Asparagus, Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad

Spring in Chicago is kind of terrible. I could really do without it. It's cold, it's rainy, and you get teased every other week with one really beautiful day that gives you hope that you can put away the parka and then next thing you know it's freezing again. This recipe for Asparagus, Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad is perfect for at least making you feel like real spring weather is around the corner. It has to be right???

 Asparagus, Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad

Serves: 2
Prep Time: 20 minutes

10 spears of asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp honey
bag of mixed greens
handful fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/2 cup hulled and sliced strawberries
2 Tbsp freshly crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss asparagus pieces with 1 tsp olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Lay out in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine the remaining 2 tsp olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, and honey. Whisk until emulsified; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss the mixed greens with the dressing, and then gently toss in the sliced strawberries, asparagus, and fresh basil. Top salad with feta crumbles.

Brussels Sprout Salad with Burrata

Paul Kahan is a well known chef in Chicago. He owns Blackbird, Avec, Publican and Big Star. Brady and I have been to a few of these restaurants over the years and our meals have always been outstanding. When I came across his recipe for a Brussels sprout salad I knew I had to give it a try. This salad is refreshing and a nice change from the typical lettuce salad. The fresh burrata gives the salad a bit of richness and makes it "fancy" enough to serve guests.

Brussels Sprout Salad with Burrata
 ** a Paul Kahan recipe

Serves 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes

1 pound brussels sprouts
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, shaved
1 medium red onion, cut into ½ inch slices
2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
burrata cheese
3 Tablespoons (or a bit more) of lemon vinaigrette

Lemon Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil and place the onions on the grill pan. Season the onions with salt, and pepper. Grill the onions until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the onions and put them in a bowl and pour over the balsamic vinegar. Cover the bowl and let sit for half an hour. After the time has passed, cut the onions into little squares and place them back in the bowl. Refrigerate until needed.

Combine all of the ingredients for the lemon vinaigrette in a small mixing bowl and set aside

Shave the brussels sprouts as thin as possible on a mandolin (or you can use a knife to slice them thinly). Place the brussels sprouts in a mixing bowl and add the lemon vinaigrette, parmesan cheese and red onion. Season with salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for at least half an hour.

Just before you serve, cut the burrata into large pieces and place each piece in a bowl. Season it with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Spoon the brussels sprouts over the burrata and serve.

Pasta and Spinach Salad

My to-do list has felt never ending these past couple of weeks. Between working at summer camp (thankfully now over) and preparing my new 2nd grade classroom I feel like I may as well have moved into my school building! I thought I'd share a couple of pictures of my classroom to show what I've been up to. I decided on an owl theme this year and let me just say my new found obsession with owls has gotten out of control. They are EVERYWHERE in my room- bulletin boards, book labels, pillows, supply labels, personalized note cards, my desk, etc. 

My classroom library. How cute are the pillows that my mom made?!

 It's hard to read but the lettering says "Look Whoo's in 2nd Grade"and the plaque on the tree says "Ms. Bower's Wise Owls" 

Yes, my mom and I made each and everyone one of these owls!

As a result of the classroom craziness, posting my recipes has ranked pretty low on the list. I have been cooking though and wanted to share the below pasta salad recipe. My mom came across this recipe years ago and we've been making it ever since. It's perfect to serve for dinner or to pack for weekday lunches.

Pasta and Spinach Salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6

12 oz. bow tie pasta
1/2 c. red pepper, chopped
1/2 c. red onion, chopped
1 (10 oz) package spinach leaves
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
2 c. diced cooked chicken
1/2 c. almonds

Dressing:
1 tsp. ginger, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 c. rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. olive or vegetable oil (I use a little bit less)
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 tsp. sugar

Cook pasta, drain and run cold water over the pasta noodles to cool them down. Mix dressing in a small bowl. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill and serve.

Zucchini Mint Salad

While Brady and I were in Minneapolis a few weeks back, his parents had the whole family over for dinner. His mom made a great salad and I had to make it again this week. It was that good. The mint adds such great flavor to this easy summer salad and I love how bright and colorful it is.

