Tag: Salad
Avocado and Mango Guacamole
This summer I have been making guacamole at least once a week.. usually it is more like two. It is quite simple to make and usually takes the usual suspects. Lots of lime juice and salt are the key to a delicious guacamole. Cilantro and green onions help as well and so does garlic.
I wanted to mix avocado and mango together. The texture of the two fruits is exactly the same but the flavors couldn’t be different. One has a rich, creamy taste and the mango is sweet and tangy. The two went amazingly together. The guacamole was delicious and perfect with a steak!
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Fennel Orange & Avocado Salad
I have been cooking with a lot of fennel recently. I was not a big fan of fennel until a few months ago. I am not sure what exactly happened but now I find myself buying a pack of fennel bulbs every time I am in Trader Joes.. and I am there very often.
I find myself eating it raw mainly in salads but it tastes delicious roasted with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. I used the roasted variety as a pizza topping or even on a salad- they were delicious.
This salad is a bit different as it does not have any lettuce greens. It has lots of sliced fennel, orange segments and creamy avocado. They all make an amazing combination- with the crunch fennel, juicy oranges and soft avocados.
I made a simple lime and orange dressing with a bit of roasted cumin seeds.
The salad was simply delicious… to make a meal of it, one can add some chicken, shrimp or chunks of delicious fish…
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Fennel Carrot & Beet Salad with Orange Dressing
This is a delicious salad, inspired by Martha Stewart. I watched her during the holidays and this was a salad she made with roast pork.. but I think it would be great with a yummy pasta dish. It is especially very nice in the winter as it includes beets, carrots and fennel. All the veggies are grated or sliced. The mixture of all the colors is beautiful.
I made it easy and bought shredded carrots. I peeled the beets and grated them using a box grater. I used my trustee mandolin to slice the fennel. One could just use a sharp knife to slice the fennel thin as well.
The great thing about this salad is that one can make it in advance. The flavors and colors meld together and taste delicious.
I made an orange dressing with fresh orange juice, agave, Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar- very simple and yet very flavorful!
The salad was delicious and full of crunch!
- 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and peeled and sliced thin
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 medium beets, grated
Place all the grated and sliced vegetables into a salad bowl. Mix well and keep aside.
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 teaspoons agave
- 4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (depends how tart you like your dressing)
- Salt
- Pepper
Place the orange juice, vinegar, mustard, agave, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place a lid and shake for 30 seconds or till the dressing is emulsified.
Dress the salad half an hour before serving. Check for seasonings and serve.
Orange and Beet Salad
I finish this week off with another delicious and beautiful looking salad. I love using beets in salads, especially the roasted variety. There are times when I am simply too lazy to roast the beets.. or I just don’t have the time. I buy the already cooked variety from Trader Joes. They are delicious as well.. but nothing like roasting your own.
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…
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Cucumber Salad
I decided to continue the vegetarian theme. This vibrant looking salad is delicious and extremely flavorful. It would be perfect with the lentils from yesterday. Although the salad is made with rice vinegar which has more of a Chinese or Japanese flavor.. but I think it would stand up very well with the delicious cumin and mustard seeds flavors.
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…
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Ribbon Salad with Zucchini and Carrots
I loved making this salad. It is a great way of introducing different vegetables without cooking them. I took a vegetable peeler and made lovely ribbons with carrots and zucchini.
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…
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Nectarine Salad with Walnut Dressing
This is a simple salad I served for a little get together we were having the other day. I like to keep things simple when people are coming over. I don’t go over board and cook lots of dishes- my philosophy is to focus on a few dishes and make them absolutely delicious.
For this dinner my plan was to make a lasagna and garlic bread. I decided to make a nectarine salad and baked nectarine dessert. If you didn’t guess- I love nectarines.
This salad is super simple- I used mixed greens. I added some walnuts and cut up a nectarine. I had recently purchased a bottle of walnut oil. I used it to make a delicious vinaigrette. I looked in my fridge and found a bottle of mango apricot nectar. I used that in addition to some white wine vinegar. Some salt and pepper and I had a yummy dressing. It was a great start to the meal. It had a great crunch from the walnuts and a burst of sweetness from the nectarines. The walnut oil flavor came through loud and clear and tied all the flavors together.
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