Frisée Lettuce Salad with Pears, Pancetta, Pistachios and Blue Cheese

Finding a beautiful, fresh and crisp Frisée lettuce head at the store, was enough for me to grab it and create a salad with it.
The leaves of the Frisée lettuce are narrower and frizzier than those of most types of lettuce. They are almost white at the base, light green at the middle, and darker at the top. The crispy leaves have a slight pleasant bitterness to them, a bit milder than that of endive and chicory, from the same family. They hold well to bold flavored additions and dressing, which is what I had in mind.

Rosemary-Lemon Scented Poached Salmon, with Vegetable Salad

Poaching is one of the best methods to cook fish: the liquids in which the fish is cooked, prevent it from drying, and the result is moist and tender texture.

Warm Octopus, Beans and Fennel Salad

 

Octopus has a unique texture, much “meatier” than that of its’ relative the squid. It requires a longer blanching and cooking time, which is why I don’t often use it.
However, as I’ve read somewhere that when it is blanched, cut into smaller pieces, frozen and thawed, it requires much shorter cooking time – I’ve decided to give this option a try.

Pasta Salad With Broccoli and Feta Cheese

Finding a new, at least for me, type of pasta, was a good enough reason to think about making pasta salad, which I haven’t made much during the extra hot days of summer.

This type of pasta, called “Mafalda” looks like a mini version of the larger lasagna pasta sheets, with their crinkly edges. I thought this unique shape could work well in a salad.

Calamari Salad with Lime, Cilantro and Jalapeno

Calamari salad with parsley and lemon (click HERE for the recipe), is a favorite summer dish, that I like to serve on a hot summer day.

Summer Salad with Greens, Crispy Vegetables, Fruits and Halloumi Cheese

Halloumi cheese is one of the rare cheeses, that can be fried, or grilled, and still keep its shape, while obtaining a wonderful new flavor and color. It is one of my favorite cheeses to use as an addition to salads.

Spring Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

With the weather starting to warm up, and fresh produce is easier to find, preparing salads is so much more enjoyable. The following salad is one example of that.

High Protein Israeli Couscous Salad with Asparagus and Cherry tomatoes

Israeli couscous is actually a type of toasted pasta, and can be used in different ways, besides the most obvious one, which is to serve it as a starchy side dish. In the following recipe, I’ve used it as a base for a high protein colorful salad. The protein in the salad comes from the mix of tofu, chickpeas and Lupini beans. This combination of legumes and grain is highly nutritious, yet fairly light, compared to other proteins.

Cannellini beans, Tuna and Pasta Salad

The tasty pairing of tuna and beans in a salad is known in the Italian kitchen, and it is one of my favorites. As I’m also a fan of tuna-pasta salad, I’ve decided to combine both, as you can see in the following version.

A Few Dishes with Dandelion Greens

Dandelion is known mostly as a seasonal plant, of which all its parts have been used in cooking and traditional medicine from ancient times. To many who are unfamiliar with the plant, the greens are many times considered an invasive weed in fields and gardens, but they are in fact edible and highly nutritious. As I’m not a gardener myself, nor a forager of wild greens, I’ve never tried them, until I recently found them at the store, and decided to buy a bunch.

Artichoke Hearts with Shrimp Saffron Salad

Artichoke season is here, and as I’m a big fan of this unique vegetable (actually, an edible flower bud from the thistle family), I always try to find new ways to serve it. This time I’ve decided to use the artichoke hearts as a bed for serving a tasty shrimps salad.