Zucchini Mint Salad

Serves 2-4

Salad
4 cups fresh spinach
1 green medium sliced zucchini
1 yellow medium sliced zucchini
l/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced, separated into rings
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar

In a large bowl, combine spinach, zucchini, onion, mint, olives, and feta cheese. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all dressing ingredients; shake well and refrigerate. Just before serving, toss salad and dressing.

Quinoa with Peaches and Pistachios

As you may have noticed from previous posts, I love to cook with quinoa. I'm still living down my comment that it was "my new favorite grain." Someone, who will remain nameless, thought that was a pretty funny statement. The thing is, it still is my favorite grain and I'm pretty sure that I have converted this certain someone into a quinoa fan as well. Quinoa is healthy, filling and you can literally mix it with anything. It has become my go-to for a quick and easy weekday lunch. I loved the below combo and thought it was perfect for this time of year when peaches are at their best.

Quinoa with Peaches and Pistachios

Serves 6
Prep/Cook Time: 20 minutes

1 cup quinoa
2-3 peaches, pitted and diced
1/2 bag arugula or spinach
1/4 c. pistachios, chopped
1/4 c. shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 c. dried cranberries

Dressing:
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. dijon mustard
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the quinoa according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the dressing ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, arugula, pistachios, shallot and dried cranberries. Add in the cooked quinoa once it has cooled slightly and toss with the prepared dressing. Serve warm or cold.

Summer Vegetable Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

While in San Diego a few months ago, Brady and I ate at Burger Lounge, a new burger chain in Southern California. Instead of a burger (which Brady had and loved), I had their vegetable salad which was awesome. I recreated the salad for my parents this past weekend and they loved it. It's simple, adaptable, and perfect for summer.

Summer Vegetable Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

lettuce mix- romaine, spinach and arugula
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup sugar snap peas, halved on a diagonal
2 ears of corn, shucked and corn kernels removed with a knife
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
grated ricotta salata cheese

lemon basil vinaigrette
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 2 lemons
1/4 cup basil, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle with lemon basil vinaigrette.

Quinoa Salad with Pears, Spinach, and Chickpeas in a Maple Vinaigrette

Hopefully the quinoa salad recipes aren't getting old because I keep finding new recipes that I love. I made the below recipe for my lunch this week and it's so good! I love that it can be served cold which makes for a super easy lunch on the go. This recipe couldn't be easier and it's perfect for fall. If this doesn't sound hearty enough for a main dish to you, I think this would be a great side dish paired with salmon or chicken marinated in a little Dijon mustard and maple syrup.

Also, happy belated Columbus Day! I just had to share the cupcakes that I made for my class. I think they turned out pretty cute. Super easy- boxed cupcake mix and store bought frosting. I used Kellogg's Fudge Stripe cookies for the boats and used an edible candy marker to write on the candy corn. The kids loved them!

Quinoa Salad with Pears, Spinach, and Chickpeas in a Maple Vinaigrette
** adapted from Gluten Free Goddess

Serves 4 main course servings, 6 side dish servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes

1 c. quinoa
2 c. water
2 handfuls baby spinach
1 large ripe pear, washed, cored and cut into pieces
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper
a handful of walnuts

Maple Vinaigrette Dressing:
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. pure maple syrup

In a small saucepan, cook the quinoa in the 2 cups of water. Cover and cook on a low simmer until all of the water is evaporated and the quinoa is tender- roughly 20 minutes. Fluff with a work and put into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

In the large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, spinach, pear, chickpeas, chopped parsley, and walnuts. Stir in the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Quinoa Salad with Edamame and Lemon-Dill Dressing

I made the below salad a couple of weeks ago and have been meaning to add it to the blog. I loved how simple it was and it can be served warm or cold. I brought this in my lunch all week and ate it cold and it was great.  You could easily alter the ingredients to suit your taste; I thought some canned tuna would be an easy and cheap substitute for the chicken. This salad will definitely be added to my lunch rotation!

Quinoa Salad with Edamame and Lemon-Dill Dressing
*** adapted from One Perfect Bite

Serves: 6
Prep/Cook Time: 20 minutes

1 c. quinoa
2 c. vegetable or chicken broth
2 c. frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 c. cooked chopped chicken
1 T. grated lemon zest
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. olive oil
2 T. chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. drained and diced jarred roasted red peppers
1/4 c. chopped walnuts

Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa and return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook quinoa for 8 minutes. Remove lid and add edamame. Cover and continue to cook about 8 minutes. Drain any remaining water if necessary.

Whisk lemon juice, oil, dill and salt in a large boil. Add peppers and quinoa. Toss to combine. Stir in chopped chicken and walnuts.

Corn and Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil

Happy belated 4th of July! Hopefully everyone had a fun and safe holiday weekend. Brady and I had a great three day weekend. We cheered on the Cubs at Wrigley, explored the Lincoln Park farmers market and finally found ourselves back in the kitchen doing a little cooking.

This was my first trip to the big farmers market this year and Brady has never been so we had a great time checking out all of the vendors and planning a dinner full of fresh produce and farm raised meat. Our favorite purchase was elk brats from Hawks Hill Elk Ranch in Monticello, Wisconsin. We boiled these in a big pot of water and beer and added a little cider vinegar and chopped onion. We then finished the brats on a grill pan. They turned out awesome! I have never had elk but the meat was so flavorful and didn't have the "game" taste that I was expecting. I would highly recommend checking out the link above and ordering some elk meat or perhaps looking for it at your local farmers market. Not only did the elk taste great but it has less calories and fat then chicken, pork and beef- who knew?! Plus it's always nice to know where your meat is coming from and actually meet the rancher who has raised and prepared the meat.

For our side dish we made the below Corn and Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil. Unfortunately tomatoes aren't in season here yet so we couldn't buy those at the farmers market but we were able to pick up a few of the other ingredients. I loved the freshness of the salad plus it colorful and screams summer! We all have our go-to salad recipes that we make when company comes over to barbeque and I know this is one that I will be throwing into the rotation, it's a sure bet crowd-pleaser!

Corn and Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil
*** from Cooking Light
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Serves: 4
Prep/Cook Time: 25 minutes

8 ounces small yellow or red potatoes
4 ears fresh yellow corn
2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 c. minced shallots
3 T. while balsamic vinegar
1 T. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 T. olive oil
6 c. arugula
1/2 c. torn fresh basil
2 ounces mozzarella, cubed

Place potatoes in a small saucepan; cover with water and bring to boil. Cook about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and run under cold water. Cut potatoes in half lenghwise. Combine potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and red bell pepper in a large bowl.

Combine shallots through black pepper in a small bowl. Slowly pour oil into shallot mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle the sauce over the corn mixture. Add arugula, basil and cubed mozzarella and toss to combine.

Steak Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

This weekend Brady and I had lunch at Feast, one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants. A friend introduced me to Feast about 6 years ago when I first moved to Chicago and I have gone countless times since. The atmosphere at Feast is casual and unpretentious and a nice change from some of the other Gold Coast restaurants plus their food never disappoints.

I ordered a steak salad with a herb vinaigrette that was great. The salad was full of flavor, colorful and perfect for a light summer meal. I recreated the dish tonight for dinner and the result was incredibly close to what I ordered at Feast. I loved the cilantro vinaigrette and while I thought the flank steak was a nice change from  chicken and pork you could definitely skip the steak and add grilled chicken if you aren't a fan of red meat.

Steak Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

Serves 4
Prep/Cook Time: 20 minutes

Salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, washed, rinsed and chopped
1 Ib. flank steak
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
2 avocados, sliced
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
3 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips

Dressing:
2/3 c. chopped cilantro
1/4 c. fat free plain yogurt
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 anchovy fillets
2 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 T. lemon juice
about 1/2 c. olive oil

Preheat broiler or grill. If using the broiler method, place the flank steak in a large baking dish and cook for about 15-18 minutes, turning once. Remove the meat and let it sit on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing thinly. If using a grill, cook the meat for 5 minutes on each side and then let rest before slicing.

