Curried Shrimp Salad with Avocado and Orange

Growing up, I wasn't a big fan of mayonnaise, so the idea of a salad like this would've just made me turn up my nose. I blame the french fries in Montreal (and perhaps discovering that Miracle Whip wasn't really mayonnaise?) for helping me overcome my aversion. The first time I saw them, I couldn't think of a worse thing to do to french fries. A year or so later? I caught myself asking for mayonnaise when I was served fries in the US. I'm glad I've moved on because it's opened up some delicious dishes to me. This one in particular caught my eye while trying to avoid heating up the house during a heat wave (I realize that those of you heading into winter may not appreciate this as much ... or maybe you will!). Of course, the heat wave broke an hour or so before dinner (Melbourne seems to be fond of extreme temperature shifts), so my efforts were for naught, but this fresh salad hit the spot with plenty of fruit and vegetables to balance out the creamy shrimp.

She calls for boiling and chilling the shrimp yourself to add more flavour. You certainly can (and I did), but it does take this dish from super quick and easy to a bit more planning required. You first need to simmer a quick stock with 1 carrot, 1 celery stick, 1 lemon, 1/2 sweet onion, 2 bay leaves, and some salt for 10 minutes. You take some of the stock out and chill it so it can serve as the ice bath for the shrimp (using ice in ziplock bags so you don't dilute it). The rest of the stock you use to boil the shell on shrimp in for 1 minute, before you chill them, then peel and devein. I'm sure it added flavour, it's just a little bit fussy for a weeknight. So the quick and easy version below? Just buy some cooked shrimp.

Two years ago: Summer King Salmon Kebabs
Three years ago: Indonesian Spice Cake
Four years ago: Sweet and Sour Napa Cabbage
Five years ago: Beef Rendang
Six years ago: Mint Brownies

Curried Shrimp Salad with Avocado and Orange (from Lighten Up Y'all)

Ingredients
1 tbsp finely chopped sweet onion
1/4 cup mayonnaise (she calls for light because it is a "light" cookbook, but you know I can't endorse that)
2 tbsp finely chopped celery
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 lb cooked and chilled shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
grated zest of 2 oranges, with fruit set aside
1 avocado, seeded and chopped
5 oz arugula
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
kosher salt and pepper

1. Place onion in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until just tender, 25 seconds. (You can also sweat in a skillet, but why not save a dish?)
2. Let onion cool slightly, then add mayo, celery, and curry powder. Stir to combine.
3. Add shrimp, parsley, mint, and grated orange zest to mayo and season with salt and pepper.
4. Separate orange into segments. You can use the knife to slice off the top and bottom and then cut around or if yours is easy enough to peel, you can do it by hand.
5. Combine avocado, orange segments, and arugula in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss.
6. Pile salad among 6 plates, top with spoonful of shrimp, and serve.

Fennel-Crusted Tuna with Wilted Cabbage and Orange-Soy Vinaigrette

I admit that this isn't the most glamorous sounding recipe, but I had faith in this cookbook (and leftover cabbage that I needed to get rid of along with some lovely sashimi-grade tuna). My faith was rewarded with a simple, but wonderfully flavored and elegant dish. While this has a few components, they all come together quickly, making this a good weeknight meal.

One year ago: Crab Quiche
Two years ago: Cabbage and Cucumber Slaw with Roasted Peanuts
Three years ago: Ninfa's Red Sauce
Four years ago: Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Cheese Chowder

Fennel-Crusted Tuna with Wilted Cabbage and Orange-Soy Vinaigrette (from Fish Without a Doubt)

Ingredients
2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp white peppercorns
2 (12 ounce) pieces tuna, about 1 1/2 inches thick
coarse salt
2 tsp vegetable oil
Wilted Cabbage
2 tsp vegetable oil
2/3 lb savoy cabbage, shredded
4 scallions, cut into thin slices
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp water
Orange-Soy Vinaigrette
2 oranges
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1/3 cup thinly sliced ginger
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 tbsp thinly sliced garlic
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/4 cup fumet or chicken stock
1 tsp lemon juice

1. First, make vinaigrette. Juice oranges. Tear or cut the rinds of 1 1/2 oranges into pieces (discard rest).
2. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and ginger. Saute for 30 seconds.
3. Add shallots and garlic and saute until fragrant, 30 - 45 seconds.
4. Add orange juice, rinds, soy, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to an active simmer. Cook, pressing down solids, until thick, syrupy and reduced by two-thirds.
5. Add fumet or stock and bring to active simmer. Strain, pressing down the solids. You should have about 1/2 cup.
6. Pour liquid into blender. With blender running, pour in 1/2 cup vegetable oil slowly. Keep running for 30 seconds. Add lemon juice.
7. Now, make the cabbage. Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium heat. Turn heat to high, add cabbage and scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add soy sauce and water and stir-fry until cabbage starts to wilt, 1 minute. Remove from heat.
8. Finally, make fish. Combine fennel, coriander, and peppercorns in a spice grinder and grind to powder.
9. Season tuna with salt and coat with ground spices.
10. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon in oil. Add tuna and cook for 45 seconds - 1 minute on each side.
11. Transfer tuna to cutting board and let rest before slicing the tuna.
12. To serve, make a mound of cabbage in 4 dinner plates. Surround cabbage with a ring of vinaigrette. Lay tuna slices on cabbage and serve.

