Moroccan Quinoa Salad

I was instantly hooked when I saw this recipe - roasted peppers, quinoa, and Moroccan flavors definitely all float my boat.  My mom and I decided it would be the perfect dish to make and take down to my grandma's for dinner, and it definitely was - she loved it!   We roasted green peppers instead of red peppers just because the red peppers were so expensive at the store - they were four times as much as their green counterparts!  Although it made for a slightly-less-pretty salad, I think the taste was just as good.  You could also save some time and buy jarred red peppers, although you might want to increase the amount - I always find that the yield is a bit more when I roast peppers myself. 

The Moroccan salsa is perfectly balanced with warm spices, acid from the lemon juice, brine-y olives, and sweet raisins.  If you don't like the taste of olives, you could reduce the amount by half, although I didn't find the flavor overpowering at all.  The salsa pairs perfectly with slightly chewy quinoa, which also adds a boost of protein (especially important if you're serving this vegan-style, sans cheese, as the recipe was originally written).  However, I think barley or whole wheat Israeli couscous would also be great in this dish if that's what you have on hand.  Overall, this was a very tasty, light dinner with lots of great flavor!  I think this would also make a great lunch since it's good at room temperature - I'd pack the salsa and quinoa separately and combine them at lunchtime.

Moroccan Quinoa Salad (adapted from Sketch-Free Vegan Eating, original recipe here)
Serves 3-4

Moroccan Salsa

• 3 bell peppers

• 5 T olive oil, plus extra
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 T Meyer lemon juice
• 2 T chopped fresh mint
• Grated zest of 1 small orange, about 2 tsp
•  
• Quinoa
• 1 T unsalted butter
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
•  
• Garnish 
• Chopped almonds
• Crumbled feta cheese 
•  
• 1. Prepare the salsa. Heat your oven as hot as it will go, and line a baking sheet with foil.  Rub the peppers all over with a thin layer of oil, and then place on the baking sheet.  Roast the peppers until charred in spots and soft all-over, turning occasionally.  Remove the peppers to a bowl and cover with foil.  Allow the peppers to steam for at least 30 minutes.
• 2. Slip the skins off the peppers and remove the seeds.  Chop into small dice and place in a heat-safe medium bowl.  Set aside.
• 3. Heat the 5 T oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  When it is shimmering but not smoking, add the cumin and cinnamon.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Pour the hot oil over the peppers and stir to combine.
• 4. Add the remaining salsa ingredients and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust for salt and pepper - you may not need any salt, depending on how salty your olives are.  Cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature until ready to use.
• 5. Prepare the quinoa.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the quinoa and toast, stirring often, until the quinoa begins to pop (you'll hear it) and get slightly browned.  Then add 2 cups water and bring to a boil.  Boil 10-15 minutes, until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed.  Drain off any excess water.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Let cool to room temperature.
• 6. Serve the quinoa topped with a generous scoop of the Moroccan salsa, and a sprinkling of almonds and feta cheese.  
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Cooling off on the back steps after an afternoon of cooking and baking...

Easy Chicken Salad with Sweet Red Chili Sauce

I cooked up this quick salad because my mom had some Thai ingredients in the fridge that she wanted me to use up.  Well, I didn't manage to actually finish anything off, but I did make some progress!  The chili sauce and fish sauce make for an assertive but slightly sweet dressing - tasted on it's own, I thought it was a little too in-your-face, but after it was tossed with all the other ingredients, it turned out to be perfect!  You could really throw in any veggies you have around the house - I used asparagus because there was some from my mom's garden (yum!).  Bell peppers or snap peas would also be really tasty. 

Although I call for chicken tenders here, you can definitely use chicken breast or even thighs if you prefer dark meat.  Chicken seems to be a lot less expensive here in Ohio than it is in California, and so I used the tenders that my mom had on hand!  Whatever you use, just brush on the sauce after cooking and cut into bite-sized pieces before tossing with the rest of the salad.  Either way, this meal comes together in almost no time at all and is perfectly satisfying on a warm summer night!

Easy Chicken Salad with Sweet Red Chili Sauce
Serves 2

Dressing:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon or lime juice
2 T Thai sweet red chili sauce (such as Thai Garden brand)
1 T fish sauce
2 T canola oil

Salad:
Canola oil, for pan
1/2 pound chicken tenders
Salt and pepper
6-8 thin stalks asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 small to medium head red-leaf lettuce, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces

1. Whisk together the lemon juice, sweet chili garlic sauce, and fish sauce.  Add the canola oil and whisk briskly to combine.  Taste, and adjust ingredients as needed.
2. Heat canola oil to cover the bottom of a skillet over medium-high heat.  Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper, and then carefully place into the pan.  Cook until nicely browned on both sides and cooked through.  Remove to a cutting board and set aside.
3. Add the asparagus to the pan, adding more oil if needed.  Cook until just tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Toss the lettuce with as much dressing as you like (you won't use all of it).  Brush additional dressing on the chicken, and then slice into bite-sized pieces.  Add the chicken and asparagus to the lettuce and toss together, adding more dressing as needed.

