A Last Hurrah

Here’s a last hurrah to the heirloom tomatoes out of the garden; a roasted tomato salad topped simply with good olive oil and balsamic.

Asian Inspired Cold Buckwheat Noodle Cucumber Salad

During my frequent excursions over to Japan for training over the last several decades, many trips occurred during the typhoon season. Much like hurricane season in the United States, the basic weather was hot, humid and sultry. Great relief was often found in a bowl of soba, or buckwheat noodles, served cold. Contrary to the name, buckwheat is not a cereal grain. It is actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel. Thus it is a great alternative to people who wish or need to avoid foods high in gluten. Like any diet rich in whole grains, diets rich in buckwheat are associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Buckwheat is rich in flavonoids like rutin and minerals like magnesium.

• 1 package of soba noodles (I especially like the Roland organic soba)
• 2 cups of stock (You can use seafood, fish or chicken stock. The stock adds a layer of flavor to the cooled noodles, but you can use water as well to cook them)
• 2 Thinly sliced cucumber
• 7oz Tofu (extra firm) cut into ¼ inch cubes
• Several slices of Daikon (Japanese radish)
• Toasted Nori seaweed strips (optional)
• Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
• Dressing:
  • 2 Tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Tbs Ponzu Sauce (you can use Soy Sauce instead)
  • 2 Tbs Mirin (you can substitute a white wine in a pinch)

Heat the stock to boiling in a medium saucepan. Add the noodles and cook until slightly al dente, just like pasta. Drain and cool the noodles. Mix the dressing together and combine with the other ingredients. Top with seaweed and red pepper flakes if desired.

Doc’s “BLT” Salad

Who doesn’t love a delicious, cool seafood salad? Especially our bacon, lobster and truffle or “BLT” salad. Fresh greens topped with some fume poached lobster blended with tarragon truffle mayo and topped with some bacon “dust.” A few slices of fresh browned baguette with olive oil, salt and a few roasted tomatoes on the side complete this scrumptious trilogy.

Toasted Coconut Crab Salad with Avocado and Thai Basil Dressing

Here’s a dish with a light tropical flare to lift those winter storm doldrums. To completely eradicate any remaining winter blues, serve with an umbrella drink.

Salad:

• ½ head of lettuce or other greens
• 1 chopped red pepper
• ½ chopped red onion
• ½ cup edamame
• ½ cup sliced bok choy
• 2 Tbs unsweetened toasted coconut flakes
• 8 oz crab meat
• 1 tomato, sliced

Dressing:

• 1 avocado
• ½ oz Thai basil leaves
• 1 glove garlic
• Juice ½ lemon
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (or 1 dried hot chili pepper)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup good quality olive oil
• ¼ cup champagne vinegar

Combine all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until thoroughly mixed. Pour over the assembled salad ingredients.

Garden Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

 

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It amazes me the number of folks who eat a “healthy salad” that is actually swimming in a dressing of fat, sugar, preservatives and artificial flavors. WIth the bounty of summer upon us, it is the perfect time to have a cool  refreshing bit of greens as an appetizer or as a side component to a meal. Some days the salad itself serves as a main course. But if you go to all the trouble of prepping the veggies, don’t screw the pooch by dousing it with a bottle of premade junk. Salad dressings (especially vinaigrettes) are easy and cheap to make, and they can last a bit in the fridge. Here I made a dressing that is somewhere between a spicy green goddess and guacamole. I made a lot (we were eating a lot of the summer bounty) so feel free to cut it in half. It works great as a nice (and healthy) alternative to mayo on a turkey sandwich or such.

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 4 Haas avocados
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup cilantro
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• 2 tsp adobo sauce
• Juice of 3 limes
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chipotle chile powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Another New Video from the TV show

Please visit the Roasted Tomato Salad Recipe under Recipe Demos to see some clips from the TV show, local TV 35.

-Doc