Summer Tomato, Corn, Avocado and Crab Salad

Nothing says summer like corn and tomatoes! Today I put together this salad to celebrate summer and all of its best flavors. If you don’t have to crack your own crab it will come together pretty quickly, but during the COVID-19 regulations my local store won’t crack and clean the crab right now, so I have learned to do it myself. It could be worse and you get faster each time you do it. The bonus for this recipe is that there is no actual heated cooking involved – which is wonderful on a warm day.  Fresh corn on the cob is simply microwaved in the husk and then it is easily shucked after cooking (the silks don’t stick after the corn is cooked). I used cherry tomatoes because I didn’t have access to really good large heirloom tomatoes, but the salad would definitely go up another level with juicy heirloom tomatoes, so if you can find them use them. If crab is not your thing or you can’t find any, you can use shrimp, lobster, or even some rotisserie chicken already cooked at the store. Or leave out the meat, it will stand on its own pretty well. Another option is cheese, I have made it with queso fresco, feta or goat cheese. Make it to your liking and enjoy it!

Summer Corn, Avocado and Crab salad

• Servings: 4
• Time: 30 - 60 minutes
• Difficulty: easy-medium
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Bright, light summery salad

Ingredients

• 1 dungeness crab (or about one large cup of cracked and cleaned crab)
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lime (about 2 Tablespoons lime juice)
• 2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 fresh ears of corn, unshucked
• pint of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• one large avocado, sliced into bite-sized chunks
• 2 large mushrooms, sliced thinly
• medium head of romaine lettuce, washed and ripped into bite-sized pieces
• handful of fresh basil leaves, gently torn into large pieces

Procedure

1. If your crab is not already cracked and cleaned, then do that yourself. It should already be steamed (cooked) from the store. Set the crabmeat aside.
2. Cook your corn in the husk in the microwave for about 5-7 minutes, depending on your microwave’s power level. Test that the corn is tender and let it rest in the husk while you complete the next steps. It will continue to steam a bit. (Another option is to grill your corn and give it more depth of flavor if you want).
3. Mix the lime juice, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper together with a whisk. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while stirring with the whisk. Set aside. 
4. Prepare your tomatoes, avocado, lettuce and mushrooms. 
5. Shuck the corn and cut the kernels off the cob.  
6.  In individual salad bowls arrange the lettuce. Top the lettuce with the other vegetables and finish with the crab and then garnish with the basil leaves. Let everyone spoon a little dressing on their salad and enjoy!

https://healthyseasonalcooking.wordpress.com    July 15, 2020

 

Heirloom Tomato, English Pea and Farro Salad

I went to the farmer’s market this past Sunday and there were piles of beautiful plump english peas. I kept looking and commenting on them even though they were not on my shopping list. Finally my husband suggested I just buy a bag of them and figure out what to do with them in a day or two –what a good idea! Sunday I made the fresh corn soup with crab for my mother-in-law’s birthday because she really likes that soup, therefore Monday was my day to use the peas. I searched the Internet for a good recipe for them but couldn’t find anything. So what to do now….they were calling me, you know? I had two ripe heirloom tomatoes on my counter, and a big bunch of basil from the farmers market as well so I eventually came up with this salad and added some farro to make it a little more filling for my family. We all really enjoyed it, the flavors were just bright, fresh and summery. I hope you enjoy it!

• Servings: 4
• Time: about 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Best of summer's sweet heirloom tomatoes combine with fresh sweet english peas and nutty farro for a filling but healthy summer vegetarian salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked farro (whole grain)
• 1 pound of fresh english peas, shelled (about a cup when shelled)
• 1/4 cup diced sweet onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into a large chunks
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus a little more for garnishing
• handful of basil leaves, roughly torn

Procedure

1. Cook the farro according to the directions on the package.
2. While the farro cooks, saute the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes in a little olive oil. Add the peas and a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes or until the peas soften and sweeten. (Optional to add a little butter if you want some extra richness. A splash of white wine would probably add some dimension as well).
3. Remove the peas and set the pea mixture aside. Add a little more oil to the pan and turn the heat to low. Add the tomatoes and a little salt and pepper and just warm them up a bit. A few minutes and a stir or two will do. Turn off the heat, add the basil and stir.
4. When farro is cooked add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup of the parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
5. Spoon a layer of the farro on a plate and top with tomatoes and then the pea mixture. Garnish with a little cheese. Enjoy!

https://healthyseasonalcooking.wordpress.com    August 20, 2019

Grilled Shrimp and Watermelon Salad with Feta

Today was a nice warm Spring day here in the Bay Area, so I thought a watermelon salad would be nice for dinner. I love watermelon and feta, although I did consider using grilled Halloumi cheese instead, but went with feta since it is a lot more economical, but I may try it next time with the Halloumi. Next was some protein to make it a complete meal in my husband’s eyes, started with chicken, but switched to shrimp to make all family members happy as my son currently is not loving chicken. I also think the salad would be good with some cherry tomatoes, but alas, my market only had small tomatoes that were a very under-ripe light red color, so I left them out. But if you have access to good vine-ripened tomatoes, include them.  Enjoy with a glass of cold Rosé from Provence!