Israeli Couscous Salad with Red Grapes and Sauteed Vegetables

This pasta salad was the final part of the epic dinner I made last week.  Although it was tasty, I didn't think it really went with the burgers and sweet potatoes - I think I'd be more likely to serve this as picnic or lunch food.  Israeli couscous is combined with sauteed veggies (onion, bell pepper, and snap peas) and red grapes, and then everything is tossed with a yummy fresh thyme dressing.  The one thing we thought was missing was acid - and so when I ate the leftovers, I squeezed lemon juice all over the salad before eating it, which just brought everything together and made the salad way more delicious.  (I've included the lemon juice in the recipe below, because I definitely consider it essential!)  This makes for a great side dish, but you could also add something else to make it a bit heartier and serve it as a light main dish - perhaps pine nuts and feta cheese, or cubed roasted chicken, or even sauteed Italian sausage.

Israeli Couscous Salad with Red Grapes and Sauteed Vegetables (adapted from Salad Days)
Serves 3-4 as a side dish

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 T Cabernet or sherry vinegar
1 T cider vinegar
1/2 T fresh thyme, minced
A few grinds of black pepper
Generous pinch of salt

Salad: 
Olive oil
1/2 large red onion, minced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, minced
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup snap peas, trimmed and sliced into small pieces
1 cup Israeli couscous, whole wheat if possible
2 cups chicken broth, hot
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to serve

1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a glass jar with a tightly fitting lid.  Screw on the lid, and shake vigorously until combined.  Taste and adjust for seasoning.  Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.
2. Add enough olive oil to your pan to just coat the bottom.  Heat over medium-high heat until shimmering, and then add the onion.  Cook until just softened, and then add the bell pepper and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the vegetables are browned, and then remove from heat and stir in the peas.  Set aside until ready to use.
3. Cool the couscous.  Add more oil to the bottom of a non-stick pan (a skillet or a pot would both be fine), and heat over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the couscous and saute, stirring frequently, until it is browned in a few spots.  Then add the broth in several additions, stirring occasionally (no need to stir as much as risotto.  Whenever the pot gets dry, add more liquid, until the couscous is cooked through and the liquid is evaporated.
4. Remove the couscous from the heat. Stir the reserved vegetables and the grapes into the couscous.  Then add about half the dressing.  Stir to combine, and add more dressing as needed.  Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
5. Just before serving, squeeze lemon juice over each portion and serve either warm or room temperature.

Sesame Steak Salad with Asian Pears

This steak salad has a long list of ingredients, but it's fairly easy to pull together - mostly they just get whisked together or chopped and tossed into a salad.  I love all the different components of the salad - peppery radishes, sweet and crunchy Asian pears, soft lettuce, and a little bite from the scallions.  And the dressing is delicious - it has good sesame flavor and a nice balance of richness and acidity.  Plus, it's hard to go wrong with topping your salad with steak!  The marinade for this steak was absolutely delicious and added a lot of flavor to an already flavorful cut of meat (We used flat iron, but something like sirloin or strip steak would be fine too).  The marinade did burn in the pan a bit (especially the parts that ran off into the oil rather than sticking to the steak), as I note below, but the steak was none the worse for the wear.  This one is definitely a winner!

Sesame Steak Salad with Asian Pears (adapted from Fine Cooking)
Serves 2-3

1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
3 T mirin
2 T fresh lemon juice, divided
1-1/2 T soy sauce, divided
1 T toasted sesame oil, divided
Salt and pepper
3/4 pound flat iron steak, cut into two pieces and tendon removed (the butcher should do this for you if you ask)
1 T rice vinegar
1 tsp fish sauce
1 T sesame seeds
Vegetable oil
1/4 small seedless cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
1 medium Asian pear, about 8 ounces, thinly sliced
1 scallion, green parts sliced on the diagonal
2 romaine hearts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 radishes, thinly sliced

1. Whisk together the garlic, ginger, mirin, 1 T lemon juice, 1 T soy sauce, 1-1/2 tsp sesame oil, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a container large enough to hold the steak comfortably.  Add the meat, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar and fish sauce, along with the remaining 1 T lemon juice, 1/2 T soy sauce, 1-1/2 tsp sesame oil, and 1 T sesame seeds.  Set aside.
3. Cool the steak.  Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.  When it shimmers, remove the steak from the marinade and add it to the pan.  Cook until rare or medium rare, flipping the steak once.  Keep a close eye as the marinade has a tendency to burn (but don't worry too much if it does - ours burned quite a bit when it hit the parts of the pan around the steak, but the steak itself remained un-burnt and super yummy).
4. Remove the steak to a plate and cover with foil.
5. While the steak rests, combine the cucumber, pear, scallions, romaine, and radishes in a salad bowl.
6. After the steak has rested for at least 5 minutes or so, slice it thinly against the grain.  Toss the vegetables with the salad dressing and top with the steak.

