Monday, August 21, 2017

Summer Tomato and Edamame Salad

The simplest of dishes, this summer tomato and edamame salad doesn’t really require a recipe with certain amounts that must be followed, although I’ll give you mine below. The important thing is to use the best summer tomatoes you can find – homegrown, if possible, vine-ripened, full of flavor – drizzled with the best quality extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.

Food Lust People Love: The combination of vine-ripened tomatoes, along with a sprinkling of shelled edamame, makes this a fabulous fresh salad full of the flavors of summer. Sometimes the simplest salads are the best.

That combination, along with a sprinkling of shelled edamame, makes this a fabulous fresh salad full of the flavors of summer. Sometimes the simplest salads are the best.

Another tasty recipe for Salad Month
Edamame is one of those ingredients I keep on hand always, in the freezer, for times when I need a little something extra in a salad or soup. Not only are they a lovely green color but they are nutritionally rich, with vitamins, protein and fiber. You can buy them in the pods, which make for a great snack, or already peeled.

Summer Tomato and Edamame Salad


Ingredients
4-5 ripe summer tomatoes
Flakey sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup or 50g shelled edamame
1/2 small onion, minced
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
Good quality balsamic vinegar

Method
Slice the tomatoes and lay them out on a big plate. Season with the sea salt and black pepper.

Sprinkle on the minced onions and edamame. Drizzle the lot with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Seriously, that’s all there is to it. This summer tomato and edamame salad lets the tomatoes shine, with an added boost of protein and fiber from the legumes. Totally delicious AND healthy.

Food Lust People Love: The combination of vine-ripened tomatoes, along with a sprinkling of shelled edamame, makes this a fabulous fresh salad full of the flavors of summer. Sometimes the simplest salads are the best.

Enjoy!

Have I convinced you to join me for Salad Month? Here are a few of my other recipes you might like to try:




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Food Lust People Love: The combination of vine-ripened tomatoes, along with a sprinkling of shelled edamame, makes this a fabulous fresh salad full of the flavors of summer. Sometimes the simplest salads are the best.
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Thursday, August 17, 2017

Broccolini Chicken Pear Blue Cheese Salad with Warm Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Who says greens have to be leafy to make a great salad? Lightly cooked broccolini adds great flavor and bite to this wonderful recipe for broccolini chicken pear blue cheese salad.

Food Lust People Love: Who says greens have to be leafy to make a great salad? Lightly cooked broccolini adds great flavor and bite to this wonderful recipe for broccolini chicken pear blue cheese salad.

Growing up, I was never a fan of pears because of their texture. I found them a bit gritty, for want of a better word. Recently I discovered that they aren’t all that way and I have been converted. In Dubai, we have produce imported from all over the world so, as long as you are willing to pay the price, choice fresh fruit is available year round. I try to buy what’s in season closest to me with occasional special treats of produce from farther afield.

The pears that convinced me were Coscia pears, an Italian variety. I first liked them baked into an almond pear bread pudding but then decided they were pretty good raw as well. When I looked them up, the interwebs told me that they were granular in texture, but I didn’t find that true at all. Maybe mine were special but I’ve bought them a few times since and, while they aren’t as smooth as apples, they aren’t as gritty as the pears I recall from when I was little.

Another recipe for Salad Month
Like the crunchy green bean, tomato, chicken and pearl couscous salad I posted earlier this month, this salad can also be served without the chicken. But when I am serving it as a main course, I think the additional protein helps make it a more filling meal. As another bonus, it can also be made ahead of time, which makes it perfect for a packed lunch at school or at work. Or for serving dinner guests.


Broccolini, Chicken, Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Warm Vinaigrette

Pears and blue cheese are a classic combination of sweet and salty, especially if you have crisp pears that are just ripe and fragrant with pear-y-ness. Together they lift the broccolini and chicken into something fabulous. And whether the salad is served slightly chilled or at room temperature right after you make it, the warm honey mustard vinaigrette is the perfect dressing.

Ingredients – to serve 2 as a meal, 4 as a starter
For the salad:
2 small boneless chicken breasts
Sea salt
Black pepper
Cayenne
1 tablespoon olive oil
7 oz or 200g broccolini aka tenderstem broccoli
1/4 small onion, sliced thinly
1 pear, ripe but firm
3 oz or 57g soft blue cheese (I like Bleu d'Auvergne for this recipe – it’s made with cow’s milk and is milder than Roquefort.)

For the warm honey mustard vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method
Season the chicken breasts with the salt and two peppers. Pan-fry them in the olive oil until golden on both sides and cooked through. Depending on the thickness of your breasts, this could take as few as five minutes and as many as 10. Do not overcook them or, as we all know, chicken breasts dry out. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, put a pot of water on to boil and fill a bowl with cold water and some ice cubes.

When the water comes to a boil, pu the broccolini in careful so you don’t scald yourself with a splash of boiling water. Set a timer for two minutes.

