Summer Sauceless Pasta Salad

Pin It

 

It’s middle of summer here in Seattle and we are trying to enjoy as much outdoor meals as possible. I made this salad for a barbecue party the other day and it was a hit, so I decided to post the recipe here. I wanted to make a pasta salad that would be substantial enough to please vegetarians and meat eaters alike, but didn’t want that kind of mayonnaise-based pasta salad I often see at barbecue tables. I used fresh ingredients and herbs and seasoned it with a simple but always effective combination of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Nothing complicated. The lemon zest is in my opinion what makes this dish taste especially fresh. This salad is better the day it is made and I like to serve it at room temperature. In fact, this salad is never chilled. It is made and served at room temperature.

You can use fresh mushrooms, sautéed and cooled, instead of the jarred ones. The halloumi cheese can be replaced fresh mozzarella or feta cheese.

 

Summer Pasta Salad Recipe:

serves 8

 

You will need:

1 box of rotini (fusilli) pasta

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

6 fresh, ripe tomatoes

1 1/2 cup of halloumi cheese, crumbled or diced

1/4 cup of olives, pitted and chopped

4 oz of jarred button mushrooms, larger ones cut in half

1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil

1 generous teaspoon of lemon zest

 

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for 6 to 7 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta, season it with half of the salt and pepper and add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Mix well and set aside to cool to room temperature.

While the pasta cools, chop the tomatoes and place them in a large serving bowl. Season with remaining salt and pepper. Add the cheese, olives, mushrooms, parsley and basil. Mix well.

When the pasta is at room temperature, transfer it to the serving bowl, add the lemon zest and toss it well with the other ingredients.

Taste and re-season if necessary. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy it!

Grilled Romaine Hearts with Warm Peas

Pin It

 

 

 

On my last post I declared my love for all things grilled, so here it another grilled recipe. This time it's romaine lettuce that takes a trip to the barbeque.  Don't be so surprised, grilled lettuce is really good. I love how charred they get, a little burnt on the edges, warm but still crunchy in the middle. The trick is to brush it well with oil and cook for a very short time. You can use grilled lettuce in salads, with some grilled cherry tomatoes and red onions. It's delicious and unexpected. This recipe is for grilled romaine hearts that are topped with a warm peas and shallots mix.  I like the combination of peas and lettuce a lot. This makes  a perfect side dish for a barbeque party.

 

Grilled Romaine Hearts with Warm Peas Recipe:

 serves 2 as a side dish

 

You will need:

1 tablespoon of olive oil *

1 tablespoon of chopped shallots (use red onions if you don't have shallots on hand)

1/2 cup of peas, fresh or frozen

1/4 cup of either water, chicken or vegetable broth

salt and pepper

1 lettuce head, preferably romaine hearts

Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

 

 

First make the warm peas mix. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan or skillet, add the shallots and cook until translucent. Add the peas, your liquid of choice and cook until warmed up, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Cut the lettuce in half lengthwise leaving the root still attached ( it holds the leaves together). Rinse with cold water and let it dry. Brush cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Grill the lettuces cut side down over a medium hot grill for about 5 minutes (start checking after 3 minutes as grill temperatures vary). Remove from the heat.

Plate lettuce halves cut side up and spoon the warm pea mix on top (reheat it if necessary). Top everything with shaved Parmesan, if using and serve immediately.

 

* If you like butter (who doesn't?), go ahead and use it instead of the olive oil for a richer dish.

 

Enjoy it!

Barley and Avocado Salad

Pin It

 

 

This dish works well in a household where there are both vegetarians and meat eaters (like mine). That is because this filling salad can serve as the main dish for a vegetarian as well as a side for some grilled chicken for a meat eater. This dish is so healthy and tasty, you won't get tired of it. You can think of it as a kind of deconstructed guacamole with the addition of barley. Kind of.

I like to cook a big batch of barley every once in a while and keep it in the fridge for different uses during the week. It makes salads like this one a cinch to prepare.  To cook the barley, I simply add lots water to a pot, bring it to a boil, add the barley and cook it for about 45 minutes with a semi open lid.

 

Barley and Avocado Salad Recipe:

serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side

You will need:

 

1 hass avocado

1 cup of coked barley

1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoons of chopped cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon of chopped basil leaves

1 tablespoon of chopped red onion

1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon of salt

fresh pepper to taste

 

Half the avocado and remove the pit. Cut the avocado flesh into bite size pieces.  Mix together the avocado, barley, tomatoes, herbs and red onion. Make a dressing for the salad by mixing the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and whisk it until it comes together. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir it to combine, being careful not to squeeze the pieces of avocados. Serve it immediately.

