Salad Made with Leftover Meat

Do you ever have leftover meats and wonder what to do with them besides reheating them the same way they were originally prepared? I'm going to show you how to make a simple salad and vinaigrette that utilizes the left over meat. Whether you have chicken, pork roast or a steak leftover, you can make this simple salad. I'm going to use pork for this recipe. Chances are you already have all of the other ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry. It's fast, light and healthy.

 

Click here to view the video demonstration with additional tips.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

• 1 tomato, coarsely chopped
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• 2 cups of chopped romaine lettuce
• The juice from a lime
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 2 TB. red wine vinegar
• 2 TB. olive oil
• Honey to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste  
• 1 1/2 cups of left over meat, shredded or chopped. For this recipe, I am using some left over pork roast.

 Begin by adding a little olive oil to a hot pan. Add your meat and the sliced jalapeno to the hot pan. Brown the meat to bring out additional flavor. Finally, stir in the lime juice. Simmer for 1 minute and remove from heat.

Now let's make the vinaigrette. In a small jar or shaker container, add 2 oz of olive oil, 2 oz of red wine vinegar and a dsh of honey. If you want a sweeter dressing, add a little more honey.

Shake to blend and season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a medium size bowl,  combine the lettuce, tomatoes and green onions. Toss it with as little or as much of the vinaigrette depending on your taste.

 Place the salad in a serving bowl and top it with the meat mixture.

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.

Mexican Caesar Salad

This is the classic Caesar salad with a Mexican flare. Fresh cilantro and toasted pepitas in the salad will transport you south of the border. Simple to make yet it will still please the most discriminating palate. This recipe will leave your guests most impressed with your cooking talents.

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• 1 French baguette, cut into ¾ inch cubes
• Garlic flavored olive oil for drizzling
• White truffle oil for drizzling (optional)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 6 shots Worcestershire sauce
• 1 dash white vinegar
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ anchovies
• ½ bunch of cilantro
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ to ½ cup pepitas
• 1 ½ heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. To make the croutons, place the cubed baguette on a baking sheet. Be sure not to cut them too small. Drizzle them with the garlic flavored olive oil. For more flavor, you can also drizzle white truffle oil with the garlic olive oil. Bake the croutons for about 10 minutes, until they are golden brown. You want them crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Next, place the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, anchovies, cilantro and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blend until it’s smooth and creamy.

Place the chopped Romaine in a large bowl. Drizzle about a third of the dressing on the salad (save the rest for a later use). Drizzle more if you like a wetter salad, less if you want it drier. Add the pepitas and Parmesan and toss to coat. Add the croutons and toss lightly.

Enjoy!

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Stuffed Artichoke Hearts

Tender marinated artichoke hearts are drained and stuffed with your favorite goat cheese. Breaded and fried to a golden brown, these tasty morsels are served with a zesty Pomodoro or Marinara sauce. They have been affectionately referred to as "Pillows of Love". Once you start, you can't get enough.

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• 12 Marinated and quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 8 oz of your favorite goat cheese (alternatively, you can substitute another soft cheese such as Boursin, cream cheese, etc)
• 1 cup flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg
• 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
• oil for frying

Begin by removing some of the inner leaves from the artichoke hearts. This will form a pocket for the cheese. You can save the inner leaves for another use.

Take about a tablespoon of the goat cheese and form it into a small football shaped ball and press it into the pocket you made in one of the artichoke hearts. Repeat this process until all of the artichoke hearts have been filled.

Once all artichokes have been filled, its time to set up the dipping station. In the first of 3 bowls, add the flour. Season it to taste with a little salt and pepper. In the second bowl add the egg and mix thoroughly. Finally, in the third bowl, add the Panko breadcrumbs.

Start by taking one of the artichokes and thoroughly coat it with flour. Shake off the excess. Next, dip it into the egg wash. Lastly, place the artichoke in the third bowl and completely coat it with the breadcrumbs and place it on a plate. Repeat this process with the remaining artichoke hearts. 

Once you’ve finished coating the artichokes, place them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This allows the cheese to firm up and also your breadcrumbs will stick better.

After they’ve been refrigerated, fry them in hot oil. Heat the oil to about 375 degrees and carefully place them into the hot oil. Fry them on each side until they’re a golden brown. Then, allow them to drain on a paper towel.

Place the drained artichokes on a plate and dust them with Parmesan cheese. My zesty Pomodoro sauce makes an excellent dipping sauce. 

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.