Category Archives: Salads

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October 28, 2015

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Appetizers, Salads

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Shrimp Ceviche

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Anyone looking for a simple, healthy(ish), refreshing snack?  I was and had just bought some shrimp the other day, so I decided to make this recipe. I actually found this recipe sitting in my work’s lounge in a binder that was promoting healthier lifestyles/habits/eating (I work for a hospital) and while most of the recipes were a bunch of different salads (boring…) this one actually stood out to me. I don’t have the actual recipe as I kind of saw the ingredients and riffed off that, so here goes.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb peeled shrimp
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 2 small/1 large avocado, pitted and cut into small cubes
  • 2-3 roma tomatoes, diced
  • cilantro, chopped
  • juice of 5 limes
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  • In a pan over medium heat, add a tsp of oil and cook the shrimp thoroughly
  • Cut the shrimp into small pieces and place in a large bowl
  • Add the onion, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro and mix
  • Add the lime juice and mix
  • Salt and pepper to taste and mix again
  • Refrigerate for ~15 minutes before eating
  • Eat with tortilla chips or by itself (could potentially be a salad I suppose)
  • Enjoy!

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October 7, 2015

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Salads

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Corn and Asparagus Salad

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Since living in Fresno, it has been really hot, something that I am definitely not used to coming from the Bay.  I have also been trying to be healthier…”trying.”  I have been making a lot salads recently, but man salads suck.  So this one involves asparagus and corn, which let’s be honest, is so much better than lettuce.  I got the recipe from food network and Paula Deen.  Don’t worry though, there’s no butter in it.  It turned out pretty good, but you definitely don’t need all the dressing that this recipe makes.

Ingredients:

  • 6 ears of yellow corn, shucked
  • 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup basli, chiffonade
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh ground pepper

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Directions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the corn for ~3 minutes
  • Pull the corn out and place in an ice bath
  • Blanch the asparagus in the same boiling water for ~1 minute
  • Pull out the asparagus and place in ice bath
  • Remove the kernels of the corn using a knife
  • Cut the asparagus into ~1in pieces
  • Place asparagus and corn in a bowl, along with the basil and onion
  • For the dressing, mix the sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a bowl
  • Drizzle some of the dressing over the asparagus, corn, onion and basil until well coated
  • Mix thoroughly and serve!
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April 9, 2015

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Appetizers, Salads

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Caprese Salad

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Congratulations Jenn for getting into MBA school. As a celebration, I told her I would cook her something, and lo and behold she requested a salad…boring right? Well she also requested to have mozzarella cheese incorporated some how, so I immediately thought of a caprese salad. Now I have never made a caprese salad before, but was shocked how simple it really is. It’s not exactly my fave salad though, so maybe thats why. But interestingly enough, I told my sister what I was doing and she said she LOVED caprese salad…who knew? Definitely not me lol.  Anyways here it is!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 3 tomatoes on a vine, sliced
  • Fresh basil
  • Salt
  • Fresh cracked pepper
  • EVOO

Directions

  • Layer the slices of cheese and tomatoes with a basil leaf in between
  • Sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper
  • Drizzle EVOO over
  • You can also add balsamic vinegar or a reduction to the dish but I chose not to
  • Eat this super refreshing salad

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September 15, 2014

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Appetizers, Recipes, Salads

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Picnic Broccoli Salad

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At the request of the ladies in my life to eat healthier, I have been making more salads than ever before. When they asked, my first thought was boring! Then I requested if mac salad, potato salad, and pasta salads count, but apparently they do not. Thus, today is a broccoli salad, complete with mayo, bacon, and cheese…yummm healthy….Actually, it’s not unhealthy and its pretty good too. I mean you can always make it unhealthy by adding as much crap as you want into it, but I kept it pretty simple.

Ingredients

  • 3 heads of broccoli, florets chopped into eatable pieces
  • 1 cup mayo
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • salt and pepper
  • 6+ strips of bacon (up to you)
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • Halved grape tomatoes
  • Shredded cheddar cheese (as much as you desire)
  • Chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
My bacon is happy

My bacon is happy

Directions

  • Blanch the broccoli florets in a pot of boiling water, drain and set aside
  • Mix the mayo, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar in a bowl
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Meanwhile, fry the bacon until crispy, dab with paper towel to get excess oil off
  • Chop the bacon
  • Add the bacon, onions, tomatoes, nuts, and cheese to the broccoli and mix well in a large bowl
  • Add the sauce and mix thoroughly (use enough to coat well, but you don’t need to use all of it)
  • Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 min
  • Serve and enjoy

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September 12, 2014

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Appetizers, Recipes, Salads

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Seared Tuna with Asian Vinaigrette Salad

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My uncle loves to go deep sea fishing, and recently went out for tuna. He caught some yellowtail and some yellowfin. Every time he goes I always ask for some, and this time, he delivered! Tuna is pretty expensive to buy, so getting it fresh for free is pretty awesome. I seared the tuna and served it over a salad with an asian vinaigrette. The salad was made from a spring mix and napa cabbage cut into strips like a slaw.

