Citrus Fresh Buckwheat Soba Salad

The crisp freshness of lemon and lime are perfect for cold summer salads. This recipe is inspired by a Japanese friend of mine with whom I exchange cooking tips on and off, among other things.

Dashi is sold in most Asian stores - either made from kombu or different types of fish. Salty Dashi, with some sesame oil, plus the tartness from lime juice and lemon zest makes this salad quite addictive.

Get the dressing ready, mix in the salad vegetables and let it sit while the soba cooks. The recipe here makes enough starter salad for two, or a huge meal for one.

Ingredients for the vinaigrette:
½ cup Seaweed Dashi or strong vegetable stock
½ tsp sesame oil
1 lime - freshly squeeze for lime juice
zest of one lemon
juice of ½ lemon, for additional tang

2 cups Salad Vegetables: For a quick meal, I use packaged kale salad mix plus scallions. Otherwise, whatever is handy -- radish, julienned carrots, sauteed cremini, slivered broccoli stems or other stems like I use for kinpira, ribboned greens, radicchio, purple cabbage...

Cook one bundle of the buckwheat soba per package directions, drain, and rinse in cold water, drain well. Toss in with the dressed vegetables, adjust the dressing as needed.

Served with some vegetable spring rolls and vegetable dumplings, this makes a filling weeknight meal.

Refreshing Cucumber Mango Sweet Potato Salad

Come spring, I start dreaming about the various fresh vegetables that will start rolling into the market as the season progresses... and the salads I can make with them.

This refreshing cucumber mango salad is marinated in a zesty lime vinaigrette for that extra burst of flavor. Semi-ripe and firm mangoes that are not mushy work best for this salad as they bring the tangy-sweet flavor.

Sweet potatoes are optional, but, since the older child loves them, it gives another dimension to the salad with its texture, and its mildly sweet flavor.

Ingredients
English cucumber, diced chunky
Seedless red grapes, halved lengthwise
Grape or cherry snack tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Celery stalk with leaves, coarsely chopped
Kale leaves, ribboned
Orange bell pepper, diced
Semi-ripe but firm mango, sliced
Shallots or purple onions, sliced thinly

Lemon-Lime Sweet Vinaigrette
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey or agave nectar
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp ground paste of fresh jalapeno and cilantro**
1 Tbsp cilantro chopped finely for garnish
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chives
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 garlic clove squeezed through garlic press
6 Tbsp hazelnut oil or walnut oil
salt to taste

**Pulse some fresh cilantro leaves, some fresh de-seeded jalapeno, some oil and apple cider vinegar to make a coarse paste

Preparation

1. Massage the kale ribbons with some olive oil and let them sit 
2. Combine the cucumbers, mango, celery, bell peppers, onions and toss with some salt and the cilantro-jalapeno paste from the step above; allow to marinate while assembling the rest
3. Pan-roast the sweet potatoes and allow to cool before tossing into the salad
4. Stir together the vinaigrette ingredients, adjust to taste
5. Serve layered or tossed, with feta or goat cheese, if preferred

Beet Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Feta

Grated raw beets and carrots, with par-boiled red pearl onions, a splash of distilled white vinegar and a dash of salt is my Dad's signature "salad", perfect if made a day ahead. Finely diced green chilies is optional. My version of beet+carrot salad is a bit different these days.

Since childhood beets has been a favorite with me - my mom's spicy beets+potatoes curry goes perfectly with Mor-Kozhambu and rice.

On and off, I add beets to salads. And sometimes, beets is the primary ingredient as in this salad recipe. It is a wonderful summer salad, served cold.

I pressure cook the beets in bulk, with skin on, then peel and chop, and freeze them if not using right away.

This Beet Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Feta is best when prepared a day ahead and allowed to develop flavors.

