Cara Orange and Strawberry Spinach Salad

Dinner .2013: Cara Orange and Strawberry Spinach Salad

Cara Orange and Strawberry Spinach Salad

Dressing
(minced shallot, good olive oil, a little herb infused olive oil, white balsamic citrus vinegar, kosher salt, pepper, herbs de Province, honey, Dijon mustard)

Cara Orange and Strawberry Spinach Salad
Marinade Cara orange and strawberry sections for 15+ mins in dressing and doss with spinach.

Endive and Fennel Salad with Salmon Cakes

Dinner 8.14.2012: Endive and Fennel Salad with Salmon Cakes

Endive and Fennel Salad with Salmon Cakes

Endive and Fennel Salad (red and white endive, fennel, chopped parsley)

Dressing (olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, pepper, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, dried dill, fennel frawns)

Salmon Cakes (canned salmon in water well drained, bread crumbs, kosher salt, lemon pepper, egg, chopped parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, extra breadcrumbs for encrusting)

Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Meatballs on Arugula

Dinner 8.03.2012: Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Meatballs on Arugula

Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Meatballs on Arugula

Roasted Tomatoes and Red Onions (olive oil, quartered tomatoes, sliced red onion, kosher salt) - start roasting in pan and finish in 375F oven.

Pasta Salad (al-dente pasta, feta cheese, chopped black olives, basil chiffonade, arugula)

Dressing (olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, pepper, herbs de Province, Dijon mustard, honey, little water)

Meatballs (ground sirloin, Panko breadcrumbs, egg, kosher salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, dried thyme)

Let tomatoes and onions cool to room temperature. Toss with pasta, cheese, olives, and dressing. Scoop past salad on a bed of arugula; top with cooled meatballs and basil chiffonade.

Enjoy.

Watermelon Salad, Garlic-Lemon Pasta, Lemon-Pepper Chicken

Dinner 7.31.2012: Watermelon Salad, Garlic-Lemon Pasta, Lemon-Pepper Chicken

Watermelon Salad, Garlic-Lemon Pasta, Lemon-Pepper Chicken

Watermelon Salad (heirloom tomatoes, watermelon, peach, feta cheese, arugula, sliced almonds, fresh basil chiffonade)

Dressing (olive oil, Balsamic-Fig vinegar, honey, salt) - Just before serving gently toss salad ingredients with dressing.

Lemon-Pepper Chicken (little olive oil, kosher salt, lemon-pepper from TJs, chopped cilantro, lime juice) - 'massage' marinade into chicken and let marinade for at least 30 mins. Sear one side in pan with a little olive oil, turn over and roast @ 375F for 12 minutes.

Garlic-Lemon Pasta (olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, chopped cilantro) - mix ingredients and toss with al-dente pasta. Serve immediately.

Nicoise Pasta Salad

Dinner 7.25.2012: Nicoise Pasta Salad

If there is a Nicoise salad on the menu I am very likely to order it. First, you know what you (are supposed to) get and second, I like to see all the different ways chefs come up with presenting it. On my recent trip to Europe I had two different versions of a Nicoise Salad: all ingredients mixed together with canned tuna and another more traditional way of all ingredients arranged nicely on a bed of greens.

I personally like some of the ingredients mixed together and the eggs and tuna/anchovies placed nicely on top. I do like anchovy fillets, but having just returned from my travels I did not have any on hand. Also, since we are cyclists I usually substitute durum pasta whenever I can, so in this dish I substituted the boiled potatoes for al-dente Rotini pasta.

Nicoise Pasta Salad

Dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, black pepper, sugar, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley, little water)

Vegetables (blanched green beans, tomato wedges, quartered hard boiled eggs, halved black olives, mixed greens and anchovy fillets optional)

Boiled Potatoes/Pasta (boiled/steamed and sliced potatoes or al-dente pasta) - drain pasta, briefly rinse to remove starch, toss with green beans, black olives, tomatoes, and dressing. Eggs go on top as garnish once plated.

Tuna (olive oil, fresh or frozen tuna well drained/padded dry, kosher salt, lemon pepper from TJs, lemon juice for drizzling) - sear on both sides - center should be pink. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice and fresh chopped parsley.

Enjoy a little France on you dinner plate :)

Chicken Caesar Salad with Focaccia

Dinner 4.12.2012: Chicken Caesar Salad with Focaccia

Chicken Caesar Salad with Focaccia

Caesar Salad Dressing
This dressing is easy to make and so much better than the bottled stuff!