• Servings: 4
• Time: approximately 20-30 minutes
• Difficulty: fairly easy
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Light and refreshing Spring/Summer Salad.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
• 2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon white miso
• 1 teaspoon light honey
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus a Tablespoon more for the shrimp)
• 2 Tablespoons raw pinenuts
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• freshly ground black pepper
• About 4 cups cubed watermelon (about 1/2 small seedless watermelon)
• 1 large head of red leaf lettuce, washed and torn into small pieces
• About 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 Tablespoons fresh chiffonade mint (cut in fine shreds)

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl mix 2 cups of water with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.  Add the raw shrimp and let soak for 15 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator.
3. While the shrimp brines, whisk in a small bowl, the vinegar, miso, and honey. Gradually whisk in the oil. Set aside.
4. Roast the pine nuts for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and set aside.
5. Remove Shrimp from brine and drain completely. Coat shrimp with a mixture of olive oil, garlic and pepper. Grill or Broil shrimp for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside.
6. Place about a cup of torn lettuce on each plate. Add cut watermelon, grilled shrimp, a sprinkle of feta, a sprinkle of pine nuts and pour some dressing over the salad. Garnish with chopped mint. Enjoy!

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June 11, 2018

Spring Cherry Pistachio Salad

Hello Spring! Here in the SF Bay Area it finally feels like spring. The weather has been wacky, felt more like fall than spring recently, but the last two days have been beautiful and warm (ok, less warm today…but I made this yesterday) so I decided to make a salad with fresh bing cherries, tomatoes, avocados and pistachios. It turned out to be a really nice and substantial salad for dinner.

• Servings: 4
• Time: 20 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Healthy spring/summer salad.

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 thick slice of bacon (I used applewood smoked bacon)
• ½ cup unsalted pistachios
• 1 cup pitted cherries, quartered
• 1 avocado, diced and soaked in lime juice
• 12 ounces Mixed Baby lettuce or Romaine lettuce, torn in bite-sized pieces
• 3 white button mushrooms, sliced thinly
• ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
• ¼ cup feta cheese, small crumbles

 

Dressing:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light miso
• 1 teaspoon honey

Procedure

1. Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl with a whisk. Set aside.
2. Cook the bacon slice in the oven at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes or until desired crispiness is achieved. Remove from oven, pat off as much grease as you can and mince.
3. While bacon cooks, lightly toast pistachios in the same oven. Approximately 5-8 minutes, careful not to burn them. Set aside to cool.
4. Wash and pit the cherries. Slice them in quarters.
5. Slice the mushrooms thinly
6. Halve or quarter the tomatoes.
7. Chop the feta.
8. Chop the pistachios.
9. Fill the large salad bowl with lettuce, then add mushrooms, tomatoes, avocados, cherries, feta, and pistachios.  Serve the dressing on the side.

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May 10, 2017

Roasted pistachios

Asian Chicken Salad

I rarely buy Trader Joes bagged salad mixes, but for some reason the Cruciferous Crunch Collection with shredded kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, green and red cabbage looked really good today. Then there was the problem of what on earth am I going to make out of this? I had an “ah ha moment” when I realized that the real reason I was going to Trader Joes was to pick up some chicken to make homemade chicken soup for my sick child. Then the perfect idea came to me, Asian chicken salad with the extra chicken from the soup, perfect! This only serves 2-3, so double the recipe if you are feeding 4 adults, or use it this way if it is just a side dish for 4-6 people. I hope you enjoy this very crunchy light meal!

• Servings: 2-3
• Time: 20-30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Healthy and quick take on Asian Chicken Salad

Credit: Cooking Light Asian Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoon orange juice
• 1 teaspoon of fresh minced or bottled minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken breast
• 10 oz package of shredded vegetables such as a mixture of kale, brussels sprouts, red and green cabbage, broccoli, etc.
• 1 large shredded carrot
• 1 chopped bell pepper (I used orange for color)
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds, lightly toasted

Procedure

1. Whisk the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, orange juice, ginger, and honey in a small bowl.
2. Lightly roast the almonds in the oven.
3. Pour the chicken and salad ingredients into a large bowl and mix.
4. Add the dressing and toss the salad with the dressing.  Add the almonds and toss again.
5. Serve into bowls and Enjoy!

https://healthyseasonalcooking.wordpress.com    February 7, 2018

Pomegranate and Grilled Haloumi Salad

It is autumn and that means pomegranate time! I love pomegranates but I hate getting the arils (seeds) out of them. I pretty much have avoided them unless I was willing to shell out the cash to buy the arils in a package. Then to be honest they are often slimy and not so great. But lo and behold I discovered recently that cutting open a pomegranate doesn’t have to look like something was butchered in my  kitchen! I can’t believe I didn’t know this until a couple of weeks ago–how did I miss this? This would have saved my children and myself a lot of anxiety every autumn when they wanted my to buy whole pomegranates and I would try my best to avoid it or get really crazy with bibs and aprons and tons of paper towels to contain the flying red juice. Sorry kids! Click here for detailed instructions on how to accomplish this feat and keep your hands their natural color.

