Mâche-avocado salad / pomegranate vinaigrette / garlic soup
Mâche-avocado salad
Tossing the avocado with lime juice immediately upon dicing will prevent it turning brown for a while. Serves 2.
Pomegranate vinaigrette
Whisk together the juices and pepper, and add sugar until reaching a favorable level of tartness. (I used about a tablespoon.) Then, slowly add the oil while still whisking. A traditional vinaigrette has a much higher oil-acid ratio than this, but for this salad the lighter feel seems nice.
Garlic soup
There are plenty of recipes for garlic soup around. Mine seems to work.
Bring the broth to a steady simmer in a 2 qt. or larger saucepan. I used prepared vegetable broth this time, but you can make your own with a little more time.
Heat the oil in a medium sized sautee pan over a low flame. Add the bread and toss until it reaches a deep brown. (Croutons!) Add the garlic, basil, and sliced mushrooms, and toss until the garlic becomes golden (but not brown); then add the splash of white wine, and simmer for about 30 seconds. Add the entire mixture to the broth. Drop the broth to a lower simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Add spices to taste.
Poach the eggs in the soup. For this to work, the soup should be at steady simmer, but definitely not a full boil. Since this is soup, a perfect poach isn't necessary. Just crack the eggs, drop them gently into the broth, and let them cook for three minutes.
Serves 2.
- 2 oz. Mâche (lamb's lettuce)
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- 1 oz. sharp cheddar, diced
- 8-10 tortilla chips, crushed
- pomegranate vinaigrette (see below)
Tossing the avocado with lime juice immediately upon dicing will prevent it turning brown for a while. Serves 2.
Pomegranate vinaigrette
- 1/4 pomegranate, squeezed
- 1 lime, squeezed
- 1 T olive oil
- a dash of black pepper
- sugar to taste
Whisk together the juices and pepper, and add sugar until reaching a favorable level of tartness. (I used about a tablespoon.) Then, slowly add the oil while still whisking. A traditional vinaigrette has a much higher oil-acid ratio than this, but for this salad the lighter feel seems nice.
Garlic soup
There are plenty of recipes for garlic soup around. Mine seems to work.
- 1 qt. broth
- 1 head garlic, finely minced
- 2 slices whole wheat toast, diced
- a small sprig of basil (4-5 leaves)
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 T white wine
- 4-6 cremini (brown) mushrooms, sliced
- 2 eggs
- salt, black pepper, paprika
Bring the broth to a steady simmer in a 2 qt. or larger saucepan. I used prepared vegetable broth this time, but you can make your own with a little more time.
Heat the oil in a medium sized sautee pan over a low flame. Add the bread and toss until it reaches a deep brown. (Croutons!) Add the garlic, basil, and sliced mushrooms, and toss until the garlic becomes golden (but not brown); then add the splash of white wine, and simmer for about 30 seconds. Add the entire mixture to the broth. Drop the broth to a lower simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Add spices to taste.
Poach the eggs in the soup. For this to work, the soup should be at steady simmer, but definitely not a full boil. Since this is soup, a perfect poach isn't necessary. Just crack the eggs, drop them gently into the broth, and let them cook for three minutes.
Serves 2.