A salad that saved my day

I couldn't think of a better title for this post.
Yesterday was one of those days when I just felt in one of those moods when everything seems wrong and annoying, and yet, for no particular reason.
It was a perfectly normal day: took the dog for a walk, took the kids to the nearby park and let them play for an hour and half, got back home and made some lunch for them. Maybe that was the problem. LUNCH. For weeks now, every time I ask them what they want for lunch, the answer is the same: White pasta. Translation: Pennette ai 4 formaggi (4 cheese pennette). I've said "Basta White Pasta" so many times that I got tired of hearing myself repeat it on and on. If I serve them anything else, they refuse to eat.
As long as they eat... but that means I need to prepare something different for myself. And cooking for one is not really my passion.
So, yesterday, after the kids were fed, I was a bit tired, not in the mood for anything in particular.
A peep in the fridge... started taking things out and laying them on the kitchen table... brainstorming... it was getting late... let's try a salad...
That's how this salad was born. The only thing I looked up was the yogurt dressing. It was so thick, but tasty enough to put me back in good mood, especially after the kids were off to have their nap.
The quantity of ingredients is entirely up to you, depends on how many people you'll be feeding. I was alone...

FRESH AND GRILLED VEGETABLES SALAD

More or less, the same quantity of the following ingredients:

Zucchini
Fennel
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Feta cheese
Olives
Bread

Yogurt dressing:
A handful of hazelnuts
4 tablespoons EVOO
1/2 lemon
150 g low fat Greek yogurt

Cut zucchini, fennel and bread into thin slices and brush them with little oil.
Chop or dice all other ingredients.

Heat your grilling pan and grill zucchini, fennel and bread shortly, just until grilling marks appear. Let them cool.

Rub the bread with a halved garlic clove and dice it. Put half of the bread crostini into a salad bowl. Mix all the other ingredients, place them over the crostini and top with the rest of crostini.

For the dressing, blend together a handful of peeled hazelnuts, 3-4 tablespoons of EVOO, fresh juice from half a lemon, and the Greek yogurt. Pour over the salad and enjoy.
It might save your day, too.



(Ita)
INSALATA COTTA E CRUDA

Ho usato piu o meno la stessa quantità di seguenti ingredienti:

Zucchine
Finocchio
Pomodorini Piccadily
Cetriolo
Formaggio Feta
Olive nere denocciolate
Pane (baguette)

Per la salsa di yogurt:
Una manciata di nocciole spellate
4 cucchiai di olio EVO
Succo di mezzo limone
150 g di yogurt Greco magro

Tagliate le zucchine, finocchio e pane a fettine sottili. Spennellate con un po' di olio e cuocete nella bistecchiera ben calda.
Lasciate raffreddare.
Tagliate a metà uno spicchio d'aglio a strofinate le fettine di pane. Tagliate poi il pane a dadini.
Tagliate i pomodori, i cetrioli, la feta e le olive a dadini e unite alle zucchine e finocchio.
In un'insalatiera mettete metà dei crostini di pane, le verdure, e poi il resto dei crostini.
Preparate la salsa: Frullate insieme le nocciole, l'olio, succo di limone e lo yogurt. Versatela sopra l'insalata, aggiungete un sorriso e godetevi il resto della giornata.



(Cro)
MIJEŠANA SALATA S UMAKOM OD JOGURTA

Pripremite manje više istu količinu sljedećih sastojaka:

Tikvice
Komorač
Rajčice
Krastavci
Crne masline
Sir feta
Kruh (najbolje francuz)

Za umak od jogurta:

Šaku lješnjaka
4 žlice maslinovog ulja
Sok pola limuna
150 g grčkog jogurta

Narežite tikvice, komorač i kruh na ploškice. Nauljite s obje strane. Pecite u dobro zagrijanoj tavi nekoliko minuta. Ostavite da se ohlade. Prerežite napola jedan češanj češnjaka i natrljajte njime kriške kruha, pa ih narežite na kockice.
Narežite rajčice, krastavce, sir i masline na kockice.
U zdjelu za salatu stavite polovicu kockica kruha, povrće i ostatak kruha.
Za umak, izmiksajte oguljene lješnjake, ulje, limunov sok i jogurt. Prelijte salatu i poslužite.