Salmon with Mixed Greens and Crumbled Bacon

If I'd been served this dish a year ago I probably wouldn't have touched it.  I decided to stop keeping kosher years ago, but changing eating habits takes some effort.  I finally tasted bacon about a year ago and just didn't really care for it, but I gradually started to love it while we were on our honeymoon in Greece where we had bacon and eggs (the "English breakfast" at most hostels) many mornings. 

I had an even greater aversion to fish growing up.  As I remember it, I stopped eating fish because my sister stopped eating it, and I think that was because we had a pet fish who passed away while we were on vacation and was wrapped up and put in the freezer by our pet-sitters.  My sister got over this years before I did and reintroduced fish into her diet but it took me some time to change my habits.

Classic Cobb Salad

The Classic Cobb is my newest solution for a satisfying and fresh meal that I can throw together quickly on a night when I get home late from work.  I can have all of the components of the salad chopped and ready to go in the refrigerator for easy and quick lunches or dinners.

If you're only going to use part of an avocado for the salad, leave the part you aren't using in the skin with the pit intact in the refrigerator.  The surface may discolor but it can be scraped off with a knife when ready to use.

Watermelon Salad with Ricotta Salata and Walnuts

Ricotta salata is a sheep's milk cheese made by drying and pressing the curds and whey of a ricotta cheese before it is aged.  The result is a salty (salata means salt) , dense cheese with a milky flavor.  It comes in a block and can be shaved or cut into cubes.

When ricotta salata is not available, crumbled feta cheese may be used in its place for this recipe.

I've been wanting and not wanting to make a savory watermelon salad years.  Watermelon with feta is popular in the Mediterranean, but it sounded so strange to me at first that I'd actually been avoiding it.  Then last year I ended up at an overly expensive restaurant where the least expensive dish was small watermelon salad with cheese.  I went for it out of student-budget necessity, but I was surprised at how delicious and refreshing this pairing of sweet and salty were. 

Cold-Poached Salmon With Shaved Apple and Fennel Salad

This refreshing salad of shaved apple and fennel with cold-poached salmon is a great quick meal for a warm night.  Shave the apple and fennel with a vegetable peeler while the poaching broth is heating up, and then prepare the vinaigrette while the salmon is poaching and the meal will come together in less than 30 minutes.

I just read an article here about the benefits of eating cold water fish such as salmon, and learned that many nutritionists are recommending eating it twice a week to reduce risk of coronary artery disease and boost the immune system, among other things.  So expect to see some more fish recipes soon!

Roasted Red Peppers with Cumin

This delicious and colorful salad is great served warm or at room temperature.  Put it out with warm pita and serve as an appetizer, or use it as a topping on toasted baguette slices and serve with a bowl of white bean soup.

If you have a gas range, try roasting the peppers over the open flame instead of broiling them in the oven.  It will save you the time of preheating your oven, and you can more easily tend to them by turning them often with a pair of tongs.  Just be sure to keep a close eye on them and watch out for sparks!

Soba Salad with Feta and Peas

Soba noodles are long, thin Japanese noodles made from buckwheat.  They are generally available in well-stocked grocery stores and in Japanese specialty food stores, or you can buy them in bulk on-line here.  Peas, feta, and Japanese noodles may sound at first like an odd combination, but they surprisingly compliment each other very nicely!

Spring has sprung here in New York City, for now at least.  After a long winter I always forget how freeing it feels to walk around outside without a heavy coat on.

Asian Avocado, Mango, and Chicken Salad

This is my own variation of a salad I've been making for years inspired by Wolfgang Puck's Chinois Chicken Salad. When I met my husband he was a very picky eater and among the many things he thought he didn't like were salad, avocados, mustard, vinegar, and all sauces or dressings. I proved him wrong with this amazing salad though, and now it is one of our favorite meals.