The Real Housewife of Santa Monica

Posts Tagged ‘homemade croutons’

Simple Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

 

Sunday dreads sneaking up on me…you’d think after all these years I’d have come up with a strategy to deal with Sunday night?

Part of what makes me so blue on Sunday night is the imaginary (and real) To DO list in my head that I don’t seem to chip away at. Which is why I challenged myself to a salad a day in March. Knowing I’ve done one healthy thing for myself every day is a pick-me-up in itself. Anyway, make this salad & take it to lunch tomorrow. (Keep the dressing & croutons separate. Hell, skip the croutons or use store bought if you have no time to make them! But try to make them next time!)

 

If you are a Caesar salad purist (or snob), keep walking. Nothing to see here! This is a Caesar salad for people without much time, without any anchovies and who don’t want to eat raw eggs. (Though I have eaten and REALLY, REALLY enjoyed that kind of salad myself!) This is a Monday morning salad. Brighten up your lunch salad. Do something nice for yourself salad. Even when you’re in a rush salad.

 

INGREDIENTS:

3 hearts of Romaine

For the dressing:
1 clove garlic, minced
5 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP mayonaise
2 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 c parmesan cheese

For croutons:
2 c of firmly packed bread cut into 1/2″ cubes (a crusty loaf is ideal)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c olive oil
large pinch of salt

1. Cut the ends off the romaine and separate leaves into a large bowl. I used my salad spinner as even my wooden salad bowl is too small for these leaves.

2. In a small bowl, add half the minced garlic.

Add lemon juice, mayonnaise (sorry G!), olive oil & Worcestershire sauce to garlic and whisk together.

Isn’t this lemon gorge?? I picked it up at the Farmer’s Market yesterday after running like hell from the Cat in the Hat visit at the library. Kill me now.

While we’re on the topic of lemons, that reminds me, I picked up some limes at Trader Joe’s to make margaritas with last weekend. Trying to get juice from them was like trying to squeeze blood from a stone. Holy schmoley! I think we ended up drinking tequila & cointreau with a hint of lime.

3. Meanwhile, in another small bowl pour 1/4 c olive oil alone with the other half of the minced garlic. Let the garlic infuse the oil. Just push it aside and don’t give it another thought. That will be for your croutons.

4. Drizzle lettuce with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste and toss lightly. Use your hands if you have to and don’t have too many rings on which could be gnarly.

5. Drizzle some of the dressing (depending how much you like) over the lettuce and toss lightly again.

You can probably tell I added black pepper to the dressing but that’s b/c I like a lot of black pepper. Feel free to do that or not!

6. Sprinkle parmesan over lettuce and toss for the final time.

7. Back to the croutons. Are you with me? Drizzle remaining olive oil over bread cubes & toss with a large pinch of salt.

Spread out evenly on a baking sheet.

I baked them in my toaster oven since it was such a small amount. 375 for about 12 minutes. Taste one of the croutons after 12 minutes. If they are chewy, bake another 2 minutes. They should be crunchy.

8. Sprinkle croutons over lettuce. Serve!

Secret: The first time I made this I didn’t read the directions very closely and combined all the dressing ingredients at once: salt & pepper, olive oil, mayo, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. I even threw in 1/4 c grated parmesan. It came out EXCELLENT!! Today I actually read the directions (except I did the croutons a different way that seemed less labor intensive to me) and it also came out excellent. In the printable recipe, I give you the fast way. After making it the second time, I think I prefer the way I made it the first time simply because it’s quicker.

Simple Caesar Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

Simple, fresh Caesar salad to get your week started right! I sweet side salad for a luncheon or shower…
Ingredients
  • 3 hearts of Romaine
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 5 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 TBSP mayonaise
  • 2 TBSP lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • ¼ c parmesan cheese
  • 2 c of firmly packed bread cut into ½” cubes (a crusty loaf is ideal)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ c olive oil
  • large pinch of salt

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375 (for croutons.)
  2. Chop ends off of Romaine hearts and separate leaves into a large bowl.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cloves minced garlic, lemon juice, 5 TBSP olive oil, 2 TBSP mayonaise, ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp salt and black pepper.
  4. Drizzle dressing over lettuce. Toss gently (can use your hands). Sprinkle parmesan cheese and toss again.
  5. Combine 2 cloves minced garlic to ¼ c olive oil and allow a few minutes for the garlic to infuse the oil. Drizzle over bread cubes and toss with a generous pinch of salt.
  6. Spread bread evenly on baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes. Test one crouton. Should be crunchy, not chewy. If it’s chewy, bake for another 2 minutes and test.
  7. Sprinkle croutons over lettuce and serve immediately.

 

Adapted from The Other Pamela Anderson

Meatless Monday: Split Pea & Barley Soup with Homemade Croutons

 

Yesterday  in L.A. it was cold out. And grey. What I mean is, we had to wear socks & jackets. But we didn’t – we wore flip flops.

