Berry Blue Salad

Have you ever been to Zupas?  It's a little soup/salad/sandwich chain mostly in the west and I adore it.  When I go back to Utah in the summers I always try to find a time to go, usually with my mom and sisters.  They have a ton of great menu items, but one of my favorites is the Nuts about Berries Salad.  When I came back from Utah a few weeks ago, my husband had stocked the fridge and pantry with all sorts of goodies, including a bunch of berries.  They inspired me to make my own version of Zupa's salad and it turned out delicious.  The sweet juiciness of the berries combined with the creamy tang of the blue cheese is all brought together by the homemade poppy seed dressing.

Berry Blue Salad

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 10 minutes

• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of kosher salt

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 6 Tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 tsp poppy seeds

• 1/2 cup blackberries
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
• 1-2 oz blue cheese
• 1 head romaine or leaf lettuce

Combine almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and kosher salt in small saute pan over medium low heat.  Cook and stir until the sugar is melted and almonds are lightly toasted.  Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, ground dry mustard, and onion powder.  Whisk in vinegar and oil until blended.  Stir in poppy seeds.

Place lettuce in a large bowl.  Top with berries, blue cheese, and cinnamon almonds.  Serve with poppy seed dressing.

Source: inspired by Cafe Zupas Nuts about Berries salad
Produce Used: Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, romaine, leaf lettuce

Rosemary Swordfish

The first time I had swordfish was in New Orleans (don't even get me started on the awesome food you can find in New Orleans...) when I was pregnant with my first son.  Of course I thought about/realized/remembered later that you're not supposed to eat swordfish while pregnant.  Whoops!  But no worries, son #1 turned out just fine so everything is ok.  More than ok because swordfish is delicious and I'm so glad I was introduced to it.  It is a dense but moist, meaty fish with a nice mild flavor.  Just make sure you keep an eye on that internal temperature--if overcooked it can get heavy and dry--but cooked to the correct temperature it is heavenly.

Rosemary Swordfish

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 1 hour 15 minutes

• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp olive oil (I used a rosemary-flavored oil)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 (5 oz) swordfish steaks

Combine the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag.  Add the swordfish and turn to coat.  Marinate in the fridge for one hour.

Remove the fish from the bag and discard the remaining marinade.  Place fish on a broiler pan and broil about 4" from the heat for about 5 minutes per side, until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees.  Remove the skin before serving.

Source: adapted from Taste of Home
Produce Used: Lemon, garlic, rosemary