Roasted Beet Salad

This weekend we went to the local farmers market. I thought I would decide what we were having for dinner on Sunday depending on what looked good at the market. I bought some salad greens, kohlrabi, and beets. I am saving the kohlrabi for dinner tonight - but the salad greens and beets I used in the most delicious salad!
I am a little ashamed to say this was my first experience with fresh beets. My husband loves beets, and after Sunday, so do Lou and me! They were so sweet! It was perfect in the salad - a great balance of sweet, savory, bitter, sour, earthy. Yum!
The farmer I bought the beets from told me the beet greens were edible. I tossed them in with the salad greens. They have a thicker texture than a typical salad green and were slightly bitter. If you don't like this, just keep them out. I only put a few leaves in.

Roasted Beet Salad

Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
about 4 cups Spring Mix
about 1/2 cup Radish Greens
1 bunch Beets, roasted (recipe follows)
1 small onion, caramelized
shaved Parmessan
In the bottom of the salad bowl, mix the salad dressing. Top with salad greens, beets, onions, and Parmesan. Toss. Serve.

Roasted Beets:

1 bunch small beets
2 tsp olive oil
salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel beets and cut in half. Place on sheet of foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, toss. Wrap the beets up tightly in foil. Bake in oven about 30-45 minutes, or until beets are tender. If you poke with a knife and it slips out, it is ready. Set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients in the bottom of the salt bowl. Whisk to combine.

Asian Chicken Salad

My husband and I are taking our last finals for the semester, and for me they are my last ever! Hoorah!! But as exciting as that is, we are a little stressed in our house. I only have one more final left so I am a little more relaxed than my husband who has 3 Law finals left. I have been trying to have meals planned out and the shopping done in advance so dinner is not something I have to worry about. Last night we had an Asian Chicken Salad. Done in about 15 minutes - it is a healthy and fast meal for us.

Asian Chicken Salad

2 small chicken breasts
Red bell pepper
Green onion
Shredded carrots
Chow mein noodles
Rice Wine Viniagrette (recipe follows)

Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger. Saute over medium to medium high heat until center of thickest portion reaches 160 degrees. Let rest a few minutes before slicing. Toss ingredients remaining ingredients with dressing and top with chicken.

Rice Wine Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp green onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp ground fresh ginger
pinch red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil

Blend first 6 ingredients together. While whisking, stream in oil until desired consistency.

Apple Spinach Salad with Spiced Nuts

For my first catering event (ha!) I made these panini and this salad. I was a big fan of this salad. It was delicious and refreshing. But I afterwards I thought how delicious this would be in all seasons - especially with the fall apple harvest.
This salad is really simple - make the nuts ahead and it will only take you a few minutes to do. The nuts are my favorite part, but don't get scared when you see the secret ingredient, you can barely notice it's there.

Apple Spinach Salad with Spiced Nuts

1 bag prewashed spinach
1-2 granny smith apples, cored and sliced thinly
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup spiced caramelized nuts (recipe below)

Place all ingredients in a bowl. (Now that's a difficult recipe!) And top with apple cider vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Spiced Caramelized Nuts

1/2 cup pecans (or favorite nut)
1 cup white sugar
1 small pinch of cayenne (don't get scared!)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine sugar, cayenne, cinnamon, and nutmeg thouroughly. Place in skillet over medium heat. When sugar starts to melt stir in nuts. Stir occasionally. Once all sugar has melted and nuts are coated, place nuts on parchment paper to cool. Eat plain, in a salad, or on top of ice cream.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette 

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp dijion mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper

Place all ingredients in a curet and shake.

Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad

Did you realize father's day is about a week away? I have no idea what to get my husband. Anyone have any ideas? Well, one thing for sure, I think I shall make a delicious dinner for him. He is into food almost as much as I am, and so appreciative of what I cook for him.
I made this salad for our cooking club and it was a hit. It is good enough even the men in your life would eat it! (Just tell them it has bacon.)

Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad

1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lb of bacon
2-3 tomatoes
4 oz goat cheese
1 bag baby arugula
Dressing:
2 Tbsp reserved bacon drippings
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dijon mustard
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
olive oil (optional)


Cook bacon until desired done-ness, I like mine crispy. Reserve bacon drippings in a small bowl, set cooked bacon on paper towels until cool. In a medium frying pan, place 1 tablespoon of bacon grease and onions over medium heat. Cook onions until soft and caramelized. (You know how I love caramelized onions!) While those are cooking you can wash your arugula and dice your tomatoes. Then make your dressing: combine all ingredients in a small bowl or carafe. Shake or whisk until combined. Taste, if it has too strong of a bacon or vinegar flavor - add a tablespoon or two of olive oil.
Now your onions are done. Add to salad with dressing. Toss. Top with crumbled goat cheese.

If you want a little more substance: add some of your favorite shaped pasta!

