Grilled Veggie Salad with Vinaigrette

Made this to bring to the Summer on the Bay performance of the Symphony.  It was S’s first experience seeing the local symphony.  It was such a gorgeous night on the bay.  A wonderful event.

For 4 small meal servings

• Eggplant, cut crosswise in 1/2 inch thick slices (only need about half)
• 2 zucchini, cut crosswise diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 2 portabello mushroom caps
• 2 red bell pepper left whole
• 1 cup cherry tomato
• salad greens
• basil leaves
• Cilantro
• 3 ounces goat cheese

Dressing

• Balsamic vinegar
• Splash red wine vinegar
• Olive oil
• Dijon mustard
• Salt, pepper
• Thyme

Grill eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini (oiled and seasoned) until they develop nice grill marks, but still firm and can hold their shape

For the bell pepper, roast whole on the grill until charred and soft

For the tomatoes, oil and season and place on parchment lined quarter sheet pan and roast at 400 degrees until they start letting out their juices and shrivel

Let the veggies cool to room temperature and cut into 3/4 inch chunks. Leave tomatoes whole

Assemble dressing in a Mason jar.  Shake to emulsify.

Assembly:  Add a few tablespoons of dressing to grilled veggies. Toss to coat.

Add remaining dressing to a bowl containing salad greens, goat cheese, cilantro and basil (lots of basil!).  Toss well.

Plate the greens, then the grilled veggies on top

 

Soba Noodle Salad

Cold, light and refreshing.  A great mayo-free alternative to pasta salad.  The noodles drink up a lot of dressing and needs lots of seasoning.

• 12 ounces soba noodles, cooked and rinsed thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking process
• sesame oil
• soy sauce
• honey
• rice wine vinegar
• grated ginger
• grated garlic
• chili sauce, optional
• chopped green onion
• salt, pepper
• red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• carrot, julienned
• sugar snaps thinly sliced
• sesame seeds

Make dressing (oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, chili sauce, salt, pepper) and make overly salty to ensure adequate seasoning of the noodles

Pour over the noodles and mix to ensure that the noodles are well-coated

Add veggies and mix

Top with more green onions and sprinkle sesame seeds

 

No-Cream Mushroom Soup

Little S loves mushrooms, so this was a hit!  We actually used it as a sauce for store bought mushroom ravioli.  Great Meatless Monday meal.

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 4 oz Japanese shemeji mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 cups low sodium chicken stock

1. Add 2 tbsp butter to a medium pot and heat on medium
2. Once melted, add onions and cook until softened, about 7 minutes
3. Add remaining butter and oil.  Add garlic, thyme and mushrooms.  Cook until mushrooms are soft, stirring often.  Do not allow onions to burn.
4. Sprinkle flour and stir to cook
5. Add chicken broth and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Take soup off the heat.  Remove some of the mushrooms for garnish.  Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.