Asparagus Salad With Snap Peas And Strawberries

                                       

            Asparagus Salad with Snap Peas and Strawberries     This salad is the ideal in the late spring/early summer. Filling, yet still light and refreshing, perfect for patio dining. If you are using snap peas you’ve grown, throw in some of the pea tendrils into the salad at the same time as the mint. While keeping the asparagus and snap peas raw is certainly an option, we prefer to blanch the vegetables for a minute (followed by a shock in ice water) to preserve their crunch and their color.
Ingredients:
For the vinaigrette
1 small shallot
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons raw honey
1 teaspoon stoneground mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juice and zest
4 to 6 ounces EVOO

For the Salad:
2 cups torn croutons
2 cups asparagus
1 cup snap peas
6 cups salad greens
1/2 cup fresh torn mint leaves
1 cup fresh strawberries
1/2 cup feta or goat cheese

Directions:

For the Dressing:  Mix all salad dressing ingredients except the olive oil in a blender and mix until well blended.  With the blender working slowly stream the EVOO.  Place dressing in container and refrigerate.

For the Salad:  Cut the asparagus into 1 inch lengths.  Can use raw or blanched one minute then an ice bath to stop the cooking but preserve the crispness and color,  Mix ingredients, adding cheese and garnish with sliced strawberries.

Salmon On Fennel Salad With Citrus Dressing.

        

                  Salmon on Fennel Salad with Citrus Dressing                              
This zesty salad complements salmon’s richness while almonds add crunch. The fish can be served hot or cold as a light main course. To serve it as a hearty starter for a meal, cut fish fillets in half lengthwise before grilling. If serving salmon cold, grill right away. If serving hot, make salad first. Serves 8 as a starter or 4 as a main course.
Ingredients:
Salmon

½ lime

½ lemon

½ orange

4 skinless salmon fillets, each about 6 to 7 oz (175 to 200 g)

1 tbsp (15 mL) butter, melted

Salad
1 ½ tsp (7 mL) granulated sugar
1 small clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
Several grindings of black peppercorns
¼ cup (50 mL) olive oil
2 oranges
1 large bulb fresh fennel
4 cups (1 L) baby salad greens or romaine
½ cup (125 mL) slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:

Using microplane or other grater, zest lime, lemon and orange. Combine zests; set aside. Juice lime, lemon and orange; combine juices and set aside.

To grill salmon, preheat barbecue to medium-hot. Brush bright pink tops of salmon with butter; place buttered-side-down on grill for 4 to 5 minutes or until brown grill marks are evident. Turn salmon; continue grilling for another 4 to 5 minutes or until a fork used to separate the flakes of flesh show a slightly undercooked centre for medium or opaque for well-done. Sprinkle each fillet with a pinch or 2 of zest (all zest will not be used). If serving cold, cover and refrigerate immediately for up to a day.

To make salad, stir reserved juices with sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk in olive oil; set aside. Cut rind off oranges; section. Cut off green fronds from fennel; finely chop some of feather part for garnish. Cut bulb in half; core. Using a mandoline or fine blade of food processor, finely slice crosswise into slaw-like pieces. There should be 4 to 5 cups (1 to 1.25 L). Toss fennel and orange sections with dressing. (If making earlier in day, cover and refrigerate fennel mixture and dressing separately until ready to serve.)

.Line serving plates with salad greens; top with fennel orange mixture. Lay salmon, hot or cold, over salad and strew with almonds and reserved fennel tops.  Serves 4 as main course, 8 as starter

Asparagus Salad With Snap Peas And Strawberries

Asparagus Salad With Snap Peas and Strawberries

This salad is the ideal in the late spring/early summer. Filling, yet still light and refreshing, perfect for patio dining. If you are using snap peas you’ve grown, throw in some of the pea tendrils into the salad at the same time as the mint. While keeping the asparagus and snap peas raw is certainly an option, we prefer to blanch the vegetables for a minute (followed by a shock in ice water) to preserve their crunch and their color.

Ingredients:

For the Vinaigrette: 

1 small shallot minced
2 fl oz apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons raw honey
1 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
½ teaspoon salt
1 lemon both zest and juice
4-6 fl oz extra virgin olive oil

For the salad:

2 cups of torn croutons
2 cups of asparagus trimmed and chopped into 2 inch spears, blanched
1 cup snap peas trimmed, blanched
1 cups fresh strawberries sliced
½ cup feta cheese or goat cheese crumbled
6 cups salad greens
½ cup fresh mint leaves torn

Directions

For the vinaigrette:

In a jar or other tall container, combine all the ingredients except for the olive oil and mix until combined. Then, if using a whisk or an immersion blender, stream in the olive oil slowly, whisking constantly until the vinaigrette emulsifies.

For the salad:

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, add the dressing, and toss gently to coat all the ingredients. Top with more crumbled feta and strawberry slices.

2500th  Recipe

Today I complete the journey I began 10 1/2 years ago.  The blog has been a great investment of my time which I looked forward to sharing with so many unknown readers.  It is my hope you have truly enjoyed your visit to the blog.  This is my final recipe I will share and do hope you will return to search a favorite.  Donna

Seared Scallop Salad with Orange and Bacon

Ingredients:

3 oranges

¼ cup olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp maple syrup

½ tsp minced garlic

Salt and black pepper to taste

4 slices bacon, finely chopped

12 large dry-packed scallops, patted dry

8 cups washed and dried salad greens

Directions:
Grate 1 tsp zest and squeeze 2 tbsp juice from 1 orange. Cut peel and white pith from remaining oranges and separate into segments.

In a small bowl, whisk together orange zest and juice, oil, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Add scallops to skillet. Cook, without moving them, until seared, about 2 minutes. Turn scallops and cook until seared, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss salad greens and orange segments with just enough dressing to coat them. Divide salad among 4 plates. Top each salad with scallops. Drizzle scallops with any remaining dressing. Sprinkle salads with bacon.

Serves 4

Seared Scallop Salad With Orange and Bacon

Seared Scallop Salad with Orange and Bacon

Ingredients:

3 oranges
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) white wine vinegar
1 tsp (5 mL) maple syrup
½ tsp (2 mL) minced garlic
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 slices bacon, finely chopped
12 large dry-packed scallops, patted dry
8 cups (2 L) washed and dried salad greens

Directions:

Grate 1 tsp (5 mL) zest and squeeze 2 tbsp (30 mL) juice from 1 orange. Cut peel and white pith from remaining oranges and separate into segments.

In a small bowl, whisk together orange zest and juice, oil, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Add scallops to skillet. Cook, without moving them, until seared, about 2 minutes. Turn scallops and cook until seared, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss salad greens and orange segments with just enough dressing to coat them. Divide salad among 4 plates. Top each salad with scallops. Drizzle scallops with any remaining dressing. Sprinkle salads with bacon.

Serves 4