Citrus Salad with Lime Tarragon Dressing

When I was child, "orange salad" was a special dish served at Christmas time at my grandparent's house. It was simple – orange slices, black olives and some olive oil – but it seemed so exotic to me back then.

For the most part, my relationship with oranges is routine. I usually just eat them on their own, or mix mandarin oranges into a fruit salad. Oh, but oranges are capable of so much more.

When I traveled to Italy in my early 20s I discovered blood oranges. You've never smelled air as sweet as that near the groves along the rail line somewhere between Rome and Sicily.

Travel to other orange growing areas – Florida, California – and you'll meet new varieties and be introduced to new ways to use oranges.

This winter, I've been trying to broaden my orange-eating horizons. I now love using citrus in dressings, like Garlic Orange Shrimp Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette.

When I happened on a Mark Bittman recipe for Winter Citrus Salad, I had to try it.

My oldest boy loves blood oranges and my husband and youngest son enjoy grapefruit, so a side dish that combines them is a ready-made hit at my house. Bonus: this dressing is wonderful on a green salad, too.

What's your favorite way to use oranges? I'd love to know!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Citrus Salad with Lime Tarragon Dressing

To make the salad:
2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced into wheels
2 Cara Cara oranges, peeled and sliced into wheels
1 pink grapefruit, peeled and sliced into wheels
Salt

Combine sliced citrus in a bowl and sprinkle the salt. Set aside.

To make the dressing:
1medium shallot, minced
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Juice of 1 small to medium lime
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar. Cover tightly with lid and shake until well combined.

Drizzle about 1/4 to 1/3 of the dressing over citrus. Refrigerate remaining dressing and use throughout the week.

Grilled Eggplant with Chimichurri Sauce

Just like Amy, I am a huge fan of eggplant. And this summer, my weekly farmer's market basket has been filled with the cutest baby eggplants. The best thing about this is that it forces me to find new ways to prepare familiar vegetables.

Over the years my eggplant repertoire has grown from eggplant parmesan and simple grilled eggplant  to include Baba Ghannouj, Grilled Eggplant Salad (one of my all-time faves), and Eggplant and Green Pea Curry.

I recently discovered how delicious this purple-skinned veggie can be when oven roasted with other vegetables in a ratatouille or in Amy's Oven-Roasted Kohlrabi Medley.

This week I was craving eggplant from the grill, but wanted to spice it up a bit. We had cilantro, limes and fresh parsley on hand, so a chimichurri sauce was on the menu. The tangy dressing and the smoky eggplant are a match made in heaven.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Grilled Eggplant with Chimichurri Sauce
1 large eggplant or 2-3 small ones
Olive oil for brushing or use olive oil cooking spray
Salt & pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice from 1 lime

Slice eggplants lengthwise into 1/4 inch slabs. Spray with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

Mix parsley, cilantro, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and lime juice together in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat outdoor grill to medium-high or warm your grill pan on the stove top on medium-high heat. Turn heat down to medium and place eggplant on grill. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until grill marks form. Flip eggplant over and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until eggplant is soft.

Remove from grill and place on serving platter. Pour chimichurri sauce over eggplant and enjoy.

**Note: If you have the time, you can puree the chimichurri in a blender for a smoother dressing.

Grilled Cabbage with Thai Dressing

If you need a speedy way to spice up your menu, this grilled cabbage will do the trick.

I don't usually cook cabbage, but my husband and oldest son love it. When I get in a rut, they remind me that I haven't made cabbage in awhile.

In fact, I had not whipped up this side dish in more than a year. Thank goodness for those Facebook flashbacks to remind us of what we were doing so many months ago. This little gem popped up on my feed. Thank goodness. 

Everyone in our house gobbled this up, and my boys even had seconds —which hardly ever happens with a vegetable. We enjoyed the cabbage with a roasted chicken. It makes the perfect lunch all by itself the next day.

The folks over at The Kitchn get all the credit here, and their notes about grilling the cabbage ahead of time are perfect. These cabbage steaks hold up beautifully in the fridge. Just warm them up in the microwave and you are good to go.

I recommend doubling the dressing, because it tastes so good you'll want some leftover for the next time you have salad. 

Mangia! Mangia!

Andrea

Grilled Cabbage with Thai Dressing

Inspired by this recipe from The Kitchn.

For the dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (bottled is OK, too)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/3 cup fresh cilantro (Leaves and thin stems. Remove thicker, tougher stems)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Give it a taste. You might want add a bit more lime juice or fish sauce, depending on your taste. The dressing will have an orangey-green hue.

For the cabbage:

1 head green cabbage

Vegetable oil

Preheat your gas grill to medium-high. If you are using a charcoal grill, you'll want low flames. You can also use a grill pan and cook up the cabbage on the stovetop.

Slice cabbage into wedges that are about 1 inch thick. You should get at least eight and you might end up with more, depending on how large the cabbage is. Brush both sides of each cabbage slice with oil.

Grill cabbage for about 6 minutes or until the edges are charred. Flip over and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, again grilling until the outer leaves acquire some black char. 

Remove from grill, top with dressing, garnish with slices of lime and serve warm.

To warm up leftover cabbage (or if you did your grilling in advance,) place cabbage slices on a microwave safe plate, cover with plastic wrap or wax paper and heat for about 45 seconds a slice.