Dinner, Lunch

Nancy’s Chopped Salad

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The Iconic Nancy Silverton Chopped Salad; simple ingredients exceeding all expectations for salad, as a meal and the star of any table.

Nancy’s Chopped Salad stands alone in fame above all salads, in my opinion.  Lauded by superior food critics and chefs all around, this recipe has been a favorite for a full decade; accolades including The Washington Post, Food and Wine, Sweet Greens (that carried the salad on its menu coast to coast), and countless sites that credit this salad for breaking the mold.  Truth.  

More truth?  My kids didn’t love the original – despite several attempts, I had to adapt it to make it work for all of us.  The tomatoes – they go on at the end after a couple have eaten already.  The chickpeas – gone.  The lettuce – I split the difference by reducing the radicchio and upgrading the iceberg to romaine to make up for all of those other losses.  In the end, it’s a great salad that mimics the great vibe of Nancy’s “famous” chopped – I hope you love it!

Nancy's Chopped Salad

Print Recipe
Nancy Silverton's iconic chopped salad - tastes like an old school italian sub, but better. This salad is rejoiced from coast to coast, for good reason.
Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword nancy silverton, salad, italian sub, chopped salad

Ingredients

Oregano Dressing

  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1-2 Tbsp Oregano I use 1.5 Tbsp, the original recipe calls for 2
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Salad and Assembly

  • 1 head organic romaine lettuce, shredded into thin ribbons
  • 1/2 head radicchio, cored and thinly shredded
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced paper thin
  • 1/4 lb provolone cheese, thick cut from deli (1/2 inch)
  • 1/4 lb hard salami, thick cut from the deli (1/2 inch)
  • 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini
  • dried oregano & kosher salt for garnish

Instructions

Oregano Dressing

  • Chop the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and smash into a rough paste with the back of a chef's knife to make ingredients blend into the liquid more smoothly. Put the paste into a jelly jar, and add the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil, and shake to combine. Let the ingredients marinate for at least 30 minutes on the counter at room temp.

Salad and Assembly

  • Finely chop the Romaine lettuce into fine ribbons, along with the radicchio and set aside.
  • Separate the red onion layers, and smash to flatten so you can chop into fine slices to match the other ingredients. Throw the red onion into a bowl and cover with cold water for at least 10 minutes; this will soften the bite of the onion.
  • Finely chop the provolone and salami into thin matchsticks. Toss all the lettuce, radicchio, provolone, salami, and drained red onion into a large salad bowl. Add the pepperoncini and dress to your liking. Note - you will have a good amount leftover dressing, which will keep for a week in the fridge.
  • Finish the salad with extra dried oregano, salt and ground pepper to taste.
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Dinner, Lunch

Southern Fried Chicken Thighs with Hot Honey and Siracha Mayo

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Shake Shack style fried boneless chicken thighs with two simple sauces to make it better than ever!

This recipe is all over the internet – it first came to my attention via Ina, of course, in Cook Like a Pro, where she credits the Shake Shack for their amazing Fried Chicken recipe. I tweaked this one a bit by increasing some spice, and chose chicken thighs over breast meat.  Some inspiration also came from Shubie’s in Marblehead, MA, where they always have delicious fried chicken thighs in the prepared food case.  Thanks Shubie’s!

The original recipe calls for splitting small chicken breasts in half, so the size of chicken thighs is perfect – no cutting required.  Per usual, I made a huge batch of this, because fried chicken is the best leftover food in the fridge.  My family prefers this made into sandwiches with a brioche bun, but I like it as is – with the hot honey drizzle and sriracha mayo to dip. 

The chicken needs to marinate in a buttermilk dressing for several hours, which later becomes part of the batter.  I added onion powder to the spice blend with the flour, and upped the level of spice all around.  

