Maple Vinaigrette: A Superb Dressing for Salad or Slaw from Cleo Coyle



Freezing nights and warmer days are essential to a good maple syrup season. That swing between freeze and thaw is what brings the sap out of the trees near the end of winter (and before spring budding). In short, in many areas of North America, this is the season for tapping trees and boiling down maple syrup. 

For those of you interested in how maple
syrup is made, join me for a virtual trip
to a Vermont family farm. 

To start the video, tap the arrow
in the center of the window below... 

If you do not see a window above,

click here to watch the video. 

A Note from Cleo

Cleo Coyle has a partner in

crime-writing—her husband.

Learn about their books

by clicking here and here.

Maple can offer a superb, smoky-sweet note to many dishes. In this salad dressing, it serves as a sultry substitute for honey. I use this dressing on all kinds of salads, including coleslaw. It's absolutely delicious, bringing sweet, bright, and tangy flavors to the fresh, crunchy greens or slaw.

The dressing is also easily adaptable. If you'd like more tang, splash in more vinegar. I leave the amount of salt and pepper to your own taste, but don't leave either out, they provide good balance to the dressing. One last note, be sure to use fresh lemon juice (not bottled) for the very best flavor. Happy Maple Season...

May you eat with joy and in good health!

~ Cleo 

To download a free PDF
of this recipe you can print,
save, or share, click here.

Free Recipe PDF

Cleo Coyle's

Maple Vinaigrette

Servings: This recipe makes about 1/4 cup of dressing, enough to dress 4 small salads or 2 large ones

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white vinegar*
4 teaspoons maple syrup
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice*
Salt and ground pepper (to your taste)

*I use rice vinegar in this recipe, though you can use any white vinegar. As for the lemon juice, be sure to use freshly squeezed (not bottled) for the very best flavor.

Directions: First, please note that I'm using both Tablespoons and teaspoons in this recipe, so be sure not to confuse those measurements. Use a whisk to properly blend the ingredients. Whisk well, until you've created a smooth dressing. Add the salt and pepper to your own taste (but don't leave them out;  they provide balance to the overall dressing). Pour over fresh greens or coleslaw and toss. 

Cleo's Baby Leaf Spinach Salad 

with Maple Vinaigrette

Here's a delicious and nutritious salad that I like to eat in a big bowl as a light lunch or serve in smaller portions before dinner. The sweet, bright, and tangy notes in my Maple Vinaigrette pair wonderfully with the classic bitter-green flavor of baby spinach.

Servings: This recipe makes 4 small salads or 2 large ones

Ingredients:

9-10 ounces (about 12 cups) fresh, raw baby spinach (see my note)*

1/4 cup maple vinaigrette (see recipe above)

2-3 slices bacon, cooked crispy and chopped

1 hard boil egg, chopped

*I often use the triple-washed packages for convenience. Fresh, bunched spinach is delicious, but be sure to wash at least three times to remove all grit.

Directions: Toss baby spinach leaves with vinaigrette. Garnish with bacon bits and chopped eggs, and...

☕

Eat (and read) with joy!

~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author
of The Coffeehouse Mysteries &
Haunted Bookshop Mysteries

Alice and Marc in Central Park. 

Together we write as Cleo Coyle. 

Learn more about us here.
Friend us on facebook here.
Follow us on twitter here.
Visit our online coffeehouse here. 

A "Best Book of 2018!" 

~ Suspense Magazine

"A magnificent cold case 

mystery." ~ Fresh Fiction

*

"He is hardboiled in the tradition
of Philip Marlowe, and she is a genteel
Miss Marple; yet the two opposites
make an explosive combination..."

—Midwest Book Review

To learn more, visit our
online Haunted Bookshop
by clicking here.

☕

Our NEW Coffeehouse Mystery!

Amazon * B&N

IndieBound * BAM

"A gripping and entertaining mystery"

--Library Journal (Starred Review) 

*

"Penetrating insights" --Kirkus Reviews 

*

"Sure to delight" --Publishers Weekly

☕

This culinary mystery includes
25 delicious recipes! To get the
Free Recipe Guide, click here.

Click for Free Recipe Guide
to Shot in the Dark.

Cleo is now working
on her next book!

Don't miss her news...

To sign up for Cleo Coyle's
Coffeehouse Mystery Newsletter
and get the latest news on
Cleo's books, bonus recipe,
and fun giveaways!

Cod Loins with Vinaigrette

Once more I stopped at the fish-seller’s station at my local supermarket, seeking inspiration. It was a Tuesday, and the display was well stocked.

