Off The Counter: Seasonal Citrus

Before my kitchen was demolished , I experimented with my favorite winter salad ingredients:  blood oranges, avocado and red onion.  Using Instagram to document my culinary exploits, I had  few people ask what type of dressing I used.  So here it comes:

Mind you, I'm not one for measuring ingredients, so depending on the size of the salad and your preference as to just how much dressing is enough, your own judgement should come into play.

Olive Oil, Orange Blossom Champagne Vinegar, Citrus Zest, and Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.  Whisk together and pour.

I'm looking forward to having a kitchen counter again.  I suspect there'll be some serious cooking in the new space.

Off The Counter: The Classic Cobb Salad

This week's Off The Counter is inspired by an old favorite, the Cobb Salad.  It was  a staple of ours years ago but only recently have we integrated it back into our culinary repertoire.  It could be the perfect summer meal:  light,  filling and good for you at the same time.  Ingredients and instructions below.  Take a look at this classic:

Ingredients:

Baby spinach, blue cheese, bacon, hard boiled eggs, avocado, dijon mustard, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.

Instructions:

Cook the bacon and boil the eggs. We like it with lots of eggs so we use 3-4.  Combine with the spinach, blue cheese and avocado.  Salt and pepper to your liking.  For the dressing mix olive oil, some dijon mustard, juice from a lemon and salt and pepper.  Drizzle on top and toss.  Enjoy!

Do YOU have a favorite go-to salad?

Off The Counter: Post Holiday Salad

This week's Off The Counter features 3 of my favorite salad ingredients:  fennel, citrus and kalamata olives.  Combining them results in a refreshingly light salad that splendidly balances hearty winter meals.  Using locally harvested honey and fresh pressed olive oil (both Christmas presents given to us by Alex's West coast cousins), I created a dressing that's both mildly sweet and acidic.  Ingredients and instructions below:

Ingredients:

Blood oranges, grapefruit, fennel, kalamata olives, fresh squeezed blood orange juice, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Instructions:

Thinly slice the fennel, peeled grapefruit and blood orange.  Arrange them on a platter and toss a handful of olives on top.  In a bowl, add olive oil and fresh squeezed blood orange juice.  Whisk in honey to desired sweetness.  Drizzle on top of salad, add salt and pepper to taste.

Many thanks to VK and AK for sharing some of nature's finest gifts with us this season.

What are your favorite salad ingredients?

Off The Counter: Blood Oranges

This week's Off The Counter features a seasonal obsession of mine, the blood orange.  Each year, about this time, the burgundy blushed rinds of this citrus wonder begin filling the produce shelves.    I recently used them in this salad.   The crimson fruit makes an absolutely beautiful dish.  Take a look:

The night I prepared the blood orange salad I also served a bowl of arugula, roasted pine nuts and shredded parmesan cheese.   The two salads tasted wonderful together, and  accompanied by a few glasses of wine, my husband's and my dinner was tasty, pretty and healthy. Our children still refuse to eat salads and we still refuse to serve them wine...

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