Meanwhile, place all of the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor and puree until smooth. Continue to process and slowly add the olive oil until the mixture is well blended. Cover the dressing and refrigerate until ready for use.

Roast the corn in the oven for 5-10 minutes. If using the broiler method just add the corn during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Set aside. While the corn is roasting, in a small skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil. Add the tortilla strips to the oil and saute them until crisp.

To serve the salad, combine lettuce, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and tortilla strips in a large bowl. Top with sliced flank steak and drizzle with cilantro dressing.

Asian Chicken Salad

I love Corner Bakery's Asian Wanton Salad. I have been wanting to recreate it for a while now but just haven't gotten around to it. Now that I am done with student teaching and have a little more time on my hands I decided it would be a good week to make my own version of the salad. I didn't have a recipe, I just went off the ingredients listed on Corner Bakery's website and tweaked it to suit my taste.  Normally I would make my own dressing but I found a light dressing on sale that sounded good and went with that for convenience sake. I thought the salad turned out great plus it was incredibly easy to throw together and made a ton so I will be able to eat it for lunch all week.

Asian Chicken Salad
print recipe

Serves 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes

rotisserie chicken, meat removed from the bone and cut into strips
8 oz. mixed greens
1 head of napa cabbage, chopped
1 red pepper, cut into small strips
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup shelled edamame
1 cup cherry tomatoes (I omitted this)
1 cup chopped cucumber (I omitted this)
Kens Light Asian Sesame with Ginger and Soy dressing
crispy rice noodles for garnish

In a large bowl combine chicken through cucumber. Drizzle with Kens Light salad dressing and toss to combine. Garnish with crispy rice noodles.

Healthy Caesar Salad with Spicy Croutons

To go along with our restaurant style Valentine's Day dinner I found a healthy Caesar salad recipe on Cooking Light.com. I liked that this recipe called for minimal ingredients, most of which I already had at home and the dressing didn't use raw egg like many Caesar recipes. I thought this salad would be great as an easy main dish with some grilled chicken, plus there is only 137 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.  You can't say that about any Caesar salad you would order from a restaurant!

Healthy Caesar Salad with Spicy Croutons
** adapted from Cooking Light
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Serves 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes

1 garlic clove, halved
1/2 c. nonfat mayonnaise
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp anchovy paste
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 tsp Tony's Creole Seasoning
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups (3/4 inch) sourdough bread crumbs
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Process garlic in a food processor until minced. Add mayo and the next 5 ingredients (mayo through pepper); process until well-blended. Cover and chill till salad is ready.

Combine oil, Creole seasoning, and minced garlic in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds. Add bread crumbs; toss gently to coat. Spread bread crumbs in a single layer on a baking sheet; bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Place lettuce in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese, and top with croutons.

Salmon Nicoise Salad

I knew my blogging would be less frequent with the start of student teaching but I didn't think it would get this bad. I have had recipes that I have planned to make the past few weeks and it just hasn't happened, sorry!  The good news is that while my time in the kitchen (and at the gym) may be lacking right now, my first four weeks of student teaching have gone really well! I survived a field trip to the Planetarium with 30 kids, started teaching all of the subjects full time, and picked up some great stories (and germs). 

While most of my meals have consisted of whatever I could throw together in 10 minutes or less, I did manage to make a good dinner on Sunday evening. After eating too much junk food during the Bears game on Sunday I was craving a big healthy salad. Recently I had a Salmon Nicoise Salad at Nordstrom's Cafe and decided to try and recreate it. It ended up turning out great. The salad was easy to prepare, filling and nutritious with the omega rich salmon.

Salmon Nicoise Salad
** dressing adapted from a Weight Watchers Cookbook
print recipe

Serves 1 but you could easily double
Prep/Cook Time: 20 minutes

For Salad:
1 (6 oz) salmon fillet
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
2 T. pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/8 pound green beans, trimmed (about a handful)
1 large egg
1 small red potato, quartered

For Dressing:
** I made extra so I would have dressing for salads throughout the week
2 T. dijion mustard
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. honey
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. While oven is preheating, place potato and whole unbroken egg in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove eggs and run under cold water; set aside. Cook potato 5 more minutes and then add green beans. Simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove potato and beans and run under cold water; drain. Peel eggs, and slice into wedges; set aside.

