Greek-Style Fish Salad and Green Soup, June 14, 2016

Last night, in honor of Garden Day, I made a very vegetable-filled dinner. Our appetizer was skewers of cucumber chunks, small varicolored tomatoes, and bocconcini, with pesto for dipping. However, we have both come to the conclusion, after numerous tries, that we just aren't really pesto people. The veggies & cheese, on their own, were terrific, though. Our main meal consisted of soup and salad, with multigrain bread to accompany them. I think I'm not such a fan of fish in salad, but Jeannene loved the Greek-style fish salad I made. I would find it phenomenal with no meat. Chicken might also be okay. I adapted the recipe from one in a favorite salad cookbook of mine, Twelve Months of Monastery Salads by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette. The soup of fresh greens was adapted from his Twelve Months of Monastery Soups. I was a bit skeptical about the soup before I tried it, but it was delicious, if a bit rich!

Greek-Style Fish Salad

4 c. water

12 oz. tilapia fillets

Juice of 1 lemon

A bag of baby spinach

1 red onion, chopped

A handful of grape tomatoes (I used the teeny ones from Lady Moon Farm---love them)

A handful of bocconcini (can sub feta, blue cheese, or whatever you love)

Dressing:

1/2 c. good quality olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

A pinch of oregano (use fresh chopped oregano, if possible---I forgot to get herbs at the store)

A pinch of basil (see above)

A pinch of thyme (again, fresh if possible)

Salt & pepper

(I forgot olives, but the original recipe calls for pitted kalamatas, which I think would be stellar)

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot or skillet. Add fish and juice, cover, and cook about 10 minutes, until fish is cooks through and flakes easily. Cool before cutting into small pieces and chilling at least an hour. Put veggies in a serving bowl and toss. Add fish & cheese and gently incorporate. Whisk dressing ingredients together until the mixture is thickened. Toss gently with salad to coat everything. Serves 6. 

Green Soup

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 onion, chopped

1/4 head of green leaf lettuce or similar, chopped

A big handful of baby spinach

A big handful of watercress

32 oz. chicken or veggie broth

1 potato, sliced

A big glug of cream (I think low fat or skim milk would also be great; vegans could sub coconut milk)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Paprika for finishing

Cook the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the other veggies and the broth. Bring to a boil and cook 15 minutes. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes. Puree with immersion blender or in a regular blender (if you don't have an immersion blender, you probably want one). Add cream/milk, salt, and pepper. Heat through, taking care not to boil. Serve with a sprinkling of paprika. Serves 2-4.