Frantic Home Cook – Home cooking, Recipes, Healthy, Frugal

Yes, read that right.  No, you’re not at Martha’s site.  See, we had friends over for dinner.  You know how that is…when you pretend that you eat like this every day.

GUESTS: “Nice salad.”

YOU: “What? This old thing? Why, as we told our perfectly darling children just yesterday as we were eating  Sauteed Foie Gras with Peanut Foam and Pomegranate Gellee on Brioche served with Rose Scented Sauterne, that we really should do something a little more earthy and organic for our dinner guests.  Isn’t that right, dear?”

…When in reality last night’s dinner was like this:

KIDS: “I’m done.  Can we go now?”

YOU: “Eat it!  I didn’t pay for that Happy Meal just so you could play with the cheap plastic  toy.”

You couldn’t really serve your guests what you usually eat because maybe they don’t like Ding Dongs and Cheez Wiz.  So you fancy it up.  But since I’m not Martha, I made this.

Baby Greens with Berries, Candied Almonds and Panko Coated Chèvre

• 4 cups baby greens or microgreens, washed and dried
• 1/2 pint strawberries or raspberries, rinsed and dried
• 1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 cups whole almonds
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 c. sugar
• 4 oz. chevre (goat cheese)  – I like the logs s0 I can cut rounds
• 1/2 c. Panko or regular bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. flour
• Oil for frying

Chill your plates.  This is what Martha does, what good restaurants do and what you will do if you want to make your guests believe that didn’t eat in a Taco Bell parking lot last night.

Make the candied almonds

Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Toss in the almonds (other nuts would work fine). Cook and stir the mixture until the liquid evaporates and leaves a syrup-like coating on the almonds. Pour the almonds onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Use a fork to separate the almonds and let them cool at least 15 minutes.  These can be made ahead unless you’re me and you would eat them all.

Make your cute little salads

Here’s a tip for your greens:  Soak them in ice water.  It makes them crispier and brings ‘em back to life,  so to speak.  I have a salad spinner that I fill with ice water.  I place my salad greens into the drainer part and soak them in the bowl for 15 minutes.   Then I pull out the basket with the lettuce, pour off the ice water, put back the lettuce basket and wash and rinse the greens in the same spinner.   You’ll thank me later.

Put some greens on your chilled plates.  Top with the thinly sliced onion, berries and the candied nuts.   Put these in the fridge while you make your fancy schmancy fried cheese.

Make your fancy schmancy fried cheese

Cut about 1/2″ slices of the goat cheese.   If you use a knife dipped into hot water, it will help cut the cheese. (Fill in your own joke…I’m not going there.) Coat each slice of goat cheese with flour, shaking to remove any excess. Dip into the eggs, turn to coat well, then dip into the Panko, turning and pressing lightly to coat well.  You can do this ahead too and then refrigerate them until you’re ready to eat.    Fry them in hot oil (about 350ºF) until golden brown.

Place your goat cheese on the salad and serve.  The hot/cold thing you have going on will help with your Martha illusion.   Top with your favorite homemade dressing.

And do pass the caviar, darling.