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Tag: Salad

Fresh Nectarine and Corn Salad

Another yummy corn salad- this one is paired with one of my favorite fruits- nectarines… green onion, mint and basil take this side dish over the top!

  • 4 to 5 corn on the cob, grilled till golden brown and take kernels off the cob
  • 2 large or 3 medium nectarines, cut into 1-inch dice
  • 4 to 5 green onions, trimmed, cut in half and grilled briefly (just to char the outside of the onions)
  • ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • ½ cup feta, crumbled
  • Juice of one lemon
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt

Transfer the corn kernels, nectarines, green onions, mint, basil and feta to a salad bowl. Add the lemon juice, oil and salt. Toss and serve.

Greens with Avocado and Cumin Dressing

I have making this salad almost twice a week. We love avocados- well, my husband and I do. I usually make guacamole a lot and we enjoy it with fish, chicken or any other Mexican cuisine. Since we love avocados so much, I now incorporate them into a simple salad. Some mixed greens, halved cherry tomatoes and a delicious dressing.

The dressing in this salad is the star- I used fresh lemons, honey and extra virgin olive oil. The main ingredients that make this dressing amazing is roasted cumin seeds and smoked paprika. I think I need to make a big jar of it as I find myself licking the plate after the salad is done.

Definitely try this salad- it is delicious…

  • 4 cups mixed greens
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 2 ripe avocadoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

Place the greens, tomatoes and avocado pieces into a medium salad bowl.

Dressing

  • 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of two lemons
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Salt

Add the cumin seeds, lemon juice, honey, paprika and salt into a small bowl. Slowly drizzle the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. Check for seasonings and drizzle over the salad. Toss and serve.

Fresh Corn & Arugula Salad with Queso Fresco

  • 4 ears of corn, taken off the cob
  • 3 cups of baby arugula
  • ½ cup roasted sliced almonds
  • ½ cup crumbled queso fresco

Dressing

  • 2 medium lemons, washed, cut in quarters and deseeded
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Transfer the ingredients to a blender. Blend till the dressing is creamy and smooth. Dress the salad and serve immediately.

Avocado Beet and Apple Salad

I served this delicious salad on top of the chili I made yesterday…. It is an amazing combination of avocado, beet and apple. It is amazing on top of the flavorful chili or just as a first course or salad…

  • 1 avocado, cut into 1 inch dice
  • 1 medium beet, roasted and cut into 1 inch dice
  • 1 medium apple, cut into 1 inch dice
  • 1 serrano pepper, deseeded, chopped
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of 1 medium lime
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt

Add all the ingredients to a serving bowl. Mix well and serve as a salad or on top of chili.

Warm Spinach Salad with Pancetta and Feta

This recipe is a play on the popular warm spinach salad. It is typically made with bacon. You start off by cooking some bacon down; taking the bits out and using the warm fat for salad dressing.

I used pancetta instead of bacon; rendered it and kept it aside. A mixture of dijon mustard, white wine vinegar and apple cider make a delicious dressing. To make it interesting, I added crumbles of salty feta cheese. I am a big fan of this cheese- I love salty cheese, and this one is as salty as they come. It provides an amazing punch of flavor. The good thing is you don’t need a whole lot of it and it is naturally lower in fat than other cheeses.

The salad turned out delicious- it was a great start to the meal, especially since it continued with the yummy meatballs…

  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Place the spinach and cheese into a medium salad bowl. Keep aside.

  • ¼ cup chopped pancetta
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium shallot, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Heat a small frying pan and add the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly till the pancetta bits are crispy. With a slotted spoon, take out the pancetta and keep aside. Keep the flame to medium and add the shallot. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and apple cider. Whisk in the mustard and add salt and pepper if needed.
Pour over the baby spinach, toss and serve.

Arugula Fennel & Orange Salad

The orange theme continues. I served this delicious salad with the yummy stew from yesterday. I love cooking with a theme- it doesn’t have to be very complicated. It could either be the same cuisine or just one ingredient that ties the meal together.

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.

Meyer Lemon and Avocado Oil Dressing

One thing I always have in my fridge is homemade salad dressing. A lot of people are intimidated and don’t end up making their own concoction but I am here to tell you- it takes all of five minutes to make. You can make it super healthy with limited amounts of fat. Speaking of fat- I am using something a bit different in this one- avocado oil. It is considered one of the ‘good fats’- it kind of has an acquired taste but I have decided I like it. I paired it with meyer lemon juice. Meyer lemons are in season right now and are super aromatic and very floral- kind of a cross between a lemon and and an orange. This is a great dressing to have on hand- it complements all sorts of greens and vegetables…

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