Posts Tagged Salad
GRILLED AVOCADO SALAD
Posted by patandkrislarkin in Cooking and Baking on August 16, 2012
The grilled avocado salad has been one our favorites since the first time we tasted it in a California grilling class. It is amazing that though you only put it on the grill for a few moments, the grilling process seems to really wake up a new “earthy” flavor in the avocado. A gas or charcoal grill will work fine but as you know we are partial to charcoal as it just gives more of a smoky flavor to your food. Let’s get started!
PREP: 25 minutes
GRILL TIME: 1 minute
SERVES – 8
Ingredients:
10 tomatoes, thickly sliced
4 avocados, peeled, haled & pitted
Extra-Virgin olive oil, for drizzling & adding to juice
1 red onion, sliced
Juice from ½ lemon
½ cup pine nuts
Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded or cut into thin wafers
Freshly grated black pepper, optional
Directions
- Preheat grill over medium heat. Cover a large tray or serving platter with tomatoes and set aside
- In another bowl, cover the red onion slices with the lemon juice that has been mixed with a couple Tablespoons of olive oil.
- Place avocado halves on a platter and drizzle with olive oil. Place each half, cut side down, on a hot open grill for about 1 minute. Remove and place on top of the tomatoes arranged on tray.
- Place onions in the empty avocado pit holes. Drizzle the lemon juice-olive oil mixture over the top. Sprinkle pine nuts and cheese over all and grate pepper over if desired.
Now, the best part as always . . . ENJOY!
Thank you for following!
Kris
We will be having another grilling class (possibly the last for the season) at the Lark Inn in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas on the afternoon of September 9. For more information about our cooking classes and/or a great get-a-way in the Flint Hills of Kansas visit our web site: www.TheLarkInn.com
IRISH FLAG SALAD
Posted by patandkrislarkin in Cooking and Baking on March 21, 2012
By now you are probably detecting a theme in my favorite salads and that is that they generally contain fruit of some sort, nuts and cheese. I think the reason is that these types of salads will go with just about anything. They are light enough to be refreshing in hot weather, but with the nuts and cheese, they have plenty of protein and so will stay with you. We prepared the Irish Flag Salad at our March cooking class at The Lark Inn and everyone loved it! Another theme with my favorite salads . . . they are simple to make as is this one! Let’s make an Irish Flag Salad!
IRISH FLAG SALAD
PREP: 20 MINUTES
SERVES –4
- 1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach
- 2 medium pears, thinly sliced
- 2 medium oranges, peeled and sectioned
- 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
DRESSING:
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Divide spinach among four plates; top with pears, oranges, cheese & pistachios
2. Whisk the dressing ingredients; drizzle over salads. Serve
**This salad features green spinach, orange fruit and white cheese, mimicking the colors in the national flag of Ireland.
ENJOY!!
Thank you for reading!
Kris
For more information about our scheduled cooking classes at The Lark Inn Guesthouses or scheduling your own custom Cooking Class Party check my website.
ORANGE, FENNEL, RED ONION AND BLACK OLIVE SALAD
Posted by patandkrislarkin in Cooking and Baking on March 5, 2012
Another recipe we prepared at a Lark Inn Cooking Class is the Orange, Fennel, Red Onion and Black Olive Salad. This is one of those “Ah-Ha” recipes. What do I mean by that? Well, if you ask people whether or not they like fennel, probably 80% will tell you they don’t . . . and about 80% of them have never tasted it! I can’t tell you how many times I have prepared this and people have thanked me for opening their taste horizons to fennel.
With the contrasting flavors of the anise in the fennel, the sweet tang of the oranges and the pop of the red onion, this is a great refreshing salad for any time of year and will compliment most any food.
Let’s get started!
ORANGE, FENNEL, RED ONION AND BLACK OLIVE SALAD
PREP: 1 HOUR AND 20 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES
SERVES – 6
Ingredients
3 LARGE NAVEL ORANGES, PEELED AND WHITE PITH REMOVED
1 LARGE FENNEL BULB, VERY THINLY SLICED LENGTHWISE, FRONDS RESERVED
1 RED ONION, THINLY SLICED LENGTHWISE INTO JULIENNE
¾ CUP KALAMATA OLIVES, PITTED AND HALVED
2 CUPS FRESH-SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE
2 TEASPOONS ORANGE ZEST
1/4 CUP RED WINE VINEGAR
2 TABLESPOONS MINCED SHALLOTS
2 TEASPOONS HONEY
1 TEASPOON KOSHER SALT
¼ TEASPOOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
¼ CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Directions:
USING A SHARP KNIFE, CUT ALONG THE MEMBRANES OF EACH ORANGE SEGMENT TO COMPLETELY REMOVE THE ORANGE SEGMENTS FROM THE PITH AND MEMBRANES. PLACE IN A BOWL AND RESERVE ANY ACCUMULATED JUICES SEPARATELY.
PLACE THE FENNEL, RED ONION AND BLACK OLIVES IN A SALAD BOWL AND CHILL THOROUGHLY.
PLACE THE ORANGE JUICE AND ORANGE ZEST IN A SMALL SAUCEPAN AND BRING TO A BOIL. CONTINUE TO COOK AT A SIMMER UNTIL REDUCED TO ABOUT ¼ CUP (BE CAREFUL NEAR THE END OF COOKING, AS THIS CAN EASILY BURN IF LEFT UNATTENDED.) ALLOW TO COOL, THEN TRANSFER TO A MIXING BOWL ALONG WITH THE RED WINE VINEGAR, SHALLOTS, HONEY, SALT, AND PEPPER. WHISK TO THOROUGHLY COMBINE AND ALLOW TO SIT FOR 5 MINUTES. ADD THE OIL IN A THIN, STEADY STREAM UNTIL COMPLETELY INCORPORATED AND EMULSIFIED.
ARRANGE THE ORANGE SEGMENTS OVER THE FENNEL, RED ONION, AND OLIVES AND DRIZZLE WITH THE VINAIGRETTE. TOSS GENTLY TO COMBINE, THEN SERVE THE SALAD, WITH SOME OF THE RESERVED FENNEL FRONDS ON TOP AS A GARNISH AND DRIZZLE WITH EXTRA OLIVE OIL IF DESIRED.
Now, ENJOY!!
Thank you for reading!
KRIS
For more information about my Cooking Classes at The Lark Inn or great Get-A-Way accommodations in the Picturesque Flint Hills of Kansas please visit our website at: www.TheLarkInn.com.