Publix's Watermelon Feta Salad

The other night, my friend Susan had us over for dinner.  One of the dishes she served was this wonderful watermelon salad.  I had seen several recipes for this recently, but wasn't sure if I was buying the whole idea of watermelon being a key part of a salad - I'm always a little wary of mixing sweet and savory items.  I was really impressed with this salad, though.  Susan told me the recipe was from Publix, so today I looked it up and made it myself.  It's so great and refreshing.  I'm sure I'll be eating it more throughout the summer!

Watermelon Feta Salad
Ingredients 4 oz feta cheese
2 lb watermelon slices (or quarters)
8 oz grape tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups arugula greens (about 5 oz)
1 cup sliced red onions

Prep
Cut feta and watermelon into small bite-size pieces.
Cut tomatoes in half.

Steps
Whisk oil, vinegar, and salt to blend; set aside. Place arugula, onions, and tomatoes in salad bowl.
Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Add cheese and melon; serve.

CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 270kcal; FAT 17g; CHOL 25mg; SODIUM 470mg; CARB 26g; FIBER 3g; PROTEIN 7g; VIT A 50%; VIT C 60%; CALC 25%; IRON 8%

Spring Frittata

This is a recipe published by a wonderful restaurant in Birmingham, Trattoria Centrale, as a suggested item for Easter Brunch. We made it last weekend when we had friends over after church. We liked it so much that we made it again tonight! If you tried Katie's frittata that I posted a few weeks ago, you should definitely give this one a try. I was a little intimidated by it at first, but it was actually really easy to make. We served it with steak and a spinich salad, so there would have definitely been enough for six people. But if you cut down the ingredients some, it would be a perfect dish for one or two people. The cheese and tarragon give it a really deep flavor.

SPRING FRITTATA
(Makes 4 servings)
Ingredients:
7 whole farm eggs
2-1/2 ounces heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, if desired
1/2 bunch standard asparagus
1 cup cremini mushrooms, quartered (we used baby bellas)
1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese

Directions:
Turn oven on, set to 350 degrees.

Combine together eggs, cream and chopped tarragon. Season with salt and pepper. (Tip: Taste raw egg mixture to ensure proper seasoning of the baked omelet. You cannot add salt after the frittata is cooked.) (Anna's Tip: You probably will not need salt if you use pecorino cheese - it's very salty.)

Chop the lower third of each asparagus stalk off, and discard. Cut the remaining asparagus into ½-inch pieces.

Heat a pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon canola oil (or use butter), then add asparagus and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for three to four minutes until asparagus have softened slightly.

Remove the pan from the heat, then add egg mixture. Add grated cheese, then gently stir the egg, cheese, mushroom and asparagus mixture until all ingredients are distributed well.
Place entire pan in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the eggs do not jiggle in the center of the pan. When cooked through, remove pan from oven, and let cool five minutes. With a rubber spatula, gently remove the frittata from the pan.

Cut into four wedges, and serve with grits and fresh fruit, if desired