By Donovan Roberts Witmer
Introducing Ann Fulton of The Fountain Avenue Kitchen
A nationally renowned food blogger, Ann is also a contributor to the Lancaster Sunday News and develops recipes for several national companies.
Inspired by her grandmother who lived on Fountain Avenue, just outside of Lancaster city, Ann recalls the magic of sitting stool-side as her teacher turned basic, fresh ingredients into wholesome, delicious and affordable meals. That, coupled with helping folks learn a new technique or two, eating more vegetables and whole grains, and indulging in a sweet treat now and again, are what Ann hopes to inspire with her recipes. She'll be sharing her easy, healthy, seasonal recipes throughout the year. Learn more about Ann and find tons of recipes at www.thefountainavenuekitchen.com.
Basic ingredients easily come together to create a flavor-packed, nutrient-rich dish. While delightful as-is, feel free to add nuts of choice or substitute spinach or kale for the arugula. Much of this recipe can be prepared in advance, making it as convenient as it is delicious.
Quinoa, Beet and Arugula Salad
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1¼ cups water
1 cup red quinoa, rinsed and drained
Note: White quinoa may be substituted.
½ cup olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
1½ teaspoons white sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 green onions, sliced
3 ounces arugula, roughly chopped
4 ounces (1 cup) crumbled goat or feta cheese
½ pound beets, cooked, peeled and diced
(see below)
To prepare the beets:
Wash and trim the beets, then wrap two to four similarly sized beets in a piece of aluminum foil. Bake the packets at 375 F for 45-60 minutes, depending on size. The tip of a knife should easily pierce the beet, yet you should feel a hint of firmness toward the center. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, and then peel and slice, dice or cut into wedges.
Directions:
1. In a medium-sized pot, bring 1¼ cups water to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 12 minutes. Allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.
3. As soon as you have fluffed the hot quinoa, add half of the dressing and toss to evenly distribute; reserve remaining dressing. Cover and refrigerate quinoa until cool, at least 1 hour.
4. Into the cooled quinoa mixture, stir green onions, arugula, goat cheese (or feta), beets and additional dressing to moisten. Toss lightly before serving.
5. Store any leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator and enjoy within the next several days.
The dressing for this salad sounds a little crazy. Yet the strange combination of two basic ingredients really works, providing a sweet and tangy edge to a simple mixture of fresh greens. A few well-chosen add-ins really make this salad shine. Everything can be prepared ahead and tossed at the very last minute, using the proportions of add-ins to greens that you enjoy. This dish is perfect paired with a protein of choice for an easy weeknight meal, yet special enough for company.
Crispy Prosciutto Topped Salad with 2-Ingredient Dressing
Ingredients:
Mixed greens of your choice
Prosciutto, sautéed until crispy and broken into bite-size pieces (see notes below)
Blue cheese, crumbled
Red onion, slivered
2-Ingredient Dressing (see following recipe)
Optional add-ins: quartered button or baby Portobello mushrooms, halved grape tomatoes and toasted pine nuts or walnuts
To prepare the prosciutto: Besides cooking in a pan on the stove, the prosciutto may also be baked in a 350 F oven for 10-13 minutes or until crispy. Watch it closely at the end so that it doesn't burn. Alternatively, the prosciutto may be grilled over high heat for 1-2 minutes, depending on how thinly it has been cut. Prosciutto can be prepared up to several days in advance and stored in a sealed plastic bag in fridge. To re-crisp if needed, briefly place in a warm oven.
Directions:
Place salad ingredients in bowl, drizzle with dressing, and toss. Go lightly on the salad dressing. You can always add more. Particularly with a good homemade dressing, less dressing will deliver the flavor while not weighing down the greens.
2-Ingredient Dressing
Ingredients:
Equal parts white wine vinegar and sugar
Note: A quarter cup of each will give you enough for multiple salads.
Directions:
Heat until sugar dissolves. Keeps for a month or more in fridge.
