Wilted Greek Salad with Charred Lemons and Herbed Yogurt Dressing

I’m not normally a cucumber man, not because of taste or texture but because nutritionally speaking, I may as well drink a glass of water as eat a cucumber.  However, I do enjoy the crunch and freshness good cucumbers provide, and I was housesitting this past week and had access to a lovely and prolifically producing garden.  Cucumbers and several kinds of tomatoes were the bulk of the ripe produce, and naturally

Seared Tuna Summer Salad

This post is a part of Primal Toad’s Primal Cave #13

As you’ve probably all noticed, it’s hot out.  Really hot.  This heatwave has been killing me, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.  Of course, heat causes sweat, and all the sweating has left me jonesing for something salty.  But it’s still too hot out for any of the classic salty treats (sweet potato fries, e.g.) to sound appealing – they’re too heavy and they require too much oven time which heats up the apartment.  What is a boy to do?  Make this summer salad, that’s what.  It’s light, satisfying, salty enough to replenish those electrolytes (this would actually be a dynamite hangover meal, too, come to think of it), and requires the stove to be on for only about 5 minutes.  Oh, and it’s darn tasty, too.

Mango & Avocado Salad – now with Bacon!

I love recipes that pull together opposites in pleasing ways, and this salad/relish is a perfect example.  The bacon ties the mango and avocado together by being a pleasant opposite to each: the sweet and salty combination of the mango and bacon, and the creamy and crunchy combination of avocado and bacon.  Plus, it’s super easy to make.

Time Commitment: 25 minutes, plus an hour to chill

Serves: 2 as a salad, 4 as a side or relish

Ingredients:

1 mango

1 avocado

1 pound of bacon (before cooking)

1 small red onion

1/3-1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1/2 jalapeno

juice of one lime

s&p

Method:

Fry the bacon until it is crispy, but not burnt.  Transfer to a plate covered with paper towel and let it drain.  Peel the mango and avocado and cut each into bite-sized cubes (1/2”-1”).  Mince the onion, jalapeno, and cilantro leaves, and juice the lime (if using bottled lime juice, this is about 2-3 Tbsp of juice).  Combine everything in an airtight container, making sure to crumble the bacon.  Add salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.  Refrigerate for an hour or so before serving.