Avocado, Tomato, Grapefruit and Lime Salad

This refreshing salad is a great for a light lunch or snack. The citrus works perfectly with the rich Florida avocado and the micro herbs from my garden added some freshness, a key ingredient for the freshricks blog. This costs about $5 takes 15 minutes or less and feeds 1.

Avocado Grapefruit Salad
1 organic roma tomato
1/2 ripe Florida avocado
1/2 grapefruit, segmented
1 lime, segmented
1 tablespoon micro basil, thyme, and marjoram

Meyer Lemon Citrus Vinaigrette
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh grapefruit juice
dash white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon meyer lemon olive oil (or EVOO)
pinch of finely chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Slice the avocado and tomatoes and place on the plate. Season well with salt and pepper. With a knife cut the skins of the grapefruit and limes off. Using a small pairing knife cut out the segments of fruits so there is no white, these are called supremes. Mix the grapefruit and lime supremes and place over the avocado and tomato. Use some juice from the grapefruit and limes to make the vinaigrette. Mix all the listed ingredients and spoon over the plate. Garnish with the micro greens.

This quick and easy dish was perfect for after a day at the beach. try this before a fish dinner or when you need a healthy alternative to the norm. Buon Apetito!

Strawberry Banana Papaya Smoothie

I just got out of the gym and needed to feed the beast. This is frozen strawberries, banana & papaya with almond milk, coconut water, pea protein powder and some ice. Great taste plus great for you. Enjoy!

Turkey and Provolone on an English Muffin

This quick and easy open face sandwich is a good change of pace from my grilled sandwiches. I first toasted the english muffins then I used mesquite turkey breast, fresh tomatoes, some agave dijonaise (dijon, mayo and agave nectar) then some fresh thai basil from my herb garden. Finally I topped it with some great provolone cheese and melted the cheese for a few minutes to create the see through effect. A great lunch on a rainy day like today. Enjoy!

Mustard Crusted Swordfish with Brocolini

Swordfish is amazing. The supermarket had some really fresh pieces so I picked up a single steak and made a quick and delicious lunch. Swordfish can be overcooked quickly which ruins the taste so be careful to follow the cook times. Brocolini is a cross between regular broccoli and Chinese broccoli and can be bitter if not cooked properly. This dish cost $15, takes 30 minutes and feeds one.

Garlic Brocolini
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 package brocolini, washed
salt and pepper

Start a medium saute pan on medium low and add the garlic and oil, let cook 15 minutes or until garlic is lightly toasted. Start a large pot of heavily salted water as well. When water is boiling and the brocolini and let cook for 4 minutes. Remove and plunge into and ice bath (1/2 ice and 1/2 cold water in a large bowl). Once cooled remove and drain. Add brocolini to the garlic and olive oil and let cook for 5 minutes, add salt & pepper to taste.

Mustard Crusted Swordfish
1 teaspoon of butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
1 teaspoon siracha hot sauce
1 6oz piece of swordfish
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Start a small saute pan on medium high heat. Season swordfish fillet with salt and pepper. Once pan is very hot add the oil and butter. Then add the swordfish and let cook 2 minutes on one side and then flip. Add mustard and siracha mixture to the top of the fish and place the whole pan in the oven for 7 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and place fish on a rack to rest. In the same pan add the extra tablespoon of butter and a teaspoon of the mustard. let cook for 2 minutes and stir. Spoon on the side of the fish as a mustard brown butter sauce.

This was a quick and easy dish that made me remember why I love swordfish so much. The brocolini was tender and not bitter at all. Overall this was the best tasting dish I have had in a while. Enjoy!

Curried Carrot Soup

I had accidentally bought a new bag a of carrots last time I went to the grocery store when I already had a bunch so I had to do something with them. Carrot soup was what I decided on. I have a lot of spices so I made my own curry style seasoning mix. This easy recipe cost $10, makes 10-12 servings and takes 45 minutes or less.

Organic Curried Carrot Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 organic leek, rough chopped
1 organic white onion, rough chopped
2 lb organic baby carrots
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup water
-Curry Seasoning Mix-
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Start a large (5-8qt) sauce pot on medium and add oil. Add onions and leeks and let cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add curry seasoning mix and toss. Add carrots and toss with onions and leeks. Add broth, cream and water and turn to medium low (3.5 of 10). Let cook about 25 minutes or until the carrots are fork tender. Add to a blender in batches and puree until smooth. Add puree mixture back to the sauce pot. Add water to get desired texture and let cook for 10 minutes. Add some yogurt or heavy cream for garnish. I also threw in some fresh thyme leaves from my garden to add freshness.

This can be done with store bought curry powder or you can skip the curry all together. It turned out very tasty and not too "carroty" tasting with a little heat on the end. Enjoy!