Broccoli Salad

June 29, 2012 by

A couple of months ago I started volunteering with Bountiful Baskets as a site coordinator.  If you’ve never tried it, head over to their website and check it out.  It’s pretty awesome. It’s a non-profit, all volunteer run food co-op.  Every week I come home with all this fresh produce and it’s been so much fun to try new things and have such an abundance of fruits and vegetables in the house.

I was trying to think of something new to do with broccoli, and decided to make a salad for a bbq instead of a pasta salad.  We loved it. I know usually broccoli salad has raisins, but I really prefer dried cranberries.  They add a great tartness.  And cashews go great with the broccoli, while you could omit as well if you have nut allergies.  See my tip at the bottom for adding extra crunch by using the broccoli stems as well.
This will keep covered in the fridge for at least a couple of days as well, so it’s great for a make-ahead dish for 4th of July potlucks/bbqs too.

BROCCOLI SALAD
8 cups broccoli florets*
1/2 lb bacon (about 6-8 slices) cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 cup roasted cashews
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup mayonnaise
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place the broccoli, bacon, onion, cashews, and cranberries in a large bowl and mix together.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.   Add to the salad and toss to coat evenly.

*I know that you can buy bags of broccoli florets, but I suggest buying uncut heads of broccoli.  Cut the florets off in small pieces, then dice some of the stem.  It adds a great crunch to the salad.

VARIATIONS: If you’d rather, you can use almonds instead of cashews, or omit nuts all together.  You could also use raisins instead of the cranberries, I just prefer the tart cranberries.

Filed Under: Salad / Dressings, Side Dishes

Grilled Pizza with Roasted Garlic Chicken and Citrus Vinaigrette

June 21, 2012 by

 

This is one of those meals I could make every week and not get tired of it.  I love homemade Naan bread, but this grilled pizza definitely makes the cut as well.  Using the leftover garlic infused oil from the roasted garlic paste just made sense.  Why not?  It adds a subtle garlic taste without being overwhelming.

The vinaigrette is a perfect pairing, it really lightens it up and adds a fresh citrus flavor.  We’ve also made the salad with red leaf lettuce instead of the spinach, and I think romaine would be good as well, or even a mix of greens.
Serve the pizza with the chicken and salad and let everyone make a kind of taco or wrap out of it, adding the vinaigrette to the salad beforehand, or serving on the side.

Grilled Pizza with Roasted Garlic Chicken and Citrus Vinaigrette

For the pizza:
1 batch pizza dough
reserved garlic oil, or olive oil

Raise dough as usual in recipe.  Separate into 8 balls.
Roll out each dough ball on an unfloured surface to about 8-10 inches across.  Brush with garlic oil.  Grill over medium heat (I used a grill pan).

Cook for a couple minutes on each side.  It’s ready to flip when it starts to bubble.

Brush with the garlic oil.
Keep warm in a tortilla keeper if desired.

For the Chicken:
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 1/2 T olive oil
salt and pepper
4 T roasted garlic paste

Coat the chicken with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill over medium heat (again using a grill pan or outdoor grill) for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.   Spread with garlic paste and et rest.  Cut into strips.

For the Salad:
8 cups baby spinach
1 1/2 cups diced mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups tomato wedges
1/4 cup red onion, slivered
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Toss together.  Toss with vinaigrette or serve on the side.

For the Citrus Vinaigrette:
2 lemons (about 1/3 cup juice)
1 orange (about 1/3 cup juice)
1 shallot, diced
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Juice the lemons and orange.  Combine in a blender with shallot and salt and pepper.  With motor running, add the olive oil in a thin stream until creamy.  Adjust seasoning if needed.

Recipe adapted from Michael Chiarello

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey, Pizza, Salad / Dressings

Edamame Salad with Roasted Vegetables

May 9, 2012 by

I don’t care for pre-prepared dishes.  They rarely taste like much more than the packaging they come in.  Awhile ago I did buy a premade edamame salad and it was decent enough, but I knew it would be better made at home.  And I was right : )
I was trying to decide what to put in the dressing, then I remembered I had a jar of dressing in the fridge leftover from this salad and thought I’d give it a try.  It was a perfect fit and I think this salad is just as good after it sits for a bit as well, as the dressing marries with the edamame and beans for a while.

EDAMAME SALAD WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES
1 1/2 cups edamame*
1 carrot, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 ear corn, kernels cut off
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup dried cranberries
drizzle olive oil
Dressing, recipe follows

Place the carrots, corn kernels, and pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Let cool slightly, then toss with edamame and cranberries.
Add as much dressing as desired.
*I use frozen un-shelled edamame from Costco.  When you want to use them, you just microwave and shell.