Southern Fried Chicken Thighs with Hot Honey and Siracha Mayo

Print Recipe
Tender, juicy, perfectly crisp chicken thighs with the tastiest sauce for a spicy kick!
Course dinner, Lunch, sandwich
Cuisine American
Keyword fried chicken, chicken thighs
Prep Time 6 hours
Servings 10 people

Ingredients

Chicken for Marinating

  • 3 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
  • 4 cups buttermilk
  • 1 jalepeno, split in half lengthwise
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp ground black pepper

Breading Mixture

  • 5 cups AP flour
  • 6 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1.5 Tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 1.5 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp cayenne powder
  • 2 tsp celery salt
  • 1 Tbsp onion powder
  • 2 quarts canola oil, for frying

Hot Honey

  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tsp siracha sauce
  • 2 tsp tabasco sauce
  • 1/2 tsp paprika

Siracha Mayo

  • 1/2 cup good quality mayo
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp siracha

Instructions

  • Trim the chicken thighs of any excess skin or fat, and place in a large dish for marinating (I use a 9 x 12 baking dish).
  • Stir together the buttermilk, split jalepeno, sliced shallot, smashed garlic, salt and pepper, and pour over the chicken and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but up to overnight.
  • When ready to cook, heat the canola oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat to a temperature of 350 degrees, using a cooking themometer that is accurate. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees, and ready a sheet pan with a wire rack set inside.
  • In a large shallow dish, combine all of the dry ingredients (flour through onion powder) for the batter, using a wire whisk to stir. Lift the chicken pieces out of the marinade, dredge through the flour mixture, then repeat with another dip into the buttermilk marinade, and the flour again - this double dip is what gives the flaky crust such an incredible texture. Carefully lower no more than three pieces of chicken into the hot oil at a time, cooking for five minutes total, flipping once through. When done, place on the sheet pan and sprinkle with kosher salt.. Keep warm in the oven while you finish the rest of the chicken and make the sauces (below).
  • To serve, enjoy the chicken warm, room temerature, or even cold, drizzled with the hot honey and dipped into the siracha mayo. This also clearly makes a fabulous sandwhich!

Hot Honey Sauce

  • Stir the honey, siracha, tabasco, and paprika together in a small jar.

Siracha Mayo

  • Combine the mayo, honey, siracha, and fresh lemon juice in a small bowl.

Notes

I find it's easier to double dip back into the buttermilk if I remove all of the chicken to another bowl before dredging, leaving the marinade for double dipping on its own.  
Also, because the chicken cooks so quickly, I try to use my timer on my iPhone so I can see when I hit the half way point for flipping, and make sure I don't over cook it!
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Dinner, Lunch

Feeding Teams!

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Finding our way back to team dinners and gatherings with friends – this recipe is foolproof (from Ina herself), economical, fits most dietary needs, and makes teenagers happy! Baked Potatoes with Chive Yogurt Sauce – classic and timeless. Welcome back to the spotlight!

Our kids enjoy playing sports, and it’s been a while since we have seen everyone gather together for a team dinner.  We knew exactly what to make when this crew joined us – classic baked potatoes for a crowd.  A Barefoot Contessa recipe that is on repeat in our home, served up with yogurt chive sauce, a big Caesar salad and homemade ice cream sandwiches (recipes coming soon!).  The best part is, if you have a large cooler, you have a warming oven to make this ahead!

The chive yogurt sauce is key here – a slightly healthier take on sour cream that brings a thick consistency with the tang of greek yogurt.  Plenty of salt and pepper and fresh chives round it out – this makes a great dip for cut veggies and pita chips as a snack or appetizer too.

I find this recipe is perfect for crowds with differing dietary needs – it’s vegetarian, gluten free, and if you expand your toppings you can satisfy meat eaters with chopped bacon,  sautéed ground beef, or even buffalo chicken and cheese.  It fills everyone up, and is a nice change from the typical pasta and pizza dinners we often use for crowds of athletes.  I think baked potatoes deserve to be back in the spotlight – 80’s style.

Note that the recipe below is meant to feed 20 hungry teenagers – you should scale back for a family dinner – or not?  They make great leftovers!

