Book Reviews & Burgers: Spiced Beef Patties in Pita Pockets with Sweet Potato Fries & Tzatziki for Two Great Mystery / Thrillers

I am still working on reading and reducing the stack of review books by my nightstand and I am a bit delinquent on getting some of them posted. Here are two great reads--especially for anyone interested in mystery/thrillers with strong female lead characters. Although the characters and settings are different ... a cop and a lawyer, Nashville and Nova Scotia ..., both books are the kind of absorbing reads that once you start, you will want to keep reading until you are done--even if it means missing a little sleep along the way! With the reviews, a tasty dinner (somewhat) inspired by the books.

"So Close the Hand of Death" by J.T. Ellison, is the sixth book in the Taylor Jackson series, following the Nashville homicide lieutenant as her nemesis, "The Pretender" draws closer, threatening Taylor and those she loves. Meanwhile killings are going on in different locations of the country, copying infamous serial killers--Son of Sam, the Zodiac Killer and the Boston Strangler. With murders in so many places, it obviously not the work of one person and Taylor, fiance FBI profiler John Baldwin, and her team are working frantically to find the killers. The action is non-stop throughout the book and author Ellison makes it feel very real and authentic. J.T. Ellison used to work both in the White House and for The Department of Commerce and was a financial analyst and marketing director for defense and aerospace contractors in the private sector before quitting and moving to Nashville. There she followed her passions for writing, forensics and crime--researching her books with the Nashville police and the FBI.

Although the book is part of a series, it does stand just fine on its own--although it will leave you wanting more Taylor Jackson. I started with the fifth book in the series, "The Imortals" (my review is here), but I got so caught up with the characters that I bought the first four books and read those too. A good stay-up-late-until-you-finish-it-and-then-desperately-wish-there-was-more kind of read.

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The second book, "Indefensible" by Pamela Callow is the second book in a series, with a third coming out soon. In this mystery/thriller, attorney Kate Lange defends her boss and senior partner of her law firm for the murder of his ex-wife, when everyone, including his partners and even his children thinks he did it. The book is suspenseful, although most of the action really gets going in the second half of the book. It can stand alone, but references to the earlier book and the things that happened made me wish I had read the first book ("Damaged"), before starting this one. No matter, I loaded it onto my Kindle right after finishing this one and it is equally as good.

Author Pamela Callow, grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the setting of her books. A degree in English Literature, then law school and acceptance to the Nova Scotia Bar lead to an interest in public policy and a Master's Degree in Public Administration, followed by a stint as a strategy consultant before staying at home to raise her family and starting a career in writing. Right now there are planned to be four books in the Kate Lange series, and I intend to read my way through all of these well-written, legal thrillers.

I always cook alongside my book reviews and it was a bit difficult coming up with a dish inspired by both books for this post. Although Taylor Jackson does seem to enjoy food and several meals were eaten in the book, the only real food Kate Lange ate was takeout Indian at the beginning of the book. Since Taylor seems to love a good burger, I decided to fancy one up. I was going to make an Indian-spiced burger, but tastes of a "chakchouka" (a mixture of red bell pepper, tomato, garlic and harissa popular in North Africa and the Middle East), and tzatziki from the farmers market made me decide on a more global burger. It might be a little fancy for Taylor's burger tastes but it should be multi-cultural enough to please Kate. These Spiced Beef Patties in Pita Pockets tasted great with some Alexia Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Fries with Sea Salt and Pepper (which I received from the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program) and Tzatziki.

Spiced Beef Patties

by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes 3 full sandwiches)

1 lb lean ground beef, preferably local (I used Maui beef)

1/2 cup sweet onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp dried oregano

2 Tbsp chopped mint

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 whole wheat pitas, cut in half

8 slices of tomato

lettuce, shredded

red pepper or prepared chakchouka

Mix all ingredients through pepper together. Make into 6 oval shaped patties that will fir into pita pockets. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add burgers and cook until done to your liking.

Open pita pocket halves and place shredded lettuce and a spiced beef patty in each half. Add 2 tomato slices and 1 tablespoon of chakchouka spread. Serve warm.