Enjoy it!

 

Eggplant Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Sun-Dried-Tomatoes

Pin It

 

 

Eggplants are very tasty and healthy and I love to experiment with it, although I don't think I do it as often as I should. This salad is very picnic friendly, great for the summer season. It can be made in advance and kept in the fridge, it travels well and it tastes so good. Pair it with a good crusty bread for a delicious light meal.  A chilled glass of white wine is optional, but strongly suggested :)

 

Eggplant Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Sun-Dried-Tomatoes Recipe:

serves 4 as a main course or 6 an an appetizer

You will need:

 

For the salad:

1 medium to large size eggplant

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

fresh pepper

8 oz of fresh mozzarella balls

1/4 cup of sun-dried-tomatoes in oil, drained

 

For the dressing:

1/4 cup of a mix offresh basil leaves and fresh oregano, mixed

2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

up to 1/4 cup of olive oil (you may need less than that)

salt and pepper

 

Cut the eggplant into bite-size pieces and place in a colander. Sprinkle generously with salt and let it rest for 30 minutes. Pat eggplant pieces dry with a paper towel. Heat the oil over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add eggplant, stir it around the pan and cook until done, but firm. Season with fresh pepper. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and let it come to room temperature.

To make the dressing, use a blender,or a food processor. Start by processing the balsamic vinegar, herbs and sugar together. With the motor running, drizzle the oil until the dressing comes together by thickening a bit and having everything well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Toss the dressing with the salad ingredients, and refrigerate it. Serve it cold or at room temperature.

Enjoy it!

 

Kale and Chard Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Pin It

 

This salad is now one of my favourites to make at home. It is so easy to make and the result is amazing. I am a big fan of  greens like kale, chard, mustard greens, collards. They are so good for you, versatile and inexpensive. I use them in soups, sauteed with vegetables or raw like in this salad. I also love to add nuts to my salad dishes and walnuts is the choice here, it goes very well with the blue cheese.  This salad is nice enough to serve for guests and since curly kale makes a lot of volume, you can get a lot of bang for your buck.

The recipe (if we can call it that) is very loose, I make it without any measurements, but since I know many people have a hard time making vinaigrette at home, I put a simple recipe with the proportions I use here at home. It is my everyday salad dressing, sometimes I add some Dijon mustard, other days a little crushed garlic. The recipe posted here is always the starting point.

 

Kale and Chard Salad Recipe:

This is more an ingredient's list rather a recipe, the quantities are up to you, keep in mind that curly kale leaves make lots of volume.

Kale

Swiss Chard

crumbled gorgonzola cheese

walnuts

raisins

parmesan cheese (shavings)

 

Remove the tough stems from the kale and roughly chop the leaves. Do the same with the chard, leaving some of the stem. Wash and dry leaves well. Toast walnuts in a dry pan for a few minutes over low heat. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and toss it with the vinaigrette (recipe bellow).

For the vinaigrette:

This recipe makes 1/2 cup of dressing, make more if needed, or store left overs in the fridge if it's too much.

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of honey

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano (optional)

 

Place all ingredients in a jar, close the lid and shake it well. Alternatively, whisk it with a whisk or fork in a bowl until combined.

 

Wild and Brown Rice Salad

Pin It

 

I love this salad, it's light and refreshing but is still very hearty, perfect for a light lunch. It's a great way to use left over brown rice. I like to cook the wild rice in salted water along with fresh thyme for added flavour. I always have fresh carrot-orange juice in my fridge, so that's what I use for this salad, but just orange juice is fine too. The nuts and dried fruit can be easily substituted for whatever you have at home. I make this salad for myself and keep it in the fridge, it lasts for a couple of days.

 

Wild and Brown Rice Salad Recipe:

serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side

 

3/4 cup of wild rice

1 spring of fresh thyme (optional)

1/2 cup of cooked brown rice (day old is perfectly fine)

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped

a handful of dried cranberries

a handful of shelled pistachios

1/3 cup of fresh orange-carrot juice (or plain orange juice)

1 tablespoon of canola oil

arugula leaves for decoration (optional)

 

In a large saucepan, combine the wild rice with 3 cups of  water, thyme (if using)  and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Drain and discard the thyme spring. Let cool.

While rice cool, heat a skillet over low heat and add the pistachios. Let nuts toast lightly, keep a close eye on it so they won't burn.

