Grilled Corn Salad

Corn is the epitome of summer foods for me. As soon as the weather starts to warm up (well, warm up everywhere but here in foggy San Francisco), you begin to see piles of corn at supermarkets and farmers markets, and it disappears almost as quickly. 

As a child, we stuck to the classic boiled corn on the cob; only three minutes in hot water and a final pat of butter was all corn needed. I didn't even know that people grilled corn until I was in college, when Z and I tried Mexican-style grilled corn.

These were no ordinary corn on the cobs. They were grilled to have a dark charred exterior, and then covered with cojita cheese, lime juice, and red chili pepper. It has great flavor balance-smoky corn exterior, sweet corn kernels, salty cheese, acidic lime juice, and spicy red pepper. 

Inspired by these corns on the cob, I've created a corn salad recipe here that uses the same flavor profile. We served it on the 4th of July, and it's a perfect meal to bring for summer dinner parties, pool parties, and picnics. 

Grilled Corn Salad

3 ears of corn

3 tablespoons mayo

1 lime

1/4 teaspoon of red chili pepper

4 tablespoons shredded cojita cheese

Prep corn for grilling by shucking the corn and lightly rubbing the outside with olive oil. Place corn in a hot pan or on an electric skillet. Turn every 5 minutes until the corn is dark and charred throughout.

Next, cut the corn off of the cob, and place the kernels into a bowl. 

In a small prep bowl, combine the mayo, lime juice, and chili pepper. Top the kernels with the dressing and toss. 

Add in cojita cheese and toss again. Feel free to adjust salad to match your taste--add more pepper for heat or more lime for acidity.

Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad

It's not really fair to call this a "recipe", because it's one of the easiest salads in the world to make. Chop up three things, toss them into a bowl, and you're good to go.

This salad is a popular Mediterranean combination, but it's rare to find it here in the US. I love anything with a salty-sweet flavor profile, and this dish fits the bill perfectly. This is the dish to serve at backyard barbecues, picnics, and happy hours. I even served it at my birthday!

Since there are only three ingredients to this salad, it's important that each one is top notch. Be on the lookout for ripe watermelon (look especially for a cream or green-colored bottom, and tapping the watermelon should make a sound reminiscent of a drum). Splurge a little bit on the feta, and pick up some fresh mint at the Farmer's Market.

Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad

Feel free to multiply the recipe as necessary to fit the party you're serving

1 cup watermelon, cubed

1/3 cup feta, chopped 

3 tablespoons chopped mint

Toss ingredients in a bowl. Let sit for at least an hour so that ingredients can come to room temperature. Enjoy!

Arugula and Quinoa Salad with Nectarines, Mint, and Goat Cheese

While a luscious peach cobbler recipe is probably the classic summer peach recipe, I'm instead sharing with you a much lighter (and healthier!) savory nectarine salad.

This salad has been one of my go-to summer salads for years now. It's borderline embarrassing how frequently I eat this salad during the summer. Since it's easy to throw together and relatively healthy, it's great for busy nights when you just want something simple and delicious.

The best parts of this salad are the peaches and fresh mint! The herb lends a freshness to the dish, while the nectarines bring sweetness and juiciness to the dish. With a glass of white wine, it's a perfect summer meal.

Don't have nectarines on hand? No worries--switch out the nectarines for peaches, strawberries, or apples!

I particularly like the visual appeal of having a pile of arugula with the ingredients separated, but feel free to toss the ingredients all together in a bowl as well.

Arugula and Quinoa Salad with Nectarines, Mint, and Goat Cheese

Serves one

1/2 lemon

1.5 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups of arugula

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup cooked quinoa (I particularly like the tri-color quinoa)

1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1 nectarine, sliced

Squeeze the half lemon, and combine the lemon juice with the olive oil, whisking until a dressing forms. Lightly toss the arugula with the lemon dressing. Season the arugula with salt and pepper to taste. Pile the arugula onto a plate.