Notes/Results: These turned out very well--moist and tender burgers with good flavor from the onion, garlic and spices. The sweet and spicy taste of the chakchouka spread was delicious on them. I bought mine at the farmers market but I plan to play around with making my own sometime--it's great on burgers, sandwiches, crackers, pita bread, etc. The Alexia Sweet Potato Fries taste great but texturally I like my fries crispier than these--they were a little soft for my taste, even pre-heating the pan and cooking them a bit longer at a higher temperature. I am a bigger fan of the brand's Oven Fries and Oven Reds but wanted to try something new with my coupon for a free Alexia product from the Tastemakers program. I did like dipping the sweet fries into the cooling tzatziki. All in all, a delicious dinner that I think either of our heroines would have enjoyed--I know I did.

Obligatory Disclosure Statement: Copies of these two books were provided by the PTA Reviewer Rewards Program for me to review if I chose to do so. I also received a coupon for a free Alexia product from the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program. There was no monetary compensation involved with any of the items and as always, my thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

Happy Saturday!

Fish with Jamie's Very Simple Curry and Cilantro & Lime Rice (and Happy 3rd Blogoversary to Me!)

Another quick post before my wellness event tomorrow. It has been a late night finishing the prep and it will be an early morning tomorrow as I have to be out the door around 6:00 AM, but I just had to post because I realized today is the 3rd Blogoversary of Kahakai Kitchen! Whoo Hoo! It's been three years of wonderful friends and fabulous food and just under 800 posts too. Thanks to all of you for your friendship and support over the past three years. Your visits, comments, and positive feedback mean so much to me. I am lucky to have so many great friends--those I have met in person and those who I feel like I know so well even though we have not (yet!) met face to face. You are all awesome!

Our theme for I Heart Cooking Clubs is "April Showers" focusing on spring and all that is fresh and growing. When showers hit, I like to have food with bright colors and flavors so I picked a couple of easy recipes from Jamie to showcase the bounty from last week's farmers market visit--fresh local fish, cilantro, scallions, limes, and cherry tomatoes. I was craving a sunny plate of curry and rice so I made the Very Simple Curry and Cilantro and Lime Rice from "Jamie's Food Revolution" and served it with my fresh fish--grilled in just a bit of olive oil.

This recipe can be found in "Jamie's Food Revolution" on page 271.

Very Simple Curry

"Jamie's Food Revolution" by Jamie Oliver

(Serves 4)

6 scallions

a large bunch fresh cilantro

olive oil

5 heaped teaspoons curry powder

1 Tbsp butter

2 (14 oz) cans of coconut milk

sea salt

juice of 1 lemon

Trim and finely slice your scallions. Finely chop your cilantro. Put a pan on low heat and add 2 good lugs of olive oil. Sprinkle in the curry powder and add the scallions. Stir around and add the butter. Cook for 20 to 30 seconds and when it's all bubbling nicely, add your coconut milk. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 2 minutes. To finish, season to taste with salt and stir in the cilantro and lemon juice. Serve hot, with your frozen fish or meat.

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You can find this recipe in "Jamie's Food Revolution" on page 96

Cilantro & Lime Rice

"Jamie's Food Revolution" by Jamie Oliver

(Serves 4-6)

· 2 cups cooked basmati rice
· Large bunch of cilantro
· 2 limes
· Extra virgin olive oil
· Sea salt
· Freshly ground pepper

Cook your rice. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stalks and finely chop. Zest your limes and cut them in half. Mix the cilantro and lime zest into your rice, then squeeze over the lime juice. Drizzle over a good lug of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and serve


Notes/Results: A sunny, colorful meal. Both recipes turned out well--full of good flavors that really complemented the buttery, moist grilled fish. The scallions and lemon enhance the curry flavor in the sauce and it went well with the lime and cilantro in the rice. I used a brown basmati rice--because that's what I had on hand,(and I like that extra fiber!) ;-) Jamie has a recipe for Perfect, Basic Rice that I followed (click on the link to see the recipe), I just adjusted the time for the brown rice and crossed my fingers that it would work. It did--my rice was light and fluffy and didn't stick together. I would make both of these recipes again.

You can see how April Showers inspired the other IHCC participants by going to the post here and following the links.

Wish me luck that everything goes smoothly tomorrow. ;-)

Peppers with Halloumi, Chili and Pine Nuts

Quick dish, quick post. I am having a crazy busy week. "What?" you ask ... "don't you say that just about every week Deb?" Yes, I admit it... I have been saying it a bit too often lately, but this week is just a little crazier than the rest as I am scrambling to get everything together for a meeting/wellness fair on Thursday. So I may not be around visiting your blogs much until I recover on Friday, but I will get there! ;-) Until then, here is a tasty little recipe to enjoy.

