Category: SALADS, SALSAS & SLAWS

Missing the Lazy, Crazy days of summer… already

I don’t know about you, but I already miss summer and the taste of salads.  I’m usually at home already threatened with snow, but this year I’m helping out family way south of home and have the luxury of still getting some great vegetables and making some of our favorite salads and homemade dressings.

1 large wedge romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 small avocado, sliced
2 kiwis, skinned and sliced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 orange peeled, segmented and halved again

1/3 cup peanut oil
1/3 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
6 tablespoons sugar
salt & pepper to taste

  • Whisk together peanut oil, olive oil, champagne vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, sugar, salt & pepper. Chill for several hours.
  • Prepare veggies and toss well.
  • Drizzle salad all over and toss again.
  • Enjoy!
  • This makes enough dressing for 3 large salads.

VOODOO MELTS aka HOT WING MELTS

1 large Heirloom tomato,sliced
1 small red onion, sliced thin
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper 
Hidden valley ranch dressing mix (DRY) OR Good Seasons Italian dressing mix (DRY)
1/2 cup crumbled Bleu Cheese or Havarti slices
Thick Bread of Choice
3-4 tablespoons butter 


1 batch  Bleu Cheese Dressing for dipping

I prepare the chicken breasts the same as you would HOT WINGS except that I flatten the chicken breasts first.

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Wash and dry the chicken pieces.
  • Mix together the flour and seasonings in a plastic ziploc bag. Using a ziploc bag makes it easy to throw away the whole mess after dredging all the chicken pieces and it helps you coat every possible spot of the chicken pieces.
  • Add chicken a few pieces at a time and coat them well. Set chicken pieces aside.
  • While you’re doing this, have the butter melting in the pan. Start with 2 tablespoons and add as necessary, but make sure you don’t run dry.
  • Once all the chicken has been dredged, start frying. 
  • After you have the pan full, pepper the pieces again. You only need to turn the chicken one time. Brown evenly and then drain on paper towels.
  • As the last batch is frying, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a flat bowl. To that add 1/2 cup of Frank’s hot sauce.  Whisk them together well.
  • Spray a cookie sheet with PURE.
  • Dip each piece of chicken into the hot sauce mixture and put on cookie sheet.
  • After you’re all done and if you have hot sauce and butter mixture left, pour a little over the top of each wing.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter on griddle over medium high heat. Add more as necessary to keep from burning.
  • After butter begins to sizzle lay bread slices on top of butter.
  • On one side lay chicken breast or shredded it into smaller pieces. Today I thinly shaved some and shredded some so you could see the difference.
  • If using Havarti lay it on the other slice of bread, otherwise sprinkle bleu cheese crumbles over the chicken breast.
  • After bread begins to toast golden, close up the sandwiches. 
  • Continue cooking until golden on all sides and heated through.

SUBMITTED TO:
HEARTH and SOUL

TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAYS
TUESDAYS AT THE TABLE

Potato Salad

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When peeling potatoes I use a plastic/paper store bag to catch the peels… then when done just wrap up the peels and put in the trash…

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While boiling the potatoes I like to add pepper…
Put the potatoes in the fridge for a few hours to chill before adding other ingredients…

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I’ve been told time and again that I make the best potato salad… however it’s never the same each time I make it…
And I don’t quite measure…
Vinegar, but now I have discovered apple vinegar
White sugar
Mayonnaise
Mustard or honey mustard
Green onions
Boiled eggs
Paprika

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It was great for Labor Day weekend…

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Happy Eating…

Veggie Tales: Beans with Envy!

As a vegetarian, it’s tough making a bean salad that’s more than just a bean salad. But when you add one simple ingredient (that is not so simple)- you create a dish that is flavorful, powerful, and more importantly: Easy and Delightful! 
I present: The Artichoke
Italian Artichoke and White Bean Salad
What you’ll need:
1 can artichokes (rinsed and halved)
1 can cannellini beans (rinsed)
1 red onion (minced)
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1 garlic clove (minced)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
What you’ll do:
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and enjoy the goodness!
Happy Saturday! 
It’s Veggie Tales, By Kris! Join me at Behold The Metatron everyday!

