Tag Archives: healthy salads

August 22, 2015

 

It’s a great time of year to enjoy some fresh seafood. Whether you buy it fresh from the counter at your favorite market, catch your own or buy it frozen, seafood is a great addition to your summer menu. Make salad your main course by adding some grilled fish to it. Include lots of leafy greens (choose from spinach, arugula, romaine or mixed baby greens) and add tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber and diced onion. Top your salad with a tasty homemade dressing.

Italian Marinated Seafood Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound sea scallops
• 1/2 pound medium unpeeled shrimp
• 1/2 pound fresh mussels
• 1/4 pound calamari rings
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 cups mixed salad greens
• Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Add scallops, shrimp, mussels and calamari to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain.

Peel the shrimp and remove the mussels from their shells.

Place cooked seafood and olives in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, parsley, chives and red pepper flakes. Chill for 1 hour.

Divide salad greens onto 6 plates or salad bowls. Spoon seafood over greens. Garnish with slices of lemon and red onions. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Lentil Salad with Grilled Salmon

You can use canned salmon but for really good flavor, grill extra salmon one night so that you have leftovers for this salad.

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 cup cucumber,seeds removed and diced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• Two 15-ounce cans lentils, rinsed, or 3 cups cooked brown or green lentils (see cooking note below)
• 12 oz leftover grilled salmon fillet or 1 ½ cups flaked canned salmon

Directions

Whisk lemon juice, dill, mustard, salt and pepper in a large serving bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil. Add bell pepper, cucumber, onion, lentils  toss to coat. Let marinate for at least one hour or chill until ready to serve. Place leftover chilled salmon on top of the salad or flake and mix in with the lentils just before serving.

Cooking Note:

To cook the lentils: Place in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes for green lentils and 30 minutes for brown. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Mediterranean Salad with Sardines

4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into large chunks
• 1 large cucumber, cut into large chunks
• One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 tablespoons sliced Kalamata olives
• Two 4-ounce cans sardines with bones, packed in olive oil and drained (see cooking note below)

Directions

Whisk lemon juice, oil, garlic, oregano and pepper in a large serving bowl until well combined. Add tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, feta, onion and olives; gently toss to combine. Let marinate for at least an hour.

At serving time, divide the salad among 4 plates and top with sardines.

Cooking Note:

Look for sardines with skin and bones (which are edible) as they have more than four times the amount of calcium as skinless, boneless sardines. If you’re lucky enough to have fresh sardines available in your market, try them in place of the canned sardines. Lightly dredge them in salt-and-pepper-seasoned flour and sauté them in a little olive oil.

Grilled Fish Fillet Salad

6 servings

Ingredients

Vinaigrette

• 1 medium clove garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salad

• 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes (5-6 medium), scrubbed and halved
• 1 1/4 pounds green beans, trimmed
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound halibut or striped bass or your favorite fish fillet (see cooking note below)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1 large head tender lettuce
• 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes
• 3 hard-boiled eggs peeled and cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup sliced pitted  Kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

To prepare the vinaigrette:

Using a fork, mash the garlic with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl to form a coarse paste. Whisk in 5 tablespoons oil. Add 6 tablespoons orange juice, vinegar and mustard; whisk until well blended. Taste and season with more salt, if desired. Set aside at room temperature.

To prepare the salad:

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a colander. When cool enough to handle, slice and place in a shallow bowl. Drizzle with 1/3 cup vinaigrette; set aside.

Add beans to the saucepan and  bring to a boil; cook until the beans are bright green and just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain well. Place in a medium bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette.

Combine lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper in a sturdy ziplock plastic bag; shake until the salt dissolves. Add fish and marinate for up to 20 minutes.

Heat a grill to medium-high and preheat for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium. (For a charcoal grill, wait until the flames subside and only coals and some ash remain—flames will cause the oil on the fish to burn.) Oil grill rack.

Grill the fish, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side for halibut; 3 to 4 minutes per side for bass.

Arrange lettuce leaves on a large serving platter. Arrange the fish (whole or flaked into large chunks), potatoes, green beans and tomatoes on top. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Garnish with eggs, olives, parsley and pepper to taste.

Cooking Note:

Fish that flakes easily requires a delicate touch to flip on the grill. If you want to skip turning it over when grilling, measure a piece of foil large enough to hold the fish and coat it with cooking spray. Grill the fish on the foil (without turning) until it flakes easily and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

Shrimp & Arugula Salad

Grill extra corn to use in this salad.

4 servings

Ingredients

• 12 cups loosely packed arugula leaves
• 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn if large
• 1 1/2 cups leftover grilled fresh corn kernels, (from about 2 ears)
• 1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 pound raw shrimp, (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined, tails removed if desired
• Homemade croutons made ahead and cooled, (see recipe below)
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Asiago or Parmesan cheese, shaved

Directions

Sprinkle shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, turning from time to time, just until they turn pink and are opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. chill in the refrigerator.

Combine arugula, basil, corn and tomatoes in a large salad bowl.

Whisk 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Add to the arugula mixture along with the croutons.

Whisk the dressing again and drizzle over the salad; toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Grind black pepper over the salads and sprinkle with cheese.

Homemade Croutons

Ingredients

• 3 pieces of good quality Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

On a large baking sheet, spread out the bread cubes in one layer.

Evenly sprinkle the Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt over the bread cubes.

Then drizzle the olive oil over the top.

Using your hands, toss to combine thoroughly and then spread back into one even layer.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. The croutons will harden as they cool.

 

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in arugula, Beans, Bread, calamari, corn, cucumbers, eggs, Fish, green beans, Grilling, halibut, Healthy Italian Cooking, Lettuce, mussels, Olives, onion, peppers, potatoes, Salad, Salad Dressing, salmon, sardines, scallops, Seasonings, shrimp Tags: healthy salads, homemade salad dressing, seafood salads