Rose-colored Salad with Roasted Beets & Goat Cheese

Years ago I happened upon the stunning pink lettuces known as Millennial Pink or Radicchio La Rosa del Veneto. Back then I created a Pretty in Pink Salad for Easter dinner that had a fair amount of ingredients. After talking to some readers recently, I found out that they wanted simpler recipes* so I decided to create a scaled down version of that salad and test it out for small dinner party. And since it’s almost Easter again, I figured that this edition of the pink salad might be an easier one to pull off for your Easter holiday meal.

*Side note: Given this valuable feedback (which I greatly appreciate) I will be posting some super easy, weeknight meals. It didn’t occur to me to provide simpler meals as I figured they might seem like obvious combos or too simple to warrant a post. But I have since learned that they are helpful. More to come soon.

Back to rose colored lettuces.

There is something about the color of these leaves that grabs me every time. The look and feel is soft and delicate. It makes me feel like I should be hosting an elegant tea party with fussy floral plates. Since the flavor is quite subtle, pairing it with the sturdier structure and definitively more bitter tones of radicchio creates a nice balance. I will admit that these lettuces are not easy to find. Traditional grocery stores probably will not carry them. Since they are from the radicchio family, Italian Specialty markets carry them, which is where I buy mine.

As I mentioned this was being tested out for a dinner party with our friends, Tecla and Scott, up at our country house. Since I knew Juancarlos and I had plans most of the day before their arrival, prep was key in being able to get the meal to the table without too much fuss. This turned out to be a great make ahead, and assemble later salad.

The Main Ingredients: Pink Lettuce, Radicchio, Beets, Goat Cheese

Ingredients

Serving 4
4 medium Red Beets (I figured 1 beet/person)
1 head of Pink Lettuce
1 head Radicchio
1 small shallot
1/2 tsp each of Thyme
1/4 tsp each of Salt & Pepper
Oil
Goat Cheese, I used about 2 tbsp/person

Dressing
1/2 c Oil
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp Whole grain Mustard
3-4 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Salt, Pepper

Instructions

  1. Peel and cut the beets into small chunks. I recommend wearing gloves when preparing beets as they easily stain hands, clothes and anything they touch.

  2. In a bowl, combine the dry spices and oil, whisk and add the beets to coat.

3. Place the beets on a baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees until lightly browned and tender. Set aside. (You can make these a day ahead and store in container in the fridge.)

4. Cut 1/2” thick rounds off the end of the radicchio and secure with a toothpick. Chop the remaining radicchio into shreds. (If you are preparing this ahead of time, place in a container with a dry paper towel on top, or wrap with paper towel and place in plastic bag until time of assembly)

Side note: It occurred to me that it would be easier to place the toothpicks into the radicchio first, then cut rounds. Work smarter.

Beautiful long radicchio

Radicchio slices, ready to be skewered

Place the toothpick through the middle to hold the leaves together.

5. While the beets are roasting, grill the radicchio rounds in a pan with olive oil, salt, pepper until charred and softened. (If making ahead, let cool, then store in fridge in a sealed container.)

Grill until just browned and softened.

6. Wash and separate the outer leaves of the pink lettuces to find ones that can be used for the cups to hold the salad, and place them on individual plates. Chop the remaining lettuce and radicchio for salad base.

The size of this lettuce are ideal for lettuce cups.

Chop the rest for the ‘meat’ of the salad.

7. Thinly slice the shallots.

8. To make the dressing, simply whisk together all the ingredients.

9. To assemble, place the pink leaf on the plate, then fill with the lettuces and the beets. Place the grilled radicchio on the plate. Top with goat cheese and sprinkle the shallots on top and drizzle with dressing.

Note: This can be a hot/cold salad as well. Simply warm the beets and radicchio right before assembly.

I love using the larger leaves as a cup to hold the salad.

A colorful mix to start the meal.

This salad was enjoyed by all, as there was not a single leftover on the plates.

Here are just some of the other dishes we served. Since this was my first real dinner party at our country house, I was getting my entertaining feet wet and wasn’t able to photograph the full menu.

You know me, I always set a table, even in the country. I brought the floral cloth and napkins from our home and then used the placemats and dish & glassware from the country house. As you can see, this is a simple table set up. It doesn’t have to be all decked out to feel purposeful.

Simple table setting

I used a remnant material to add some color and fun to the table. It doesn’t have to be all jazzed up, just a tad of effort to make it feel special.

