Lemon Oil Burrata Salad- with asparagus, purple cauliflower, carrots, sourdough English muffin croutons, watercress, fire roasted Poblano chili
Serves 2 refreshing summer salads
I've always loved cheese, but never liked softer cheeses like ricotta, burrata and never could get past the smell of Limburger cheese! I recently learned that the reason it has a strong smell, is because of the bacterium Brevibacterium linens, the same one found on human skin that is partially responsible for body order, particularly foot odor! Yet, there's an actual sweetness to the cheese. I've yet to taste it as the smell is so gnarly! But burrata and whole milk sheep's ricotta have become some of my favorites to eat with salads. When it's hot out, this is super satisfying and boasts 5 grams of protein and 70 calories per 8 oz. ball of which 63 of those calories comes mostly from the fat. Visit Eataly and do yourself a favor and buy it fresh as they make it right in front of you!
Ingredients-
2 (8oz.) balls fresh burrata
2 Tbsp lemon olive oil
8 fat organic asparagus, roasted, steamed or boiled
1 small head organic purple cauliflower, (you can yellow or white, but purple is so pretty), blanched
1 large carrot, peeled, sliced ¼ inch thick and blanched
1 avocado, sliced thinly
5 basil leaves, chopped
1 sourdough English muffin, cut in cubes
4 Tbsp sunflower oil, or other high-heat oil
1 Poblano chili, roasted over the fire, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
4 slices each yellow and red heirloom tomato, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp chopped red onion
1 box watercress
2 juicy lemons, cut in half
2 tablespoons basil oil, you can find online
Pink salt and black pepper to taste
Directions-
Boil your cauliflower, carrots and fat asparagus together in boiling, salted water for 1 ½-2 minutes. If your asparagus in considerably thinner, add that at the last 30 seconds of boiling. If you steam, steam until just cooked and if roasted, cook them at 375 degrees drizzled with olive oil, pink salt and pepper for 15 minutes, adding thinner asparagus at the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain and set aside while you prepare the rest.
On an open flame, blacken the skin of the Poblano chili and rinse under cold water. Open the chili and pull the top of, then run water inside the chili removing the seeds. Cut into small cubes and set aside. Slice your tomatoes and place 4 slices on 2 large plates using 2 of each color alternating them. Ad a small handful of watercress, placing it next to the tomatoes. Slice the avocado in thin slices, placing ½ the avocado on the other side of the tomatoes.
Pop your burrata’s open and spread the creamy cheese like in my photo with a spoon on both plates. Drizzle with lemon oil and sprinkle pink salt and black pepper on top to your taste. Top with ½ the chilis and arrange the purple cauliflower, carrots and asparagus how you like, or copy my design.
Make the croutons. In a pan, heat the 4-tablespoons sunflower oil on medium to high heat and add the croutons. Toss regularly so not to burn them. Cook until lightly crunchy and sprinkle with pink salt. Place as many croutons as you like on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle with basil oil and the juice of one lemon on each salad and top with pinches of pink salad and pepper. Eat!