Chop the iceberg lettuce and romaine hearts and place them in a large salad bowl. Add the cubed chicken, crumbled bacon, tomato, ditalini, green onions and blue cheese crumbles.
Mustard Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the vinegars, water, garlic, dry mustard, sugar and salt and whisk until blended. Pour in the oils slowly, whisking constantly until the mixture is emulsified. Whisk in the oregano, red pepper flakes and black pepper.
Pour as much of the Mustard Vinaigrette as desired over the salad. Toss to coat. Makes 4 main course salad meals, or 8 side salads.
*ditalini: Very small short tubes of macaroni.
Cut the zucchini and yellow squash into long, thin strips about 1/8-inch wide to resemble fettuccine. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the squash and blanch for about 1 minutes, until tender. Drain off the water and immediately plunge the squash into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. When cool, drain well.
Balsamic Reduction: Pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Boil over medium-high heat until the vinegar is reduced to about 1/4 cup. The vinegar should have a syrupy consistency. Stir in the brown sugar and cool before using.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat in a large stainless steel (oven-proof) sauté pan or skillet. Add the fish fillets and sear quickly on each side. Place the skillet in a 400 degree oven and cook the fillets for 4 to 5 minutes to complete cooking.
While the fish is finishing in the oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced shallot and garlic and cook briefly, about 1 minute. Stir in chopped tomato, capers, oregano, basil, and crushed red pepper. Simmer the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the blanched squash and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more to heat throughout. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, pull strands of the squash from the mixture and arrange them on four dinner plates as you would with pasta. Spoon the remaining tomato mixture over the squash. Finish by placing the fish fillets on top and garnish each with the Balsamic Vinegar Reduction. Serves 4.
Recipes by Executive Chef Randy Dickson, Ten Restaurant & Jayhawker Bar in the Eldridge Hotel.
