edamame soba salad with grilled salmon

i first had this amazing medley at clementines in century city (one of my fave places in la).  this salad includes 3 main ingredients: soba (super good-for-you, antioxidant-rich, gluten-free japanese buckwheat noodles), edamame (young soybeans that are super rich in antioxidants and fiber) and salmon (also very good for you!).  the dressing is super delicious with a yummy tartness, perfect for the summer.  this recipe is a MUST TRY!!!!!

ingredients:

- 1/2 cup rice vinegar

- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil

- 2 tablespoon sesame oil

- 1 tablespoon honey

-  lemon wedges (1 for dressing and a couple for the salmon)

- 1 teaspoon coarse salt

- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

- 1/2 cup shredded carrots

- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots

- 3 green onion, finely diced

- 1/2 cup cilantro

- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha

- 3 tablespoon soy sauce

- 6 oz soba noodles

- 1/2 pound salmon fillets

- 1 12oz bag of frozen shelled edamame

directions:

- boil a pot of water and cook the soba noodles until al dente; rinse over cold water, drain and set aside

- boil another pot of water and cook the edamame for 4 minutes; rinse over cold water, drain and set aside

- grill the salmon until cooked through; squeeze a lemon wedge over salmon fillets

- remove the skin off the salmon fillets; set aside

- in a super large bowl, mix the rice vinegar, vegetable oil, sesame oil, honey, juice of 1 lemon wedge, salt, pepper, carrots, shallots, green onion, cilantro, sriracha and soy sauce

- add soba noodles and edamame to the bowl

- fork apart the salmon into pieces; add to bowl

- mix the salad carefully then refrigerate for at least an hour...then enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

grilled corn and heirloom tomato salad with basil vinaigrette

i love grilled corn...and with fresh basil and heirloom tomatoes, it's an amazing combo!  this recipe is great for bbqs, get togethers and picnics; the flavors and fresh, bold and tasty.  enjoy!!

ingredients:

- 6 ears of corn in husks

- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

- 1 garlic glove, finely minced

- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

- 2/3 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

- 1 tablespoon soy sauce

- 1 pound of assorted heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2 in pices

- 1 10-ounce container of small heirloom cherry tomatoes

- s&p

directions:

- fill a large bowl with cold water and a teaspoon of salt; add corn and soak for 1 hour

- in a separate large bowl, whisk the vinegar, garlic and extra virgin olive oil

- mix in basil and soy sauce

- add in the tomatoes; set aside

- over medium-high heat, grill the corn in husks for about 30 minutes until the outside is charred and corn kernels are tender

- cool corn; remove husks, cut kernels off the cob then add to bowl

- toss the ingredients then season with salt and pepper...enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

roasted beet and orange salad with hazelnut vinaigrette

i love beets and they are even more delicious when you roast them at home :)  here is a recipe for a very light yet yummy salad with a hint of citrus...a perfect way to start a multi-course dinner (like thanksgiving) or a light lunch.  enjoy!!

ingredients:

- 1 pound beets in various colors, stems removed

- olive oil

- s&p

- 2 oranges, 1 blood orange and 1 regular

- 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil

- 1 tablespoon of shallots, finely diced

- bag of mixed greens

- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

- 2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, chopped

- goat cheese crumbles, optional

directions:

- preheat oven to 400 degrees

- toss beets in a drizzle of olive oil and s&p

- line baking sheet with foil and add beets

- roast for 35 minutes until tender; cool

- in the meantime, peel and cut thin, clean wedges of oranges; set aside

- peel roasted beets and cut into bite-size pieces

- mix hazelnut oil, orange juice and shallots in a bowl and whisk

- add s&p to flavor and whisk again

- drizzle dressing over beets, orange wedges, hazelnuts and mixed greens; toss and serve!

xoxo,

kara

perfect steak salad with grilled onions

sometimes the best weekday meal is a perfectly cooked steak, grilled onions and cherry tomatoes over a bed of mixed greens.  it's hearty and flavorful but nice and light, and it's great because rob loves it too!  as you can imagine, it's very simple to make...it literally takes about 10 minutes to put together!  plus, you can save the dressing in the fridge for a couple days.  this recipe is for two.  enjoy!

ingredients:

- bag of mixed greens

- ribeye steak (a pound or so), 1 inch thick

- 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2 inch slices

- handful of cherry tomatoes

- s&p

dressing:

- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced

- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

- 1 teaspoon sesame oil

- 1 tablespoon soy sauce

- 1 teaspoon brown sugar

- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

- 1/2 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger, optional

directions:

- heat a frying pan over high heat with some olive oil

- season the steak with generous amounts of s&p

- cook the steak on the frying pan for 4 minutes on each side for medium to medium rare

- meanwhile, mix all the dressing ingredients with a whisk; set aside

- remove the steak from the pan and let it rest; add onions to the same pan and cook until softened

- add cherry tomatoes to the pan to warm through

- slice the steak; add on top of mixed greens with onions and tomatoes

- finish with a drizzle of the dressing and some freshly cracked pepper

xoxo,

kara

moroccan style curried couscous salad with dried cranberries and apricots

growing up my dad would make a big batch of couscous salad every sunday night for me and arthur to snack on during the week.  i always thought the salad was super difficult to make until recently, when i asked my dad for the recipe.  not only is this recipe easy to follow, there is literally no cooking involved!  so if the only thing you know how to do in the kitchen is boil water (or chicken broth), this is the recipe for you!

ingredients:

- 1 17-ounce box of instant couscous (trader joe's whole wheat couscous)

- 2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

- 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

- 3 tablespoon curry powder

- 3 teaspoon salt

- 3 teaspoon sugar

- 3 cup low sodium chicken broth

- 2 oranges, juiced

- 8 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

- 4 green onion, thinly sliced

- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

- 1 lemon, juiced

- 2 1/4 cup dry roasted almond slivers

- pepper

directions:

- in a very large heatproof bowl, stir couscous, cranberries, apricots, curry powder, salt and sugar

- bring chicken broth to a boil then pour over couscous mixture then add orange juice

- stir quickly then tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap

- let it stand for about 5 minutes until the broth is absorbed

- using a fork, fluff up the couscous

- add olive oil, green onion slices, parsley, lemon juice and almonds

- mix ingredients and season with salt and peper if needed...enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

roasted beet and orange salad with hazelnut vinaigrette

i love beets and they are even more delicious when you roast them at home :)  here is a recipe for a very light yet yummy salad with a hint of citrus...a perfect way to start a multi-course dinner (like thanksgiving) or a light lunch.  enjoy!!

ingredients:

- 1 pound beets in various colors, stems removed

- olive oil

- s&p

- 2 oranges, 1 blood orange and 1 regular

- 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil

- 1 tablespoon of shallots, finely diced

- bag of mixed greens

- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

- 2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, chopped

- goat cheese crumbles, optional

directions:

- preheat oven to 400 degrees

- toss beets in a drizzle of olive oil and s&p

- line baking sheet with foil and add beets

- roast for 35 minutes until tender; cool

- in the meantime, peel and cut thin, clean wedges of oranges; set aside

- peel roasted beets and cut into bite-size pieces

- mix hazelnut oil, orange juice and shallots in a bowl and whisk

- add s&p to flavor and whisk again

- drizzle dressing over beets, orange wedges, hazelnuts and mixed greens; toss and serve!

xoxo,

kara