FFwD: Quinoa, Fruit, and Nut Salad

The French Fridays with Dorie recipe for this week was a pretty quinoa, nut, and dried fruit salad that I absolutely loved.  I used a really pretty tri-color quinoa from the bulk bin at the store, and mixed it with dried peaches, golden raisins, sunflower seeds, and chopped pecans.  I changed up the dressing a bit, mixing together Meyer lemon juice, fresh ginger, olive oil, salt, and pepper. This was all served over mixed greens, seasoned just with salt and pepper.  I was worried the greens might be too dry - I pretty much never serve greens without some sort of oil or dressing - but it actually worked perfectly with the quinoa salad and the topping of plain Greek yogurt.

Although this dish was terrific as-is, I dressed up some of the leftovers for lunch with some crumbled lamb-rosemary sausage.  Wow! This made the salad even yummier, and the flavors of the lamb went really well with everything else.  Overall, I was very impressed with this salad and I think it makes a for the perfect easy, healthy, and tasty lunch.  Although the recipe says it serves four, I got three servings out of a half recipe - one right when I made it, and two as leftovers over the next few days.  The salad keeps really well, making this an excellent make-ahead lunch that can be packed for the next day.

Lamb and Sweet Onion Pitas with Orange-Cucumber Salad

Tim and I made these tasty pitas a couple of weekends ago and really loved them.  They have lots of great flavors, combining ground lamb, caramelized onions (yum!), a crunchy orange-cucumber salad, and cooling Greek yogurt (not pictured - I forgot about it until we got to the table!).  We had a little trouble finding ground lamb, and ended up buying lamb lula from an Armenian market, which is ground lamb mixed with onions, parsley, and possibly some other tasty things (the butcher wasn't totally clear on this).  This actually worked out perfectly since the lamb was pre-seasoned, but I'm sure regular ground lamb would be very tasty as well - you can always throw in some extra onions and parsley if you like. 

You can make this recipe with two people - one to man the skillet and the other to prepare the salad - and both tasks will take approximately the same time.  If you're making this by yourself, I definitely recommend fixing the salad (or at least prepping the oranges) before starting the onions.  Supreme-ing citrus, at least for a non-expert like me, is always a messy task that takes some concentration, so I wouldn't have wanted to switch back and forth between a hot pan while doing it.  Certainly the salad wouldn't suffer from a few extra minutes of marinating, and you're less like to end up with burned onions.

Lamb and Sweet Onion Pitas with Orange-Cucumber Salad (adapted from Fine Cooking)
Serves 2

Olive oil
1/2 medium sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound ground lamb (or lamb lula)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 large orange
1 small Persian cucumber (or 1/2 small English cucumber), halved and thinly sliced
1 T red wine vinegar
1-1/2 tsp chopped fresh mint (about 1 sprig)
2 pitas, halved and toasted if desired
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (more to taste)

1. Heat a thin layer of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add most of the onion (reserving a few slices), and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes.  Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the lamb to the skillet with more oil if needed, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat, until cooked through, 5-7 minutes.  Drain well.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining raw onion and transfer to a large bowl.  Supreme the orange over a bowl to collect the juices and cut the segments into chunks.  Add the oranges, orange juice, cucumber, vinegar, mint, and 1/2 T oil to the raw onion and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add more vinegar or oil as needed.
4. Fill the pitas with the lamb, cooked onions, and orange-cucumber salad.  Add a dollop of Greek yogurt to each pita and serve.

I'm sending this recipe off to this month's Kitchen Bootcamp Challenge: World Cuisines.

Grilled Nectarine and Fresh Mozzarella Salad

I love recipes like this one that can save out-of-season fruit.  Of course, it would be better to wait and have my nectarines in summer, but sometimes it's chilly outside and I need something to tide me over!  Grilled nectarines come to the rescue, and they're especially nice because you can make them with a grill pan (perfect for cold weather).  And really, you wouldn't want to heat up a whole grill for two nectarines, so if you don't have a grill pan I think a plain old skillet would work just fine.

