Hello friends! I hope you are doing well. I have a quick one for you today. This has got to be the easiest recipe ever! I am not even sure I can call it a recipe. Recently, I posted a summer dinner on Instagram (if you are not following me there, please do!) featuring this corn salad with steak and many of my followers asked me to share the recipe. So here I am sharing it with you. I am calling it my summer corn salad. 

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Hi friends! I have a special recipe for you today. As we finally thaw out from what seems to have been the longest winter ever, I’m excited about spring and all the fresh produce it brings with it. I am looking forward to changing our meal plans from cozy comforting soups and stews to lighter fresh meals that come with the season change. So more asparagus, more lemons, and hearty salads. This spring salad is one I’m excited to add to our meal plan rotation as it’s full of sweet Thai flavors with crunchy colorful vegetables.

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Hi friends! I feel funny sharing this mixed berry salad with you as I am not even sure I can call this a recipe. It’s a summer salad that I’ve made for years combining some of my favorite flavors. Sweet juicy berries with creamy goat cheese and balsamic vinegar. That’s it! Simple and yet incredible. The perfect balance of sweet and salty.

So if you are looking for new ways to eat your summer berries other than dessert or in smoothies, toss them in a salad and add your favorite toppings to it. Easy peasy!
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You guys!! Hi! I miss you.

Even though, I’ve been stopping by every now and then on the blog to check on its existence, I’ve been mainly MIA online. I am knee-deep in writing my dissertation thesis and even though it is coming along well, I am not enjoying it. I am finding out now that I do not like writing super long documents as much as I thought, which makes writing a 200 page document like this very hard, especially when you have a deadline looming. As you can imagine, the only thing that has been keeping me afloat is FOOD!! Lots of food.

Given, I can only focus in public spaces like coffee shops and cafes (I am not a library kind of person), I’ve consumed lots of lattes lately along with eating most meals out . This kale salad with radishes and lime vinaigrette has been one of my favorite lunches at a local cafe. I get it every time I am there but decided I should probably save myself some money and just make it at home given how simple it is! I figured why not share with you, in case you are looking for some new exciting ways to eat your greens.

The salad is made up of fresh kale tossed with a fresh lime vinaigrette and filled with toasted pepitas, sliced radishes and queso fresco cheese. So simple and yet so so good.  I’ve been addicted to it and just had to share.For a heavier meal, add in roasted chicken, turkey or tofu. I hope you will try it as I know you will love it too.

Until next time, enjoy this salad!

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Yield: 2 servings

Kale Salad with Radishes and Lime Vinaigrette

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh kale
• 2 small radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons pepitas, toasted
• 1/4 cup queso fresco cheese, crumbled
• Lime vinaigrette (recipe below)

Lime vinaigrette:

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• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• a pinch of sugar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

To start, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, salt, pepper and sugar. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking until emulsified.

For the salad, toss the kale with the lime vinaigrette. Top with radishes, pepitas and cheese.

Making this Recipe?

Share it with us on Instagram using #aclassictwist so we can see what you are baking up in your kitchen!

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Happy Monday!! I am very excited about a Monday (so rare) because today is a special day! We are having a virtual bridal shower for a dear and special friend. You are invited to the surprise shower for Joanne of Eats Well with Others hosted by her blogging friends!! (Surprise Joanne!!).

I’ve had the pleasure of calling Joanne a dear friend for the past year and a half. She is a Ph.D. (and MD) student like myself and we bonded over that right away but despite our misery over failed experiments, we both love food! How she juggles blogging every day and being a scientist beats me. She is seriously a powerhouse of a chick and just so down to earth.

I was so lucky to meet her twice this summer! Once in NYC over coffee and almond croissant and a few weeks later in Philly when we attended The Big Traveling Potluck. She is just as sweet and hilarious in person and I’m so excited for her upcoming nuptials to the boy. He is one lucky man!!

Joanne’s favorite season is fall and that’s the theme of her shower!! Check out all the amazing recipes at the end of the shower attendees. Naturally, I wanted to make a super decadent fall dessert but when I think of Joanne, I think of kale, squash (all varieties, she doesn’t discriminate), and chocolate. Things like massaging kale, the uselessness of romaine, or just how you need a chocolate slab pie on those terrible weeks are a few of the things I’ve learned from her. She is all about balance while staying healthy. How can you not love that?

She doesn’t know this but she has inspired me over the past year to try new-to-me superfoods like kale. I’ve been enjoying cooking my way through her extensive salad archive and spicing up my lunches. I decided to whip up this kale salad with maple roasted butternut squash and pomegranate vinaigrette. Massaged kale is tossed with a crunchy (slightly spicy) pomegranate vinaigrette and butternut squash roasted in maple syrup. The salad is finished with fresh pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, and walnuts! It’s a powerhouse salad!!

