Grilled Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction

There's nothing better than watermelon in the summer.  Whether having it as a side dish, dessert, watermelon gazpacho or salad, it's refreshing and light.  

This sweet, juicy watermelon is actually packed with some of the most important antioxidants in nature.  An excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A  it's so refreshing and light, I could literally sit down and eat and entire bowl and not feel stuffed.  This is probably due to the fact that's it's packed with 92% water, making it an extremely thirst-quenching fruit. Plus, it has a good concentration of lycopene, it's rich in B vitamins necessary for energy production and magnesium and potassium. And at only 48 calories per cup, it packs more nutrients per calorie - an outstanding health benefit!

Of course, all this helps to know when I eat buckets full.  However, I eat it mostly because I just love it and it's so refreshing and satisfying. 

So last night I decided to make BBQ Salmon with a Grilled Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese, and a Balsamic Reduction.  Since I had some pineapple I decided to add that to the grill as well and set that under my salmon for a light and luscious meal. 

The Watermelon Salad was so delicious that I thought I'd share the recipe with you.  For my next post I'll share my salmon dish that I think you'll enjoy as well.  All are so simple to prepare in addition to being healthy and delicious!

In the recipe below, adjust the amount of watermelon needed for the amount of people you're serving.


Grilled Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients:

Watermelon (seedless)
Spring Mix lettuce or Arugula
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Goat Cheese, crumbled

Directions:

For each serving cut 2 rectangular pieces of watermelon (about 3"x2") and set out on a paper towel for approximately 30 minutes.  This will absorb the extra water in the melon and allow it to get to room temperature before grilling.

Prior to grilling rub just one side of each piece of watermelon with olive oil.  Place each piece, oil side down, onto a very hot grill.   Grill just the one side for about 8 minutes.  After about 4 minutes you can rotate the watermelon to create hatch marks, if desired.

Place one piece grill side down on a plate.  Top with Spring Mix or Arugula.  Then place the other grilled piece of watermelon with the grill marks facing up on top of the Spring Mix. Set a couple pieces of the Spring Mix on top with some goat cheese crumbles.  Additionally, sprinkle some of the goat cheese around the plate and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.  (My balsamic reduction moved a bit as I moved my plate to the outdoors for photo taking).

Balsamic Reduction:

Take one bottle of balsamic vinegar and place in a heavy duty saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and reduce until just 1/4 of the vinegar is remaining in the pan.  It will be thick and sweet.  Perfect for salads, ice cream on fruit, etc.  Cool before serving. 

Store in a squirt bottle for easy serving.  Will last indefinitely.

Serve and enjoy this light, delicious and refreshing salad!

Have a Happy & Safe 4th of July!

Fresh Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing!

This afternoon I threw together a fresh spinach salad for lunch.  I love spinach.  In fact, when I was a little girl I ate so much of it my family would often refer to me as Popeye.  I thought if I ate enough spinach I could be as strong as Popeye which would have been very cool.  Instead I remained a skinny little tomboy with lots of bruises from being so active. 

To this day, I often crave spinach, as I did this afternoon for lunch.  So I made this refreshing salad with fresh berries that I had leftover from Mother's Day. 

Fresh Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
serves 6

Ingredients for Dressing:

1/4 cup rice vinegar (not rice wine vinegar)
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup canola oil

Salad ingredients:

6 cups baby spinach leaves
2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup toasted almonds

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, dry mustard, salt and pepper.  Whisk while slowly adding in the canola oil until the vinaigrette is well combined.

In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, strawberries, onion slices, peppers and almonds.  Add a portion of the vinaigrette and toss gently.  Taste and adjust by adding more vinaigrette if needed.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy this light and nutritious salad!

Don't forget to enter my OXO Mandoline Slicer Giveaway, for your chance to win this incredible kitchen tool!  Giveaway ends this Friday, May 13th.

Warm Potato Salad!

With the weather getting warmer and everyone starting to BBQ and eat outdoors here's a nice side salad to serve with your meal.  Feel free to change up the ingredients.  If you're looking for more fat then add sour cream and butter.  However, for me the olive oil is just enough and although this has a bit of bacon in it I'd still consider it on the lighter side.

Warm Potato Salad

 serves 4-6 people


1 package baby Yukon gold potatoes
½ bunch dill, finely chopped
2 strips of bacon
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Place water in bowl of the steamer and boil. Once boiling place washed potatoes into the steamer basket, cover and cook until potatoes are tender, approximately 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime, take the strips of bacon and place on a hot griddle and cover with grilling plates if you have them. Cook the bacon until it’s done but not too crispy.

When the potatoes are done, cut them in half and place into a large bowl. Add dill and enough olive oil to coat. Crumble bacon over the top and season with salt and pepper.

Toss and serve.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for the FireWire Grilling Skewers a couple posts down.  The giveaway ends Friday!

Grilled Swordfish Kebobs with Black Bean, Corn & Quinoa Salad

Quinoa has been called the Complete Protein Nutrient Powerhouse because it's packed with all 8 essential amino acids, plus vitamins and minerals.  In addition its:

• high in potassium which helps control blood pressure
• wheat and gluten free which is great for those suffering with celiac disease or wheat allergies
• low on the glycemic index, which means it won't spike blood sugar levels because it enters our bodies at an even rate keeping us full longer
• high in fiber
• has a light fluffy texture and nutty flavor which makes this incredible grain delicious as well.

