Spinach Soufflé with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

My all-time favorite color is green, but I find myself particularly drawn to it at this time of the year with both St. Patrick’s Day and spring in the offing.  It makes me happy with thoughts of renewal, growth, and plenty.  The hunt is always on for green food to serve at my annual St. Pat’s dinner, so I was pleased to find, in an ancient (1998) issue of Bon Appetit magazine, this light and delicious spinach soufflé.  More an airy, fluffy spinach dish than soufflé, it makes for a tasty side or  delicious light supper with a crusty roll and side salad of greens or fresh seasonal fruit. The delicious red pepper sauce that accompanies it makes this dish seem more appropriate for Christmas serving, so I’ll make up a spicy béchamel in addition to the red pepper sauce and let my guests choose.  Either way, they’re in for a treat.  I made a few changes in the original recipe and feature these in italics.

  Spinach Soufflé with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

1 10-ounce package frozen creamed spinach, thawed
3/4 cup coarsely grated Gruyere cheese, packed 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Few gratings fresh nutmeg
2 large egg yolks
3 large egg whites
1/2 of a 15.5-ounce jar of Melissa’s Fire Roasted sweet Red Bell Peppers, drained well, 1 tablespoon of juices reserved
1-1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 medium shallots, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Blend creamed spinach, grated cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a medium bowl; whisk in egg yolks. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff but not dry; fold into spinach mixture. Gently transfer to prepared dish.

Bake soufflé until beginning to color at edges and center is puffed and softly set, about 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, purée half of roasted red peppers, 1 tablespoon reserved red pepper juices and balsamic vinegar in processor until almost smooth. Add remaining roasted red peppers and shallot and chop, using on/off turns, until chunky purée forms. Transfer sauce to small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until warmed through; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon soufflé onto plates. Serve, passing sauce separately.

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

 

Waldorf Salad

I've been making Waldorf Salad ever since the 70s.  It's a recipe that has always been easy to remember as it was clearly stated in a very funny episode of the British sitcom, Fawlty Towers.  In a nutshell (or perhaps a walnut shell?), innkeeper Basil Fawlty encounters a very rude and demanding American, Mr. Hamilton, who first requests a drink -- a screwdriver -- of which he had never heard, and then baffles him completely by ordering a Waldorf Salad. After informing him that the hotel is “out of Waldorfs," Hamilton barks at him that it is “celery, apples, walnuts, grapes, in a mayonnaise sauce.”  

Essentially, that’s it.  Easy, right?  And it is easy, but a couple of additions can make this salad a touch better than the classic version first created circa 1893 at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City. The quality of the produce makes all the difference, along with a switch from seedless red grapes to champagne grapes (that literally burst with juice and sweetness, and are so adorably cute!), will really enhance this salad.

Here’s my version:

Waldorf Salad

1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced, cored, tart apples
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup Melissa’s Champagne grapes

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ cup heavy cream, whipped until thick

¼ cup mayonnaise

A pinch of freshly grated lemon zest

A pinch of cinnamon

Combine celery, apples, walnuts, grapes, zest, and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir together cream and mayonnaise, and toss with the salad mixture.  Top with a few gratings (or pinch) of good cinnamon.  Serve on a lettuce leaf with additional champagne grapes as a garnish, at room temperature or chilled.

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Foodie Friday