Seared Duck Breasts with Blood Orange and Star Anise

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not crazy about the cooking method for the duck itself. I prefer a bit of a crispier skin with more fat rendered off (a low and slow sear) and the duck breast itself was a little bit overcooked. That being said, the rub and sauce combo was outstanding. Fennel steals the show and the chilies give it just a little bit of heat.

One year ago: Maghrebi Veal Meatballs with Spinach and Chickpeas

Seared Duck Breasts with Blood Orange and Star Anise (from Ottolenghi)

Ingredients
4 duck breasts, 180 - 200g each
2 tbsp fennel seeds
pinch of dried chili flakes
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp coarse sea salt
240 ml blood orange juice
4 whole blood oranges
180 ml red wine
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
16 star anise
6 dried chilies

1. Score the skin of each duck breast in 3 or 4 parallel incisions. Repeat at a 90 degree angle.
2. Mix fennel, chili flakes, cumin, black pepper, and salt together and rub on duck breasts. Marinate for a few hours or overnight in the fridge.
3. Trim off 1cm from top and bottom of each orange. Standing them up, trim off skin and pith. Cut each orange horizontally into 6 slices. Remove pips, place slices in bowl, and set aside.
4. Heat a large frying pan. Sear duck skin-side down for 3 minutes or until skin is golden brown and crisp. Flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Set aside.
5. Discard most of fat from frying pan and add wine, vinegar, orange juice, and star anise. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 - 6 minutes until reduced by half.
6. Return duck to pan and stir to coat with sauce. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes.
7. Add dried chiles and orange slices. Simmer for 3 more minutes.
8. Remove duck breasts and let rest for 3 - 4 minutes. Reduce sauce further if necessary.
9. Slice breasts into 1 cm thick slices. Serve with oranges to the side and sauce poured over duck.

Rice and Quinoa with Orange and Pistachios

This grain salad surprised my by how satisfying it was with the mix of bitter arugula, sweet dried fruit, and tart citrus. The original recipe calls for Camargue red rice and dried apricots, but I used wild rice and golden raisins.

One year ago: Lamb Chops with Smoked Paprika Oil, Cumin, and Arugula
Two years ago: Tomato Sauce with Olive Oil, Cheese, and Chopped Vegetables

Rice and Quinoa with Orange and Pistachios (from Ottolenghi)

Ingredients
60g shelled pistachio nuts, toasted
200g quinoa
200g Camargue red rice or wild rice
1 medium onion, sliced
10tbsp olive oil, divided
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
2 tsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
100g dried apricots (or golden raisins), finely chopped
40g arugula
salt and black pepper

1. Fill 2 saucepans with salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer quinoa for 12 - 14 minutes and rice for 20 minutes (if you're using wild rice, it will take closer to 35) or until tender but still with a bite. Drain grains and spread on trays to hasten cool down.
2. Meanwhile, saute white onion in 4 tbsp olive oil for 10 - 12 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.
3. In large mixing bowl, combine rice, quinoa, cooked onion, and remaining 6 tbsp olive oil. Add rest of ingredients and serve.

Beetroot, Orange, and Black Olive Salad

A couple of weeks ago, I tried making an orange, olive, and red onion salad and it was a miserable failure. The onions overwhelmed everything and it just didn't meld. Based on that experience, I was slightly hesitant to give this one a try, but it was definitely worth the gamble. The beet seems to pull together the other flavours and it worked so much better. The original calls for boiling the beets for 1 - 2 hours. I roasted them. Go with whatever method you prefer!

Beetroot, Orange, and Black Olive Salad (from Plenty)

Ingredients
400g beets
2 sweet oranges (I used navel)
1 red endive
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp chopped parsley
40g black olives, pitted and halved
3 tbsp rapeseed oil (I used olive)
1 tsp orange blossom water
1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1. Cook beets. Peel, cut in half, and cut into wedges that are 1cm thick at base. Put in mixing bowl.
2. Trim off tops and bases of oranges. Remove skins and pith. Slice into segments and place with the beets, discarding any membrane.
3. Cut endive vertically into 2cm thick slices. Separate leaves and add to salad.
4. Add remaining ingredients and toss.