mandarin pasta spinach salad w/ teriyaki dressing

crowd-pleaser!  from diamondnuts.com.

ingredients

• 8 ounces bowtie pasta
• 4 cups spinach leaves
• ½ cup craisins--i like dried cherries better!
• ⅓ cup cashews or pine nuts or almonds
• 1 4-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• dressing
• ⅓ cup teriyaki sauce (the thicker, the better!)
• ⅓ cup rice wine vinegar (may sub apple cider vinegar)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder (if you have it)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ cup oil (such as vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil)

simple salad w/ roasted carrots and pear vinaigrette

i had a salad sort of similar to this in a restaurant a while back and this recipe has come the closest to what i had there.  delicious and easy to make!  the vinaigrette recipe comes from allrecipes.com.

ingredients
your favorite greens
roasted carrots
roasted pepitas
shaved parmesan

for the vinaigrette
1 pear, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 C white wine (or substitute)
1 clove garlic
2 t dijon mustard
1/4 C white balsamic vinegar
1 t black pepper
1/4 t salt
1/2 C olive oil

israeli couscous salad

i've been trying to make my lunches more interesting.  this was a wake-up flavor explosion in my mouth (yes, i really did just say that).  super tasty!  i don't know that you have to use israeli couscous if you don't have it--acini di pepe might work fine, but might have a slightly less full flavor.  around here i was able to find it at central market.

i adapted it from myrecipes.com

ingredients

1 cup uncooked Israeli couscous

3 C chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped capers

1 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil $

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice $

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small chicken breast, diced and sautéed with my favorite grill seasoning (coriander blends nicely with the olives)

 

 

directions

 

pour not quite a tablespoon of olive oil in a pot and heat.  add couscous and brown.  add broth and boil about 8 min.  meanwhile, combine all other ingredients except chicken in a medium-sized bowl.  drain couscous and add to bowl and toss.  toss in chicken.

 

tuna salad

another favorite that has stuck with me since my go at p90x.  mix together and serve over greens.  such a yummy salad!


6 ounces Canned Tuna

3⁄4 ounce Light Mayonnaise  

1⁄2 teaspoon Lemon Zest  

1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice, squeezed  

1 tablespoon Shredded Carrots  

1 tablespoon Celery, chopped  

1 tablespoon Green Onion, chopped  

1 teaspoon Celery Seeds

roasted beets and oranges salad

what a unique blend of delicious flavors!  i don't even think it needs a dressing, but if you want one, i think a balsamic vinaigrette would work nicely.  i served it with some thin-cut pork chops with a little thyme and oregano sprinkled on top at the suggestion of real simple online.

ingredients

1/2 lb beets, peeled and cut into wedges
1 orange, peeled and cut into chunks
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper
arugula

directions

toss the beets with the olive oil and salt and pepper and roast for 13-15 min @ 450.  add oranges and roast 2-3 min more.  add beets and oranges to arugula and enjoy!

island pork tenderloin salad

before i got pregnant i started p90x.  they have some delicious recipes!  this is one of my favorite salads.  (i omit the chile powder, the tabasco sauce and the pepper and it still tastes great!)

pork ingredients

16oz lean pork tenderloin
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t chile powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t cinnamon
2 t olive oil
1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 T garlic, minced
1/2 T tabasco sauce

pork directions

preheat oven to 350.  stir together all ingredients listed before the olive oil and rub onto the pork.  heat oil over med-high and brown pork, about 4 min, turning once.  stir together remaining ingredients and pat onto pork.  bake 20 min.  let cool and slice.

salad

1/2 orange, peeled and cut
1 C fresh spinach
1/2 red pepper, sliced
handful golden raisins
1 C napa cabbage, shredded

 toss together and top with pork.  drizzle with dressing described below.

cumin vinegrette

2 T lime juice
1/2 T orange juice
1/2 T dijon mustard
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 T olive oil

romaine salad with crispy prosciutto

prosciutto is something i see in a lot of recipes and always avoid because it's completely foreign to me.  well, last week i was feeling bold (and rich, apparently--it's super pricey) and finally got myself some prosciutto to try.  i bought a 1/4 of a pound and used it for three different recipes.  they were all delicious.  this and the next two posts are the recipes.  

from everyday food magazine.