Place the goat cheese, quinoa, mint, and nectarine slices around the arugula. Enjoy!

Basil Green Goddess Salad with Avocado and Egg

The thoughts that go through my head each weekend: Fresh vegetables! Flowers! Farmer's markets! Herbs! Spring! 

Z was in India recently, so I spent the weekend on my own. I spent one Saturday morning at the Noe Valley Farmers' Market, and I walked home with a boatload of fresh product, even though it was just me at home. I picked up a huge bunch of fresh basil and mint, in addition to butter lettuce, kale, and strawberries. 

As soon as I saw the basil butter lettuce, I knew I needed to make green goddess dressing. Green goddess dressing is a creamy dressing filled with basil, and it's wonderful during the spring and summer. 

This salad was the perfect thing to make when Z was gone. Z has a weird dislike of salad dressing. He never wants salad dressing, even on kale salad! When he's gone, it's time to experiment.

This salad dressing is wonderful during the spring. It is chock full of basil, so it's a great way to use up those herbs from the farmers' market. It does have anchovies in it, but don't leave them out! The anchovies lend an amazing flavor to this dish.

Don't be surprised if this becomes your new go-to salad dressing. It also works great as a dip for bread and crudites.

Basil Green Goddess Dressing

From Ina Garten

3 heads lettuce (Bibb or Butter lettuce)

Vegetable of choice (tomatoes or radishes work well, I used purple asparagus)

3 avocadoes

1 cup good mayonnaise

1 cup chopped scallions

1 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

Hard-boiled eggs

Clean and dry the lettuce thoroughly, and then arrange the lettuce on a plate. Add your other vegetables and avocadoes. 

Combine the mayonnaise, scallions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, kosher salt, and black pepper in a food processor until smooth. Add the Greek yogurt, and process just until blended. If not using immediately, then put the dressing in the refrigerator. Otherwise, drizzle the dressing onto your salad, and add the hard boiled eggs!

Endive Citrus Salad with Avocado and Goat Cheese

I've been keeping this recipe a secret from you for quite some time now. I originally made this endive citrus salad back in December, and I immediately was smitten with how easy this was to make, yet it looked so impressive!

For those of you bundled up in lots of snow and cold weather, this light and citrusy salad is a burst of sunshine. It's the type of salad I would imagine eating on a white-sand beach, with a pina colada in my hand.

I initially intended to make this salad for Z's and my Chanukah party--we put out a huge spread of appetizers (including latkes!) for friends, and this salad was supposed to be on the menu. I ended up not having enough time to make these between everything else that was going on (latkes were my top priority), but I made this salad a few days later and loved loved loved the results.

This endive salad looks so fancy--I love the idea of serving it at a cocktail party! But it's so delicious and easy to make, don't be surprised if this becomes one of your new go-to dinner options.

Endive Citrus Salad with Avocado and Goat Cheese

Recipe inspired by Smitten Kitchen and Jose Andres

3 oranges (I used one blood orange and two navel oranges, but I also really like Cara Cara oranges in this)

2 heads of endive

2 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled

1 avocado, diced

Red wine vinegar

Olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Flaky sea salt

Cut the tops and bottoms off of your oranges. Cut the peels, including the white pith, off of the oranges. Slice between the membrane and the orange segment so you can release the orange segments. Chop the orange segments once or twice so that they are not too big!

Trim the endives and add them to a platter. Place a spoonful of orange segments into each endive. Add a little bit of avocado and goat cheese to each endive.

Drizzle the endives with vinegar and olive oil, then sprinkle with pepper and salt to taste. 

Enjoy!

Lighter Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is one of my all-time favorite diner meals--piled on top of toasted bread with avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. I wanted to bring a lighter version of this chicken salad home, a version that could easily become part of your weekly routine, without breaking the (calorie) bank!

This version swaps out mayo for tangy Greek yogurt, but remains classic with tarragon, shallots, lemon juice, and parsley. There are tons of additions you could go for here--Sriracha, hot sauce, curry powder, sliced almonds, grapes, za'tar--the options are endless!