Another wonderful evening with our friends… country entertaining that warms my heart.

Tecla and Scott. The best dinner guests.

 

Seasonal Summer Lunch with Lifetime Friend

Now, I know that this post is long over due with a title of Season Summer Lunch. But even though this menu features some seasonal items, you can still get most of them or swap them out for ones that are in season. I felt this post was important to share not just for the food but for the sentiment of friendship, and the enduring bonds built from long ago. One of life’s great gifts is having friends. Even better, is a lifelong friend. So as luck would have it one of mine happened to be passing through Westchester. Dianne and I have known each other since Junior High. We even went to the same college, Binghamton University. Without dating ourselves, trust me when I say that we have been friends for a very long time. Busy lives, crazy work schedules and distances have kept us from seeing one another but lifelong friendships are just that… forever. So, the only logical thing to entice her to not just drive past my house on her way to Connecticut was to offer up a summertime lunch. Some of my picks; Tomatoes (both from our garden & farm stand), yellow squash and other greens would be the feature. Thankfully Dianne is a foodie too and so the enticement worked as well as the timing. With initial menu ideas in the works, I moved on to setting a simple yet pretty table.

Flowers cut from my garden, casual placemats and purple napkins to brighten things up.

Once again I find myself hosting during the week, and with each visit I am loving this idea of “work week’ entertaining. As these last few blog posts have proven, I’ve been ‘week day entertaining’ of late. My schedule affords me the luxury of being flexible and available, so these moments aren’t stressful at all. On the contrary, they are a joy to break up the work week. (Which is an ironic and funny statement since the majority of work week is cooking. What I mean is that the break comes in the form of being social. And THAT is a great thing.) I do understand that even with the work from home scenario your schedule might not allow for this much flexibility. But if it does, here is a menu that might suit your needs. And if not, then serve it as a weekend lunch option, or a light dinner. Also, this meal doesn’t need to be summer only, which is why I don’t feel so badly posting it so late.

Here’s how it went down. Even for a simple lunch, it’s always nice to have a starter to offer when your guest(s) arrive.

Appetizer - The Ubiquitous Cheese/Charcuterie Platter
(There is a reason this platter is so popular. It just works. You don’t have to go crazy with a huge platter. A few nibbles is all that is needed to whet the appetite. I put out a few things that I had on hand: Mortadella, Humboldt Goat Cheese, Cucumber slices, Picos (Spanish Mini Breadsticks), G. F. crackers, olives, sliced fresh apricots)

Choose a platter size that is appropriate for the amount of people. That way you can fill it to fill abundant, even if it’s a small offering.

I used both baby Arugula & baby Kale for this salad. It’s fresh and crisp and the arugula adds a peppery bite.

Oven Roasted Herb Oil Cod with garden picked grape tomatoes & green olives

  • Place the cod, grape tomatoes and green olives on a baking sheet.

  • Season with oil, salt and pepper (you can add chopped parsley & thyme)

  • Roast at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the cod.

This is easy to prep prior, covered and placed in fridge until ready to roast.

Plate it up and pour all those delicious juices over top.

Basmati Rice with Sautéed Red Onion

  • Bring 1 cup of rice to 1.5 c water to a boil.

  • Lower to simmer, cover and let cook for 13 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam with cover on for another 5-10 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, in a cast iron pan sauté diced onions in olive oil, salt, pepper until caramelized. Then add the rice to onions and ‘fry’ it up.

This is such a simple way to enhance rice that makes it more than just a carb side dish.

As far as prep, I could have done all this the morning of but I had an early morning meeting away from my home. So, I prepped the Yellow Squash dish the day before. Partly because this was a brand new creation which required a think through process along with time to set up for proper photos. The added benefit was that it proved to me that this new recipe could be made ahead of time and then finished before serving. Another disclosure; I already had the homemade Caesar dressing from a couple of days before from our dinner. But if you don’t have time to make fresh, then find the best, most natural dressing you can. I make most everything from scratch, especially dressings, but that doesn’t mean you have to. If this is an area where you can relieve the workload, then do so. However, if you have the time, there is nothing like fresh, homemade.

We finished by sitting outside enjoying homemade ice cream sandwiches. Dianne and I had the most lovely visit. Juancarlos was able to join us for lunch which was nice. We certainly missed, Lenny, Dianne’s husband, and hoping we can lure him for next time. I feel so grateful to have friends, and ones that have lasted decades. Spending time with people you care about enriches the soul. I believe we all are quite aware of just how true that is after spending almost 3 years in isolation.

