Simple, Satisfying Weeknight Solutions

(Family Features) Hectic daytime schedules can often lead to even busier evenings, which makes putting dinner on the table in less than an hour a valuable time-saver for home chefs. Balancing a busy lifestyle with healthy food choices can certainly become a tall task, but making filling, nutritious meals a priority starts with planning and preparation.

One way to set the course toward more quality weeknight meals at home is planning in advance rather than making day-of decisions. Ensuring you have the correct ingredients on-hand can make meal prep a simpler process once it’s time to get started in the kitchen.

By focusing meals on recipes that incorporate easy-to-use, versatile ingredients like Filippo Berio vinegars, you can have flavorful main courses, sides and appetizers ready in under an hour. The vinegars are allergen free, cholesterol free, trans fat free and GMO free, making them an ideal addition to healthy menus.

For example, while waiting for a meal to bake, Green Bean, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette can keep appetites at bay and help incorporate nutritious vegetables.

Follow your salad with a main dish like this Honey-Balsamic Glazed Salmon, which involves just a handful of ingredients and seasonings, leading to just 5 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes in the oven. Greek-Style Roasted Sweet Potato Salad makes for an ideal complementary side dish, enhanced with a red wine dressing made with Filippo Berio Red Wine Vinegar for a pleasantly sharp taste that’s a welcome addition to an array of recipes.

When a light yet filling meal is attainable in less time, you can focus on nutritious choices even on the busiest of evenings. Find more quick, simple recipe ideas at FilippoBerio.com.

Honey-Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6

• 1          salmon filet (about 2 pounds)
• 1/2       teaspoon salt
• 1/4       teaspoon pepper
• 3          tablespoons Filippo Berio Balsamic Vinegar
• 2          tablespoons honey
• 1          tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1          clove garlic, minced
• pinch of chili pepper flakes
• 1          tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (optional)

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Season salmon with salt and pepper; place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic and chili pepper flakes; brush over salmon.
2. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until fish just starts to flake easily with fork. Sprinkle with chopped tarragon, if desired.

Tips: Substitute maple syrup for honey, if desired. Omit chili flakes and season with freshly ground pepper.

 

Greek-Style Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8

Red Wine Dressing:

• 1/4       cup Filippo Berio Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 2          tablespoons Filippo Berio Red Wine Vinegar
• 2          tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1          teaspoon honey
• 1          clove garlic, minced
• 1/4       teaspoon salt
• 1/4       teaspoon pepper

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad:

• 3          tablespoons Filippo Berio Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1          tablespoon Filippo Berio Red Wine Vinegar
• 1          teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2       teaspoon dried mint
• 2          cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2       teaspoon salt
• 1/4       teaspoon pepper
• 2          pounds sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 1          cup shredded romaine lettuce
• 1          tomato, chopped
• 1/3       cup sliced pitted Kalamata olives

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. To make Red Wine Dressing: Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, parsley, honey, garlic, salt and pepper.
3. To assemble Roasted Sweet Potato Salad: Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, oregano, mint, garlic, salt and pepper; toss with potatoes until well-coated. Arrange in single layer on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Roast about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and tender.
4. Arrange sweet potatoes on serving platter. Top with lettuce, tomato and olives; drizzle with dressing.

Tips: For traditional Greek flavor, sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese before serving. Alternatively, cut sweet potatoes into wedges.

Green Bean, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Total time: 13 minutes
Servings: 4

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette:

• 2          tablespoons Filippo Berio White Wine Vinegar
• 1          shallot, minced
• 1          tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 2          teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2          teaspoons honey
• 1/4       teaspoon salt
• 1/4       teaspoon pepper
• 1/4       cup Filippo Berio Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Green Bean, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Salad:

• 1/2       pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2       pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6          cups baby arugula
• 1/2       cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4       teaspoon salt
• 1/4       teaspoon pepper
• 1/4       cup diced sundried tomatoes in oil
• 2          tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1. To make Honey Dijon Vinaigrette: Whisk together white wine vinegar, shallot, tarragon, mustard, honey, salt and pepper; whisk in olive oil.
2. To assemble Green Bean, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Salad: In steamer basket, steam green beans and asparagus 3-5 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Transfer to large bowl; add arugula and goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Toss salad with vinaigrette. Garnish with sundried tomatoes and chives.

