Sherri, Author at Splash of Sherri

midwest salad

Posted on August 4, 2020 by Sherri

Show of hands… who loves salad? See me waving over here – two hands up? Few things make me happier than a large bowl filled with a kaleidoscope of fresh colorful vegetables like this amazing Midwest salad. Why do I call it a Midwest salad? For one thing, I live in Ohio, so CORN! You’ll have to keep reading to find out the other reason. I like when there is something unexpected like corn, almonds, dates or goat cheese added in. Nothing like the element of surprise in a meal! This salad has them all and is bursting with a variety of tastes and textures and dressed in a heavenly dressing.

It is a little tangy from the crumbles of goat cheese, juicy from the tomatoes, has sweetness from dates, creamy from the avocado, crunchy from the almonds, and crispness from the fresh corn. I like to cut everything bite size so you get a little bit of everything in every bite. Topped off with a perfect vinaigrette and there’s nothing better. I wish I could take credit for coming up with it but I can’t. It’s another Northstar Café creation, the same place as my beet and black bean burger. They serve amazing salads and this one is our family favorite. It’s the type of salad you dream about.

One fun note about this salad… at each of their locations they name it something different according to the town or locale they are in which is pretty cute. There’s the Beechwood, the Townsfair, the Village, the Uptown, and the Liberty salad – I told you – cute. At my house we call it the Midwest aptly named for our location and an homage to where the salad originated.

I don’t think you can ever have enough of what I call toppings on this salad so I’ve amped it up a bit. I’ve taken liberty and added Persian cucumbers, my new favorite salad addition. I also made homemade croutons from ciabatta bread which when tossed in the vinaigrette = perfection! The restaurant uses a mix of greens with kale and some cabbage; I prefer a spring mix with some romaine and radicchio added – get creative here an make it your own.

Use whatever types of lettuce you like it’s really the toppings and dressing that make this salad sing. It serves two as a main dish as is or with the addition of a protein like salmon, cubed grilled tofu or chicken (omit cheese if adding chicken if you keep kosher). It also makes a great starter for 4. FYI, I know this is a really big salad – it’s just the way we like them. Am I right? Enjoy!

ingredients
7 cups any combination of lettuces: spring mix, romaine, radicchio, endive
1 cup cherry or teardrop tomatoes cut in half (or ¼’s if on the large side)
1 medium avocado cut in ½” cubes
2 Persian cucumbers diced
¾ to 1 cup fresh steamed corn* cut from the cob (you can also use canned/or frozen in a pinch)
½ cup goat cheese
4 large Medjool dates cut into ¼” pieces
1/3 cup lightly salted almonds very roughly chopped
1 cup homemade croutons (recipe follows)
optional added proteins: grilled salmon, tofu, diced cooked chicken (if kosher omit cheese if adding chicken)

café vinaigrette
¼ cup champagne, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup good extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I like Maille brand)
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
pinch salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

directions for vinaigrette
Add all ingredients into a mason jar and shake vigorously. Alternatively you can put all ingredients in a blender. Set aside until ready to use.

directions for salad
Add greens to the bowl and using kitchen shears (or sharp knife on cutting board) cut the lettuce into bite size pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients in the order written. Toss lightly and dress with vinaigrette.

directions for croutons
Preheat toaster oven or conventional oven to 350 degrees.
I like to use ciabatta bread but you can use any bread of choice like a hearty French bread or focaccia. Cut the bread into 1” cubes. Place on a cookie sheet. brush (or spray) with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a freshly ground pepper. Place in the oven and bake until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes tossing ½ way through the baking time. You can also quickly toast them in a frying pan.

directions for corn
I prefer steaming the corn, it maintains the vitamins. To steam: put 1 to 2 inches of water in the bottom of a pot. Put steamer basket in and bring water to a boil. Place corn in the basket and cover the pot. Steam for about 6 minutes depending on the size of the corn and how many you have in the pot. If you don’t have a steamer, you can take a deep pot add 1 inch of water in the bottom, break the corn in half and place cut side down in the pot so it’s standing up. Cover and steam.

cherry, tahini, date smoothie

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Sherri

Sometimes I make myself something that’s so delicious I can’t wait to share it with everyone. Last week I blended up this cherry, tahini, date smoothie at least a dozen times! My family loves smoothies and this one is a win, win for more than just breakfast or an after workout energy boost. It’s not only delicious and refreshing but super healthy and has three of my favorite ingredients blended together.