If you can’t chisel out a weekday calendar slice, then do try to carve out a weekend moment to share it with old, and new friends alike.

Here we are.

Dianne, always so thoughtful and gracious brought me a hostess gift that was right up my alley. A lovely candle and napkins with beautiful friendship sayings. Besides her presence, these were the most perfect gifts.

 

Spring & Easter Table Setting

I have long pined over creating a table setting that featured multiple layers of floral patterns on top of each other; from tablecloth to napkins to dishes. However, as I embarked on making my mental vision a reality, I encountered a major issue. My dream was way more fantasy. Believe it or not, after rummaging through my vast linen collection I realized that I didn’t quite have the variety of floral patterns I had envisioned in my noggin. And because I’m the type of person who just can’t give up on an idea, I did the next best thing. I found other patterns with the intended color scheme and worked from there.

This is just the napkin selection and a few tablecloths.

With the floral theme still running through my brain, I selected the closest linen I had to Spring florals. A pinkish toned tablecloth with leaf-like swirls resembling flowers. I remember when I purchased it from an upstate vintage shop and thought it was unlike anything I had. You may think I’m tripping on some hallucinogenic imagining that these swirls look like flowers, but I was desperate.

As I continued my search for napkins among my collection I was dumbfounded not to find a single one with any real floral print or even pink tones. But then again, would I really have bought such a thing? It was at that point when I realized that the table setting would be something different from my original vision.

An intense pattern of swirls that could be flowers, no?

I pulled out a napkin set that had similar but not exact colors. Roosters and checkerboards were as close as I could find.

I used a simple fold and roll method

Given the intense pattern of the tablecloth I felt it might be overwhelming on its own. A table runner would help provide some visual relief. Yet another pattern, not floral, but tones that would complement.

A striped table runner is another pattern. It’s simplicity allows for visual interest without taking away from the tablecloth.

The search for florals continued to be a bust. No floral plates like my little head hoped for. So, instead I pulled out a more ornate plate with gold adornments, followed by soup and salad plates with gold trim.

Dishes with gold accents.

At this point, my only option was to keep building on the new theme, and upped the ante with green and gold trimmed glassware and votives. Now I at least had a pattern on pattern theme working. Florals became swirls. The key to layering different patterns is to find a common thread of complementary colors.

Fancy glasses and votives with some gold trim help to elevate the table.

With my choices laid out it was time to set the table.

All the table setting pieces ready to be placed.

The runner definitely breaks up all that pattern and the stripes down the center act as a landing strip for the candles.

Fold, roll and wrap the napkins with a ‘floral’ themed enhancement.

Typically, I stack all the dishes, but opted to keep the salad plate on the side to hint at the original floral theme allowing the leaf design to be seen. Plus I knew I would be individually plating the salad to ensure my guests ate that course. Having the plate out makes it easy to grab and pile on the salad.

Finished place setting with utensils for each course.

Pre-plating the salad makes serving a breeze. Dressing is served in bowl for guests to add to their liking.

A pretty inviting way to welcome your guests to the table.

Side note; I find that if you plate it and serve it separately before the main meal, everyone eats it. If you place a large bowl of salad with all the rest of the meal, people often times say, “I’ll serve myself later.” And later becomes, “I’m too full.” So get your greens in early.

Ok, with the table set, it was time to move onto the actual florals. Since this was a last minute table setting, and I don’t travel to the city like I used to with my usual floral stop at Dahlia - Grand Central, Trader Joe’s would have to do. They typically have a decent selection at reasonable prices. I have to admit that I got excited about the colors I saw in the store but once I got home I realized I completely missed the mark on the pink tones. However, the purchase was made and I had to push on. I’m starting to feel like the theme went from layered florals to “ just make it happen and make it pretty.” I honestly thought the colors were more fuchsia than red hued but oh well. Pops of yellow and green made it all feel fresh and Spring like. The large yellow jug added more seasonal brightness and helped to tie it back to the napkins.

Definitely a burst of floral color

The key to a well composed arrangement is color blocking and keeping to just a few colors that complement one another.

The colors were a bit off but it still adds a happy feel.

In the end the reds and yellows echo the colors in the napkins.

Happy colors.