This flavorful salad is filling, yet so very healthy. Although less common, yellow lentils offer beautiful color, a quick cooking time and a slightly nutty texture and flavor. Locally, they can be found in the bulk aisle at many of the Stauffers of Kissel Hill stores. Brown or green lentils may be used instead and will cook in approximately 20 minutes. For added ease, the lentils may be prepared one to two days in advance and refrigerated; the dressing will keep several weeks in the refrigerator.
Warm Yellow Lentil Salad with Double Mustard Soy Vinaigrette
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 cup dry yellow lentils
2 teaspoons salt
¼ to ⅓cup Double Mustard Soy Dressing (see following recipe)
1 cup packed greens, coarsely chopped
Note: Kale or spinach are my favorites for this recipe.
½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, sliced
⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Note: Goat cheese may be substituted for the feta;
I actually used goat cheese feta from Linden Dale Farms.
Directions:
1. Bring three cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the lentils and two teaspoons salt. (Much of the salt will be drained with the water after cooking, but will provide added flavor to the lentils.) Stir, reduce heat to low to medium-low, and allow the lentils to simmer, uncovered, for 11 minutes or until cooked but still a little firm. I recommend taste testing. You want them cooked but not mushy. Drain thoroughly.
2. Return the lentils to the pot in which you cooked them. If they are still a little wet, turn the burner on for a minute, stirring until the lentils are almost dry. Add ¼ cup of the dressing to the warm lentils and toss. Stir in the greens, tomatoes, green onions and feta. Toss until thoroughly combined, adding another drizzle of the dressing if desired.
3. Serve warm or at room temperature. If you prefer the salad warm, you may make the salad up to two hours in advance, allow to sit at room temperature and gently re-warm for a few minutes on the stovetop in the pot in which you prepared it. Refrigerate any leftovers. They are delicious the next day.
Double Mustard Soy Vinaigrette
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients:
⅓ cup cider vinegar
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove)
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon honey
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup canola, vegetable or grapeseed oil
Directions:
1. Mix all the ingredients except the oil in a small bowl or 2-cup glass measuring cup.
2. Drizzle the oil into the bowl in a slow stream, whisking continuously. Conversely, you can mix all ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously until emulsified.
3. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. The dressing will keep for at least two weeks.
One of the first recipes I copied from my grandmother was for a simple Waldorf Salad. I still have that 3×5 card and still enjoy a big bowl of it from time to time, with its hearty crunch and tart-sweet pairing of flavors. With my love of kale, I developed a new recipe, loosely based on the classic version. So satisfying, it would be a fabulous vegetarian main dish while complimenting almost any protein as a side. I love it for lunch, too. The dressing for this salad is genius, blending sweet and savory whole foods into a delicious, creamy dressing that pairs beautifully with the bitter crunch of kale and sweet bite of apple.
Kale Waldorf Salad
Ingredients:
4 cups packed raw kale, chopped (Dinosaur or Lacinato kale work well)
1 large sweet red apple, chopped and divided (Honeycrisp and Fuji are great choices)
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cups toasted pecans, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons raisins, divided
1/4 cup 2 percent plain Greek yogurt (I use Chobani)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons water (plus more for thinning dressing, if needed)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Toppings:
sunflower seeds and blue cheese (Note: You can also use a green apple, feta cheese and a mix of cashews and sunflower seeds, or add a hint of maple syrup to the dressing to mitigate the tartness of the Granny Smith apple.)
Directions:
Place kale in a large bowl. Add half of the apple, all of the celery, 1/4 cup pecans and 1/4 cup raisins. Place the remaining apple in a blender or food processor along with the remaining 1/4 cup pecans, 2 tablespoons raisins, yogurt, Dijon, 3 tablespoons water, vinegar, salt and pepper. Puree until combined and slightly thick, adding an extra tablespoon or so of water if needed to thin. Pour over kale salad and toss to distribute. Garnish with sunflower seeds and blue cheese, if desired. I love a hefty sprinkle of both!
Recipes and text by Ann Fulton
