Herby Salmon Salad

A word to the wise says it's best to pack (read: hide) lazy dinners with flavor.

Lots and lots of flavor.

So much flavor, that your taste buds are blown away - taking with them your shameless lack of labor, and leaving behind the few extra moments you now have to savor a tasteful meal.

The kind of flavor that arrives with a big bang with this salmon salad.  A salad in which dill and garlic are rubbed onto the filet before it's baked, peppery arugula is tossed in a fresh onion vinaigrette, then sweet apricots, strong blue cheese, and warm roasted almonds are mixed into the greens for bursts of contrasting flavor.

Later long day, hello good night!

Herby Salmon Salad

Ingredients

For the salmon:

• 12 oz salmon
• lemon juice
• dill, dried
• garlic, powdered
• salt and pepper for taste

For the salad:

• Arugula, as desired
• a few apricots, chopped
• Blue cheese, crumbled
• Roasted almonds, chopped

For the dressing:

• 1 T vidalia onion
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 t mustard seeds

Combine

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Place the salmon on the middle of the baking sheet then squeeze some lemon juice over it and sprinkle with dill, garlic, salt, and pepper as desired.
3. Bake for 15 minutes until crisping on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside.
4. Meanwhile, blend the vidalia onion, vinegar, oil, and spices together.
5. Toss the arugula with the dressing until well coated.
6. Toss in the apricots, blue cheese, and roasted almonds.
7. Top with the salmon and enjoy!

Pinto Arugula Feta Almond Shallot and Dill Vinaigrette

Acid and oil.

A pinch of seasonings.

This is how the best dressings are made.  Light, quick, minimal simplicity that will help the ingredients of the salad come together and speak for themselves.

Lately, this vinaigrette has been my go-to.  The dill gives the dressing a Mediterranean feel that is brought out by the bright, red wine vinegar.  In this recipe it adds a little punch to roasted almonds, salty feta, fresh cucumber, shallots, and spicy arugula creating a one-two of bold flavors five times over.

Arugula Salad with Pinto, Feta, Almond, Shallot, and Dill Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 t dill, dried
• salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

• 1/2 c pinto beans, rinsed well
• 1 T roasted, unsalted almonds
• 1 small shallot, sliced
• 3 T cucumber, chopped
• 1 T feta, crumbled
• 1 large handful of arugula

Combine

1. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.
2. Toss the arugula in the dressing until well coated.
3. Gently toss in the other ingredients.
4. Enjoy!

Three's Company or Something Like That

I think that's how the saying goes, right?

If not, they'll be re-writing it after they try this killer grilled cheese.

It reminds me of a fight between siblings... but like in a good way.

You know, Brie is the eldest child up strong against sweet little Apricot, the youngest of siblings.  Every trio has a mediator and coming in with a bang we have spicy Arugula to break things up.

Except nothing will be broken up because these flavors are literally melted together...almost like a post-fight group hug.

Grilled Brie Sandwich with Apricot and Arugula

Ingredients

• 2 slices sandwich bread
• 1 T apricot preserves
• 1 small handful of arugula
• Brie as desired
• Mayo/shortening as needed

Combine

1. Lightly toast your bread.
2. Brush the outsides of the bread with mayo or shortening.
3. Spread the apricot on the inside of one slice, layer with arugula, top with lots of Brie, then cover with second slice of bread - keeping the oiled side out.
4. Transfer to a pan over medium-low heat, cheesy side down first.  Heat until bread is crispy and cheese is melted.
5. Carefully flip with a large, flat spatula and heat the second side until the bread is crispy.
6. Cut in half, diagonally of course, and enjoy!

Minted Persimmon and Almond Salad

Nothing like waking up on the Monday after a long weekend filled with burgers and s'mores to make you need a recovery salad.

This one in particular is one of my summer favorites.  Peppery arugula is complemented by salty feta and tangy balsamic.  Edamame serves as a light, nutty protein that won't put you to sleep.  Almonds lend a sweet crunch, while mint cools it all down.  If you've never had a persimmon, feel for one that is less firm than an apple but still firmer than a soft peach: peel it, slice it, then let it's cinnamon-esque sweetness top all your summer salads.

Minted Persimmon and Almond Salad

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

• 1 cup cooked edamame
• 1 persimmon, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3-4 T raw almonds, chopped
• 3-4 T feta, crumbled
• 2 T mint, chiffonade
• 3 big handfuls of arugula
• Dressing: 2 T balsamic vinegar + 2 T olive oil + Salt + Pepper

Combine

1. Whisk the balsamic, olive oil, salt, and pepper together until well combined then toss with the arugula until well-coated.
2. Sprinkle with edamame, almonds, and feta.
3. Garnish with persimmon and fresh mint.
4. Enjoy!

