cali in a bowl

perfect for summer

This salad is inspired by Californian fruits and the very popular creamy poppy seed dressing.  I couldn't find poppy seeds in my grocery run today so I substituted with black sesame seeds.  It added the same texture as poppy seeds would and you wouldn't even know the difference because the flavour is so mild.  We will definitely be making this salad all summer long - it'll be even better when the local strawberries are available.

what you need:

for vinaigrette

• 1 lemon (juice and zest finely grated)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• freshly ground black pepper, pinch of salt
• 1/2 shallot
• 1 heaping tbsp poppy seeds or black sesame seeds

• 1 avocado
• baby spinach 
• 1 mandarin orange
• 8-10 strawberries

what to do:

1. Blend all vinaigrette ingredients (except for seeds) together until smooth.  Add seeds.  Store in a mason jar in the fridge.
2. Prepare strawberries by washing, removing tops and slicing into bite size pieces.  
3. Prepare mandarin orange by peeling and removing extra bits of white pith.  Break into individual wedges and cut them in half.  This might seem like an extra step but it's worth it to remove any unwanted seeds and also allow the orange juices to flow into the salad.
4. Toss strawberries and oranges slices together in a salad bowl.  When ready to serve, toss with desired amount of baby spinach and vinaigrette (unused portion of the vinaigrette can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days).  Top salad with slices of avocado.  Enjoy!

tonight we had our cali salad with tilapia & ginger pickled radish

pita

fresh homemade pitas topped with old cheddar

These pitas are perfect for dips & wraps and have a pleasant chewy and soft texture.  This recipe is exactly the same as the thin crust pizza one - the only difference is keeping the dough slightly thicker when rolling it out and brushing the top lightly with olive oil (flavoured is a great option!), your favourite herbs and/or cheese.  Bake them at 425 F on a pizza stone or a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes until puffed up and very lightly golden browned - too long in the oven will make them crispy rather than soft.  Enjoy!

divided into 8 balls

cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place

dough after rising for the second time