In honor of Starter Home Week, voila: Some summer-perfect recipes from the folks over at one of our favorite foodie blogs, Spoon Fork Bacon, just for you:
Hi Guys! When the lovely people at The FIX asked us for some summer recipe ideas the first thing we thought of were salads! Sometimes it’s too hot to eat crazy heavy meals, and we prefer to keep it light. It’s the perfect time of year to indulge in seasonal ingredients and make the perfect summer salads. So we have three that are not only light and refreshing, but they’ll actually fill you up. No quick stop over to In-n-Out needed, we promise!
We have a classic nicoise salad, served with a sweet-anchovy vinaigrette. We also have a fun Southwestern couscous salad, packed with spices, black beans, grilled corn, tomatoes, red onions, cilantro… pretty much the veggie kitchen sink of salads! Finally, we have a gorgeous and tasty grilled asparagus salad spruced up with deviled quails eggs. The richness of the eggs goes great with the tangy balsamic glazed asparagus spears. These salads are super easy to make, no crazy kitchen utensils required!
We hope you enjoy our simple, summer salads. and are inspired to go out and create your own!
xo,
Spoon Fork Bacon
Salad Nicoise
Serves 1-2
Ingredients
Sweet-anchovy Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
3 anchovy fillets
2 1/2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Salad:
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 to 8 ounces sashimi grade tuna steak
10 green beans, blanched
1 hardboiled egg, peeled and sliced in half
1 tomato, cut into wedges
2 baby new potatoes, boiled and sliced in half
5 kalamata olives, pitted
small handful of mixed greens, optional
salt and pepper to taste
1. For vinaigrette: Place the shallots, garlic and anchovy fillets into a small mixing bowl and smash together with a back of a fork until you form a paste. Add mustard and honey and whisk together. While whisking, add oil to the mixture in a slow and steady stream, until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. For salad: Pour oil into a small nonstick skillet and place over medium-high heat.
3. Season tuna steak with salt and pepper and sear on each side for about 1 1/2 minutes. (The center should still be completely pink/red)
4. Transfer the ahi tuna onto a cutting board and set aside to rest.
5. To assemble: Arrange green beans, the egg, tomato wedges, new potatoes, and olives onto a plate. Slice tuna into 1/4 inch thick slices and place over salad. Drizzle with the sweet-anchovy vinaigrette and serve.
Southwest Pearled Couscous Salad
Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup pearled couscous (also known as Israeli Couscous)
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup grilled corn kernels (from 1 small corn on the cob)
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese, optional
salt and pepper to taste
1. Place broth, paprika, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. As the broth heats up, add oil to a medium saucepan and toast couscous over medium heat, about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Pour the hot broth over the couscous, cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. When couscous is ready, uncover, gently fluff with a fork and allow it to cool.
3. Once cooled, add the black beans, corn, red onion, tomatoes, lime juice, and cilantro and gently fold together until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and top with cotija cheese, if using. Serve.
Grilled Asparagus and Deviled Eggs
Serves 1-2
Ingredients
Deviled Quail Eggs:
6 hardboiled quail eggs, peeled and cut in half
1/2 teaspoon Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch garlic powder
pinch smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Grilled Asparagus:
1/2 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut in half
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar for brushing
1. For the quail eggs: Remove yolks from the quail eggs and place them in a small mixing bowl. Add the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper and smash together with the back of a fork and mix until smooth. Scoop mixture into a piping bag or a re-closeable plastic bag, cut the tip and pipe back into the hardboiled whites. Set aside.
2. For the grilled asparagus: Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Toss asparagus together with oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place asparagus on grill/grill pan and grill for 4 to 5 minutes. Brush asparagus with balsamic vinegar, flip and grill asparagus for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place asparagus spears onto a plate and top with deviled quails eggs. Season with salt and pepper and an extra drizzle of balsamic vinegar (if desired) and serve.
(Need a few kitchen utensils here and there? Shop flatware, sauce pans, food processors and more in Starter Home: The Kitchen.)
