LONG WEEKEND GRILLED SALAD

Light, fresh, filling, and easy to throw together for any long weekend gathering. The fresh corn lends a light sweetness to the zesty lime dressing. A generous dusting of salt and pepper before serving really makes everything come together. You can also make this the day before and let the flavours develop overnight in the fridge. Just throw it into a container and you’re good to go!

As much as I love Fall, the dog days of summer are still so bittersweet.

And a bit awkward.

Early September you can find me…

• Wide-eyed in horror after an orange leaf spotting

• Complaining of the heat and humidity while I rip off a layer of sheets in bed

• So far resisting the urge to buy new school supplies…15 cent notebooks? Come on.

• Saying things like, “I don’t know what’s worse weeding or raking leaves”

• and, “Tropical vacation this winter, or bust.”

• and also, “How many years have we been out of school now?”

• Putting on my fleece robe only to rip it off 5 minutes later after a tea-induced hot flash.

The period between the two seasons reminds me of…well, my entire adolescence. Awkward.

Thankfully, the last long weekend is a great time to turn on the BBQ, get outside, and enjoy the last flavours that summer has to offer. No f word required.

Unless your man burns his finger rotating the vegetables. I’m not mentioning any names.

And plus, the leaves on the ground are clearly confused because this flower tells me it’s still summer!!

Either that, or it could be about 2 hours from death. It may also be dead in this photo, I can’t be sure.

Confused seasons aside, this grilled salad makes a healthy compliment to any long weekend gathering. It’s easy to throw together and you can even get your man to pitch in while you spend “hours” on the salad dressing. Or at least, that’s what you’ll tell him while you sip a margarita with your girlfriends after spending just a few minutes on the dressing.

It will be our little secret.

LONG WEEKEND GRILLED SALAD

Light, fresh, filling, and easy to throw together for any long weekend gathering. The fresh corn lends a light sweetness to the zesty lime dressing. A generous dusting of salt and pepper before serving really makes everything come together. You can also make this the day before and let the flavours develop overnight in the fridge. Just throw it into a container and you’re good to go!

Yield: ~6 Servings

Salad:

• 3 bell peppers (any colour)

• 2 zucchinis, sliced in half lengthwise

• 6 ears of corn, husk removed

• 1.5-2 cups cooked black beans (or one 15oz can)

• 1/2 cup uncooked wheatberries (optional)

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2 limes) I’m sure lemon works too

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 small garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro (or herb of choice)

• 1 tsp maple syrup (or other sweetener)

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• Salt/Herbamare & Pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the grill over medium heat. When it’s ready add the corn, rotating every few minutes. After about 10 minutes, add the zucchini and bell peppers. No need to chop the peppers, you can leave them whole. Grill for another 10 minutes, rotating frequently, until lightly charred.

2. Meanwhile, cook your wheat berries on the stovetop (if using them) according to package directions. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and adjust to taste.

3. When vegetables are done on the grill, cool, and then remove corn and chop the peppers and zucchini. Mix the drained and rinsed beans, wheat berries, dressing, and vegetables together in a large bowl. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper, to taste. Will keep for a few days in the fridge.

Simply grill the vegetables (or you could probably roast them in the oven too)

Mix together in a large bowl with beans,

Add in some cooked grains if desired. I used wheatberries.

Whisk together your salad dressing!

Easy stuff!

But don’t worry we won’t tell anyone.

Add the dressing on top and mix well!

Chug Sip margarita.

Season generously with salt (I used Herbamare) and freshly ground black pepper.

It’s basically a multivitamin in a bowl. Which is always a good thing if you plan on enjoying your share of treats and drinks this long weekend like I do…muhauha.

Have a fun, delicious, and safe long weekend everyone!

Lemon Cilantro Avocado Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 c. dry Hodgson Mill”™s bowtie pasta

• 2 c. spinach

• 1 bunch cilantro

• 1/4 c. onion finely diced

• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped

• 2 avocados diced

• 1 can chickpeas (or navy beans) drained and rinsed

• 1 c. cherry tomatoes cut in half

• (For the Dressing:)

• Juice of 1 med/lg or 2 small lemons

• zest of 1 lemon

• 2 tsp. olive oil

• 1 tsp. agave

• 2 tsp. dijon mustard

• 1/2 tsp. cumin

• dash of salt and pepper

Directions

1. Fill a pot with water and a sprinkle of salt and bring to a boil. Cook pasta until done, about 7-9 minutes. Once done, drain pasta and set aside and let cool.

2. Using a food processor (or a really good knife), process cilantro and spinach until it becomes finely chopped.

3. Add greens to a medium bowl and fold in diced garlic and onion. Next fold in tomatoes, avocado, and beans. Toss in cooked pasta, then pour dressing on top and fold into salad until coated.

4. Set in fridge for at least 10-15 minutes to let flavours set.

Roasted cauliflower salad with anchovies, olives & capers

Served either warm or cold, this salad of roasted cauliflower and red onions with a dressing of anchovies, olives and capers is a fantastic way to pack a huge amount of flavour onto this humble vegetable.

I’m going through a phase where I’m craving the flavours of the Mediterranean, in particular France and Italy. I think my body is desperate for summer, sun and a holiday in Europe. This is a salad I created in an attempt to quench this deep longing, and to satisfy my desire for these tastes.

Cauliflower can be a bit underrated and potentially bland. I think its at its best when its dry roasted with lots of flavour added. My all time favourite way is with curry and dukkah spices.

For this recipe, I roasted it with a sliced red onion and olive oil, and made a chunky salsa-like dressing to go with it. I decided against using garlic, but I think it would work just as well with it as without.

As with all my recipes, I like to think of them as ideas and inspiration, and love it when people adapt and make it their own. This is the way I approach cooking.

Roasted cauliflower salad with anchovies, olives & capers

makes 1 salad

serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower

• 1 red onion roughly sliced

• a splash of olive for roasting

• 6 T olive oil

• 1 T red wine vinegar

• 1 T chopped flat leaf parsley

• 4 anchovies finely chopped

• 1 T chopped capers

• 1/4 cup of roughly chopped black olives

• 1/4 t dried chilli flakes (optional, and to give it a little kick)

• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C. Cut the florets off the cauliflower and toss with the sliced onion and olive oil. Spread on a single layer on a large baking tray and roast for 20 minutes. I always try not to overcrowd the roasting pan so as to prevent any steaming from going on.

Make the dressing mixing all the remaining ingredients together. If you are serving this warm, toss the warm cauliflower and red onion through the dressing when it comes out the oven and serve. If you are serving this cold or at room temperature, allow the cauliflower to cool slightly, add the dressing and then refrigerate until ready to serve.

This salad will look lovely served on a flatter platter with extra parsley scattered over the top.