Urban Deli Tag kalamata olives

I love making this type of salad, and on the weekend I took full advantage of my time and spent it doing other things rather than cooking.

The dressing:

Acids to oil ratio should be about 1:3 or 4. 1 part acid to 3 or 4 parts oil. I made enough dressing that could have done a serving for 4 or 5, so I only used a bit of it. I actually didn’t measure so my measurements are guesses, just so you know.

Juice of one whole lemon
A tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
Olive oil, to the ratio above
Teaspoon of dried oregano
A couple squeezes of honey
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed
A pinch of Kosher salt, a few grinds of black pepper
Half teaspoon of your favourite mustard, I used whole grain

I mixed all of this into a mason jar, shook vigorously, and set aside.

Salad:

Romaine heart, one head
6 sweet cocktail tomatoes (they’re a smaller tomato available at the Superstore, really delicious for an out of season tomato)
Half a small red onion
Half an English cucumber
12 Kalamata olives
Several small cubes of feta cheese
One small carrot, grated
A couple handfuls of wild-caught Maritime shrimp (bought at Misty Harbour Seafood)

In a large bowl, I tossed everything but the shrimp with the dressing very well. A well-tossed salad needs little dressing. I shake my head at anyone who ever asks for dressing on the side, and then awkwardly tries to coat their salad on their plate, especially if they asked for it on the side to cut down on the amount of dressing on their plate. I then topped the salad with shrimp, and served some bread on the side.

Lemonade, two large servings:

Rind and juice of 7 lemons plus 2 shots of vodka
Let that infuse with about a half a cup of sugar (or more, to taste)
Because I had some on hand, I also put in a few Kaffir lime leaves

I let it sit for a few hours and then I strained it, poured over two tall glasses of ice, and added another shot of vodka to each glass.

I filled each glass ¾ full, topped with sparkling mineral water, stirred, and served.

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Bio: Dan Jones is a food, drink, and travel writer from Saint John. Follow him on Twitter: @danjjj

This dish is versatile, easy to make and requires minimal ingredients — and it is so delicious!

The sautéed red peppers are equally great as a stand-alone dish or a compliment to other dishes such as a topping for steamed chicken, pasta, or salads and served with a nice Italian bread or baguette, or with grilled sausages.

My sister Michael-Ann and her girlfriend Jodi recently visited Saint John from Manhattan (one of my favorite food cities). Jodi, who also lived in Italy for a few years, prepared one of her many recipes, which were taught to her in the kitchens of Italy.

I made the sautéed red peppers this past Saturday following Jodi’s recipe and found it easy and the results were fantastic!

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil — approx 3/4 to 1 cup (I used a 10.5” skillet – measured the width of the top lip opening of my skillet)
2 to 3 Garlic Cloves
8 to 9 red peppers (yellow can be used too and mixed in). Cut into large pieces – skins on. (I used 11 red peppers with my skillet size. I cut each pepper in half, top to bottom, removed the seed core and the top green stem and then cut each half into six long slices, again cutting top to bottom.)
Approximately 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted (I used black olives and wished I had used Kalamata olives simply for the better flavor)
2 tablespoons of capers (If using dried salted capers less is needed as they can be salty)
Salt

Method:

Coat large skillet with extra virgin olive oil ¾ to 1 cup (approx 1/4 inch). Add garlic cloves cut into 2 to 3 large pieces. Heat oil and garlic until garlic starts to brown but do not completely brown the garlic.

Add cut red peppers to hot oil. Do not worry if the peppers are heaping over the skillet because they will melt down as they are heated. To help keep the peppers in place use a lid smaller than the skillet and press down. Slowly start to rotate the peppers as they cook down. Turn the peppers frequently. (I cooked the peppers at a simmer and for 1.5 hours … Ok, I started talking and got side tracked … It all worked out for the good though.)

When the peppers are softened in the oil, add the Kalamata olives, capers and salt to taste. Cook the peppers until the oil turns to a clear red color and the peppers are soft. There should be no crunch at all to your sauteed peppers.

Serve hot, warm or cold. It’s even better on day two!

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Bio: Liz is the owner of the Urban Deli. With a sister in Manhattan, she has visited New York many times and invariably studies the Big Apple’s famous delis.

Tag: kalamata olives

Romaine Greek salad with wild-caught shrimp (Oh! And lemonade with vodka)

Sautéed red peppers – so versatile!