California Avocado Salad Food

MY FAVORITE AVOCADO SALAD

Steps:

• Drizzle lemon juice over avocados. In a serving bowl, combine salad greens, tomatoes, onion, walnuts and avocados. Whisk together dressing ingredients; pour over salad. Toss to coat.

CALIFORNIA PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; Drain and rinse in cold water. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the vegetables and olives. , In a large bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Drizzle over spaghetti mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with a slotted spoon.

CALIFORNIA QUINOA & AVOCADO SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with parchment. Tip the butternut squash onto the tray, drizzle with 2 tsp oil and season well. Roast for 20 mins, then push the squash to one end of the tray, add the broccoli to the other end and drizzle with 1 tsp oil. Season and roast for 10 mins more.
• Meanwhile, make the dressing. Put all the ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor, add 1 tbsp water and a pinch of salt. Blitz to make a loose dressing, adding a little more water if necessary.
• Squeeze the pouch of quinoa to separate the grains, then tip into a large bowl. Add the herbs, spring onions, pomegranate seeds and pistachios. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, season and toss everything together. Add the roasted veg too.
• Divide the salad between two plates and drizzle over the dressing. Halve the avocado and remove the stone, then slide a dessertspoon between the skin and flesh to remove it in one piece. Place on a chopping board, rounded side up, and thinly slice. Squeeze over the lemon juice, then slide a knife underneath and lift half the avocado onto each salad. Top with the sprouts and grind over a little pepper, if you like.

"CALIFORNIA ROLL" SALAD

Steps:

• Into a large saucepan of salted boiling water stir rice and boil 10 minutes. Drain rice in a colander and rinse. Set colander over a kettle of boiling water (rice should not touch water) and steam rice, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and dry, 10 to 15 minutes (check water level in kettle occasionally, adding water if necessary).
• While rice is steaming, in a small saucepan bring 1/4 cup vinegar to a boil with sugar and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and remove from heat. In a dry small skillet toast sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant and transfer to a small bowl.
• Transfer rice to a large bowl and stir in vinegar mixture. Cool rice and stir in sesame seeds, remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar, oil, ginger, scallions, carrot, and cucumber. Salad may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before proceeding.
• Dry-roast nori, 1 sheet at a time, directly above moderate heat (gas or electric burner), holding it at opposite corners and moving it back and forth, until it turns bright green, 30 seconds to 1 minute. With scissors cut nori into thin 2-inch-long strips.
• Peel and pit avocado. Quarter avoado and cut crosswise into thin slices. Add avocado to salad with surmimi if using and two thirds of nori strips and toss well.
• Make dressing:
• In a small bowl stir wasabi powder into hot water and stir in cold water, soy sauce, and ginger juice.
• Serve salad sprinkled with remaining nori strips and drizzled with dressing.

GRILLED CALIFORNIA AVOCADO SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare charcoal, gas grill, or stove-top grill pan.
• Halve the avocado (keeping it in its shell) and remove the pit.
• Lightly brush cut sides with garlic-flavored olive oil.
• Grill halves (cut side down) until lightly marked, about 3-5 minutes.
• Toss greens lightly with garlic-flavored olive oil and mound on plates.
• Gently scoop the avocado out of the shell (keeping it in one piece) and place on top of the greens
• Fill the avocado cavity with salsa, and sprinkle with the herbed goat cheese. (we used Boursin).
• Garnish with finely-chopped yellow tomatoes.