Baked Potatoes with Chive Yogurt Sauce

Print Recipe
Old school baked russets with a sour cream and yogurt topping, flecked with chives, salt and pepper - a classic that deserves to be back in the spotlight!
Course Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword baked potato, potato, sour cream, chives
Servings 20 people

Ingredients

  • 15 lbs Russet Potatoes
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 24 oz Sour Cream
  • 24 oz Plain greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 Tbsp cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees, placing two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the space.
  • Scrub the potatoes clean and allow to dry fully. Pierce each potato several times with a fork to prevent explosions, and help with even heating. Place the potatoes on two 1/2 sheet baking pans, allowing for a little space between the potatoes. Drizzle the olive oil between the two pans, rubbing to coat the poatatoes evenly all around. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt. This seems like a lot, and while it doesn't permeate the potatoes, it creates a flavorful crust on the skins.
  • Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the potatoes register 210 degrees. Let them rest, covered loosely with foil until ready to use. (See note about keeping warm for longer periods of time below!)
  • While the potatoes are cooking, combine the yogurt, sour cream, salt, pepper, and chives - chill until ready to eat.
  • Dollop each potato generously with the chive sauce - enjoy!

Notes

This is an incredibly easy recipe to multiply or scale back - the cooking times are all the same.  If you need to cook the potatoes well in advance, you can use a large cooler (hard pack not a soft cooler) to keep them warm.  This works for all kinds of foods - consider for Thanksgiving with side dishes!  Simply fill the lower third of the cooler with hot water for 15 minutes, empty the cooler and dry fully, then load the potatoes and close the lid.  Instant warming oven!  Will keep for an hour or two as needed.  
Recipe credit - This is a classic Barefoot Contessa Recipe - CGBC (Cooking Goddess, Barefoot Contessa).  It has become our go-to team dinners for the kids sports gatherings. Thanks INA!
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Lunch

Maine Lobster Rolls

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There’s something about being from Maine that makes you feel slightly superior in a few areas of food – this is one of them.   Tasty lobster is allowed to be the star with only the best ingredients folded into a brioche bun – simplicity rules when you have lobster as the main ingredient.  These are easy and can be made ahead earlier in the day.

Lobster was a big part of my childhood in Maine – we spent our summers at Ocean Point, where my family celebrated all the milestones (graduations, Labor Day, birthdays, etc.) by having a lobster bake on the rocks in front of our house.  I will definitely do a post on this later!  Ironically, I hated lobster until I went to college.  I would eat the potatoes, the sausage, the corn, and pretty much everything else out of that lobster bake – but not the lobster.  Things have changed. I’m happy to say that my love of lobster is big, and nothing beats a good lobster roll.  The best part is this is a year round treat (we have them for dinner on Christmas Eve!) that never disappoints, and always feels special.  Last weekend, I saw my parents in person for the first time in 8 months, and this was the perfect meal for that day!  Thanks for bringing the fresh lobster meat from Maine, Mom & Dad!!

The ingredients I find essential are the usual suspects – celery and mayonnaise, along with fresh lemon juice and capers, chives, salt and pepper.  If you can find Kewpie mayo, it’s a worthy splurge for the fancy lobster.  I order it on amazon – it’s a Japanese spread that is used by chefs all over the world, touted for it’s tangy flavor.

Maine Lobster Rolls

Print Recipe
Lumps of fresh lobster meat bathed in mayo with lemon juice and capers - letting simple ingredients shine in the classic coastal lunch treat.
Course Lunch, Main Course, sandwich
Cuisine American
Keyword brioche, lobster, rolls, sandwich
Servings 6
Cost Yikes! Don't ask.

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs fresh cooked lobster meat
  • 1/2 cup mayo Kewpie Mayo is great here
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1 Tbsp drained capers
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives plus more for topping
  • 1/2 tsp celery salt
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Chop the lobster meat to your liking - I like to leave some pieces bigger than others. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the mayo, celery, lemon juice, capers, chives, celery salt and salt and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Add the lobster meat and toss to coat in the mayonnaise mixture. At this point you can set this in the fridge until you are ready to eat - I find the flavors develop after sitting for about 30 minutes.
  • Divide the mixture between 6 split brioche rolls - top with more chives. Enjoy!

Notes

Don't make more than 6 hours in advance as the acid from the lemon juice will start to break down the lobster meat.  
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