salad – Audrey's 74 A blog by Giulia Doyle Tue, 31 Jan 2017 21:28:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.16 Citrus Salad /2016/01/01/citrus-salad/ Fri, 01 Jan 2016 13:38:42 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=3965 Citrus Salad Giulia DoyleHappy New Year and here’s to healthy but yummy resolutions! I don’t usually set a goal to eat only healthful once the New Year sets in, but after weeks of cookies, cakes, stuffing and gravy my body seems to crave something fresh and full of vitamins. Citrus is always a welcome reprieve from all the heavy options we’ve been consuming in the past few weeks.

This salad is simple, colourful and can be made ahead. No real recipe required; just choose a nice selection of citrus fruit (oranges, clementines, mandarins, grapefruit), peel and slice them, arrange on a platter and sprinkle with cinnamon and slivers of mint if you wish. Eat this at a brunch, for breakfast or with some protein, such as ham or chicken for lunch.Citrus Salad Giulia Doyle

]]> Roasted Tomatoes with Arugula, Feta and Pinenuts /2015/08/16/roasted-tomatoes-with-arugula-feta-and-pinenuts/ Sun, 16 Aug 2015 16:20:56 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=3822 Roasted Tomato with Arugula, Feta and Pinenuts Giulia DoyleHave you started harvesting any tomatoes yet? Or is your grocery store filled to the brim with local fruit? This is the time of the year to indulge in them before they turn bland and just accompany a sandwich for colour.

I like to keep things simple in the summer and with good quality ingredients there isn’t much fussing needed. Just a hot BBQ, some fresh produce, good quality feta and a sprinkle of pine nuts. People loved this salad at our Midsummer Party earlier this year. It’s the perfect accompaniment for your grilled burgers or sausages.

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Roasted Tomatoes with Arugula, Feta and Pinenuts

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup of arugula
  • 1 cup of baby spinach
  • 1/3 cup of cubed feta
  • 3 tablespoons of pine nuts
  • handful of torn basil (optional)
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  • lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Heat BBQ and place tomatoes in a heat safe grilling pan. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in BBQ until skins start blistering, about 10 minutes. Take off heat.
  2. In the meantime, arrange arugula an spinach on a platter, top with tomatoes, sprinkle with feta, pine nuts and basil. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little more oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.
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Roasted Tomatoes with Arugula, Feta and Pinenuts, giulia doyle

 

 

 

]]> A Summer Fête – Special Edition /2014/06/18/a-summer-fete-special-edition/ Wed, 18 Jun 2014 13:25:04 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=2999 Audrey's Summer fêteHere in Canada we have long, cold and dreary winters. I’m not a winter person, so summer can’t come fast enough. Once the temperature heats up a bit I love to invite people over for outdoor BBQ’s, dinner on the lawn or just a casual picnic. The season is so short, I think we need to take advantage of it as much as we can – despite fighting bugs and at times humid temperatures.

The other week we hosted a backyard birthday party and I decided to fancy it up a little with some matching rental chairs and a white table cloth. Little touches had a big impact and all of us had a great time. Instead of creating a picture heavy post, I decided to gather our summer fête in a book, including the 10 recipes we made, some outdoor party tips, planning tools and DIY ideas. I also asked a couple of my blogging friends to contribute some outdoor party wisdom. This serves as a great memory for me, but I hope it serves you as a little guide – some inspiration to host your own party. Have a look and let me know how you enjoy your summer parties!

Summer Fete by Giulia Doyle (click here to view book)
*if you see issues with the preview window, click on the link above to view the book (this also applies to views on an iPad).
Thank you very much to the following bloggers for taking the time to share some tidbits with me:

Audrey's Summer fêteAll photos by Giulia Doyle and Bruno Doyle

 

]]> Be My Guest with Cookie + Kate – Shaved Fennel Salad with Parmesan and Orange Zest /2014/02/24/be-my-guest-with-cookie-kate-shaved-fennel-salad-with-parmesan-and-orange-zest/ Mon, 24 Feb 2014 10:41:51 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=2651 Be My Guest Cookie and Kate Audrey's

photo on left: Cookie + Kate, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

Today I’m back with a new installment of Be My Guest – the first one for 2014! I am really excited that Kathryne from the blog Cookie and Kate joined me on the blog today. I can’t remember how I found Kathryne’s blog, it might have been through Heidi, but I’ve been following her ever since. Kathryne has clean and bright photos that I really like and all her recipes are vegetarian, so she’s a great source when looking for meatless whole foods. I’ve also loved some of her resource posts, such as how to start a food blog or food photography tips. Plus, for some weird reason I’m fascinated by the fact that she lives in Kansas…I’ve never met anyone from Kansas and I’ve never been there, but maybe Dorothy plays some part in it?