As for the meal, this was a Palm Sunday lunch. I told my sister, Alyssa, that it would be simple since all this was a last minute idea. But alas, I made much more than a simple meal for just six of us. It ended up being quite filling, and delicious. So, if you want something a tad different for Easter, this menu could work for an simpler meal than the usual extravagant lamb dinner. Here goes:

Appetizer

  • Roasted Grape Tomatoes in Garlic Oil

  • Whipped Feta
    This is an easy way to elevate a humble chunk of feta. Simply place the desired amount in a mini food processor and buzz it until smooth. One important note: rinse the feta block with cold water first to remove some of the saltiness. For some reason, once blended it brings out even more of the salt flavor.

  • Garlic Bread

Oven roasted grape tomatoes, whipped feta, garlic bread

First Course

  • Cauliflower Soup

  • Mixed Greens with Apple/Orange/Cucumber & Date Dressing: I used my Bibb, Arugula Butternut Squash Salad recipe swapping out the lettuces with mixed greens and the butternut squash with apple, orange and cucumber. All the rest of the ingredients and dressing remained the same.

Individually plated salad of Mixed greens with apple slices, orange segments, sliced cucumber, peptias and dried cranberries.

Main Course

  • Pork Loin basted in Rosemary Garlic Butter
    Sear the pork loin (seasoned with salt & pepper) in a cast iron skillet on both sides. Remove from the pan and add butter, sprigs of rosemary and several whole garlic cloves slightly smashed. Once butter is melted, return the pork to the pan and spoon the butter over the pork to finish cooking and flavor the meat.

Rosemary Garlic Butter basted Pork Loin.

  • Seared Shrimp with garlic & parsley
    Marinate the shrimp with crushed garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes. Sear in a cast iron grill pan. Remove shrimp and add white wine to deglaze the pan and pour over shrimp.

  • Basmati Rice with herb garlic oil
    Make a “chimichurri” sauce of finely chopped parsley, cilantro, scallions, crushed garlic, lemon zest and squeeze of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
    Cook Basmati rice 1 : 1.5 ratio to water. Bring water and rice to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook for 13 minutes. Keep the lid on, remove from heat and let steam for another 5-8 minutes
    Add as much of the herb garlic oil as desired. You can make the rice and oil ahead. Then right before serving warm the rice and add the sauce. I used a cast iron wok to ‘fry up’ the rice and then added the sauce to finish.

Sautéd shrimp and Herb Oil Basmati Rice

  • Oven Roasted Red Onions
    Onions are an overlooked vegetable. When oven roasted they become caramelized, sweet and delicious. Cut them in half, trimming the stem end but still leaving enough of the core to hold the onion pieces together when you cut them into quarters. Place on sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees until browned and caramelized.

  • Broccoli Rabe
    Wash, trim and boil the broccoli rabe until tender. Sauté in oil, garlic slices and season with salt & pepper.

Oven roasted red onions, the humble vegetable turned the star. Broccoli Rabe with garlic oil.

Dessert was a large platter of fruit and a few Saint Joseph Italian pastries. Apologies there are no photos of that course. Even though everyone said they were stuffed, they grabbed the fruit and pastries before I could get a picture. Just image a colorful array of seasonal fruit, along with luscious filled pastry.

I hope this inspires you to pile pattern on top of pattern and let your imagination work with whatever you have on hand. I started with an idea, veered off the flower garden and landed on an array of swirls, roosters, stripes and sparkle that still made me smile. A lesson in forging forward in whatever direction the universe provides and making the best of what life has to offer.

Bibb, Arugula & Butternut Squash Salad

Bibb, Arugula & Butternut Squash Salad

I’m usually known as the queen of entertaining. (Mind you, that is not a self dubbed title but one others have bestowed upon me.) That said, I’ve been out of practice. The pandemic, and other life situations (all good ones) have thrown a monkey wrench into our usual hosting schedule. And so, coming up with new recipes has been put on the back burner. However, a couple weekends ago we took the leap and hosted our friends/family for a small backyard lunch.

JuanCarlos had his mind set on making a paella ‘a la parilla’, which means on the grill, thus forcing us to be outside. We lucked out in the middle of NY October with glorious, sunny, warm weather. JuanCarlos has been making paellas for years but continues to research and study master paella makers in order to perfect his. Each one gets better and better. He loves making outdoor fires, and then hanging out with good friends to enjoy a glass of wine or two while he cooks.