Beet the heat

Not long ago, in a little New England bistro, I got a surprise introduction to macerated beets.

Upon first bite it was obvious that something was different: they were too bright and fresh tasting to be roasted, retained a distinctive crunch that would be unobtainable from boiling, yet they are still softer than a raw beet would be...

I looked up at my friend, "How did you make this??"

Apparently soaking beets in vinegar, salt, or sugar (similar to how we sugar berries for a pie) will soften them up to the point that you can enjoy them on a salad without breaking your teeth and without turning on your oven in the mid-summer heat wave.

Sold?

So was I.

The bistro's method is to julienne (ie. match-stick) the beets, sprinkle them with sugar, salt, and pepper, then cover them in vinegar over night.  I omitted the sugar and included lemon juice and zest to add a little flavor but the overall product is the same - simple, edible, summery, heat-free.

Heat-Free Beet Salad

Ingredients (makes roughly 3 large salads)

• 1 large beet: peeled + grated or julienned (cut into matchstick sized pieces)
• 1 lemon, juiced + zested
• 1 t salt + pepper
• Apple cider vinegar as needed
• 2 small carrots, peeled + grated or juilienned
• 1 oz goat cheese, per salad
• 1 T pepitas, per salad
• 1 large handful of arugula, per salad

Garnish

• Olive oil
• Lemon zest
• Salt and pepper

Combine

1. To macerate the beets: dump them into a lidded container with the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 2 teaspoons of lemon zest.  Cover them rest of the way with vinegar then shake well until the liquids are well combined.  Store in the fridge for at least 4 hours but not more than 8 (soaking them for too long will cause them to lose all their flavor and get too soft).
2. Sprinkle a bed of arugula with the beets, carrots, goat cheese crumbles, and pepitas.
3. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the leftover beet vinegar over the salad, then drizzle with a little olive oil, and garnish with lemon zest.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then enjoy!

Glazed

Weekdays are seriously hard enough already without having to also stress about how to put together a tasty, nutritious, filling, dinner.

Usually when I tell my friends what I made for dinner their first question is "how long did that take you though?"  The answer: not that long!

Slaving away in the kitchen is overrated regardless of whether or not you've had a long day; here is a fool proof recipe and some tips on how to get it on the table!

I usually toss my protein in the fridge then put everything else I need on the counter.  Start by prepping your cooking utensils, in this case turn on the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper/foil.  It's super inconvenient to do this at the last second so doing it first gets it out of the way.

Next I prep my spices.  In this case you are whisking together your glaze and  keeping some oil, salt, and pepper handy.

For this dinner I chose a side of asparagus, beets, and an arugula salad.  Grab a cutting board, a knife, and a veggie peeler.  First rinse and peel your beets, then slice them up, pour a little olive oil into your hands then hand toss the beets over your cutting board.  Scatter them around the edges of baking sheet and give them a 5 minute head start in the oven.

Meanwhile, rinse your asparagus, then chop off the woody end parts, and hand toss them in olive oil. Scatter your asparagus around the edges of the same baking sheet - its okay that they will over lap the beets.

Place your salmon in the center of the baking sheet and cover generously with glaze.  Bake for 15-20 more minutes depending on the size of your salmon and how cooked you prefer it.

While you wait for the salmon to cook toss your side salad in a dressing of choice: I usually make a quick and dirty balsamic by tossing some Dijon with balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Use a meat thermometer to check the temp on your salmon then plate up and enjoy!

Apricot Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

For the Asparagus and Beets

• Asparagus spears, rinsed
• 1 medium beet, rinsed, peeled, sliced
• 2 T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Salmon

• 1 1/2 T all natural, unsweetend Apricot preserves
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 t pure onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad

• 1 handful fresh Arugula
• 1-2 t dijon
• blue cheese crumbles

Combine

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree.
2. Whisk the apricot preserves, balsamic, onion powder, salt and pepper together.  Taste the glaze and adjust the spices to your liking.
3. Toss the beets in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and spread around the edges of a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving a space in the center where you will place the salmon.  Give these a baking head-start while you prep the asparagus and salmon.
4. Chop the root-ends of the asparagus off then toss the spears in the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Set aside.
5. Spread the asparagus around the edges of the baking sheet on top of the beets.
6. Place the salmon in the center of the sheet and spoon the glaze all over the top of the salmon.
7. Bake everything for 15-25 minutes until cooked throughout.
8. While you wait for the salmon, toss arugula with a few teaspoons of dijon and top with crumbled blue cheese.
9. Enjoy!

