So Long Summer: Watermelon and Feta Salad

 

 

From now until the end of the summer, I have started a “So Long Summer” series, in which I will be highlighting my favorite summer fruits and vegetables, so we can all enjoy them one last time (or three or four more times, as the case may be), before they’re gone for the season.  First up, Watermelon and Feta salad!

I first learned this salad from reading Peanut Butter Fingers, one of my favorite healthy living blogs.  At first, I will admit it seemed kind of weird, but intriguing to me.  At the time I read about it, I happen to have half a watermelon and feta cheese in the fridge,  so I decided to give it a whirl.  Turns out, watermelon and feta are a winning combination! Something about the tangy salty creaminess of the feta makes it the perfect contrast to the cold and sweet of the watermelon.  J. and I have made it several times since then, and even brought to a party where it was a big hit. 

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Adapted from Peanut Butter Fingers

Ingredients:

Note: The measurements are very fluid and you can use as much or as little as you want – I just eyeballed these measurements

• 2 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
• 2 cups arugula or any mixed salad greens you have (the peppery arugula goes great with the watermelon, but really any mix of greens will do)
• Pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• A drizzle of olive (probably about 2-3 tsp)

Method:

Place a layer of salad greens into a bowl.  Layer the watermelon and feta on top.  Sprinkle salt and pepper.  Just before serving, drizzle olive oil on top.  Serves 2.

Fuji Apple and Gorgonzola Salad

 

A few weeks ago, I had a lovely lunch with the even lovelier book club ladies, at the Iron Monkey, a cool bar/restaurant in Jersey City.  Since I wanted to keep the meal nice and light, I ordered the Fuji Apple and Endive Salad.  This salad is so simple, yet oh so tasty – the crisp sweetness of the apple was complemented nicely by the sweet and salty candied pecans and the creamy tang of the gorgonzola.  I enjoyed this salad so much I knew I had to try to recreate at home.  I made a few variations with what I had on hand at home – I may be biased, I actually think my version is better.

Fuji  Apple and Gorgonzola Salad

Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 2-3 cups Mixed salad greens
• 1 Fuji apple, sliced
• 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 mixed nuts chopped

For for the apple cider vinaigrette:

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• pinch of salt and pepper

Layer salad ingredients into a bowl.  In a separate bowl whisk together dressing ingredients.  Drizzle dressing lightly over salad. Serves 2.

Guest Post: Pomegranate Beet Salad

 

Hello friends! I just got back from a conference in San Francisco and I am working on some great recaps on my travels, including some more posts on my vacation in Montreal! In the meantime, here is a light and healthy recipe from my friend Rose from Just Prepare It Deliciously! – Cheryl

Hello everyone!! I’m Rose, author of the blog Just Prepare It Deliciously, where I focus on simpler, healthier meals (but with occasional treats too). Cheryl is one of my closest friends and all-time favorite bloggers. She even wrote a guest post for my blog last year so today I’m only too glad to return the favor.

I am especially excited to be writing for Cheryl’s Healthy Living series, which has become my favorite part of Food Judicata. Reading her blog on Mondays always helps motivate me to make a healthy plan for my week.

Regarding this recipe, I love eating salads. There’s just something about the way that your body feels when something so good for you that makes me happy. Not to mention with swimsuit season underway, for me eating healthier is a must.

Like Cheryl, I like to use fruits and vegetables that are in season. When I read that beet season peaks in June, I decided that would be one of my ingredients. Since I had never made any dishes with fresh beets before so this was a new experience for me, I read up on beets on Real Simple. As suggested, I separated the beets from the greens (which you will see photographed below).

Now while I’ve read that many recipes call for beets totally raw, I microwaved my beet for 4-5 minutes in advance of using in this recipe, then peeled and cut it up, which is how my mom preps her beets whenever she makes a beet recipe.

So without further ado…the salad.

