April's Eat This! Drink That!
Seasonal Salads
Spring is all about light and refreshing meals that don’t require hours spent over the stove.
With warm evenings on the horizon, we’re ready to relax in the sunshine with a glass of wine and one of our favourite salads that are anything but boring!
Explore a few of the delicious salads that we’ll be grazing on all season.
Famille Perrin L’Oustalet White Blend is pale with a nose of white flowers and elegant stone fruit flavours with a smooth finish.
Casa Santos Lima Lisbonita Red Blend
A very aromatic and fruity wine with notes of ripe red fruits and hints of spice with velvety tannins and a smooth finish.
This wine reveals complex aromas of ripe plum, black currant and mocha with ripe tannins and layers of sweet spice.
Signe Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise Blanc
This wine has a clean, lively palate with fruity notes of lemon and honeysuckle.
RECIPES:
Salmon Greek Salad
Author: Jessica Gavin
Wine pairing: L'Oustalet Blanc
Download the recipe card!
Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins
INGREDIENTS:
- 16 ounces salmon fillets, four 4-ounce pieces
- olive oil, as needed
- kosher salt, as needed
- black pepper
- 8 cups lettuce, romaine, spinach or kale
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup cucumber, diced, ¼-inch thick
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced, ¼-inch thick
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Lemon basil Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup lemon juice, plus zest of one lemon
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 basil leaves, fresh
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
INSTRUCTIONS:
Salmon Salad:
Step 1:
Heat grill to medium-high. With a small amount of vegetable oil, grease the grill grates.
Step 2:
Lightly season both sides of the salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil to coat.
Step 3:
Once the grill is nice and hot, add the salmon fillets. Cook uncovered about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until flaky (about 130-140°F). Remove the salmon from the grill and transfer to a clean plate, cover to keep warm. Remove the skin if still attached.
Step 4:
In a large bowl add salad ingredients: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, cheese, and walnuts. Set aside.
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette:
Step 1:
Add lemon juice, zest, olive oil, mustard, honey, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend until well combined and a slightly thick and opaque dressing is achieved, about 30 seconds. Add more salt and pepper as desired.
Toss over salad and enjoy!
Vegan Taco Salad
Author: Running on Real Food
Wine Pairing: Casa Santos Lima Lisbonita Red Blend
Download the recipe card!
Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins
INGREDIENTS:
Lentil Taco Meat
- 2 cups cooked green or brown lentils
- 1 cup finely diced white onion
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, chilli powder and cumin
- 1/2 tsp each oregano, paprika
- salt and pepper, to taste
Tofu Sour Cream
- 1/2 cup soft tofu
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- pinch of sea salt
Salad
- romaine lettuce
- diced avocado
- diced tomato
- corn
- black beans, pinto beans or refried beans
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1:
To make the lentil taco filling, add the diced onion and spices to a skillet with a few tablespoons of the water. Cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat until soft and fragrant. Add the cooked lentils and the rest of the water and cook for a few more minutes until the lentils are heated through and coated in the spices. If needed, add a bit of extra water if it starts to dry out.
Step 2:
To make the tofu sour cream, blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
Step 3:
To assemble the salads, add a handful of romaine lettuce to a bowl then top with avocado, tomato, corn and beans. Add a couple tablespoons and about ½ cup of the lentil mixture to each salad.
Goat Cheese Pasta Salad
Author: Foxes Love Lemons
Wine Pairing: Vinus Malbec
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Serves: 4 Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time: 15 mins
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ bunch asparagus (ends trimmed and discarded), cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
- 8 ounces dried fusilli or other short pasta
- 1 log (4 ounces) Montchevre goat cheese, crumbled, divided
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- ½ tsp kosher salt, plus additional for cooking water
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1:
Heat medium pot of salted water to boiling over high heat. Fill medium bowl with ice water. Add asparagus to boiling water and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Drain asparagus and immediately transfer to ice water. Let asparagus fully cool in ice water, then transfer asparagus to small bowl and refrigerate.
Step 2:
Refill medium pot with salted water. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions.
Step 3:
Meanwhile, place 3 ounces goat cheese, lemon juice, oil, mustard, lemon zest and salt in large bowl and whisk until well combined.
Step 4:
At end of pasta cooking time, transfer ¼ cup pasta cooking water to bowl with goat cheese mixture and whisk until smooth. Transfer half of dressing to small bowl and refrigerate.
Step 5:
Drain pasta and transfer to bowl with remaining dressing; toss until well combined. Refrigerate one hour.
Step 6:
Just before serving, remove pasta from refrigerator and stir in tomatoes, asparagus, remaining 1 ounce goat cheese, and reserved dressing. Serve immediately.
Potato Salad
Author: Gimme Some Oven
Wine pairing: Signé Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Blanc
Download the recipe card!
Serves: 6 Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold, Russet, or red potatoes, cut into ¾ inch cubes
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 ¼ cups mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup dill pickle relish
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- half of a small red onion, thinly sliced
- sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- optional toppings: smoked paprika or Old Bay seasoning, chopped fresh chives
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1:
Place the diced potatoes in a large stockpot and add enough water so that the potatoes are covered by 1 inch. Cook over medium-high heat until the water reaches a boil. Then reduce heat to medium to maintain the simmer and continue cooking the potatoes for 5-8 minutes or until the potatoes pierce easily with a fork.
Step 2:
Drain the potatoes in a colander. Then return the potatoes to the stockpot, drizzle evenly with the vinegar, and let the potatoes rest for 20-30 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
Step 3:
Meanwhile, whisk together the mayo, celery salt, mustard and pickle relish in a medium bowl until evenly combined.
Step 4:
Once the potatoes are ready to go, add in the mayo mixture, diced eggs, celery and onion. Toss gently until evenly combined.
Step 5:
Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste. (Also feel free to add in a tablespoon or two of pickle juice if you would like.)
Step 6:
Transfer the potato salad to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to chill. Serve chilled.
BUY THE WINES THAT PAIR WITH THESE MEALS!
BON APPETIT!
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2021