Christina's Fennel and Fruit Salad, Two Ways

from Make and Takes

1 large fennel bulb, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced (peeled or unpeeled)
1/2 cup green onions, white and tender green parts only, sliced
juice 1 large navel orange (reserve zest for another use)
1-2 tsp. poppy seeds
dried cherries or cranberries
goat cheese or blue cheese, crumbled
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
a handful of raw walnuts or pecans

Toss the fennel, celery, apple, green onions, cranberries, cheese and walnuts together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, poppy seeds (if using) and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the veggies and fruit. Put a few big spoonfuls of the basic salad on a bed of greens and mix in.

Chicken Salad Recipe:

To the basic salad add:

A big spoonful of sour cream and/or mayo or yogurt (1/4 cup or so)
Chopped fronds of the fennel, to taste, but about 2 Tbsp. is great
A bit of grated orange zest
Cooked chicken (1-2 cups, canned or leftover is fine)

Serve on little rolls or croissants, or on its own, or on a bed of greens.

Christina's Red Pepper Risotto

from Pioneer Woman Cooks

8 cups chicken broth (low sodium if you’re buying it in the store)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 3/4 Arborio cup rice
3/4 cup dry white wine.
Salt to taste
4 to 6 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (any combination of cheeses will do)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional)

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium pan. In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium to medium-low heat. Add diced onions and cook until translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add red peppers and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Add uncooked rice and stir for a minute or two, allowing it to be coated with the other ingredients.
Pour in wine and cook for a minute or two.
Now, start adding broth a cup to a cup and a half at a time, stirring gently and allowing each addition to absorb into the rice. Repeat for 25 to 30 minutes, or until rice is al dente. (You might not need to use all the broth.)
At the end, stir in a little more liquid and turn off heat. Stir in turmeric if desired.
Add cheeses and stir. Serve immediately!

Christina's Asparagus (or Green Beans) with Pancetta and Goat Cheese

from Picky Palate

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 thin slices pancetta, diced (we used more)
1 Bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, about 1 lb
Pinch of kosher salt
Crumbled Goat Cheese

1. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, cook pancetta until starts to brown, reduce to medium low.
2. Add asparagus to skillet. Season with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer asparagus and pancetta to a serving plate and top with crumbled goat cheese.

Christina's Grilled Chicken Salad

1/4 cup grape seed oil or olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dried dillweed
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Montreal steak seasoning or Kansas City steak seasoning
8 cups spinach
3/4 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1. For vinaigrette, in a screw-top jar combine oil, vinegar, dillweed, garlic, pepper, and oregano. Cover and shake well; let stand 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken breast halves lightly with steak seasoning. Grill chicken on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender and no longer pink (170 degree F), turning once. Cool slightly.
3. Arrange salad greens on 4 plates; top with grapes, goat cheese, and pine nuts. Slice each chicken breast and arrange one sliced breast on each salad. Shake dressing and drizzle over the salads.

Christina's Veggie Frittata with Cilantro Chile Sauce

Cilantro Chile Sauce
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 small bunch cilantro
1 green (serrano) chile, seeds removed
2 pinches ground cumin
a couple big pinches of salt

Frittata

6 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 small potatoes, very very thinly sliced
1/2 cup yellow zucchini or cauliflower,1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
couple pinches of salt

Preheat your oven to 450F degrees. Make the cilantro chile sauce by pureeing the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, chile, cumin, and salt until very smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk the eggs with a small pinch of salt. Set aside. In a (small) 8 1/2-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil, onion, and another pinch of salt. Saute, stirring constantly, until the onion starts to brown, 5 - 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini (or cauliflower), cover, and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Slide everything out of the skillet onto a plate and set aside.
Turn down the heat a bit. Using the same skillet, add the eggs and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until the eggs are just set and there isn't a lot of liquid running around the pan. To facilitate this, run a spatula underneath the sides of the frittata and tilt the pan so the uncooked eggs run to the underside and cook. Drizzle the eggs with a few tablespoons of the cilantro chile sauce, now sprinkle the potato onion mixture over the top.
Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 9 minutes, or until well set and puffy. Add a crumble of goat cheese and the pumpkin seeds across the top of the frittata in the final 2 minutes of baking. Remove from oven (be careful the handle is hot!), cut into wedges and serve.