I got this recipe idea from the wonderful chef my husband hired for my birthday recently. She made this incredible little appetizer of crostini, grilled Haloumi cheese and pomegranate seeds. The flavors were so incredible and so autumn-like! So today I was trying to come up with an interesting salad with pomegranate seeds and then I thought about the warmed Haloumi cheese and voilà, this is what I came up with. Hope you all like it as much as we did!

• Servings: 4
• Time: 20-30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Vibrant pomegranate, fennel, tomato, baby lettuce and Haloumi salad is full of wonderful autumn flavors .

Credit: adapted from Haloumi, Pomegranate and Rocket Salad on Taste.com.au 

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 180 grams Haloumi Cheese, cut into thin strips
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 12 ounces of mixed baby lettuces
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium fennel bulb, very thinly sliced, reserve some fronds for garnish
• 1 pomegranate, seeded (see this page for excellent instructions)

Procedure

1. Mix first four ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking to emulsify it. Set dressing aside.
2. Place the greens and fennel slices in a large serving bowl.
3. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the pine nuts to the dry pan and toast for a few minutes. Careful they burn fast! Remove pine nuts and set aside.
4. Add a little cooking spray to pan and heat up again. Add the Haloumi slices and cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until slightly browned. Remove from pan and place on top of salad.
5. Heat up the tomato halves in the hot pan for just a couple of  minutes, adding a little salt and pepper and spread them on top of the Haloumi on the salad. Add the pomegranate seeds and toasted pine nuts and serve with the dressing on the side (or toss if you prefer).
6. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

https://healthyseasonalcooking.wordpress.com

October 25, 2017

Beautiful pomegranate arils

Slicing the fennel

ingredients

Cooking the Haloumi

The finished salad

Tomato, Corn and Avocado Salad with Ricotta Salata

Pretty warm day here in the Bay Area. I decided I would make crab cakes Crab Cakes and a tomato, corn and avocado salad. This was based on what looked fresh at the grocery store today. Just a quick salad that I threw together, no actual recipe, but I tried to capture it the best I could in the recipe below. Enjoy!

• Servings: 4
• Time: 15 minutes
• Difficulty: very easy
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Healthy and quick spring/summer salad.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half or quarters depending on size
• 1 avocado, diced and soaked in lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (approx)
• 2 ears of fresh corn, cooked and sliced off the cobb
• 2 tablespoons ricotta salata cheese, very small dice
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

Procedure

1. Combine the tomatoes, avocado with lime juice, corn and ricotta in a medium bowl. Try to add the corn while it is still hot or warm, it warms up the rest of the salad and makes the flavor more intense. Mix well.
2. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and olive oil and mix well.

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May 10, 2017

FENNEL AND FETA SALAD WITH BACON

I originally made this in the fall after going to the Farmer’s Market where I saw this very fresh and beautiful Fennel bulb that I had to buy as well as some super fresh assorted baby lettuces.  These are still available and looking pretty good at Whole Foods, so I thought I would make it tonight.  My recipe is inspired by Food and Wine’s Spinach and Fennel Salad with Candied Bacon . The F&W recipe uses A LOT of bacon and sugar, so I lightened the recipe by adding more vegetables, cutting out the “candied” part of the bacon and using 75% less bacon. I feel that just a little bacon adds a lot of punch, no need to go overboard. Yum! I really like the combination of the slightly sweet dressing with the very savory bacon and feta. Try it out and let me know what you think.

• Servings: 4
• Time: 40 min
• Difficulty: easy
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Delicious and savory autumn or winter salad

Credit: Food & Wine 

Ingredients

• 2 slices of thick-cut Applewood Smoked Bacon
• 1 medium sized fennel bulb. Halved, cored and sliced very thinly
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for the dressing plus some extra for drizzling on the fennel)
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (this is very different from regular balsamic vinegar — I like it in this dressing because it is slightly sweet to contrast with the savory bacon and feta –if you don’t have any use a white wine vinegar and add a little more honey)
• ½–1 teaspoon of honey
• ~8 oz. mixed baby lettuce
• 1 large heirloom tomato (or whatever is available), cubed
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• Fresh feta cheese to sprinkle over the top
• 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, lightly toasted

Procedure

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Cook 2 pieces of bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes or until desired doneness (I often cook more pieces and put some of it into my son’s lunch box that week). Lay cooked bacon on a plate with several paper towels to absorb as much grease as possible. Let the bacon cool and then chop into small pieces.

