Champagne-Citrus Explosion Salad

I have a confession... I'm addicted to salad and lately I just can't get enough. So many colors, textures and flavors with endless possibilities of combinations. This citrus spinach salad has a lot of depth, for so few ingredients. It's simple, fast, and popping with flavor. Since it is so simple, I thought I'd take a minute to go over technique and show a few shortcuts to chopping up your ingredients like a pro. 

Champagne Citrus Explosion Salad

Ingredients: 

6 oz (1 container) organic baby spinach 

1 avocado, cubed

2-3 Cara Cara oranges, segmented 

1/2 cup sliced almonds 

2 large handfuls of shredded Parmesan 

1/4 cup Champagne vinegar dressing. I used Girard's Light Champagne Dressing

Freshly ground black pepper to taste, after tossed 

Directions:

Toss all and serve with a sprinkle of more cheese and the black pepper on top. Now try to share and enjoy! 

Notes:

Turn this into a meal by serving with protein. Salmon or grilled chicken will pair perfectly.

*See below for a knife skills technique lesson.

*Segmenting citrus:

1- Cut off the end where the fruit was attached to the tree and the opposite end. 

2- Place cut side down on your board, hold the top and slice end to end all the way around removing the skin and pulp as shown in image 2 and 3.

3-  Slice down the middle and carefully pull the segments apart with your fingers.at this point you can leave them whole, or cut in half horizontally for cubes.

*Slicing and cubing an avocado:

Cut around the long side of the avocado with a chefs knife going lightly through to the pit and around. Put down the knife and hold the avocado with both hands. Twist opposite directions to open the fruit. Carefully remove the pit. Take one half at a time and hold cupped in your palm. Using a paring knife, slice vertical lines evenly through the fruit being careful to not cut through the skin. This will give you slices, to cube, cut evenly the opposite direction to make squares as shown. Scoop slices out with a spoon. To cut out squares, invert the half as shown and slice along the bottom into the salad bowl as seen below. 

Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables

Happy December everyone! I don't know about you, but this year has flown by for me. Here we are right in the middle of the holiday season and Christmas is just 24 days away! I have some really fun and exciting recipes planned to share with you this month. Some of my family favorites we make year after year. Stay tuned for some sweets, a little savory and a few spicy bites coming your way. Comment below with any requests you have. I'd love to accommodate with a recipe.

I still feel completely stuffed from all the food I consumed over the weekend. I was ready to get back to egg whites and turkey sausage this morning for a little break between holiday feasts. These roasted root veggies are quite healthy, not to mention the nutrition packed into these earth grown powerhouses. If you've wandered through the grocery store and been weary of purchasing those strange looking white carrots (parsnips) or giant purple radish-looking monsters (rutabagas), have no fear, this recipe will have you craving them each winter.

This recipe is perfect for a lighter fare during this season of buttered, creamed and salted everything. Serve them alongside your turkey, roast chicken or ham. Try something new and colorful with a satisfying sweet crunch. You'll love them, I promise.

Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables

Ingredients:

3 lbs of mixed root vegetables (carrots, turnips, parsnips, sweet potatoes, etc.), peeled and chopped into 1" cubes, or uniformly sized for even cooking.
1 medium red onion, cut into thin slices
1/4 C. pure maple syrup
4-5 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves removed and minced
3 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. Herbs de Provence
1/4 tsp. sea salt


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Whisk the maple syrup, cider vinegar and olive oil together in a large bowl.

Toss in the root vegetables, onion, rosemary, salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence, thoroughly toss to coat.

Evenly spread the mixture into the roasting pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes until vegetables are fork tender, yet still slightly firm. Garnish with a fresh pinch of chopped rosemary just before serving.

Grilled Artichokes with Garlic-Lemon Aioli

• 
• With the last few days of Summer winding down, I have been making the most of the Summer harvest and enjoying the last few local tomatoes, peaches and one of my favorite snacks, artichokes. This grilled version is absolute heaven. The slightly smokey earthiness that comes from charring the leaves makes these babies a snack so mouthwatering, you won't want to share. 

I served them with a lemon-garlic aioli that I cleaned up using mayo made with olive oil. I tried greek yogurt, but it was entirely too tangy. Sometimes it's worth a few extra calories for flavor, and the olive oil mayo is still half the fat of regular. Try this one out and comment below on your thoughts. I think you'll have a hard time ever just boiling an artichoke again.

