Grapefruit Avocado Salad with Dijon Dressing [Recipes]

This salad is not only gorgeous, it’s lick-your-plate-good. I can confirm this because I not only licked my plate, I also licked my husband’s plate. Also please make this Dijon dressing, it’s so easy and so so so so good.

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon (may need less depending on size)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (use less if using regular salt) 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 ripe avocado
1 medium red grapefruit
1 cup of mixed greens (optional)

 

1. Whisk together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. (Taste the dressing and tweak as a needed. My measurements above are estimates).

 

2. Arrange a handful of greens on plate.

 

3. Cut your avocado in half, remove the seed, and cut thin slices lengthwise. Plate on top of the greens.

 

4. Peel your grapefruit and use a knife to remove the slices from the white membrane. Arrange on plate with avocado and greens.

 

5. Drizzle with your beautiful dressing.

 

6. Eat. 

 

7. Lick your plate.

 

We ate this with a roast chicken. A perfect midweek dinner. I think I’m going to pair this with either poached salmon on poached shrimp next time. 

 

Serves 2.

From Ina Garten.

 

Strawberry Feta Summer Salad [Recipes]

 

Happy Summer All! This is a fool proof summer salad that you have either eaten or seen versions of. I’m not pretending to reinvent the wheel, but rather sharing my favorite iteration of this salad! Because, let’s be honest, when it’s a bajillion degrees outside, who wants to cook?

Ingredients

• 1 pint of strawberries (approximately 2 cups chopped)
• 1/2 Golden Delicious Apple
• 3/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 cup of walnuts chopped
• 1 bag of baby spinach (about)
• Raspberry vinaigrette – I like to use Annie’s Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette but feel free to make your own!

1. Chop up your strawberries into quarters (depending on how big they are).

2. Slice up your apple very thin.

3. Chop up your walnuts.

4. Divide all ingredients in half and then layer baby spinach, strawberry, walnuts, feta, and repeat.

5. Drizzle with dressing (store bought or homemade).

And you’re done! Serve with grilled chicken for an easy weeknight dinner!

Love salads during the summer? Check out my old recipe for Spicy Mango Avocado Salad (one of my favorites)!

Goat Cheese and Fig Pizza with Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad [Recipes]

Goat cheese is for lovers is what my Mama always said…not really, but I sort of wish she had.

This is a meal that was put together really quick and randomly but came out amazing! It was only after I had started eating that I realized this would be great to share with the blogging world.  It’s super easy and requires a few basic ingredients.

Ingredients:

For the Pizza

• Pizza Dough – I like this recipe but you can also buy pre-made ones from Trader Joes or Whole Foods Market. Pizza dough can be made ahead of time and frozen. Great to always have on hand!
• Fig Preserves – Bonne Maman makes a yummy one. You can find this in the jelly aisle of your grocery store.
• Goat Cheese!

Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad

• Baby Spinach
• Dried Cranberries
• Hazelnuts, or Walnuts, or Pecans
• Raspberry Vinaigrette
• Goat Cheese!

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.

2. Take your pizza dough and pull and stretch it to get it as thin as you can. The thinner the better. I used about 1/3 of the dough that the above recipe made.

3. Take your fig preserves and spread over the dough.

4. Sprinkle a generous amount of goat cheese over the top and pop it in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

5. While your pizza is baking, toss your baby spinach with your nuts of choice crushed, dried cranberries, goat cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette.

6. When the pizza is ready, the fig preserves are going to be caramelized and the goat cheese will be bubbly.

7. Cut into wedges and enjoy!

Spicy Mango Avocado Salad [Recipes]

It’s sweltering outside in New York! I know the last thing I want to do when it’s this hot is turn on the oven. This salad requires no cooking, is pretty easy and is great for a summer day!  It’s inspired by Thai flavors and spices but can be made with ingredients you have in your cupboard!

Ingredients: [Not all ingredients pictured above!]

1 unripe mango

1 ripe avocado

1/2 red onion (I didn’t have any on hand so I used shallots)

1/4 cup of raw cashews

A handful of chopped up cilantro

For the dressing: (Everything to taste)

1 tablespoon of Sriracha

1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon of soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon of rice vinegar (or use any vinegar you have on hand)

1 teaspoon of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1. First peel and dice up that unripe mango. When shopping for an unripe mango – look for a firm green/yellow mango that doesn’t smell to sweet.

2. Next dice up your avocado and 1/2 red onion. When shopping for an avocado that you plan on using soon, look for a dark exterior (more brown than green) and it should be soft when you touch. (I love avocados, they have truly changed my life!)

3. Next chop up some cilantro and raw cashews. (I tend to take it easy with the cilantro, the taste can be overwheming for some people, and here is an explanation why.) Now put all your ingredients together in a bowl.

4. Okay, on to the salad dressing! I’ll be honest, I really didn’t measure how much of each ingredient I used for the dressing. I would recommend starting with small amounts and adjusting for taste! The second most important tool for cooking after your tongue is your nose! So make sure to smell the dressing as you’re making it. Trust your judgment, your brain knows what it likes!

5. Mix together the extra virgin olive oil, the sriracha, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and lime juice. Add the sugar and red pepper flakes and stir vigorously for 30 seconds. Taste and adjust as needed.

This is what my dressing ended up like. You’ll probably end up with more than you need so don’t add all of it in until you taste the salad! You don’t want the dressing overpowering the fresh ingredients.

Toss it up and just take a look at that beauty!

Eat and enjoy! Happy Summer everyone! Happy Birthday America!