Nectarine and Blue Cheese Salad with Plum Vinaigrette

Chick Fil A's seasonal salad is really very good.  It's got green and red apples, strawberries, blueberries with nuts and blue cheese.  I eat it with their Apple Cider Vinaigrette.  It's very good.  Here is a similar salad except using plums or nectarines.  Try it.  I'm sure you'll love it.

Photo by Christopher Baker

INGREDIENTS

• 2 black plums, halved, pitted, chopped
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 teaspoons ume plum vinegar or red wine vinegar
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 12 cups (lightly packed) mixed greens (such as arugula and frisée)
• 4 nectarines or peaches, halved, pitted, cut into eighths
• 8 ounces firm blue cheese, such as Cabrales, sliced
• 1/2 cup almonds, preferably Marcona

• Bring plums and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally and mashing plums with the back of a spoon, until plums have completely broken down, about 15 minutes.
• Pour plum mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much purée as possible; discard solids in sieve. Let purée cool.
• Add oil, vinegar, and 2 Tbsp. water to purée; whisk to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Dressing can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
• Divide greens among plates. Scatter nectarines, cheese, and almonds over, dividing equally, and drizzle some of dressing over. Season with salt and pepper.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

One serving contains:

• Calories (kcal) 320
• Fat (g) 27
• Saturated Fat (g) 8
• Cholesterol (mg) 20
• Carbohydrates (g) 13
• Dietary Fiber (g) 3
• Total Sugars (g) 8
• Protein (g) 10
• Sodium (mg) 470

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

Two of my favorite super foods...

Photo by Christopher Testani

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 lb. total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
• 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino

• Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.
• Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 Tbsp. oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.
• Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
• DO AHEAD: Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.
• Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

10 servings, 1 serving contains:

• Calories (kcal) 195.6
• %Calories from Fat 70.3
• Fat (g) 15.3
• Saturated Fat (g) 3.2
• Cholesterol (mg) 8.0
• Carbohydrates (g) 8.7
• Dietary Fiber (g) 3.3
• Total Sugars (g) 2.0
• Net Carbs (g) 5.5
• Protein (g) 8.1
• Sodium (mg) 303.9

Quinoa Tabbouleh

This is such an easy dish to make.  And on top of that, it is healthy.  A great side for any grilled meat or fish. Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large English hothouse cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

PREPARATION

• Bring quinoa, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
• Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add cucumber, tomatoes, herbs, and scallions to bowl with quinoa; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining dressing over.
• DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover remaining dressing and quinoa separately; chill.
  
  
  

RECIPE BY The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

PHOTOGRAPH BY Jason Lowe

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

• Calories (kcal) 290
• Fat (g) 21
• Saturated Fat (g) 3
• Cholesterol (mg) 0
• Carbohydrates (g) 24
• Dietary Fiber (g) 3
• Total Sugars (g) 2
• Protein (g) 5
• Sodium (mg) 170