If you need a quick and easy meal on any given weekday, this one is a real winner.
- 1 avocado, halved, pit removed and peeled
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp. lime juice
- 1 tbsp. mustard
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 4 x 4 oz. trout fillets, bones removed
- 2 tbsp. melted butter
- pinch of salt
- pinch of lemon pepper seasoning
- 4 buns (cheese or onion) split
- 1 small fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced (2/3 cup)
- 1 orange, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
Avocado Spread
In a blender, combine the avocado, oil, juice, 2 tbsp. water, mustard and sugar. Cover and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Rinse the fish and pat dry. Grill on a rack (sprayed with Pam) directly on medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper.
Grill buns, cut sides down until lightly toasted.
Serve the fillets on buns and top with the avocado aioli. Add the fennel and orange slices. In a simple description….YUMMY!
Baby Spinach Salad With Oranges and Caramelized Fennel
To make this salad really pop, serve wth a perfectly chilled Pinot Grigio. It is delightful and fresh. This will serve 8 as a side salad or 4 for an entree. Add warm rolls with sweet butter and it is a perfect dish for our summer days ahead.
- 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and each one cut into 12 wedges with a tiny bit of core attached
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- 6 tbsp. good quality olive oil, divided
- 1 tbsp. grainy mustard
- 4 oranges, all peel and pith removed and sliced into thin circles
- 2x 6 oz. pkgs. baby spinach
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the fennel, thyme and 4 tbsp of the oil in a bowl and toss to coat. Arrange the fennel on a parchment line cookie sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast until it becomes tender and brown (about 40 minutes). Discard the thyme. Remove from the oven and cool down to room temperature.
Whisk together the vinegar, mustard and remaining oil. Add the fennel, orange slices and spinach. Toss to coat.
Plate the salad or transfer to a large shallow serving dish and allow each to help themselves.
I hope you all realize just how healthy I am trying to be…..just for you…not!
Avocado and Pomegranate Salad
Now THIS is different. With the use of dark rum and fig balsamic vinegar, it is refreshing and really neat – both in ingredients and flavours.
- 2 navel oranges
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. fig balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp. dark rum (in the salad, not you)
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
- 6 oz. argula, washed and dried
- 1 oz. cilantro leaves, washed and dried
- 2 ripe avocados, peeled and sliced, brushed with some lime juice so they don’t turn brown.
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Use a sharp knife to remove the skin and white pith from the oranges. Over a small bowl to catch the juices, slice the oranges in 1/8 inch rounds.
In a small bowl combine 1 tbsp. of the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and rum. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the arugula and cilantro, toss with about half of the dressing. Arrange the orange rounds and avocado slices on top of the greens, and lightly drizzle the remaining dressing over the orange slices. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over the salad. Serve.
Voila! Again, you gave a spectacular presentation to the lowly salad and came away looking like a rock star. Good for you.
Yummy.
Another Spinach Salad
With summer coming, salads are in the forefront. This is another tasty, served cold, absolutely wonderful salad. Give it a try.
The ingredients are few and just may be in your pantry.
- 1 cup fresh button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- Fresh orange slices from 1 large orange
- bag of spinach with stems removed, washed and spun dry,
- 1/2 cup each of mayo and sour cream
- couple sprigs of parsley, chopped fine,
- 1 clove garlic, minced,
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp. white vinegar
In a blender, combine mayo, sour cream, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice and garlic.
Toss the spinach with the mushrooms, orange slices and dressing. Plate and lay egg slices on top. On one side of the plate, put two or three crackers, but not saltines. Make it different.