Ingredients
Whole beets, cooked, still firm not mushy, bite-size slices
Red onions, thinly sliced
Feta, crumbled

Balsamic Dressing:
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Pomegranate Red Wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp Agave nectar (more if preferred)
1 tsp Tabasco® sauce
1 tsp ground smoked paprika


Whisk the ingredients for the dressing, drizzle as much as needed and toss lightly with the beets and onions; top with feta, cover and save in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Drunken Chicken

Inspired by simple staples like Biermarinierten Huhn and Beschwipster Huhn, I decided to dunk the chicken in Beer and then drown it in a Red wine + Plum Juice sauce for this dish. Beer before wine is just fine - for the chicken at least :)

The sauce is a made-up one and can be adjusted to taste. I had one last potato from the garden to use up so sliced it thin and added it to the sauce along with onions.

Marinate the chicken in any dark beer, the longer the better. I started it right after breakfast one Saturday and cooked the beer-marinated chicken for dinner that evening. Spices/flavoring is optional and flexible, as always.

Fresh baby spinach salad rounded out this meal: Toss in sautéed onions into a bowl of spinach and allow the spinach to wilt a bit; add some feta, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts and serve with favorite vinaigrette.


Quick Pomegranate Red Wine Berry Chili Vinaigrette:
50ml Pomegranate Red Wine Vinegar
100ml (more or less) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 generous Tablespoon Sambal Oelek
1 teaspoon Blue Agave Nectar
1 teaspoon no sugar added Berry Jam
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
salt to taste

Taste and adjust as needed. I like the pronounced flavors of the tart vinegar and the spicy chilies from the sambal balanced by the the mild sweetness from the jam and agave nectar.

Ingredients
2 or 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

For the marinade:
12 fl. oz. dark beer (Deschutes Black Butte Porter was handy for me)
1 to 2 Tbsp Tabasco® Sauce
2 Tbsp brown mustard
4 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt

For the sauce:
1 cup red wine (any inexpensive one is fine, I used Gato Negro Cabernet/Merlot)
1½ cups Unsweetened Plum Juice
Bouquet Garni: A bunch of favorite dry herbs like Bay leaves, Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Marjoram
salt to taste
water as needed
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Optional: Thinly sliced onions, potatoes

Preparation

1. Marinate: If the chicken breasts are too thick, slice them to uniform thickness (helps with the cooking later) and marinate them anywhere from 2 to 12 hrs
2. Cook the chicken: Heat oil in a pan, drain the marinated chicken, discard the marinade, cook the chicken till done; I let one side sear and brown, then flip over and cook, checking that internal temperature reaches 170°F. Remove chicken from pan, keep warm
3. Make the sauce: In the same pan, add the onions and potatoes, sauté, loosening the fronds; add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer till reduced in volume by half; adjust flavors to taste
4. Combine: Slide the cooked chicken breasts back into the sauce, cover and simmer a few mins till fully warmed. Serve immediately with a favorite salad

Broccoli Salad with Blue Agave Nectar & Aka Miso Vinaigrette

Salads are so unassuming and ubiquitous that it is hard to bring them front-and-center, right under the spotlight. To me, what makes a salad is not just the mix of greens and veggies, but the dressing or vinaigrette that brings out the flavors and sets the mood for the meal.

Of course, oftentimes, the salad is our meal at home - tossed or layered - with harmonious ingredients thrown in, and some odd ones just because they are handy and need to be used up...

Typical Broccoli Salad usually has some bacon, sliced almonds and raisins, with a sweetish mayonnaise-based dressing.

My recipe is not very different in concept - I omit the bacon here since none of us at home eat it. Also, rather than traditional mayonnaise, I went with a quick and light dressing.

Fusion cuisine being my signature, the dressing is where I usually like to get creative for salads. The combination of mildly sweet Blue Agave Nectar; bean-ish, tangy, robust, salty Aka Miso; hot Sambal Oelek; biting fresh grated ginger and garlic, all seem to come together in a red wine vinaigrette with bland Canola oil, not the rich Olive oil for this wonderful Broccoli Salad.

Miso is basically fermented soybeans with some grains and salt. It has a complex flavor that is hard to describe. Among the White, Red, and Yellow Misos available readily in the market, White Miso (Shiromiso) is fermented for the shortest time with sweet and mild flavor. The Red Miso (Akamiso) is full-bodied and saltier than white. The Yellow Miso falls in-between Red and White.

