Spring salad!

NOTE: I have added some basic indications in italian for italian readers and for people who are interested in learning some italian cooking words!

Hey HI!

I have to begin my post confessing you that I thought about this recipe yesterday, when the weather was warmer than today. As a matter of fact this is a salad that I used to cook with my mother to welcoming the spring on the Easter Day. Anyway, I ate it today for lunch and I can assure you that even with a lower temperature it works so well!

The main ingredients are asparagus and salmon, if you wish you can also add quail eggs ...

You can cook the salad as an entrée or, as I did today, as a main and complete dish, depending on the occasion. It's light and healthy.

Asparagus is a seasonal vegetable. It contains vitamins A, B, C, folic acid (very important for pregnant women) and it is diuretic (oh-oh!). Salmon is a fish rich of omega3 fatty-acids. So this recipe is very good both for your taste and for your body.

Before starting another little info: I have tried the DE CECCO pasta bought here in Manhattan, and I think it's ok. I mean, I was afraid for the quality because often Italian brands use different standards for the production of ingredients for the foreign market, but I have to admit that this one isn't bad at all! In the next weeks I'm going to try other brands.

And now let's start!

INSALATA PRIMAVERILE DI ASPARAGI E SALMONE (spring salad with asparagus and salmon)

TOOLS:

• 1 frying pan (padella)
• 1 pot (pentola)

TIMING:

• 1 night for the marinade (1 notte per la marinatura)
• 30 minutes for the recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• a little head of lettuce (una piccola testa di lattuga)
• a bunch of asparagus
• 7oz of salmon fillet (200gr)
• 1/2 avocado
• white wine (Chardonnay)
• fennel seeds (semi di finocchio)
• lemon
• oil
• salt

FIRST STEP:

• cut salmon into little cube

tagliare il salmone a cubetti

• marinade it with the wine and some fennel seeds for a night (also a little more it's ok!), keeping in the fridge

marinare con vino e semi di finocchio per una notte in frigo

SECOND STEP:

• after having washed the asparagus, boil them in boiling and salted water for not more than 10 minutes (depending on the size), being sure that the edges are over the water, although they will cook to much.

cuocere gli asparagi in acqua bollente e salata per non più di 10 minuti

...in the meanwhile...

THIRD STEP:

• warm up a frying pan and, when it's warm, add the salmon drain from the wine. Let it cook for 10 minutes without seasoning (so that the salmon will lose its fat: oh yeah it's ok also for your figure!!!)
• when cooked let it colder in a plat

scaldare la pentola e quindi aggiungere il salmone scolato dalla marinatura. far cuocere circa 10 minuti

FORTH STEP:

• prepare a citronette: 5 spoons of oil, 2 spoons of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Beat it!

preparare la citronette con 5 chucchiai d'olio, 2 di succo di limone e sale sbattuti

FIFTH STEP:

• put together salad, asparagus, salmon and avocado and dress with citronette!

unire gli ingredienti e condire con la citronette

Buon appetito!