3. At the same time, lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Add sliced fennel and lightly drizzle a little olive oil onto the fennel and season with a little salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until soft and starting to brown a bit. Remove from oven and let cool.

4. In a small container whisk the Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, honey, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt and a several grinds of fresh black pepper. Set aside.

5. Combine the tomato, radishes, lettuce, fennel, bacon, feta and pine nuts. Toss with the reserved dressing and serve.

   Pairs nicely with an unoaked Chardonnay or Chablis

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March 8, 2017

Kale Salad with Miso and Pistachios

This is pretty much a straight-up Food and Wine/Andrew Zimmern recipe. Really easy and really flavorful! Original recipe included 2 scallions, thinly sliced and did not include the mushrooms or avocado (or sometimes tomatoes) that I added. I think some grilled shrimp or hardboiled egg would be really good in this as well.  I served this with Quick Brined Roasted Salmon with Lemon Garlic Oil and some simple brown Jasmine rice. Very easy and delicious meal. My son could not get enough of the salmon and the salmon’s savory sauce.

• Servings: 4
• Time: approximately 15-20 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Quick and savory kale salad.

Credit: Kale Salad with Miso and Pistachios . The salmon shown is Quick Brined Roasted Salmon with Lemon Garlic Oil

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds kale – stems discarded and leaves thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly crushed
• 1 tablespoon brown miso
• 1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cremini mushrooms, thinly slices
• 1 cup of baby tomatoes, sliced in thirds
• 1/4 cup unsalted pistachios, roasted  and chopped

Procedure

1. In a large bowl, toss the kale with the lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar with the sesame seeds, miso and sugar. Gradually whisk in the oil.
3. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms to the kale and then add the dressing and toss. Add the pistachios on top and serve.

https://healthyseasonalcooking.wordpress.com

February 21, 2017

 

Here is it with the tomato and as a side dish with salmon.

 

Ginger Sesame Beef Salad with Quinoa

Updated 3/26/17.

What to make for dinner tonight…? Well this popped into my inbox this morning from Food and Wine Magazine, and I thought that this looked like a good candidate. Here is the original recipe: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/skirt-steak-stir-fry-quinoa-and-ginger-sesame-dressing. I added more vegetables and marinated the meat for a few hours, but I otherwise followed the recipe. The dish turned out to be a really nice mix of crunchy vegetables with very tasty, succulent beef. I have to admit that my son found it a bit “strong” so he just picked out and ate the beef chunks and left most of the rest but my husband and I really enjoyed it.

Grating the ginger.  The minced garlic is on the side.

• Servings: 4
• Time: approximately 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Healthy ginger beef and vegetable salad that comes together quickly. Good choice for a healthy weeknight meal.

Credit: Food and Wine 

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

Quinoa:

• 1 cup of un-cooked quinoa

Dressing: 

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Stir-Fry:

• 1 tablespoon of dark sesame oil

• 1 pound skirt steak, cut into small pieces and sliced against the grain (1/4” thick strips)

• 1 large Portabello mushroom cut into small cubes

• 2 tablespoons of fresh minced garlic (2 cloves)

• 1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger

• kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

• 1 head of red leaf lettuce (or lettuce of choice), chopped

• 2 cups of shredded carrot

• 2 cups of bean sprouts

• 2 tablespoons of basil leaves, chiffonaded

Procedure

1. In a medium bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of organic rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger and garlic. Add the sliced beef and marinate at least 30 minutes or several hours if possible.
2. Cook the quinoa without adding salt or oil. I like to use a rice maker. Set the cooked quinoa aside (Can cook this earlier in the day and refrigerate).
3. In a small bowl whisk the ¼ cup of soy sauce, 1 ½ tablespoons of fresh grated ginger, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of lime juice and 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Set aside.
4. In a large skillet heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the steak, mushroom, half the shredded carrot and salt and pepper to your taste, and then stir-fry for a few minutes until the steak is cooked to your liking. Remove the steak mixture and add half the bean sprouts and cook for a couple of minutes.
5. Divide the lettuce between four plates. Top with cooked bean sprouts, meat mixture, uncooked carrots and bean sprouts, cooked quinoa and then the dressing. Garnish with basil.

https://healthyseasonalcooking.wordpress.com

September 29, 2016, updated March 26, 2017

Stir frying the beef, mushrooms, and carrots

Finished stir-fry

 

The quinoa in the rice cooker.

The finished dish