DRESSING:
1/4 cups canola or olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp lime juice
4 tsp brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ginger powder
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

 

Shake everything together in a jar.

Filed Under: Salad / Dressings, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , ,

Poppyseed Salad with Lemon Marinated Chicken

May 7, 2012 by

When my hubby asked what I want for dinner on Mother’s Day, I knew immediately what to pick.  This.  I’m a sucker for a good salad, and this one is amazing.
Lemon zest is one of my favorite ingredients, and this chicken proves why.  While the lemon juice acts as the acid to really flavor and tenderize the chicken, the zest adds the flavor.
This is a great make ahead meal too, since you could even make the chicken ahead of time and serve cold with the salad, and all of the salad components can be made ahead as well.
And if you are participating in Bountiful Baskets, you might still have some of that amazing red leaf lettuce to use! (We ate all of ours lickety split) : )

POPPYSEED SALAD WITH LEMON MARINATED CHICKEN
For the Salad:
Lettuce (I use red leaf, sometimes with a little romaine mixed in)
Thinly sliced red onion
Crumbled cooked bacon
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Sugared almonds, recipe below
Lemon Marinated Chicken, recipe below
Poppy Seed Dressing, recipe below

Variations: You could also use green leaf, romaine, spinach, or a combination of a couple for the greens.  For a side dish salad, omit the chicken.  If you like cheese in your salad, try shredded swiss or mozzarella cheese.

Sugared Almonds:
Granulated sugar
Almonds  I use sliced, but you could also use whole or slivered

Put equal parts sugar and almonds in a pan and heat over medium high heat, stirring until sugar is melted and becomes amber colored.
Spread out on a silicone mat to cool.  (I keep a container of these in the freezer to pull out for salads, no need to thaw)

Lemon Marinated Chicken:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup olive oil (If desired, you can omit the oil entirely, but it really isn’t going to absorb the oil.)
1/3 cup lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp black pepper

Whisk everything but the chicken together then place the chicken in a zip top bag and pour marinade over. (This is optional, but I butterfly the chicken breast to make thinner pieces).
Turn the chicken to make sure it is coated well and seal bag.  Place in the refrigerator and let marinade for 4 hours or more.
Cook on grill or grill pan indoors.  Let rest for a few minutes, then cut in slices.  I serve it room temperature with the salad.

Poppy Seed Dressing:  (Makes about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard powder (I LOVE Colman’s brand, it’s sold in the bright yellow tin, it’s the only mustard powder I use)
1/3 cup red raspberry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1/2 cup chopped white onion (about 1/2 a large onion)
1 cup canola oil
2 T poppy seeds

Combine everything except the poppy seeds in a blender until combined.
Stir in the poppy seeds.  If you don’t have a blender, just combine all except the poppy seeds and oil in a bowl, then add the oil in a steady stream while whisking.

Recipe Source: Chicken marinade adapted from Ina Garten, Salad adapted from The Sisters Cafe

Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey, Salad / Dressings

Moroccan Millet Salad

March 19, 2012 by
 
I know what you’re thinking.  It’s been a week and the site looks… the same.  Well… you’re right.  I was busy with a little cooking class early in the week, and then me and my daughters decided life was just too boring… so we got a virus.  A really, really awful virus.
So I kind of took the week off.  (If you consider being sick and caring for sick kids a vacation).  And I have the stacks of mail and laundry to prove it.  So we haven’t exactly been having the greatest home-cooked meals this last week.  But luckily I do have a backup of drafts to share, including this one that I’ve been dying to share.
Since we live near the Bob’s Red Mill Visitor Center we have access to great grain variety, and I don’t think I ever would have thought to try millet except that I saw it in the cookbook and was intrigued.  If you’ve never tried millet before, the closest thing I can think of that is similar is couscous.  Although, I don’t love couscous, but I loved millet!
This is a very exotic tasting dish for us, since I don’t usually cook with all of these spices, or dates either.  It went really well grilled chicken and naan bread.  What DOESN’T go good with Naan bread though….
MOROCCAN MILLET SALAD
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
2 T sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
grated zest of 1/2 orange
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 cups cooked millet* (See directions at bottom)
 
Combine everything together in a large bowl, toss gently with dressing, a few tablespoons at a time until dressed as you like.
Let sit for about an hour to marry flavors.
 