Ingredients

  • Tuna loin
  • Spring salad mix
  • Napa cabbage
  • Grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • Some chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

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Directions for tuna and salad

  • Rinse the tuna and pat dry with paper towels
  • Grind black peppercorns onto a plate and roll the tuna loin in the pepper
  • Pour a little canola oil into a pan on high heat
  • Sear the tuna for a few seconds on each side, place on a plate and put it in the freezer for a few minutes to stop the cooking process
  • Cut the napa cabbage into strips, halve the tomatoes, and thinly slice the red onion

Directions for vinaigrette

  • Heat the vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat, then mix the sugar in until it dissolves
  • Combine the oil, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, and cilantro
  • Pour in the vinegar and sugar mix
  • Mix the dressing and chill in the refrigerator for ~20 minutes

Slice the tuna into ~ 1/4 inch slices and serve over the salad. This was my first time making an asian vinaigrette, and I really liked it. I was getting tired of balsamic dressings, so this was a nice alternative. The napa also added a different flavor and textural element which was nice. Overall, the salad was really good and I used the leftover dressing again the next day. And then there’s the tuna, which is always delicious. Hope you enjoy!

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July 30, 2014

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Appetizers, Salads, Sides, Veggies

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Strawberry Fields Salad

Strawberry Fields Salad

I haven’t been doing my part in our joint blog so Nate coerced me in writing this one or else he wasn’t going to post anymore. 😛 Nate and I threw an intimate dinner and game night about a week ago so I’m deciding to share a small piece of what chef Nate had prepared. Today, I will be presenting a super easy quick recipe that is perfect for summer. It’s a strawberry balsamic salad with feta cheese. I’ve actually been eating this salad for several days since it was so yummy (mostly because I can’t cook). It’s really great for lunch or as an addition to a main course.

Main Salad Ingredients

  • Spring Mix
  • Walnuts
  • Strawberries
  • Feta Cheese

Salad Dressing Ingredients

  • Lemon
  • 1/2 cup EVOO
  • 1 tbsp Strawberry Balsamic
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Dash of Pepper

Recipe

  • To make the salad dressing, mix all the ingredients listed above in a small bowl.
  • Cut the lemon and squeeze the juice into the dressing. Mix well.
  • Slice the strawberries thinly for the salad
  • Mix the spring mix, strawberries, and walnuts together
  • Now add the strawberry balsamic dressing to the salad
  • Add fresh feta cheese as desired

That was pretty easy right? I don’t even think I needed the steps for the recipe. The feta cheese wasn’t too overpowering since it was balanced well by the sweetness of the strawberries. Overall, it was an awesome start to the meal and was our only veggie for that night. Bon appetit! 🙂

 

 

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June 9, 2014

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Pasta & Noodles, Recipes, Salads

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Somen Salad

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Today was really hot, so I decided to make a salad for lunch. Now when I say salad, don’t think lettuce with this one. This is more of a “pasta salad” with somen noodles, a really thin Japanese noodle. I got this recipe from my mom because I loved it as a kid growing up. She always loathed making it because of all the cutting, but did it anyways because she knew how much I liked it. The recipe itself is super easy, its just slightly labor intensive when it comes to adding stuff, due to chopping and julienning. But if you have a peeler that juliennes like I do, then its pretty quick. I should get my mom one so that she can keep making this for me lol. Anyways, here it is.

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Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp Rice Vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Dash of ground ginger
  • 5-8 slices of deli ham, chopped (or some other kind of meat)
  • 2 eggs, fried, chopped
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1 Cucumber, julienned
  • ~1 lb of somen noodles (the package I bought was 14oz)

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Instructions

  • Mix the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and ginger in a bowl and refrigerate
  • Boil the somen noodles until cooked (be aware, they cook fast), and then rinse with cold water (you want the noodles to be fairly cold when you eat)
  • Fry the 2 eggs
  • Chop/julienne the cucumbers, eggs, green onions, and ham
  • Add them to the noodles, pour the sauce over it, mix, and enjoy!

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May 29, 2014

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Recipes, Salads

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Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Salad

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So with such heavy meals in the recent past, I opted to go for something on the lighter side – a salad. But, being me, I can’t eat lettuce and call it a day. I had to add some kind of protein, so for this salad, I went with shrimp. I made a cilantro-lime vinaigrette, so it seemed to make sense to also have cilantro-lime shrimp.

Vinaigrette Dressing (completely made up and based in no actual recipe):

  •  1/2 cup EVOO
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • Dash of pepper
  • Some finely chopped cilantro
  • Mix them all together in a bowl and viola

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Shrimp Marinade (also made up)

  • 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
  • Juice of 2-3 limes
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp EVOO
  • 3 cloves of minced garlic
  • Salt and pepper
  • Pinch of chili flakes
  • Finely chopped cilantro
Broiled over baking pan
up close

Instructions:

  • Mix the marinade and coat the shrimp evenly
  • Let the shrimp rest in the marinade for about 30 minutes
  • Skewer the shrimp and grill for a few minutes on each side (I don’t have a good grill for this, so I laid the skewers across a baking pan and put them in the broiler for about 8 minutes)

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Salad:

  • You can make your salad however you wish.  I used a spring mix and added grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and avocados
  • Add some dressing and toss lightly (Don’t put in too much dressing at first because it can become oily)
  • Add the shrimp and enjoy