Along with the grilled nectarines is an absolutely fantastic balsamic syrup.  Feel free to use whatever herb you like here, or none at all - the original recipe called for thyme, but we had rosemary in the garden so I went with that with great results.  Since this salad doesn't have too many ingredients, be sure to use a good fresh mozzarella cheese - I got mine at Cowgirl Creamery and loved it.  When everything was tossed together, this salad really did taste like summer in a bowl, which was just what I needed with the weather we've been having lately!

Grilled Nectarine and Fresh Mozzarella Salad (adapted from Fine Cooking magazine)
Serves 4

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 firm nectarines, each sliced into about 10 slices
Olive oil
Salad greens
Salt and pepper
6-8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes

1. Bring the vinegar and rosemary to a boil in a small, non-stick saucepan, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer until the vinegar is thickened and reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with olive oil.  [You could also easily use a regular grill or even just a skillet for this step.]  Arrange the nectarine slices on the grill in one layer, working in batches if you need to, and grill until browned and tender, flipping once.  Allow to cool slightly.
3. Toss the salad greens with olive oil, salt, and pepper, to taste.  Add the mozzarella and grilled nectarines.  Drizzle with the reduced balsamic syrup.

Roasted Apple and Asparagus Salad with Chicken

I've been increasingly into making entree salads rather than just side salads, and this one fits the bill perfectly. Roasting the apples and asparagus means you don't have to have perfectly fresh produce (this is a great "using up things in the kitchen" recipe), and it also gives them a deeper, more caramelized flavor. You can really substitute any favorite fruit-veggie combo here - pears would be a good apple substitute, for instance, or green beans for the asparagus. Paired with greens, chicken, and a simple dressing, this salad makes a great lunch or dinner. I top it with a bit of blue cheese for extra tang.

Roasted Apple and Asparagus Salad with Chicken
Serves 2

7-8 spears asparagus
1 apple, peeled and cubed
Olive oil
1 chicken breast, pounded 1/2-inch thick
Spray oil
Salt and pepper
4 cups baby greens
1/4 cup champagne vinaigrette, or any other favorite salad dressing
1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the asparagus and apple with olive oil, and spread on a foil-lined baking sheet in one even layer.  Roast until tender.
2. Meanwhile, spray a nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium-high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and then cook in the skillet until nicely browned and cooked through.
3. Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces, and cube the chicken.  Toss the asparagus and chicken with the apple, baby greens, and vinaigrette.  Divide among two plates and top with crumbled blue cheese.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Asparagus, Pears, and Blue Cheese

Tim and I wanted to make a healthy lunch last weekend after making peppermint cheesecake (recipe up soon!).  We did our best to recreate one of his favorite salads from Mixt Greens, with a few changes.  I cooked up a chicken breast on my grill pan, which really gave the chicken great flavor - I'm really impressed at how much "grilled" flavor you can get from it without there actually being smoke or charcoal.  The chicken was combined with steamed asparagus, fresh pears, baby greens, and a little blue cheese for the perfect salad.  I added tomatoes to mine, but Tim didn't since he is anti-tomato.  :)  (I actually forgot and tossed them with the salad...oops.  That's okay, more for me!)  Overall, this was a tasty, healthy lunch that definitely satisfied - and deserved cheesecake for dessert!

One tip - if your pear is a little underripe, saute it in a bit of oil for a few minutes while the chicken is cooking and it will soften right up.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Asparagus, Pears, and Blue Cheese
Serves 2

1 large chicken breast
Salt and pepper
6-8 spears asparagus, ends trimmed
1 medium pear, cubed
1 medium tomato, cored and sliced (optional)
A few large handfuls of baby greens
Mustard Vinaigrette, recipe below
1-2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

1. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper, and then grill on a grill pan (or cook in a saute pan) until cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, steam the asparagus until tender and then cut into inch-long pieces.
3. If the pear is underripe, saute for a few minutes in a little oil (or use oil spray on a nonstick pan).
4. Toss together the asparagus, pear, tomato, and baby greens, and then add about half the vinaigrette.  Toss to combine, and add more dressing if needed.  Divide the salad among two places.
5. Top with crumbled blue cheese.  Slice the chicken, and place on top of the salad.


Mustard Vinaigrette

3 T olive oil
1 T white wine vinegar
1/2 T of your favorite mustard (Dijon is always a good choice, but I used a honey garlic mustard with excellent results)
Salt and pepper

Combine everything in a jar with a tightly fitting lid and shake until well combined.  Dip a piece of lettuce into the dressing to taste, and adjust to get the flavor you like.

Peach-Tomato Salad

This quick summer salad is really delicious and it's a great way to add more fruits and veggies to a meal.   It would also be very easy to scale up in order to make enough for more people.  Of course, it will be best if you get the most perfectly ripe, amazing peaches and tomatoes, but if you can't quite find those, just let the salad marinate in the vinegar for a little longer and it will still be very tasty.