Cherries are my number one favored fruit, always have been. The sweet taste of cherries are not only irresistible but nutritious and contain a ton of health benefits. Some studies say they can reduce inflammation, improve sleep, boost heart health, and help you recover faster after exercise. I use frozen cherries to add to the frostiness and since they can be purchased all year, you can enjoy summer in a glass 365.

Tahini is like liquid gold and I add it to everything from dressings, and hummus to baked goods (check out my tahini chocolate chip cookies), and of course smoothies. It’s a puree of pure sesame seeds and tastes like a less sweet peanut butter with a sharper flavor. Aside from its appealing nuttiness, it’s a healthy and yummy way to add antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats to your diet. I’m a big fan of Soom Foods Tahini, but when I can’t get it, I like Whole Foods brand, or any of the Israeli brands I find in the kosher or mediteranean section of my local grocery.

Dates have become my preferred way to add natural sweetness without adding processed sugar to many baked goods and definitely smoothies. They’re great on their own as a snack because they are so sweet and chewy plus a little goes a long way. When added to a smoothie, they add little bursts of sweetness throughout, are high in essential nutrients, fiber, nutrients and said to improve digestion.

My cherry, tahini, date smoothie is a great way to the start, middle, or end your day! Blend these three powerhouses together and you have a unique, balanced, and nutritious smoothie that hits all the marks. Enjoy!

ingredients
1 cup frozen cherries
4 ice cubes
½ cup low-fat Greek yogurt (vanilla or plain)*
½ to ¾ cup almond milk** (depending on how frozen you like it)
1 tablespoon tahini***
2 medjool dates (make sure to take the pits out)

simplest directions ever
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

*if you want to make this vegan, you can sub nondairy yogurt or omit and add extra ice cubes
**feel free to sub any milk you like. I adore the taste of almond and oat milk so those are always my first choice.
***if you strongly dislike tahini, feel free to substitute cashew, almond, or peanut butter.

black bean and beet veggie burger

Posted on July 11, 2020 by Sherri

Looking for an amazing veggie burger recipe? Meet my black bean and beet veggie burger; it’s a triple B – beans, beets and brown rice. It’s my riff on the Northstar Café veggie burger, a Columbus favorite to both vegetarians and meat lovers alike. If you live in Columbus and haven’t had one yet you might not be able to call yourself a true Buckeye – just kidding – not really kidding! Northstar Cafe is our “go to place” not just because of this burger, but that’s the big draw. It’s always on the itinerary when friends and family come to visit which makes me wonder if they are coming to see us, or if it’s the veggie burger they’re after! We have literally driven straight from the airport to Northstar more times than I can count!

Wonder why these burgers are so popular and crave able? First off they are served on a buttered and grilled brioche bun and topped with white cheddar cheese. They’re hearty from the rice and beans, sweet and juicy from the beets, and have a warm smokiness from the chilies. The prunes are the one ingredient you wouldn’t think belongs, but boy do they! They add a sweet caramelized flavor which is surprising and delicious. It’s tender on the inside and has the texture of a regular burger. Once grilled, the burger forms a nice smoky charred outer crust. It’s this combination that make an amazing burger. together all of these ingredients give the burgers that umami* you want in a really good burger.

My take is so close to the original I even surprised myself! I have always had a thing for recreating food from restaurants and bakeries. Remember my copycat of the Little Eater root vegetable couscous? More recently I posted my version of NYC’s Levain chocolate chip cookies – I hope you have tried them! They should both give me some street cred. Replicating a recipe is like a food puzzle and I love puzzles! I take the original, break it apart, write down all of the ingredients I can see and taste, then try to put it back together again kind of like humpty dumpty. Then through trial and error plus many, many versions, a winner emerges and this is it.

There are so many reasons to love these burgers: they are super easy, extremely tasty, plant-based, vegan, gluten free (if you use gluten free oat flour), hearty, very satisfying and they have everything you look for in a regular burger with the added bonus of being vegetarian. My husband said it would be fun to call them a triple B burger because they contain beans, beets, and brown rice. What do you think?