• Whisk egg and lemon juice until well combined.
• 1 small egg
• squeeze lemon juice
• Add minced anchovy and garlic to egg and combine.
• 1 anchovy fillet, minced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• Slowly drizzle oil into egg mixture while whisking vigorously making an emulsion. Mixture should become thicker and lighter in color.
• 1/2-3/4 vegetable oil (Saffola)
• Adjust seasoning and keep in refrigerator until needed.
• lemon juice
• Kosher salt and pepper

Focaccia
Click here for instructions and link to recipe.

Pan-roasted Chicken (olive oil, herbed salt, pepper) - sear one side in pan, flip and bake @ 375F for about 15 minutes. Top with blue cheese after 10 minutes.

Spinach Salad with Egg and Herb Toast

Dinner 3.28.2012: Spinach Salad with Egg and Herb Toast

Spinich Salad with Egg and Herb Toast

Hard Boiled Egg - in a small sauce pan bring water to a simmer. poke a little hole into the flat side of the egg and gently drop the egg into the simmering water. Set the timer to 12 minutes - be sure water does not come to a boil, but stays at a low, gently simmer. Cool eggs under cold running water to stop them from cooking.

Herb Toast (toast, herb butter of your choice or home-made compound butter)

Salad Dressing (olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, pepper, honey, herbs de province) - or you can use any dressing you like. Toss spinach and tomatoes or any other lettuce and vegetables of your choice with dressing and top with boiled egg and herb toast. Season egg with a little salt and peper.

Three Cheese and Sopressata Pizza with Melted Tomatoes and Arugula Salad

Dinner 1.31.2012: Three Cheese and Sopressata Pizza with Melted Tomatoes and Arugula Salad

Three Cheese and Sopressata Pizza with Melted Tomatoes and Arugula Salad

Pizza Dough (makes 3 small or 2 large)
You can either use 4 cups of white flour (12 oz water) or 3 cups white and 1 cup whole wheat (~13 oz water). Whole wheat flour will absorb more water so will need to add a little more. Also, do not use more than 1 cup of w/w flour, otherwise the dough will be too heavy.

You can keep unused dough in an air tight container for 5 days (it will develop more flavor) or freeze (FoodSaver) it immediately after kneading - defrost in refrigerator and let rise as usual.

• Combine and knead (dough hooks) for 8-10 mins: 3 cups (bread) flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbs yeast
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 oz olive oil
• ~13 oz warm water (dough should still be slightly sticky)

Let dough rise in a warm place - cover bowl with a wet towel so it won't dry out. Roll/stretch into desired shape/thickness (I like a thin crust), let rest, add toppings and bake on a metal cookie sheet at 500F (preheated) 7-12 minutes.

Melted Tomatoes (small/cherry tomatoes (halved), olive oil, kosher salt, minced garlic, dried oregano) - cook on low heat until desired consistency has been reached

Three Cheese and Sopressata Pizza (Asiago, Jack, Parmesan cheese; Sopressata, black olives, melted tomatoes, dried oregano, olive oil)

Arugula Salad (arugula, olive oil, white balsamic, herbs de province, honey, dijon, kosher salt, black pepper)

Three Cheese and Sopressata Pizza with Melted Tomatoes

Pizza Dough

Melted Tomatoes

Asparagus and Pear Salad with Roquefort Cheese

Asparagus and Pear Salad with Roquefort Cheese

This is a great salad - full of flavor and 'bite'. Of course you can replace the mustard greens and dandelion with mixed greens or any other type of lettuce, but I think their distinct flavor really complement the crisp, sweet pears and sharp cheese.

Apricot and Arugula Salad

Apricot and Arugula Salad

Basic-8 Dressing

• 2 tbs grape seed oil
• 1 tbs pear infused white balsamic vinegar (Alessi)
• 1/4 tsp honey
• 1/8 tsp real salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tbs dried fruit mix (raisin, pear, apple, apricot), finely diced

Salad Ingredients

• 1-2 ripe apricots
• 1 handful arugula
• 1 handful mache (lambs lettuce)
• 1/5 red onion, finely sliced (mandolin)
• 1 tbs sliced almonds or walnut pieces
• Optional: a little bit of goat cheese

Combine the salad ingredients with the dressing and gently toss. If the apricots are very soft you may want to add them last to avoid them falling apart and getting mushy.

Enjoy!

Summer Squash Salad with Chicken and Sundried Tomato Dressing

Summer Squash Salad with Chicken and Sun-dried Tomato Dressing.

At the farmers market today I could not help but notice how many beautiful varieties of summer squash are available right now. Summer squash (like zucchini) can be eaten rind, seeds, and all. In this recipe I used globe (green) and pattypan squash (yellow). Now, this salad takes a little longer to prepare since all the ingredients are cooked. But I promise you this is the perfect dish for a warm summer night . . .

