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No-Cook Recipes

By Brenda Mancil

Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Premier Properties

July 01, 2014 06:00 AM

No-Cook Recipes that are delicious, effortless and satisfying!

Summer days are meant to be spent being lazy by the poolside with a glass of ice cold lemonade. These no-cook recipes will satisfy your hunger while keeping you away from the hot stove.

Radicchio Caesar Salad

This salad gains fans quickly. Inspired by a popular menu item at Nostrana, a beloved Portland, Oregon restaurant, this recipe has been adapted ever so slightly. While radicchio can at times be bitter, a cold-water soak renders the vivid burgundy-colored leaves both tender and sweet—a perfect introduction for those that are new to chicory. This recipe will make more dressing than is necessary for one salad, but don’t despair. You will be relieved to have extra on hand.

Serves 6 to 8 

2 large heads radicchio

For the dressing:
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

4 or 5 oil-packed anchovy fillets, finely chopped

3 green olives, pitted and finely chopped

3 egg yolks

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup croutons

½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Trim the radicchio core, pull apart the leaves, and soak in very cold water for about an hour. Dry and tear into smaller pieces.

In the bowl of a blender or food processer, add all the dressing ingredients with the exception of the olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Blend to combine, then add the
olive oil in a thin stream, blending to emulsify. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

In a large salad bowl, add the radicchio and croutons, then add enough dressing to gently coat the leaves (save the remaining dressing for later). Grate a good dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano atop and then toss to combine. Dust with more cheese and serve.

Muffuletta Sandwich

The mufuletta sandwich is an edible icon in the city of New Orleans. Made famous by Central Grocery, locals and tourists alike consider it a must-have in a city brimming with delicious treasures. It’s said that Central Grocery owner, Signor Lupo Salvatore, fed a steady stream of Sicilian workers and farmers in the early 1900s. They’d stop in for lunch and balance plates of cold cuts, cheese, olives, and bread upon their laps. In an effort to ease the balancing act, Salvatore crafted a sum that was greater than its parts: the muffuletta. Today, this sandwich of mortadella, ham, Genoa salami, mozzarella, provolone, and olive salad rightfully attracts fanatics far and wide.

Serves 4 to 6

For the olive salad:
½ cup green pimento olives, roughly chopped

½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped

3 medium florets pickled cauliflower, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons chopped pickled celery (or substitute fresh celery)

1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 loaf Sicilian bread or 1 loaf focaccia, sliced

5 ounces capicola, thinly sliced

5 ounces mortadella, thinly sliced

5 ounces Genoa salami or salami cotto, thinly sliced

4 ounces sliced provolone

7–10 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the olive salad. Toss to combine, then set aside.

To assemble sandwiches, lay bread slices on a cutting board and add a spoonful of olive salad. Then add equal parts capicola, mortadella, salami, provolone, and mozzarella. Top meat and cheese with more olive salad, then another slice of bread. Cut in half and serve.

Clam Dip

I love to spend summer weekends at the beach. My typical day includes an early morning clam dig followed by a leisurely day on the sand, reading a favorite book. In the late afternoon, just as the sun is starting to wane, I prepare this fresh clam dip, made from my morning spoils. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a glass of crisp white wine and a sunset. Of course, you can make a fine rendition with store-bought clams. Make sure to seek out fresh ones from your seafood department.

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup sour cream

½ cup chopped clams

2 teaspoons hot sauce, more as desired

½ teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon dill weed

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in remaining ingredients on low speed to thoroughly combine. Season to taste with more salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Serve with thick potato chips. Be careful not to over salt the dip, as most salty chips will add just the right amount in each bite.

For more recipes, check out http://article.homebydesign.com/pages/article/HBD_JUN_14_04/2475/index.html