With paella in the driver’s seat, the appetizers were riding shotgun and followed along in Spanish Tapas style. I made Stuffed Piquillo Peppers, Boquerones Skewers, Charcuterie/Cheese Board, Radishes with Salted Butter

But when it came to the salad, I veered off the Iberian road, and glad I did. It’s Fall and I felt like leaning into that season using roasted butternut squash. I make roasted spiced butternut squash slabs as side dish for my customers and decided to use similar spices but cut the squash into cubes and added a touch of maple syrup. In composing the salad in my head, I thought about all the other Fall inspired accompaniments that would not only pair well with the squash but would also provide a visual wow. So, a pop of dark red from dried cranberries, a toasty brown from pecans, a lovely green from pepitas, and slivers of red onion would all do the trick nicely. These don’t just deliver on the visual impact, each one also provides a different textual element that is key to making a salad, or any dish, interesting on the palate. Arugula was still fresh at the farmer’s market so I grabbed that for a hint of peppery punch that would counter balance the sweetness. For the dressing I borrowed the idea of using dates from another recipe, but of course changed it up a bit.

Can I just say how much I love this salad. It’s crisp. It’s earthy. It’s sweet. It’s peppery. It’s damn good, and I’m damn glad I made a ton so I could have leftovers for the next day.

I’m posting this now because I think it would make a wonderful salad for Thanksgiving. It hits all the marks and is the perfect counterpoint to the heaviness of a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Please give it try either as a green salad or swap out the lettuce with quinoa as the base. It could also work with pearl couscous as well.

Ingredients

2 Bibb/Boston lettuce
1 Arugula, bunch
1 medium Butternut Squash, approx 4 c cubed
1 c Dried Cranberries
1 c Pecans, toasted
1 c Pepitas, toasted
1/2 c Red Onion, thinly sliced
1/8 t Cayenne
1/8 t Cumin
1/8 t Cinnamon
2 T Maple Syrup
2 T oil

Dressing
4-5 Dates
3 T Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 t Honey (optional)
1 Garlic clove, crushed
lemon zest
1 T lemon juice
3 T water
salt, pepper to taste

 

Date Dressing Setup: Dates, lemon, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper

Instructions

  1. Peel and cube the butternut squash. Place on a roasting pan and season with oil, salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin and cinnamon.

2. Roast at 425 degrees until golden on one side. Then flip them and add the maple syrup and roast until golden on the other side. Remove from oven and let cool.

Roast until squash is tender and edges are browned.

3. Meanwhile, wash the Bibb lettuce and Arugula and dry them well.

4. Roast the pecans and pepitas slightly to enhance their nutty flavors. This can be done in 300 degree oven or on the stove. Just make sure to keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.

5. Make the dressing by first rough chopping the dates, crushing the garlic and adding to a mini food processor along with lemon zest, salt and pepper. Blend until the dates are a small crumb.

6. Then add vinegar, oil, and lemon juice and blend until emulsified. Then drizzle in a bit of honey and blend again. Add water to thin out.

Place chopped dates, crushed garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper into a mini food processor.

Blend until dates are small crumbs.

Once you add the oil and vinegar the dates will break down even more to create a creamy consistency.

7. Assemble the salad by placing the lettuces on a big platter and then sprinkle the sliced red onions, butternut squash, pecans, dried cranberries and pepitas all over the top of the lettuces.

I sometimes hold off on dressing an entire platter of salad in case there are leftovers I don’t want the remaining salad to get soggy. So, I let the guests add the amount of dressing they want to their plate. Do what feels right or works for you. But always serve it up with love.

 

Bibb, arugula salad with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, pecans, pepitas & date dressing

Serving it up with dressing on the side, and with plenty of love

I loved it so much that I expanded the idea to use it with quinoa for a customer side dish. Which by the way was such a hit, they texted me to say it was another winner. I just love getting those texts messages.

Quinoa with all the same ingredients as the salad… minus the lettuce.

Whole Roasted Snapper - A Whole Meal

Please, I beg you, do not get squeamish on me for this one. Oven roasting it whole is a great way to get a moist, flavorful fish. Some people shy away from the whole thing. I get it. It’s hard to miss the eyes, the mouth and even the tail. I will admit that this freaks me out a bit, too. It used to be worse for me but now I simply keep my focus on the body and away from the facial attributes. Most importantly, I concentrate on how to honor the fish. The whole fish; because the skin and bones not only impart deep flavors but also protect the fish from drying out by providing natural oils. Another key to increasing its savor and tender texture is stuffing the body with aromatics, such as lemon, onions and herbs. These truly perfume the inner flesh and keep it supple. Additionally, you can cook it en papillote, which mean enveloped in paper. This steams the fish locking in moisture. I simply oven roasted mine this go around.

