Archives for posts with tag: salad

salads made for summer

July 22, 2015 //
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watermelon 2

salad duo makes a meal

basil. watermelon. peach. balsamic.

citrus dressing. garlic prawns. green salad.

I have this compulsion to invite people over and feed them. I am not the most organized hostess and I actually do not even like that word. “Hostess”. It makes me think of forced seating arrangements and jell-o molds. I prefer casual, organic get togethers that occur in nature. Someone caught fish, let’s cook it. I have a plethora of zucchini, let’s eat it. Sometimes I just invite random people that I love over and try new recipes. This week I was inspired by my basil plant I have managed to keep alive in this tropical heat wave, and my dearest friend and her new dietary restrictions. I used 1/2 the case of white peaches I picked up last weekend, watermelon spears (from Trader Joes), fresh chiffonade basil and a little balsamic for the first salad. I sprinkled some black pepper on it as well. It was savory enough for dinner, but could have easily been dessert possibly with added blueberries.

The second salad I needed to avoid some of my salad staples (nuts, cheese). For the base of the salad I used:

Organic mixed greens

Hericot verts

Mixed medley cherry tomatoes

English cucumber

Avocado

The dressing/marinade:

Orange juice

Fresh lime juice

Organic honey

Olive oil

Whisk the ingredients for the dressing, pour half of it in a plastic bag with the prawns, 3-4 cloves of chopped garlic and some parsley. Let it sit for about a half hour. Saute in a pan over medium heat until cooked through and pink. Use the remaining marinade as a dressing.

I served gluten-free garlic bread and grilled corn as well, and we had some amazing halibut to add to the spread as well. We ate family style and managed to eat it all, which just makes clean up easier. I am grateful for nights like this, with conversation and delicious food. Old friends meeting new friends. Finish the evening with a stroll with a view and give thanks, this is the good life.

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Categories Uncategorized

fava bean leaves. spring delicacy.

March 19, 2014 //
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Photo Mar 19, 1 58 12 PM (1)

I first discovered these flavorful leaves last Spring and I was instantly enamored. They are intense without being harsh. Fava leaves are delicate yet hearty, light, smooth and delicious. You can use them similarly like you would a spinach: in omelets, on pizzas in soups or in pastas. I prefer fava leaves lightly dressed in a simple salad with seasonal ingredients. Tonight I made a fava leaf salad, with easter egg radishes thinly sliced and a meyer lemon dressing. The perfect spring meal to say goodbye to winter.

easter egg radish

Meyer Lemon Salad Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
zest of 1 Meyer lemon
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon
1 tablespoon agave nectar
 
Whisk together the ingredients and set aside, assemble the salad with your favorites. I choose thinly sliced easter egg radishes, toasted sunflower seeds and fava leaves. Yum!
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Categories Salads

Mom’s super simple salad dressing

December 11, 2013 //
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Super Slim down Summer, wait Spring, I mean now, I mean yesterday…

Oh! Is it the holidays? In honor of me not honoring the holidays with a Thanksgiving post, I give you two recipes you cannot live without. First: Salad Dressing for every occasion.

This dressing is versatile and approved by most, if not all preferences. I think every woman in my family has asked for the recipe at least three times. Looking back, it makes more sense that we either wanted my mother to just make the dressing herself, or we lacked the organizational skills to master this simple, ridiculously basic recipe. This is the basic dressing you want to put onto a salad you luck into.. for example, when i was asked if i could use the 2 fresh cracked crab someone wanted to give me…I made a salad out of crab, avocados, cucumbers, a little mango salsa + THIS DRESSING. Yum. This insanely simple recipe is something every man, woman, child, aunt, friend, neighbor should know. It is JUST salad dressing people.

1 small garlic clove, salt and pepper, a little red pepper flake mince those all together (infuse the garlic)

About a half teaspoon Dijon

Add 2-3 Meyer lemons

Whisk in olive oil 3:1 ratio olive oil to lemon

USE FOR EVERYTHING

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Categories Healthy Meals

persimmons and pancetta

November 25, 2013 //
1

Photo Nov 25, 4 33 51 PMPhoto Nov 25, 4 04 53 PM

I had my first taste of persimmons about a month ago. To me they have always just been a bright colored fruit for centerpieces. I should have done my research. I bit into an unripe persimmon and instantly was like, “is this a joke?” I think this is a trick fruit. It was so chalky and my mouth felt like I had bit into a handful of Advil. Never again. Of course I was determined to make this beautiful fruit delicious too, so I tried this little recipe from A Cozy Kitchen and fell in love.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 lemon
Salt
Pepper
2 persimmons (1 pound)
1/2 fennel bulb
Small handful Italian parsley
5 slices prosciutto

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar and juice from 1/2 lemon. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Using a mandolin (or a very sharp knife), cut the persimmons into 1/4-inch thick slices. Next, shave the fennel bulb so they’re nearly paper thin but not quite. Roughly mince the Italian parsley; set aside.

3. To a medium bowl, add the persimmons and a teaspoon or two (you can eyeball this measurement) of the dressing. Rub the persimmons with the dressing so they’re evenly coated. Arrange the persimmons on a plate in a circular pattern, overlapping them. To make the persimmon “cones,” slice a slit in the persimmons, starting from the center and cutting outward. Take the two cut-ends and overlap them, creating a cone-like shape. Atop the fanned out persimmons, arrange the persimmon cones in a circle. I am not a details person, so this was a little out of my comfort zone. Precision is definitely not my thing, but I did my best to arrange the perfectly ripe persimmons artistically.

4. To the same medium bowl, toss together the shaved fennel, Italian parsley and remaining dressing. Give it a taste and adjust the salt and pepper according to taste. Transfer the shaved fennel to the center of the persimmon “cones.” Place the shaved lardo (or prosciutto, if using) on top of the fanned out persimmons.

Enjoy!

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ps. there is something about walking out of a grocery store with mostly all greens/fruit, with the tall fennel coming out of the top of my Daylight bag that puts a little extra pep in my step

Photo Nov 22, 2 48 58 PM

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Categories Fall favorites