Salad

Southerwestern Salmon Salad

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Due to the constant and unbearable heat, I have found myself craving green beans, salads, and cold fish. These cravings should, in theory, be a waistline blessing, yet I seem to be missing the benefits. Sigh. Moving on. On the bright side, this salad was delightful, healthy, fast, and fresh and I am tempted to make this a bi-weekly star in my summer food rotation.

Note: After briefly wrestling with the idea of making cilantro-jalapeno vinaigrette, I decided I just did not have the kitchen fortitude. It only takes a few minutes to make vinaigrette, but it had just been one of those days. I think that something along those lines would be fantastic with this salad. Instead, I used Girard’s Light Champagne Dressing, in my opinion is likely the best dressing ever bottled en masse. Use whatever you like or have on hand to make the meal more satisfactory and simple. Also, use the seasoning of your choice on your salmon; a simple salt and pepper season is fine. I used salt, pepper, a touch of adobo, red pepper flakes and lemon juice.

Summer Salmon Salad

Serves 1-2

One three to four ounce fillet of Salmon or Char, seasoned as desired
One cup Arugula
One and one half cup Spinach
Half cup Black-bean Corn Salsa (I left out the bell pepper)

One small tomato, seeded and diced
Five tablespoons jicama, diced
Freshly torn cilantro, to taste (I added a good handful)
One half avocado, diced
Dressing of choice

Sear the salmon to desired doneness in hot oil of choice (or bake it if you prefer). In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well to incorporate all elements. Once the salmon is cooked, place gently onto the greens and drizzle with lemon juice and/or dressing.

Kale and Avocado Salad

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Kale and Avocado Salad

This salad may be  IS the King Kong of salads. It is quite possibly one of the healthiest and most nutritious meals you can have for lunch, snack, or dinner (kale has a ANDI score of 1,000). It meets almost all dietary restrictions (no oil, limited salt, no meat, dairy free) and gets richness from tangy avocado – a healthy fat. I became mildly addicted to a similar salad that Whole Foods makes in their prepared, raw foods section. Their version had a bit too much lemon for me and I much prefer not paying four bucks every time I crave this. The best part about making this at home is that you can add whatever you like to it. I tend to make a different version each time. Ingredients I have added include: mango; apple; chickpeas; and, zucchini ribbons. It is important not to let your significant other watch you make this as the massage the kale gets might invoke jealousy. In order to break down the fibrous raw kale, you must massage lemon juice and salt (for proper flavoring) into the kale. Really put some elbow grease during this rub down and you will not believe that the Kale, properly softened, is not actually cooked.

 Words of caution – if you do not like Kale, you may not like this salad. This is not for those who (quite inexplicably) despise kale. It tastes like kale. It is great for all the kale lovers out there. Which reminds me, D recently bought me a shirt that says KALE on it – it is amazeballs (and indicative of how much kale I eat). I am pretty sure he stole it a bite or two even though he pulls a gag face when I pull big bundles of kale out of the fridge. Time to sneak some kale into his quinoa…

Note: The pictured version includes mango, radish and apple. Feel free to use one, two or all.

Kale and Avocado Salad

Serves Four

One bunch Green Kale
One large Haas Avocado
One half red onion, very thinly sliced
One red apple, thinly sliced (sub mango or other fruit if desired)
Two teaspoons Kosher Salt
Juice of One lemon

De-stem the kale leaves and wash well. Drain leave and tear roughly. In a large bowl combine the kale, red onion, and avocado. Sprinkle mixture with salt and squeeze lemon juice directly onto the greens. Using both hands, massage the kale while simultaneously mixing the greens. Massage strongly until kale has softened and all elements are incorporated. Add apple and black pepper to taste and mix well.

Serve on its own or with your favorite chicken salad, quinoa, fish or grilled chicken.

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Seared Scallop

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Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Seared Scallop

This is a warm, satisfying salad. It’s a dish that tastes as wonderful as it makes you feel healthy. The entire dish may be 300 calories total – and most of that is olive oil. I added very thinly shaved apple to brighten the dish and help bring out the scallop’s sweetness. I was out of fresh lemons that day, but feel free to use a (very little) bit of zest to really brighten the flavor of the veggies.

The scallops I bought for this dish were HUGE!! I have never seen U-10s this big. They were more like U-6 scallops. And they also happened to be some of the driest scallops that I have been able to buy away from the coast. Ergo, the size made one per person a perfect portion. Lucky for me D doesn’t eat fish so I ate both….they were glorious.