Picnic Friendly Potato Salad

Today is National Picnic Day! I hope the weather where you are is less stormy than where we are. Go out and have a picnic!

I have never been a huge fan of mayonassie. And having potato salad with tons of mayonnaise is never appealing. Plus, mayo goes bad in the sun. Here a mayo-free picnic-friendly potato salad that is simple and delicious.

Picnic Friendly Potato Salad

2- 2 1/2 red potatoes
4 slices bacon
4-6 green onions
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut potatoes into large 1 inch cubes. Place in large pot and cover with cold water - about 1 to 2 inches above the level of the potatoes.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crispy. Crumble or cut into little pieces.
3. Slice green onions thinly, using the white and the greens.
4. In a large bowl whisk together red wine vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. While still wisking, add in olive oil slowly. Add in green onions.
5. When potatoes are cooked, drain, and place in large bowl with dressing. Add bacon, stir until combined. Can be served warm or room temperature.
Serves about 4.

Tips: 

Leave the skin on the potatoes. Taste and looks better.
To cook bacon and avoid splatters and smelling like bacon for the rest of the day - make it in the oven. Place metal cooling rack on baking sheet. Place bacon on cooling rack and bake at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

So an ingredient I have never tried before - Pomegranate Juice. Have you ever tried it. Seems to be one of the new hot things in antioxidants. I liked it, the taste reminds me somewhat of cranberry juice.

I was trying to think of something original to make with the juice, so I made a Pomegranate Vinaigrette.

In the salad was 1 large chicken breast (I just seasoned with lemon pepper and a little salt, then sauteed in a non-stick skillet), a few tiny bell peppers, about 1/2 c feta, 1 large tomato, and the vinaigrette. Pretty simple, but tasty!

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1/2 c pomegranate juice (I used POM Wonderful)
1/4 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 c white wine vinegar
1/2 garlic clove, grated
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
about 6 grind black pepper

Place all ingredients in a curette and shake shake shake. If you don't have one, just put it in a bowl and whisk. (If you are making my above salad, this is way too much dressing - save some for another yummy salad. Keeps well in the fridge. )

Don't forget to enter to win! Current open giveaways:
Sweet Nature Designs

*POM Wonderful sent me some pomegranate juice and asked that I make up a recipe using it. It was a fun and delicious experiment!

Have You Tried?: Couscous

Have you ever tried Couscous? I love it! Plus it is seriously ready in like 6 minutes. You can't beat that. Some grocery stores only have it in the boxes with the flavoring packets. If that's all - fine, you don't have to use the flabvring packet. My favorite place to buy it is at Sunflower Market in the bulk section - tons cheaper than the grocery store closer to my house. Oh, and a sweet, healthy bonus - I just found it in whole grain!
It is delicious alone or put in a salad. You can use it as a replacement for rice for lots of dishes, like curry. My husband loves rice (like, way too much) but after I introduced couscous, he likes it just as much.

To make couscous:

Boil 3 parts stock and/or water (I recommend stock). Add 2 parts couscous and a little drizzle of olive oil. Cover pot, turn off heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. 

Here is what I did most recently with my couscous - a summery salad. It makes me feel better about the snow outside.

Couscous Salad

4 c prepared couscous
2 tomatoes, diced
1 English cucumber, diced
1 c feta
1/2 c fresh parsley, chopped finely
Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
a squeeze of lemon, optional

Combine couscous, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and parsley. Add as much dressing as you like (I like mine on the dryer side). If you want, squeeze some fresh lemon juice. Toss.

This recipe is for my dressing, don't use the whole thing for the salad. You will be sad. Save some for something else.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/2 c red wine vinegar
1 c extra virgin olive oil
1/2 garlic glove, minced
Salt & Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients in a bowl with lid or cruet. Shake. Taste, adjust seasoning if needed

Cop-Out Salad

This is way easy, so easy I probably don't even need to post it.

Tex-Mex Salad
Romaine Lettuce
Black Beans (rinsed)
Tomatoes
Caramelized Onions
Cilantro
Tortilla strips (cut corn tortillas into strips, fry in oil until golden brown)
Chicken

Chicken:
Cut in thin, bite size pieces. Season with salt and pepper and salsa verde, saute until just done.

Dressing:
3 Tbsp salsa verde
1-2 tsp sugar
splash of lemon/lime juice
3-6 T olive oil

Assemble and enjoy. I used this prepared salsa for a quick help. You could use anything similar to this.

Coleslaw

I love coleslaw, but have never made it before. This recipe is delicious and very easy.


Coleslaw
adapted from Tyler Florence
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or pinch
1 store-bought bag shredded slaw mix
1/4 head of red cabbage, shredded
(some bags include red cabbage - I like to have the color. Just reduce the amount of dressing)

Mix all ingredients except for cabbage in the bottom of a large bowl. Toss in cabbage.
I like to do this a couple hours before I am going to eat it. It should look a little dry, as you let it sit it will look more like the picture above.