Be My Guest Cookie and Kate Audrey's

Be My Guest Cookie and Kate Audrey's

photos on left: Cookie + Kate, photos on right: Giulia Doyle

But now, let’s get to the recipe! Shaved Fennel Salad with Parmesan and Orange Zest from Melissa Clark’s cookbook, Cook This Now. I don’t often use fennel and I like how this comes together easily. Kathryn mentioned that not having a mandolin left her with thicker slices of fennel than she was hoping for. I used my very basic mandolin and still didn’t get my fennel as thin and feathery as I think the recipe is intended to be. However, I am truly terrified of my mandolin and might not have been using it to it’s full potential. But even with slightly thicker slices, this recipe is easy and tasty.

I let my fennel sit with the dressing a bit, which reduced the anise flavour a little more. We also had some leftovers, which I then combined with shaved cabbage and carrots, which made a great additional salad. Serving this with orange slices like Kathryn shows in her photos would add some extra bulk and colour to the salad. The recipe in the book also offers alternatives, such as leaving off the cheese or adding thinly sliced dates – you can be creative!

Thank you so much Kathryne for joining me on the blog today!

Be My Guest Cookie and Kate Audrey's

photo on left: Cookie + Kate, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

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Shaved Fennel Salad with Parmesan and Orange Zest by Melissa Clark

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2-4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 large fennel bulbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon of finely grated orange zest
  • 2 tablespoons of freshly grated orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons of good quality olive oil
  • 2 ounces of Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Cut each fennel bulb in half lengthwise. Using a mandoline-type tool or very sharp knife, thinly shave the fennel. Transfer to a large bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil. Pour the dressing over the fennel and toss well.
  3. Working over the salad bowl, use a vegetable peeler to shave the cheese into thin curls. Toss the salad gently once more and serve.

Notes

I added a bit of extra orange zest and compensated the acidity of my very strong red wine vinegar with a teaspoon of sugar. Letting the dressed salad sit longer also decreased the anise flavour of the fennel.

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Be My Guest Cookie and Kate Audrey's

]]> Tomato Salad with Corn and Avocado /2013/09/23/tomato-salad-with-corn-and-avocado/ Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:20:49 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=1820 Tomato Avocado and Corn Salad Audrey'sAlong with all the beets – I also have a huge amount of tomatoes hanging out on my counter. It’s that time of year – the bumper crops are rolling in and we quickly need to find ways to use our produce. While I’m thinking about making tomato sauce, or even tomato jam – the tomatoes are so good that I also want to eat them as is – so salad it is.

This little combination plays off each other really well – the juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, the creaminess of the avocado and the zing of the red onion. Everything comes together easily and with no cooking time involved. Perfect for that big bowl of tomatoes hanging out on your counter.

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Tomato Salad with Corn and Avocado

Ingredients

  • 6 medium sized firm tomatoes
  • 1 avocado
  • corn from one cob (cooked) - or 1 cup of frozen corn warmed up
  • 1/4 red onion sliced thinly
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons of grape seed oil
  • 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Cut tomatoes into 1 inch chunks. Cut avocado into 1/2 inch pieces. Remove corn from cob or use warmed frozen corn. Slice red onion into thin slices. Combine all the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Combine lemon juice, oil, Dijon mustard and maple syrup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Adjust sweetness to your liking.
  3. Toss salad with dressing and serve immediately.

Notes

If you add beans, this could serve as a light meal.

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]]> Mango and Pineapple Salad and dreaming of exotic warm places /2013/04/15/mango-and-pineapple-salad/ Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:45:06 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=695 Audrey's Mango Pineapple SaladIn my quest for easy meals and a bit of colour on a dreary day, I opted to try an exotic mango pineapple salad. This bright dish comes together really fast – the biggest job will be cutting and peeling both fruit. So, if you want to speed up the process and can spare a few extra dollars, go ahead and buy the pre-cut mango and pineapple at the deli counter. The rest is just chopping a few herbs and mixing a few things in a big bowl. Serve this salad along any protein you want – grilled chicken breast or a nice piece of salmon and you’ll have an instant healthy meal with a bit of an exotic kick. Just enough to make you dream of Jamaican beach resorts or a Miami get-away. With temperatures still way below average for mid-April – dreaming is all I can muster these days. Dreaming and eating exotic fruit.Audrey's Mango Pineapple Salad
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Mango and Pineapple Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 green mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into small cubes
  • 1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes
  • 3 scallions, very thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons peanuts or cashews - chopped or whole
  • 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add mango, pineapple, scallions, cilantro, and mint and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional lime juice and fish sauce as desired. Top with nuts and red-pepper flakes.
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Audrey's Mango Pineapple Salad

]]> Summer Quinoa Salad /2012/12/10/summer-quinoa-salad/ Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:02:12 +0000 http://audrey74.com/2012/09/10/summer-quinoa-salad/ ImageThis is my favourite side this summer. A simple Quinoa salad – easy to make, perfect for a BBQ or lunch at work.

I make my Quinoa in our rice cooker following the package instructions. I then let it cool to room temperature. I add sliced cucumber, tomatoes, green onion, crumbled feta, chopped parsley and a bit of salt and pepper. A generous glugg of olive  oil and balsamic vinegar and it’s done. I like it best when it has time to sit a bit, it absorbs the flavours nicely.

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