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Seared Scallop

Serves two (or one in Andiland)

 

One Zucchini, sliced lengthwise into thin ribbons
Three cups Baby Spinach
One large shallot, thinly sliced
Two Garlic cloves, finely minced
Two Large U-10 scallops
About a cap full of white wine (optional)
One-Half Pink Lady Apple, very thinly sliced with a peeler
Fresh Squeezed lemon to taste

Wrap the scallop in a paper towel and let drain for at least a half hour. Prepare veg whilst the scallop dries out. In a large skillet (or cast iron), sauté the garlic and shallots with a bit of olive oil. After about seven minutes, hit the pan with a (very) small amount of white wine and add spinach. Allow spinach to wilt just slightly and then add zucchini ribbons., add a pinch of salt, a good amount of fresh ground pepper, . Meanwhile, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over a medium high heat and add scallop that has been dusted with salt and pepper. Cook for two minutes per side (the scallop should have a nice brown caramelization on it).  Spoon the greens onto a plate, top with scallop and shaved apple.

Winter Sashimi Salad

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This has become my favorite meal recently. It is super fast (especially for anyone who can walk to Whole Foods or their favorite fish monger) and very healthy, clean and light. I am currently craving this, but cannot afford the salmon component – which is ok because the salad without the fish is excellent as well.

Winter Sashimi Salad 

Serves Two

 

Three cups steamed kale, divided between two plates

One Jazz (or favorite red) apple, thinly sliced

One Haas avocado, sliced

Five ounces of sashimi grade Salmon, raw – sliced into equal pieces

Half tablespoon of wasabi paste (You may want to start with less and add as you go because this stuff will clear your sinuses)

One tablespoon of eel sauce 

Divide steamed kale between two plates; mound in the center. Alternate apple slice, avocado slice, salmon slice all the way around the kale until a circle is complete. Spritz with fresh lemon juice. Mix wasabi and eel sauce together well then drizzle over the entire plate. Enjoy!

Wintery Steak Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette

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My friend Susanna, who has perpetual leftovers, has been regaling me with stories of the wonderful dinners she has been enjoying with all the leftover steak from this weekend. It really gave me a hankering for a good steak salad. A lot of steak salads will be more southwestern (read charred bacon and corn, avocado, red onion) and, to be honest, at first I wanted to go that route – I even bought an avocado. Then I started feeling the need for a more comforting salad and picked up some butternut squash, just in case. Two days after the intended date, I created this manly out of stuff I already had minus the steak which I had purchased Monday; if you do not have any steak (fresh, leftover, or frozen) feel free to use chicken or crispy pancetta. You can throw whatever you have in here (I would have used spinach and arugula but ran out). This salad is hearty, healthy, tasty, comforting, and just darn good for winter. I added about a fourth-cup of garlicky bulgar, quinoa, and wild rice for some extra substance and because it was in the pantry – feel free to leave out (it is perfectly wonderful either way).

Note: This is a great weeknight dinner for the busy mom. It is high in nutrition, has great flavor, is very easy to make, and is healthy.  All in under thirty minutes.

Wintery Steak Salad

Serves Three

Half pound skirt steak (marinated as desired – I use Montreal, S & P, and Worcestershire)
One or more recipes Roasted Butternut Squash
One-half Gala Apple, sliced thinly
Small amount of Goat Cheese or other good soft cheese
Five cups Arugula, squeezed with a bit of lemon
One-Third cup basil pesto, mixed with one to two tablespoons red-wine or raspberry vinegar (to taste) and a dash of lemon
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Near East Whole Grain Blend Garlic (optional)

Prepare butternut squash and Whole Grain blend (if using) according to instructions. Marinate steak and allow to come to room temperature before cooking. Prepare the dressing whilst everything is cooking. Over a medium-high heat a bit of olive oil. Once hot, cook the steak for about four minutes on each side. Adjust cooking time to desired doneness and thickness of the meat; you will want to sear the meat to brown and caramelize the outside and keep the inside juicy – I like my steak mooing so I cook it accordingly (and give D the end pieces since he likes it more done). When the meat is cooked, remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for five minutes. In this time, divide arugula, butternut squash (inclusive of garlic and shallots), apples, cheese, and rice among three plates (or two plates and a Tupperware). Cut steak against the grain into thin slices or cubes and add to the salad. Dress as desired and crack black pepper to taste. Mix well and enjoy.

