kiwifruit and avocado salad

kiwifruit and avocado salad

Kiwifruit is native to northern China and is the top producer in the world followed by Italy and New Zealand.  You’ve seen them, I am sure.  They’re the fuzzy, oval-shaped, brown fruit found in most grocery stores.  The kiwi is a nutritional powerhouse of goodness! TweetFacebookLinkedInTumblrStumbleDiggDelicious

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barley salad

barley salad

As a kid and young adult, I LOVED Campbell’s condensed beef soup with barley and vegetables.  If you were to ask me what I liked most about that soup, I would have to say barley.  It has a chewy, pasta-like consistency.  The other veggies in the can didn’t hold up as well…too mushy for my…

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fiddlehead salad – simply delicious!

fiddlehead salad

What does a fiddlehead taste like? Well, in my opinion, it’s a cross between asparagus and artichoke.  Some might say spinach, too.  It’s a seasonal delicacy available now that lasts three to four weeks.  Fiddleheads are sold at farmers’ markets and grocery stores. They are the unfurled fronds of a young ostrich fern and are…

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Mediterranean-style Chicken Salad

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

Mr. S and I have been away and we returned to a heatwave; thank goodness for central airconditioning!  We like eating lighter meals when it’s hot out and tend to stick to the cuisine of the Mediterranean – think fresh, full of veggies, fruit, and low on meat.  When it’s hot out, the last thing…

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shrimp and avocado salad

Shrimp and avocado salad is a follow up from last month’s post. The inspiration for this dish comes from the caesar granita I made; it was placed over freshly shucked oysters.  However, not everyone is a fan of oysters and I get that.  This is another way to enjoy my Caesar granita thus giving you,…

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tomato and mozzarella salad

tomato & fresh mozzarella with Caesar granita

I was trying to think of what to call this dish.  It’s not a true Caprese salad as I did not include basil.  Tomato and mozzarella salad sounds so blah but there’s an ingredient that most definitely does not make this any way shape or form, blah!  The other day I posted Caesar granita atop…

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what makes a good salad?

tips to make the best homemade salads

What makes a salad stand out? Last night, fondly enough, as I was preparing a salad (it was a scorcher of a day) I pondered the same thing.  I looked at the ingredients laid out before me:  avocado, leftover grilled steak, cherry tomatoes, fresh sugar snap peas, leftover grilled broccolini, and chilled lettuce leaves picked…

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salad with fried halloumi

salad topped with fried halloumi

Halloumi, a Cypriot cheese made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk, has a high melting point and can easily be fried, grilled or roasted.  When fried or grilled, it develops a delicious crust that surrounds a slightly springy, mild interior that squeaks between your teeth when chewed!  Its uses are so versatile: skewer…

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antipasto salad – a cinch to make

antipasto salad

Antipasto (Italian – before the meal) simply refers to the dish that precedes all the others to come. It should be colorful allowing the senses to awaken and gets the palate ready for the meal that follows. It is there to whet the appetite and not be too filling. A typical antipasto dish consists of…

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warm barley salad

Barley is one of those staple grains that sit in my pantry for the longest time and then, without rhyme or reason, I go on a barley binge!  I usually throw barley in soups or stews but recent years have seen me use it as a substitute for rice, mixed in with roasted vegetables and…

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