Arugula Salad with Sweet Potato and Wild Rice

I seldom use arugula. There are different reasons for it. Mostly because it is harder to come by then the usual lettuce varieties. It's also more difficult to store it at home. (On Pinterest I found something that could help with that problem. You have to put some of the arugula in a small plastic bag, blow air into it until it's completely inflated, twist the bag close and secure it with a plastic clip. That way the salad should stay fresh for a few days. The drawback is that it occupies a lot of space in the fridge. I didn't have the chance to try it out yet. But there is always a next time.)
But taste definitely isn't one of the reasons it's a rare visiter in my kitchen. It has it's own distinct flavour. Even a little arugula in a simple mixed salad can give the whole dish some spice. I'm sure I will use it more often in the future.

I think this was the first time I ever used sweet potatoes. It's not an ingredient that was common in my family. And even now that I live alone, I still use most of the same ingredients that were more or less standard while I grew up. It's not that easy to change some habits, even when you're open to new things (like I actually am).
Now back to the potatoes. In combination with the arugula I quite liked them. And I think I would use them again. But more as a part of a dish, then as the actual main ingredient.

The original recipe asked for pure wild rice. I substituted it with a long grain and wild rice blend. For one it's cheaper, really wild rice costs almost three to four times as much as the blend. And personally I think it tastes a little grassy. It just would be to much.

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Arugula Salad with Sweet Potato and Wild Rice

Dressing

1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 small lemons, zest
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp agave syrup
2 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp salt

1. Wash the lemons and dab them dry. Grate the zest of the lemons.
2. Squeeze the juice out of the lemons.
3. Peel the garlic cloves. Mince them finely.
4. Combine all the ingredients in a high slender bowl.
5. Use a blender to puree them all together.

Salad Ingredients

1/3 cup long grain and wild rice blend, raw
1 sweet potato, small
3 cups baby arugula 
1/3 cup cashew, salted
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt
pepper

1. Cook the rice according to package instructions. Drain it in a sieve.
2. Add a little of the prepared dressing to the rice. Mix it well together and let it cool down completely. That way the rice will absorb the flavour.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 175°C/350°F.
4. Put baking parchment on a baking sheet.
5. Peel the sweet potato. Cut it into cubes, about 1cm high. Spread the potato cubes on the baking sheet.
6. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and season it with cayenne pepper, pepper and salt. Stire the potatoes until they are evenly coated with the oil and the seasoning. Afterwards evenly scatter them out on the baking sheet.
7. Roast the sweet potatoes for about 20-25 minutes. Stir them once or twice to keep them from burning.
8. Let the potatoes cool down a little.
9. Wash the arugula and dab it dry. Cut it in half, that way it will be easier to eat.

To Assemble

1. Combine the rice, the roasted sweet potaoes, the cashew and arugula in a big bowl.
2. Add the remaining dressing to the salad and toss everything together.

The salad tastes best if you serve it when the potatoes are still lukewarm.
 

Bon appétit!!

Greek Style Zucchini Salad

This salad is great for the summer. Fresh and light. An ideal side dish for a barbecue. And you can make it the day before, so you have less stress.

I even called my mom to give her the recipe. Cause I know it's something she and my dad would like and they have lots of zucchinis growing in their garden.
The call was actually kinda funny. My mom wanted to try it out immediately. And was upset cause she didn't have any lemons.
"And dad was just grocery shopping. If I had known. Than I could make it now!" ... "If I just had lemons." ... and it went like that for a few minutes. And then "Mom do you have scallions?" "No." "The cheese?" "No." "So, you actually only have the zucchini."

I doubled the quantity. Cause I only had big zucchinis from my parents garden. I didn't want to leave a cut piece. But really it's not so much, particularly if you make it for a barbecue.

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Greek Style Zucchini Salad

Salad Ingredients

500 g zucchini
2 tbsp chives
2 tbsp dill
1/2 tsp mint, dry
2 scallions
250 g feta
2 tsp salt

1. Wash and dab the zucchini dry.
2. Grate the zucchini. Don't make it to fine.
3. Put the zucchini in a colander. Salt it and leave it for at least 20 minutes.
4. Carefully squeeze out the excess water and put the zucchini into a bowl.
5. Wash and dry the chives. Cut them into thin slices. Add the chives to the zucchini.
6. Mince the dill. Add it to the zucchini.
7. Wash and dab the scallions dry. Cut them into slices and add them to the zucchini.
8. Crumble the feta and add them to the zucchini.
9. Add the mint.
10. Carefully mix everything together.

Dressing

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
3 garlic cloves
pepper

1. Press out the garlic cloves.
2. Combine the oil, the juice, the zest and the garlic in a small bowl.
3. Season with pepper.

To Assemble

salt

1. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix everything together.
2. If necessary add some more salt.
3. Allow the salad to infuse in the fridge for at least a few hours, better over night.

Bon appétit!!

Salmon Skewer with Mojito Salad

I love these dressing. It's so fresh and fruity. Ideal for the summer.

The original recipe asked for tequila. I actually planed to buy some, but then I stumbled over a ready made mojito cocktail. It was cheaper, so I bought that instead. But it was better this way. Cause I also needed limes. But I couldn't find them anywhere. It seems they are to expensive at the moment, so the dealer don't buy them. But there is already lime juice in the mojito, lucky me! The mint adds a nice note too.

The fish goes rather well with the salad. But really the skewers are more work than they are worth.

The photos did't work out at all this time. I try to take them while the sun is still out. But this time it was already dark and I had to use the flash light. It doesn't look as appetizing as it actually was. I'm disappointed with myself.

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Salmon Skewer with Mojito Salad

Mojito Dressing

2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp mojito cocktail
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 bund of parsley

1. Put lemon juice, honey and mojito cocktail into a food processor and blend it together.
2. Rip the parsley leaves of. Put them in the processor and blend them as fine as possible.
3. Add the oil. Blend everything together

Salad 

red and green lettuce
cherry tomatoes
scallion

1. Wash and dry all ingredients.
2. Rip the lettuce in rough pieces.
3. Cut the tomatoes into halves.
4. Cut the scallion into slices.
5. Put everything into a salad bowl.

Salmon Skewer

ca. 16 wood skewer
500 g salmon filet
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp sesame
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper flakes
2 lemons
1 tsp salt
olive oil

1.Wash the salmon and dab it dry.
2. Let the skewer soak in water.
3. Cut the salmon into cubes, about 2 cm big.
4. Cut the lemon into thin slices.
5. Heat the grill and brush it with some oil.
6. Mix the oregano, the sesame, the cumin and the pepper together.
7. Use two skewer and spit a salmon piece on them, then a fold a lemon slice and spit it on too. Then
repeat with two more salmon pieces and a lemon slice. Each skewer should always start and finish with the salmon.
8. Coat the finished skewer with a little oil.
9. Sprinkle them with some salt.
10. Sprinkle them with the seasoning.
11. Grill the skewer from both sides for about 8-10 minutes.

Bon appétit!!