Peach-Tomato Salad (adapted from The Family Kitchen, original recipe here)
Serves 1

1 medium peach, cut into medium slices
1 medium heirloom tomato, cored, cut into medium slices
A few very thin slices of red onion
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toss the peach slices, tomato slices, and onion together in a bowl.  Drizzle over the oil and vinegar, toss again, and then top with salt and pepper to taste.

Aarti Party: Sloppy Bombay Joes with Massaged Kale Salad

I rooted for Aarti all season on Next Food Network Star, and I was so excited when she won!  Her food always looked delicious, and she has such a warm and inviting personality that I can't help wanting to watch more.  So, I was glad when the first episode of her new show, Aarti Party aired.  I watched it with two friends, and we knew right away that we wanted to make some of the recipes! 

So, what was the verdict?  Did Aarti's recipes taste as good as they looked?  For the Sloppy Bombay Joes, I would definitely say yes.  These were a super tasty version of sloppy joes, with lots of good flavor.  We particularly liked the addition of pistachios and raisins...they provided little pockets of crunch and sweetness all throughout the sloppy joes.  I also liked that the recipe called for ground turkey, which may not be traditional but is how I had sloppy joes growing up. 

I thought the Massaged Kale Salad was a bit of a mixed bag.  We definitely ate it all up, but it was a little sweet for my taste.  I would definitely make this again, because I love the technique for wilting raw kale and incorporating it into a salad, but I think I would use a different dressing and skip the super sweet mango.  I'm imagining a lemon-y dressing with thinly sliced lemon cucumbers and minced olives, or maybe a balsamic vinaigrette with slightly tart quartered strawberries.  I'll have to try one of those and report back!

Overall, I'd say Aarti's first episode was a winner -- I learned a brand new technique for serving raw kale, and we really enjoyed the dinner prepared from her recipes.  Plus, it was pretty healthy - she's not the type of chef who just uses pounds of butter to make her food taste good.   I will definitely keep tuning in, and you may see more Aarti recipes here sometime soon!  

Sloppy Bombay Joes (from Aarti Party)
Serves 4

For the sauce:
1 T vegetable oil
1 T minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp paprika
15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup water

For the turkey:
2 T vegetable oil
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 large white onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, chopped
1/2 serrano chile, not chopped
Kosher salt
1 pound ground turkey breast
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 cup half-and-half
Hamburger buns, toasted (we used minis just for fun)

1. First, get the sauce started.  Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers, and then add the ginger, garlic, and chile.  Saute until the garlic starts to turn brown, and then add the garam masala and paprika.  Saute 30 seconds, and then stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer, uncovered, while you finish the rest of the meal.  Stir occasionally.
2. While the sauce reduces, make the turkey mixture.  Warm half of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and then add the pistachios and raisins.  Cook until the raisins swell up a bit and the pistachios brown, stirring often and keeping a close watch so nothing burns.  Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil and heat until shimmering.  Add the cumin seeds and saute for about 10 seconds.  Add the onion and pepper, and saute until they start to brown.  Add the pepper, season with salt, and saute for another few minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into smaller pieces.  Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the sauce to the skillet, bring to a boil, and then simmer about 10 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and the flavors are nicely combined.  Remove the pepper, and add the honey, half-and-half, and reserved pistachios and raisins.  Heat through and taste for seasoning.  Serve with toasted buns.

Massaged Kale Salad (from Aarti Party)
Serves 4

1 bunch kale, stalks removed and discarded, leaves very thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp honey
1 mango, diced

1. Combine the kale, half the lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.  Massage with your hands until the kale softens and wilts, 2-3 minutes.  Set aside.
2. Combine the remaining lemon juice, olive oil, a pinch of salt, several grinds of pepper, and the honey in a small jar.  Screw the lid on tightly and shake until well combined.  Taste a little on a bit of kale, and adjust seasoning as needed.
3. Toss the kale, dressing, and mango together in a serving dish.

Black Bean-Corn Salad

I like this salad because it's super versatile.  It's great as a side salad, with lots of flavor to stand up as its own dish.  It also works as a dip/salsa - if you want to go this route, you could serve as is or add a couple more tomatoes.  Although we didn't use it this way, I think this recipe would also be great as a component of another dish - for example, a topper for chicken or stuffed in a quesadilla or taco with cheese.  Any way you serve it, this summer salad is quick to pull together and perfect for a hot day when you want to keep the stove off.

