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, Potato & Feta Frittata

2 pounds asparagus
2 large baking potatoes, cooked, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
3 shallots

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 green onions
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
10 large eggs
1/2 cup cream

1 1/2 cup of crumbled feta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Servings: 10-12 as a brunch menu

Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil. Have a bowl of ice and cold water set aside.
Trim asparagus and place in boiling water for 1 minute to blanch. Drain. Immediately transfer asparagus to ice water to stop cooking. Drain asparagus well in colander and pat dry.
In a large skillet cook shallots in butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, In a large bowl whisk together eggs, cream, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Place potatoes evenly on bottom of baking dish.
Pour custard into baking dish. Place asparagus on top along with feta and green onions. Bake until golden and set, about 35 minutes. Cool frittata on a rack. Frittata may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring frittata to room temperature before serving. Cut into 12 squares.

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: Dandelion Salad with Poached Egg & Lox

Dandelion Salad. If you are not familiar with this foliage of nummyness let me tell you...get acquainted. Kinda like a frisée. Has a bit of bitterness to it but in the good endive-way. And if you don't like endives...well then...moving on.
If you cannot find dandelion leaves then frisée would be your best substitute. Or even arugula. My wonderful father scoured our property in Whistler and gave me a big bag of the stuff. If you are planning to get them in the wild, two words of advice:

1) Make sure you wash the greens WELL. Dogs rule in Whistler.
2) Pick them early. Like right now. May is when they are in season and first sprouting. As when they get larger and older, they turn REALLY bitter. Kinda like me in 20 years.

Traditionally the salad is made with a poached egg, which I did, but I also added lox, feta and a touch of pesto. Consume with a big ol' glass of red vino. Best of all this took around 15 minutes to assemble. No, actually best of all, it took me somewhere in France without having to get on a plane.


8 large handfuls of dandelion leaves, chopped
HINT: Chopping the leaves cuts the bitterness and also makes it easier to put in your mouth
8 pieces of salmon lox
1/4 to 1/2 cup feta
4 tablespoons pesto
1 lemon cut in quarters
Salt & pepper to taste
4 poached eggs (see poached eggs recipe)

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon shallot minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

Servings: 4

Toss greens and dressing in a large bowl. Evenly divide among 4 plates. Place poached egg in the middle of the salad. Top egg with a tablespoon of pesto. Assemble pieces of lox around edge of salad. Sprinkle approx. 1 to 2 tablespoons of feta around and on top of salad. Take quarter of lemon and squeeze over lox. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe: Chipotle Aioli with Lime or Lemon

Chipotle. This adds instant kick to anything. I know it has been used and abused but call me a chipotle-beater as I still haven't had enough and will put it in everything. Check out my chipotle mayo/aioli. This is a serious staple in my fridge as it will save anything from being boring. Use it as a dip, put it on fish (fish tacos--yes, yes, yes!), on sweet potatoes, coleslaw--endless possiblilities.

1 cup loosely packed cilantro
1/2 or 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 clove of garlic
1 cup regular or light mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream or more mayonnaise
1/4 cup feta (optional)
1/2 a teaspoon lime or lemon zest
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

Yield approx: 1 1/2 cup

In a food processor pulse garlic until fine. Add cilantro, pulse until blended. Add the remaining ingredients, until well blended. Keeps in fridge for 7-10 days.