*NOTE: When buying whole fish, to ensure it is fresh, look for these keys elements.

  • The fish should be bright, with a metallic luster.

  • The eyes should be bright, vivid, clear and bulging. If they are sunken or cloudy, it is old

  • The gills should be bright, wet, pink or red.

  • The smell should be pleasant and mild.

  • If the scales are still on, they should be shiny and not detach themselves.

2 fish, not in the same position as the logo for my main company, 2fish, inc, but there they are together.

I like making this for a small dinner party. It creates a lovely presentation and produces a succulent dish. I served this with green veggies, a quinoa salad and a watercress salad. If you continue to scroll down, you will find visual instructions for those dishes. These sides were ideal; light and refreshing to accompany the red snapper. Together they make for a perfect Spring meal.

And as my mom pointed out in the comments section, this method can do used with most any whole fish.


Ingredients

Red Snapper *2-3 lbs for 4 servings
2 Lemons (1 sliced, 1 in wedges for serving)**
1 small Onion
Parsley (or fresh herb of your choice)
Magic 3 (Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper)

*When buying a whole fish figure about 12 ounces to 1 pound of whole fish per person as a main course (as the fish generally yields 50 percent, thus making a 6 to 8 ounce serving) or for 2 people as a first course.

**If you are going to make the Quinoa Salad, then zest the lemon before you slice it for stuffing. Reserve the zest to season the quinoa.

Instructions

  1. Make sure there are no scales on the outer skins of the fish.

  2. Pat dry both the outside and inside of the fish.

I know it seems counterintuitive to make sure the fish is dry when you want it to be moist, but water just water logs the fish.

3. Cut the onion and lemon in slices

4. Brush the interior with oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper then stuff with the onion, lemon slices and parsley.

5. Place on a parchment lined baking tray and score the skin making several long slits. Brush with oil and season the outside with a good amount of pepper, and salt. You can also envelope the fish in a tin foil or parchment paper pouch for the en papillote approach.

6. Bake at 425 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 145 degrees.

You can place the whole fish on a platter lined with greens or herbs, or you can debone it.

Whole roasted Red Snapper

Deboned into filets

Serving suggestions:

Of course any sautéed green vegetable will pair nicely. I made both broccoli rabe and string beans prepared in a simple sauté of olive oil, garlic slices, salt and pepper. The other accompaniments were a side of quinoa and fresh baby watercress salad. Below are the quick visual instructions for the latter two dishes.

Quinoa with Sautéed Onions, Lemon Zest & Mint

Quinoa is a wonderful source of protein and a fairly neutral flavor that is enhanced by the addition of herbs.
Ingredients

1 c Quinoa
1/3-1/2 c chopped onion/shallot
2-3 t lemon zest
4-6 T lemon juice (depending on your taste
6-8 T mint, minced (mixed in and some for top)
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Sauté onion and/or shallot, add the quinoa and water and cook according to the package. (I usually measure 1 cup of quinoa to 1.5 c water)

  • Bring to a boil, cover and lower to simmer cooking for 15-18 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy.

  • Then zest the lemon, squeeze some of the juice, season with salt and pepper and toss in the chopped mint and fork fluff. Save some mint for the top decoration.

Baby Watercress, Avocado & Orange Segment Salad with a Citrus Dressing

When making finger sandwiches, I prefer regular watercress as it has more of a textural bite to it as well as a sharper, peppery flavor. For salad purposes I prefer Baby Watercress. It is much more delicate. This salad is all about light and bright, and the citrus does that beautifully.

Ingredients

2 bunches baby watercress
1 avocado, cut in small chunks
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 large orange, segmented

Instructions

  • First zest the orange and reserve for the dressing.

  • Then as you segment the orange do it over the dressing bowl to catch all the juices, and squeeze any juice from the remaining pulp.

  • Thinly slice the shallot (or red onion if that’s all you have)

  • Cube the avocado (squeezing some lemon to stop it from browning).

  • Assemble the salad in a bowl, then add orange juice, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil to the orange zest and whisk until emulsified. That simple.

This is a perfect Spring or Summer evening meal. It would be a lovely Sunday lunch idea, too. The fish is delicate and moist. The sides are light yet filling. The citrus brightens the whole meal up, and if you have leftovers, all this would make a wonderful taco lunch.