Black Bean-Corn Salad (adapted from Chili Cheese Fries, original recipe here)

1-1/2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup fresh corn, cut from the cob, steamed briefly if tough (may not be needed)
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 mild (or one spicy) jalapeno chiles, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
A generous drizzle of olive oil

Mix everything together, taste, and adjust ingredients as needed.

Potato Salad with Fava Beans and Fennel

I made this potato salad a few weeks ago as part of my plan to pack more lunches for myself.  A nicely-sized portion makes a good lunch along with some yogurt or a piece of fruit, since the potatoes and fava beans are fairly filling.  If favas are out of season (or too much trouble), lima beans make a good substitute here.  My sister and grandma made the recipe using limas for a church potluck, and said the results were excellent.  The dressing of olive oil and lemon juice makes this recipe much lighter than the usual mayonnaise-based potato salad, and the fennel adds a perfect crunch. 

Potato Salad with Fava Beans and Fennel (adapted from the kitchn, original recipe here)
Serves 2

3/4 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 T olive oil
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
Juice of 1/2 to 1 Meyer lemon (to taste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound shelled fava beans (removed from outer skins)
1 generous cup very thinly sliced fennel
1 T finely chopped fennel fronds
2 T chopped chives

1. Cover the potatoes with water, add a generous pinch of salt, and then bring to a boil.  Simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, and juice of 1/2 lemon.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and add more lemon juice as needed.
3. When the potatoes are cooked through, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and toss with the lemon dressing while still hot.
4. Add the fava beans to the boiling water for 30-40 seconds.  Immediately run under cold water and then slip off the skins.  Taste, and boil a bit more if needed (this will depend on the size).
5. Add the fava beans, fennel, fennel fronds, and chives to the potatoes, and gently toss to combine.  Taste and add more salt, pepper, lemon juice, and/or oil as needed. Serve warm or chilled.

I'm sending this salad off to Kitchen Bootcamp: Salads.

Udon Chicken Salad with Snap Peas

I've been trying to be more responsible about bringing my lunch to campus this summer, because my schedule has just made it far too easy to grab various healthy and less-than-healthy (but almost invariably too expensive) lunches at school.  This was one of my first attempts, a cold noodle salad.  I wanted to try this recipe for a couple of reasons.  First, the sesame noodles at Jamba Juice are one of my go-to lunches when I'm in a hurry, and I thought this might be a somewhat similar recipe, at least in spirit.  Second, I was eager to try out fresh udon noodles, which I've never cooked with before.  Luckily they were very easy to locate at the grocery store, in the Asian aisle -- of course, your mileage may vary here. I think you could easily substitute other noodles here with good results.  And finally, I was determined to use some recipes from a food magazine - I'm so obsessed with these magazines, but it can be hard to remember to use the recipes from them!

So, how was the noodle salad?  Overall, it was tasty, although this sauce was not my favorite.  It was certainly tasty, but I think I would have preferred something a little milder with more of a sesame kick.  I would also increase the number of veggies if I did this again - maybe adding some red bell peppers for more color and crunch.  But, it was fantastic to learn about using fresh udon noodles.  They were very easy to prepare and came out with the perfect texture, plus the texture held up in the fridge overnight without becoming mushy.  Verdict: a good lunch, and I would make this dish again with a different sauce and more veggies. 

Udon Chicken Salad with Snap Peas (adapted from Bon Appetit)
Serves 2

For the sauce:
1/4 cup + 2 T olive oil
1/4 cup + 2 T mango chutney
3 T unseasoned rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the salad:
6 ounces stringless sugar snap peas, cut in half
7-ounce package fresh udon noodles
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 chicken breast half, seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked through

Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it.  Add the peas and cook for 2 minutes, until crisp-tender.  Drain, and run under cold water to stop the cooking.

Bring another pot of water to a boil and add the noodles.  Cook 3 minutes, drain, and run under cold water.  Place in a bowl and toss with sesame oil.

Cut the chicken into strips or bite-sized pieces.  Toss the peas, noodles, and chicken with the sauce.

YWPWT: Pear-Prosciutto-Gruyere Pizza with Spinach Salad

One of my favorite blog events, You Want Pies with That?, has returned!  (Actually, it returned last month, but I missed out because I was busy with school.)  This month's theme is pizza pies.  I definitely couldn't miss out on that one, because I love making pizza!  This particular pizza is definitely one of my favorites.  It's adapted from Cooking Light, but in the process has become not particularly "light" - but it's super delicious.  Salty prosciutto, sweet pears, caramelized onions, and gruyere cheese combine to make an absolutely delicious pizza.  It's topped with lightly dressed baby spinach, which wilts just a little on the warm pizza and provides the perfect green crunch to the meal, balancing out all the richness in the other toppings. 

