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Spinach Strawberry Salad

7 Mar

I went to Costco yesterday.  And here in Puerto Rico, Costco has the BEST produce you can find… everything is beautiful and fresh and gorgeous. 

I bought yesterday strawberries (you know how I feel about strawberries), grape tomatoes and organic baby leaf  spinach.  You’ll be seeing these ingredients in the next few posts, I’ll promise. 

As I was doing my Serious Eats site daily perusing – I noticed this Talk string about being on a “kick”.  I get those sometimes, but nothing lately.  I read the post from evilchefmom saying she’s on a Strawberry Spinach Salad kick…  That’s exactly what I bought today – baby spinach and strawberries, never thinking when I bought them I would actually eat them together.

I decided to make my version of what she wrote… I do not normally mix fruit in my salads, but I decided to take a chance.  The results were DELICIOUS!!!!  Sweet and tangy, a very different salad that screams for company…

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SPINACH AND STRAWBERRY SALAD

for one
2 handfuls of washed organic baby spinach
3-4 beautifully ripe strawberries – hulled and cut in pieces or slices
2-3 very thin slices of red onion
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil – the best one you can find
2 splashes of balsamic vinegar – about 2 tbs
Salt and Ground pepper to taste
a squirt of Honey
  1. In a medium sized bowl prepare the dressing – Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and honey.
  2. Add the strawberries and onions to the dressing and toss to coat.
  3. In a salad bowl, arrange the baby spinach leaves and top with the strawberries, onions and dressing.

I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this flavor combination, that I immediately made a mental note to serve this salad at any upcoming dinner party… this is too good to keep to myself.

Thanks eveilchefmom for showing me something I have never tried before… 

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Avocado and Tomato Salad

21 Feb

I have a pet peeve – why do TV chefs teach people to cut avocados using a knife and a spoon??   Cutting the whole avocado in half, taking the pit out using a knife, spooning the flesh away from the skin… why so much hassle???

For the single person… you would never be able to eat a whole avocado in one sitting… at least not the ones usually found here in Puerto Rico.  I believe these are called Fuerte Avocados.  It’s difficult to eat one in one sitting, unless you were making guacamole or cooking for a crowd.

First – it’s easier to cut avocados in wedges.  And if the avocado is ripe, the skin will come right off.  If you cut them in wedges, you just use/eat what you want at that moment and wrap the remainder with tight plastic wrap for the next time.  No need to eat a whole avocado in one sitting.

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So… avocado season is starting again… apparently, because they’re all over the supermarkets and markets.  So I bought one and made myself a quick easy salad to accompany my Green Banana Mash.

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AVOCADO AND TOMATO SALAD

2-3 wedges of avocado, cut in pieces
1 medium sized tomato, cubed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Garlic Salt
  1. Mix everything in a small bowl and enjoy

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Quick Lettuce, Tomato and Corn Salad

19 Feb

I had some leftover Sauteed Corn and Onions but not enough to eat by itself, so I created this quick salad.

I grew up eating canned corn…  I will out my mom and confess that when we were growing up, salad was many times opening up a can of corn or a can of string green beans.  I loved them, but now I know better.  One of my former secret indulgences were white rice with tuna,  ketchup and corn.  Mmmm!!!  My grandpa used to call this – Arroz Pio Pio. 

No need to heat up the corn, just take the chill off from the fridge and it’s good to go.

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QUICK LETTUCE, TOMATO and CORN SALAD

Romaine Lettuce
Tomato
left over Sauteed Corn and Onions
Extra-virgin olive oil
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
Garlic salt
  1. Place the lettuce, tomatoes and corn in a salad bowl.
  2. Drizzle olive oil, lemon juice and garlic salt.
  3. Toss together and serve.

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Acid Fruit Salad

19 Jan

Fruit salad come in different varieties – those made with what we call “sweet” fruits – like bananas, papayas, mangoes, red apples, etc.  And my favorite, “acid” fruit salads, made with fruits that are more tart, like oranges, kiwi fruit, grapes, strawberries, pineapples, etc.

At work, we planned a breakfast to celebrate a co-worker’s birthday.  I was somewhat surprised thta no one had offered to bring any fresh fruits.  The “pot luck” menu was full of baked goods, greasy foods and not a fruit in sight.  So I offered to bring a fruit salad.  This is one of my favorite combinations…

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ACID FRUIT SALAD

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut in small pieces
5 kiwi fruit, peeled and cut in small pieces
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut in small pieces
1 medium bunch of green or red grapes, cut in half and seeded, if not seedless
2 navel oranges, peeled and supremed
4 red plums, peeled and cut into small pieces
the juice of 1 lemon
honey to taste
  1. Mix in a large bowl the pineapple, kiwi fruit, grapes and plums. 
  2. When you peel and cut the apple, drizzle some of the lemon juice to prevent browning.  Add to salad.
  3. To supreme the oranges, peel all the orange until you reach the flesh.  With a paring knife, cut in between each membrane so you get clean segments of orange without the membrane.  This way it’s easier to eat.  Add to the salad.  Squeeze the membrane over the salad to capture any remaining juice.
  4. Drizzle with some honey to sweeten if the fruits are too tart.  This will also help “juice” the fruits a bit.

This is the best way to start your day… Enjoy!!!

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Mustard Vinaigrette

11 Jan

It’s the time of New Year resolutions… another one of mine – eat more salads at home.

I tend to eat big salads when I eat out or a side salad when I feel what I am eating is not that healthy – like a pizza. I try to add more nutrition by accompanying whatever I am having with a salad. But at home, sometimes I get lazy. But I have noticed that when I am hooked to the taste of an awesome dressing, I look forward to eating a salad at home everyday.

This is my new vice – Mustard Vinaigrette. Easy, tasty, and goes well with any greens and vegetables you might fancy in your salad. I did this to accompany my not-so-healthy veggie “chicken” nuggets.

I make this by “eye-balling” the ingredients… so bear with me here on the quantities.

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MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

1 tbs Dijon or Grain Mustard
1 tbs Apple cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Extra-virgin Olive oil
  1. In the same bowl you’ll prepare your salad, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.
  2. Then, pour olive oil slowly while whisking it in, until you get a nice emulsified dressing mixture.
  3. Taste to adjust any seasonings.
  4.  Add any greens and vegetables you crave on your salad.

I am sure you could use this vinaigrette to season grilled vegetables – like portobello mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc.

Enjoy!!!

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