Ingredients:

4 medium to large artichokes
1 large lemon, halved
olive oil
McCormick Roasted Garlic & Herb Seasoning
Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil
2 Tbs. chopped garlic
salt and pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While water is heating, prep the artichokes using 1/2 the lemon as indicated. Once prepped, add to the boiling water and cook until almost tender, but not falling apart, approximately 10-15 minutes. Drain the artichokes, brush with olive oil and season the leaves. Be sure to open a few middle leaves to let seasoning fall inside.

While the artichokes are cooking, heat the grill to medium-high. Clean the grates well to prevent sticking. Grill your seasoned artichokes flat side down for 5 minutes, or until charred in spots. Flip over, lightly char the outer leaves and remove for plating. Serve with the Lemon-Garlic Aioli on the side.

• To make the aioli, squeeze enough juice from the remaining lemon half to measure 2 Tbsp.; place in a small bow. Whisk in the olive oil mayo, garlic and season with a dash of Roasted Garlic and Herb seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
  
  
  
  

  

  
  

Grilled Corn on the Cob 3 Ways

The epitome of summer, to me, is picking up that first fresh, sweet corn on the cobb, dripping in butter and sinking my teeth in for that satisfying crunch as the kernels pop in my mouth. I was lucky enough to grow up around local farmers, who hand-pick the sweetest salt and pepper corn I've ever tasted each day to sell at their roadside stands. This is a rarity in our modern world of fast-paced living and I love supporting our local growers and their families and getting to know them on a first name basis. It doesn't get better than produce so fresh, it's still covered in the soil it was growing in hours before.

Right now Utah is at our peak of the season, with fresh corn, melons, tomatoes and an endless bounty of other fresh veggies and fruit at our disposal. And although the corn is tasty enough to eat plain with a little salt and butter, I thought I would experiment with a few compound butters using fresh herbs from my own personal garden. The unique flavors marry well with the ethnic flavors of each cuisine and add an extra element of flavor to your overall dish making this side stand out from the crowd. Leave comments below and share any unique toppings or ways your family adds flavor to your corn. Enjoy!

Grilled Corn 3 Ways:

Prep/ Grill:

Preheat the grill to Med-High. Charcoal gives the best flavor, but gas is always a great option for convenience as well.

While the grill heats, shuck and thoroughly rinse your corn. Set rinsed corn aside in a colander to drain in the sink while you wrap each cobb in aluminum foil, making sure to wrap the ends and seal all sides. Don't completely dry the corn, as the added water will create steam to help cook the corn and keep it moist.

Place the wrapped cobbs on the grill, close the lid and cook for 5 minutes, rotate to the opposite side of each cobb and cook an additional 5 minutes. Open the grill and move each cobb to the top rack, or off of indirect heat if using charcoal. Lower the temp to medium heat, close the lid and let the corn cook an additional 10 minutes. At this point, unwrap a couple of cobbs to check for doneness and char lines. The corn should have a few blistered kernels and light browning. If you would like slightly more char, you may place the unfoiled cobbs over direct heat for 30 seconds a side until desired blistering. Set the cooked corn aside into a large, glass baking dish and cover the top with foil to keep the heat in while adding the toppings. Working each ear one at a time, generously spread the compound butter over the ear and roll the remaining toppings around the outside just before serving. Butters below:

Italian

Pesto butter: 1 cube of butter, softened and 1/2 C of pesto, blended until smooth.

1 C. finely grated parmesan cheese for garnish.

Place the parmesan in a scooped dish large enough to roll your corn in. Slather each hot ear of corn, fresh off the grill with the pesto butter and roll in the parmesan. You may still choose to sprinkle with a little fresh cracked pepper, or drizzle with a bit of extra virgin fine olive oil before serving.

Mexican

Fiesta butter: 1 tsp.chili powder, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. cumin,  1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 cube of softened butter, blended until smooth.

Chopped cilantro, lime & crumbled cotija cheese for garnish.

Asian

Glaze: 3/4 C. Sweet Thai chili sauce, 1/2 C. hoisin sauce, 1/4 tsp. hot chili oil, blended.

Thinly sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, black sesame seeds for garnish.