Spinach Salad with Radicchio and Mango

If you’re bored with the same old spinach salad, check out the August issue of Cook's Illustrated for some great ideas for perking up those baby greens.

I recommend trying the Spinach Salad with Radicchio and Mango served with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette. I was part of the test panel for this recipe. The goal of was to achieve a quickly assembled salad with a light, tender texture and balanced flavors. They achieved that – it’s delicious. This is one of the best spinach salads I’ve tasted. I like that there are bold flavors and a great contrast of sweet and tangy. I admit, in our house we like it with slightly less radicchio and shallot. Try it any way you want – it’s a great course for hot summer days, and nights.

Here’s the recipe I tested. Check online or in the August issue for more recipes such as Spinach Salad with Fennel and Apples.

Spinach, Radicchio, and Mango Salad with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette


From the Cook’s Illustrated Kitchen

Serves 6 as a first course



1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach (about 6 cups)

1 small head radicchio (about 6 ounces), halved, cored, and sliced very thin (about 3 cups)


1 mango, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces


¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves


7 teaspoons juice plus 1 ½ teaspoons zest from 1 lime


1 tablespoon finely minced shallot


1 tablespoon honey


3/4 teaspoon mayonnaise


1 teaspoon Dijon mustard


1/4 teaspoon table salt


4 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil



1. Place spinach, radicchio, mango, and cilantro in large bowl. 

2. In small nonreactive bowl, combine lime juice, zest, shallot, mayonnaise, mustard, and salt. Whisk until mixture is milky in appearance and no lumps of mayonnaise remain. Place oil in small measuring cup so that it is easy to pour. Whisking constantly, very slowly drizzle oil into mixture. If pools of oil are gathering on surface as you whisk, stop addition of oil and whisk well to combine, then resume whisking in oil in slow stream. Vinaigrette should be glossy and lightly thickened, with no pools of oil on its surface.

3. Pour dressing over spinach mixture and toss to coat; serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Summer Reads - 07/28/10

Check out The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is pulled into an international thriller loaded with mystery and intrigue. He is called to the Louvre to help decipher a puzzle on a murdered body at the museum. Thrown into the mix with French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, he must uncover secrets of old-world societies hidden in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci in order to prove his innocence.

It’s well written and the researched theories and pace make it hard to put down. It’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Summer Reads - 07/21/10

New from Janet Evanovich and Alex Evanovich is Troublemaker. It’s based on the Alex Barnaby and Sam Hooker series. Originally, I thought this was coming out in book format, but it turns out that it’s a graphic novel. If you want to see a preview, click to the Janet Evanovich site. She starts her book description with, “Alex Barnaby and Sam Hooker are back together and fighting crime the only way they know how -- by leaving a trail of chaos, panic and disorder.” Sounded fun, so I checked it out.

I don’t typically read this format, but once I saw Beans, the Saint Bernard, I gave it a chance. Beans is pretty cute as a comic figure, which helps since we don’t have Morelli or Ranger to drool over.

Enjoy your summer and your summer reads!

Summer Reads - 07/15/10

If you’re a fan of the paranormal or books with strong characters and plot twists, I suggest you try Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. This series follows Mercedes (Mercy) Thompson, a mechanic who shape-shifts and can hang with the supernatural big boys (I won’t ruin it for you, read for yourself). Briggs creates a world of talented beings and provides Mercy with a number of situations that test her physical and mental abilities. It’s a fun series and worth looking into.

There are already five books published as the Mercy Thomspon series and a sixth expected next spring. Briggs also published an Alpha and Omega series set in the same world as the Mercy books, but I have to catch up to my friend on this collection before I can think of tackling that one.

Enjoy your summer reads!

After a much needed break, it’s back to work!

A very good friend recently reminded me how great it is to share books. To read them, talk about them, and share them. My discussions with Debbie showed me how a talk, a link or an e-mail can introduce new books, new authors, and even new worlds.

Sharing is a good reason to use your voice. If you like something, tell others, and if you don’t it’s ok to explain why, constructively. Use your voice. It’s that time of year when we reflect on freedom, and I recently read a quote from Author Mama Christina Katz that hit home, “At this moment, I can’t think of anything I value more than the fact that all Americans are free and that we have the right to express ourselves as we see fit.”

What better way to share stories than to tell others? I’ll post more Summer Reads this week. If there is a book you want to share, feel free to speak up.

Summer Reads - 07/02/10

While you’re preparing for the 4^th of July festivities, enjoy this sizzling summer read.

Elizabeth Lowell’s Death Echo is another St. Kilda Consulting book. Ex-CIA agent Emma Cross gets caught up in a thriller with former special ops agent MacKenzie “Mac” Durand. Publisher’s Weekly says the “focus on espionage rather than on romance is a major change from earlier novels, albeit a pleasing one.” Visit Elizabeth Lowell’s author site for more information.

Happy 4th!

Success or Mess: How old is too old? Resultszzzzz

I’m in day #2 of recovery from our midnight premiere of Eclipse. My friend and I went to the first showing of this Twilight Saga film, and we loved it.

It’s the experience of being there with tons of other Twi-hards, waiting to see what most of us already know – what happens with Bella, Edward and Jacob?

This movie delivered. There was plenty of conflict between the love interests, and tension leading up to a full-scale battle. Oh, there might have been some hot and heavy kissing and shirtless werewolves, but we all love it for the story, right? I have to say they did a good job of throwing in occasional humor about the teen angst, and balanced things out. If you enjoyed the books and the first two movies, you should go see this one.

I can’t remember the last time I was out that late/early – it felt like we owned the night, at least until my kid yelled at me to “wake up, mommy” four short hours after I got to bed that morning. I also wanted to be part of the phenomenon from more than just my comfy couch. That’s where I read all the Twilight Saga books, even the still unpublished Midnight Sun.

So, demonstrating ‘you’re only as old as you act’ was a success. But, since this girl is still recovering from the all-nighter, I would seriously consider the matinee next time. Maybe we’ll throw in a blue-plate special and get the full, early bird experience. Nah, we’re not that old, yet!