Pear-Prosciutto-Gruyere Pizza with Spinach Salad (adapted from Cooking Light)
Makes 2 pizzas

Olive oil
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 recipe Martha Stewart's pizza dough (or your favorite recipe), risen and ready to bake
1-1/2 cups grated Gruyere
2 medium pears, peeled and thinly sliced
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
3 cups baby spinach
Cabernet vinegar (or your favorite vinegar)
A bit of Dijon mustard

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
2. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the onions and saute over medium-low heat until browned and caramelized, about 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Stretch half the pizza dough to fit your pan.  Brush with a thin layer of olive oil.  Sprinkle with cheese, pears, prosciutto, and caramelized onions. 
4. Bake pizza until bubbling and browned, 10-15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, whisk together olive oil, Cabernet vinegar, and a bit of mustard to make a dressing.  Toss with the spinach.
6. Pile the spinach onto the hot pizza when it comes out of the oven.  Cut into wedges and serve.

I'm sending this recipe off to BSI: Prosciutto, hosted this week by Loser for Life.

Red Berry-Arugula Salad

I made this salad a couple of weeks ago to go with a fantastic butternut squash risotto - more on that later.  The salad was entirely delicious, sort of a cross between fruit salad and green salad.  There are enough berries that the salad definitely screams "fruit" and not regular salad with a few bits of fruit mixed in.  But the dressing and spicy arugula pull it toward savory and make it a perfect accompaniment to a rich main dish like risotto.  Because the greens are fairly sturdy, this salad keeps fairly well to the next day if you have leftovers. 

Red Berry-Arugula Salad (adapted from The Kitchn, original recipe here)
Serves 6-8

2 pounds strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered (halved if small)
1/2 pint red raspberries, rinsed
A few large handfuls baby arugula
Fig balsamic vinegar
A spoonful of Dijon mustard
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Combine the strawberries, raspberries, and arugula in a large bowl.  In a jar with a tightly fitting lid, combine a generous pour of fig balsamic vinegar, a spoonful of Dijon mustard, a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Screw on the lid and shake vigorously until combined.  Taste and add more vinegar or olive oil as needed.  Toss with berries and greens.

Green Salad with Marinated Cucumber and Red Onion

This salad is tasty and refreshing. It requires a little advanced planning since the cucumbers, onions, and radishes must marinate for about half an hour, but otherwise it's super easy. The crunchy vegetables are marinated until just slightly pickled, and then everything is tossed together with greens so that the marinade becomes the salad dressing. I love this treatment for cucumbers and onions, which neither of which I love just tossed raw into salads. Marinated, they're much tastier and have a better texture. We found the original recipe to be a bit heavy on the onion, so the amount is reduced below; if you're particularly fond of onion, feel free to use a whole small red onion.

Green Salad with Marinated Cucumber and Red Onion (adapted from Food to Live By)
Serves 4-6

Zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 T white wine vinegar
Pinch of salt, more to taste
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 small English cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
6 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 large handfuls baby lettuce

1. Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a bow and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed. Add the cucumber, onion, and radishes and let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. Add the lettuce and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Caprese Salad Skewers

These skewers are one of the appetizers we put together for my housemate's and my recent birthday party. They were really easy to make (crucial on a busy day of baking!) and absolutely delicious. They were also a nice vegetarian addition to the eats for the evening, while still being yummy for everyone to enjoy. These are also nice for a party because they just get better as they sit around; instead of getting mushy or stale, the skewers just soak up more of the yummy sauce.

Caprese Salad Skewers (from Mumm Napa's Hors D'oeuvres deck)

1 T fig balsamic vinegar, or more to taste
1 T plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp kosher salt, or more to taste
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 24 1/2-inch cubes
24 small cherry tomatoes, preferable Sweet 100s
24 small leaves of fresh basil
25 five-inch bamboo skewers

1. Combine the vinegar, 1 T of the olive oil, 1/8 tsp of the pepper, and the salt in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust vinegar and salt.
2. Toss the mozzarella with the remaining 1 tsp olive oil and the remaining 1/8 tsp pepper. Season to taste with salt if needed.
3. Slide one cherry tomato onto each skewer. Fold each piece of basil in half and slide onto the skewers. Finally, add 1 piece of mozzarella to each skewer. Repeat until all ingredients have been used. Place the skewers on a serving dish and evenly pour the balsamic vinegar over the skewers.

Caramelized Cod with Five Flavors and Spinach-Beet Salad

I almost never cook fish, but last week I decided I was going to end that trend. I also wanted to finally cook something out of Crave, which has some serious food porn photos (really, some of them are over the top!). It had been sitting around my house, flipped through but never baked from, for several months and definitely needed some love! Crave has several tasty-sounding fish recipes, and I ended up going with a recipe for caramelized cod with spinach salad.