If you’re ever in Columbus definitely check out Northstar Cafe and see for yourself why they are so famous. But in the meantime, give my black bean and beet veggie burger a try and you just might earn honorary buckeye status… Enjoy!

This recipe makes 12 – 5 to 6 ounce burgers.

ingredients
1 ¼ cups dry brown rice cooked according to package. Yields 5 to 6 cups cooked
1 pound roasted red beets or precooked**
2 cans black beans drained and rinsed (set 1 cup aside)
½ to 1 cup oat flour (directions to make your own below)***
2 cups fresh parsley leaves (will yield about ¼ cup minced)
1 heaping cup prunes (careful to check there are no pits)
2 tablespoons chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (I used Goya chipotle chili peppers in adobo and used 2 peppers and purred them with the mustard)
1 to 2 tablespoons Gulden’s spicy brown mustard
1 to 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
optional toppings: white cheddar cheese, field greens or shredded romaine, tomato, diced sweet onion, pickle, avocado
mustard sauce
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Gulden’s mustard

directions
Before you get started: Take a large 5 quart glass or metal bowl and set aside. All of the ingredients will go in there as they are ready. Prep all of the ingredients individually in a food processor (except the rice) then mix them all together. It may seem like there are a lot of steps but some ingredients are canned, and you can cook the brown rice and roast the beets a day beforehand.

ingredients for black bean and beet veggie burger

Cook the rice according to package directions, cool and add 5 1/2 cups to the bowl. Set 1 cup aside for later use if needed.

Beets: Cut roasted beets into quarters and place into the food processor. Pulse about 5 or 6 times or until you have pieces a little smaller than a pea. Place in the bowl. Roasting directions follow at the end.

Drain 2 cans of beans and rinse. Reserve one cup whole beans and add to the large mixing bowl. Put the rest of the beans in the food processor and pulse about 18 to 20 times or until it’s broken up but still has some bean pieces. Add the beans to the bowl.

the rest of the ingredients
Check for pits in the prunes then place them in the food processor and pulse until broken up to about the size of a raisin and add to the bowl with the beets and beans.

Puree the 2 tablespoons of chilies and sauce with 1 tablespoon of mustard. You could just use the adobo sauce if the chilies are too spicy. Mince the parsley and add to the bowl.

Add the rice to the bowl and pour the rest of the ingredients in as well. Using gloves, mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper then add the oat flour ½ cup at a time. You only need enough to hold everything together. Use ¾ to 1 cup depending on how wet the other ingredients are.

Mix thoroughly and make 11 to 12 (5 to 6 ounce) patties. When making the patties, try not to compact them. Form them firm enough to just hold together. If not using right away, wrap them individually in plastic wrap. They freeze beautifully in the uncooked stage.

to cook
Heat a grill pan on medium high heat. Spray the pan with cooking spray. Place the patty in the pan and cook about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. If you want cheese, add it after you flip the burger. Cook until you have nice grill marks.

to serve
I like to serve the burger on a nice soft bun toasted in a pan on the cut side. Then put the mustard sauce on both sides of the bun (sometimes I use guacamole – also delicious) place the patty on the bottom, lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles, and diced onion – However you like to have your burger. If you’re not eating bread carbs, try a roasted sliced sweet potato bun. I think that would taste great.

recipe notes
*umami is called the 5^th taste added to sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Real Simple magazine says umami usually describes indescribable deliciousness making something savory, rich, yum.

I like the taste of roasting the beets but, in a pinch using precooked beets are perfectly fine. Aside from canned beets, you can usually find the Love brand shrink-wrapped in the refrigerated area of most groceries this would be my second choice if I can’t roast them. Just make sure they are plain beets in water – definitely not pickled!

**how to roast the beets, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the beets off close to the stem. Set the leaves aside for another use. Scrub the beets well and wrap loosely in aluminum foil. Place the beet packets into a rimmed baking dish to roast in case any juices escape. Roast for close to an hour. Check them in 30 minutes and then every 15 minutes to see if a fork or sharp knife will slide through easily. Smaller beets will take less time to roast and may be done in 45 minutes. Larger ones will take closer to 60 minutes. Let them cool.

