Friday, July 11, 2014

GREEN SALAD

Prep / Total time : 20 minutes active (plus 30 minutes marinating) Make 6 servings

12              ounces fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
1                bunch asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
1                cup snow peas, sliced lengthwise
1                medium zucchini, halved, seeds scraped out, then cut into thin half moons
2               tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2               tablespoons grated shallot
Zest and juice of 1 orange
2               tablespoons sherry vinegar
1               teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1              avocado, sliced
Manchego cheese, to serve
Fresh dill, to serve
Honey, to serve

1 .       Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and have it near the stove.
2 .       Add the green beans to the boiling water and blanch for 1 to 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender and bright green. Use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer them from the boiling water to the ice water. While the green beans cool, add the asparagus to the boiling water and blanch for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks, until just barely tender. Transfer the asparagus to the ice water with the green beans.
3 .       Once they have cooled, drain the green beans and asparagus, pat them dry and transfer to a large bowl. Add the snow peas and zucchini.
4 .       In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, shallot, orange zest and juice, vinegar and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir gently to coat well. For best flavor, allow the vegetables to marinate in the dressing for at least 30 minutes.
5 .       Serve topped with sliced avocado, grated manchego cheese, sprigs of dill and a drizzle of honey.

14 comments:

  1. Hi Nee, this green salad is so healthy and I can have it everyday as meals and even as snacks. Have yet to try using Dijon mustard in salad. Will give this a try as I like Dijon Mustard in my cooking too. You have a wonderful day and warmest regards :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ivy , salads are good for any meal and the Dijon puts a zip in the salad . Thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  2. Hi Nee,
    Lovely salad, with our hot weather right now, salad is most welcome!
    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Joyce , the weather is hot and I love salads and this one you can add different meats , thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  3. Hi Nee, this may sound 'odd'...when everyone is on the 'band wagon' for the green juicing, juices; I, on the other hand cannot stand the thought of drinking anything 'GREEN' but love, love, green salads, and green veggies...love, avocado, just the way it is...either by itself, or mixed in salads or with veggies!
    Very creative, and sooo pretty...but mostly, super delicious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Elisabeth ,
      You don't sound odd to me ;-D I don't like green juicing drinks either ... I am hooked on green veggies . I am blessed my kids love all types of veggies and that means half the battle is won . Thanks so much Elisabeth for stopping by :)

      Delete
  4. Dearest Nee, I love this green salad! All the best and freshest ingredients. Salads are my go to meal especially in the summer when it is hot out. There is nothing as refreshing as a wonderful and healthy salad. I love your idea of using the cheese, dill, and drizzle of honey. That really goes so nicely with the veggies and the avocado. Beautiful and delicious at the same time...Thnaks for sharing...Blessings for a great weekend, Dottie :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Dottie ,
      You can still have delicious meals and not be over-filling in the hot and humid weather . Sometime I look in the fridge to see what I have on hand ... I end up with a sweep the kitchen salad . You can always diced some left over ham or chicken to add a little meat to the salad and it will still be light and tasty . Thanks for stopping by and have a good and blessed weekend dear Dottie :)

      Delete
  5. I'm "green" with envy looking at that salad Nee and I don't even like green beans! I do like the sound of that dressing too:) Thanks for sharing, Nee...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Louise ,
      the dressing would go good with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers , thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  6. Simplicity at its best! Delicious!
    Have a nice weekend!
    Angie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Angie , thanks so for the visit and have a great weekend :)

      Delete
  7. Yum... somehow green always in my mind means healthy and of course delicious :D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Medeja ... great minds work alike , happy Sunday ;-D

    ReplyDelete

Hi friends, thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to say hello. The welcome mat is always out and the coffee is always hot .I really appreciate your sweet gesture!