This recipe for Peppers with Halloumi, Chilli and Pine Nuts comes from the "Quick Fix" section of Olive Magazine (July 2007), courtesy of the ongoing "great magazine purge" project. I happened upon some 1/2 price halloumi (getting close to the expiration date) in my local speciality store and bought a couple of packages and this seemed like a great way to use it. With a couple of smallish red bell peppers from the farmers market and parsley from my herb pots, it was easy to put together. Although listed as a side dish, I served it as a main dish on top of a lentil-rice pilaf box mix that has been in the pantry for ages and needed to be used.

Peppers with Halloumi, Chilli and Pine Nuts

Janine Ratcliffe, Olive Magazine, July 2007

(Serves 6 as a side dish)

25 minutes

2 red peppers, halved

1 yellow pepper, halved

halloumi, 250 g block, sliced into 6

Dressing:

1 lemon, juiced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 red chilli, finely chopped

2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted

1 small bunch parsley, chopped

3 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Heat the oven to 200 C (about 400 F). Put the peppers on a baking tray in a single layer. Season, then drizzle with a little oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes until softened. Put a piece of halloumi inside each pepper and grill until the cheese is golden.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Serve the peppers with the dressing drizzled over.

Notes/Results: A satisfying mix of the sweet bell peppers, the salty, slightly chewy halloumi, the kick of the chilli peppers, and the slight crunch of the nuts. It goes together easily and tastes great. With the lentil-rice pilaf and a simple green salad it made a satisfying meat-free meal. I will make this again.

How's your week going?

French Lentil Chili: A Little Bowl of Vegan Yum for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

It's been a week of strange weather here with lots of wind and rain, a little thunder and lightening, followed by bursts of sun coming through all the clouds now and then. Pretty much all-mixed up--but good weather to enjoy a bowl of slightly spicy chili. In this case it's a different take on the classic dish, a French Lentil Chili from "Vegan on the Cheap: Great Recipes and Simple Strategies that Save You Time and Money" by Robin Robertson. The French lentils replace the normal beans in the chili and provide a healthy dose of fiber, B-vitamins and protein.

Robertson says, "The tiny green lentils known as French lentils have a great texture for chili because they hold their shape instead of getting mushy. Serve with a warm baguette if you want to accentuate the French accent."

French Lentil Chili

"Vegan on the Cheap" by Robin Robertson

(Makes 4 Servings)

Less than $1.00 per serving

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 medium carrot, minced

1 celery rib, minced

3 garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups French lentils

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

2 Tbsp chili powder (I used 1 1/2 Tbsp)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin (I used 3 tsps)

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 cups water

1 Tbsp sherry vinegar (optional) (I used 1/2 red wine / 1/2 cooking sherry)

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.

Add the lentils, tomatoes, chili powder, salt, cumin, thyme, sugar, pepper, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

Cover and simmer until lentils and vegetables are soft, about 50 minutes, adding more water if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar, if using. Serve hot.

Notes/Results: Hearty but not heavy and full of flavor. I like the lentils in this, they do hold their shape and have a great toothsome texture to them. I did add extra cumin (because I love it so), and reduced the chili powder slightly (the chipotle chili powder I have is fairly strong), but otherwise kept the recipe the same. When I first tasted it, I thought it was "pretty good" but then I realized I left out the vinegar. Big. Difference. It livens up the flavor and takes it from good to great so don't leave it out. Since I didn't have sherry vinegar sitting around, I just added 1/2 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon of cooking sherry, but I think most any vinegar would work. A great warming bowl of goodness and served with some fresh multigrain baguette from the farmers market, it was an easy, tasty and inexpensive dinner. I would make this again.


BTW: "Vegan on the Cheap" is a great little book, full of recipes and tips for healthy, delicious vegan eating on a budget. Robinson's other books are excellent too--especially "Vegan Planet" which I have cooked frequently from.

Let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who is here.

If we had an award for the most popular soup / ingredient this week it would be French Onion Soup--with 3 versions of the classic in this week's round up! ;-)

First up is Graziana from Erbe in Cucina who made hers for a multi-course lunch. She says, "I wanted to serve also a soup during the 12 first courses lunch, but but I knew that my guests like strong flavors, so I chose my own version of the famous French Onion Soup: maybe it's not light and healthy as other soups, but it's really tasty."

