Apple and Fennel Salad
The freshness and flavor of local food allow some ingredients to nearly stand on their own. And simple combinations can pack a burst of complex flavors and textures.
Cook and culinary student Lisa Hanks was inspired to create this dish while walking around colorful Old Cheney Road Farmers’ Market in Lincoln, Nebraska. The featured ingredients, apples and fennel, are in season late summer and add a bright sweetness and crunch to the dish. The ingredients can be found at farmers markets across the United States.
Apple & Fennel Salad
Ingredients
- 4–6 apples, medium diced
- 1 fennel bulb, medium diced
- 3 ounces red wine vinegar (just enough to coat apples and fennel)
- 1 sprig fresh lavender, leaves removed, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups of English walnuts, chopped
- 8 ounces quark cheese*
- Salt and pepper to taste
*The cheese is soft, so it will coat the apples and form a binder that holds the salad together like mayo.
Directions
- Toss apples and fennel with red wine vinegar.
- Add remaining ingredients, and toss. Serve.
Blueberry Bonanza
Pardon the pun, but we’ve gone bananas for blueberries. In the March/April issue of The Saturday Evening Post, Corey Michael Dalton writes about picking these antioxidant-rich fruits in Canada as a child. His story made us crave the sweet treats, so we asked the U.S. Highbrush Blueberry Council for inventive, healthy ways to mix these berries into our diets. The result? An entire day’s worth of meals (and snacks)! Start your day with the blueberry oatmeal breakfast cake, and then give one of the salads a try. And don’t forget to try the blueberry-topped rice cake featuring ricotta or cottage cheese. It’s a perfect afternoon pick-me-up that won’t have you crashing from a sugar high.
Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cake
(Makes 8 servings)
Ingredients
- 1-1⁄3 cups flour
- ¾ cup quick-cooking oats
- 1⁄3 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 cup frozen blueberries*
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease an 8-inch round baking pan. Set aside.
In medium mixing bowl combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a 1-cup measure stir milk, oil, and egg. Pour all at once into flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake is golden and pulls away from sides of pan 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool on a rack, 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve warm.
*Blueberries should be firmly frozen when used in baking.
Salmon and Blueberry Salad with Red Onion Vinaigrette
(Makes 4 servings)
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized red onion, thinly sliced in half rings
- 1/4 cup Regina red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1-1/2 pounds salmon fillet, cut crosswise in 4 portions
- 6 cups lettuce leaves in bite-sized pieces
- 1cup fresh blueberries
Directions
In microwaveable cup, combine onion, red wine vinegar, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper; cover loosely with plastic wrap; microwave on high power for 1 minute. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until onions turn pink, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat grill or broiler. Brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil on both sides of salmon fillets; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Grill or broil salmon, skin side down, until just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Divide lettuce leaves among 4 dinner plates; place salmon in the center. With slotted spoon, remove onions from vinegar; scatter onions, along with blueberries, over and around the fish. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into vinegar mixture; drizzle vinaigrette over salmon.
Berry Blue Smoothie
(Makes 3 servings)
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or slightly thawed frozen blueberries
- 1 6-ounce container low-fat vanilla or other flavored yogurt
- 1 cup fruit juice, such as orange, pineapple or apple
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar, more or less to taste
Directions
In the container of an electric blender, place blueberries, yogurt, juice, and honey. Whirl until smooth. Serve immediately.
Blueberry-Topped Rice Cakes
(Makes 4 servings)
Ingredients
- ½ cup ricotta or cottage cheese
- 2 teaspoons apricot preserves
- 4 apple-cinnamon flavored rice cakes
- 1 cup thinly-sliced fresh fruit (such as apple, pear, nectarine or peach)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Directions
In a small bowl, stir together ricotta and preserves.
Spoon an equal amount on each of the rice cakes almost to the edge.
Arrange fruit slices in circles, on top of the ricotta mixture.
Top each with ¼ cup of the blueberries.
Serve immediately.