Ginger Citrus Dressing:
2 T lemon juice
3 T orange juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp tumeric
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp honey
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
 
Combine all in a jar and shake to combine well.
 Adjust salt and pepper as desired.
 
*To make about 1 1/2 cups cooked millet:
Toast 1/2 cup millet in a med pan over med heat, stirring constantly.
After about 5 minutes, or when golden brown and aromatic, add 2 cups boiling water.  Stir in pinch salt and 1-2 tsp unsalted butter or oil.
Cover, reduce heat, and let cook about 35-40 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and grains tender.
 
Recipe adapted from Bob’s Red Mill Cookbook
Filed Under: Salad / Dressings, Side Dishes Tagged With: , ,

Steak Salad

January 17, 2012 by
 
I’m a sucker for salads.   It’s no wonder I used to work for Sweet Tomatoes I suppose.  I don’t know why people talk about salads like they’re torture food, I find them so versatile and fulfilling.
This one is definitely at the top of my list too.  I served it with everything separate, so each person could decide how much of everything they wanted.  Which is a great way to adapt something if you don’t want to hear someone complain there’s too much Gorgonzola, or they don’t have enough steak… that would NEVER happen in my house : ) Ever.
I have found that the candied pecans freeze really well as well.  We had leftovers of those and they kept great in a freezer container for a later dinner.
I know this may seem like a long recipe with a lot of ingredients, but it really is quite simple if you look at the steps and a lot of the ingredients are for the dressing.  And if you ask me, homemade salad dressing and store-bought don’t belong in the same category.
 
STEAK SALAD
 
1 1/2 lbs strip steak, extra fat trimmed off
 
FOR DRESSING/MARINADE:
3/4 cups canola or olive oil
3 T red wine vinegar
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T soy sauce
2 T lime juice
4 T brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp kosher salt
black pepper, to taste
 
FOR ONION STRINGS:
2 onions, sliced very thinly
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 T salt
1/2 tsp paprika (or cayenne pepper as original recipe states)
canola oil, for frying
 
FOR CANDIED PECAN BITS:
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 T water
 
FOR SALAD:
Lettuce mix, I used romaine, arugula, and spinach
grape tomatoes
3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
 
For dressing/ marinade: Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake until combined well.
Adjust salt and pepper if needed.
Place the steak in a zip top bag and pour half of the marinade in, seal tightly.
Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Prepare the onion strings: Place the onions in a dish and cover with the buttermilk.  Soak for at least one hour.
For the candied pecans: Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat and set aside.  Put sugar and water in a small pot over medium heat.  Cook to 280 degrees, which should take about 5 to 6 minutes and should be amber in color.  Remove from heat and stir in pecans quickly then pour onto baking sheet and spread pecans out in a single layer.  Cool completely.
Make the onion strings:  Mix together the flour, salt, and paprika in a medium bowl. 
Heat a couple inches of oil in a pot to 375 degrees.  Taking a hand full of onions at a time, remove from buttermilk and coat with flour mixture, shake off excess, then put in the oil.  Fry for just a couple of minutes until golden brown.  Move to a paper-towel lined dish and repeat with remaining onion strings.
Cook the steak: Using a grill or saute pan over medium high heat, cook the steak for a few minutes on each side, to medium rare.  Let rest before cutting into thin strips.
We liked serving everything separate so each person could decide what they wanted more or less of.  Use reserved dressing/marinade to dress the salad.
 
Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman
 
Filed Under: Beef, Salad / Dressings Tagged With: , ,

Wilted Lettuce

November 18, 2011 by
 
It has been quite the fall for us.  First my grandmother passed away, then a few weeks later her brother Merle as well. My grandmother lived to 97, Merle to 103.  Pretty amazing, right?
My mom and I were reminiscing and I thought I’d share one of my Grandma’s favorite things with you.  This recipe comes from Dora, my great-grandmother, and all of my great-aunts made it as well.
To say grandma made this often is an understatement.  I think she thought bacon drippings and cream had their own food group. : )  She did live to 97 with pretty minimal health problems, so who am I to say otherwise?  She even requested this for her 97th birthday!  She liked it with a lot of dressing, using some soft rolls to soak up the extra on the plate.   
My grandma always had a large garden, with plenty of red leaf lettuce, her favorite.  When we would go for a visit she would always go cut off a big bowl of lettuce and some green onions, and we’d have this with dinner.  My mom remembers her making a big bowl of it and they would eat it for a few days.

