One more green salad for summer.
The lettuce isn’t looking quite as fresh in the markets these days and I think it’s time to switch to pasta salads.
And rice and quinoa and barley and couscous….
So many choices; so little summer.
I called the vinaigrette I used for this salad ‘French’ Dressing as it’s meant to be like the restaurant staple French Dressing of my youth.
This is better – even though it uses ketchup. Since the tomato flavor I was looking for is required in such a small quantity, ketchup seemed the logical choice.
Don’t knock it ’til you try it….
Grilled Turkey and Goat Cheese Salad
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (3.5oz, 100gr) quinoa
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
- 10oz (300gr) turkey cutlets
- 1/2 cup (3oz, 90gr) cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters
- 1/2 cup (3oz, 90gr) artichoke hearts cut in half or quarters
- 4oz (120gr) goat cheese, sliced 1/3″ thick (1cm)
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs bread crumbs
- 2 tbs fresh oregano, snipped if large leaves
- Lettuce – enough for 2 main meal salads
- Marinade for turkey:
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbs ketchup
- 1 tbs red wine vinegar
- 2 tbs olive oil
- ‘French’ Dressing:
- 1 1/2 tbs ketchup
- 2 tbs Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
- 4 tbs salad olive oil
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients for marinade, spoon on to turkey and set aside.
- Cook quinoa in chicken stock for 15 minutes, or until done. Fluff and allow to cool a bit
- Dressing:
- Whisk ketchup, vinegar and mustard.
- Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly.
- Cheese:
- Dip each slice of goat cheese in the olive oil, then the crumbs
- Place on a baking sheet.
- 5 minutes before serving salad, bake for 4 – 5 minutes at 400F (200C).
- Tear the lettuce and put into a large salad bowl along with the oregano.
- Cook turkey on barbecue grill or sauté in nonstick skillet until done, 4 – 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness.
- Remove and let rest while assembling the salad.
- To assemble:
- Add half of the dressing to the lettuce and toss well to coat.
- Add 1 tbs dressing to quinoa, then add to lettuce.
- Slice turkey and add to salad
- Arrange artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes next to turkey.
- Add goat cheese slices.
- Serve, remaining dressing on the side.
I was watering the herbs along the fence yesterday morning and spotted a hummingbird hawk-moth.
The first time I saw one, when we lived in Andorra, I just assumed it was a hummingbird. Then our friend from Spain, who collected and cataloged moths and butterflies in the Pyrenees, told me it was a moth.
I didn’t believe him.
He told me that there are no hummingbirds in Europe, which was why he was planning a trip to Costa Rica to see them.
Since he was always right about everything (really, he was… rather annoying at times), I believed him.
I don’t really have the right lens for taking photos of hummingbirds – or hummingbird hawk-moths, but here they are, anyway.
The moth and his shadow:
The moth from above:
The moth in silhouette:
You can see why I thought it was a hummingbird….
Apparently they really like lavender.
I have a hummingbird moth that visits my madavilla on a daily basis. They really do look like teeny tiny birds.
And they act just like hummingbirds! This one is always in the lavender. I love watching them
They also like petunias – we see them regularly around the hanging baskets.
It is definitely salad weather at present.
I only ever see one…. but then I’m not out by the fence watching lol Hot, hot, hot…..
I do have hummers, several, that I feed. While we do have some similar species of your moths here, I’ve never seen one.
I’m still waiting for the tomatoes to ripen. I’m harvesting cukes and peppers like mad, but the tomatoes are taking forever!
My mother had a hummingbird feeder outside her kitchen window and had lots of them.
Tomatoes always take forever…. and then they take over 😉
Amazing to see that moth or bird…nothing like that in Morocco or Australia !!!!
They are amazing creatures….. Maybe next time your here.