Anyway, what better meal to come home to at the end of the day than a thick, warm soup with homemade croutons? Try this for your next Meatless Monday (since it’s now Tuesday…)

IMG_1392

I made a barley vegetable soup a few month ago and it was really good but this one is WAY better. I had bought a bag of dried split peas a few weeks earlier because I thought they’d be tasty but I wasn’t sure exactly what to do with them. Since I still had some barley in my cupboard, I looked for a recipe combining the two and VOILA! With some adjustments I had a hearty, thick and really tasty soup. It called for croutons and since I didn’t have any I made ‘em! This is the first time and I want to tell you – make croutons as often as you have soup. They are REALLY easy to make & add that extra something that soup sometimes needs.

Here we go! You’ll need these items:
IMG_1336

SOUP INGREDIENTS:
2 c dried yellow split peas, rinsed & drained
6 carrots, chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 c pearl barley, rinsed & drained
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper, to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 TBSP olive oil
5 TBSP bouillon (I used vegetarian chicken flavored – you can also use vegetable broth or whatever you have on hand!)
10 c + 8 tsp water (adjust for desired thickness)

Let’s get started!

1. Saute chopped onions in the olive oil until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add crushed garlic for another minute. Be sure to stir occasionally to coat with oil.

IMG_1339

2. Add carrots and celery. Stir to coat with oil and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.

IMG_1340

3. Add split peas and powdered bullion/water to pot OR vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil.

IMG_1349

IMG_1346

IMG_1343

4. Reduce heat, add bay leaf and barley.

5. Simmer covered for about 2 hours.

IMG_1357

No, it’s not 1:20PM. 60 minutes + 60 minutes.

D’OH!!! That’s a long time.
IMG_1358

6. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add water/broth as needed. I like my soup sort of thick so I didn’t. Sprinkle some croutons on top & serve.

How to make the croutons??

You’ll need:
IMG_1364

CROUTON INGREDIENTS:
6 oz whole grain bread, cut into 1/2″ cubes
Olive oil
2 TBSP butter (or, you can just use 2 more TBSP olive oil which is just as tasty)
1 TBSP Dijon mustard

NOTE: I used one of my homemade breads that I froze a few weeks earlier. If it doesn’t get eaten within the first day or so, I freeze it for croutons. I hadn’t actually made any croutons, EVER, but I knew I would! That said, you can use any old bread you have – so next time you have a couple of heels from your Oroweat sandwich loaf – wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or a ZipLoc and freeze ‘em!)

This is so easy!

1. Preheat oven to 375. Cut bread into 1/2″ cubes.

2. Heat olive oil in saucepan. Melt butter in oil over medium heat. (Incidentally, you can also just use oil if you prefer.)

3. Pour heated oil/butter and mustard over bread cubes & toss to coat.

IMG_1369

4. Spread bread cubes across a cookie sheet evenly.
IMG_1371

5. Bake for about 12 minutes. Taste one – it should be crunchy, not chewy. If it’s chewy return it to the oven for another 2 minutes.

Sprinkle atop soup. YUM!

IMG_1392

My helpers:
IMG_0530

IMG_0486

5.0 from 1 reviews

Split Pea & Barley Soup with Homemade Croutons
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 6
 

Hearty, thick soup topped with crunchy croutons. Perfect for a chilly afternoon!
Ingredients
  • SOUP INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 c dried yellow split peas, rinsed & drained
  • 6 carrots, chopped
  • 6 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • ¾ c pearl barley, rinsed & drained
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-1/2 TBSP olive oil
  • 5 TBSP bouillon (I used vegetarian chicken flavored – you can also use vegetable broth or whatever you have on hand!)
  • 10 c + 8 tsp water (adjust for desired thickness)
  • CROUTON INGREDIENTS:
  • About 6 oz whole wheat (or whatever you have on hand) stale or frozen bread, cut into ½” cubes
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 TBSP butter (OR skip the butter and just add 2 TBSP more olive oil)
  • salt
  • 1 TBSP Dijon mustard

Instructions
  1. SOUP INSTRUCTIONS:
  2. In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil for about 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic & sautee for 1 minute more.
  3. Add chopped carrots and celery, sautéing for another 4 minutes.
  4. Add split peas and water/bullion OR broth (depending what you have on hand.) Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and add bay leaf and barley.
  5. Simmer for about 2 hours. Soup will be thick and cloudy (not clear.) Add water/broth to achieve your desired thickness. Or just leave it alone!
  6. CROUTON INSTRUCTIONS:
  7. Preheat oven to 375.
  8. Heat olive oil on medium-high heat in small saucepan. Add butter (or just double the olive oil and omit the butter). When butter is melted, in a medium bowl, pour over bread cubes. Toss to coat.
  9. Spread bread cubes evenly on a cookie sheet, salt to taste & bake for 12 minutes. Cool and test one cube. It should be crunchy. If it’s chewy, bake for another 2 minutes.

Notes
This actually might serve more than 6. Good in refrigerator for 3-4 days. They will stay good in the freezer up to 3 months.

Soup adapted from Food.com
Croutons from Annie’s Eats.



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...