Arugula Fennel and Orange Salad with Parmesan
On New Year’s Day my friend Teri texted me a photo of her “Boxing Day salad,” a mix of blood oranges, arugula, shaved fennel, thinly sliced red onion and pomegranate seeds.
“Fresh and bright,” she wrote. “Nice way to wrap up that holiday blitz!” So true, I thought. Like many, I found myself on January 1st needing a break from the booze and the cheese and the sweets that abound at every turn during the last six weeks of the year. Shortly after seeing Teri’s photo, I made my way to the grocery store in search of winter citrus and greens. Nothing sounded more refreshing or perfect than that very salad at that very moment. I made the salad for dinner that evening, and I’ve made it a number of times since. It’s nice aside soup or really any wintry dish, but it also can stand alone with the addition of a little protein. I’ve been pulling leftover roasted chicken, tossing it with the greens and fennel, and calling dinner done (with a hunk of bread on the side, of course). Incidentally, I made this on Instagram Stories, and someone messaged me saying her family makes this salad all the time with the addition of salty black olives. The combination of blood oranges, fennel, pomegranates, and parmesan (or Pecorino) is a classic Sicilian salad, and the addition of black olives is a variation of the dish. Depending on your preferences, change up the contents as you like. And if you really can’t get behind fennel, thinly sliced endive works beautifully, too.
This chicken is one of those simple weeknight dishes that will blow you and your lover away! The creamy mustard sauce is out of control, knock your socks off good. In fact, I grabbed a spoon after we ate and just went to town on the rest of the pan sauce. No shame here!
This French Chicken with Creamy Mustard-White Wine Sauce is also a great dish for the holiday season to impress your guests (you’ll just have to make a lot more of it). It’s just fancy enough but simple to create — and a total crowd pleaser! So grab a bottle of white wine, pour yourself a glass and make your lover or friend a fabulous meal and tell them how much you care about them. Eat, laugh, enjoy and be happy!
Ingredients:
Instructions
for the cauliflower puree:
Recipe by Alexandra's Kitchen.