Tag: spring onion

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Spring Onion and Feta Cheese



I’ve never tried in my whole life a side dish that tastes better than this simple zucchini salad. But this simple salad isn’t a bland, ordinary salad. Not at all! Those thin zucchini slices are charred on the grill just enough to enhance their flavour, then dressed with a herbal-lemony sauce and garnished with fresh and tangy feta crumbles. This amazing side dish doesn’t take more than 20 minutes and the result is so charmingly rustic but exquisite. A fresh summer salad that tastes simply awesome!

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

  • 4 small zucchini
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice + zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 spring onions
  • 10 mint leaves
  • 10 basil leaves
  • 80g feta cheese
  • salt to taste

Method:

  1. Cut the zucchini. Wash the zucchini and pat them dry. If you use organic zucchini, leave their skin on. If your zucchini aren’t organic, peel them. Place them on a wood board and slice them in 1/2 cm thick slices.
  2. Grill the zucchini. Heat the grill over high heat. Arrange the zucchini slices in one layer and grill them until charred (for about 2 minutes). Carefully turn them on the other side and continue grilling for about 1 minute.
  3. Prepare the veggies and herbs. Wash the spring onions and slice them finely. Grate the lemon zest. Chop the basil and mint.
  4. The dressing. In a large bowl mix the olive oil with the lemon juice. Add the spring onions, lemon zest, basil and mint. Add the grilled zucchini slices and mix well. Crumble feta cheese on top and season with salt.
  5. Leftovers. Place the leftovers (if any) in a bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Source: www.weightwatchers.

Quinoa Salad with Carrot, Almonds and Cranberries (Vegan)

 

My heart fills with joy whenever I think of this mouth-watering salad, whenever I think of its amazing taste, its vibrant colors, its contrasting textures. Undoubtedly, this is my all-time favorite salad; this salad is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also absolutely delicious. There are some really interesting things going on in my plate, the discrete nutty aroma of the quinoa is being amplified by the roasted almond flakes, and the fresh taste of the carrot goes so well with the earthy sweetness of the cranberries. What a treat!

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

  • 100g dry quinoa (1/2 cup)
  • 120ml water (1 cup)
  • 1 medium carrot (50g)
  • 20g almond flakes
  • 40g dried cranberries
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp of any neutral oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Quinoa. Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse it with cold water for about 1 minute. Drain it very well. Place quinoa in a sauce pan, add 1 cup water and 1/4 tsp sea salt and bring to a boil on high heat. When the water begins to boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to minimum. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it stand covered for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, fluff it with a fork.
  2. Almonds. Brown the almonds in a skillet, on medium heat. Set aside.
  3. Carrot, spring onions, cranberries, parsley. Peel the carrot using a vegetable peeler and grate it. Chop the spring onions finely. Halve the cranberries.Wash the parsley, pat it dry with a clean paper towel and chop it finely.
  4. Dressing and assembly. Prepare the dressing by mixing in a medium bowl the lemon juice with the oil and the parsley. Take a large bowl and place the quinoa in it. Add the carrot, spring onion, cranberries and almonds. Pour the dressing, give it a stir and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Leftovers. Place the leftovers (if any) in a bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Source: www.bettycrocker.com



Spinach Salad with Baked Tofu, Fennel and Mandarin Oranges



There’s not much to say about this tofu and mandarin salad, only the fact that I tend to prepare it excessively lately. It’s so colorful and packed with bold flavors and great textures and the best part is that it’s plant – based. The crunchy, fragrant fennel goes wonderfully with the sweet and juicy mandarin slices and the green onion and the baby spinach give this salad a nice, springy twist. For this salad I like to cut my tofu in triangles, marinate it in mandarin juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, ginger and garlic and bake it in the oven until golden brown. Simlpe and delcious!

Why I love spinach salad with tofu, mandarin and fennel:

  • it’s vegan
  • it’s so colorful and tasty
  • it’s nutritious
  • it’s high in protein, so it’s very satisfying
  • it’s lovely all year round, I just pick whatever veggies are in season

Continue reading Spinach Salad with Baked Tofu, Fennel and Mandarin Oranges

Spring Pea Soup with Flour Dumplings

Soup - potPea soupPeas

Spring pea soup is my favorite soup. Even though I’m not a soup person, I felt deeply in love with this spring pea soup. It has a special place in my heart not only because it’s delicious, but because this was my grandmother’s signature dish. During May, while spring pea is the star of the month, I prepare this soup almost daily. Honestly, this is the only dish I could eat every single day without getting bored.

It is a lovely soup, very tasty and satisfying, even though it is made from five or six ingredients, all fresh and springy. The soup part is extremely easy to prepare. You just have to saute some veggies in olive oil, you cover them with water and you let them cook. The flour dumplings are quite easy to make, too. The first and the second dumpling is trickier, but from the third on, their preparation becomes a child’s play. I might be subjective, but from my point of view, this is the perfect soup for spring! Continue reading Spring Pea Soup with Flour Dumplings

Pasta Salad With Cherry Tomatoes and Snow Peas

Fusilli and cherry tomatoes saladSaladFussili salad

Veggie pasta salad is a wonderful dish. It is a satisfying salad, as well as delicious and it tastes even better the next day. Regarding the ingredients, sky is the limit; you can add in your salad all kinds of veggies, herbs, dairy products or even fruit.

I tried to make my recipe healthier but I still wanted that rich taste, so I made a few changes. I used whole wheat fusilli, juicy cherry tomatoes and fresh snow peas and for the creamy dressing I used Greek yogurt, fresh mint and only 2 tablespoons of homemade mayo. The result was mouth-watering! Continue reading Pasta Salad With Cherry Tomatoes and Snow Peas

Potato Salad with Avocado and Greek Yogurt Sauce

Potato salad - servingGarnishing potato salad
This potato salad is a healthier approach to classic mayonnaise potato salad. Since I started cooking, I tried a lot of recipes, but I haven’t found the perfect one. I tried to include lots of different ingredients, some of them fitted like a glove, some of them made my salad taste at least… weird. So, I finally have my own version, a version that is both tasty and nutritious.
Continue reading Potato Salad with Avocado and Greek Yogurt Sauce