Instead of the usual five-spice powder, this recipe has you make your own "five spice powder" with orange zest, lime zest, vanilla, licorice root, and mint. Even our fancy pants grocery didn't have licorice root, so I substituted fennel to excellent effect. The recipe below does make more than you'll need for the fish, but it's also the fussiest part of the recipe so it's nice to make a big batch and have some leftover. This is a flavorful spice mix that would be good over more fish, chicken, or whisked into a homemade vinaigrette to add an extra pop of flavor.

After the spice mix is made, the rest of the fish recipe is a breeze - just sprinkle on salt, pepper, and sugar and pan fry the fish until cooked through. The spice mixture is added after cooking, presumably because the zest would be liable to burn. The result is a mild, delicate, delicious piece of fish. Make sure to ask your fish monger what he recommends - mine suggested a somewhat pricier cod than the cheapest option but it was definitely worth it!

The beet salad is a perfect accompaniment to the fish, with the dressing adding a needed acidity to the dish. I love roasted beets, although I don't make them nearly enough. The bright colors are so much fun, and the main work here is chopping the beets. After that task, the beets just roast in the oven and are tossed with baby spinach and a dressing dolled up with more of the five-spice powder. Definitely try this recipe - it's a winner! It would be elegant enough for a dinner party, but it's easy enough that you can also make it in a couple of hours in the evening, some of that being cooking time (less if the spice powder is already made).


Caramelized Cod with Five Flavors and Spinach-Beet Salad (adapted from Crave)

Five-Spice Powder
2 T orange zest
2 T lime zest
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and coarsely chopped
1 T dried fennel seeds
2 T dried mint leaves

Fish
6 cod fillets
Fleur de sel
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp sugar, divided
Olive oil

Salad
3 red beets
3 golden beets
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fig balsamic vinegar
Dijon mustard
Baby spinach

1. First, make the five-spice powder. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Sprinkle the orange zest, lime zest, and vanilla pieces onto a tin foil-lined baking sheet and bake about 18 minutes, until the zest is dry and starting to crisp. Stir occasionally while baking. Add the fennel seeds and mint leaves, and grind into a powder in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder. Set aside.

2. Prepare the beets. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash and peel the beets, and cut into small cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread out on a large, foil-lined baking sheet. Roast until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Set a pasta strainer over a large salad bowl and scrape the beets and any remaining oil into the pasta strainer. Shake gently to get as much oil as possible into the salad bowl. Set the beets aside to cool slightly.

4. To the oil in the bowl, whisk in fig balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and additional oil as needed to create a smooth, emulsified dressing. Add salt, pepper, and a generous sprinkle of the five-spice powder. Set aside until the fish is ready.

5. Sprinkle both sides of each piece of fish with fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle one side of each piece of fish with 1/4 tsp sugar.

6. Heat olive oil in two large non-stick skillets until hot. With the flame turned to high, add the fish. Cook four minutes per side, or until browned on the outside and opaque in the middle. Remove fish to a platter and sprinkle generously with five-spice powder.

7. Add the spinach and roasted beets to the salad bowl with dressing and toss to combine.

8. Enjoy!

Roasted Pear Salad

This salad is the perfect use for those pears that aren't ripe enough to eat out of hand. Our grocery store only seems to carry pears in two varieties: hard and rock hard. Of course, I could put them in a paper bag and wait a few days, but knowing me this will likely lead to the discovery of a rotten pear in 2-3 weeks! Roasting the pears is a great solution. They become soft and sweet, and perfectly delicious in this salad. I wouldn't try this with totally unripe pears, but with pears that are getting there but still too firm to eat, it seems to work well. The sweet pears pair (hee!) well with bitter greens and a light vinaigrette. Feel free to sub in your favorite bitter greens for the watercress. As always, you could jazz up the salad with some goat cheese to make it extra special, but it's a winner even sans-cheese.

Roasted Pear Salad (adapted from Gourmet)

2 large pears, firm but ripe
1 T olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 T finely chopped shallot
2 1/2 T cider vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch watercress, rinsed and trimmed
2 handfuls mixed baby greens, rinsed

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel the pears and slice each into 8-10 thick slices. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until soft and caramelized. Flip the pears over with a spatula once during roasting. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before making the rest of the salad.

2. Place the shallot, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and olive oil into a jar with a tightly fitting lid. Screw on the lid and then shake vigorously until all the ingredients are combined. Taste and add more honey, salt, and/or pepper as needed.

3. Place the pears in a salad bowl along with the watercress and baby greens. Add about half the dressing and toss to combine. Add more dressing as desired and pass any extra at the table.