In a large bowl, combine the wild rice, brown rice, toasted pistachios, cranberries, celery and carrots. Stir in the canola oil and the juice. Mix well, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature. If you want to make a nicer presentation, decorate individual bowls with arugula leaves.

Enjoy it!

 

Red Cabbage, Apple and Fig Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Pin It

 

A lot of times I crave a specific food based solely on its colour. This salad is a typical case, I wanted to eat red cabbage, but not so much for the cabbage itself, but more because of its colour. I knew I was going to use in a salad of some sort because I wanted it raw, but had no recipe or specific idea in mind. I thought that cabbages and apples would go nicely together, and then decided to use some dried black mission figs I had in my pantry to add a different flavour and slight sweetness to the salad.

I have seen red cabbage salads that are swimming in mayonnaise, some times there is so much mayo that the (once purple) salad becomes pink. I knew I didn't want to have that, but I like the idea of a creamy dressing. I chose to use plain yogurt with a tiny bit of egg-free mayonnaise to make a dressing that was creamy but not too heavy. The yogurt brings freshness and the mayonnaise offers just the right amount of creaminess.

This salad is a plate full of fiber and it's super crunchy. If you don't have dried figs, use raisins instead. It will give you the same sweet bite. This is a salad I make for myself only, so the measures are small, to make this salad for more people just multiply the ingredients.

This recipe couldn't be any easier or faster.

Red Cabbage, Apple and Fig Recipe:

makes 2 servings

 

1/2 apple,cored and thinly sliced

a squeeze of fresh lemon

2 cups of shredded red cabbage

2 tablespoons of dry mission figs, chopped. Or substitute raisins.

 

Squeeze some fresh lemon on the apples immediately after slicing it to prevent browning. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Serve cold.

 

Yogurt Dressing Recipe:

1/4 cup of plain yogurt

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise (regular or egg-free)

juice of half a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

 

Mix yogurt, mayonnaise and lemon juice and stir until well blended. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy it!

Quinoa, Asparagus and Shitake Salad

Pin It

 

This is the type of dish I cook for myself often. It normally involves vegetables, nuts, sometimes mushrooms, green leaves and dry fruits. All mixed with some sort of grain or pasta that pulls it all together, on this case, quinoa. I didn't use any leaves here but I named it salad because I really didn't have a better word for it. This dish can be a main meal (for me it normally is) or a side. It tastes great warm or at room temperature, which means it can be made in advance. It's a great healthy lunch box option.

I used dried sliced shitake mushrooms here because they cook quicker than whole ones, but that would be fine too, and of course you can always substitute fresh ones. I always have dried shitake in my pantry so I can add them to soups, salads, pastas and rice dishes.  Remember to save the water that you soak the mushrooms in to add to the quinoa cooking liquid. I chose to grill the asparagus, but roasting works just as well.

 

 

Quinoa, Asparagus and Shitake Salad Recipe:

serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish

 

You will need:

 

2/3 cups of uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup dried sliced shitake mushrooms

1 tablespoon of dried cranberries

1/3 cup of hazelnuts

10 asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed

1 lemon - zest and juice

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

 

Soak the mushrooms in 2/3 cup of very hot water for about 10 minutes. Place mushrooms with it's liquid, quinoa and 2/3 cups of water in a medium  pan and bring it to a boil. Add the cranberries, reduce heat and cook with a lid on until quinoa is cooked and the liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes.  Transfer it to a bowl and set aside.

Roast the hazelnuts in a medium oven (350) for about 10 minutes. Remove most of the skins by rubbing the nuts in a piece of kitchen towel. Roughly chop it and add to the quinoa bowl.

While quinoa is cooking, season asparagus with salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Grill them until they have charred marks, but are still firm and crunchy, about 5 minutes. Cut asparagus into bite size pieces and add to the quinoa bowl.

Make a simple lemon dressing with the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Add lemon zest to quinoa bowl, pour lemon dressing over it and stir. Serve it warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy it!

Crunchy Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Pin It

 

 

I call this salad the airport salad because I first try it at the Seattle airport. It happened by an accident actually. I wanted to surprise Andrew at the airport when he was arriving from a long trip overseas. It turned out his flight was delayed 3 times and I was sitting at the airport for hours waiting. At some point I had to get something to eat. I saw this salad and decided on it. My expectations were very low, after all I was an airport and airport food is typically pour and over priced. The salad was surprisingly good (still over priced though). It was crunchy and tasty. I specially enjoyed the cashews in it and the smoked cheese provided an unexpected burst of flavour. This is my version of it. I made my own salad dressing because I really don't like bottled ones, but you can use store-bought ranch. The cashews get soggy with time so add them to the finished salad as you need it.

