SUPER (EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK) SALAD

I recently came into possession of (yes, another way of saying I dished out dollars) a fabulous cookbook: Steak With Friends: At Home With Rick Tramonto. A cruise through its pages yielded a recipe for “Chicago-Style Garbage Salad,” and I had to give it a read through. Inspired by Rick’s variety of ingredients, I concocted my own version, renamed it something more appealing, and served it to family and friends. We had leftovers (that was one humongous salad bowl), but everyone went back for seconds. The only negative comment–if it can be called that–was when Senior said it was “too green.” But then, he does like his protein.

NOTE: Take a deep breath before perusing the list of ingredients–but, trust me, the salad that lands on your plate is worth all the chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing.

4 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped

3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

3 cups baby spinach

3/4 cup radishes, thinly sliced

1-1/2 cups cucumber, peeled and diced

1-1/2 cups roasted red peppers, chopped (I used ready-roasted in a jar)

1-1/2 cups celery, diced

1-1/2 cups tomatoes, diced

1-1/2 cups green onions, sliced thin

4 oz provolone cheese, sliced thin and chopped

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, sliced thin and chopped

3 hard-boiled eggs, cooled and chopped

1-1/2 cups deli-roasted chicken, chopped

1-1/2 cups salami, sliced thin and chopped

1-1/2 cups garbanzo beans (I used canned)

1/2 cup shelled edamame

1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced thin

1-1/2 cups croutons (I used Texas Toast Brand: Asiago Cheese)

2 tbsp parsley, minced

1) Here’s the easy part. Now that you’ve exhausted your cutting board, assemble your salad as follows: In humongous bowl, layer salad in order of ingredients listed (or however you like) and serve with your favorite dressing

Servings: easily 8 dinner-sized portions

Another Round Of Edits (AROE) ~ LADY OF CONQUEST: Chapter Six

On to the next installment of “Another Round Of Edits (AROE)” in which this author continues the process of editing the full manuscript of the weighty Lady of Conquest–133,382 words to be exact. The following is an excerpt from the first–there will be more–and most intense round of edits that will ensure LOC is fit and trim for her late spring 2015 release. UPDATE: First round of edits completed, 10,578 words cut. On to the next round 🙂

Edited excerpt coming soon to: www.tamaraleigh.com 

Another Round Of Edits (AROE) ~ LADY OF CONQUEST: Chapter Five

On to the next installment of “Another Round Of Edits (AROE)” in which this author continues the process of editing the full manuscript of the weighty Lady of Conquest–133,382 words to be exact. The following is an excerpt from the first–there will be more–and most intense round of edits that will ensure LOC is fit and trim for her late spring 2015 release. UPDATE: 8,350 words cut from the first 32 chapters. 14 chapters to go 🙂

Edited excerpt coming soon to: www.tamaraleigh.com 

Another Round Of Edits (AROE) ~ LADY OF CONQUEST: Chapter Four

On to the next installment of “Another Round Of Edits (AROE)” in which this author continues the process of editing the full manuscript of the weighty Lady of Conquest–133,382 words to be exact. The following is an excerpt from the first–there will be more–and most intense round of edits that will ensure LOC is fit and trim for her late spring 2015 release. UPDATE: 5,500 words cut from the first 24 chapters. 22 chapters to go 🙂

Edited excerpt coming soon to: www.tamaraleigh.com 

Another Round Of Edits (AROE) ~ LADY OF CONQUEST: Chapter Three

On to the next installment of “Another Round Of Edits (AROE)” in which this author continues the process of editing the full manuscript of the weighty Lady of Conquest–133,382 words to be exact. The following is from the first–there will be more–and most intense round of edits that will ensure LOC is fit and trim for her late spring 2015 release: Edited excerpt coming soon to: www.tamaraleigh.com  UPDATE: 4,000 words cut from the first 16 chapters…30 chapters to go 🙂

 

 

 

Another Round Of Edits (AROE) ~ LADY OF CONQUEST: Chapter Two

On to the next installment of “Another Round Of Edits (AROE)” in which this author continues the process of editing the full manuscript of the weighty Lady of Conquest–133,382 words to be exact. The following is from the first–there will be more–and most intense round of edits that will ensure LOC is fit and trim for her late spring 2015 release: Edited excerpt coming soon to: www.tamaraleigh.com 

Another Round Of Edits (AROE) ~ LADY OF CONQUEST: Chapter One

On to the next installment of “Another Round Of Edits (AROE)” in which this author begins the process of editing the full manuscript of the weighty Lady of Conquest–133,382 words to be exact. The following is from the first–there will be more–and most intense round of edits that will ensure LOC is fit and trim for her late spring 2015 release: Edited Excerpt Coming Soon to: www.tamaraleigh.com 

LADY OF CONQUEST ~ Available Late Spring 2015

SCALLOP-SHRIMP-BACON KABOBS

Summer is coming, and that means the outdoor grill is coming into its own again. And since I prefer working the grill when it isn’t blazingly hot outside…kabobs for dinner! What makes them so tasty is the bacon, though I did use it sparingly so it wouldn’t overpower the seafood. A winner!

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp minced cilantro

8 slices turkey bacon, halved horizontally

32 medium-sized shrimp

16 large scallops

1 lemon, sliced into 8 wedges

1 lime, sliced into 8 wedges

8 skewers (I used bamboo)

1) Preheat outdoor grill to medium-high heat

2) In small bowl, mix olive oil, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cilantro; set aside

3) Wrap 16 shrimp (reserving 16) in bacon halves;

4) Assemble 8 kabobs on skewers as follows: lemon slice, bacon-wrapped shrimp, scallop, naked shrimp, bacon-wrapped shrimp, scallop, naked shrimp, lime slice; brush tops of kabobs with half the chili-cilantro oil

5) Place kabobs on grill, chili-cilantro oil side down; cook 5-7 minutes; brush tops of kabobs with remaining chili-cilantro oil and turn; grill 5-7 minutes until shrimp and scallops are just cooked through; serve with a nice salad

Serves: 4

SCALLOPS WITH MUSHROOM-GREEN BEAN-KALAMATA BALSAMIC SAUCE

As pricey as scallops are, the recipe had better be good when I plunk down hard-earned money for these delectable treats. Enter mushrooms, green beans, kalamata olives, and balsamic vinegar. Good recipe 🙂

Note: Consider warming oven-safe dinner plates in oven (170 degrees works well) while you’re cooking. It’s very little extra work and prevents the entree from cooling on its journey from kitchen to dining room (no excuse for scarfing down your lovingly prepared creation).

1 lb sea scallops

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

2 tbsp dried minced shallots

1 tsp dried basil

1-1/2 cups fresh green beans, sliced into 1″ pieces

8 oz sliced white mushrooms

1/4 cup sliced Kalamata olives

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp minced parsley

sea salt

ground black pepper

1) Preheat oven to 170 degrees

2) Pat scallops dry (very important for a pretty seared surface)

3) Heat 2 tbsp olive oil (reserving 2 tbsp) in large skillet over medium heat; right before skillet starts smoking, add scallops and cook 1-2 minutes each side; transfer scallops from skillet to oven-safe plate and pop in oven to keep warm

4) To skillet add reserved 2 tbsp olive oil, shallots, and basil; stir; add green beans and cook 2 minutes; add mushrooms and Kalamata olives and cook 3-4 minutes; add balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and butter; stirring often, cook 2-3 minutes; stir in parsley and lightly season with salt and pepper; remove from heat

5) Divide scallops between plates and spoon sauce over those lovely little gems; serve immediately

Serves: 4