Okay…so you forgot to set your scale back 10 lbs. before Christmas Season began but never mind, this will put you back on track. It is easy and delicious
This salad will serve 4.
- 2 skinless trout fillets (8 oz. each, 1 inch thick)
- Sea salt, freshly ground pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 scallion, trimmed and sliced very thin
- 2 large oranges, peeled, white pith removed and segmented
- 1 large, ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
- 2 cups of baby arugula, spinach, stems removed , break into small pieces if some are too large to be eaten politely.
- 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- zest from lime
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season lightly with salt and pepper and place in a baking dish large enough to hold both fillets. Drizzle with 1 tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle half of the scallion over the fillets.
Bake until opaque in center (about 10-12 minutes). Transfer to a plate and let cool.
Break the trout into pieces, dividing evenly among the 4 plates. Trop each with the orange segments, avocado and greens. Season with remaining oil, lime juice and a sprinkling of zest.
In a word….yummy!
Taco Salad
Everyone is soooo busy at this time of year and I thought this would make a great way to sit down, take a few minutes and enjoy the moment before off and rushing again.
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp. Crisco oil
- 1 tbsp. FINELY chopped jalapenos, seeds removed
- 1 1/2 tsp. liquid honey
- 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce (or mixed greens)
- 1 large can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup fresh corn (1 large ear of corn should do the trick)
- 1 large avocado, peeled and sliced in thin wedges
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced (if you must)
- Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lime over the top.
- Grated Havarti cheese for garnish
Mix the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
Wash and dry the lettuce, adding it to the bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. If you can purchase the taco bowls, use them or wrap up into soft tortilla wraps. Sprinkle cheese over the whole salad.
Have a cold beer handy or a shot of tequila. (I told you this would relax you). If you take this step, make sure you are done your shopping for the day and will stay inside.) In other words, no drinking and driving unless it is a great cup of coffee.
- you can also put in a cup or two of ground beef, fully cooked and then fold in with the rest of the ingredients.
Honey Broiled Scallop Salad
What a lovely way to enjoy scallops.
- 1/4 cup honey, divided
- 1 tbsp. canola oil
- 2 large limes, both zest and juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 large scallops, cleaned and muscle removed
- 1 1/2 oranges, divided
- 1 tbsp. fresh tarragon
- 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pink grapefruit
- 1 blood orange
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, fronds removed for garnish
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp. chopped pistachios
In a large bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp. honey, oil, lime zest and juice along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add scallops to marinade and stir to coat well. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour.
Cut away the peel and pith from half the orange and cut onto chunks. Place in a blender. Add the remaining honey, tarragon, vinegar, mustard and olive oil before blending smooth. Season to taste and set aside.
Preheat broiler. Cut away the rind and white pith from the grapefruit and remaining orange. Cut into thin rounds. With a sharp knife or mandolin, cut the fennel and radishes into paper thin slices. Arrange the fruit, fennel and radish slices onto 4 serving plates.
In a broiler proof dish, arrange the scallops along with the marinade in a single layer. Broil 4-6 inches away from the heat until opaque throughout and lightly browned (4-6 minutes).
Arrange 3 scallops on each salad. Drizzle with the reserved dressing and garnish with the chopped pistachios.
To finish this off, serve with a nice Pinot Grigio or Riesling, chilled of course.
Corn And Cantaloupe Salad
This is a delightfully light salad. Put together a dinner on the deck and this would be a real winner.
- 2 cups fresh corn kernals (4 ears)
- 2 cups cubed cantaloupe
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded, chopped fine
- 1 tbsp. fresh dill
- 3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 2 cups mixed spring greens
Cook the corn in a saucepan for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water until the corn becomes cool. Scrape the corn from the cobs and put in a large bowl.
Add the cubed cantaloupe, jalapeno. dill and toss to combine.
In a bowl. combine the lime juice, olive oil and dry mustard. Pour over the corn mixture. Add the greens and toss.
Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
This will make 6 servings.
Bell Pepper Slaw
Summer is here…well, almost… and now is the time to put together some planning. This is a slaw that goes so well with pulled pork, hamburgers, steak – almost everything you can barbecue. I admit you have to like bell peppers so give it a try. The addition of a jalapeno pepper gives it a kick.
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 each – red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers – seeded and thinly sliced
- 1/2 – 1 jalapeno (depending on how hot you like it), seeded-sliced fine
- 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix together the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Shake gently to combine.
Drizzle over the salad and toss to coat.
Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Cheese Souffle With Bacon Spinach Salad
These are not difficult to make. Give it a try…with the bacon spinach salad it will be hard to beat.
- 4 tbsp. butter (more for ramekins)
- 2 tbsp. finely grated Asiago cheese
- 1 garlic clove for rubbing
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 large eggs, room temperature, separated
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. wine vinegar
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 4-6 strips bacon, cooked crisp, broken up
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the garlic and cut in half. Run around the surface of the ramekins. Discard the garlic. Butter two 2 cup ramekins, coat with the Asiago cheese and set in refrigerator.
Melt butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour, cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly (making a roux). Add the milk, whisking constantly until thickened for 2 minutes and smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in the Gruyere cheese, pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the egg yolks.
Whisk egg whites until still peaks have formed. Fold into the cheese mixture, one third at a time. Divide between the ramekins. Bake on a baking sheet for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake until it as puffed up (approx. 15 minutes. Watch so it doesn’t burn.