 Crunchy Salad Recipe:

As in most salads, the proportions of the ingredients is up to each one's taste.

You will need:

Cauliflower florets (bite size pieces)

Peas

Celery, chopped

Red onion  or shallot, finely chopped

Smoked Gouda cheese, cut into small pieces

Roasted cashews (salted or not, it doesn't matter)

I do not cook the cauliflower, I like it very crunchy. Instead, I place the cauliflower in a strainer and pour boiling water over it,  just to remove its "rawness"

Mix all ingredients and toss with the dressing. Remember to add the cashews at the last minute to keep them crunchy.

 

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:

adapted from Eating Well (www.eatingwell.com)

 

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup egg-free mayonnaise

1 tablespoon white whine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 bunch of chopped chives

 

Stir all ingredients very well. Keep refrigerated.

 

Grilled Asparagus and Poached Egg Salad

Pin It

 

Here is a super-quick, super-healthy meal, perfect for those days when time (or disposition to cook) is not really on your side. That happens to me often, and it is so easy to just settle for  a grilled cheese, but having a good meal always makes me feel better, and having too many grilled cheeses in a week make me feel like I am not really looking after myself... My trick then is to keep lots of vegetables in the fridge that are easy to prepare as well as washed, ready-to-eat salads.

Asparagus and eggs are always a good combination, I often have scrambles eggs with sauteed asparagus and roasted tomatoes  for lunch. This time I poached my egg (oops, that didn't sound right...) and used one of those bagged mixed salads.

This dish took me no time to prepare and it is so easy to make I even feel a bit silly posting a recipe for it, but here it goes anyway.

 

Grilled Asparagus and Poached Egg salad Recipe:

 

A handful of asparagus, tough ends trimmed

1 large egg

Mixed greens or your salad of choice

Lemon vinaigrette (*see recipe bellow)

Parmesan shavings

 

 

Heat the grill.

To poach the egg:

Fill a large pot with water about 3 inches deep and bring it to a simmer. Add a splash of white vinegar to the water and use a spoon to make a gentle swirl. Crack the egg in a small bowl, cup, ramekin or a soup ladle. Be careful to keep the yolk intact. Lower it into the water and cook until done, 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, coat asparagus with olive oil and grill for about 10 minutes, until they are cooked but still firm. Dress the salad greens with the vinaigrette. 

Plate the salad by layering the greens, then asparagus and topping it with the poached egg. Add fresh Parmesan shavings and season to taste.

 

* Lemon Vinaigrette:

Use 1 part lemon juice, 1 part olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Shake it well.  Sometimes I add dried oregano to it, or Dijon mustard.

 

Apple, Celery and Pomegranate - a good luck salad for the New Year

Pin It

This is a time of the year when Christmas memories are still fresh in my mind while thoughts of New Year's Eve celebrations are slowly taking over. In terms of cooking and eating, this means that I am still on recovery mode form all the Holiday eating, but aware that as December 31st gets closer, so does the need for some "New-Year-Good Luck " food. A salad with pomegranate seeds fits the bill.

I ll explain: Some foods are known for having specific meanings and therefore should be eaten sometime between December 31st and January 1st. In my family we always have lentils on New Year's Day. It's supposed to bring wealth during the year to come. Pomegranate seeds symbolize both wealth and fertility. Some people think you should eat the flesh around the seeds and store the dry seeds in your wallet during the entire year. The same goes for grapes and their seeds as well.

I am not going to spit grape seeds into my wallet...but eating lentils and pomegranate is a good idea. Superstitious? Maybe, but it also a tradition in my family and I enjoy celebrating it.

This is a warm salad, which is perfect for this time of the year when the temperatures are low and we crave "warming-tummy" foods.

Warm Apple, Celery and Pomegranate Salad Recipe:

To make one single-serving salad, you'll need: (if you want to make more, just double the ingredients.

1/2 tablespoon of unsalted butter

1/2 an apple, cut into chunks

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (if using dried, cut amount in half, but fresh is much better here)

1 celery stick, sliced

Pomegranate seeds

1 slice of Brie

Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, melt butter, add apples and thyme and cook for about 2 minutes, string often, just until the apples start to look browned but are still firm. Add the celery, and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a plate (you can warm up the plate if you want to) and top it with a slice of cheese. The cheese should start to soften as it sits on top of the warm salad. sprinkle salad with pomegranate seeds and serve/eat immediately.

