Dinner Party (Part 1 of 5): Cucumber, Fennel & Radish Salad

I hadn't hosted a meal in a while, so I decided to host a dinner party last night--thanks to both JG's, JK, LM, and RK for letting me cook for them, and especially to AK for washing the mountain dishes :).

The menu was:

Cucumber, Fennel & Radish Salad (Recipe Remix from this)
Twice Baked Parsnip & Sweet Potato Mash w/ Pecan Streusel Topping
Balsamic Glazed Chickpeas w/ Red Swiss Chard
Coconut Curry Chicken
Banana Nut Cake w/ Candied Walnuts (Recipe Remix from this Recipe Remix)

Sorry, you won't get all of the recipes today--but check back, because you'll get one recipe a day for the rest of the week!

P.S. If you haven't yet filled out my reader poll, please do by clicking here!

Recipe Remix: Cucumber, Fennel & Radish Salad

Ingredients:

1 large fennel bulb + 1 Tbsp fennel fronds
8 radishes
1 English cucumber
1 orange bell pepper
zest of one lemon
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 tsp honey or agave
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Cut fennel bulb in half and peel off outer layer. Slice thinly into half-rounds (I used my mandolin). Slice radishes and cucumber into thin rounds, and julienne the orange pepper.
2. Blend together lemon zest & juice, oil, honey/agave, salt & pepper and pour over salad veggies. Serve immediately.

The cost:
fennel: 2.29
radishes: .89
cucumber: 2.00
pepper: 1.00 (on sale $1 each)
lemons: .78

Grand total: $6.96; serves 8

Special Holiday Recipe: Cranberry Apple Fennel Compote

Tart cranberries, sweet apples and fennel, spicy cinnamon and nutmeg--all of the flavors meld together for a delightful dish just in time for the holiday season. I use something new in this recipe: Meyer lemons, which are a sweeter version of the regular lemon. A little vinegar balances out the sweetness of the sugar, and the bourbon adds a subtle bit of pizazz.

Note: I like a tarter compote, but if you like sweeter flavors feel free to add more sugar.

Cranberry Apple Fennel Compote

Ingredients:

3 apples, peeled and chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped (white part only)
18 oz fresh cranberries
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
zest of 2 meyer lemons
juice of 2 meyer lemons
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp bourbon

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a deep saucepan or small stock pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20-25 minutes until apple and fennel are soft and cranberries have "popped."

Serving ideas: Serve over turkey or chicken, or spoon over vanilla ice cream and top with toasted almonds.

The cost:
apples: 1.49
fennel: 2.39
cranberries: 3.98
lemons: 2.69

Grand total: $10.55; serves 8-12 depending on how you use it

Spinach Salad w/ Citrus-Ginger-Fennel Dressing

My friends LM and RK hosted lunch this week, and asked me to bring salad, which I am always more than happy to do. I'm never sure how adventurous people are, so the salad I decided on is a riff on a previous post, but a little more conventional.

Spinach Salad w/ Citrus-Ginger-Fennel Dressing

Ingredients:

1 bag baby spinach

1 yellow pepper, julienned

1 english cucumber, sliced

1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly (white part only)

2 scallions, chopped

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

zest of 1 lime

juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 tsp agave or honey

1 Tbsp chopped fennel fronds

1/4 tsp salt

pinch of pepper

1/4 cups toasted almonds or candied pecans

Directions:

1. Combine vegetables in a large salad bowl.
2. Blend remaining ingredients (except nuts) into a dressing and pour over salad.

The cost:

spinach: 1.99

pepper: 1.29

cucumber: .99 (on sale)

fennel: 2.39

scallions: .15

lemon: .30

lime: .15

nuts: .45

Grand total: $7.71; serves 8-10

Crockpot London Broil w/ Red Wine & Fennel

I participated in a professional development program this past Spring, and I've stayed in touch with a number of other people from my cohort, especially those who live in my area. A fellow cohort member was in town from the West Coast for a conference, so I invited a small group over to my place for dinner.

It ended up being just myself and JK, but we had a great time regardless (although we missed you SG, JM and NK!). I was very happy with the dishes I made: London broil with fennel and red wine in the crockpot, curried spinach & lentils, cucumber and radish salad with ginger-lime dressing and sweet potato muffins.

Here's the recipe I made up for my crockpot London broil (and here you thought you were going to get a super-sized post with all of the dishes I made today--you'll just have to wait for the rest!). I was exceedingly happy with the flavor profile; the red wine, fennel and thyme melded together beautifully and the meat was succulent and tender.

Note: I had leftover red wine from Shabbat, but you could also use beer if you have that on hand, although it will have a bit of a different flavor profile.

Crockpot London Broil w/ Red Wine & Fennel

Ingredients:

2 onions
2 fennel bulbs
1 box cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, cleaned
2 cups vegetable stock
1 lb london broil
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fennel fronds
6 sprigs thyme

Directions:

1. Slice onions and fennel (white part only) into rounds and layer with mushrooms in the bottom of a crockpot. Pour soup stock over mixture.
   
2. Lay meat on top of veggie mixture. Pour red wine and sprinkle salt, pepper and brown sugar over contents of crockpot. Lay chopped fennel fronds and thyme sprigs on top of meat.
3. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 10-12 hours.
   

The cost:
onions: .50
fennel: 2.85
mushrooms: 1.99
veggie broth: .99
london broil: 9.49
thyme: 1.69

Grand total: $17.51; serves 4-6

Fennel Salad with Zesty Lemon Dressing

Sometimes I get bored with conventional salads, so for Shabbat lunch this week I got a little adventurous and made a salad with fennel, radishes, cucumber and pear, and tied everything together with a zesty lemon dressing. It was, in a word, divine, and much more fun than a regular salad.

A note about fennel: When buying fennel, you want to make sure it isn't dried out, because then it loses its beautiful licorice flavor. As with most vegetables, make sure the white bulb isn't turning brown or pulling away from the center, and check to make sure the fronds aren't getting dried out or moldy.

Fennel Salad with Zesty Lemon Dressing

Ingredients:

2 fennel bulbs
8 radishes
1 cucumber
1 pear
2 scallions, cleaned and chopped
zest of one lemon
juice of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp white pepper
2 fennel fronds
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

Directions:

1. Remove the celery-like stalks from the white fennel bulb and discard, reserving two fronds (dill-looking fluffy stuff on top).
2. Slice fennel, radishes and cucumber into thin rounds (I used a mandolin but you can also just use a knife). Cut the pear flesh away from the core and slice thinly. Place everything in a large bowl and add scallions.
   
3. In a small bowl, blend lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, salt, garlic powder, pepper and fennel fronds.
   
4. Dress salad and sprinkle in nuts just before serving.

The cost:
fennel: 3.62
radishes: .88
cucumber: 1.00
pear: .49
scallions: .15
lemons: 1.18
walnuts: .40

Grand total: $7.72; serves 6-8