Ahhhhhhh Summer Salads really hit the spot

We don’t buy bottled dressing around here as you can see from the list below.   I cannot stress how much better dressings made fresh taste. Any one of these dressings is great with this combination of flavors. 

6 cups torn romaine lettuce
2 vine ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin (I like the larger Mexican ones)
1 chicken breast per person, grilled, & sliced
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup grapes, quartered
salt & pepper to taste

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Garlic Smashed Potato Salad – Cooking The Italian Way

potato salad

You know how celebrities always have to be worried that the non-celebrities that they date are only dating them for their VIP status?  Or their money?  Or their looks?
Well.  That’s how I feel about this potato salad.
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I served it to Sophie, my roommate, last summer.  And when she heard I was bringing it to my parents’ house for father’s day this year.  She insisted on coming too.
“I just think it would be nice to spend time with your family!” she exclaimed when I questioned her about her motives.  
Um, yeah.  Sure.  I’ll bet you do, Soph.
potato salad
I’m kind of scared to think what will happen when I serve it to the next guy I date.
Better serve with caution.
Unless I’m absolutely sure that he’s the one I want to marry.
Then I’ll serve with reckless abandon.
potato salad
Garlic Smashed Potato Salad
Serves 5+, adapted from Sunset Magazine
2 1/2 lb potatoes
2 heads garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp white wine
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chives
1. Preheat oven to 400.  Cut garlic heads in half widthwise and wrap tightly in foil.  Bake until garlic is very soft and golden (45-60 minutes).  When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves into a small bowl.  Add olive oil, wine, salt, and black pepper.  Mash until mixture is smooth.
2. Cut potatoes into quarters or small chunks.  Put in pot of water.  Bring to a boil and then cook until potatoes are fork-tender.  Drain and return to pot.
3. Add garlic mixture and chives to the potatoes.  Let cool and serve.
Happy 4th of July!
Joanne

Italian Green Bean & Tomato Salad

 GREEN BEAN & TOMATO SALAD
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and washed
3 cups grape tomatoes
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
salt & pepper taste
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  • Add green beans and blanch 3-5 minuted until just tender.
  • Drain and rinse with cool water.
  • Whisk together the oil, vinegar and seasonings.
  • Toss together the green beans, tomatoes and onions.
  • Pour marinade over and toss well.
  • Chill 24 hours before serving.

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Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Bowties

A very quick apology… I suddenly got rushed this week.  You will see the reason in a couple days on my own site, but short version is that I am going to have to repeat a recipe today that was on my own site recently.  But, while it has only been a couple months since I posted this, I have made and served this 4 times.  Whenever we have guests come to visit paradise, this is now on our “must make”menu plan.

Easy

Fast

VERY TASTY

Filled with Flavors

A terrific cold salad, substantial enough to be served as a full meal, and great for leftovers…

Adaptable, I have made this with shrimp in place of the chicken, and Caramelized Pineapple added.

A great item to take to a summer picnic.

It is just as good as it looks… 

Enjoy, and I will see you in a week with something special… Promise

It’s another session of what to do with the second half of one of those rotisserie chickens you buy every week.  And there are enough different tastes to satisfy everyone.  Jackie had asked for a salad recently.  So, when I saw Melanie’s post at THE SISTER’s CAFE, I knew I had another use for that rotisserie bird…



And here’s an oddity… no rum, no extra spices, I didn’t change a single ingredient.  I followed Melanie’s recipe as she wrote it.  If you go to her post (click HERE), Melanie listed a few additional ingredients as optional.  But really, if you have a plate of spinach, do you really need to add parsley?  Adding the oranges and water chestnuts was already inching the price up.  So, unless you have them on hand, do as I did and leave out the craizins, parsley, … And here is what she wrote…

Spinach Salad With Teriyaki Bowties 
submitted by Melanie sisterscafe.blogspot.com

16 oz. Bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled
1 – 2 bags of fresh baby Spinach
2 small cans Mandarin Oranges
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 can Water Chestnuts
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
1 cup Honey Roasted Peanuts or Cashews
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds, toasted
2 cups torn cooked Chicken

Dressing:
1 cup Vegetable Oil
2/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
2/3 C. Teriyaki Sauce
5 Tbs. Sugar

Cook bowtie pasta according to directions, drain and cool while whisking the dressing together in a large bowl. Marinate cooked bowtie pasta in the dressing for 1 hour or longer in the fridge. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour the teriyaki sauce and pasta over the salad, toss together and serve. If it’s just a few of you, make individual salad servings; keeping the salad and bowtie sauce separate for the rest of the week (no one likes a soggy salad).

