Fattoush Salad #SundaySupper

One of the things I long for during the long, cold, dreary winter is meat on the grill.

Nothing smells better. Nothing tastes better. Well, only if you’re a carnivore at heart, of course.

One of my favorite things on the grill is lamb … lamb chops, to be exact. And to bring this end-of-the-winter, let’s-celebrate-the-spring feast together for me nothing is better than a Fattoush Salad from Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson.

The salad is bright and fresh. Great, simple ingredients, simply dressed.

To make the salad gluten free,  just skip the last step and don’t add the pita bread.

This is another one of those do-ahead dishes that just gets better as it sits waiting for you to devour it! And devour it you will!

• 2 pita breads
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and chopped
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• Generous handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 6-8 T olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Salt
• 1 t Sumac powder to sprinkle over finished salad

NOTE: I used an English cucumber and had to cut it into eighths, not quarters. I find they’re much less watery.

Gently, but thoroughly, mix the chopped red onion, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley and garlic together.

Dress the salad with the olive oil, lemon juice and a little salt.  Refrigerate until almost ready to serve.

You want to have the pita bread still slightly warm and crisp, so this final step should be done just before serving.  Split the pita bread in half and toast or put in the oven for five minutes.  They should be crisp, but not completely brittle.

Using scissors, snip, or just break apart with your hands, the toasted pita bread into medium to small pieces and stir into the salad mixture.

NOTE: This was a lot of salad for two people. Knowing I’d be using the rest of this salad for lunch the next day, I sprinkled the pita shards on top so they would be eaten then and wouldn’t be a yucky, soggy mess in the salad the next day.

Sprinkle over the sumac so it is noticeable but not too thick.

This is part of another wonder Sunday Supper. This week’s theme ‘Free for All’ hosted by Beate at The Not So Cheesy Kitchen. Check out the rest of the posts if you get a chance!
Breakfast
Breakfast

• Dairy, Egg, Gluten, Nut & Soy Free Brown Rice Breakfast Pudding by girlichef
• Dairy & Nut and Sugar Free Blueberry Tangerine Muffins by Vintage Kitchen
• Dairy, Egg, Gluten, Nut, and Soy Free Homemade Mango Jam Recipe by Masala Herb

Main Courses

• Gluten Free Nothing Missing Manicotti by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Gluten Free Sun-Dried Tomato & Feta Meatballs over Courgette Noodles by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Gluten Free Pizza by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Dairy, Egg & Nut Free Balsamic Portobello Burgers by Curious Cuisinere
• Dairy, Egg, Gluten & Nut Free Mushroom Risotto Bake by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Dairy, Egg & Gluten Free Vegan Mac and “Cheese” by Webicurean
• Dairy, Egg & Nut Free Creamy Mushrooms on Pasta by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen

Sides

• Gluten Free Persian Cucumber Yogurt by Shockingly Delicious
• Gluten Free Quinoa with Olives, Basil and Sun-dried Tomatoes by That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!!
• Dairy Free Farro and Fruit Salad by Magnolia Days 
• Dairy, Egg, Gluten & Dairy Free Fattoush Salad by From the Bookshelf
• Gluten Free Chickpea Fritters by The Lovely Pantry
• Dairy, Egg, and Gluten Free Black Bean and Mango Salad by Soni’s Food
• Dairy, Egg, Gluten, and Nut Free Grilled Fennel Salad by Food Lust People Love

Breads

• Dairy & Gluten Free French Bread by Blueberries and Blessings
• Dairy & Gluten Free Crunchy Almond Sesame Crackers by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Treats

• Dairy & Gluten Free Individual Chocolate Pavlovas by The Girl in The Little Red Kitchen
• Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies by Juanita’s Cocina
• Dairy, Egg & Gluten Free Apple Almond Butter Cookies by What Smells So Good?
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almond Flour by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Nut Free Lemon Cardamom Wedding Cookies by Gourmet Drizzles
• Dairy Free Chocolate Gelato by Growing Up Gabel 
• Dairy, Egg, Gluten & Sugar Free Cantaloupe, Strawberry, & Coconut Gazpacho by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Gluten Free Meringue Kisses with Dulce de Lece by Basic N Delicious
• Dairy & Egg Free Vegan Everyday Chocolate Loaf by Gotta Get Baked
• Gluten, Dairy, and Nut Free Coconut Macaroons by Happy Baking Days
• Dairy, Egg, Gluten & Soy Free Tastes like Chocolate Ice Cream by Cookistry
• Gluten Free Enoki Mushroom & Pine Nut Quinoa by Family Foodie
• Gluten Free Mousse & Cookies by Ninja Baking
• Gluten Free Brown Butter Snickerdooles by Pies and Plots
• Dairy, Egg & Soy Free Chai Spice Coconut Ice Cream by Daily Dish Recipes
• Gluten Free Lemonade Dip by The Messy Baker
• Nut & Fat Free Chocolate Angel Food Cake by Table for Seven

Drinks

• Gluten & Dairy Free Honey Bear Smoothies by Neighborfood
• Sugar Free Strawberry Meyer Lemonade by The Weekend Gourmet

Roasted Baby Artichokes

Love artichokes. Love, love, LOVE artichokes.