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Turkey, Egg and Feta Cheese

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Turkey, Egg and Feta Cheese

Do you associate the word 'salad' with 'green' and 'lettuce'? When I hear the word 'salad' I associate every color under the rainbow, including red, yellow, orange, purple, blue, white, pink, and every possible shade of green, including all kinds of different ingredients and not just leafy greens.

Definition for Salad (noun):
A usually cold dish consisting of vegetables, as lettuce, tomatoes,  and  cucumbers,  covered  with  a  dressing  and  sometimes  containing  seafood,  meat,  or  eggs.
Source: Dictionary.com

I made this salad with what I found in the fridge that day which really was not that much, but it turned out to be the most delicious dish: red and yellow heirloom tomatoes, red onion, hard boiled egg, 2 slices of low-sodium turkey breast and fresh basil leafs tossed with my Basic-8 dressing - so delicious!

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Red Onions and Basil

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Red Onions and Basil

For me summer starts with tomato salad - green, yellow and red heirloom tomatoes, all different kinds of shapes and sizes, still warm from the sun, combined with red onion, basil and a bit of feta cheese tossed with just a bit of my Basic-8 dressing. Hmmm . . .

Basic-8 Dressing

• 2 tbs good olive oil
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/8 tsp real salt - you may need a little extra salt for tomato salad, but add that when the salad is all put together
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 pinch granulated garlic
• 1 pinch dried basil

Salad Ingredients

• 3-4 smaller heirloom tomatoes, green, yellow, red (if they are really big maybe just use 1/2 of a tomato), room temperature or warmed from the sun
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced
• 5-6 larger fresh basil leafs, chopped
• 1-2 tbs feta cheese (optional)

Cut the tomatoes into bite size wedges, or cubes if you like. Cut the red onion the same way: slice or cube, but try to match the shape to the tomatoes (I think it looks nicer). Add the chopped basil leafs, toss with the dressing and sprinkle with the Feta cheese.

Make sure to serve the salad at room temperature which really brings out the beautiful flavor of sun ripened tomatoes.

Make it a Meal
Since I don't want to take away from the great flavor of the tomatoes I like to serve pan-fried organic chicken breast or fish (tilapia) seasoned with just salt and pepper - that's it.

Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Red Onions and Basil

Cobb Salad with Rosemary Ham, Eggs and Avocado

Today I had my heart set on spinach and roasted beet salad with goat cheese and a citrus dressing. I could taste it already, but I still had to head out to the store to get spinach and goat cheese. At the store I grabbed some milk and headed over to the deli cheese case and looked for plain goat cheese, but OMG - the prices for any type of cheese are outrageous! $6 for 1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese . . . no! Then I remembered that I still have some lettuce, mustard greens, 1/2 tomato, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 red pepper, some red onion, celery, eggs, jack cheese, and rosemary ham - Cobb salad. Bye bye expensive store - that's why I don't shop here.

Cobb Salad with Rosemary Ham, Eggs and Avocado.

Basic-8 Salad Dresing

• 2 tbs good olive oil
• 1 tbs red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp honey
• Kosher salt
• 5 turns on the black pepper mill
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 pinch* granulated garlic 
• 1 pinch* herbs de province

*Use the thumb and index finger.

Salad Ingredients

• 1-2 handfuls of mixed greens
• 2-3 leafs of green or red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 leaf mustard greens, cut into small pieces (optional)
• 1/2 tomato, diced
• 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• some red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 hard boiled eggs, cut into eights
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• 2 slices of rosemary ham (or turkey), cut into thin strips
• sprinkle of chives or freshly chopped parsley

Combine the first 6 salad ingredients and toss with most of the dressing. Divide into 2 bowls and arrange the eggs, avocado, ham, and cheese on top of the greens, drizzle with the remaining dressing and sprinkle with chives or parsley.

I served it with a freshly baked whole wheat roll that was still warm and crispy.

Enjoy.

Wikipedia described the creation of the Cobb salad in part as "He browsed the refrigerator for ingredients, and chopped them up finely" which means to me 'whatever you have, as long as there are greens, tomato, avocado, cheese, and eggs - that's close enough to a Cobb salad for me'.

Corn and Red Pepper Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Dinner 4.17.2010: Corn and Red Pepper Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Corn and Red Pepper Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

This is a great summer salad! Fresh corn, red peppers, radishes and cucumber make this a crunchy salad. I imagine it would go great with grilled anything or in this case - Tilapia.

