Tag Archives: spring foods

Arugula, Strawberry and Ricotta Salata Salad with Balsamic Dressing

a strawberry salad 004

 

Arugula, Strawberry and Ricotta Salata Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Serves 4

 

Dressing:

  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

 

Directions for dressing:

Take a clean jar with lid, place all dressing ingredients into jar and shake well. Put to side.

 

 

Salad:

  • 6 cups arugula
  • 4 ounces ricotta salata, grated using large hole
  • 4 ounces sliced fresh strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

 

Directions for toasted almonds :

Use a small dry fry pan heat and add the almonds stirring until they are golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool.

 

Directions to assemble salad:

To a bowl add the arugula and then half of the following ingredients: ricotta, strawberries and almonds. Shake jar with dressing and add to bowl. Combine gently and divide between four plates. Top with remaining ricotta, strawberries and almonds on top of each plate.

Green Spring Vegetable Salad

blog green veg salad

Today Febuary 3rd  is National Wear Red Day.  “Go Red for Women” is in celebration of women bonding together to create awareness and fight heart disease. It’s a good time for each of us to reflect on how we might change our lives in order to lead happier, healthier lives. It doesn’t always have to be big changes, we can make several small changes to our lifsestyle that can result in being healthier. For example, I have decided to walk to work twice a week.  It may not seem like a lot but in my case that is 5.2 miles per week, 270 miles a year and 27000 calories a year.  Another small change you can make is increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet. I do this and limit the amount of fats in my diet and focus on eating lean protein. I suggest cooking with olive oil which is a monosaturated fat which is the healthiest one to incorporate into your diet – besides the fact that it tastes better. So in honor of day I am sharing a few of my favorite heart healthy dishes!  Think about how you might lead a healthier life today!

From by the bay wishing you healthy food memories!
Maryann

Green Spring Vegetable Salad
Serves 4
4 cups assorted blanched green vegetables ( fava beans, asparagus, scallions, peas)
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fine grey salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh mint chopped

Directions

Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well, Serve at room temperature.

To blanch vegetables:
Fava beans – to pan of simmering water add shelled fava beans. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove and place into cold water. Drain beans and remove bean from waxy casing. Use for salad.
Fresh Spring Peas – to pan of simmering water add shelled peas. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove and place into cold water. Drain and use for salad.
Asparagus – snap off woody ends of asparagus. Cut into 2 inch pieces and to pan of simmering water. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove and place into cold water. Drain and use for salad.
Scallions- cut off ends with roots and tops using just the white and light green part of the scallion. Cut this into 2 inch pieces. Add to pan of simmering water and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove and place into cold water. Drain and use for salad.

Tip: to make this process easier I use a strainer to remove the vegetables from the simmering water leaving the heat under the pan and keep reusing the hot water.

Radish Butter

So it’s Sunday afternoon by the bay and we are anticipating yet another snow storm. Enough already!! I’m wistfully thinking of Spring. One of the vegetables I look forward to in spring is the radish. I love the crisp, fresh and spicy taste of this bright red root. I found this terrific radish recipe from the Lee Brothers. Matt Lee and Ted Lee are founders of “The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue,” a mail-order catalog for southern pantry staples who co-authored The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook and Simple Fresh Southern, which is a must have cookbook for your library. This is their recipe for radish butter which I’m sharing below. Happy Eating!
From by the bay, wishing you some crispy and fresh food memories!
Maryann
blog radish butter
Radish Butter
 
Ingredients
1/2 pound round red radishes, trimmed, at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, completely softened
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or ½ teaspoon Maldon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
About 24 thinly sliced rye toast points, toasted slices of French bread, water crackers, 2-inch celery sticks, endive leaves, or romaine heart halves
Directions
1. Put the radishes in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the radish is chopped into very fine dice, four or five 3-second pulses.
2. Transfer the contents to a length of cheesecloth or a double thickness of paper towels and wring out the excess liquid.
3. Transfer to a medium bowl and add 4 tablespoons of the butter.
4. With a rubber spatula, cream the radish and butter together, adding more butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together in a smooth, pliable mass.
5. Transfer the mixture to a 2-cup ramekin or bowl, sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top, and serve immediately. (The butter will keep, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
6. Remove it from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to let it soften. Sprinkle the salt and freshly ground pepper over the radish butter before serving).
 
Reprinted from The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor by Matt and Ted Lee. Copyright © 2009 Published by Clarkson Potter
 
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: Serves 6
Matt Lee is co-founder of “The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue,” a mail-order catalog for southern pantry staples. He is also a food and travel journalist whose work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, GQ, The New York Times and Martha Stewart Living. He is co-author of The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook and Simple Fresh Southern.
Ted Lee is co-founder of “The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue,” a mail-order catalog for southern pantry staples. He is also a food and travel journalist whose work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, GQ, The New York Times and Martha Stewart Living. He is co-author of The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook and Simple Fresh Southern.
blog rad but and grape