Pam from Sidewalk Shoes tried Tyler's Ultimate French Onion Soup and says, "Conundrum. I have a slight conundrum with this post. ... I’ve been posting a meatless recipe on Mondays. This soup has beef stock in it. Technically it’s meatless, but not vegetarian. Since I’m not specifically going vegetarian, I’m still going to use it. Conundrum solved. Oh, and it was good. I don’t usually use a cup of red wine in my French Onion Soup, but I will now and forever."

Our final version comes from a new face at Souper Sundays, Nilam from GrowinKitchen, blogging from Indonesia and joining us for the first time this week and needing a bowl of something soupy to feel better. Nilam says, "I remembered my housemate, Irna, once made an onion soup when she caught cold. She said it could warm her body and clear phlegm. This sounded like perfection. Besides, I've always wanted to try Jamie Oliver's Onion Soup recipe. ... Nothing compares to the sweetness of caramelized onions combined with salt, croutons and bubbly melted cheese." Welcome Nilam!

Amritha from AK's Vegetarian Recipe World says, "It was Sunday evening, my husband was taking a nap and I was browsing through my blog to see what new recipe came up. That time I got this update from Deb who hosts the event called Souper Sundays. I got this week's update and the first soup that I saw was this Asian Corn Soup. It was prepared by Deb for her event and I was so thrilled to see that it was all vegetarian. I was just then hunting for some soup recipes and when I found I had 99% of the ingredients at home, I tried it at once. It came out really well." I am glad you liked it too Amritha! ;-)

Joanne at Eats Well With Others made the most of a case of pomegranate juice by creating this Eggplant and Lentil Stew with Pomegranate Molasses. She says, "...I immediately set to making up a batch of pomegranate molasses. Which not only takes up less space in the fridge but is also required for most of the recipes out there that involve pomegranates. Score. Like, for example. This stew. Oh, this stew, which is filled with such complexly delicious flavor. The pomegranate molasses gives it a hint of sweetness and tartness and tang that hits your taste buds from every angle. And it's veggiefull. And antioxidant full. And will help you to live forever."

Reeni over at Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice made this hearty and unique Risotto, Pea and Sausage Soup and says, "A hearty main dish soup with sweet peas, arborio rice and hot Italian sausage. Rich, creamy and flavorful with a hint of sweetness and a touch of spiciness, this is a comforting soup that will satisfy on all levels. ... It's best to serve the soup immediately or the rice will continue to suck up every ounce of the broth; stir additional broth into the soup when reheating leftovers."

It is always fun to have my friend Stephanie, The Happy Sorceress from Dispensing Happiness in the Souper Sundays Kitchen. This week she is here with a Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Soup and says, "Can't go wrong with tomato soup & a grilled cheese sandwich. Garlic & onions, sun-dried & fresh tomato, stock & thyme...simple to prepare & full of flavor. And Fontina melted to perfection on homemade baguette. Happiness."

Janet from The Taste Space has a soup and a salad this week. About her flavorful Brazilian Black Bean Soup she says, "Beans are a good way to add heartiness to a soup, and this is a hearty, healthy and tasty black bean soup. ...the spices brought this soup to the next level: it includes cinnamon, cloves and thyme. Seemingly so different, but a wonderful merriment of content. This soup is like a Brazilian party on your tongue."

Janet's second delicious dish this week is this Thai Tropical Fruit and Tofu Salad and she says, "Adapted from my favourite cookbook Radiant Health, Inner Wealth, this is a Thai salad with a multitude of tropical fruit (I used pineapple, mango, kiwi) with lime-tamari tofu. It is tossed with a sweet and zingy sesame-lime dressing. Served overtop of a bed of baby spinach and topped with a sprinkling of dried coconut and crushed cashews, this is a very tasty main-course salad. You do not need dessert with a main dish as succulent as this."

It's nice to see Lauren from Healthy. Delicious. back this week and with a hearty helping of Steak and Asparagus Salad with Hoisin Dressing. Lauren says, "Topped with steak, onions, and asparagus, this salad is loaded with traditional steakhouse flavors; fresh fruit and a hoisin vinaigrette give it an Asian twist. It’s hearty enough to please the most ardent meat-and-potato lovers but light enough to keep dieters happy. But most importantly, it’s outrageously good. It has a sweet and salty thing going on that’s simply amazing and there are so many interesting textures. My mouth is watering just thinking about it."

