Melissa Etheridge Salad (Avocado, Warmed Feta & Baby Greens Salad) + A Baby!

by on 9:10 am in Chicks Dig It, Food, Soups and Salads, Vegetarian

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I prepped this post a couple of weeks ago, because I knew I’d be busy with a new addition to the family.

This gal!

This is our first darling baby, Eloise. She arrived in our lives on December 30 at 7:56 a.m., weighing in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 19 1/4 inches. We think she is a slice of absolute perfection.

And she’s keeping us on our toes as we learn the ins and outs of this crazy world of caring for a newborn. We are so in love!

There’s really no way I can think of to smoothly segue from baby to salad, so I guess we can just move on. Salad!

I first learned about this salad years ago, when I read a magazine article about Melissa Etheridge and her brave battle with breast cancer. In the article, she talked about how she was embracing a healthier way of eating, and she shared a salad recipe with warm goat cheese, toasty bread crumbs, avocado and a simple dressing of fresh lemon juice and olive oil.

At least, that’s how I remember it.

I’ve been making the salad – or a bastardized version of it – ever since. It’s morphed into something of my own – I use feta, mixed baby greens, fresh lemon juice and whatever olive oil I have on hand. It always turns out absolutely, positively delicious. Creamy avocado, zingy lemon juice, salty warmed feta … yum. It might be very different from the original version at this point, but I will forever think of it as Melissa Etheridge Salad. I hope she doesn’t mind.

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Melissa Etheridge Salad (Avocado, Warmed Feta & Baby Greens Salad)

Yield: One large salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. feta cheese (about the size of a stack of cards)
  • 1/2 cup stale crusty bread, broken/torn into crumbs
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 3 – 4 cups mixed greens (I like the baby greens with herbs, like what you find at Trader Joe’s)
  • 1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about one half a large lemon)
  • 1 medium avocado, sliced
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh-ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  1. In a shallow oven-proof dish, add the feta. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top, then drizzle one tablespoon of the olive oil on top. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.
  2. Bake the feta for about 10 minutes, or until the bread is lightly toasted.
  3. Pile the mixed greens onto a dinner plate
  4. Lay the avocado slices on top.
  5. Squeeze the lemon juice on top of the avocados.
  6. Top with the feta and bread crumbs. If any olive oil remains in the baking dish, drizzle that on as well.
  7. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil onto the salad.
  8. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and a turn or two of fresh ground pepper.
  9. Enjoy!


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8 Responses to “Melissa Etheridge Salad (Avocado, Warmed Feta & Baby Greens Salad) + A Baby!”

  1. emvandee January 9, 2012 at 9:42 am #

    Oh! The salad looks delicious, but the baby! She is beautiful! And her name! Lovely name. So many congratulations. I feel all warm and fuzzy for you.

    [Reply]

  2. Jennifer Jo January 9, 2012 at 9:42 am #

    Congratulations!!! I love baby talk—don’t hesitate to share!

    (Also, the salad looks fabulous.)

    [Reply]

    Reply from Kare:
    January 13th, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    Thanks, Jennifer Jo! I’m sure there will be lots and lots of baby talk. Not sure I’ll be able to help myself. ;)

    [Reply]

  3. Erin @ Texanerin Baking January 9, 2012 at 10:11 am #

    The salad looks interesting but I just had to say that your baby is adorable. And I’m one of those people that thinks newborn babies are terribly ugly. I can’t believe she’s only 10 days old! She looks way cuter than any other 10 day old. Ever. Congratulations. :)

    [Reply]

    Reply from Kare:
    January 13th, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    Thanks, Erin! I think so too, but I’m a little biased. ;)

    [Reply]

  4. Pam @ Sticks Forks Fingers January 9, 2012 at 10:44 am #

    I clicked in to see why you named your salad after Melissa (love her!) and see there’s tremendous cause for celebration. Congratulations on this beautiful little darling.

    My children (3) are all adults now, and I fondly recall the days and years that lay ahead of you. My very best to you.

    [Reply]

    Reply from Kare:
    January 13th, 2012 at 1:03 pm

    Thanks, Pam. I will remember your comment when I am “in the weeds!”

    [Reply]

  5. sinclairika February 2, 2012 at 6:08 pm #

    I remember when you made the feta part of this for me at your cottage in Edmonds. Yum! Now I have a whole salad to try!

    [Reply]

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