A Taste of Summer in the Winter

We have been having unseasonably warm weather here in Texas.  It was in the 70's today!  To add to the illusion that winter is over, all kinds of beautiful, fresh berries have started to make an appearance in our local supermarkets.  My Man came home from the market last week with 12 half-pints of raspberries because they were a dollar each!  I waited all last summer for them to go on sale and they never did, so I was so excited, I went back and got another 12!  Or was it 16?!

I froze a bunch of them for future pies, trifles, and maybe even an ice cream or sorbet.  Place them (unwashed) in a single layer on a sheet pan

 and pop into the freezer for a few hours until frozen through, then bag and label.

We also ate a lot of them fresh.  We all love raspberries and feel absolutely no guilt when eating them as a snack as they are rich in antioxidants and fiber.

Blackberries have also been really cheap lately (88 cents for a half-pint this week!).  So I decided to combine the two berries in one delicious, fresh salad.

Spinach Salad with Fresh Berries, Candied Almonds, and Raspberry Vinaigrette
(click here to print)

5 oz. fresh baby spinach (or greens of your choice), washed and spun dry
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/3 to 1/2 cup feta cheese (optional)
1/2 cup each fresh raspberries and blackberries
1/3 cup minced green onion

Candied Nuts
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 Tbsp. sugar

Raspberry Vinaigrette
1/3 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp. raspberry jam
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Combine almonds and sugar in a small nonstick frying pan and toast over medium heat until golden brown.  Pour onto a piece of parchment paper to cool, separating so that they don't stick together.

Combine vinaigrette ingredients and mix thoroughly.

When ready to serve, mix the spinach, onions, almonds and feta cheese together.  Toss lightly.  Scatter the avocado and berries around each portion.  Drizzle with the raspberry vinaigrette.

One thing I love about this salad is that it also tastes divine with dried cherries or cranberries in place of the fresh berries.  Or you can use bleu cheese instead of feta.  You can also change up the nuts and/or just toast them without candying them.  You could even try different types of preserves or jam in the basic vinaigrette recipe: maybe orange marmalade or fig preserves?

I just love salads with fruit and nuts.  It satisfies my sweet tooth in a healthy way.  And isn't this salad fresh and pretty?

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Cool and Crisp Corn Salad

Tomatoes, sweet corn, and basil are featured in this fresh and easy side dish which literally bursts with summer flavor.

Summer Corn Salad

(click here to print)

4 ears of fresh corn on the cob, husked and cleaned
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Fill a large kettle halfway with water and bring to a boil.  Boil the corn for 7 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare a large bowl of ice water.  When the corn is done, immediately plunge the cobs into the ice water to stop the cooking and set the color.

Drain the corn, then cut it off of the cobs with a serrated knife.  I use a bundt cake pan to hold the cob; then the kernels fall right into the pan!  No muss, no fuss.

Combine the corn kernels, tomatoes, onions, and basil.  Whisk the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper together and pour over the veggie mixture.  Let marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or so.  Use a slotted spoon to drain the mixture when serving.

This is great with any grilled meat you can think of!  It's sweet, savory, and crunchy all in one!
 
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Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Bleu!

Here's a beautiful, delicious salad in honor of Independence Day.  This is the signature salad at one of my favorite casual New Orleans' eateries named Zea Rotisserie & Grill.  This is not their exact recipe, but it is a close approximation.

The combination of spicy  (Pow!) pepper jelly, sweet (Pow!) raisins, and salty (Pow!) bleu cheese
is a flavor explosion!

Spinach Salad with Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette

Inspired by Zea Rotisserie & Grill

(click here to print)

5 oz. (about 3 cups) baby spinach, washed and spun dry
2 Tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes, julienned (RED)
2 Tbsp. golden raisins, plumped in some of the salad dressing and drained
2 Tbsp. toasted, chopped pecans
1/4 cup Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette (see below)
1/4 cup bleu cheese crumbles (WHITE & BLEU!)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Pitted Kalamata olives to taste (4 to 8)

Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup pepper jelly
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well.

Combine spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, plumped raisins, and pecans in a large bowl.  Toss with the vinaigrette.
 
Place salad on serving dish and sprinkle evenly with the bleu cheese, sesame seeds, and olives.