I used rotisserie chicken for this recipe--about 2 cups of chopped chicken. I am also including the Cook's Illustrated recipe for preparing chicken for chicken salad in case you don't have any rotisserie chicken in the fridge.

Lighter Chicken Salad

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, no more than 1 in thick

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 celery ribs, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon

Salt and pepper

Dissolve 2 tablespoons salt in 6 cups of cold water in a Dutch oven. Submerge chicken in water. Heat pot over medium heat until water registers 170 degrees. Turn off heat, cover pot, and let stand until chicken registers 165 degrees.

Transfer chicken to paper towel-lined tray. Refrigerate until chicken is cool, about 30 minutes. While chicken cools, whisk yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, and pepper (approximately 1/4 teaspoon) together in a large bowl.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Transfer chicken to bowl with yogurt mixture. Add celery, shallot, parsley, and tarragon; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Little Gem Salad with Feta, Grapefruit, and Toasted Pecans

Happy Friday! I am so excited for a weekend of lovely weather, tennis, and great coffee.  One of my favorite weekend activities is heading over to the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market on Sunday mornings, post-workout.

This past weekend, a beautiful head of little gem lettuce caught my eye at one of the stands at the market.  Little gem looks a little bit like romaine and has a crunchy texture and a slightly sweet flavor.

This salad takes some very simple ingredients and combines them into one delicious salad. I love any sort of salty-sweet combination, and this salad does not disappoint thanks to the grapefruit and the feta cheese.

This salad and some great bread (and maybe even a glass of vino) is the perfect weekend lunch meal.

Enjoy the weekend!

Little Gem Salad with Feta, Grapefruit, and Toasted Pecans

One small head of Little Gem lettuce, cleaned and stems removed

One grapefruit, sectioned into smaller pieces

1/4 cup toasted pecans (hazelnuts would be equally delicious)

1/3 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup grapefruit juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon of honey

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Layer the Little Gem leaves on a large serving platter. Top with grapefruit sections, pecan, and feta cheese.

Whisk together the grapefruit juice, olive oil, honey, and a dash of salt and pepper in a bowl. Drizzle over the salad, and save the rest in the fridge for another time!

  

Thai-Inspired Salmon and Kale Salad

I love salad, particularly any salad with avocado.  Add a thai-inspired vinaigrette, kale and roasted salmon, and I might be in love. This salad is often my brown bag lunch of choice, though some nights it makes for a great dinner. I particularly enjoy it after my gym workout, when I have just spent 45 minutes lifting weights, and I feel like continuing my health kick.

The vinaigrette is inspired by David Chang's recipe. I know, fish sauce sounds weird. It is weird. It's basically a sauce made out of anchovies and salt. But, I do promise it will add flavor to this salmon, and bring in a taste of Southeast Asia. I keep it stocked in my fridge for faux pho and green curry. I promise it sounds weird, but give the poor fish sauce a chance! It'll be a match made in heaven.

Go get your workout on, then come back and revel in this healthy Thai-inspired salad.

Thai-Inspired Salmon and Kale Salad

The vinaigrette will make more than enough salad dressing; store it in the fridge to use for the rest of the week!

Fish sauce vinaigrette:

1/2 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Juice of one lime

1/4 cup sugar (I used brown sugar, but any type is fine)

1/2 inch cube whole ginger

1 garlic clove

A few drops of Sriracha

Salad:

3/4 cup of chopped kale

1/4 cup shredded carrots

1 shallot, chopped into small pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 avocado, sliced

1 3oz fillet of roasted salmon

• Combine all the ingredients in a small food processor.

• Blend until the vinaigrette ingredients are well combined.

• Combine the kale, carrots, shallot, pepper, and avocado in a bowl.  Toss with two tablespoons of fish sauce vinaigrette. 
• Place the salad onto your serving plate. Add the roasted salmon.  Add additional vinaigrette according to your tastes.