BLT Salad with Avocado Cucumber Dressing

Really craving a BLT sandwich but don’t want all the carbs and mayo….well are you going to enjoy this salad…

BLT Salad with Avocado Cucumber Dressing

Salad ingredients: per person

  • 1 heart of romaine lettuce
  • 1 Roma tomato (or tomato of your choice)
  • 4 slicks of bacon
  1. Preheat the oven to 375. Line baking sheet with alumium foil place cooling rack sprayed with non stick spray on baking sheet. Place bacon on the rack and back for 20 to 25 minutes. By lining the baking sheet with foil you save yourself the clean up because when the grease cools just throw the foil in the trash and cleanup is a breeze.
  2. Cut the ingredients up and combine with dressing.

Avocado cucumber dressing ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup fresh tarragon
  • 1/4 cup fresh chives
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 persian cucumber
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  1. Note: the dressing stays good in the refrigerator for about a week (it does turn a bit brown but just stir well)

Orzo Seafood Salad with Fennel Tarragon Dressing

Finally found a brand of gluten free orzo and made this tasty seafood salad that is perfect for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

  • 1 – 12oz bag Delallo gluten free orzo
  • 1 fennel bulb – finely chopped
  • 2 medium shallots – finely chopped
  • 1 12oz bag baby spinach
  • 3 Persian cucumbers – chopped
  • 1 basket cherry tomatoes – halved
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup fresh tarragon
  • 1 large or 2 small lemons – zest and juice
  • 1 bag frozen mixed seafood (or any fish you prefer) – defrosted
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like really spicy)
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cup +5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil – separated
  • salt and pepper
  1. Cook the orzo per the package instructions.  When cooked al dente, run under cold water to cool down and stop the cooking.  Set aside.
  2. While the orzo is cooking, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, add 1/2 of the chopped fennel bulb and chopped shallots with a pinch of salt and saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach with a pinch of salt and wilt down.  When spinach is wilted place in a strainer to drain and cool
  3. In a blender combine 1/4 chopped fennel, 1/2 cup fresh tarragon, 2 garlic cloves, lemon zest and juice, S&P and 1 cup of the olive oil and combine to make the dressing.
  4. In a bowl combine the orzo, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes and dressing.
  5. In the same pan that was used to cook the spinach add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 whole garlic clove, and pepper flakes to the oil while heating. Add the seafood combo lightly salted to the heated oil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the cooked fish with a slotted spoon.
  6. Add the cooked seafood to the orzo spinach mixture. Add chopped avocado and garnish with fennel fronds.

Eggplant Ragu

This is an easy one pan dish to make, and it goes quickly so I suggest you get all the items prepped and ready to add into the pan before you start the cooking.  Also this dish can get too salty so even though chef’s say to salt each layer I suggest you hold back on the salt and taste it before you add too much (believe me I learned that the hard way, I had generously salted each layer and the dish was good but way too salty)

eggplant stuffed

Ingredients:

  • 1 large eggplant – cut in half and the pulp removed from the skin carefully if you plan to serve it the skin – pulp cut into bit size pieces
  • 1/2 large red onion – diced
  • 4 to 5 Roma tomatoes – diced
  • 1 package Uncooked Silican Chicken Sausage with Tomato and Romano Cheese (from Trader Joe’s) – meat removed from casing
  • 1 – 14 oz can of artichoke hearts – drained and chopped
  • 6 oz baby spinach
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Add onion and garlic to the heated oil with about 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt.  Saute for about 3 minutes.  Add the sausage meat to the pan and crumble into pieces.  Cook the sausage mixture for about 5 to 6 minutes (until almost completely cooked).  Add eggplant to the pan along with the basil, cilantro and thyme…cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the spinach, tomatoes and artichoke pieces and cook until the spinach is wilted and the tomatoes & artichoke are heated thru.  Now taste for salt and pepper and add to taste.

This dish is now ready to be served in the eggplant skins or try it over brown rice pasta.

eggplant ragu w pasta