, slice oranges, chop mint, and arrange on platters. A half hour before, quarter potatoes and put them in a dutch oven on the stove to boil. Start brewing some coffee. Right before guests are expected, start frittata, which will only take about 15-20 minutes and is best right out of the oven. While frittata is in oven, pan fry potatoes and toss with herbs, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with a little water and cover pan to keep warm. The casserole can be kept warm by covering it with foil. If the timing isn't quite right, stick it back in the oven while the frittata is cooking. Both egg dishes should rest for about 5-10 minutes before cutting. I think that's all. Have fun!

(P.S. I don't know why the font is so big!)

Brunch Part 4: Aunt Judy's Egg Casserole

Aunt Judy's Egg Casserole is really a strata with a deliciously obscene amount of sausage. It is wonderful. Famous even. Of everything that was served on Saturday - and, actually, of everything that is ever served for Christmas or Easter brunch at a Lenz family gathering - this is what gets the most rave reviews. It's without fail the pièce de résistance regardless of what else might be offered alongside it. It is rich and salty (did I mention I love salt?) and perfect and I fear it will have to be a monthly brunch staple, based on the feedback I received from my guests, both verbal (OMG, Edith! That sausage thing was unbelievable. I keep thinking about it.) and circumstantial (not a crumb left), and my desire to meet my guests' needs. What I mean is this: after you make Aunt Judy's Egg Casserole, everything else you serve people in the future sort of pales in comparison. So be careful. I'm just saying.

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Dear Aunt Judy,

I can only hope to ever be a fraction as talented as you are in the kitchen.

Thank you for sharing your Egg Casserole recipe with my mom, who shared it with me. It's made me the most popular girl in Minneapolis.

Love,
Edith-Nicole

P.S. You should come visit sometime. My daughter is super cute!

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In making Aunt Judy's Sausage Egg Casserole, I learned something interesting: you can find organic cream of mushroom soup these days. Indeed. They had it at our co-op. Which leads me to believe that, yes, Jamie Oliver, you can win the revolution!

I bet you wanted that recipe though.

Here you go. Note: this has to be made the day before serving!

Aunt Judy's Egg Casserole
Yields: 20 fairly large pieces (but people tend to go for seconds)

8 slices bread

1 dozen eggs

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard (although I bet a tablespoon of wet mustard would be fine)

2 pounds seasoned breakfast sausage, bulk or patties, browned & drained

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 can cream of mushroom soup

6 ounces evaporated milk

Grease 13X9" pan. Cut bread into 1-2" cubes. Line pan with bread.

Beat eggs, mustard and milk. Pour egg mixture over bread. Sprinkle sausage and cheese evenly over bread and egg mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. (You can also freeze it several days in advance and thaw it in the refrigerator overnight the day before you plan to bake it.)

Mix cream of mushroom soup and evaporated milk. Pour over top.

Bake in a 300 degree oven, uncovered, for 90 minutes or until top is beginning to brown. Let cool for about ten minutes before cutting into it. I cut 5 by 4 pieces. They were big and popular.