Note: the brie would melt better if it is at room temperature and not straight out of the fridge.

Roasted Pumpkin Salad (and spaghetti, and lasagna...)

Pin It I have been quite busy lately and as a result I have been unable to post as much as I wanted, or to participate and browse at other blogs (and there are so many great blogs out there!).
But it is not all bad news, there is actually a very good reason for my recent lack of posts (and time). I am planning a trip to Brazil, in fact we are living in 4 days!
I normally see may family and friends once a year (yes, I am lucky, I know), but Andrew has actually never been to Brazil. We both travelled a lot together and been to many interesting places, but never made it to my home place. It's very exciting, and somewhat nerve wrecking too...

But before we take off, I really wanted to participate of this month's Weekend Wokking Event, hosted this time by Heart and Hearth and the ingredient of the month couldn't be more appropriate: Pumpkin! Yum!

I decided to roast my pumpkin not only because it concentrates the flavours, but I can use the roasted pumpkin in a variety of dishes. For this post I pictured a simple salad made with the pumpkin pieces when they first came out of the oven. I often enjoy some warm element in my salads, slightly wilting the greens.

Roasting the pumpkin is fairly easy, once you pass the peel, seed and cut stages.

I mix the pieces of pumpkin with olive oil (bout 1 tbsp for each pound of pumpkin), one red onion, quartered and some fresh herbs ( sometimes it's sage, others rosemary, oregano) salt and pepper. I roast it at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. After that I keep checking every 5 minutes until it's just right, which for me it's still firm, but with some browned spots around the edges.

For the salad, I made a bed of arugula dressed with some olive oil and lemon juice, some shaved Parmesan and a few nuts.

I mixed the leftover roasted pumpkin with ricotta cheese in a food processor and used it in two pasta dishes:

1) a spaghetti with the creamy ricotta-pumpkin sauce

2) a pumpkin lasagna using the ricotta-pumpkin mixture, bechamel and mozzarella cheese.

I hope I will still see pumpkins at the markets by the time I come back to Seattle because I just love pumpkin. I hope you do too.

Crunchy Chickpea Salad

Pin It There are a lot of good things to say about chickpeas. They are a good source of protein, very low in fat, very filling, and in my opinion, very tasty too. Oh, and did I mention versatility? Chickpeas can be used in soups, salads, as side dishes, or as a snack. And it's pretty inexpensive too. So with all that going for them, why aren't these beans more popular?

My guess is that most people just never see chickpeas on the menu except at Indian restaurants. And while I love a good Chola Masala, I think it is a shame that garbanzo beans don't get more exposure in the restaurant scene.

So I am doing my part to promote these wonderful food! As usual here at Pink Bites, this is an easy dish, healthy and it is a perfect meal for one.

Carrots and celery give this salad a nice crunch, while the sun-dried tomatoes bring a punch of unexpected flavour.

Crunchy Chickpea Salad Recipe:

1 can chickpeas, drained and well rinsed

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, chopped

a handful of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

chopped parsley

shaved Parmesan

Make a salad dressing with 1 part lemon juice or vinegar, 2 parts olive oil (I mix a little bit of the sun-dried tomato oil), salt and pepper.

Mix all ingredients and the dressing, I like to put them in a Tupperware, close the lid and shake it.

Top it with Parmesan shavings and freshly ground pepper.

Tofu-Caesar Dressing (vegetarian)

Pin It This dressing checks many boxes for me. It's easy to prepare, stores well in the fridge, it's healthy and probably best of all, it's something that both my (vegetarian) self and my husband (not vegetarian) can enjoy. All checked!


The source of this recipe is rather unusual... I found it at Oprah's website. She was trying a 21 days cleanse where she basically had to go vegan. The whole idea was to get people to become more conscious about what we eat. The good thing about it was that some of the dishes she ate (all prepared by her wonderful chefs, of course) ended up on her website with the recipes. That's when I saw this dressing, which was named "Homemade Caesar ". I just though Tofu Caesar was more appropriate. The original recipe makes a LOT of dressing, so I cut it in half, sort of. It makes one "mayo-size" jar like this one in the pictures. To see the original recipe from Oprah's chef, click here. To see my version, just keep reading.

