Spring Salad Cups with Tarragon Dressing
Bright, fresh and prettily cupped on a platter, this appetizer is guaranteed to please both in looks and taste.
This recipe makes 12 servings
Ingredients
2 heads Bibb or Boston lettuce
8 cups (2 L) baby spinach or mixed baby greens
8 radishes, thinly sliced
3 greenonions, thinly sliced
Tarragon Dressing:
1/3 cup (75 mL) extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tbsp (25 mL) light mayonnaise
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp (15 mL) white winevinegar
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
Pinch pepper
Preparation:
Tarragon Dressing: In small bowl, whisk together oil, mayonnaise, tarragon, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days; whisk.)
Separate lettuce leaves; set aside 12 of the best large cups. Tear remaining lettuce into bite-size pieces; place in large bowl. Add spinach and half each of the radishes and green onions. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.) Add dressing; toss to coat.
Mound salad in each lettuce cup. Sprinkle with remaining radishes and green onions.
Chili-Roasted Salmon
Because its flesh has so little connective tissue, fish is the quickest roast of all. Flavourful accents are incorporated into a stylish yet healthy meal in only 15 minutes.
This recipe makes 4 servings
Ingredients
4 4centre-cut salmon fillet, (1-1/2 lb/750 g)
1 1tbsp tbsp(15 mL) (15 mL) vegetabIe oil
1-1/2 1-1/2tsp tsp(7 mL) (7 mL) chili powder
1/2 1/2tsp tsp(2 mL) (2 mL) salt
2 2tbsp tbsp(25 mL) (25 mL) chopped fresh coriander or parsley
1 1limelimes, cut in wedges
Preparation:
Place fillets, skin down, on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Whisk together oil, chili powder and salt: spread over fillets. Roast in 450ºF (230ºC) oven for 10 minutes per inch (2.5 cm) of thickness or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Slide metal spatula between flesh and skin to transfer to plates. Sprinkle with coriander. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over top.
X-Shaped Cuccidati
Fig-stuffed cookies are essential Sicilian holiday sweets. Sometimes dressed with icing and sprinkled with nonpareils, these egg wash–glazed X-shaped ones offer a fantastic little twist.
This recipe makes 48 servingsTop of FormBottom of Form
Ingredients
2 2cups cups(500 mL) (500 mL) all purpose flour
1/3 1/3cup cup(75 mL) (75 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 1/2tsp tsp(2 mL) (2 mL) baking powder
1/2 1/2tsp tsp(2 mL) (2 mL) salt
1/2 1/2cup cup(125 mL) (125 mL) cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 2eggeggs, beaten
1 1egg yolkegg yolks
1 1tbsp tbsp(15 mL) (15 mL) water
Filling:
1/2 1/2cup cup(125 mL) (125 mL) raisinraisins
3 3tbsp tbsp(45 mL) (45 mL) water
2 2cups cups(500 mL) (500 mL) chopped, stemmed dried white figs
1/2 1/2cup cup(125 mL) (125 mL) candied orangepeel
1/3 1/3cup cup(75 mL) (75 mL) toasted pine nutpine nuts
1/4 1/4cup cup(50 mL) (50 mL) dark rum or amber rum
1 1tsp tsp(5 mL) (5 mL) cinnamon
1/4 1/4tsp tsp(1 mL) (1 mL) ground cloves
Preparation:
In food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter; pulse until in fine crumbs. Add eggs; pulse just until dough comes together. Flatten into disc. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Filling: In small bowl, microwave raisins and water on high for 30 seconds; stir and let cool.
In food processor, combine raisins and any liquid, figs, orange peel, pine nuts, rum, orange rind, cinnamon and cloves. Pulse until fairly smooth.
Divide dough into 6 pieces. On lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into 12- x 3-inch (30 x 8 cm) rectangle.
On floured surface, roll generous ¼ cup (60 mL) filling into 12-inch (30 cm) long log; place in centre of 1 rectangle. Bring sides of dough up over filling and pinch edges together to seal; gently roll into 16-inch (40 cm) log. Cut log into 2-inch (5 cm) thick slices. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
To create X shapes, make ½-inch (1 cm) slit in centre of both ends of each slice; pull sides apart to create X. Place on parchment paper–lined baking sheets.
Mix egg yolk with water; brush over cookies. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven until light golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool completely.
Courtesy of Canadian Living
