Mango, Blueberry and Caramelized Onion Salad....

Believe it or not, this is one of the best salads I have had in my life!
Simply make this recipe just as it says and wow your mouth!

Mango, Blueberry and Caramelized Onion Salad

Illustrated and edited by: Brenna Bowers

Ingredients:

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

½ Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon sugar

Salt and pepper

Salad:

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

1 large red onion, sliced in 1/8” thin half moons

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 medium mango, peeled, seeded, cut in into bite-size pieces

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 ounces goat cheese

12 ounces fresh arugula or spinach (about 4 cups)

Directions:

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing:

Whisk the balsamic vinegar, sugar, mustard and garlic together. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

Toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until they are slightly browned. Set aside to cool. In the same skillet, sauté the onions in the olive oil, add the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar (Tip 1). Cook low and very slow stirring once in a while until the onions turn a golden brown color all the way through.

Meanwhile, slice the mango and wash the blueberries and greens. Place all the ingredients (caramelized onions, mango, blueberries, crumbled up bits of goat cheese, pine nuts and greens) into a large bowl and add half of the dressing and toss(adding more dressing only if necessary).

Tip 1: Caramelizing Onions: The purpose of caramelizing onions is to draw out the natural sugars that are in onions. The trick to caramelizing onions is to keep the flame at a low temperature. This process takes quite a bit of time but is well worth the wait! You never want the onions to just brown on the edges (that means they are burning) rather you want the onions to turn golden brown all the way through. The key is to stir the onions once in a while and if you feel they are beginning to burn, add a dash of water to steam the mixture. Caramelizing onions is a labor of love….but worth it!

Carrot and Apple Salad with a hint of Mint....

Recently I attended a free cooking class at the UCSD Medical Center in San Diego, CA. The class is called the  "Healthy Eating Program".

"We believe that food nourishes the body, nurtures the spirit, and is essential for health and healing. Our Research focuses on helping people adopt diet and other lifestyle changes that can help prevent and control diseases like cancer. We are now offering counseling services to the public." (UCSD Medical Center)

Check out their website to sign up for these amazing classes at:
http://www.healthyeatingucsd.org/

This past week, the topic was about Phytochemicals. These are compounds that occur naturally in bright colored food such as fruits and vegetables. Phytochemicals contain many nutrients for your body and may help reduce future ailments and cancers.

This recipe was taught in the Healing Foods class but I have adjusted it to my liking! Hope you enjoy as well!

Carrot and Apple Salad with a hint of Mint

Author: Brenna Bowers (adapted from Healing Foods Class)

Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoons honey

4 apples (Fuji, Gala or Pink Lady….an apple that is high in sugar content)

4 large carrots, peeled and shredded

1 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger

1 cup dried cranberries

½ cup toasted slivered almonds

Dash of salt and pepper

½ cup torn fresh mint leaves

Directions:

In a blender, mix the rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and honey. Blend until it is smooth and emulsified (mixed all together and does not separate).

With a food processor, shred the apples (skin can be left on), carrots (peeled) and ginger (peeled).

Toss the apples, carrots, ginger, cranberries and slivered almonds in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the mixture and stir until it is evenly coated. Garnish with the torn mint leaves. 

Refrigerate or eat!

Grilled Hearts of Romaine with a Homemade Vinaigrette and Gourmet Cheese...

Summer is finally here!!!!! Therefore it is time to light the BBQ, call out your friends for a dinner party and make a new summery yet trendy dish.
This is the easiest salad to make and will make your guests say "YUMMMM!"
My grandma was the first to tell me about this recipe and I have since then tweaked it to be my own recipe....hope you and your friends enjoy!

Grilled Hearts of Romaine with a homemade Vinairette and Gourmet Cheese

Homemade Vinaigrette

Romaine cut in half and ready to be brushed with Olive Oil

The grill is hot and the Romaine ready to be chared

Place the Romaine cut-side down on the hot grill

You want the golden brown color and just some char to the leaves

Grill for 1 min then turn at a 45 degree angle for beautiful grill marks

ENJOYYYYY!

Grilled Hearts of Romaine 

with a Homemade Vinaigrette and Gourmet Cheese

Author: Brenna Bowers

Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or any oil will work), divided

1 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon Dijon (or grainy mustard)

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon Italian seasonings

Dash of salt

2 or 3 Whole heads of Romaine Lettuce

1/8 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

3 Tablespoons Gourmet Cheese (crumbled Parmesan, Feta, Blue cheese, or Goat Cheese)

Directions:

Dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk 2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, Dijon (Tip 1), Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, honey, pepper, Italian seasonings and salt. Set aside or chill.

Hearts of Romain Lettuce:

Wash the heads of Romaine lettuce and pat it dry with paper towels. Remove any wilted outer leaves if necessary. With a sharp knife, slice each Romaine heart in half length-wise.
Brush or drizzle the cut-side up Romaine hearts with the reserved 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.

Assembly:

Heat up the grill/BBQ to very high heat. When you place your hand over the heat, it should be too hot to leave your hand there for more than 2-3 seconds. Place each of the Romaine hearts cut-side down for about 2 minutes; or until grill marks appear and you have charred the edges. Immediately remove the lettuce from the heat and set aside. So serve, place the Romaine hearts on each plate and drizzle with the homemade dressing, crumbled cheese and toasted nuts.

Tip 1: Dijon is added to the dressing not just for flavor but because mustard helps act as an emulsifier. Now less shaking is required for your dressing and it will be less separated.