As you may know, Massachusetts is the home of the cod—there’s even a sculpture of one that hangs in the State House in Boston. There’s always cod available at the market. Not for the first time I looked over the cod selection and spied something called  Captain’s Cut Cod Loins (do not ask me why they are called loins--I have no idea). The things are easily twice the cost of cod fillets, and I’d always wondered why. Now I know.

I read an article that called cod loins “the finest cut of cod” and “the Filet Mignon prime cut of a cod fish.” I think it’s whittled from the thickest part of a large fillet (the final version is about one inch thick), and it is firm yet tender with a nice flavor. 

So I invested in one loin, and came home to look for  a recipe. What I found was a general fish recipe that I’d saved for nearly ten years, that worked perfectly. (I knew there was a reason to save it!)

Cod Loins with Vinaigrette

Ingredients: (note: I made one serving's worth, or half of this recipe)

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 Tblsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 Tblsp white wine vinegar
1 Tblsp capers, drained
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp lemon peel, finely grated
2 cod loins (about a half-pound each)

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until it begins to brown, stirring often (about 4 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat.

Melted butter. I don't know why it looks
swirly, but I thought it was interesting

Mix in the olive oil, then add the shallots, vinegar, capers and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (This is the vinaigrette.)

Brush both sides of the fish fillets with the vinaigrette, then season with salt and pepper. 

In a bowl, mix the garbanzo beans, lemon peel and the rest of the vinaigrette and keep warm. 

Sauteing the fish (in the same pan)

The original recipe recommended grilling the fish, but it’s simpler to saute it briefly in a skillet on the stove. Just don’t overcook it.

Place the cooked cod fillets on a plate and spoon the warm bean mixture alongside.

I sat down with my plate and tasted the fish, and said “Wow!” It was delicious, and the flavors were nicely balanced. You could use other varieties of white fish, although I think the cod loins have a more distinctive flavor. But I’ll be happy to try it again!

www.sheilaconnolly.com

PEA SHOOT AND HAZELNUT SALAD WITH MUSTARD-HONEY VINAIGRETTE

by Sheila Connolly

I was going to give you a recipe for how to cook a weed, but that didn’t sound quite right for the Fourth of July (even though it is a native species of weed!), so you may see that one in coming weeks.

Happy Independence Day! 

Between Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, I’ve been spending a lot of time (in my head, at least) with the Revolutionary War recently. Maybe it was the early influence of Johnny Tremain (written by Esther Forbes and published in 1943; Walt Disney made a movie of it in 1957), which was required reading for my sixth grade English class, but I’ve always found the whole thing romantic—those ill-equipped farmers without uniforms or decent weapons standing up to the might of the well-trained, well-supplied British Empire in defense of their homes and livelihoods and maybe even some ideals. It’s a great story with a happy ending, isn’t it?

Back to the food. Summer has finally arrived around here, and there are parties and fireworks to watch this week (plus that annoying Hurricane Arthur), and mosquitoes to swat, so I’m going to keep it simple. Here’s a nice recipe for a salad with a few little twists.

Pea Shoot and Hazelnut Salad with Mustard-Honey Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette:

1-1/2 Tblsp balsamic vinegar (flavored if you like)

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp honey

1 small shallot, minced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped

5 oz. baby arugula (or any other small greens you prefer)

3-4 oz. pea shoots (available in packages at your market!)

4 large radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced (the white part only)

Right up front, I’ll give you a choice: you can prepare your own hazelnuts:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and toast until they are fragrant and the skins blister (12-15 minutes).   Transfer them to a kitchen towel and let cool slightly, then rub the nuts together vigorously to remove the skins. Chop the nuts coarsely.

Or you can just buy a package at your market--much simpler! Although the toasting is a good idea because it brings out the nuts’ flavor.

In a large bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey and shallot. Add the olive oil and whisk until blended. Season with salt and pepper.

Arugula--looks like oak leaves, doesn't it?

I

Pea greens

n another bowl, toss the arugula, pea shoots, sliced radishes, sliced fennel, and chopped hazelnuts. Add the vinaigrette and toss again to cover. Serve.

As with any salad, you can add whatever greens are fresh and available. Can’t find pea shoots? Try thin slices of sugar snap peas.

Razing the Dead involves a body (or two or three) found near the site of the Paoli Massacre, a notorious battle from the Revolutionary War, fought outside of Philadelphia. The monument shown on the cover is based on the real one, in Paoli, and is the second-oldest military monument in the country (after the one at Concord, MA, naturally).