Coat a small baking pan with PAM. Season salmon with salt and pepper and cook for 12-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

Combine mustard, vinegar, honey, oil and a dash of salt and pepper in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

Combine spinach, olives, and onion in a large bowl; add vinaigrette, potato, and beans, and toss to combine. Arrange salad on plate and top with baked salmon and eggs.

The Best Greek Salad

The picture below may not look like much but this turned out to be a really great Greek salad.  I am a huge fan of Greek salads, primarily because they involve olives.  Brady found the recipe on The Curvy Carrot and knew that it would be a salad I'd like.  He was right on, it was delicious.  The recipe makes a huge salad, at least 4 servings, so if you serve as a side salad you will most likely have some leftovers (which Brady said were great the next day). I think another serving option would be to grill some chicken skewers and serve on top- super easy main dish!

** If you go to the website you'll see a much better picture, The Curvy Carrot makes it look much more appetizing.

The Best Greek Salad
**adapted from The Curvy Carrot
print recipe

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes

1 cucumber, diced
1 pint small tomatoes,quartered
3 T. olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley
1 romaine heart, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, about 3 cups
1 cup feta, crumbled
ground black pepper

Combine romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas, olives, onion and parsley in a large bowl.  In small bowl combine olive oil, red wine vinegar and minced garlic. Spoon dressing over the salad mixture and toss. Sprinkle salad with crumbled feta and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Tonight I made a great side dish with my new favorite grain quinoa.  This is an incredibly easy dish to toss together on a week night and it's healthy and flavorful too.  I served mine with a southwest tilapia fillet from Costco (wish I could say that I had something to do with how great the fish tasted, but I can't take the credit, it was all Costco!) 

Southwest Quinoa Salad
** adapted from Fresh Clean Start
(printable recipe)

Serves 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Southwest Quinoa Salad

1 cup cooked quinoa (or brown rice)
1 cup or so chickpeas (any bean will do)
1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen or canned)
1 avocado, diced
1 roma tomato, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
small handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1-2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cumin, chile powder, paprika (optional)

Prepare quinoa according to directions.  Meanwhile prepare all other ingredients.  Once quinoa is finished cooking, toss everything together and serve. 

** I refrigerated mine for about 30 minutes and served it as a cold salad.

Salmon Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

This past weekend Brady and I went to Seattle with friends.  We had an awesome time; we spent two days in Seattle and then two days out at the Gorge Amphitheater to see Dave Matthews Band.  While on vacation I had some great food, the highlight being an amazing dinner at Tilth (Top Chef Masters contestant Maria Hines' restaurant).  I also had way too much junk: pizza, an Egg McMuffin, fried cheese curds (they were worth it!), beer, and more beer while camping out at the Gorge.  Needless to say when I hit the grocery store this evening I went with a light dinner in mind.  I found a recipe for a cilantro lime vinaigrette and then just threw together the rest of this tasty and healthy salad.

Salmon Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
  ** vinaigrette recipe from Cooking Light

Serves 2
Prep time 12 minutes

For the Salad
2 (6 oz) salmon fillets
mixed greens or spinach- about 2 to 3 cups per person
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 T. diced cilantro
dash of salt
dash of pepper
dash of cumin
dash of cayenne pepper (optional depending on how spicy you want the salmon)

For the Vinaigrette
1/8 c. lime juice
1 T. sugar
2 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. olive oil
1 T. cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Heat grill or stove top grill pan.  Sprinkle salmon fillets with salt, pepper and cumin (or optional cayenne pepper).  Spray grill with nonstick cooking spray.  Grill salmon, about 5-6 minutes on each side.  While salmon is grilling, slice red onions, cilantro, and avocado.  Arrange lettuce on plates, top with red onion, avocado and chopped cilantro.  Prepare vinaigrette by whisking all ingredients listed above. Top salad mixture with piece of grilled salmon and then drizzle with cilantro lime vinaigrette.