As I am obsessed with oranges right now and decided to add them to both my main entree as well as this salad.

The other ingredient in this delicious salad is fennel. Full disclosure on this veggie- I am not a big fan. Well, I guess I wasn’t a big fan until I started giving it a chance and started picking it up every time I would go grocery shopping. I started using it raw in salads. I used my nifty mandolin and came up with super thin, crunchy slices of fennel. It complements oranges really well.

I finished the salad with arugula. Arugula is one of my favorite greens to eat. I love the subtle bitterness they provide.

I then made a very easy salad dressing that includes fresh orange juice, Dijon mustard and agave. Agave is my new favorite sweetness to use in everything. Try this salad- it is yummy!

• 4 cups baby arugula
• 2 navel oranges, segments out and the rest juiced
• 1 large fennel bulb, cleaned and sliced thin

Add the arugula, orange segments and fennel slices in a salad bowl. Mix well and keep aside.

Salad Dressing

• Juice of the two navel oranges (about ¼ cup)
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons agave
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Add the orange juice, vinegar, mustard, agave, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mixture until emulsified. Check for seasonings and add to the salad. Toss and serve.

For this salad I roasted a few plump beets. I wrapped each one in aluminum foil and placed them in the oven. Remember to place them on a cookies sheet first to avoid any leakage. Beet juice can be impossible to get off surfaces. I then segmented some oranges- which has been my ingredient of choice ever since they have come in season. I have been putting them in everything I can.

I placed the colorful beets and oranges on some mixed greens and made a delicious salad with orange juice and balsamic vinegar.

The salad was so beautiful looking that I didn’t want to disturb it and eat it. Once I did, I realized how delicious it was…

• 3 to 4 medium red beets

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wrap each beet in aluminum foil. Roast the beets for 40 to 50 minutes. Let them cool and scrape the skin off. Cut into 1-inch squares.

• 2 large navel oranges, peeled and cut into segments
• 4 cups mixed greens

Balsamic Dressing

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon agave
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Add the vinegar, orange juice, agave and mustard. Mix well and drizzle the olive oil slowly while whisking constantly until the dressing is emulsified.

Assemble four plates with the greens, oranges and pieces of beets. Drizzle the dressing and serve.

The trick is to first buy an English cucumber instead of the regular variety. The English variety is leaner and longer and has less seeds. I cut it in half length wise and then scoop the seeds out with a spoon. In order to get the cucumbers super crispy, one can sprinkle some salt on them, place them in a colander over a bowl. The salt will extract the extra moisture out of the cucumbers and make them crunchy. This step is optional and skipping it will not lessen the flavor.

The salad has very few ingredients including the rice vinegar, serrano chilies and cilantro. Try this simple yet delicious salad…

• 1 large English cucumber, seeds scooped out and cut into half moons
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 3 to 4 serrano chilies, cut in half
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Place the cucumber in a medium bowl. Add the salt, vinegar, chilies and cilantro. Mix well and refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.

I love the tangy taste but most of all I love the way the seeds look- like tiny jewels.

I decided to incorporate a salad made with pomegranate seeds dressed with a pomegranate vinaigrette. I had a huge bowl filled with pomegranate seeds and a chunk of feta in my fridge. I thought of feta cheese to cut the tang of the pomegranate seeds. For the vinaigrette, I took out my bottle of pomegranate glaze. I mixed in some white wine vinegar a bit of honey and of course some extra virgin olive oil. The flavors were incredible- tangy, sweet and savory.

Definitely a great salad for the big feast..

• 4 cups mixed greens
• 1 cup shelled pomegranate seeds
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Add the greens, pomegranate seeds and feta cheese into a medium serving bowl.

Pomegranate Dressing

• ¼ cup pomegranate glaze
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• ¼ extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Salt
• Pepper

Add the pomegranate glaze, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper into a medium bowl. Drizzle the olive oil slowly while whisking the dressing till it emulsifies.

Drizzle the dressing onto the greens, toss and serve.

Speaking of vegetable peelers- it is very important to have a good one. I would highly recommend a Messermeister peeler. I got one a couple of years ago and absolutely love it. It makes peeling a cinch.

Making lovely ribbons was very easy with my great peeler. I combined feta cheese with the carrots and zucchinis. I made a delicious dressing cumin seeds, orange and lemon juices.

The salad was delicious with the chicken on the side- healthy and yummy…

• 2 medium zucchinis, sliced thin into ribbons with a peeler
• 2 medium carrots, sliced thin into ribbons with a peeler
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing

• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of a navel orange
• Juice of one lemon
• Salt
• Pepper

Add the orange juice, lemon juice, cumin seeds, salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil, emulsifying the dressing. Add to the vegetables and mix well. Check for seasoning and add the feta.