Mr. Gooch Cooks - A Super Salad

This last week Mr. Gooch surprised me with having dinner ready when I got home from work.  While that was wonderful all in its own, it was the salad that made it absolutely memorable.

Who knew that apples, bacon, romaine and smokey seasoned ranch could combine for such tastiness?   I mean, I am a firm believer that bacon makes everything better, but in this case, it is definitely true.

The sweetness of the apples, along with the saltiness of the bacon, added to the cool romaine and the slight smokey heat of the dressing combine to make a salad worth making again and again.

Ingredients
3 pieces of bacon
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped, washed and dried
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1 teaspoon Northwood Fire seasoning
1 apple cored and sliced into 4 slices lengthwise
1/4 cup cashews, chopped

Directions
Combine ranch and Northwoods fire in a small bowl, set aside.
Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp.  Set aside to cool.
Place apple slices in skillet with bacon fat, cooking for about 1 minute on each side. Set aside to cool.
Wipe out skillet and place cashews, toasting lightly.  Set aside to cool.
Chop bacon and apples into small pieces.
In a large bowl, combine romaine, apples, bacon and dressing, tossing lightly.
Once tossed, add cashews.
Serve.

Mr. Gooch Cooks - Cucumber & Pepper Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

The night that I made Beef Meatballs in Marinara over Rigatoni, Mr. Gooch made this tasty salad.  I had been out running some errands at Home Depot (I swear that I am in that place weekly), Hobby Lobby, the grocery, and the bank.  So coming home to flowers and dinner already started was so sweet.

The best part of the deal?  This recipe is quick, easy and tasty. So if you need to whip up a quick salad that is an alternative to the usual lettuce based version, this is for you.

Cucumber & Pepper Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
(Source:  Depths of Mr. Gooch's Brain)
Ingredients
1 red pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 yellow pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 orange pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cucumber, quartered and cut into bite sized pieces
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Italian Herb Blend

Directions
Place peppers and cucumbers in a large ceramic bowl.
Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs in a small bowl. 
Mix thoroughly.
Pour over peppers and cucumbers.
Stir to coat.

For best flavor, place in fridge and allow flavors to meld for an hour or more.

Herbed Tuna Steak on a Bed of Fresh Greens

I thought the title would make our tuna steak salad sound a bit fancier.  I started with this recipe for Grilled Herbed Tuna that I found on Erica's Kitchen Adventures and aded our own twists.

First, the weather was not cooperating the day we had planned to eat this meal.  Since that meant no grilling, I whipped out our grilling pan so we be able to cook the tuna steak in a similar way.  Next, I used dried herbs, ground them in a coffee grinder to make a rub instead of using the herbs crushed and placed on the fish.  I also added a little rosemary and garlic powder (left over from a previous dish).  Finally, since we didn't have the fresh herbs, we skipped those all together.

With theser changes, the tuna was quite tasty.  However, I was a bit rushed so didn't get a chance to take the tuna steak out of the fridge and let it warm slightly.   This resulted in a cool center since our tuna steak was quite thick and we did not want to overcook the outside.  If I were to make this again, I would cut the steak in half so it was not so thick. 

Herbed Tuna Steak on a Bed of Fresh Greens
(Source: Modified from Erica's Kitchen Adventures)
Ingredients:
1 Tuna Steak (max of 1" thick)
1 T Dried Thyme
1/2 T Kosher Salt
1/2 T Lemon Pepper
1/2 T Dried Rosemary
1/2 T Garlic Powder
1 T Olive Oil
1 Head Romaine Lettuce, washed and shredded
Salad dressing of your choice (we used a light Ceasar)

Directions:
Preheat grill pan to medium/medium-high heat.
Mix together herbs and salt.
Grind in a coffee grinder until powdered.
Coat the tuna with oil and the rub with the powdered herb mixture, coating both sides and the edges.
Place tuna steak on grill pan.
Grill for about 2-3 minutes per side, including the edges, depending on thickness and how you like it cooked.

Slice thinly and place on a bed of greens.

Serve.

A Fruity Cole Slaw - Not a Contradiction, It's a Tasty Treat

Now that we have gotten a handle on some of our home renos, we are back to trying new recipes each week. During the process of moving, unpacking boxes, spending too much time at home reno stores and little time on cooking, I had forgotten how much I liked flipping through my cookbooks, going through my Reader and surfing the internet for new (and hopefully tasty) recipes.

However, be not afraid, now that I have remembered those joys, I am back in the groove. We tried two new recipes last week, this being one, and both were great successes. So much so that they are going in the "regular rotation" notebook.

We served it with Crockpot Hickory Smoked Brisket and it was the perfect accompaniment to the smokey flavor of the meat.

The only thing we will change when we make this again is to find something (cider vinegar maybe), to give it some bite. The sweetness of the apples and the dressing were just a little much for us. But we do like the savory things.

Apple Cole Slaw
(Source: modified slightly from Delicious Meliscious - a cooking blog by Melissa)

Ingredients:
3-4 cups chopped cabbage
1 unpeeled red apple, cored and chopped
1 unpeeled Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1 finely chopped yellow pepper
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste (we used a bit more than 1 tablespoon)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, red apple, green apple, carrot, red bell pepper, and green onions.

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, brown sugar, and lemon juice.

Pour dressing over salad.

Mr. Gooch Cooks (Multi-Veggie Caprese Salad)

Mr. Gooch liked the idea of his creations being out on the web, so he asked to be a regular recipe contributor to About a Bit of Everything. So here is his second installment.

Mr. Gooch is always using the kitchen like a laboratory. He sees a dish in the newspaper, a magazine, a restuarant review and will want to recreate it. However, he knows that in most cases he will have to make some changes. The reason: I am a picky eater. So to accomodate me and to avoid eating the same 7 things over and over, he concocts, modifies, formulates and creates like crazy. But he loves it. It frees his creative side and makes him feel like "King of the Kitchen."

Multi-Veggie Caprese Salad

Ingredients
Peppers (Use green, red, yellow and orange to add color)
Grape/Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Fresh Mozzarella, drained
Grated Parmesean Cheese
Italian Dressing (I prefer a spicier version)
Fresh Basil

Directions
Cut vegetables and mozzarella into bite size pieces keeping quantities of each ingredient about equal
Combine in large ceramic bowl
Drizzle liberally with Italian dressing
Stir so all pieces are coated in the dressing
Let salad sit in refrigerator for at least one hour
Prior to serving, stir and sprinkle with parmesean cheese and torn basil leaves

Add any cooked meat like chicken, beef or salmon to this to make a meal instead of a side dish.