Quinoa is just now starting to gain its popularity.  With 3-9 foot Magenta stalks varying in color from red, orange, purple, green , black and yellow they grow in abundance.  Not needing much irrigation or fertilizer and the abiltiy to grow in poor soil makes this grain a "super crop" for it's potential to feed the poor and hungry of the world.

Some caution must be taken however, when prepping your quinoa.  Because the grains are covered with "Saponin" which prevents insects for eating it, you must be careful to remove it.  If not removed (by simply rinsing it well under water in a fine mesh sieve prior to cooking), it will taste bitter and can have minor toxic effects, causing stomache aches and sometimes vomiting.  A good rinse before cooking and even after will insure that all the Saponin is removed.  Leaving you with a healthy and delicious grain to eat.

So with all these nutritional benefits I like to try and come up with some Quinoa recipes that I think my family will enjoy.  What could be better than a light, healthy meal that completely nourishes your body and leaves you feeling full and satisfied after eating?  Quinoa!


With that in mind the other evening I made Grilled Swordfish Kebobs on my Firewire Grilling Skewers (keep watching for my Firewire Grilling Skewer giveaway- coming soon) with a Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Salad.  Not only was it delicious but very colorful!

Here's the recipe, I hope you enjoy it!

Grilled Swordfish Kebobs with Black Bean, Corn & Quinoa Salad
serves 4 as an entree

Ingredients:

4 (6 oz) pieces of Swordfish
olive oil
salt and pepper

Ingredients for Dressing:

2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp.  Aji Amarillo Paste


1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for Salad:

1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup drained cooked black beans, or purchased (rinsed)
2/3 cup thawed frozen corn kernels
1 tomato, seeded and finely diced
1 small orange bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

To grill the swordfish kebobs: (Grill the kebobs after the salad is put together with the exception of the dressing).
Cut swordfish into large bite size chunks and place on firewire grilling skewers (or other skewers). Drizzle with olive oil to coat kebobs, adding salt and pepper.  Place on preheated grill and grill approximately 5-7 minutes, then flip for another 5 minutes.  Try to leave some spacing in between each kebob so that the centers can cook evenly with the rest of the fish.

To make the dressing:
In a bowl, whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, cilantro, aji paste, oregano, salt and pepper.  Add the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until smooth and emulsified.  Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the rinsed quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water.  Stir in the salt.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the quinoa is tender and all the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the quinoa to a colander and rinse under cold running water.  Drain thoroughly, then transfer to a large nonreactive* bowl. 

Add the black beans to the bowl with the quinoa.  Pat the corn dry with paper towels and add to the bowl, alnog with the tomato and bell pepper.

At this point place the swordfish on the grill and cook as directed above.  Once cooked, add the dressing to the Quinoa Salad.  Place in the center of a large platter with the swordfish surrounding.  Serve.

Enjoy! 

*Note: 
A nonreactive bowl is made of non-porous material the does not alter or add a flavor to or change the color of a food being prepared. Stainless steel, glass, enamel, and glazed ceramic are examples of non-porous materials that do not adversely affect the taste and appearance of foods such tomatoes or citrus fruits that are high in acidic content and may react with absorb components of porous subtances.

Don't forget my Polder Cooking Thermometer Giveaway., ending this week.  This is the greatest tool for perfectly grilled foods. All you have to do is enter yoir name here before it's too late:
http://in-homeculinaryclasses.blogspot.com/2011/03/fantastic-giveaway-just-in-time-for.html

Edamame Succotash



It's feeling warm again and I feel like eating light food and salads, so I decided to make an Edamame Succotash.  This is a dish that I often get when I run into Whole Foods Market to pick up a quick bite for lunch.  I love everything they have there from the produce, cheese, meats, prepared foods and honestly there really isn't anything I don't like there.  Everything they have is superb! 

In fact, while I was picking up some items to grill for dinner this evening I needed more ground cumin and noticed it said "non-irradiated" on the bottle.  You'll know what I'm talking about if you read my previous blog post.

If you've never tried Edamame before you might be wondering what it is.  Edamame is a green vegetable more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time.

The word Edamame means "Beans on Branches," and it grows in clusters on bushy branches. To retain the freshness and its natural flavor, it is parboiled and quick-frozen.

Edamame which is high in protein is consumed as a snack, a vegetable dish, used in soups or processed into sweets. As a snack, the pods are lightly boiled in salted water, and then the seeds are squeezed directly from the pods into the mouth with the fingers. 

The recipe below however, uses just the shelled edamame bean not the pod.  These can be found just that way, in packages, in the frozen food section of your supermarket.

I hope if you try the Edamame Succotash, you like it.  Instead of using lima beans as in the traditional dish, Edamame (soy beans) have been replaced.  Plus the added dried cranberries give it a little bit of a sweet flavor while the chili sauce gives it a bit of a kick.

