Spinach, Tuna, Tomato and Radish Salad for Paz

September 1, 2008 | Filed Under Radishes, Tomatoes, Spinach, Tuna, Guest Bloggers, Fruits, Seafood, Salad, Fellow Bloggers, Kalyn's Kitchen, Vegetables | 32 Comments

Please help me welcome this week’s guest blogger, Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. Thanks, Kalyn!

Paz

When Paz first asked me to be a guest blogger for her while she was recovering from surgery, I planned a surprise and photographed a bunch of food bloggers at the BlogHer conference in San Francisco, all holding signs with get well wishes for Paz. Then I was impatient and shared a couple of photos in my post about the conference, and Paz refused to stay in bed like a good patient, so she saw the surprise!

I believe things happen the way they’re supposed to, so maybe the get-well wishes were better when Paz was first recovering anyway. Now I’m thinking she might be feeling quite a bit better and maybe now she’s well enough to make this simple salad. This recipe is loaded with nutritious ingredients to get Paz back in good shape in no time!

Spinach, Tuna, Tomato, and Radish Salad for Paz
(Makes one salad, can be doubled, Recipe created by Kalyn from Kalyn’s Kitchen.)

2 cups washed and dried baby spinach leaves (or arugula)
1/2 can tuna, drained (Italian tuna packed in olive oil is best for this.)
5-6 radishes, sliced
2-3 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut in quarters
extra virgin olive oil, about a tablespoon
juice of half a lemon (or more if you like a lot of lemon)

Arrange washed spinach or arugula on salad plate. Put tuna in the middle of the spinach, arrange tomatoes around the edge, and sprinkle radishes over. Drizzle salad with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, the squeeze lemon juice over. You can serve with extra lemon slices to squeeze on when you’re eating the salad if desired.

This is one of those salads where all the individual parts combine to make a lot of flavor. Bon Appetit Paz! Thanks for letting me be a guest blogger. I hope you are feeling a lot better by now and will soon be back to some serious cooking and taking photos around New York!

Spicy Grilled Salmon with Mango, Radish, and Lime Salsa

June 20, 2006 | Filed Under Radishes, Mango, Radish and Lime Salsa, Mangoes, Fruits, Vinaigrettes/Salsas/Sauces, Salmon, Seafood | Leave a Comment

Making Southwest Spice Mix

Things do not always go according to the plan during my cooking adventures. Making this Spicy Grilled Salmon with Mango was one of those times where my cooking adventure took a wrong turn. Even my photo didn’t turn out right. I’ve mentioned several times that I love mangoes — preferably green mangoes. When I saw celebrity chef’ 911 Tyler Florence’s recipe involving mangoes, I jumped at the opportunity to prepare it. I eagerly ran out and bought all the ingredients that included more of my favorites — salmon, red onion, cilantro. The menu was relatively easy to put together. I had fun making the Southwest Spice Mix. The ingredients for the spice involved ancho chili peppers (which, I’d never heard of before), cumin, corriander, cinnamon and paprika. Everything turned out well, till I tasted my salsa. It was horrible! I think the problem was that I’d used unripe, green mango, which spoiled the taste of the salsa and made it taste almost bitter. No one ate the salsa, which they pushed to the side of their plate. Later, it went into the garbage can. Overall, I liked the recipe. The Spice Mix tasted really good on the salmon. So, I’d like to try it again. Next time, I’ll make sure to use ripe mangoes for the salsa and perhaps, I may leave out the lime. I think the lime made the salsa too sour. Any salsa makers out there: What do you think? Any suggestions? Thanks!

Paz

Spicy Grilled Salmon with Mango, Radish, and Lime Salsa

Tyler Florence - Food 911

Salsa: 2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks 1 red onion, chopped 6 red radishes, chopped, plus 1 sliced for garnish 2 limes, peeled and cut into segments 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon Southwest Spice Mix, recipe follows 1 (2 to 3 pound) salmon fillet Extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper For the Salsa, put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped; set aside.

Heat the grill to medium high. Drizzle some olive oil over the salmon and season it with salt and pepper. Gently rub 2 tablespoons of the Spice Mix into the salmon. Pour some olive oil onto a paper towel and rub the grill with it - this will help to prevent the fish from sticking. Grill the salmon flesh side down for about 12 to 15 minutes.

To serve, spread most of the Salsa onto a platter and place the salmon, skin side down, on top. Garnish with more Salsa, radish slices, cilantro, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Southwest Spice Mix: 2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded 2 tablespoons whole cumin 2 tablespoons whole coriander 1 cinnamon stick 1 tablespoon sweet paprika Put the ancho chiles, cumin, coriander, cinnamon stick, and paprika into a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, and toast the spices just until they begin to smell, about 1 minute. Empty into a spice mill and grind to a powder.