It’s too hot to turn the stove or oven on. Our temperature reached 38˚C or 100.4˚F today, that is really hot for Prague. Many people in Europe do not have air conditioners in their homes, in fact I don’t know anyone that does. Thankfully many of the old European stone and brick building stay cooler than the wood frame houses in the states. If you are lucky enough to live on a lower floor of an apartment building, then you really don’t have much to worry about when heat waves strike. But if you live in the higher or the top floors, then you’re in for a bit of hell-literally.
I remember a few summers in both our Parisian and Prague flats, where we lived on the top floors of 5 story buildings, those summers were almost unbearable. The tin rooftops of Parisian buildings appear to generate more heat and to also prevent it from escaping. That may or may not be technically correct but it sure felt like it to me. One summer, a few years back, while living in Paris we were hit by a massive heat wave. Our flat being the top floor of course was where all the heat, from the four floors below, rose to. The only way we could keep from passing out from the heat was by jumping in the shower to cool off repeatedly throughout the days, and in between sips of ice cold water.
In Prague we used to escape the heat by finding refuge in a shopping mall. We would come up with all sorts of excuses just to walk down to the mall. Though I do think some of the merchants and cafe/restaurant owners might have caught on to what we were doing. But I’m sure they didn’t mind it because we became very good customers. When we moved to our current flat we made it a priority not to relive hot sweaty summers on a top floor. Our flat is nice and cool during the hot summer months. As long as I don’t turn the oven on, or the stove for too long then it stays pretty cool in my house. So we no longer have to escape to a shopping mall just for the air conditioner.
Since there was no way I was going to risk raising the temperature in our flat, for dinner I made salad. This salad was inspired by my good friend Patty of Patty’s Food. Last September Patty shared a salad recipe that I knew I would love. Her recipe was titled “Smoked Trout Salad with Key Lime Mustard Dressing” The next day I gathered as much of the ingredients on her recipe as I could, mixed in with what I had in my refrigerator, and tried to recreate Patty’s salad. My husband and I both really loved it. We had never eaten smoked fish in a salad, usually we eat it on crackers, but both really loved the combination. Over the year that has passed since Patty shared her recipe I have made the salad several times. Each time it takes on a slightly different look depending on what is in season. Today I want to share the latest version of Patty’s salad.
(If you would like to publish my recipe on your website please quote Spicie Foodie as the recipe creator, and place a link back to the recipe. Please do not copy and paste recipe on Pinterest, Google+, or Facebook. Thank you!)
- 1 large smoked Mackerel
- roasted cherry tomatoes*
- dried Goji berries
- finely chopped chives
- black sesame seeds
- 1 large bag of your favorite salad greens mix
- 1 heaping tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- pinch granulated garlic
- ¼-1/2 tsp sugar, to taste
- Place all ingredients in a jar or sealable container. Shake vigorously until oil starts incorporating with other ingredients. Set aside. You may need to give it a shake again right before serving.
- Skin and de-bone the Mackerel, cut into even sized pieces. Place salad greens in serving bowls/plates, arrange some roasted cherry tomatoes and Mackerel pieces over the greens. Sprinkle some dried Goji berries, sesame seeds and chives over the salad.
- Serve with Mustard Turmeric Vinaigrette.
As you can see the recipe is quite simple. Feel free to adjust, add or remove any ingredients you like. But before you do so make sure to also read Patty’s recipe which inspired this one, http://pattysfood.com/salad/smoked-trout-salad-with-key-lime-mustard-dressing-and-a-cookbook-giveaway/ . Thanks Patty!
***Submissions for August’s YBR roundup are now open. Please stop by and add Your Best Recipe of August 2012 here: http://www.spiciefoodie.com/ybr/ybr-signup-temporary-page/ ***
I live in a very hot area (plateau) and my apartment is situated under the roof…
That salad looks so refreshing and delicious. I LOVE smoked mackerel!!!
Cheers,
Rosa
Oh no, you feel the heat all summer long.
Thanks Rosa!
A new one for me never had that smoked fish bet it awesome. Have had it fried and was very oily, so smoked must be the way to go… nice photo as usual :)
Thanks Claudia!
I too love salads when it’s unbearably hot – beautiful photos, as always!
They just go so well in hot weather for some reason. Thanks Laura:)
How fun to see how this smoked trout salad has evolved! Thanks for mentioning my blog and sharing my photo Nancy- I’m looking forward to the day when we share a meal ;-)
My friends with the Key lime tree are sending me another box of the limes- have to think about what to make??? Next time I make the salad dressing I’ll incorporate some of your ingredients- your dressing sounds wonderful with the smoked mackerel;-) Have a great week!
Hi Patty,
Thanks to you for sharing and getting the evolution going:) I can’t wait to see what you do with the limes. Thanks and you too have a great week.
