This salad is light and refreshing…perfect for summer.  I made this as part of one of my weeknight dinners.  The key is to use a mandolin for the fennel to achieve the thin slices.  The fresh herbs are also essential.  The mint and parsley paired amazingly well with fennel and grapefruit.  This recipe is courtesy of epicurious.com.

Ingredients:

2 large ruby-red grapefruit 

2 small fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed, halved vertically, sliced paper-thin

1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt flakes

Directions:

1.  Cut off top and bottom ends of grapefruit. Stand on 1 flat side. Starting at top of fruit, cut off all peel and white pith, following curve of fruit. Working over bowl, cut between membranes, releasing segments; squeeze any juice into bowl. Transfer segments to another bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover juice and segments separately and chill.

2.  Combine fennel and herbs in large bowl. Cut grapefruit segments into 1/3- to 1/2-inch cubes. Add to bowl with fennel and toss to coat. Arrange salad on platter. Drizzle lightly with oil, then grapefruit juice, if desired. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and serve.

Butternut squash is a fruit and can be used many different ways: roasted, pureed. It can be used to make mash, soups, bread, muffins.  A cup of butternut squash is only about 82 calories and it is an excellent source of  Vitamin A, which is great for your skin & hair.  I love a butternut squash soup.  This recipe includes carrots, which gives it a great depth of flavor. I topped it with basil oil.  Basil+ oil in a small food processor.  Yummy.  It was a hit.  I had the leftovers for lunch with a salad.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1.  In an 8-quart stockpot, add oil and heat over medium-high heat.

2.  Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds.

3.  Add the squash and the vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

4.  Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle into bowls.

Its officially summer time and that means wonderful fruit and vegetables.  I bought these beautiful red tomatoes and made this easy side dish along with a soup for a weeknight meal.  The recipe is courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis.  Instead of using balsamic vinegar and reducing it down, I used balsamic glaze that you can easily find in the supermarket.

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic glaze vinegar
1 cup pitted green and black olives, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
8 fresh basil leaves, shredded
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes (about 3 tomatoes)

Directions

1.  Combine the olives, parsley, anchovies, capers, garlic, basil, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl and toss to combine.

2.  To serve, slice the tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick rounds and place, slightly overlapping, on a serving plate. Spoon the olive and parsley mixture over the tomatoes. Drizzle the reduced balsamic over the salad and serve.

I love love love brussels sprouts.  My favorite way is roasted but I was intrigued when I saw this recipe by Giada de Laurentiis on the Food Network.  I had to try it.  The recipe said cook time = 1 minute but in reality this recipe took me 30 minutes to prepare.  Only the outer leaves of the brussels sprouts are used.  I saved the core for another day.  After cutting the outer leaves, you blanch them in boiling water  and then drop them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.  Then toast the almonds, shave the cheese, wash the arugula and endive, make the dressing and toss it together.  In the end, I was very happy with it.  It was really delicious and worth the effort.

Ingredients

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts

2 cups baby arugula

1 head Belgian endive, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano

Directions

1.  Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

2.  Salad: Using a small paring knife, remove the outer leaves from the Brussels sprouts. Reserve the cores for another use. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprout leaves and cook for 1 minute. Drain and put in a bowl of iced water, then transfer to a colander to drain. Put the Brussels sprout leaves, arugula, endive, and almonds into a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and toss together. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve.