Spring is almost here.....

Spring is almost here, although someone has forgotten to tell the weather that!

Now's the time to start to look at healthy spring vegetables and salads. More produce will start to be in stores and it's great to experiment with things you haven't tried before.

While perusing some spring photos and recipes I came across 'panzanella'. I'd never heard of it - probably because I am from England! Looks yummy though, so I thought I would share.

If you have any great spring recipe ideas please let me know.

Spring Panzanella

 

For the croutons:
1/4 cup Scott's Garlic Oil
6 cups day-old bread, crust removed, cubed
6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
Scott's Santa Maria

For the vinaigrette:
Half a red onion, finely diced
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

For the salad:
4 large leeks
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound asparagus
1 x 19-oz can of white beans, rinsed & drained or 1.5 cups cooked white beans

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix the bread cubes with the Garlic Oil, parmesan, Santa Maria in a large bowl. Toss to coat well. Transfer bread to a baking sheet and sprinkle with Santa Maria. Bake stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Mix the red onion with the vinegar and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside for a few minutes before whisking in the remaining vinaigrette ingredients: olive oil and dijon. Set aside.

Cut off dark green tops of leeks and trim root ends. Halve each leek lengthwise to within 2 inches of root end. Rinse well under cold running water to wash away sand. Cover leeks with cold water in a 12-inch heavy skillet. Add salt and simmer leeks, uncovered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Without draining the cooking water (you will reuse it for the asparagus), transfer leeks to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then pat the leeks dry with paper towels. Break off tough ends of asparagus and cook it in the boiling water until crisp-tender, no more than three minutes if they’re pencil-thin, more if your asparagus is thicker. Transfer it to another bowl of ice water, drain and pat it dry.

Cut the leeks and the asparagus each into one-inch segments–the leeks will be especially slippery and prone to separating; hold firm and use a sharp knife! Place pieces in a large bowl and mix in beans and cooled parmesan croutons. Pour vinaigrette over and toss well. Season with Santa Maria.

 

 

 



Gluten free - or not?

Thirty percent of adults are interested in avoiding or cutting down on gluten in their diets, says a survey from the NPD Group, a consumer research firm. NDP has been following gluten-free issues since 2009 and its January 2013 survey revealed the highest interest in gluten-free diets yet.

For many years health was about avoiding fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium in our diet. While we still strive to cut down or eliminate those items from our diets, many more now want to avoid gluten - right now it is nearly 30 percent of the adult population ... and it’s growing.

The gluten-free food market has grown and interest has extended to the restaurant industry as well. ago. The majority of people going gluten-free are not doing so out of medical necessity but for health reasons. Although there have been many surveys conducted on gluten free diets, the results aren't conclusive.

Having said that, being 'gluten free'  is not a fad that is going to go away overnight, as people see it as a healthier way of life.

Luckily for us all of our seasonings are gluten free, and natural and always have been! You don't have to skimp on flavor to be healthy!

New ways with Mediterranean Garlic Marinade

Recently we asked our fabulous sales reps to come up with some new serving suggestions for Mediterranean Garlic Marinade.
What an amazing response and incredible recipes they produced! Here are just a few for you to try.......

Mediterranean Garlic Clam Pizza  courtesy of Annette (San Diego Sales Rep)

Simmer some Mediterranean Garlic Marinade with some butter & then spread onto pizza dough.

Add clams & top with mozzarella & parmesan cheese then bake.

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Mediterranean Garlic Alfredo Shrimp Pasta  courtesy of Brandi (Senior Sales Executive LA)

Boil pasta of choice (angel hair, linguine)
Make alfredo sauce using heavy cream, a stick of butter, and Parmesan Cheese. Sautee shrimp in butter and Mediterranean Garlic Marinade
Spoon shrimp with Med Garlic over the pasta and sprinkle grated Parmesan Cheese Add some red pepper flakes if you like a little 'heat'
Mediterranean Garlic Baked Potatoes  courtesy of Jenifer (LA Sales Rep) Cut red skinned potatoes into 6-8 pieces   Toss potatoes with Mediterranean Garlic. Spread potatoes onto a foil lined cookie sheet. Season with Santa Maria and roast in oven at 400 aprox 30 min or until outsides are crunchy.  Serve as a side dish to grilled meat or chicken   Mediterranean Garlic Tilapia  courtesy of Shari (OC Sales Rep) Marinate the fish filets in Mediterranean Garlic for 24hrs Dip each piece of fish in plain bread crumbs Fry each piece in Scott's Garlic Oil for about 2/3 mins each side Served with green beans and mashed potatoes.