Arugula Panzanella Salad

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The only redeeming quality about having 100 plus degree temperatures for forty straight days is knowing it is officially summer. Summer produces tomatoes that are to die for, no pun intended in this heat. Farmers come to market boasting the seasons best attribute – these red globes of sweet, sweet pleasure. Every time I leave the market, I find myself worrying about hurting my precious bounty as if were my own child I were protecting from bruising. Just looking at an heirloom tomato on my kitchen counter makes me want to call off whatever obligations I had and make a plate of food deserving of its glory. This is a lovely way to let summer ingredients shine and satisfy your urge to fill your mouth with one of the best natural flavors on earth – the perfectly ripe, sweet, succulent, juicy tomato. Needless to say summer heirlooms can turn even the most avid tomato-hater into a convert in no time (and if they cannot turn you, I highly suspect that you club baby seals or hate puppies). Kidding aside, I almost missed my work out class on Friday because I could not stop eating this ridiculously amazing salad.

Panzanella is a salad that is quite common throughout Italy. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of versions but it traditionally is a method for using up old bread. If you do not have any day old bread, you can either buy some or omit it (though then the name changes “pane” being Italian for bread). It is perfect for a light dinner or lunch or served as a salad along side a more substantial main or as a stand alone appetizer. I used what I had, but feel free to play around with it and add items like red onions or fresh mozzarella cheese.

Arugula Panzanella Salad

Serves Four

One recipe Simple Arugula Salad
Two or Three large Summer Heirloom tomatoes (gauge number on size of tomato), cut into one inch pieces
Day old Italian Country Bread or similar, cut into half-inch pieces
One tablespoon olive oil (or flavored of choice)
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Extra shaved cheese such as Pecorino Romano if desired
Spoonful of Caramelized Onions, minced red onion, or thinly sliced shallot (Optional)

On a baking sheet, combine olive oil and bread and toss to coat. Toast in an oven for about 5 minutes, then toss and continue toasting until the outside is crunchy and the inside remains soft. Whilst the bread is toasting, combine the arugula salad and tomatoes in a large bowl. Gently toss with Salt and Pepper to taste and drizzle just a touch of good olive oil and toss once more. Once bread is toasted, combine into salad mixture and add additional cheese tossing, gently, one more time.  Enjoy the simple pleasure of summer tomatoes and forget about the ridiculous heat for a few minutes!

Beautiful market heirloom

Simple Arugula Salad

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In addition to being one of the more dainty dark greens, peppery Arugula is wonderful in a large variety of preparations. This simple salad is perfect for pepper lovers in the summer (or all year) when its flavor is the most robust. It is also quite wonderful in the spring and fall when the spiciness subsides a bit. Think of this salad as a base – on its own it is delicious, or it can be added to sandwiches, top a pizza off, or thrown into a blender with additional ingredients to make pesto. It can also serve as the base for a larger, more substantial salad with the introduction of additional ingredients.  Arugula is also known as ‘rocket’ should you see a recipe calling for that ingredient. One tip, should you choose to grow your own arugula – plant it in a contained space. Arugula takes over a garden (or yard) like I have never seen, whether or not this is a bad thing I suppose depends on how much your love arugula versus how much you love your existing landscaping.

Simple Arugula Salad

Two cups Arugula leaves
Juice of one lemon (adjust according to preference)
Small pinch of Salt
A couple good cracks of black pepper
About a half-cup of shaved Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano Cheese

Combine all ingredients in a bowl (preferably one that can seal easily) and mix gently.  Yep, you are done.

Spinach and Apple Salad with Pesto Chicken Salad

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Elsewhere in the blog, there is a recipe for Pesto-Chicken Salad which I love. The other day I had some chicken breast I needed to use up, so I whipped up some Pesto Chicken Salad and brought and apple and a bag of spinach to work the next day for a light, healthy and quite tasty lunch.

  • 3 cups Spinach
  • 1/2 favorite Red Apple of Choice (I used a small Gala apple), thinly sliced
  • 1cup Pesto Chicken Salad with Cranberries
  • 1.5 tbsp Girard’s Light Champagne Dressing
  • Fresh Black Pepper

Put Spinach in a large bowl on on a plate. Cut apples into spinach and crack black pepper over spinach. Pour dressing in a circular motion over spinach. Mix well. Top the greens with a scoop of Basil Pesto Chicken Salad and enjoy. Feel free to heat the chicken first if you prefer that element hot.