And a stuffed artichoke is enough to send me over the moon.

When I saw the recipe for Roasted Baby Artichokes in Family Table by Michael Romano and Karen Stabiner, a collection of recipes from the staff of Danny Meyers’ restaurants, I immediately wanted to try it.

It should be noted, I already do have a favorite artichoke recipe from Lucinda Scala Quinn that I make constantly, but wanted to try something from my newly acquired cookbook.

Oh, wait, did I say newly acquired? Oops, no, ummmm, not newly, errrr, no, really, had it for ages. See, there’s a moratorium on NEW cookbooks, don’t ya know. So, I would never, ever … wink, wink, nudge, nudge …

Anyway, back to the artichokes …

It’s Mother’s Day. My Mom and I have decided to share the cooking for the day. We both really hate to eat out on holidays, love to be in the kitchen together and thought it would be fun to do. Mom made the chicken, Flat Roasted Chicken, another fav from my darling Lucinda, I was making a potato roast, another fav from Every Day Food and Mini New York Cheesecakes for dessert.

While shopping, my Mom saw and bought baby artichokes, the perfect side dish for us, and the hunt was on for a recipe.

Try this one, I says. It looks great, I says. Okay, send it to me and that’s what I’ll make, says my very indulgent, trusting Mom.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. Thanks for everything. And thank you for going through all the trouble this recipe caused.

• ½ C olive oil
• 4 T (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ¼ t red pepper flakes
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 12 baby artichokes (about 2 pounds)
• 2/3 C grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 C dried bread crumbs, preferably homemade or panko
• 1/3 C coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Place the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and pepper flakes in a shallow 9×13 dish or bowl large enough to accommodate the artichokes.

Prep the artichokes: Slice the woody end of the stem. With a vegetable peeler, peel the outer layer of the stem. With a sharp knife, slice the top 1/2 inch of each artichoke. Peel away three or four layers of the tough outer leaves until you find lighter green layers. Slice the artichokes in half lengthwise. Remove the choke, if any.

NOTE: OMG, according to my Mom, this took a ridiculously long time. You end up with a HUGE pile of leaves and stems and teeny tiny bits of artichoke halves.

Place in the vinaigrette immediately to minimize discoloration. Allow artichokes to marinate for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove the artichokes from the vinaigrette and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Reserve any remaining vinaigrette.

NOTE: This makes a lot of vinaigrette.

Roast the artichokes for 30 minutes, or until fork tender when pierced all the way through.

Meanwhile, mix together the cheese, bread crumbs and parsley in a small, plus 2 tablespoons of the reserved vinaigrette.

NOTE: We added a lot more than 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. The bread crumb mixture was very, very dry and it really seemed to need more. Personally, I thought the breadcrumb mixture was too cheesey, needed a little lemon juice or zest, and more parsley, but my Mom and I both try recipes straight from the pages the first time and then play with it.

Spoon the bread crumb mixture onto each artichoke, then roast for 15 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are golden.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Makes four to six side dish servings.

NOTE: Nope, not again. Dealing with the baby artichokes took any and all joy out of this recipe. Frozen artichokes make life easier. The stuffing, at least for us, needed a lot of changing. Lucinda, Rose’s Artichokes remain and will remain my absolute fav.

There are so many great recipes in this book. I can’t wait to try another, just not this one!

Cranberry Sauce

I have never quite understood the appeal of canned cranberry sauce. I know people who swear by it … whose families would call for a mutiny if there was not a jelled, can shaped blob on the table when turkey is served. Okay, you don’t want to go through the trouble of making your own, at least mush the canned stuff up a bit so it isn’t can shaped, rings and all!

My dad’s family has always been very fond of a cranberry relish, which is raw and really a bit tart for my delicate palate … hush up, all you naysayers, I am SO delicate!

My bestie Ernie gave me this recipe, and she gives it to me EVERY year, as I always misplace the scrap of paper I wrote it on, AND I ask her the same question every year after she sends it to me and I have promised to keep the recipe in a safe place!

This is so simple and so tasty and it freezes really well too! It’s best made days in advance so the flavors have a chance to meld. And besides, before you get down to the hysteria of cooking a Thanksgiving meal, this can be done and tucked into the fridge and you have a (false) sense of security that you’ve begun your cooking!

• 2 bags (24 ozs) cranberries
• 1 orange, zest and juice
• 3/4 C water
• 2 C sugar

Preheat oven to 350

Stir all ingredients together. Pour into an 8×8 Pyrex dish. Cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour.

NOTE: I have stirred this in the Pyrex dish itself and in a bowl. If you’re a bit of a messy cook, like me, the bowl is easier!

Let cool completely. Refrigerate.

NOTE: This will look very loose when it comes out, and you’ll want to call Ernie, as I do EVERY year, and say IT’S TOO LOOSE. But, once it cools it will thicken, I promise. You can also easily halve this recipe if necessary.