Blueberry Shrimp Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
(Makes 4 servings)
Ingredients
- Medium-size shrimp, boiled or grilled: ¾ pound (about 20)
- Fresh blueberries: 1 cup
- Walnut pieces, toasted: ½ cup
- Edamame or green peas, cooked: ½ cup
- Mixed salad greens: 5 ounces (about 4 cups)
- Lemon Vinaigrette: (recipe follows)
- Firm white cheese, such as feta, crumbled: 2 ounces (about ½ cup)
Directions
In a large salad bowl, toss shrimp, blueberries, walnut pieces, edamame (or peas), and salad greens
Evenly divide salad onto six plates. Drizzle with Lemon Vinaigrette (below). Sprinkle cheese around edges of salads
Lemon Vinaigrette
In a small mixing bowl, whisk ¼ cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1⁄8 teaspoon salt and 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper.
Recipes/Photos Courtesy: The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.
Kiwi Couscous
Did you know a serving of kiwifruit has more potassium than a banana? Ideal for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance and for releasing energy during exercise, these fuzzy little fruits add more than just color and flavor to your favorite dishes.
Kiwi Couscous
(Makes 4 to 6 servings)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup couscous
- salt
- 3 California kiwifruit
- 1 yellow or orange pepper
- 1 cup colorful cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, preferably spicy
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- pepper
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil
In small saucepan, lightly salt water then bring to boil. Add couscous, stir, cover and remove from heat. Let stand until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Peel kiwi and cut into chunks. Dice pepper and slice large cherry tomatoes in half. Pit olives if needed and thinly slice green onions. Place all in a medium bowl.
Whisk vinegar with oil, garlic, oregano and pinches salt and pepper. When couscous has cooled, gently stir with kiwifruit mixture. Toss with dressing to coat. Stir in feta and basil. Salad will keep refrigerated for 1 to 2 days.
Picnic Picks
Three picnic pleasers that won’t spoil the fun (or your summer diet)!
Tabbouleh
(Makes 4 to 6 servings)
Pack up some lettuce wraps or pita bread and hummus and scoop on the tabbouleh. This traditionally Middle Eastern dish is becoming a popular American picnic treat.
- 1 cup bulgur wheat, washed
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup green onions, finely chopped
- 2 cups parsley, washed and finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 cucumber, diced
- salt and pepper
- allspice
- 1 tablespoon sumac (optional)
- juice of 2 lemons
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
Place bulgur in bowl. Heat water in microwave until hot, but not boiling, about 1½ minutes. Carefully pour hot water over bulgur. Cover bowl
with plastic wrap and let stand, about 45 minutes. In separate bowl, combine all vegetables and seasonings. When bulgur is done soaking, drain in strainer, pressing with spoon to squeeze out water. Add bulgur and lemon juice to vegetables and mix. Drizzle with olive oil just before serving.
Macaroni Salad
(Makes 4 to 6 servings)
Try swapping the mayo in your favorite salads—potato, egg, chicken, tuna, ham, pasta—with vegan mayonnaise. The dairy-free product is generally made with soy milk, vegetable oil, and lemon juice and contains no cholesterol. Try this lips-MAC ‘n salad at your next summer cookout.
- 2 cups uncooked whole-wheat macaroni pasta
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- salt and pepper
- 2 stalks of celery, rinsed and chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons black olives, chopped
Cook pasta according to directions. Rinse, drain, and set aside. In large bowl, whisk mayo, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper (to taste). Add celery, carrot, onion, and olives to mixture. Stir in the macaroni, cover, and chill for for 24 hours.
Mayo-Free Potato Salad
(Makes 4 servings)
No mayo and no mustard? You’ve got to try it to believe in this delicious new take on taters.
- 2 1/2 pounds Idaho potatoes, cut into large chunks
- 1/2 cup low-sodium broth
- 2 tablespoons black olives, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoon pickle relish
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place potato chunks in medium pot. Fill with cold water and bring to boil. Add salt and cook potatoes until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Once the potatoes are tender, drain and return to warm pot to dry.
Add the broth, olives, red bell pepper, celery, onion, relish, lemon zest and juice, red wine vinegar, and oil. Season with salt and pepper.