The Dressing

• 2 tbs good olive oil
• 1 tbs lime juice
• 1/4 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbs fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Salad Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 corn on the cob, cleaned, ends trimmed - MAKE 1 HOUR AHEAD
• 1 large or 2 small radishes, sliced (mandolin)
• 1 small red pepper, halved and julienned
• 1-2 scallions, chopped
• 1/4 cucumber, about 15 slices on the mandolin, quartered
• fresh, chopped cilantro

Directions
Clean the corn, trim the ends and steam for about 10 minutes. Remove from steam and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Once the cobs of corn are cooled down cut the kernels off. Hold the cob on one end with the other end on the cutting board. With a paring knife simply cut downward along the core of the cob. Repeat until done. The kernels will stick together so separate them with your fingers.

Combine all the ingredients with the dressing and let sit for about 15 minutes for all the ingredients to combine.

Make it a Meal with Tilapia

• 2 Tilapia fillets
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper 
• seafood seasoning
• vegetable or olive oil for the pan

Wash the fillets, pat dry with a paper towel and lightly season with real salt, pepper, and seasoning. Fry in a non-stick pan with a little bit of oil in a non-stick pan (I like Scanpan) over medium heat.

Corn and Red Pepper Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Citrus Fennel Salad with Mixed Greens

Citrus Fennel Salad with Celery and Walnuts.

To be honest, I am not a huge fennel fan, but this salad is to die for. I added mixed greens to tone down the fennel flavor a bit, and the orange and grapefruit slices are such a great accompaniment. A great side to this light salad would be a simply seasoned chicken breast or salmon fillet. Another easy,  inexpensive, and oh-so-delicious meal.

Basic-8 Dressing

• 2 tbs good oil olive
• 1 tbs Citrus vinegar (TJ's)
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 3 pinches real salt
• 5 turns on the black pepper mill
• 1/2 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard (TJ's) 
• 1 pinch granulated garlic
• 2 pinches ground dried fennel seeds

Salad Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2-3 leafs of red or green leaf lettuce, torn into bit-size pieces
• 2 handfuls mixed greens
• 1 fennel bulb, cleaned, halved and thinly sliced (mandolin)
• 1 large leaf mustard greens, cored and thinly sliced
• a bit of red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small orange fillets (minola, blood, whatever you like)
• 1/2 grapefruit fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• sliced almonds

Make it a Meal with Chicken Breast or Salmon Fillet

• 2 chicken breasts or salmon fillets
• real salt
• fresh ground black pepper 
• ground fennel seed
• vegetable or olive oil for the pan

Wash the chicken/fish, pat dry with a paper towel and lightly season with real salt, pepper, and fennel. Fry in a non-stick pan with a little bit of oil in a non-stick pan (I like Scanpan) over medium heat.

Serve immediately and enjoy.

Citrus Fennel Salad with Mixed Greens, Mustard Greens, and Red Onion.

Citrus Fennel Salad with Celery and Red Onion

Avocado and Tomato Salad with Tilapia (Soft Taco)

Avocado and Tomato Salad

I love avocados, tomatoes, guacamole, salsas, and salads, of course. So, I came up with this avocado and tomato salad and to make it even better I added Tilapia fillets and small flour tortillas and voila - delicious fish tacos. Yum! Another easy and inexpensive meal.

Red Bartlett Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Tilapia

Dinner 4.09.2010: Red Bartlett Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Tilapia

Red Bartlett Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Tilapia

I got some Bartlett pears this week in my CSA box and instead of just eating them, which is good too, why not put them in a salad? I'm not one the says OMG a lot, but this salad did it for me. It was so yummy I could not stop saying 'Hmm' between every bite.

Dressing

• 2 tbs good olive oil
• 1 tbs pear or fig infused Balsamic vinegar (Alessi's)
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 3 pinches real salt
• 5 turns on the black pepper mill
• 1/2 tsp whole grain mustard (Trader Joe's)
• 1 pinch granulated garlic 
• 1 pinch herbs de province
• ADD: 1 tbsp mixed dried fruit (apricot, peach, pear, apple, raisins) or any one or combination of them, finely diced. Let the dried fruit marinade in the dressing for a few minutes while you get the salad ingredients ready.
  

Salad Ingredients (2 servings)

• 4-6 leafs green or red leaf lettuce, depending in the size
• handful of mixed greens
• a bit of red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red Bartlett pear or any other pear, cut into small slices of your liking
• pine nuts & sliced almonds
• goat cheese

When you are ready to serve the salad toss all ingredients with the dressing. Serve immediately.

Make it a Meal with Tilapia

• Tilapia filets
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• olive oil for the pan

Wash the fillets, pat dry with paper towel and lightly season with salt and pepper. Fry the fillets with a little bit of oil in a non-stick pan (I like Scanpan) over medium heat.

Red Bartlett Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Tilapia