WILTED LETTUCE
1 head red leaf lettuce, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
5-6 slices pepper bacon, chopped
3 T cider vinegar
3/4 cup plus 1 T Heavy cream
salt, to taste
 
Chop and wash lettuce, dry thoroughly.  (This is important to have it really dry so the dressing doesn’t slide off.)
Put in a large bowl, add green onions.
Cook bacon, when crisp remove from pan, saving drippings.
Add bacon to lettuce.
Put vinegar in a 1 cup measure, add cream to make 1 cup.
Add to drippings (you should have 3-4 T of drippings) and bring to a boil.
As soon as it boils, drizzle over salad and toss together.
Sprinkle with a little salt.
Serve with rolls to dip in the dressing, and thick slices tomatoes and sliced cucumbers drizzled with vinegar.
 
 
 
Filed Under: Salad / Dressings Tagged With: ,

Ranch Potato Salad

September 9, 2011 by
We’re still in our hot weather streak here and I still feel like making simple summer meals.
Especially since the craziness of school time has begun too.
This was an “emergency dinner” one night when I literally didn’t realize how close it was to dinner time until it was too late to prepare much. 
I had a bunch of potatoes in the pantry and some homemade ranch dressing in the fridge, so it kind of put itself together. My hubby doesn’t like potato salad usually, but even he liked this one. 
This would be exceptionally easy to adjust amount on, just remember one egg and slice of bacon per pound of potatoes, and 1 rib celery and 1 green onion for every 2 pounds.
Hope you’re enjoying the last of your summer too!
RANCH POTATO SALAD
4 lbs Russet potatoes
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
4 slices pepper bacon, cooked and chopped
1 T sugar
Ranch dressing to coat
Peel, chop, and boil potatoes until cooked but not mushy.
Cool, then toss with remaining ingredients.
Chill or serve immediately.
Filed Under: Salad / Dressings, Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

Pimento Ham Pasta Salad and Herb Dressing

July 20, 2011 by
 
I know what you’re thinking.  ANOTHER salad recipe? How many salad recipes do you need Holly?
Well, as I’ve said before, I love salads. 
Green salads.     Pasta salads.    Entree salads.     Side salads.   Any salads.
  As long as the ingredients you start out with are fresh you can have something wonderful. 
I love this dressing.  It goes well with just about anything.  It’s so much better than store bought and I bet you can make it faster than digging your store bought dressing out of the fridge. ; )
 
The other thing I love about salads is they are inexpensive ways to feed a group, and they are great for having company over since it’s something I can have ready to go in the fridge and don’t have to cook while I could be visiting.
 
PASTA SALAD:
1 lb mini fussili, or pasta of choice (cooked al dente and rinsed with cold water)
2 oz can pimentos, undrained
1 cup chopped ham
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely diced cheddar
1 cup sliced olives
1/2 cup mayonnaise
 
Make one batch of herb dressing (recipe below) and whisk in the mayonnaise.  Combine all other salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss gently with dressing.  If too dry add a little more mayo or sour cream.

HERB DRESSING:
1 tsp dried parsley, or 2 T chopped fresh
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream (or substitute 3/4 cup buttermilk for sour cream and milk)
1/4 cup milk (or buttermilk)
3 T powdered buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp garlic powder
 
Whisk all together or combine in a blender.
 
Recipe Source:  Pasta salad by My Stained Apron, Herb dressing inspired by The Herbal Kitchen, one of my favorite cookbooks
Filed Under: Pasta, Salad / Dressings Tagged With: , , ,

Italian Pasta Salad

June 9, 2011 by
 
Summer is fast approaching, so salads are making it to the table more and more.
This is one of my favorite pasta salads to make, since most of time I have things in my fridge or pantry to put in it.  Get creative with it and find what you like!  I’m not giving amounts for ingredients since I never measure for this.  It just depends on how many of the add-ins I put in, how big of a dish I’m making, etc.  And if your pasta salad will be sitting for awhile you might need to add a little more of the Italian dressing.

ITALIAN PASTA SALAD
cooked pasta, I used bow tie
Italian salad dressing
 
Add-ins:
mushrooms, sliced
olives, sliced or whole
hard dry salami, chopped
cherry tomatoes, cut in half
red onion, chopped
basil, cut in chiffonade
fresh baby spinach
roasted red peppers, chopped
provolone cheese, cubed
baby mozzarella balls
pepperoncini’s, sliced
 
Mix everything together, add more dressing as needed.
Chill until ready to serve.
 
 
 
 
 
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Filed Under: Pasta, Salad / Dressings