Salads – The Hungry Athlete

Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon and Pomegranate

February 10, 2015February 19, 2015thehungryathlete

I love winter fruits and vegetables. Last week one of my ultra running pals brought me a big stalk of Brussels sprouts. I knew right away I wanted to make some sort of Brussels sprout salad and searched for a couple other winter vegetables or fruits that would brighten it up with some sweetness and acidity. I found those bright notes in a pomegranate and some lemons plucked from a tree in the back yard.

An abundance of lemons this winter. I absolutely love not having to buy lemons.

The whole lemon is used in this recipe. Blanching the lemons, then roasting them, helps to eliminate the bitterness from the rind. You may be hesitant to bite into the lemon, rind and all, but you’ll be pleased to find the rind quite tender. You will want to try this because the peel of a lemon contains more vitamins than it’s juice. Lemon peels are an excellent source of fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, folate, beta carotene and vitamin C.

The lemons, pomegranate anvils and Brussels sprouts are tossed together with red onion and tomatoes to create a side salad that was not only visually bright but is also cheerful with each bite.

This salad was accompanied by a hearty bowl of my Minestrone Soup and served on a very rainy winter weekend. The ingredients in this salad made for the perfect light and sunny Sunday night dinner

Serving size: 4-6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons olive oil
12 heads or 3/4 pounds of Brussels sprouts*
2 large lemons (1 sliced lemon and juice of 1 lemon, about 1/4 cup)
1 cup small assorted tomatoes, cut in half
1/3 cup of pomegranate arils (seeds)
1 medium red onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
salt & pepper

* Brussels sprouts can be replaced with mixed greens

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F

Cut the Brussels sprouts in half and place onto 2/3 of a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Leave the other 1/3 of the baking sheet empty. Lemon slices will be added to this space later. Toss the Brussels sprouts in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then season well with salt and pepper. Roast the Brussels sprouts for about 20-25 minutes until tender and the edges are brown. Turn over the Brussels sprouts a few times while roasting to ensure even browning.

While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, wash the lemons well then slice one lemon into thin rounds. Place the lemon slices into a pot of boiling water. Blanch the lemon slices for 2 minutes. This will help to eliminate the bitterness from the rind. Remove the lemon slices from the boiling water and add it to the baking sheet with the Brussels sprouts. Coat the lemon slices in 1 tablespoon of olive oil then roast with the Brussels sprouts. Roast the lemon slices for about 10-15 minutes until they start to caramelize a little. Watch the Brussels sprouts and lemon slices carefully. The lemon slices may need to be removed from the baking sheet before the Brussels sprouts have finished roasting.

Allow the Brussels sprouts and lemon slices to cool slightly, then cut both Brussels sprouts and lemon slices in half.

In a measuring cup or small bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, the juice of the remaining lemon (about 1/4 cup), balsamic vinegar, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts, tomatoes and red onion slices in the dressing. Transfer to a serving bowl. Slice the lemon rounds in half and add to the top of the Brussels sprout salad. Top with the pomegranate arils.

Swap out the Brussels sprouts with mixed greens for a salad with brightness in every bite.

Roasted Corn, String Bean, Tomato and Cucumber Orzo Salad

June 26, 2013February 11, 2015thehungryathlete

A great way to encourage children to enjoy eating vegetables is to teach them how to grow their own garden. Chloe’s and Zachary’s parents built two garden boxes in their back yard, one for each child. The children planted their first garden in the Spring, watered it diligently and watched with excitement, their garden grow before their eyes. They were recently rewarded with strawberries, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers and string beans.

Innocently unbiased and ferociously inquisitive, Chloe and Zachary will ask to taste all the ingredients in its raw form no matter what it is. When I cook with them, I guide them on what they should or should not try and am thrilled they are willing to try everything. What a wonderful way for the children to appreciate the true flavors of raw vegetables and understand how their flavors can change when cooked or seasoned.

My Roasted Corn, String Beans, Tomato and Cucumber Orzo Salad was inspired by Chloe’s and Zachary’s garden. The vegetables in this recipe are either raw or lightly cooked so their freshness can be enjoyed.

This salad can either be served as a side dish or as a vegetarian main course. Add chopped roasted chicken for a protein-rich main course.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried orzo pasta
2 ears fresh corn, roasted
1 pound green beans, blanched
1 cucumber, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups cherry tomatoes, rinsed, stemmed, and cut in half or thirds depending on size
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
½ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Pinch Salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook orzo in boiling water for 8-9 minutes until barely tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Husk corn and roast on grill until some of the kernels are evenly browned on all sides. Remove the corn kernels by holding each cob upright on it’s stem and carefully running a sharp knife down the cob over a large bowl. Add cooked orzo.