When the timer rings, scoop the broccolini out with a slotted spoon and pop it directly into the ice water. This ensures that it stays brightly green. Once chilled, remove the broccolini, drain and leave it to dry.



Cut the chicken breasts into 8-9 slices each. Divide the broccolini between two plates and add a sliced chicken breast to each. Add the sliced onion.


Core and thinly slice the pear on top of the broccolini. Crumble the blue cheese on top of both.

At this point, the plates can be chilled, covered with cling film, until you are ready to serve. Remove the plates from the refrigerator about 20-30 minutes before serving to allow time for the salad to warm up a little.


To make the warm vinaigrette, whisk all of the ingredients - except the oil - together in a small pot or microwaveable bowl, then warm the mixture gently over a low fire or with a couple of quick zaps of the microwave. Whisk in the olive oil, a little at a time, until the vinaigrette has emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Spoon the warm honey mustard vinaigrette over the salad.

Food Lust People Love: Who says greens have to be leafy to make a great salad? Lightly cooked broccolini adds great flavor and bite to this wonderful recipe for broccolini chicken pear blue cheese salad.


Enjoy!



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Food Lust People Love: Who says greens have to be leafy to make a great salad? Lightly cooked broccolini adds great flavor and bite to this wonderful recipe for broccolini chicken pear blue cheese salad.
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Monday, August 14, 2017

Curried Shrimp Salad

Serve this spicy curried shrimp salad with crackers, in a bread bun or wrapped in lettuce leaves for a deliciously spicy appetizer or cool dinner.

Food Lust People Love: Curried shrimp salad is special enough for a party but easy enough to serve the family for a simple summer dinner as well.  Serve it with crackers, in a bread bun or wrapped in lettuce leaves for a deliciously spicy appetizer or cool dinner.

Despite the fact that I am in cool Los Angeles, it’s still August so that means we are midway through my self-imposed Salad Month. I hope those of you in warmer climes are enjoying the recipes and the rest of you are pinning them for later. I head back to Dubai on Wednesday, where it’s still scorching hot, so I anticipate that salads for dinner will no doubt be favorites for some weeks to come.

I hope you've also enjoyed following along on Instagram as I journeyed by car from the east coast to the west coast of the United States with my daughters. We took in some fabulous sights, from Niagara Falls and the St. Louis Arch to the natural arches near Moab, UT and the Grand Canyon and so much more.

A couple of months back, it was my honor to be invited to a wedding shower in Dubai, given by a good friend. Naturally, I asked what I could bring. She gave me free rein so this is one of the dishes I made. Curried shrimp salad is special enough for a party but easy enough to serve the family for simple summer dinner as well.

Ingredients
1 lb or 450g cleaned and shelled shrimp
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced, salted, drained
1 cup or 215g mayonnaise
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
hot sauce, optional
2 spring onions, white and part of green for salad – some greens chopped for garnish

To serve: crackers, toasted bread or split bread rolls to make sandwiches or lettuce leaves for wraps

Method
Cook the shrimp by dropping them into boiling water for just a few minutes. Drain them and rinse with cold water. Leave in a colander to drain.

Chop the roots off of your spring onions and discard. Cut the whites into thin circles, along with most of the green parts. Chop the rest of the green parts and set aside for garnish.


Cut your cucumber into quarters lengthwise then use a sharp knife to remove the seedy core. Discard or feed to your furry helper. (My Boxer loves them!) Cut the cucumber into very thin slices and lay them on a folded paper towels to absorb the excess moisture.


In a small bowl, combine the curry powder, ground cumin and the larger pile of chopped green onions with the mayonnaise.


If you are serving this curried shrimp salad as an appetizer at a party, set aside one whole shrimp for garnish then chop the remaining shrimp. First of all, it looks pretty but I also like to give folks a heads up that a dish contains something that is a known potential allergen by showing it on top.



Taste the mayo dressing. Some store-bought curry powders contain more pepper than others. If you like things spicier, add some hot sauce to taste and stir well.


In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped shrimp with the curried mayo and the cucumber until thoroughly mixed.


Serve the curried shrimp salad with crackers as an appetizer, small lettuce leaves for rolls, or use it to make sandwiches with fresh sliced bread or rolls.

Food Lust People Love: Curried shrimp salad is special enough for a party but easy enough to serve the family for a simple summer dinner as well.  Serve it with crackers, in a bread bun or wrapped in lettuce leaves for a deliciously spicy appetizer or cool dinner.

Enjoy!

Food Lust People Love: Curried shrimp salad is special enough for a party but easy enough to serve the family for a simple summer dinner as well.  Serve it with crackers, in a bread bun or wrapped in lettuce leaves for a deliciously spicy appetizer or cool dinner.

Here are a few more salads you are sure to enjoy! 

Pin it!  

Food Lust People Love: Curried shrimp salad is special enough for a party but easy enough to serve the family for a simple summer dinner as well.  Serve it with crackers, in a bread bun or wrapped in lettuce leaves for a deliciously spicy appetizer or cool dinner.
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