This sauce is terrific!  Beyond terrific in fact.  The whole thing blended so well.  It was a perfect addition to my new series on what to do with those rotisserie chickens that are so cheap here in paradise.

Jackie loved it!  Thanks Melanie… A GREAT recipe!

Well worth the effort!

Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. Plan ahead, be a cook and you to can say…  

 … I CAN COOK THAT! 

And so can you!…

Simple Saturday – Tabbouleh

Hello foodie friends! Martha here bringing you a simple Mediterranean salad this week. Have you ever had Tabbouleh Salad? It’s definitely a must try and it’s very easy to make. It’s a perfect light, cool, flavorful salad in the warm summer months.

Just combine about 2 cups diced tomatoes, 2 cups seeded and diced cucumber, 1 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 cup cooked bulgar wheat, (chopped onion is common in this salad but optional). Squeeze the juice of 1-2 lemons over veggies, add salt and pepper to taste. Mix all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate for several hours.

This is a great salad to serve with falafel or wonderful served with hummus and pita for a nice light meal. I always feel healthy and refreshed after eating this, it’s one of my favorites. Give it a try!

Don’t forget to visit me at my food blog Seaside Simplicity and every Monday at The Motivation Station.

Have a great weekend, and please don’t forget to observe the real meaning of Memorial Day this weekend!

Veggie Tales by Kris!

Well hello there! My name is Kris, you may know me from Behold the Metatron, Where to Vegan?, AND/OR The Motivation Station. If you don’t, get to know me! I’m just a click away! ;o)

I am a vegetarian flirting with the Vegan lifestyle ever so slightly. But I’m not going to dive deep into a 100% Vegan dish with you lot just yet. For my first post, I’d like to share a sweet and savory salad with you that is absolutely perfect for summer. Enjoy it with a delicious sparkling rose like this one on a steamy Friday afternoon, and you’re starting off the weekend just right!

Asparagus, Grapefruit and Arugula Summer Salad
(serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a starter- I could eat the whole thing though! haha)

What you’ll need:
5 cups fresh baby arugula (Organic please)
1 bunch asparagus (each stalk halved lengthwise)
Cooking Spray
1 grapefruit (just the wedges, peeled with no pith)
1/2- 3/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (remember to slice an extra piece for yourself while you slave over this! hehe)
1 lemon, halved (you’ll use each half’s juice separately)
1/4 cup your favorite Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing (I like Newman’s Lite)
salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:
Prep you grapefruit by peeling the skin and pith, and cut into wedges. Prepare your arugula by placing it on a lovely platter or bowl. Heat a skillet on medium with a little cooking spray. Add in the halved asparagus and sautee for about 2 minutes. Add some salt and pepper and the juice of 1/2 the lemon. Let cook until tender, yet crispy for no more than 5 minutes. When the asparagus is done, remove from heat and place it atop the bed of arugula. Top the salad with the other lemon half, the dressing, the grapefuit wedges, and the cheese. Add a little more salt and pepper. Toss right before serving.

et voilà!

SUN DRIED TOMATO PASTA SALAD

I was over visiting Mrs. B this morning when one of her recipes gave me an idea for one of my own.  Her used pesto and for some reason though I love all food, I HATE pesto – sorry guys.  I also thought I’d take it to the potluck going on over at Mommy’s Kitchen. It looks a little bland, but it was quite tasty.

SUN DRIED TOMATO PASTA SALAD

8 ounces rigatoni, cooked al dente
1 large cucumber, skinned and chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
2 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup shredded cheese of choice(I used Parmesan)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Classico sun-dried tomato pesto
salt and pepper to taste
  • Whisk together the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomato pesto, salt and pepper.
  • Prepare the pasta per package directions. Drain and cool.
  • Prepare vegetables.
  • Toss vegetables, pasta and sauce together until well blended.
  • Chill & Enjoy!

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