Showing posts with label salad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salad. Show all posts

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Feta & Walnuts

This is a great spring-time or summer salad for warmer days, or whenever you can grab a basket of big, juicy, fresh strawberries. My friend from college, Brittney Blunt Jacobsen, was the first person to ever serve me this salad during one of our dorm dinners my senior year, so I always credit her with the recipe. I’ve made it hundreds of times, and it’s always a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:
(Adjust quantities of all items to suit your taste & desired number of servings)
Fresh spinach or baby spinach leaves
Fresh, ripe strawberries
Very thinly sliced red onions
Crumbled feta cheese
Dried cranberries
Finely chopped walnut pieces

Add all items to your salad bowl and toss with a bottled raspberry vinaigrette. I have tried lots of store-bought dressings, but my favorite brand is Annie’s Naturals Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Tuna Fish Cakes with Garlic Herb Mayo

This recipe came from a cute pocket cookbook I picked up at a boutique in Stratford-Upon-Avon in December, called 200 Really Easy Recipes. I served the fish cakes & rocket with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. Yum!

Ingredients (Serves 4):
2 x 425g (14oz) cans tuna in olive oil, drained
300g (10oz) ricotta cheese
6 spring/green onions, finely chopped
grated rind and juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
100g (3.5 oz) baby rocket/arugula leaves
salt & black pepper

1. Flake the tuna into a bowl and beat in the ricotta, spring onions, lime rind, dill, egg, and salt and pepper to taste with a wooden spoon. Reserve 2 tsp of the lime juice and beat the remainder into the tuna mixture. Shape into 12 small cakes about 7cm (3 inches) across.

2. Heat 1.5 Tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan, add the fish cakes, in 2 batches, and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden. Reduce heat if they start to over-brown and cook for a further 1 minute. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and keep the cooked cakes warm in an oven preheated to 160C/325F while you cook the remainder.

3. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining olive oil and lime juice together and toss with the rocket leaves in a bowl. Serve the fish cakes with the rocket salad and some garlic & herb mayonnaise (see below).

Garlic & Herb Mayo
Add 1 crushed garlic clove, 2 tsp lime juice, 1 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander and a pinch of cayenne pepper to 150g (5oz) good-quality store-bought mayonnaise in a bowl and mix well. Taste and add more garlic if desired.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Easy Wedge Salad with Fresh Herbs

I was craving some blue cheese a few weeks ago, and this recipe I found in my New Food Fast cookbook fit the bill with the addition of the blue cheese. It was simple and delicious. I ate this with some home-made mac n'cheese from a recipe the same cookbook.

Halve 1 iceberg lettuce bunch and remove the outer leaves. Make a simple dressing of even quantities of oil and vinegar (white or red) mixed with mustard, fresh herbs (use any you love--I had coriander/cilantro, flat leaf parsley and basil on hand), sea salt and cracked black pepper. Crumble your blue cheese over the iceberg lettuce halves, and then pour dressing over lettuce. Serve crisp and chilled.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Spicy Chile Lime Salad



















I got the basic recipe for this salad (and the photo) from this Nourishing Meals website, and the dressing is great!

Dressing:
1/4 cup packed cilantro
1 jalapeƱo pepper, seeded & chopped
1 clove garlic
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4-5 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Mix all ingredients together in a blender/food processor, or if available, blend in a bowl using an immersion blender.

Add to a salad of mixed peppery greens such as kale, escarole or arugula, combined with chopped red and green bell peppers, spring onions, avocado, chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and jicama, if available. You could also add more protein to the salad by sprinkling some cooked shrimp, canned tuna, crumbled Mexican cotija cheese, or chicken pieces on top.

Note: The dressing can also be used as a marinade or basting sauce for salmon or other fish or poultry.