Tag: Gluten Free
Spinach Salad with Mahimahi, Grapefruit, and Avocado
I’ll be honest. This is a rather polarizing salad. At least in my house it is. I contend that the flavors of tart grapefruit, mild mahimahi, creamy avocado, and a lime-honey vinaigrette all mixed up together make for an explosion of deliciously contrasting flavors and textures. The rest of my family, on the other hand, is not so keen.
Grapefruit isn’t just an acquired taste. Apparently our taste perception of it and several other bitter foods depends on our genetics. (So I can give my husband and kids a pass.) But if you’re one of those fortunate people who can enjoy grapefruit, now is the time to do so–at least in Arizona, where we live.
This grapefruity recipe comes from Real Simple, a magazine that generally lives up to its name. But to take a simple recipe and make it even easier for weeknight dinnertime, I swapped out grilled fresh mahimahi for Trader Joe’s frozen mahimahi burgers. They may not be quite as pretty as grilled fillets, but these burgers, diced, turned assembly of this salad into a total breeze. Plus, they’re a WHOLE lot less expensive than what my regular grocery store charges for mahimahi.
I enjoyed this flavor combo so much on Thursday evening that I recreated it for my Lenten Fish Friday. If you observe Lent or just need a light, refreshing, easy lunch or dinner, you can’t go wrong with this healthy salad…
…unless you’re genetically predisposed to hate grapefruit.
Spinach Salad with Mahimahi, Grapefruit, and Avocado
An explosion of varying tastes and textures, this salad is a light, healthy meal!
Prep Time20 mins
Total Time20 mins
Servings: 4 as a main dish
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 package 4 frozen mahimahi burgers, such as Trader Joe's
- 8 c. fresh spinach
- 1 grapefruit, sliced into 1/2-inch segments
- 1 avocado, diced
For the dressing:
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp. honey
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare mahimahi burgers according to instructions on box. Meanwhile, spread spinach on a large platter. Top with grapefruit segments and diced avocado. When mahimahi burgers are done cooking, slice them into pieces and spread over salad.
- Make the dressing: in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together all ingredients. Toss salad with dressing or serve on the side.
Notes
Adapted from Real Simple.
Jerk Salmon Bowl with Avocado-Mango Salsa
Is it just me, or does it feel like it’s really trendy to eat things in bowls right now? Poke bowls, burrito bowls, Buddha bowls (what even IS a Buddha bowl?) Taco Bell has “Power Menu Bowl,” while KFC offers a mashed potato-chicken bowl, which has the dubious honor of making Time Magazine’s 10 Worst Fast Food Meals). Burrrrn.
The take-home message of the Bowl Movement (don’t think too hard about that phrase) seems to be that you can throw a wide variety of foods together in a bowl and watch them play nice as a one-dish meal. I don’t really care about being trendy, but I can definitely get behind the idea of protein, starch, fruits, and/or veggies all mixed up in one tasty package. Kinda like some other recipes I like.
This bowl I’m featuring today combines jerk-seasoned salmon, black beans, rice, and a zesty mango salsa for a refreshing, healthy catch-all dinner or lunch. The pan-frying method of cooking the salmon in this recipe gives it a restaurant-quality, almost-but-not-quite crispy on the outside texture that complements the cool sweetness and tender texture of the avocado-mango salsa. Sturdy staples of black beans and rice round out the equation. When serving, separate it into sections (as pictured), or stir it all together. There’s no wrong way to eat a bowl.
Especially if you’re observing Lent, this is a great one for meat-free days, or any time you’re looking for a light meal packed with nutrition.
Jerk Salmon Bowl with Mango Salsa
This one-dish meal of salmon, beans, rice and mango salsa is packed with nutrition!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time35 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 c. mango, diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 lime
- salt, to taste
- 1 lb. wild-caught salmon, skin removed
- 1/2 tsp. curry powder
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 1/2. c. cooked white rice
Instructions
Make the salsa:
- In a medium bowl, stir together avocado, mango, red onion, and cilantro. Squeeze juice of 1/2 lime onto mixture and stir again. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.
Cook the salmon:
- In a small bowl, combine spices (curry powder through cumin). Rub over both sides of salmon. Heat olive oil over medium-high in a large non-stick skillet. Add salmon and cook 3-5 minutes per side. Break salmon into chunks and continue to cook until no longer translucent. Remove from heat.
Assemble the bowls:
- Divide rice, beans, salmon, and salsa between four bowls. Serve immediately.
Notes
Adapted from Pinch of Yum.
Mashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Sage
Here’s a random tidbit: when you start a Google search with the words “how many people do…” Google does NOT assume you are asking it about potatoes and how many pounds feed how many people. No, my friends, Google wants to answer these other, far more intriguing questions:
Because apparently a lot more people want to know how many of us are getting killed by hippos than how many potatoes to buy to feed a crowd. Not sure how to take this, but I feel like it says something about our priorities?
Anyway, though I am (now) a bit curious how many people die annually from hippo attacks, I really did want to know about mashed potato portions, because it’s an area of culinary expertise that eludes me. Mashed potatoes seem like one of those foods that defy boundaries. There’s nothing exact about them. And since they so often appear as just one item in a multi-item meal (Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, let’s say), anything from a dollop to a pile seems fairly reasonable.
Well, it’s time to settle the score. The OFFICIAL serving size of mashed potatoes, as dictated by the Food and Drug Administration, is 140 grams. Since no one in the U.S. measures their food in grams (get it together, FDA!), allow me to interpret. 140 grams = 5 ounces, which for potatoes equals about 1/2 cup.
