Spicy orange salad, Moroccan style

A version of this salad appeared in the NY Times in 1980. It was by Craig Claiborne. I’ve rewritten it to satisfy myself. Castelvetrano olives are a bright green with a very delicate flavor. Whole Foods has them here in Denver in the antipasto/salad bar area. I like a nice big fat green olive (maybe stuffed with garlic or bleu cheese) in a martini, but not so much to eat by themselves.

My recipe calls for arugula, but we didn't have any. Substituted some shredded romaine. Prefer arugula

Spicy orange salad, Moroccan style (2 servings)
1 large navel orange, supremed
8 castelvetrano olives, pitted (or oil-cured black olives)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 t red wine or sherry vinegar
salt and pepper
¼ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp paprika
pinch cinnamon
pinch cayenne
baby arugula

If you don’t know how to supreme an orange, go to Google and type in “how to supreme and orange.” There are youtube videos to show you the technique. Alternatively, peel the orange well and cut it into segments.

Put the orange, olives, garlic, olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss.

Mix the dry spices in a small bowl, add it to the orange and olives and toss again. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Place some baby arugula in a salad bowl, top with the orange and olives and serve.

Puttanesca cauliflower

Watched "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" this morning. Anne Burrell made a cauliflower in tomato sauce with caper berries and olives which got me to thinking about this recipe.

A couple of years ago I got inspired by Rachel Ray to make a sort of gremolata with olives and red wine vinegar. I've tinkered with it since and tinkered with it again to make this cauliflower dish.

Puttanesca cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
olive oil
oil-cured black olives
canned black olives, drained and rinsed
special green olives
anchovies
capers
juice of ½ lemon
more lemon juice as garnish

Preheat broiler.

Trim the heavy stem from the cauliflower to exposes the interstices between the florets at the top.

Brush the top of the cauliflower with olive oil and place under the broiler (oven rack set at 2nd position from the top. Broil until the top browns.

While the cauliflower broils, place olives, anchovies and lemon juice into a food processor. Turn the motor on and drizzle in just enough olive oil to make it form a quasi paste-like texture.

Remove cauliflower from the broiler and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Reduce the oven to 350°.

When the cauliflower is cool enough to handle, turn it upside down. Spoon the olive mixture into the crevasses between the florets, using your fingers as necessary to cram it in.

Place the cauliflower, still upside down, on a v-rack in a deep roasting pan. Add about ½” hot water to the pan. Cover and bake until the cauliflower is tender, about 20-25 minutes.

To serve, cut into wedges, still keeping it upside down so that the tapenade stays inside. Drizzle with lemon juice and a bit of olive oil and serve.

Quinoa salad with toasted garbanzos and black olives

I invented this concoction a couple of months ago but only got around to making it 2 days ago. Of course it evolved between conception and execution. This end result is a truly lovely dish to accompany the protein of your choice or just to be a stand-alone lunch (maybe with some crusty bread).

I chose the small olives so that I didn’t feel I had to cut them up – thus saving a little time. It is not essential to toast the garbanzos, but they do take on a nutty tastiness if you do toast them. I love cumin. However, maybe you don’t. Try adding a bit of fresh oregano or thyme or basil or all three.

Quinoa is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Manganese.

Quinoa salad w/black olives and garbanzos
1 14.5 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed, and dried
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1 serrano pepper, ½ seeded, ½ not seeded
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup quinoa
1 ¾ cup chicken broth
1 14.5 oz. can small black olives, drained, rinsed, and dried
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped (optional)

Place the garbanzos in a non-stick pan large enough to hold them in one layer. Toast over medium heat until lightly browned, 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the shallot, Serrano pepper and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes or until softened.

Add the quinoa and stir to coat. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer slowly about 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the quinoa to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.

To the bowl add olives, parsley, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper to taste, and mint (if using). Toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Allow to come to room temperature. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.