Fitness Food and You

I know I’ve been posting a lot of salads lately but it’s summer time and it’s been hot!! I played around with this salad–I added less dried fruit and more cucumbers. It’s perfect for this warm weather!

ingredients for chive dressing

1 small clove garlic

2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar

1 teaspoon crème fraîche

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon chopped chives

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pinch sea salt and black pepper, plus more to taste

ingredients for salad

1 Granny Smith apple, chopped

1 Hass avocado, chopped

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ English cucumber, chopped

¼ cup chopped pistachios

¼ cup golden raisins

¼ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese, room temperature

1 pinch salt and black pepper, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish (optional)

directions

Chive dressing

1. In a blender, add in the garlic, Champagne vinegar, crème fraîche, honey, chives, salt, and pepper. Blend until combined.
2. With the blender still on, through the top, stream in the olive oil. Blend until combined. Taste for salt and pepper. Set aside.

Salad

1. Toss the apple and avocado in the lemon juice so they don’t oxidize. Then, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss with the chive dressing. (You may not have to use all of the dressing.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with some chopped chives. This salad can be made up to 3 to 4 hours in advance. If you are making the salad in advance add in the room temperature gorgonzola when you serve the salad.

(Adapted from a recipe found on https://food52.com)

This salad is not only full of nutrients but GLORIOUS to look at. Spectacular colors, flavors and textures. A perfect dish for the season!

ingredients for shrimp avocado salad

½ lb (3 to 4 medium) Roma tomatoes, chopped
½ English cucumber or 3 smaller garden cucumbers, sliced
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 cup corn kernels (from2 fresh cobs or canned drained corn)
1 medium romaine lettuce (5 to 6 cups chopped)

ingredients for the Cajun Shrimp

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp cajun spice
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Pinch of salt

ingredients for the zesty cilantro lemon dressing

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil                                                                                                  ] Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 Tbsp)                                                                                      ½ bunch cilantro, (½ cup chopped)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

directions

Place shrimp medium bowl, sprinkle with 1 tsp cajun spice, 2 pressed garlic cloves and a pinch of salt and stir to combine.

Heat large non-stick pan over medium high heat. Swirl in butter. Once butter stops sizzling, add shrimp in a single layer and sauté about 2 min without disturbing. Flip shrimp over and sauté another minute or just until cooked through. Don’t overcook shrimp or they can become rubbery. Remove to a plate and set aside to cool.

Chop, rinse and spin dry romaine lettuce. Line the bottom of a large salad platter/bowl with 5 to 6 cups of chopped romaine lettuce. Add remaining salad ingredients and shrimp in rows on top of romaine.

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Drizzle dressing over the salad then toss to combine and serve.

(Adapted from a recipe found on natashaskitchen.com)