Peach, Arugula, Almond, Feta Salad

Use up those peaches! I have been repeatedly using the fruit/nut/cheese combo for almost all my salads. Hey, when it works why not?

Dressing:
Juice from one orange
Zest from one orange
1/2 cup vegetable or grapeseed oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper
1/8 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey

2 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
8 large handfuls arugula
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/4 cup feta
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Balsamic Reduction (optional)

Servings: 4

Combine all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl and whisk. Place arugula in a large salad bowl and toss with dressing. Evenly distribute on 4 plates. Top each with 4-6 slices of peach, 1 tablespoon almonds, 1 tablespoon feta, 6 red onion slices and drizzle with Balsamic Reduction if using.

Recipe: Strawberry, Almond and Feta Salad

People love this salad. It is a crowd pleaser. I got it a few years ago from a friend who got it off some website. I have tweaked it over the years a bit so I am not sure what the exact original is.
The sweet fruit, the sharp feta, the tangy balsamic…it is almost like a dessert salad.
I make it at least a couple of times every summer when strawberries are in season.

1 head romaine lettuce
1 pint of strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup slivered toasted almonds
3/4 cup feta
1 garlic clove minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons raspberry balsamic (regular will do)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Optional: Balsamic Reduction

Serves: 8

In a medium bowl whisk the ingredients garlic through pepper.
In a large salad bowl, rip romaine lettuce into bite size pieces. Add sliced strawberries. Pour dressing over top and toss with hands. Add feta and almonds. Plate. If you are using the balsamic reduction pour about a tablespoon on each salad before serving.

Recipe: Asparagus & Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
1 pound grilled asparagus
3/4 cup feta
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
2 lemons cut in halves
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves
1 shallot

Servings: 4

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Snap off asparagus ends where they naturally break. Toss with juice from half a lemon and 1 tablespoon of butter. Season with salt and pepper. Grill on a baking sheet for approximately 12 minutes.
Let cool. Once cooled slice into 2 inch pieces.

Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in cold water. Bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil. Add rinsed quinoa and bring back to a boil. Reduce temperature to medium-low and simmer. Cook for 15-18 minutes or until almost all of the water has evaporated and quinoa is tender. Let rest for 5 minutes, then fluff.

Place garlic, parsley, shallot and juice from 3 lemon halves in a food processor. Add Dijon. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Puree.

In a large salad bowl add quinoa, asparagus, and feta. Toss with salad dressing. Plate and sprinkle almonds on top.

Recipe: Carrot Salads. Sweet & Savory.

Since I am often cooking for just myself I need to find inventive ways to use the same ingredient in more than the same dish. I don’t do the same leftovers for 3 days. This is an example of my love of carrots. The sweet carrot salad is great for any time of day but I especially enjoy it for breakfast. It’s super healthy, satisfying and a change from the baked goods/smoothie mornings. I love the crunch!

Sweet: Carrot, Orange and Pineapple Salad

1 pound of carrots grated (approx. 3 cups)
¼ cup raisins
1 1/2 cups fresh diced pineapple (you can use canned but fresh is best)

Dressing:
Juice and zest from one large orange
3 tablespoons plain or vanilla yogurt (or soy yogurt)
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons of honey, sugar or stevia (to taste)

4 Servings

Juice and zest orange in a small bowl and beat in yogurt. Add vanilla, cinnamon and sweetener of your choice.
In a medium size bowl take grated carrots and pineapple and pour dressing over top along with raisins. Toss.


Savory: Curried Carrot, Chickpea and Apple Salad

1 ½ pound of grated carrots (approx. 5 cups)
¼ cup raisins (optional)
2 peeled and sliced apples (gala or Granny Smith)
1 cup chickpeas
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

Dressing:
½ cup mayonnaise (light or regular) or Nayonaisse
¼ cup plain yogurt or soy yogurt
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice

4 Servings as a main course or 6 as a salad

In food processor mince garlic and cilantro. Add mayonnaise and yogurt. Blend. Add curry and cumin powder and lime juice until smooth. Add salt and pepper.
In a large bowl toss all salad ingredients (carrots through chickpeas). Pour dressing over until well coated.
I like to plate individually and top each one with the slivered toasted almonds or you can directly add almonds but they loose their crunch if you refrigerate for a day or more.