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: , , ,

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: , , ,

Coleslaw

July 6, 2011 by
 
We are really enjoying the summertime this year, especially since we’ve had alot of craziness the last couple weeks.  It’s always nice after a crazy week to throw something on the grill and whip up a salad or two.  I’ve been playing around with coleslaw and finally made one that my hubby liked.  (Me too. : )  If you don’t have pickles in your fridge then what’s wrong with you?!  just substitute some apple cider vinegar.  Happy summertime!
 
COLESLAW
 
1/2 head cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
1 carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)
1/2 red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 T juice from pickle jar
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
 
Whisk together mayo, pickle juice, and sugar in a small bowl.
Toss cabbage, carrot, and red onion together in a large bowl, pour dressing over and toss together.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Filed Under: Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

Restaurant Italian Salad

September 22, 2010 by
 
I know, I know, ANOTHER salad recipe?! But I had to add a copycat Olive Garden recipe to go with the others this week.  And I didn’t use amounts because it really depends on your personal tastes.  If you like the salad at Olive Garden, you’ll really love this salad.
 
RESTAURANT ITALIAN SALAD
Recipe by My Stained Apron
 
Iceberg lettuce*
shredded carrots, optional*
shredded red cabbage, optional*
Romaine or green leaf lettuce
red onion, sliced
tomatoes, sliced
pepperoncinis
black olives, whole
croutons
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
 
Wash and chop lettuce, toss with other ingredients and dressing.
*Or you could also use an American salad blend with lettuce, cabbage, and carrots.

 
DRESSING:
2 T grated Parmesan
2 T grated Romano
1 garlic clove
3 T mayo
2 T white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp Italian seasoning
 
Combine in blender until smooth.
Filed Under: Salad / Dressings Tagged With: ,

Oriental Chicken Salad

August 4, 2010 by
 
This was based on a copycat recipe for Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad.  I’m not sure where it came from, since it was just a scribble on an index card from a long time ago.  I’ve adjusted it to our liking, and it’s one of my favorite meals.   I know I’m a bit of a salad junkie, but at least I’m a discerning salad junkie.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go add this to my menu for the week.
 
ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD
 
4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
2 cups shredded red cabbage (green is okay too)
2 cups chopped Napa cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chow mein noodles
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
about 3-4 cups sliced chicken tenders (you could use premade if you like)
 
Toss everything together in a large bowl.
 
DRESSING:*
3 T honey
1 1/2 T rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/8 tsp sesame oil
 
Whisk together, serve tossed with salad or on the side.
*We don’t like alot of dressing, but you could double this if need be for your tastes.
Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey, Salad / Dressings Tagged With: , ,

Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

March 26, 2010 by
 
 
I came up with this recipe about 10 days ago, and I’ve all ready made a total of… (drum roll please).. THREE times!  I am not usually that repetitious, but it was seriously that good. I love salads, as you all know.  I love all kinds of them.  Last night one of my sisters and her family came over for dinner and I made this, yet again, and it was polished off quite quickly.  And if you need a good side dish for Easter, I think this would be a great one. I hope you like it as much as I do!
 
SPINACH SALAD WITH POPPY SEED DRESSING
 
SALAD:
Baby spinach
Shredded swiss cheese
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
cherry or grape tomatoes
hard-boiled eggs, sliced
Red onion, sliced thin
 
Layer everything in a big bowl, pour dressing over and toss lightly.
 
 
DRESSING:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp honey mustard
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup olive oil
1 T poppy seeds
 
Combine sugar, vinegar, salt, honey mustard, and onion in blender.
Process until smooth, about 15-20 seconds.
With blender on high, add oil in a slow stream.
Stir in poppy seeds. Store in the fridge, shake well when ready to use, if needed.
 
yum…
 
yum..
 
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Filed Under: Salad / Dressings Tagged With: ,