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Now You’re Cooking: Spring Forward Recipes

This salad is bright and cheerful, similar to the early days of spring. While this salad is wonderful anytime of year, it works especially well during the transition period from winter to spring. Fennel adds a crisp bite to the salad and, when shaved thinly, melds nicely with all the other flavors without taking over.

Fennel, citrus and avocados are nutritious foods that can offer health benefits when combined in a salad, including improved immune function, better digestion and reduced risk of chronic disease.

Drizzled with a tangy, sweet citrus vinaigrette, this refreshing salad comes together in minutes!

Shaved Fennel, Citrus & Avocado Salad

(Makes 4 servings)

4 citrus fruits, such as grapefruit, navel and Cara Cara oranges

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons Champagne or white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 ½ teaspoons raw honey

½ to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 large fennel bulb, cored

1 small firm-but-ripe avocado, sliced

Small handful organic microgreens

Shaved Parmesan or crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper

To make the citrus vinaigrette, finely zest some of the peel from an orange using a microplane. You will need 1 teaspoon. Place zest in a small glass jar with cover. Add olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, honey, mustard and salt; cover and shake to emulsify.

Using a sharp knife or mandoline slicer, slice the fennel as thinly as possible. Reserve the feathery fennel fronds for garnish.

Cut a slice off the top and bottom of the citrus. Working with one citrus fruit at a time, place cut-side-down and slice the peel from top to bottom, following the curvature of the citrus and removing all of the white pith. Slice citrus thinly crosswise.

Arrange fennel, citrus, avocado, microgreens and reserved fronds on a serving platter. Drizzle with citrus vinaigrette. Top with Parmesan. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

These tacos are so easy to put together! The shrimp is marinated in fragrant spices and zesty lime and then sautéed until pink and juicy. Top with crunchy cabbage, mango salsa, creamy avocado and cool sour cream, and you have your answer to Taco Tuesday!

If you’re short on time (or spices), 2 tablespoons of packaged taco seasoning mix can be used in place of the spices listed below. As well, while freshly made mango salsa is best, Whole Foods and Gelson’s make an excellent mango salsa.

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

(Makes about 5 servings)

TACOS

1 ½ pounds large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use

Zest and juice from 1 lime

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (can substitute classic chili powder with dash of cayenne pepper)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

Freshly ground black pepper

SALSA

1 mango, peeled and diced

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice from 1 lime

TOPPINGS

1 cup shredded red cabbage tossed with a little lime juice, salt and olive oil

1 avocado, sliced

Corn or flour tortillas for serving

Sour cream

FOR TACOS:

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, lime zest and juice, cumin, chipotle chile powder, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and a few grinds of pepper; stir well to coat. Marinate for about 15 minutes (meanwhile, prep the salsa and toppings).

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, flipping once, until opaque and cooked through. 

FOR SALSA:

Combine mango, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice in a medium bowl; stir well.

To assemble, toast the tortillas over an open flame or warm them in the microwave or in a dry skillet. Top tortillas with cabbage mixture, shrimp, mango salsa, avocado and dollop of sour cream. Serve immediately.

Chris Garboski managed the HQ test kitchen at Nestle and produced more than a thousand recipes in her 25 years with the company. Her proudest accomplishment has been raising triplets.

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