Finally we have a gorgeous soup and sandwich combo from Lori at Fake Food Free, this Hummus and Feta Vegetable Sandwich with Cherry Tomato Soup. Lori says, "One of my favorite sandwiches is the Mediterranean Veggie sandwich from Panera Bread. If you haven’t had it, let me explain. It consists of fresh bread piled high with vegetables, but what makes it so tasty to me is the combination of hummus and feta cheese.A few days ago, I decided to try to recreate something similar. ... I paired the sandwich with some easy tomato soup. The only tomatoes we have left in the freezer are yellow and red cherry tomatoes so I decided to give them a try."

Lots of delicious recipes and a little something for everyone to love this week. Thanks to all who joined in. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a great week!

Giveaway Winner--"The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted"

Happy Saturday Friends!

What's on the agenda for you today? I am hitting the farmers market for some fruit, veggies, fish, bread, and whatever else happens to fall into my market bags. ;-) I am also running errands, getting a walk or some kind of workout in, and catching up on some work. It has been a couple of crazy weeks putting together a company health & wellness fair that is happening next week. Lots of last minute details to get it executed perfectly, as we have a lot to live up to with the success of the one we did last year. I also think there may be a need to stop working and bake some Lemon Yogurt Cupcakes because I have been craving lemony baked goods.

But I digress from the real reason for this quick little post. Recently I had the opportunity to read and review a great novel, "The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted" by Bridget Asher. You can see the review post and the recipe I cooked inspired from the book (Salade de Pâtes Fraîches aux Herbes or Fresh Herb Pasta Salad) right here.


The publisher and TLC Book Tours were generous enough to not only provide me with a copy of the book, but to also to offer one up for a Kahakai Kitchen reader, so I did a random drawing of the names of everyone who entered and....

The winner is...

The lovely Arlene from The Food of Love!

Congratulations Arlene! Send me an email with your mailing address and we will get your copy of this touching and delightful read sent out to you.

BTW--Lots of entries so far this week in the Souper Sundays kitchen so come back tomorrow afternoon for a Souper (Soups, Salads & Sammies) Sundays roundup full of delicious dishes to drool over.

Cookbook Review: "An Encyclopedia of Sandwiches" with a Potato Chip Sandwich & the Toasted Chocolate Sandwich

"Too few people understand a really good sandwich." --James Beard

This quote is on the back cover of "The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches: Recipes, History, and Trivia for Everything Between Sliced Bread" by Susan Russo and I think it is true. Sandwiches sometimes have the reputation of being boring and plain, something found in a lunch box, or something you settle on for a quick and easy meal...unless they are made well. A really good sandwich is a thing of beauty ...simple, satisfying and full of wonderful flavors and textures. "The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches" if full of really good sandwiches and covers every imaginable version from A (the All-in-One Breakfast Sandwich) to (almost) Z (the Walleye Sandwich) in all of their mouthwatering glory.

Between the 100+ recipes and the different variations that accompany most of them, it is hard to think that there could be a sandwich out there that is not included in this chunky, packed-full-of goodness little book. Author Susan Russo is a writer for NPR's Kitchen Window and hosts the popular blog Food Blogga. The many gorgeous, drool-worthy photographs in the book are the work of Matt Armendariz from the Matt Bites blog.

In addition to being listed alphabetically, sandwiches are indexed by ingredient, and it was difficult to determine what to make to "road test" this book as everything looked and sounded so good. I put sticky tabs on quite a few recipes like the Banana Bread Sandwich, Vietnamese Bánh Mì, Caprese Sandwich, Crab Melt, Fried Green Tomato BLT, Greek Salad Pocket, Patty Melt, even the Spamwich, the list goes on and on. Finally I decided to go with the sandwich that I kept going back to and looking at, trying to decide if it would actually be good. The combination of peanut butter, dill pickles and potato chips in the Potato Chip Sandwich sounded too intriguing to pass up.


Russo says, "Known as a crisp sandwich in the United Kingdom, a Potato Chip Sandwich is any sandwich that includes an overlapping layer of potato chips. Many people like to match a flavored chip with a particular sandwich, such as barbecue chips on ham and cheddar, salt and vinegar chips on tuna fish and plain chips on peanut butter."