I wear gloves to take the skin off so not to stain my hands and I use aluminum foil as my base so I can throw all the skins and trimming away after. Cut the ends of the beets off, hold in a paper towel and use a portion of the towel to rub the skin off. It should peel off easily. For more beet roasting info check out this link from the kitchn.

***how to make oat flour Place 2 ½ cups of oatmeal in the food processor pulse a few times until you get a coarse flour it will yield a little over 1 cup. Set aside, this will be used as the binder at the end. My sister used almond flour in lieu of oat flour and said it was very successful. I think grinding walnuts would be really good as well.

ingredients for black bean and beet veggie burgers — ingredients for the black bean and beet veggie burger – very simple ingredients

If you don’t have a food processor use a potato masher or fork for the beans and beets (wear gloves), dice the prunes to a little smaller than pea size. For the chilies, you can use just adobo sauce the chilies are packed in or if you have a blender use that.

mini mozzarella caprese salad

Posted on July 8, 2020 by Sherri

When it comes to summer salads, I live fast and loose – especially when I don’t have a lot of time or ingredients. That’s when I throw something so utterly simple like this mini mozzarella caprese salad with tiny tomatoes and I think you’ll laugh at me if I post it so I often don’t. It’s a salad where I just throw things into a bowl and hope for the best.

Then I put it on the table and my husband says WOW what a great looking salad and asks if I’m going to put it on my website. That’s the game changer and dinner is delayed. The salad is swept off the table and onto my photo board ready for its close up.

This is one of the easiest and most impressive salads to put together so of course I have to share it with you. Five simple ingredients: my favorite sweet and juicy teardrop tomatoes, soft and creamy mini mozzarella balls (also called bocconcini), the addition of fresh crisp romaine, a sprinkle of pine nuts and a drizzle of sweet and tangy balsamic glaze. It’s what I like to call a 1-2-3 kind of salad because it takes about that long to assemble and has just about that many ingredients which I usually have on hand.

If you’ve never had balsamic glaze (also called a reduction) it’s a must. It’s sweet, tangy and great to have on hand to drizzle on everything from pizza and vegetables to salads, pasta, sandwiches, meats, cheese, fish, and even fruit. It just wakes things up and adds that extra something to take your dish over the top. You might become obsessed with it! You can make your own very easily (recipe at the end), but I always have a few different flavors on hand like classic, raspberry, and fig.

It serves two as a main, or four as a side dish that pairs perfectly with eggplant parmesan and pasta dishes. Some fun ways to shake it up a bit is by swapping in arugula instead of romaine, adding orzo, olives, artichokes, roasted red peppers, and sundried tomatoes for a whole new salad. The possibilities are endless – Enjoy!

ingredients
Two heads of romaine lettuce sliced into shreds (about 3 to 4 cups)
1 pint of teardrop tomatoes cut in half (or more if you like)
1 – 8 ounce container of mini mozzarella balls or mozzarella pearls
2 to 4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional)
raspberry or fig balsamic glaze
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
recipe for the balsamic glaze follows below

directions for salad
Wash romaine lettuce very well and dry very well. Cut into small shreds and place in a large bowl. Drain mozzarella leave whole or cut in half and add to the top of the salad. Wash and dry tomatoes, cut in half and add to the salad. Drizzle salad with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze.

I prefer to serve the salad at room temperature so the cheese is soft and the tomatoes are sweet and juicy.

balsamic glaze recipe
2 cups balsamic yields ½ cup glaze
½ tablespoon maple syrup (optional)

directions for balsamic glaze
Pour vinegar and maple syrup into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium and simmer stirring occasionally for about 20 to 25 minutes. You’ll see after about 15 minutes the vinegar will look like it’s starting to thicken.

Cook until it’s reduced by about ½, coats the back of a spoon and looks like warm honey. The glaze will thicken a little more as it cools. It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 1 month (if it lasts that long!). I suggest storing it in a glass jar or a squeeze bottle.

Variations: you can use any fruit flavored balsamic or white balsamic. Some variations: add 1 tablespoon honey, date syrup or brown sugar

levain bakery’s chocolate chip cookies (my version)

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Sherri

Levain Bakery in NYC makes one of my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookies. Today they are opening a location in Brooklyn, NY which happens to be my birthplace. Since It’s officially my birthday week, it seems bashert (Yiddish for meant to be) that I was already planning to share my version of their very famous chocolate chip cookie with you today – happy coincidence!