• 1 small ciabatta roll, torn into pieces (i used some sourdough french bread)
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 slices prosciutto, broiled til crisp
• 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 romaine heart, chopped
• 1/2 cup canned white beans, rinsed and drained

brush bread with olive oil and broil til crunchy.   toss it all together.  yum, yum and yum!  the vinegar is great, but i also absolutely love cardini's honey mustard.  i will never buy another honey mustard!

eggplant, tomato and fresh mozzarella salad

what a perfect end of summer treat! it's gotta be fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. got it from everyday food magazine. also, the roasted eggplant is delicious on its own--i recently discovered that sea salt is the answer to almost all vegetables. i roasted the whole thing and ate the other half for snack.

ingredients

1/2 medium eggplant, thinly sliced
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes (any variety), sliced
1/4 C loosely packed fresh basil
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

directions

brush a baking sheet with 1 T olive oil and arrange eggplant thereon. using the remaining olive oil on the brush, brush tops of the eggplant. sprinkle with sea salt (or another coarse salt) and pepper. roast @ 400 for 10-20 minutes, depending on how thick you sliced it. allow to cool to room temperature.

on a serving platter arrange the eggplant, mozzarella and tomatoes. top with basil. drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

big steak salad

(excuse the messed up formatting. argh!)

this was the perfect salad to use up the leftover steak. i found it at thepioneerwoman.com. the mix of flavors created by the dressing, bleu cheese and candied pecans is absolutely scrumptious.

the recipe from the site calls for topping the salad with homemade onion crisps. while i like the idea of making onion crisps to go on top, i have a really hard time putting something deep-fried on top of a salad. i may look into buying them next time...although the salad was perfectly delicious without them.

*this recipe reflects the proportions i made that were perfect for the size of my family.

ingredients

.5 lbs steak (flank, sirloin), grilled (medium-rare to medium)**

2 heads romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped

1 C grape tomatoes, halved

3-4 heaping tablespoons bleu cheese, crumbed

3-4 heaping tablespoons candied pecans, chopped***

a couple handfuls of onion crisps, if using

dressing

• 2/3 C canola oil
• 1 1/2 T red wine vinegar
• 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 T worcestershire sauce
• 1 heaping T soy sauce
• 1 T lime juice
• 1 T sugar
• 1/2 garlic clove, minced
  
• 1/2 T minced ginger root
• 1/2 t salt
• lots of freshly ground black pepper

**it can be marinated using the soy-marinated flank steak recipe or by doubling the dressing and using half for the marinade

***chop a handful of pecans and place in a pan over high heat. throw in a tablespoon of brown sugar. stir constantly until sugar crystalizes and adheres to the pecans. remove from the heat and separate with a spoon to let cool.

salade nicoise

as often as i can i attend a cooking club that meets once a month. last month's theme was ethnic foods. a friend brought this delicious french salad. i was in heaven...or at least back in paris! there were several yummy recipes from that night. i always like to try them first to make sure i can replicate them before i post so stay tuned...

vinaigrette ingredients

1/2 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium shallot, minced

1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves

2 Tbsp minced fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

salad ingredients

2 grilled or otherwise cooked tuna steaks* (8 oz each) or 2-3 cans of tuna

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and either halved or quartered

10 small new red potatoes (each about 2 inches in diameter, about 1 1/4 pounds total), each potato scrubbed and quartered

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 medium heads Boston lettuce or butter lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces

3 small ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into eighths

1 small red onion, sliced very thin

8 ounces green beans, stem ends trimmed and each bean halved crosswise

1/4 cup niçoise olives

2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and/or several anchovies (optional)

directions

Marinate tuna steaks in a little olive oil for an hour. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, or place on a hot grill. Cook the steaks 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.

1. Whisk lemon juice, oil, shallot, thyme, basil, oregano, and mustard in medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Bring potatoes and 4 quarts cold water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon (do not discard boiling water). Toss warm potatoes with 1/4 cup vinaigrette; set aside.

3. While potatoes are cooking, toss lettuce with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in large bowl until coated. Arrange bed of lettuce on a serving platter (I used two serving platters, shown in the photos). Cut tuna into 1/2-inch thick slices or drain cans, coat with vinaigrette. Mound tuna in center of lettuce. Toss tomatoes, red onion, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in bowl; arrange tomato-onion mixture on the lettuce bed. Arrange reserved potatoes in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.

4. Return water to boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and green beans. Cook until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain beans, transfer to reserved ice water, and let stand until just cool, about 30 seconds; dry beans well. Toss beans, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste; arrange in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.