Cut green beans into 2-3 inches. Blanch in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Green beans should still have a crunch. Drain and place in ice water. Drain again and add to orzo and corn.

Cut cucumber in half. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the seeds. Cut the cucumber halves into thirds or quarters lengthwise. Then cut into ½ inch cubes.

Cut cherry tomatoes in half or thirds depending on size. Add cucumber and tomatoes to orzo, corn and string beans.

Rough chop parsley and add to orzo mixture.

Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Add salt and pepper and whisk again.

Pour over orzo and vegetables. Toss well. Allow the orzo salad to sit for at least 1 hour to absorb the flavors of the dressing.

Orange, Fennel and Arugula Salad

March 13, 2013February 11, 2015thehungryathlete

Oranges are a wonderful winter fruit that is in season right now. Several of my friends and neighbors here in Northern California have more oranges growing in their backyard than they know what to do with.

Here’s a refreshing and healthy recipe that will give you a reason to use up those oranges. My Orange, Fennel and Arugula Salad is a burst of flavor with every bite. The sweetness from the oranges, hint of licorice from the fennel and the peppery notes from the arugula, compliment each other well.

Did you know that oranges and fennel are a good source of vitamin C and calcium? In addition, fennel has many health benefits. It is a good source of fiber, potassium, folate, niacin as well as minerals, such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron and copper. In animal studies, the anethole in fennel has been shown to reduce inflammation and to help prevent the occurrence of cancer.

Serving size: 2

Equipment: Mandoline (but not required)

Ingredients:

1 medium fennel bulb, sliced thinly with a Mandoline (about 1 cup)
3 large or 4 small oranges
1 large lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon salt
¼ freshly cracked pepper (about 5 turns of the pepper mill)
2 teaspoons honey
6 cups arugula

Directions

Using a mandolin set at the thinnest setting, or with a knife, slice the fennel bulb. Set aside.

Cut the skin off of the oranges and then slice the oranges into ¼ inch cross sections.

In a small mixing bowl, make the salad vinaigrette by whisking together the juice of 1 lemon, olive oil, ground cardamom, salt, freshly cracked pepper and honey.

I a small bowl, toss fennel in 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette. In a separate bowl, toss the arugula in 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette.

On a serving plate, make a bed of arugula. Arrange orange slices on top of the arugula. Sprinkle fennel over orange slices. Spoon remaining vinaigrette over oranges. Garnish with the chopped fennel fronds (leaves). Top with freshly cracked pepper.

For a dinner party, I used mixed greens instead of arugula. This salad pairs well with a lot of dishes.

Salmon Nicoise Salad for Two

February 13, 2013February 11, 2015thehungryathlete

This attractive salad is packed with a lot of heart healthy ingredients and requires very little cooking time. Salmon and sardines are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which research shows can boost heart health, lower triglycerides and may help with rheumatoid arthritis and depression. Olives and olive oil can help lower LDL “bad” cholesterol, maintain levels of HDL “good” cholesterol and protect against heart disease. Avocados are also heart-healthy, a good source of fiber, potassium and vitamins C, K, folate and B6.

This salad is very easy to prepare and the ingredients can be exchanged depending on what you are in the mood for. Any variety of tomatoes can be used. The avocado can be replaced with blanched string beans. For more complex carbohydrates, small boiled potatoes can be added.

Serving size: 2

Ingredients:

10 ounces Salmon (I prefer wild sockeye salmon)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard*
2 tablespoon soy sauce*
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon olive oil
1 ripe avocado, sliced and fanned
skinless and boneless smoked sardines*
sliced heirloom tomatoes, or grape tomatoes cut in half or cherry tomatoes cut in half
balsamic vinegar*
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked pepper
2 boiled eggs, sliced
lettuce or kale
1 cup olives
roasted red peppers (optional)
green beans, blanched (optional)
boiled baby potatoes cut in half (optional)

* NOTE: If you are a gluten-free diet, ensure that the ingredients you are using are gluten-free.

Directions:

Preheat oven’s broiler.

Whisk together Dijon mustard, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Pour over salmon and marinade for 10-30 minutes.

Boil eggs. I prefer soft boiled which I achieve by placing the eggs in a pot of water, then bring the water to boil. Allow the eggs to sit in the boiling water for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover the eggs and allow to sit for 3 more minutes. Rinse the eggs in cool water and then place them back into the pot with cold water.

Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick spray. Crack fresh pepper over salmon and place salmon skin side down Broil the salmon in the pan, skin side down, for 8-10 minutes.

The salmon skin should be easy to remove and recommend you do this before plating. Prepare the salad dressing by whisking together balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup of olive oil with a pinch of Kosher salt. Arrange all ingredients on a plate and drizzle ablout 2-3 teaspoon of salad dressing over lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables. Take care to arrange your plate. We eat with our eyes first, so presentation is key.

We eat with our eyes and taste with our nose too. When entertaining, I always take a moment to think about presentation.

Nicoise Salad with heirloom tomatoes, string beans, butter lettuce, olives and sardines.

Salmon nicoise salad with cherry tomatoes, string beans, sardines, olives and soft boiled eggs. — Salmon nicoise salad with cherry tomatoes, string beans, sardines, olives, avocado and soft boiled eggs.

Nicoise salad with kale, avocado, cherry tomatoes, sardines, eggs and olives. Doesn't get much healthier than this! — Nicoise salad with kale, avocado, cherry tomatoes, sardines, eggs and olives. It doesn’t get much healthier than this!

Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza with Caramelized Onions

February 6, 2013February 11, 2015thehungryathlete

I am the social athlete. I never turn down an opportunity to have a meal with my fellow athlete friends. Last week I had the pleasure of dining with 4 other fellow female Ironman triathletes, two were racing a 50K marathon in the next 48 hours and I was racing a half marathon in the next 72 hours. Our carbo-loading meal was a fabulous Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza. It was so good, I was still thinking about it this week and decided to make it.

Since I’m the busy every day athlete, with competing fulltime responsibilities like everyone else, I take cooking shortcuts every chance I get. The big time saver for this recipe is buying the pizza dough. These days you can find a variety of pizza dough in your local supermarket’s freezer. I decided to buy whole wheat dough, but you can also use multi-grain or traditional pizza dough.

Here’s nutritional information for whole wheat pizza dough:

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrients-whole-wheat-pizza-dough-3626.html

NOTE: I originally made candied walnuts to add to the pizza (in the photos), however the caramelized onions added enough sweetness. I ended up picking the walnuts off and enjoying them separately. Next time, I’ll use plain toasted walnuts for some crunch without the added sugar. Nuts, including almonds, walnuts, and pecans, have been shown to have heart healthy benefits, including lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol. Walnuts are also a source of omega-3.

Ingredients:

pizza dough*
1 cup of thinly sliced onion
¼ cup olive oil
Kosher salt
freshly cracked peppercorns
corn meal
6 ounces of crumbled goat cheese*
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 ripe pears, thinly sliced (depending on the size of the pear, you may only need 1 1/2)
arugula
1/3 cup toasted walnuts (optional)

* NOTE: If you are a gluten-free diet, ensure that the ingredients you are using are gluten-free.

Directions:

Preheat over to 450F.

Follow the instructions for the pizza dough. Usually the dough, if frozen, will need to defrost over several hours and then allowed to sit a few more hours in a bowl, greased with olive oil, until the dough doubles in size.

Cook onions covered in pan over medium/low heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes until soft and caramelized. You may need to remove the lid to allow all of the liquid to evaporate towards the end of the cooking time. Allow to cool.

The caramelized onions will be very sweet so a little bit added to the pizza will go a long way.

Prepare pizza dough and place on pizza stone or baking pan dusted with corn meal. Bake pizza dough for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top pizza with goat cheese and bake for 10 additional minutes or until cheese is starting to melt.

Whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon and salt. Toss arugula and in olive oil and lemon dressing.

Remove pizza from oven and top with pears, caramelized onions and arugula. Season with freshly cracked pepper. For some extra crunch, top with some plain toasted walnuts.

Beet and Watermelon Salad

September 7, 2012January 16, 2013thehungryathlete

This refreshing and mouth watering salad contains nature’s electrolytes. Both beets and watermelon is a good source of potassium. In addition watermelon is packed with vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and contains antioxidants.

1 large or 2 medium golden beets. (Red beets works well too, however I prefer the color contrast of the golden beets. You can even find cooked beets in some grocery stores, like Trader Joe’s)
unseeded/seedless watermelon, cubed
arugula
crumbled goat cheese
cherry balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil

Wrap beets individually in heavy duty aluminum foil and roast beets for 45-60 mins in oven 400F depending on size. Allow to cool. The skin should peel off easily. Cut the beets and watermelon and add to arugula. Sprinkle with goal cheese, a touch of olive oil and a cherry balsamic vinegar.

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