Is it humid too? Wow 38C is hot. Tokyo can reach to 38C sometimes in summer and it’s unbearable. We have AC at home but electricity is pretty expensive that we only turns on when we really need to. Now in SF, it’s pretty cool most of the summer. In fact, heater turns on in the early morning even in August. Crazy, right? Well, you’re always welcome to your summer home here. ;-) I love mackerel and what a great idea to eat with salad (never done it before). My fish loving family will enjoy this!
Hi Nami,
No fortunately it hasn’t been too humid. That would be really horrible to handle the heat and humidity. Our house is the same, the heat turns on sometimes during the summer because it is too cold inside. Thanks, I’d love to come visit you in nice and cool SF:)
Nice salad. One doesn’t see smoked mackerel that much in the US – at least I don’t (the trout is quite common). But I love this – mackerel has such great flavor. Great recipe for when it’s too hot to cook.
Really? I’ve only seen smoked trout a few times here. Patty’s original recipe calls for smoked trout, so you could easily replicate it. Thanks!
OMG!!! our images are just amazing!! So beautiful xx
Of course the dish looks delicious too… I really must visit more often :)
Thanks Julie!
Really delicious recipe, I don’t like fresh tomatoes but roasted or sundried totally appeal to me :D
Thanks Bee!
This salad is a perfect way to cool off. I hear you on the hot, it’s been 100 around here too and we have air, but it was broken for a week and I think I sweated off a few pounds. I think we are too spoiled here, we think we would die without it, lol. We have a month or more though of those scorching temps. I’d hang out at the mall too. I haven’t felt like turning my oven on either, I need to make a yummy salad this week. Stay cool my friend.
-Gina-
Thanks Gina! I think it’s funny how spoiled we can get with certain commodities.
Beautiful and healthy salad Nancy…I like the smoked mackerels on top of the greens…and your dressing sounds really tasty.
Beautiful pictures as always…hope you are having a great week :)
Thank you Juliana, and you too:)
What a terrific salad. I love the addition of turmeric to the dressing. Would be wonderful with the smoked fish.
Thanks Victoria:)
I also remember Patty’s salad, they are both wonderful! I do smoked fish tacos sometimes and they are always well received, more versatile that many suspect I guess :)
Hope you are doing well my friend, hugs!
Smoked fish tacos are something I have to try, thanks for the tip:)
I have only had canned mackerel… never smoked. I bet it tastes wonderful. Gorgeous salad. Hope you get some cooler weather soon. I’m so happy to be back in the 80’s after almost 2 months of 90+ degree weather.
I haven’t tried canned mackerel yet, but I’m sure I’d love it. Thanks Ramona:)
Am smiling at how sophisticated our salads have become! Beautiful!! Have eaten smoked mackerel salads for a long time [every supermarket in Oz would stock it] but goji berries and black sesame seeds were surely unknown until recently except by a few, and one did not know turmeric to put in a salad dressing :) ! Shall try this variation soonest and the photo looks so inviting. BUT, I would hardly call 38 degrees hot [ :D !] [soft laughter in the room!] – you people would have a few probs Down Under. And, no, I do not like air-con: just remove most clothes, sleep nude [what bliss!] and open doors to both sides of the house and drink plenty of water and enjoy!!!
The credit goes to Patty, but thank you Eha:) The turmeric addition was a result of experimentation and it works quite well. I have grown accustomed to living without air conditioner and now don’t like it. In fact I don’t even like the fan blowing on me, only the soft natural breeze:)
I am so into these healthy salads at the moment as I try to lose weight for our trip back to Italy in a month. It’s hard work because Adriano needs so many calories just to survive with his competitive mountain biking.
I know what you mean Suzanne, it’s hard dieting when your partner isn’t. Dinners can be a challenge. Good luck:)
Nancy this looks great. People dont use makerel enough. The dried tomatoes and tummeric are great combos. looking forward to August YBR
Thank you Tania:)
In Italy, too, air conditioners were a rarity. We lived in a house on a hill and if you opened the windows the cross-draft was wonderful, made AC seems superfluous. That is, until an awful summer (in 2003, I think) when, like this year, it was unremittingly hot from April until October. The breeze didn’t help because it, too, was hot. That’s when there was a sudden run on AC units. Many people changed their minds about AC!
But even here in the States, I like to avoid too much cooking when it’s hot outside. Might be psychological, but I just don’t feel much like elaborate cooking (or eating) when the thermometer is up there in the triple digits…
Your house in Italy sounds wonderful. Yes, it’s funny how people don’t care for AC most of the time, that is until a bad heat wave hits.
I’m the same way Frank, I also tend to crave only light meals too. I can’t stand the heaviness of a hearty meal.
Believe it or not, that mustard turmeric vinaigrette had me salivating :D
Hehe, it’s really good;)
sounds elegant and delicious
Thanks Amelia!