5. Arrange hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies (if using) in mounds on the lettuce bed. Drizzle eggs with remaining 2 tablespoons dressing, sprinkle entire salad with capers (if using), and serve immediately.

a red green salad

years ago a friend of mine made this yummy salad for a baby shower. i thought of it the other day when i was asked to bring a salad to a gathering. i was so glad i resurrected it!

i need your help, though. the dressing calls for sugar and after i had whisked it to death, it was still gritty. do you have any tips for me?

salad ingredients

greens (romaine, spinach, green leaf)
green fruits (apples, avocado, pear, kiwi, grapes)
red fruits (strawberries, pomegranate, dried cranberries, apples, grapes, pink grapefruit)
toasted almonds or caramelized pecans
crumbled bacon or shredded parmesan cheese

dressing ingredients

1 C sugar
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp onion juice
3/4 C oil
1 T poppy seeds

The dressing has a trick... as you add the oil you have to whisk the dressing aggressively, until you see the color and texture change. The dressing will turn almost creamy looking and thick - you will not be able to see any oil on top. If you do see oil, keep on whisking.

salad with bleu cheese

my husband and i went to a fabulous restaurant this past weekend and as part of our meal had this salad. i'm pretty sure the restaurant made the bleu cheese, but since i'm not that ambitious, i just grabbed a low-fat option at the store.

ingredients:

2-3 C chopped green leaf or romaine lettuce (or both)
4-5 grape tomatoes sliced in half
5-7 whole roasted hazelnuts
1/4 of a pear, shredded
bleu cheese dressing to taste

directions:

toss the lettuce with the dressing. not over doing it with the dressing is key here, or it will overwhelm all the other flavors. it should be a background taste. sprinkle with the tomatoes and hazelnuts. put the shredded pear all together in a little clump at the top and crack some pepper over it. voila!

asian salad dressing

i wanted to throw an asian salad together today and really liked the dressing i found on allrecipes.com. i mixed it with about a half a head of green cabbage, a fourth a head of red cabbage, a tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds and a couple handfuls of ginger-spiced wonton strips.

i didn't have any almonds, but i would have added toasted almonds if i had them. i guess you could add chicken and even mandrain oranges if you wanted.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (optional)--i don't think it's optional, actually
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

veggie experiment: days 5 and 6

taco salad

the name says it all, but i'll just share how i chose to prepare it.

i used the costco fresh tortillas and laid them on top of my souffle dishes and baked them @ 425 until brown. this made a decent enough tortilla bowl.

inside we put romaine lettuce, kidney beans, cheese, olives, avocados, non-fat sour cream and corn and bean salsa (recipe below).

corn and bean salsa (from cooks.com)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 C canned corn, drained
1 C tomatoes, diced
1/2 green onions, chopped
2 T cilantro, fresh, chopped
2 T olive oil
2 T lime juice
1 t cumin
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 t salt or garlic salt (if you don't have fresh garlic)
1/2 t pepper
2 serrano chili peppers, seeded and chopped

new potato salad and healthy(ish) onion rings

for our labor day celebration today, we tried out a couple new sides with our hamburgers. i liked them both. so now i am sharing them!

dijon potato salad

i usually dislike traditional potato salad. probably because i strongly dislike pickles (how un-american, i know!) so i'm always on the look-out for a decent alternative. i think i found it. i REALLY liked this one. it comes from everyday food magazine.

1 1/2 lbs red new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 C chopped fresh flat-leaved parsley

steam the potatoes. in a serving bowl, combine vinegar and dijon and season with the salt and pepper. add the hot potatoes, toss and then let cool. after it's at room temperature add the oil and parsley and toss. yum.

baked onion rings (also from everyday food magazine)

1 1/2 C cornflakes
1/2 C breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1/2 C low-fat buttermilk
1/4 C flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
1 sweet onion
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. preheat oven to 450. in a food processor, pulse cornflakes and breadcrumbs until fine crumbs form, then transfer to a medium bowl. in another medium bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, flour and cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper.

2. dip onion rings in egg mixture, then in the dry mixture. pour oil onto a rimmed baking sheet and stick it in the oven for 2 min to warm it up. then place the onion rings on the baking sheet. cook for 16 minutes, turning once.

Wild Rice Salad

I got this by way of Trish Alderman!
(Although the recipe calls for serving it cold, I actually prefer it warm - so no chilling for 2-4 hours!)

Mix together following ingredients, Add dressing and chill 2-4 hours.

2 boxes long grain wild rice, prepared
Juice of 1 lemon
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 ounces pea pods and/or asparagus, blanched for one minute

Dressing
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar

Just before serving, add:
2 medium avocados, diced
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
¼ to ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Serve chilled on lettuce leaf, if desired.