salad Archives - domenica dreams of calamari

July 21, 2018July 21, 2018

Burrata, Tomato, Prosciutto and Nectarine Salad

It’s been very hot and this just sounded like the perfect thing to eat yesterday. This salad is a great Summer salad because you can chill it and it’s very refreshing. Not to mention it’s a gorgeous! The nectarines make it sweet, the tomatoes make it tart, the prosciutto makes it nice and salty and the burrata makes it creamy and decadent! Can’t forget basil and balsamic for depth of flavor! We grew these nectarines and they are AMAZING, also my uncle grew the basil which is also amazing. I will never get sick of burrata. Or prosciutto.

{serves 4 as a side salad}

2 nectarines
2 cups tomatoes
3 (long) slices prosciutto
7 large basil leaves
1 large ball of burrata
a splash of balsamic

cut nectarines into bite sized pieces
cut tomatoes in half
dice or slice prosciutto to the best of your ability
slice basil leaves in long thin strips (you can also choose to tear prosciutto and basil)
layer nectarines, tomatoes, prosciutto and basil into a long, somewhat flat dish
drain burrata and lay it on top, cut a + into the burrata and spread it over the lovely produce
drizzle balsamic on top and garnish with basil leaves!

May 11, 2018May 11, 2018

Smoked Yellowtail, Baked White Bean and Roasted Tomato Salad

For anyone who thinks salads can’t be exciting dinners, I have to disagree. We’ve been focussing on dinner salads for the past couple of weeks. It’s quick, versatile, cheap and easy. This one was especially notable. We picked up some smoked yellowtail at Seaside Market and I kind of based the dinner around that. I used to bake beans like this in college all the time. I lived with three girls who all loved to cook and had similar tastes and this was one of our favorite drunk snacks. We’d all end up back in the living room after a night on the town and I’d inevitably toss together some white beans (cannellini beans) and nuts with some mustard, tahini and vinegar mixture and throw them in the oven- side note, I’m kind of known for my strange drunk snacks. Anyways don’t knock it ’til you try it, it sounds kind of funky but it’s quite good. Also roasted tomatoes are never a bad idea and of course I have unending fondness for soft boiled eggs <3

{serves 2}

1 can cannellini beans
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 lemon
Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
a drizzle olive oil
1 tbsp tahini
2 rosemary sprigs, stemmed and chopped
2 thyme sprigs, stemmed
2 eggs
14 cherry tomatoes
8 oz smoked fish
pita chips (optional)
avocado ! (optional)
3 handfuls mixed greens
1 bell pepper

pre-heat oven to 350ºF
soft boil eggs; boil a small pot of water then turn it down to a simmer, add the eggs gently and cook for 6-7 minutes then remove w/ a slotted spoon and put in an ice bath for a few minutes –or hard boil them if that’s more your speed
drain beans and transfer to a medium sized bowl; add tahini, mustard, balsamic, lemon juice, herbs and Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread beans on one half, then toss tomatoes in same bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil
spread them on the other half of the baking sheet
bake for about 30 minutes, checking and turning every so often after the first 15 minutes
rinse greens and chop, divide between two bowls
chop bell pepper and add that on top; slice fish and throw that in
let the beans and tomatoes cool slightly when finished them add them to the party and lastly top with the egg and avo! great with a vinaigrette and maybe a glass of crisp rose

June 16, 2016June 16, 2016

Smoked Salmon Spring Salad w/ Dill-Garlic Yogurt Sauce

I went to my cousins’ wedding in Seattle and got kind of obsessed with smoked salmon. I literally ate it in at least one meal a day for two weeks, which was possible on my college budget thanks to Costco. They have this two pack of black pepper covered smoked salmon that is definitely, probably not sustainably raised or caught but it is delicious and is justifiable in my little budget. One day I will buy only sustainably caught fish but…you gotta do what you gotta do. So anyways here’s a smoked salmon salad recipe with a kick-ass yogurt sauce.

1/4 cup marcona almonds
a couple chunks smoked salmon
1/2 avocado
bed of lettuce
1/2 cup thawed frozen peas, corn, green beans (or whatever veggies you’ve got on hand)

dill yogurt sauce*

2 cups plain yogurt (on the runny side preferably)
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp capers w/ 1 tbsp caper water
1 tbsp dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tbsp tahini
10 sprigs of dill

mince garlic and juice lemon
in a bowl combine yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, mustard, capers and caper waters
pick dill of stems and incorporate into sauce
add a dash of water if it’s too thick and continue to stir

*this sauce is better the longer it sits, I’d recommend making it the night before for the ultimate flavor

then assemble the salad and dig in

for more recipes to use any leftover yogurt and smoked salmon check out this savory spring oatmeal or this exciting risotto

October 24, 2014January 22, 2015

Butter Lettuce, Pineapple, Feta Salad

This is a great, simple salad to accompany a Mexican or tropical meal

Butter Lettuce
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 lime (juice)
salt/peppa
1/2 cup feta cheese

clean and slice butter lettuce into bite-size pieces and put in bowl
dice pineapple, squeeze lime juice onto butter lettuce
add feta cheese and salt and pepper to taste

October 4, 2014October 4, 2014

Tuna Veggy Salad

I really love tuna. Not tuna soaked in mayo though, that takes the fun out of it. I like to chop up fruits and veggies and make a lighter, fresher salad, just like my mom’s. This was another recipe born out of bountiful produce and a mighty appetite.

1 can tuna
2 sticks celery
1/2 large tomato
2 tbsp mustard
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 handfuls spinach
1 lg carrot
1/2 onion (red or white)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
10 red grapes
healthy dose of capers

drain tuna
chop celery, peel carrot then slice along with the tomato, onion and spinach and halve the grapes
add it all to a bowl and mix

September 22, 2014November 2, 2014

Pickled Onions

I am a firm believer that pickled onions can make almost any salad or sandwich better. They’re a great, easy DIY pantry staple to have on hand in the fridge. Using this basic vinegar-sugar-salt-veg ratio, you can play around with different kinds of veggies and or seeds and seasonings for flavoring, to perfect your pickled goods.

1/2 cup apple cider or red wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tbsp black pepper corns
1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds

whisk vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved
place sliced onions and seeds in a jar
pour vinegar over and let sit at room temp for 1 hour
they’ll last for 2 weeks in the fridge