Quinoa Salad

1/2 c tri-color quinoa
1 c chicken broth (or Vegetable Broth)
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp Bacon Jam(Optional)  
Vegetables on hand:
broccoli, chopped and cooked
beets, diced and cooked
tomato
avocado

Cook Quinoa like rice; add quinoa and broth into a small pot, cover and bring to a boil. Let simmer until they start to split. Then let stand for at least 10-15 minutes. Once cooled, stir in bacon jam and  chopped vegetables.

Shaved Fennel Salad

Now that the holidays are long over and summer is coming, it's time to get out of the spandex and fit into my shorts again. I've been on a kick to get more veggies into my routine and curb the sweet tooth. Super easy and delicious salads are my go to.

Shaved Fennel 
Hearts of Palm
Avocado
Pine Nuts
Goat Cheese
Dressing(Cider Vinegar, olive oil, pressed garlic, honey, salt & pepper to taste)

Shred the fennel in a mandolin and toss with dressing. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Heap the Fennel slaw on a plate and add dress with all other ingredients.

Avocado & Beet Salad

Not surprising that my dad also loves to eat (it must be genetic). For his Birthday this year, he picked a new restaurant that opened in Hawaii, Senia. He starts out with 'these guys came from Per Se in New York' and my first thought is, how much is this going to cost. But we get there and it's not the upscale French Laundry, Per Se atmosphere. It's much more quaint and the food was pretty good too. Their menu rotates, but one of my favorites was the BBQ Beet Salad. Here's my version of it.

Beet Root

Olive Oil

Cider Vinegar

Salt & Pepper to taste

Arugula

Puffed Brown rice

Avocado

Roast the Beets until tender thru, peel and cube. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar, toss and set aside. Deep fry the brown rice blend (I used a brown rice medley from Trader Joe's) in grapeseed oil until they puff, strain immediately and set aside. 

Mash the avocado with salt and pepper then spread evenly on the bottom of the plate. Sprinkle the puffed rice, arugula and beet cubes. Or Cube the Avocado and toss together with the other ingredients.

Grilled Peach, prosciutto, arugula salad

Summer Salads are the BEST. While in New Zealand earlier this year, I had this salad at the Depot on Federal in Auckland. Now that it's summer time here I've been re-creating this grilled peach salad. Instead of firing up the grill, alternatively I've also been browning them in a cast iron skilled with some coconut oil.

1 ripe Peach sliced
1 cup baby Arugula
1/4 lb sliced Parma Prosciutto
1 tbs toasted macadamia nuts
1 tbs crumbled Blue Cheese
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 c coconut Oil (optional for cooking the peach)

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Growing up, I HATED brussel sprouts. As an adult, I wasn't a fan either...until this. Seriously, Bacon makes everything better.

1lb Brussel Sprouts, cleaned and heads halved.
1/4 lb (about 5 strips) of thick bacon, cut in pieces
2 Tbs Soy Sauce
2 Tbs Brown Sugar

Fry Bacon drain grease and set aside. Reserve about 2 Tbs of the bacon grease to sauté the brussels sprouts, on a high heat, slightly browning the edges. Cover the pan and let them sweat. Once tenderized toss in soy sauce and brown sugar and reduce sauce in the pan. Add cooked bacon last before serving.

Yuzu-wasabi Asparagus

1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp Yuzu
1/2 tsp wasabi
1 tbs Kewpie mayonnaise
1 lb Asparagus, trimmed

In a medium pan, heat up olive oil. Add yuzu and wasabi. Sautee asparagus tips until al dente. Toss in mayonnaise. Serve warm. 

Orange Beet Salad

 

On a cross country road trip earlier this year, the Salt Lake City dinner stop was at Pago. This salad is based on the orange, beet and feta salad there.

1 pkg Mache lettuce

1 oz sheeps milk feta cheese

1 oz Marcona almonds

2 beets

1 fresh orange

Dressing

2tbs Orange juice 

1tbs extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Boil beets. Refrigerate and cube.
Cut orange slices. Squeeze remainder for dressing.

Cube Feta cheese

Toss washed lettuce with dressing. Garnish with beets, orange slices, almonds and feta.

Sesame Beans

Sesame Sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs ground sesame (black or white)
pinch of whole sesame seeds for garnish


Blanche Beans.
Toss with sesame sauce.
Chill and serve.

Vegetable Lentil Salad with Chimichurri Sauce

½ c dried French Lentils
1 beet
1 medium sized zucchini,  chopped
½ red onion, chopped
¼ red bell pepper, chopped

Chimichurri Sauce 
1 bunch parsley, leaves finely chopped 
1 bunch cilantro, leaves finely chopped 
3 tablespoons capers, finely chopped 
2 garlic cloves, minced 
1 tablespoons dried oregano
1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar 
1½ teaspoons salt 
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 
½ teaspoon ground black pepper 
½ cup olive oil

Place all Chimichurri ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend on medium speed until evenly blended. 

Boil lentils until tender. Boil or roast beet until cooked thru then peel and dice.

Saute onion, bell pepper and zucchini with a little bit of olive oil from the chimichurri sauce. Mix all cooked ingredients with 2 tbs of chimichurri sauce.

Arugula Penne Salad

While waiting for my car to get fixed, I had lunch across the street at Broders.  The Fusilli alla Rosticiada at the cucina-italiana is the origins of this craving.


2 c penne pasta
1/2 red onion, diced
.25 lb pancetta bacon
2 c baby arugula
2 tbs blue cheese, crumbled
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Boil Penne in salted water until done. Drain when finished and drizzle with olive oil.

In a separate pan, fry the pancetta and onions.

Mix blue cheese with Pasta in a bowl while still warm. Add pancetta and onions. Toss in Arugula last.