You know that Honey, Lime and Garlic Vinaigrette recipe I shared with you all yesterday? Well this is the salad that I’ve been enjoying it on all week. This Spinach and Arugula Citrus Salad came together literally as a mish-mosh of two salad combinations I have been craving – actually three – spinach and orange, fennel and orange, and fennel and arugula. Since I am totally indecisive and have major ADD these days I ended up throwing it all together to use up my ingredients before they withered away. Avocado was invited to the party at the last minute and boy am I glad.

I have been in a major salad (food/cooking/eating?) rut lately. I can’t blame it on the weather (Florida + Winter = a little bit awesome, but don’t worry paybacks are in fall!), but I can blame it on laziness and feeling a little uninspired from food/cooking/eating in general. I am making a huge effort to get out of this rut because honestly, I’m just plain sick of it. I miss cooking, feeling excited about cooking and eating a variety of foods (no offense to crock pot chicken and Greek salad but I am so over you).

I want to eat exciting food!

(after I took this pic I decided that this salad needed avocado…yes, it totally did)

This Spinach and Arugula Citrus Salad got me a little bit excited. I hope it does the same for you.

Have a great weekend!

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The post Spinach and Arugula Citrus Salad with Fennel and Avocado appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Nothing makes me happier than a well made salad. If you’ve been reading this blog for some time, then you probably already know this. Fresh greens paired up with some extras and drizzled in a little dressing, well, it doesn’t take all that much to make me excited about eating salad. Call me weird, I know.

On our little staycation last week we ate out one night at a pizza place and of course started the meal with one of their salads on the menu. I chose the house salad which included shaved fennel, arugula, radicchio, Parmesan and lemon. Wowzers, this salad nailed it for me. It was SO fresh and flavorful, yet so simple. I think it was a little too lemony for my husband and daughter (my son doesn’t partake in salad eating just yet), but I was happy to finish what they didn’t want to eat.

Arugula salads have always been one of my favorites. I adore the light peppery bite from such a delicate green. With the addition of thinly sliced fennel, radicchio and good Parmesan cheese, this salad recipe was about to become one of my go to recipes this summer, I just know it.

I knew when I got home I was going to have to recreate this simple little plate of greens for myself.

So I did.

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The post Shaved Fennel and Arugula Salad + OXO Salad Tool Kit Giveaway appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Gratins are delicious and such a great addition to any holiday meal. This Cauliflower Gratin caught my eye as well as did this Asparagus Gratin.

Potato-Fennel Gratin

Ingredients:

• 2 small fennel bulbs
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (1/2 pound)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish.
3. Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender.
4. Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyère, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed fennel and onion and mix well.
5. Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

Recipe from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

My family loves potato side dishes and I make potatoes for them pretty often. This Potato-Fennel Gratin is definitely for indulging, but here are a few lighter potato side dishes for you to try out for your everyday meals:

Roasted Red Potatoes with Dill and Cheddar

Roasted Red Potatoes with Smoked Paprika

Roasted Dill Potato Wedges

The post Barefoot Contessa’s Potato-Fennel Gratin appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.