Joanne – I wish you and the boy a happy and blessed marriage!! Have fun at the wedding and I can’t wait to see your gorgeous pictures. You are one stunning bride 🙂 Love you!

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Yield: Serves 4

Kale Salad with Maple Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Spice up your salads this fall with a kale salad bursting with sweet roasted maple butternut squash, goat cheese and a crunchy pomegranate vinaigrette! 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

For Salad:

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• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 pound kale, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• Goat cheese, to taste

For Dressing:

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• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• 1 teaspoon honey mustard
• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss squash with olive oil, maple syrup and salt and pepper. Bake on a lined baking sheet 20-30 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, process pomegranate seeds, mustard, vinegar and sugar until smooth. With processor going, gently pour the olive oil into bowl and pulse until combined. Pour into a jar and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sprinkle kale with lemon juice and salt. Massage (by rubbing) kale until it reduces in volume by half and soft, about 3 minutes. Toss kale with dressing and squash. Top with walnuts and goat cheese.

Making this Recipe?

Share it with us on Instagram using #aclassictwist so we can see what you are baking up in your kitchen!

Cocktails:

Pumpkin Spice White Russian – Nutmeg Nanny

Warm Apple Pie Cocktail – Miss In The Kitchen

Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail– Cook Like Champion

Snacks/Savory:

Baked Brie with Honey and Sliced Almonds – The Lemon Bowl

Butternut Squash and Apple Galette – Warm Vanilla Sugar

Roasted Pumpkin Crostini – Annie’s Eats

Kale Salad with Maple Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Dressing – Blahnik Baker

Lemony-Pasta Stuffed Zucchini – Very Culinary

Pumpkin Dip with Apple Chips– Meadows Cooks

Sweet:

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake – The Baker Chick

Peanut Butter Fudge Pie with Salted Peanut Butter Caramel– Taste and Tell

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake – The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake – Chocolate and Carrots

Roasted Butternut Squash Pie with Brown Sugar Marshmallow Topping – Keep It Sweet

Caramel Corn Chocolate Chip Cookies – The Cooking Actress

Caramel Cranberry Apple Galette – Bakeaholic Mama

Coconut Pecan Tarts – Bake or Break

Cranberry Margarita Cupcakes – Baker by Nature

Gingerbread Truffles – Dinners Dishes and Desserts

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It’s time for another Mystery Dish post! Our lovely host Andi from The Weary Chef gave us a great list of ingredients to create a recipe from. (FYI: mystery dish = group of bloggers who each month get a list of secret ingredients to create a unique recipe from. We all reveal our creations on the same day) Our ingredients included pistachios, wine, mint, gluten-free flour, red pepper flakes, fish, agave nectar, applesauce, blueberries, parmesan cheese, milk, corn and we were to use at least three.

We don’t usually eat fish in my house because the hubby doesn’t do fish so I knew I HAD to do fish… finally a good excuse! Yes, I am selfish sometimes but a girl gotta get her seafood somehow. This salad!! This pistachio crusted tilapia and peach salad!! It’s pretty awesome and yet so simple. I wanted to use the pistachio to bread the fish and skip using breadcrumbs. Turns out you can and it’s a splendid idea. I made a rub that consisted of finely crushed pistachios, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, chile powder, a dash of jerk seasoning and some salt and pepper. It was just simple and great! The slightly spicy and crunchy fish is perfectly balanced with the sweet and juicy peaches I paired it with.

And why am I giving you salad as you head into Labor Day weekend? Because you will need it come Tuesday after all the grilling that’s about to go on. It’s light and just what you need to get back on track next week!

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Yield: 2

Pistachio Crusted Tilapia and Peach Salad

Fresh tilapia is coated with pistachio, red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese in this end of summer salad! Served with fresh peaches, this salad is the perfect light lunch or dinner to balance your meals.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

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• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup chopped pistachios
• ½ teaspoon chili pepper (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• A dash of jerk seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 6-ounce fillets of Tilapia
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 2 cups lettuce of choice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 peach, sliced
• 1 corn, cooked

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all the cheese, pistachios, and spices. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towel. Coat each fish fillet in egg white and then cover both sides with spice mixture. Do the same for both filets. Place fish on prepared sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until fish is flaky.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey and salt and pepper to taste. Toss lettuce with dressing in a bowl and serve with fish, peaches and corn.

Making this Recipe?

Share it with us on Instagram using #aclassictwist so we can see what you are baking up in your kitchen!

This month is the first year anniversary of Mystery Dish! To celebrate, we are giving away not ONE but TWO cookbooks by previous Master Chef Winners. Check out the details below and enter for a chance to win!!

Have a safe and happy Labor Day!

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