Usually, one part vinegar to 3 parts oil makes a good vinaigrette. Depending on the type of vinegar and oil, and personal preferences, can increase the oil or decrease the vinegar for a good balance.

With all the bold flavors, for the sweetness to show through, I add a bit of home-made plum jam in this recipe, but any other favorite low-sugar jam stirred in would add an interesting touch to the dressing.

Since I love to experiment, and vinaigrettes are easy to play with, I enjoy creating unique ones. Maybe someday it would be fun to bottle and market these exclusive creations... Of course, it probably won't help the business if I just share them here:) No matter.

Ingredients
Broccoli florets, bite-sized
Cauliflower florets, bite-sized (optional)
Red grapes, sliced in half (or quartered if they are too big)
Chopped Spring onions

Sliced Almonds or Toasted Sunflower Seeds (or both)
Dried Cranberries (preferably unsweetened)
Unsweetened shredded dried coconut (optional)
Fresh Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Blue Agave Nectar & Aka Miso Dressing
1 to 2 Tbsp Organic Blue Agave Syrup
1 Tbsp Aka Miso (red miso)
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
1 Tbsp home-made low-sugar Plum Jam (optional)
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 cloves of garlic, finely grated
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup canola oil, plus more if desired

Preparation

Stir the Vinaigrette ingredients vigorously till well-combined.

Toss the salad ingredients together, drizzle some vinaigrette - generously if preferred. Top with grated Parmesan or Unsweetened shredded coconut, sliced almonds and dried cranberries.

Beet & Carrot Salad with Agave Nectar & Ginger Vinaigrette

Sometimes as a starter, sometimes as a snack, sometimes as a meal in itself. Sometimes layered and drizzled with freshly made vinaigrette, sometimes well-tossed with a rich creamy dressing... anywhichway we make it, we love salads.

This Beet and Carrot salad with Spring Greens is one of our favorites: the combination of freshly grated beets and carrots, plus the simple vinaigrette on the slightly sweet side enhancing the beet and carrot flavors seems to make this almost addictive.

Pictured here is this salad served with a small sandwich made of: home-made buckwheat buns (recipe to come) toasted with some Swiss cheese, black bean burger (made very much like the Mock Kibbeh recipe but with black beans instead of chickpeas), some pepperoncini, onions and sun-dried tomatoes.

Ingredients
Salad:
Organic Baby Spring Greens
Raw Carrots and Beets, finely grated or shredded
Onion or Alfalfa Sprouts
Toasted Sunflower Seeds

Agave Nectar, Ginger, Chili Vinaigrette:
50 ml raspberry or pomegranate red wine vinegar; or plain red wine vinegar
50 ml Agave nectar
25 ml Sambal Oelek or any favorite Chili paste
150 ml Hazelnut Oil or Olive oil
1 clove of garlic, finely grated or crushed
1 - 2 tsp of freshly grated ginger, to taste
¼ tsp each salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Combine the dressing ingredients and whisk or beat well, adjust flavors to taste
2. Layer the salad items, top with sunflower seeds, drizzle some dressing

Alternately, use Romaine hearts or any favorite greens, julienne the carrots and finely grate the beets, garnish with avacado if preferred, sprinkle slivered almonds instead of sunflower seeds... this is a flexible and versatile salad with the agave-nectar-ginger vinaigrette pulling the elements together :)

Blood Orange, Beets and Black Plum Salad

Blood oranges, ruby grapefruits, tangelos, navel oranges, clementines, kumquats... it's been a citrus fiesta for the last couple of months in our house.

While the adults enjoy a fresh grapefruit as breakfast or as dessert, the kids don't seem to care for it, except in blended fruit smoothies.