Why is it so famous? For one thing each cookie weighs a whopping 6 ounces, that’s a big cookie! It’s chock full of chocolate chips and walnuts more than any other CC cookie I’ve ever had. The center is soft and gooey like cookie dough, and the outside is just a bit crispy where the little knobs of nuts and chips are trying to escape.

I don’t usually like nuts in cookies, but these are a whole different ballgame. They add a nice texture and sweetness to the cookie if you lightly toast them in the oven (see recipe notes below). It transforms them from a light and almost waxy texture with a hint of bitterness to a sweeter, and crunchier tasting walnut. As for the chocolate chips, 3 1/2 cups of chocolate chips sounds like too many chips – said no one ever! That’s what makes them so ooey gooey good!

A couple things to know about this recipe before you start out. When you take them out of the oven they will seem just a little underdone in the middle. That’s okay, it’s what you want so you’ll get that cookie dough middle, they’ll set up a little when they cool. As long as they are nice and golden, you’re golden too! Some recipes call for cold butter, but I don’t think that’s what they use. I take the butter out 1 to 2 hours before I’m going to bake them just so they come to room temperature. After the directions I have included a few tips for success about storage, toasting walnuts, and about cake flour.

I’m really excited they are opening another location and wish them mazel (luck)! What I’m even more excited about is to being able share and celebrate this recipe with all of you – especially my Midwestern friends! Enjoy!

ingredients
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour* (I prefer King Arthur)
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened*
¾ cup light brown sugar packed lightly
½ cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks (chopped chocolate or another cup of chips)
2 cups lightly toasted walnuts**

directions
Preheat oven to 410 degrees and set rack in the top 1/3rd of the oven. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl add both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Use a whisk to mix and set aside.

Use either a stand mixer or hand mixer for this next step. If you don’t have either, you can whisk it by hand but will need to do it for at least 2 minutes. Into another bowl add the softened butter and sugars and mix until light and fluffy for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well to combine.

Add the flour mixture in 3 additions on a low speed and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts by hand making sure they are well distributed. Some recipes suggest turning the dough out onto a board and mixing by hand like Levain Bakery. This is a much smaller batch of cookies then they make and a spatula does the job.

DO NOT use a cookie scoop to portion the dough or shape them into a smooth ball. Using your hands or two tablespoons drop round mounds onto a scale to weigh out 5 or 6 ounces of dough. Then drop them onto the prepared cookie sheet. If making 6 ounce cookies, bake 4 on a pan and yield 9 cookies. If making 5 ounce cookies, bake 5 or 6 on a pan to yield 11 cookies.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown on top making sure to turn the pan ½ way through the baking. Don’t overbake, they will set up a little bit more as they cool. Let them rest on the cookie sheet about 15 minutes before serving.

To store the cookies, wrap each one individually with plastic wrap and then store in a sealed container. if you pop them in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds the chips will melt slightly and come back to an almost baked taste.

recipe notes:
*Cake flour can be found by the regular flour. It’s usually on an upper shelf and sold in a box. I prefer King Arthur brand because it is unbleached, but can not find it in the stores right now. Swans Down is fine too in a pinch. If you can’t find cake flour, you can make your own very simply. For every cup of all-purpose flour, take out 2 tablespoons and replace with cornstarch. So for this recipe you would measure 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, take out 6 tablespoons of flour and replace with cornstarch.

**To toast walnuts preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place walnuts onto a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes or until they become fragrant and lightly toasted. Take them out of the oven and leave on the pan to cool. Roughly chop them before adding – you want big chunks of walnuts. I just break them in half.

If you don’t want to add walnuts you have to sub something in its place or you won’t have the girth of the cookie. You can add an additional 1 ½ cups chocolate chips for texture. In that case, I would choose 2 different types of chips, maybe 2 cups semisweet, and 2 cups chocolate chunks or Ghirardelli 60% chips. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before baking.

Levain Bakery doesn’t add vanilla extract to their cookie. I added it to mine because I always add it to my CC.

My recipe is adapted from A bountiful Kitchen and Modern Honey Both really nice blogs. Thanks ladies for the head start!