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

NOTE:  The "authentic" dressing is also available pre-made and can be ordered here.  Grilled chicken or steak can be added to this salad to make it a main dish for carnivores.

Happy 4th of July!  And God Bless the U.S.A.!

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My Flavorite Salad

I haven't been doing much cooking lately because my job has been intense, and the kids' school activities are consuming a lot of our time and energy.

Over the weekend, I got some beautiful strawberries from Costco.  I think that Driscoll brand berries (all types) are usually very high quality and flavorful.  In my experience, they're worth the little extra price that you pay.

I decided to make my favorite salad as a side for tonight's dinner.  This salad has an awesome balance of flavors and textures:  sweet fruit, crunchy nuts, a mixture of crisp greens, and a sweet and tangy salad dressing.  I never have any leftovers.

Spring Mixed Strawberry Almond Salad
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
(click here to print)

Salad Dressing:

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup white wine or champagne vinegar
1/4 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. dried chopped or minced onion
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat for a couple of minutes or until the sugar dissolves.  You can also do this in the microwave, if you prefer, but watch it closely and make sure your cup is large enough so it doesn't overflow.  Cool.  (I pour it into a pyrex measuring cup and put it in the freezer to speed up the cooling process.)

Salad Ingredients:

3/4 cup sliced almonds
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds (optional)
1 lb. fresh strawberries
1 lb. Spring Mix or salad greens of your choice

Combine almonds, sugar, and sesame seeds (if using) in a small nonstick skillet.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar caramelizes and coats the almonds.   Turn nuts out onto a piece of waxed paper or parchment to cool.  Guard the nuts zealously or munchkins will eat them all when your back is turned. 

Wash and spin dry 1 lb. of Spring Mix or the lettuce(s) you prefer.

Slice 1 lb. of fresh strawberries.

Just before serving, combine strawberries, sugared almonds, salad greens, and some of the salad dressing.  Toss well and serve immediately.

If you have a small family, you can halve this recipe.  Or keep the extra ingredients (separated) in the refrigerator and toss it together later.

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Greek is Chic!

Yesterday was one c-r-a-z-y day!  You know the kind:  work, carpooling, after-school activities, more work.  In the accounting world, January is a beating.  But I still wanted to put a healthy dinner on the table for my family.  And I wanted to keep my New Year's resolution (at least for the first week!) to eat healthier.

Enter this Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken, which came together in about 30 minutes.  Take that, Rachel Ray.  It fit the bill: light, healthy, and fast.  Do you hear me, Ellie Krieger?  Sandra Lee calls this kind of dinner "semi-homemade."  I call it a "ch-eat."  (Guess I watch too much of the Food Network.)

Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
(click here to print recipe)

Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/4 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dijon mustard
2/3 cup red wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients and stir well.  Set aside.

Salad Ingredients
Large bag baby spinach or chopped romaine or some of both
1 large cucumber
1/4 of a large red or sweet onion
Pitted Greek olives and marinated feta cheese from the olive bar at your grocery
    (or buy jarred, pitted Kalamata olives and a block of feta cheese and cut some up)
2 small plum tomatoes
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even out the thickness

Use about 1/3 cup of the salad dressing to marinate the chicken breasts at room temperature for about 15 minutes.  Preheat your grill.

In the meantime, wash and spin dry the lettuce and/or spinach.  Peel and slice the cucumber, slice the tomato, and finely chop the onion.  If you're using a block of feta, cut it into small cubes.  Refrigerate the salad ingredients.

Grill the chicken breasts for about 7 minutes per side on medium-high heat.

Cut chicken into pieces.  Remove the salad ingredients from the refrigerator and load onions, greens, olives and feta into a gallon-sized ziptop bag.   Pour in enough dressing to coat the leaves lightly.  Shake it up.  Plate the salad and decoratively arrange the tomatoes, cukes, and chicken on top, dividing evenly into 4 portions.

To minimize the mess and maximize the flavor, toss large salads in ziptop bags.  You will use less salad dressing, and it will be more evenly distributed.  Besides, it's fun to shake it up!  I buy gallon and 2-gallon sized ziptop bags at the Dollar Tree for just this purpose.