Summer Salad with Nectarines & Fresh Mozzarella

This salad is perfect for those hot and sticky summer days when you'd just rather not have to turn on your oven. Especially when you have delicious locally grown nectarines at your disposal. And at first glance it may seem fancy, but it couldn't be simpler to make. This is a very relaxed recipe; I don't usually use exact measurements when putting together salads, especially in the summer time when the weather is lovely and I'd rather be doing other things besides cooking indoors. So just throw it together and enjoy!

Summer Salad with Nectarines & Fresh Mozzarella

Ingredients:

a couple of handfuls of arugula or baby spinach (I used arugula here, but the taste can be a bit strong for some)

a nectarine or peach, sliced thinly

fresh mozzarella, torn into pices

a couple of sprigs of fresh herbs (I used sweet spearmint and basil here), minced

a green onion, thinly sliced

balsamic vinegar and olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions: 

Make a bed out of the arugula (or whatever type of lettuce you please, really). Layer on top of it the peach slices, mozzarella, green onions and herbs. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. So easy and fast!

{Can you spot my cooking partner in this photo? And my polka dot pants?}

Mojo Pork Kebabs

 In our apartment complex, you're not allowed to grill anything within 20 feet of the building. But I'm not really a fan of grilling in the middle of a parking lot, so it's lucky that my husband had the foresight to own a George Foreman, as tiny as it is. Actually, I think that must have been all he cooked on before we moved in together, because I know he didn't own any pots or pans.

Anyway, I picked up this summer issue of Everyday Food at CVS when we were waiting for Roi's Rx's one day, and it gave me the urge to grill. Cuban-inspired flavors are always perfect summer recipes. These kebabs are adapted from this recipe.



MOJO PORK KEBABS
serves 2-3 

Ingredients:

1/4-1/3 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

juice from 2 limes (~3 tablespoons)

1/4 cup orange juice

1 orange, cut into 16 pieces

1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch rounds

cumin

salt and pepper

 Directions:

 1. In a small pot, combine oil and garlic and heat over medium-low. Cook until garlic is soft, 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Make sure your garlic doesn't burn, or your mojo just won't taste the same!) Remove from heat, stir in lime and orange juices and let cool for 15 minutes. Stir in some cumin (about 1/4 tsp), salt and pepper.

2. In a ziplock bag, toss the pork with half of the marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 12 hours) and refrigerate the remaining marinade.

3. Heat a grill, grill pan, or George Foreman to medium-high, making sure that the grill is clean before you start. Thread pork, orange and zucchini onto skewers. Season with a couple of shakes of cumin, salt and pepper. Grill kebabs 4-5 minutes per side for medium-well, and at least until they have the tell-tale grill marks. Brush with your reserved marinade and serve.

These tasted really excellent with a light summer salad. I tossed romaine lettuce with sliced fresh cucumber (peeled) and a chopped fresh peach. I paired the salad with a honey balsamic dressing and it was perfect: sweet and refreshing. For the dressing, combine 1 part honey, 1 part balsamic vinegar, and 3 parts olive oil. I usually heat the honey with the balsamic in the microwave for about 15 seconds so that all the ingredients mix together in the dressing. Toss and serve!