Apple Salad with Cider Vinaigrette

Apples are a nostalgic food for me.  When I was young, we lived on a farm with apple trees.  I had a penchant for climbing those trees (sometimes getting myself stuck), and whenever possible I snagged an apple right off the tree and ate it amid the branches.

When I was older, we didn't have trees of our own, but we lived close to a fantastic orchard called Robinette's (you West Michiganders know what I'm talking about).  We made the 20 minute trek to Robinette's at least twice every fall, enjoying fresh apple cider and warm pumpkin doughnuts dusted in cinnamon and sugar, and then toting home bushels of fresh, crisp apples.

Bottom line, I love apples.

I grew up eating apples on their own and eating them in sweets.  With the exception of the occasional bit of warm applesauce (with pork chops, of course), we rarely at apples at dinner.  Then one year (2001, to be exact), I was looking for a salad to complement our usual Thanksgiving shepherd's pie, and I stumbled across a recipe for apple/pecan/romaine salad in Bon Appetit.  I was intrigued, and then delighted by how yummy it was.  Over the years, I've tweaked the vinaigrette a bit and switched from romaine to more peppery baby greens (this time a 50/50 blend of spring mix and baby spinach).

Enjoy!

Apple Salad with Cider Vinaigrette

Cider Vinaigrette

3/4 c. canola oil
3 Tbs.  apple cider vinegar
1 c. apple cider
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Salad

2 gala apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/4 inch dice
5.5 oz. of baby greens
3/4 c. pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped

Place the apple cider in a small saucepan over medium high heat.  Cook until reduced to about 1/3 of a cup.  Allow to cool.

Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Dressing can be (and really should be) made 1 day ahead . . . refrigerate until using.  Bring back to room temp before using and whisk to combine the vinaigrette one more time.

Toss apples with 1/3 c. dressing.

Place baby greens in a large salad bowl.  Drizzle with dressing and toss.  Top with apples and pecans.  Serve with any remaining dressing on the side.

Summer Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette & Feta

I am so pleased to announce that Roberta Isleib (Lucy Burdette) and I (Daryl Wood Gerber aka Avery Aames) have been nominated for the Anthony Awards for our short stories. Whee!


The Anthony Awards are literary awards for mystery writers presented at the Bouchercon Mystery Convention since 1986. The award are named for Anthony Boucher (1911-1968) one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America.


Click this title to read Roberta's "The Itinerary". You can catch my story, "Palace On The Lake" from FISH TALES: THE GUPPY ANTHOLOGY on my website.



Speaking of fish...


Oh, wait, no, I don't want to talk about fish today. I want to talk about summer...it's almost summer, right? [Can you tell I'm a little befuddled? I'm waiting for a baby to come from my nephew and his wife - my nephew is like a son to me! So sweet. On pins and needles.]

Anyway, back to summer. Summer should be simple, easy, and fun, don't you think? It's time to spend hours outside, drink in the sun, inhale the fabulous aromas of barbecue and ocean (lake) air.

Summer is also one of the best times to enjoy fresh vegetables and fruits. I love going to the local farmers' market and picking up tomatoes, lettuce, and all sorts of goodies.  One of the easiest things to do to liven up a salad is sprinkle it with cheese.  Feta offers a terrific tang to just about any salad. 

My husband loves to add Greek olives and red onions to his salad. In addition, I like to add artichoke hearts. Yum!  (Granted, I don't get the artichokes at the farmers' market. I'm all about efficiency sometimes. But don't cheap out on artichoke hearts. There is a difference in certain canned or jarred goods!)

Make your salad with your preferred ingredients.

DRIZZLE with balsamic vinaigrette and you're good to go.  Enjoy your greens. They're so good for you!

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

(Yields: one cup, approx.)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black or white pepper, ground

1 teaspoon fresh or dried basil

Directions:

Mix the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and basil in a blender.  Slowly add the olive oil so the mixture emulsifies.    [If you're not going to use the dressing right away or use all of it, cover and refrigerate. Shake well before using.]

Enjoy!

* * *

If you don't figure it out yet, I, Avery Aames, am also

DARYL WOOD GERBER...

Daryl is what my husband actually calls me.

Here's how to learn more about Avery Aames or Daryl Wood Gerber.

Click this link to get to "our" website.

Chat with Avery on Facebook and Twitter.

Daryl will have a new series out in 2013:
THE COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERIES
featuring a cookbook store owner
who is an avid reader and admitted foodie!

"Like" Daryl's page on Facebook and "follow" Daryl on Twitter.
She doesn't say all the same things "Avery" does. Promise.

And if you haven't done so, sign up for the mailing list

 so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests!

Say cheese!

***********