The deep red flesh (thanks to anthocyanin) and the sweet mellow taste makes blood oranges a special treat. That, and the fact that other than this season it is unaffordable in my budget :) While grapefruit feels quite a bit harshly acidic, bothering my teeth, blood orange seems pretty mild in comparison. The Moro oranges grown in the U.S. are deep red, almost burgundy, and happens to be our favorite.



As I was browsing for interesting ways to present blood orange, this Roasted Beet and Blood Orange Salad recipe caught my attention and inspired me to present my version of it for a weeknight dinner, along with some roasted fingerling potatoes.

Salads are very much a favorite first course or even a whole meal on some weeknights, especially in summer when we get fresh greens and tomatoes from our garden. Now, the dressing/vinaigrette is what makes the salad for me. I have been meaning to post a compilation of my favorite dressings here... maybe soon. Sometimes it is just a quick vinaigrette thrown together with no thought, at other times it is based on a special craving, a special flavor to bring out the salad's strength...

Anyway, the ginger-soy hot-and-sweet vinaigrette for this salad is one of our favorites. But, a light red wine vinaigrette or sherry vinaigrette would be good too.

Ingredients
1 blood orange
1 navel orange
1 small black plum
1 can whole beets
4-6 cups baby spinach

Hot-and-Sweet Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp sambal oelek
2 Tbsp kecap manis
4 Tbsp cup blood orange juice, or plain orange juice
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
¼ cup canola oil (more or less)
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Blend the ingredients together, adjusting flavors as desired.

Preparation

1. Cut the canned whole beets into chunks and pan roast them with some canola oil and sambal oelek. Sambal oelek is optional, can use cayenne pepper instead; or leave it out. I like the way the heat of the sambal oelek complements the natural sweetness of the beets as they roast together
2. Cut chunks of flesh from the oranges, toss together with baby spinach, plums, and pan-roasted beets, adding just enough vinaigrette to suit your taste

Bite-sized Tofu Wraps and Garden Mesclun Greens

We've just been eating a lot of salads with the greens from the garden for the last week or so... with quick and easy home-made vinaigrettes and dressings.

A simple salad: mesclun greens, broccoli, cauliflower, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts and some crumbled feta.

Citrus Vinaigrette:
1 Tbsp frozen orange juice
4 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp Tabasco™ sauce (or any hot sauce)
½ tsp grated ginger
1 tsp agave nectar or honey
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp Citrus vinegar
salt to taste

Bite-sized Tofu wraps: Pan-fried tofu, wrapped in greens, with some cheese, and I like to seal it with some refried beans or cream cheese or peanut butter so it holds better.

Mesclun Greens with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Usually, the fun part about serving salads for me is to make vinaigrettes and dressings at home. This grapefruit vinaigrette recipe was inspired by a citrus vinaigrette recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks: Fields of Greens.

A typical vinaigrette has 1:4 or 1:3 ratio of vinegar:oil, and citrus juices are a good substitute for vinegars.

In this recipe, the grapefruit juice can be substituted with cider vinegar or raspberry vinegar to get a different flavor - adjust the acid:oil ratio as desired. I like the tang from the grapefruit juice, so, the acid:oil ratio is not quite the typical one in this recipe.

Ingredients
1 pkt mesclun greens or any favorite spring greens mix
1 large shallot, or ½ medium red onion, sliced thin
¼ red bell pepper, sliced thin
some chopped toasted walnuts or almonds
some dried cranberries
1-2 pepperoncini (optional)
1 grapefruit

Grapefruit Vinaigrette:
¼ cup grapefruit juice
2 Tbsp hazelnut oil
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 small shallot, finely minced
salt to taste

Preparation:

1. sauté the onions with a pinch of salt and brown sugar till it carmelizes, set aside to cool
2. cut the grapefruit in half, use one half to get the juice for the vinaigrette and the other to extract sections of the fruit for the salad
3. whisk together the juice and all the vinaigrette ingredients,taste and adjust flavors, if needed; vinaigrettes tend to be unstable emulsions and separate, so, whisk well before serving
4. assemble the salad, top with walnuts, cranberries and grapefruit sections, drizzle the vinaigrette, toss lightly before serving