Potato Chip Sandwich

"A Crunchy Salty Guilty Pleasure"

Reprinted with permission from "The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches"

(Makes 1)

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2 slices white bread

4 to 6 dill pickle chips

a layer of your favorite plain potato chips

Spread peanut butter on both bread slices. Place pickle chips on one slice. Top with overlapping potato chips. Close sandwich and enjoy!

*Russo notes, "Layer the chips and gently press the sandwich with the palm of your hand before biting into it. Otherwise you could risk a puncture wound in the roof of your mouth, which will hurt like the dickens when the salt hits it."

Notes/Results: Salty, tangy, creamy, crunchy and surprisingly delicious. Although I love pickles, peanut butter and chips on their own, I was surprised that I liked it in a sandwich as much as I did. Somehow it just works. As Russo says, "It may not be epicurean, but it sure tastes good." My one change was using a soft sliced sourdough instead of plain white bread--no sense in buying a loaf of bread that I won't eat. It is a bit of a salt bomb of course, but the combination is really tasty and somewhat addictive. I have a feeling I will be having some cravings for this one in the future. ;-)

I also tried the Toasted Chocolate Sandwich--although I will confess that I already eat a variation of this one fairly often as a dessert or late night snack. The combination of the dark chocolate with the fruity olive oil and hint of salt is a favorite. In the book, the broiler is used to toast the bread, but I prefer to drizzle it with a bit of olive oil and toast in in a pan--so it is crusty and chewy at once. The chunks of dark chocolate are put on the toasted bread and softened until just melty and spreadable and a very light sprinkle of sea salt tops it off. Pure perfection.

"The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches" is a fun addition to any cookbook shelf. The variety of great recipes, with interesting trivia and history about the origins of the different sandwiches, as well as tips and tricks for making them provide plenty of inspiration for foodies and home cooks and make this an enjoyable read.

Obligatory Disclosure Statement: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for me to review if I chose to do so but there was no monetary compensations and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Giveaway Update: Whoops! It's been a crazy week and I forgot I had a giveaway going on. ;-) I will draw a winner and post it tomorrow--so stay tuned if you entered to win "The Provence Cure From the Brokenhearted."

Happy Friday!

Jamie's Avocado, Pancetta & Pine Nut Salad: Making Me Happy with Six Ingredients

Simple dishes with just a few fresh ingredients that come together quickly and taste incredible make me happy--like this delicious Avocado, Pancetta & Pine Nut Salad from Jamie Oliver. Found in an old issue (October 2007) of Delicious magazine, it is my pick for this week's "Happy Days with Jamie" theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs. I love the fact that it has six ingredients, is on the table in a snap, and when served with my favorite soft chewy garlic bread from a local bakery, makes a satisfying week-night dinner.

Jamie says, "This salad is great with warm crusty bread and a lovely glass of wine."

Avocado, Pancetta & Pine Nut Salad

Courtesy of Jamie Oliver, Delicious Magazine Oct.07

(Serves 4)

splash of olive oil

12 thin slices flat pancetta

1/3 cup (50 g) pine nuts

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

6 ripe avocados, flesh cut into wedges

4 big handfuls baby spinach leaves

Heat a splash of oil in a non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Fry the pancetta for 2-3 minutes until crispy. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, lightly toast pine nuts for 1-2 minutes until golden.

Make a dressing by whisking the balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil with salt and pepper. Taste to make sure it's balanced--add a little more oil or vinegar if you need to.

Mix the avocado with spinach, pancetta and pine nuts. Season well and drizzle over the dressing.

Notes/Results: So very simple, so very good--the components of this salad work well together, making the most of a few simple ingredients. Of course in my book it is hard to go wrong with pancetta, avocado and toasted nuts, and the simple oil and vinegar dressing lets all of the flavors come out. With lots of crispy pancetta and rich creamy avocado mixed into the baby spinach it is filling and feels like a meal. I like that the pine nuts go right into the same pan where the pancetta cooked to toast up as they take on the delicious flavor of the meat. You could always substitute good bacon for the pancetta and swap out the nuts if you are not a pine nut fan, but the combination really is lovely. It was perfect to toss together in a few minutes for an easy dinner on a busy weeknight and it would also be a great starter for company. I will be making this again.

You can check out how the other IHCC participants found their "Happy Days" by going to the post here and following the links.

What kinds of foods / recipes make you happy?