Therefore, if you want to make mashed potatoes for eight people, like this recipe does, 5 oz x 8 people = 40 ounces, or 2 1/2 pounds. Assuming no one’s going crazy with a potato free-for-all.
That’s how, even with creamy goat cheese, whole milk, and a bit of butter, these delicious, sage-kissed mashed potatoes end up with only 200 calories per serving. Portion control, y’all.
This hearty side dish makes a spot-on accompaniment to meat dishes like ham, pork chops, or meatloaf. What favorite meal would YOU serve it with?
Mashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Sage
Mashed potatoes get a flavor makeover with creamy goat cheese and fresh sage in this side dish.
Servings: 6 as a side
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs. Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 c. butter
- 1/4 c. whole milk
- 2 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender, 12-15 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Add goat cheese and butter and mash or blend with an immersion blender (the immersion blender does a much nicer job getting a creamy texture!). Add milk and sage continue to mash/blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
Adapted from Bon Appetit.
Lemony Green Beans with Almonds and Feta
Three ways you know you’ve found the best green bean recipe ever:
- You make it more than once.
- When you serve it at Thanksgiving, it disappears to the last bean.
- You actually sneak it out of the fridge to snack on it at night.
Or, perhaps all of the above…because all of these things have been true in our household with these Lemony Green Beans with Almonds and Feta. Who’da thunk a green bean side dish could be so appealing?
I featured this recipe on A Love Letter to Food’s Facebook page during my annual Healthy Thanksgiving Countdown as an alternative to the usual green bean casserole. To take my own advice, I decided to make it for the Thanksgiving dinner we attended with friends. It turned out better than I could have hoped, the beans pan-steamed to crispy crunachability and the feta and toasted almonds soaking up the lemony, garlicky dressing. When everyone was served at dinner, nary a bean was left.
On the heels of this success, I served this again at Christmas dinner. Even my 6-year-old fought me to eat the leftovers–cold. That’s a good sign.
Is it weird that eating this makes me think of the Gollum quote from The Hobbit:
“Is it nice, my preciousss? Is it juicy? Is it scrumptiously crunchable?”
Because yes, it is. And that beats green bean casserole any day, if you ask me.
Lemony Green Beans with Almonds and Feta
Crisp-tender green beans tossed with a lemony dressing and sprinkled with toasted almonds and feta make an incredible side dish!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time35 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1/3 c. sliced almonds
- 1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and sliced in half
- 3 Tbsp. water
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt, divided
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese, divided
Instructions
- Toast the almonds one of two ways: either bake them for 3 minutes at 325 degrees or heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook almonds, stirring occasionally, until toasted. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add green beans, water, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cover and cook 7-10 minutes, stirring periodically. Uncover and increase heat to medium-high. Continue to cook another 3-5 minutes or until water has evaporated and beans are crisp-tender and bright green. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing: whisk together olive oil, dijon, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flaked, and black pepper.
- When beans are done cooking, toss with toasted almonds, lemon dressing, and half the feta. Spread on a platter or serving dish and sprinkle with remaining feta. Serve immediately.
Notes
Adapted from Cookie and Kate.
Cranberry Salsa
How often do you eat cranberries in their fresh, raw form? It seems to go without saying that sweetened dried cranberries have pretty well monopolized the Cranberry Market in recent years, edging out their plump, juicy originators by a long shot. I’d wager few of us ever go around eating raw cranberries as our go-to fruit of choice. As a matter of fact, when my six-year-old daughter saw them in our fruit crisper the other day and asked to try one, I told her to do so at her own risk. Raw cranberries are so stinking tart, they’re almost inedible on their own.
Not surprisingly, it took about two seconds before she made a horrible face and spit it into the trash.
That’s why this Cranberry Salsa–which I had the fresh cranberries in the fridge for–is so special. It features raw cranberries combined with apple, jalapeño, red onion, and a couple of other fresh ingredients for an unexpected, interesting appetizer that’s sure to be a hit at holiday parties. (It was at mine last night! The bowl I served this in was practically licked clean.)
Being a nutritionist, I’m a bit self-conscious about the food I serve when I entertain. Maybe no one is thinking about it but me, but I feel like my title obligates me to make at least some fairly healthy options for my guests. Plus, the nutritionist in me likes to offer allergy-friendly options for friends and family in the “something-free” club. This salsa fit the bill for both, since it’s vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free–basically everything-free, since it’s made entirely with fresh fruits, sugar, and salt. Heck, it’s even RAW, if you’re into that, too.
Oh, and it’s easy. And make-ahead. And a balanced blend of sweetness and spice. And seasonal.
Can you tell I’m sold? Give this one a try for any upcoming Christmas parties and tell me how it goes!
Cranberry Salsa
This Cranberry Salsa is a festive, healthy, allergy-friendly holiday appetizer.
Prep Time15 mins
Total Time2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1/4 c. white sugar
- 2 c. fresh raw cranberries
- 1 Gala or Fuji apple, cut into chunks
- 1/2 medium red onion, cut into chunks
- 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and quartered
- 1 Tbsp. orange zest
- 2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1/4 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
- 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, process the sugar until very fine (to create superfine sugar). Pour into a serving bowl and set aside.
- Place cranberries, apple, red onion, and jalapeño in the food processor and process until the mixture reaches a finely chopped pico de gallo-type consistency. Add to the bowl with the sugar and stir to combine.
- Add orange zest and juice, lime juice, and salt and stir to combine. Cover and chill 2-24 hours. Stir in cilantro just before serving.
Notes
Adapted from Home is Where the Boat Is, who adapted it from Southern Living.