Whisk together the oil and vinegar. Drizzle over the spinach. Top with the broken bacon pieces. Serve on a plate with the soufflé (still in the ramekin).
Enjoy! This will serve two for dinner.
Honey-Dijon Zucchini Potato Salad
This is a wonderful salad for summer dinners shared with family and friends. Try it with pork or chicken and you have a perfect meal.
- 2 tbsp. jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. Djon mustard
- 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 lb. zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 8 oz. tiny new potatoes, halved
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped pickles
In a small bowl, whisk together the jalapeno, garlic, honey, mustard, mayonnaise and oil. Season carefully with salt and pepper. Reserve half of this mixture for the dressing.
Brush the cut sides of the zucchini with the remaining mixture . Grill on a well oiled rack on a covered grill, directly over a medium heat for 7-8 minutes, until just tender. Turn these only once.
Coarsely chop the zucchini, combine with the potatoes, egg and pickles. Add the reserved dressing, turning to coat.
This makes 6 servings.
Nutty Ramen Salad With Awesome Dressing
This is a beautiful Spring salad to enjoy with family and friends.
- 4 eggs
- 2 pkgs. ramen noodles (100 g pkgs.)
- 125 g green beans, trimmed
- 3 mini cucumbers, sliced diagonally
- 125 g heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
Boil eggs in water as you would normally, but for 4 minutes. Scoop out and transfer to a bowl of ice water.
Cook noodles in the same pot, following directions, but not using the seasoning packets. Transfer to a colander and rinse well, under cold running water. Drain well.
Again, in the same pot, cook the beans, cooking for about 4 minutes, until tender crisp. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain well.
Dressing
- 2 tsp. brown sugar
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 2 tbsp. lime juice
- 1 tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 tsp. sriracha sauce
Dissolve the sugar in water in a medium bowl. Whisk in the peanut butter, lime juice, fish sauce and sriracha.
Assemble
Peel eggs. Divide ramen noodles equally on 4 plates. Layer on the tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and eggs. Drizzle the dressing over. Add a warm dinner roll and a lovely chilled glass of bubbly.
Warm Soba Noodle Salad
You gotta love soba noodles. They have so much flavour and this is such a simple salad even the kids will love it.
Dressing
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1/4 tsp. Asian chili sauce
Combine all the ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil. Stir constantly to dissolve the honey and remove from heat.
Salad
- 8 oz. dried soba noodles
- 1/4 cup julienned green onions
- 2 cups julienned carrots
- 2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the noodles for 3 minutes (only al dente. Drain.
Toss the noodles with the dressing, onions and carrots. The noodles will look ‘just wet’ but they will absorb the dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. This should be served warm.
Serves 4.
Awesome Asparagus And Fennel Salad
This is a salad that simply screams “Spring is here”. All you have to do to change it up to a main dish is to add a grilled trout fillet on top or add a few crispy slices of prosciutto.
Salad Basics
- 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed
- salt
- 8 oz. thin asparagus, trimmed
- 6 cups of packed baby spinach, stems removed
Cut the fennel in half and remove core. Use a mandolin and slice the fennel thinly. Place in a bowl and sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Bring a large skillet of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and boil for 2 minutes until just crisp-tender. Drain and refresh with cold water until cold. Pat dry. Cut into 2 inch pieces and add to the baby spinach in a large bowl.
Tarragon Dressing
- 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
- 1/4 tsp. finely chopped garlic
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Whisk the first four ingredients together in a small bowl. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve
Pat the fennel dry and add to the greens. Toss with the dressing and add a few shavings of Manchego cheese (Spanish).
Option: Top with trout fillet (if using).
So refreshing and just a very light licorice taste. Warm dinner rolls, glass of wine. Yippee!
Icy Cold Melon & Tomato Salad
This is a wonderful salad on a warm Spring/Summer day. It is so simple yet so tasty. Give it a go! Just make sure all ingredients are chilled in refrigerator at least a day before making.
- 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp. honey
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups cantaloupe cut in 1 inch pieces
- 2 cups of watermelon cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup papaya, cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup mango, cut in I inch pieces
- I/2 pint baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup torn fresh basil
Whisk together the vinegar, honey and salt in a large bowl.
Add the melons and tomatoes, stirring to coat well. Stir in the basil and serve immediately.
Now, how easy is that? By the way, each 1 cup serving is only 64 calories. Gee, I like it even more now.
Spring Greens With Fresh Berries
Aaah! Spring is around the corner and, after preparing the yard, deck and house with spring cleaning, the mind wanders to meals on the deck and this is a WONDERFUL way to do it. This will serve 6-8 people.
- 12 cups mixed spring greens, washed and spun dry
- 2 cups baby romaine lettuce,
- 1 head radicchio, shaved
- 1 cup fresh pea shoots
- 1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup red seedless grapes, halved
- 1/3 cup each fresh raspberries and blackberries
- 1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. sugar
- crumbled goat cheese
Combine the greens, radicchio and pea shoots on a large serving platter. Sprinkle with the pecans, grapes and berries evenly..
Whisk together the raspberry vinegar, olive oil, sugar and drizzle over the platter. Top with the crumbled cheese.
Now serve with warm rolls. friends, sun shining and, oh yes, a glass of wine – chilled perfectly. Spring? Bring it on!