Tofu Caesar Dressing Recipe:

8 oz soft tofu
1/4 cup lime juice
2 garlic cloves (sometimes I use 3, but that makes it really garlicky)
2 tbsp tahini
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp capers
1/2 cup olive oil
a handful of chopped parsley

Blend all the ingredients except oil and parsley. With blender running, slowly add oil. Add parsley and pulse a few times to combine.

Store in a air-tight container and refrigerate it.
I use this dressing for making Caesars as well in chopped salads. It goes nicely with tomatoes and onions.

Grilled Mango and Spinach Salad (Salada de Espinafre com Manga Grelhada)

Pin It


I love to mix fruits with salads. This one is very good. Mangoes and spinach is actually a classic salad combination in Brazil. Sometimes I use arugula instead. I quickly grill the mango in the barbecue to extract even more flavor from them. The dressing for this salad is also made with mangoes. The nuts give the dish a crunch.




Grilled Mango and Spinach Salad Recipe:


1 bunch of spinach, washed and dried
2 large mangoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 radishes, thinly sliced
a handful of almonds, lightly toasted
1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Take one of the mangoes and brush the flat side with canola oil. Quickly grill it until the pieces get nice grill marks on them. Cut it into smaller cubes and toss it with the spinach, almonds and radishes.
For the dressing: in a blender cup, place the second mango (cut into smaller pieces), the soy sauce, the lime juice and the mustard and blend it until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving, or if you prefer, toss it together.

Note: I sometimes add sliced red onions and raisins to this salad too. If you end up with extra dressing, keep it in the refrigerator in a airtight container.

Caprese Salad and it's many derivations

Pin It
This is a simple salad, making most of this year's ending tomato season :(....
Just tomatoes, basil and mozzarella di buffalo. There are endless variations to this Italian classic, this is the original version, if you will. Just assembled and seasoned with good olive oil, salt and pepper.
Here are some other salad versions I made inspired by the Caprese:

1- adding finely sliced red onions
2 - adding a splash of balsamic vinegar (or reduction)
3 - using smoked mozzarella
4 - adding sun-dried-tomatoes
5 - skip the fresh basil and drizzle with pesto instead
6 - marinate tomatoes first in chopped garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper
7 - top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese
8 - use spinach or arugula instead of basil
9 - mix red and yellow tomatoes
10 - add crumbled feta

Raw Beets and Carrot Sandwich

Pin It

This is a really simple and delicious sandwich idea, perfect to take to work. Sandwiches like this one are really common in Brazil but I find that most people here in Seattle prefer to use cooked beets and even then they are not very present in sandwiches.

For this recipe, two types of raw beets plus carrots are shredded and then combined with goat cheese and herbs. The mayonnaise is used here to moisten the sandwich. You can add sliced tomatoes if you like.

Raw Beets and Carrot Sandwich Recipe

makes one sandwich

You will need:

2 slices of whole wheat
1/4 cup shredded raw carrots

1/4 cup shredded raw, peeled purple beets

1/4 cup shredded raw, peeled golden beets

3 tablespoons goat cheese

1 tablespoon chopped chives or parsley or a combination of both
1 tablespoon eggless mayonnaise (vegennaise) or regular mayonnaise

Coat bread slices with mayonnaise and goat cheese, sprinkle the chives on top, top it with the vegetables and close. This sandwich can be made in advance, wrapped in plastic or foil and refrigerated.

Roasted Beets and Raspberry Salad

Pin It

This salad is my own creation and it is inspired by a similar one I ordered at a waterfront restaurant here in Seattle. I really like the combination of the beets with the raspberries. At this time of the year (summer), the farmer markets have plenty of both kinds of beets, golden and purple. The golden one is my favourite.

Roasted Beets and Raspberry Salad Recipe
makes 2 small or 1 large salad

You will need:

3 beets (golden and purple), ends trimmed and washed
5 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of vinegar or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
honey
1/2 cup raspberries
1/4 cup walnuts
mixed greens

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place beets in a foil package, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Close package and roast beets at a 375 degrees F oven until tender, about 1 hour.
When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them and cut in 1 inch squares. Set aside.

For the dressing, make a simple vinaigrette:
In a jar add vinegar or lime juice, remaining 3 tablespoons of olive, Dijon mustard and a squirt of honey. Season with salt and pepper. Add a couple of raspberries and lightly crush them with a spoon. Close the lid and shake jar until dressing is all blended.

To assemble the salad, make a bed of greens, place beets on top and pour dressing. Top with walnuts and extra raspberries.

Enjoy it!