Seven Sisters Summer Salad

Weather in Massachusetts has been influencing my meals in a weird sort of way.

Summer weather was here last week with an unbearable heat wave that inspired me to cut carbs and douse everything I was putting in my mouth with balsamic.  One week later freezing temperatures rolled through that had me pulling out my winter blanket and craving warmer flavors.

Not knowing what change in tastes the next week would bring I decided to clash my cravings and create a summer salad with hints of winter flavors.  Arugula, feta, and balsamic bring the light, bright flavors of summer weather but here they welcomed the warmer flavors of roasted red peppers, carmeley onions, and olives to bring a meal that won't throw you off the summer diet while shaking off the chill settling in your apartment.

Bonus: if you pack the ingredients upside down in a tupperware, it also packs as a great prepped lunch!  I layer mine: balsamic + oil, chickpeas, olives, capers, peppers, onions, cheese, arugula.

Seven Sisters Salad

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

• 1/2 large vidalia or sweet onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 3-4 big handfuls of arugula
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 T capers
• 1/2 can black pitted olives, chopped
• Olive oil as needed
• 2 T Balsamic vinegar per salad
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 T feta per salad, crumbled

Combine:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.
2. Core the bell pepper then slice into 1/2 inch strips.  Brush with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Slice the onion into 1/3 - 1/2 inch strips, brush with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Scatter the pepper and onions around the baking sheet and roast for 30-45 minutes until the onions are turning clear and the peppers are starting to blacken around the edges.  Every 15-20 minutes flip the veggies so that they don't burn, and rotate the baking sheet when you return it to the oven.
5. Toss the arugula with balsamic and a little olive oil until coated.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then toss again with the chickpeas, olives, capers, and veggies.
7. Top with crumbled feta and enjoy!

The 9 o'clock salmon dinner

More often than not I start my days at 6:30 in the morning but don't see them end until 8:00 at night.  And I don't mean I spent 14 hours having the time of my life, I'm talking about the days we spend 14 hours dragging ourselves around.

Waking up, commuting to work, being at work, going to the gym, running errands, etc, etc.

To do lists seem like they make time evaporate and the most exhausting part is crossing every task off only to realize you don't even have enough energy left to unwind.

In these moments I am often tempted to go home and eat a PB&J or bowl of cereal accompanied by a bottle of red wine before dragging my butt to bed, but I have found that ditching the late night sammy for a great dinner like this one not only matches the wine much better but also helps dramatically when you know you have to wake up in 8 hours to start dragging again.

Weeknight dinners should be super, super easy and good enough to make the day's weight on your shoulders melt right off.  This salmon takes about 10 minutes to throw together and all you need is a cutting board, a knife, and a baking sheet.

I always start by turning on the oven and getting my cooking supplies ready, in this case I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper then left it out of the way on top of the stove.  The things I prep first are the most annoying: peel and chop your garlic before you do anything else unless you want the stupid paper-skin-stuff to get stuck all over your hands!  A great way to get this done is to peel off the excess skin then place the clove on a cutting board, use your palm to crush the flat side of a knife against it, pick off the rest of the skin, then chop it up.

Rinse the garlic off your hands and wash the asparagus off while you're at it.  Chop the tough root ends off the spears, pour a drizzle of olive oil into your palm, then rub the spears thoroughly with oil before scattering them along the outer edges of the baking sheet and sprinkling with salt and pepper.

Unwrap the salmon and place it in the center of the sheet.  Sprinkle or brush with a little balsamic, so the salmon is just coated but not drenched and overflowing.  Rub the minced garlic, a healthy sprinkle of garlic powder and pepper, and a small sprinkle of salt on the salmon then toss in the oven. 

Pop open a bottle of wine while you wait for the timer to ring and stir some dill, horseradish, and feta into greek yogurt.  Fifteen minutes and one glass of wine later, your fancy weeknight dinner is ready to be enjoyed!

Garlic Salmon with Asparagus and Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

For the Salmon

• 8 ounces of salmon
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1/4 - 1/2 t pure garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• asparagus spears
• 1 T olive oil

For the Yogurt Sauce

• 2 T Greek yogurt
• 1 t horseradish
• 1 t dill, dried
• 1 t feta

Combine

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Coat the asparagus spears with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread around the edges of the baking sheet leaving a space for the salmon.
3. Place the salmon in the center of the sheet and slowly drizzle balsamic on the fillet, coating it completely.  Sprinkle the fillet with the garlic powder, salt and pepper, then cover the top with the fresh garlic.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the salmon is cooked throughout.
5. Whisk together the ingredients for the yogurt sauce and spoon onto the asparagus before enjoying!