As always if there's something in the ingredients for this dish or any I post, that you don't like, then replace it with something that appeals to your palate.

This is delicious served on the side, as a meal with chicken added, although, you don't need to add anything, since it's already packed with protein.

Edamame Succotash
serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 (4 ounce) packages gourmet mushroom blend or fresh mushroom variety, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste
1 (16 ounce) package Edamame shelled soy beans, thawed
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced (use fresh or jarred if you prefer)

Dressing:

2 tablespoons Sweet Chili Sauce
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Thai Red Curry Paste
2 tablespoons  Mirin
1 1/2 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil

Directions:

Sauté mushrooms over medium-high heat in olive oil with salt and pepper for 7 to 8 minutes or until mushrooms give up their liquid. Place edamame and corn in a large serving bowl. Add hot cooked mushrooms, cranberries and peppers.

Make dressing by whisking together Thai sweet red chili sauce, Thai red curry paste, mirin, and toasted seame oil. Gently toss together and adjust seasoning to taste.

Enjoy!

Arugula Salad with Grilled Chicken & Strawberries

The weather was so unbelievably beautiful today especially since originally the forecast was for rain and storms all day.

I felt like something light for dinner this evening so I decided to make a salad. My family didn't mind since I always make big meals. So tonight was light and easy.

I had some chicken (which I grilled), strawberries, Ciliegene Mozzarella, and Arugula on hand and made some fresh croutons.

Then I made a Pomegranate Raspberry Vinaigrette to go with the salad. For those of you that purchase store bought vinaigrette's it's so easy to make your own. A simple rule of thumb is:

3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. I tend to make it with 1/2 the amount of vinegar to the oil. That's because I like mine with a little more tang. Then I added some Dijon mustard, Agave Nectar for sweetness and a little salt and pepper. You can also add some chopped shallots and minced garlic if you like. I didn't add those this evening.

Tonight's dish was simple and delicious. In fact, the croutons I made by just using some whole grain slices of bread. Then spraying them with Pam, adding a little salt and pepper and putting them in the oven until brown and crispy. Then I just sliced them into cubes and added them to the salad. Easy, delicious and low fat.

So if you're in the mood for something light, why not whip up a salad for yourself using the ingredients you have around. Whether you have red wine vinegar, balsamic, strawberry or any type of vinegar you can make a vinaigrette with the oil you have on hand, although Olive Oil would be my preference. It's that simple. Give it a try!

Southwest Chipotle Chicken and Rice Salad

Well the weather was perfect this afternoon so of course I had to BBQ. So I decided to make the Southwest Chipotle Chicken and Rice Salad. Everything goes on the pit except the rice. I love this dish in fact I just realized as I'm posting this that I already blogged about it last summer.

Typically I make this salad with brown rice but I've been using Rice Select, Royal Blend rice a lot, which comes in a variety of grains. Tonight I used one of my favorites which is the Whole Grain with Texmati Brown and Wild Rice with Soft Wheat & Rye. It's delicious and heart healthy.

I prepared the rice as directed but in my rice cooker and it turned out perfect without a hassle. Typically though I prepare it on the stove.

Anyway, here's the recipe. I hope you enjoy it.

Southwest Chipotle Chicken and Rice Salad
Makes 6 servings


3/4 cup olive oil
4 green onions, sliced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chilies*
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
4 ears fresh corn, shucked** (can also use 2 cups frozen corn kernels)
2 poblano chilies, quartered lengthwise, seeded
2 red bell peppers, quartered lengthwise, seeded

3 3/4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups Rice Select, Royal Blend Whole Grain Rice

Whisk first 5 ingredients and 1/2 cup cilantro in small bowl. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Place chicken, corn, chilies and bell peppers on rimmed baking sheet. Brush 1/2 cup dressing over both sides of chicken and vegetables. Let stand 30 minutes.

Place 2 cups rice and 3 3/4 cups water in a rice cooker and cook until done OR (Bring 3 3/4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in heavy large saucepan. Mix in rice. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Keep pan covered and let rice stand 5 minutes.) Transfer rice to large bowl; fluff with fork. Pour 1/2 cup dressing over hot rice and toss; let cool.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Grill chicken and vegetables (use a vegetable grate) until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender and slightly charred, about 5-6 minutes per side. Cut chicken, peppers and chilies into strips. Cut corn off cobs. Toss chicken and vegetables in medium bowl with enough dressing to coat; add to rice and toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 6 plates. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and serve.

*Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available at supermarkets in the mexican foods or ethnic sections.

**Removing corn kernels from the cob can be messy—they like to bounce off the cutting board and end up scattered all over the counter and floor. To keep those kernels in their place, insert the tip of the ear of corn into the center hole of a Bundt pan. Cut the kernels away from the cob in long downward strokes, letting them fall into the pan. (see photo in my earlier post about this recipe)

Great served with fresh fruit and tortilla chips. Perfect to bring for a BBQ. Oh and I almost forgot. Leftovers the next day are fantastic rolled up in a tortilla for lunch!

Of course you can use any grain that you like with this dish or doctor it up with your favorite veggies. We love it just like this.

Enjoy!