SOURCE:
Filippo Berio

Make it Mediterranean

3 dishes to highlight the next trend in internationally themed cuisine

(Family Features) Just like forward-thinking culinary artists, many at-home chefs seek out the next trendy flavor to provide friends and family gathered around the table. When pondering which trend you'll dive into in the future, consider incorporating tastes from an especially influential international location - the Mediterranean Sea region.

Considered by the experts at Les Dames d'Escoffier International (LDEI) in the organization's 2018 Trends Report to be one of the most influential parts of the world on the American food scene, flavors from the Mediterranean Sea focus on a diet heavy on fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, seeds and nuts. Take this Hummus recipe, for example, which involves processing a host of beans, seeds and seasonings to create a light, smooth dip to serve with anything from vegetables to crackers.

Because the fare is typically lighter, small bites and salads such as Fresh Figs with Honey or this Tomato, Feta and Basil Salad provide easy-to-prepare versions of Mediterranean cuisine. Incorporating vegetables (tomatoes and basil) along with the salty, milky flavors of feta cheese makes the salad a distinctly Mediterranean dish.

In addition to Mediterranean food, the trends report highlighted Middle Eastern cuisine and Latin American flavors as areas of the world that will influence American dining in the next year. Additionally, LDEI highlighted these regions as likely to be influential in the next three years:

1. East Africa
2. The Balkans
3. The Caribbean Sea

To go along with specific regions and countries to influence American food culture, the report identified these international food concepts as the most likely to become prominent food trends:

1. Puebla Hot Pot (Latin America, Mexico) - ancho chile, smoked paprika and spices in chicken stock, served with chicken or pork, corn, avocado crema and fresh garnishes.
2. Manouri (Mediterranean, Greece) - a semi-soft, fresh white whey cheese made from goat or sheep milk.
3. Millet (India) - ancient grains harvested from small-seeded grasses used for porridge.

Mediterranean food, because of its reliance on the inclusion of vegetables and exclusion of red meat in many of its dishes, also squarely fits into the top established and growing health trends, according to the report, which are:

1. Vegetarian cuisine
2. Organic
3. Vegan cuisine

Find full results from the report and learn more about the organization at LDEI.org.

10 Ways to Find Culinary Inspiration

Consider these strategies for achieving inspiration in the kitchen from the LDEI 2018 Trends Report:

• Traveling
• Cookbooks
• Farmers' markets
• Internet and social media
• Fresh produce
• Food magazines
• Chefs
• Seasons
• Beautiful imagery
• People and culture

Tracking the Top Food Trends

As trends continue changing, growing and spreading, the experts at LDEI continue to provide updates from the food world. Find complete 2018 Trends Report survey results and expert panel insights by contacting info@ldei.org.

LDEI is a worldwide philanthropic organization of professional women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality. The invitation-only membership, composed of 2,300 women in 40 chapters across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Mexico, is highly diversified and reflects the multifaceted fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality. For more information, visit LDEI.org or find LDEI on Facebook.

Tomato, Feta and Basil Salad

Recipe courtesy of Beth Vlasich Pav of Cooking by Design, LLC, on behalf of Les Dames d'Escoffier International
Servings: 15-20

• 8 medium size tomatoes, sliced into 1/8-inch slices
• 1 block (8 ounces) feta cheese, sliced into 1/8-inch pieces
• 2 small packages fresh basil, leaves picked off stems
• 3 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

1. On large platter, arrange slices of tomato and feta so they overlap. Place basil leaf between each tomato and Feta slice. Repeat.
2. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Hummus

Recipe courtesy of Beth Vlasich Pav of Cooking by Design, LLC, on behalf of Les Dames d'Escoffier International
Yield: 2 cups

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) garbanzo beans
• 1 medium garlic clove, peeled
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Drain garbanzo beans reserving 1/2 cup liquid.
2. In food processor, process garbanzo beans, garlic, sesame oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper until incorporated. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl. Add garbanzo liquid and process until smooth.
3. Scoop mixture into medium bowl, add black sesame seeds and mix gently. Serve with drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top.

Fresh Figs with Honey

Recipe courtesy of Beth Vlasich Pav of Cooking by Design, LLC, on behalf of Les Dames d'Escoffier International
Servings: 6

• 6 fresh figs
• 1 tablespoon honey

1. Slice figs in half lengthwise (stem to bottom). Distribute on small platter.
2. Drizzle honey over each fig equally. Serve immediately.

Photos courtesy of Beth Vlasich Pav

SOURCE:
Les Dames d’Escoffier International