Pomegranate Beet Salad

Ingredients:

• ½ a Pre-packaged Spinach Mix
• One large Beet, raw or cooked, cut into pieces
• 3 Tbsp Goat Cheese Crumbles
• 2 Tbs sliced almonds
• 3 slices of turkey, torn
• 3-4 Tbsp Pomegranate Seeds
• 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
• Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (I used Annie’s Naturals)

Directions:

1. Pour salad mix into a bowl.
2. Add beets, goat cheese, almonds, turkey, pomegranate seeds, and sliced cucumber.

    3.   Divide and serve.

Yield: 2 servings

The Great Greek Salad Debate

Last Saturday night, J. and I had a deep discussion on a topic of utmost importance: What goes in a Greek salad?

The Greek salad I have come to know has lettuce, feta cheese, kalamata olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers.  Bonus points for roasted red peppers, or regular bell peppers.  Meats, such as grilled chicken or lamb are optional.  My experience is based on New Jersey diners (many of which, are owned by Greek immigrants).

According to J, peperoncini is a key element to the Greek salad.  He bases his Greek salad experience   from a place called The Parthenon in Western Massachusetts, where he grew up. To me, this was preposterous.  Peperoncini is a product of Italy.  Why would you put it in a Greek salad? But J. insisted that because The Parthenon had peperoncini in their Greek salad, it was not optional.  

So in order to resolve this debate, I did what I do with any other heated dispute we have: I looked it up on Wikipedia. It turns out we were both right.  Or maybe we were both wrong.  According to Wikipedia,

 Lettuce, tomatoes, feta, and olives are the most standard elements in an American-style 'Greek salad', but cucumbers, peperoncini, bell peppers, onions, radishes, dolmades, anchovies/sardines and pickled hot peppers are common. 

And if it was on Wikipedia, it had to be true, right?

Bell peppers and peperoncini are both common elements.  But really, it seems, as long as you have the core ingredients, that is lettuce, cheese, olives, and tomatoes, then you have a Greek salad. 

Here is what we put in a Greek salad:

Core ingredients:
Leafy greens (baby spinach or mixed salad greens, which ever we have on hand)
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Kalamata olives
Feta cheese

Optional ingredients:
Roasted red peppers
Bell peppers
Peperoncini (I don't care what J. says, I still think these are optional)
Sliced red onion
Carrots (not traditional but we always seem to have them)

Question of the Week:
What do you put in a Greek salad?

The New and Improved Food Judicata

After a seven-month hiatus, I have decided to return to the food blogosphere!  As you can see Food Judicata has a fresh new look, I am planning on some new changes that reflect some of the big changes in my life in the last seven months. In the past months I:

1) Lost twenty pounds - expect to see a healthier, lighter Food Judicata

2) Moved to a new city - look out for bits on local businesses and restaurants

3) Combined households with J., the boyfriend - expect to see more about family-style cooking

4) Got a new computer - I am not sure what this will mean for the blog yet, except that maybe I will be posting more frequently

These changes all mostly happened within the last two weeks (well, except for the 20 pound weight loss, of course!)

To kick of my return, here is a "recipe" (more of a method, than a recipe) to my Southwest Tuna Salad that I threw together for lunch today with J. As you can see, it uses mostly light and fresh ingredients, (except for the tuna), but the seasonings give it an extra punch of flavor.  

Southwest Tuna Salad

Ingredients

1 can Albacore tuna (no salt added, packed in water - I used Trader Joe's)

2 Tbs light mayonnaise

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Dash of cayenne pepper

pinch of salt

squeeze of fresh lime juice

Mix together these ingredients and lay on top of a bed of the following: 

Mixed Salad Greens

Corn 

Black beans

Roasted red pepper

Hard boiled eggs

Baby carrots

Finish with another squeeze of the lime and serve.  Makes about two servings

Avocado and Tomato Salad

This morning over breakfast, my mom said to me, "This avocado is ripe. Eat it before it turns brown."

So I did.

Avocado and Tomato Salad
Inspired by Elise Bauer's of Simply Recipes, "Avocado Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes" - but I adapted it to what I had on hand.

Ingredients:
1/2 avocado, sliced
1 small tomato or 1/2 a medium sized tomato, sliced
Sliced scallions, for garnish
Lemon juice
Salt

Method:
Slice avocado and tomato and arrange on a plate. Sprinkle lemon juice, scallions, and salt.