bbq desserts: salads

Showing posts with label salads. Show all posts

Showing posts with label salads. Show all posts

Antipasto Pasta Salad Salad

This dish is a pasta salad and a salad; hence the title of this recipe. This is a great dish to make and have for a healthy lunch during the week. I explain the best way to prepare and pack it below. I used some of my favorite antipasto staples, but you could use whatever are your favorite items. A little tuna or shrimp (instead of the salami) would be good additions to this, too.

Ingredients:
Half a pound of penne pasta
4 ounces Italian dry salami, diced
8 ounces (1 ball) fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
½ cup grape tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Romaine lettuce chopped
(Additional items could include artichoke hearts, cooked asparagus, red onion, cucumber, garbanzo or cannellini beans, etc.)

Herbed Red Wine Vinaigrette:
¼ cup good red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press or 2 tsps garlic paste from the tube
½ tsp good Dijon mustard
½ tsp dried Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar
½ cup good olive oil

Bring a pot of water to boil; salt liberally. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, approx. 10-11 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain again and let sit so it dries some. Prepare the rest of the salad while this is happening.

Add the salami through the parsley to a bowl. Set aside.

Make the dressing by adding all of the ingredients to a small bowl, except the oil. Whisk together and then slowly add the oil while whisking.

Add the pasta to the bowl with the rest of the salad ingredients. Toss with some of the dressing.
To plate, add some chopped lettuce to a bowl, dress it a little bit with the vinaigrette. Add some pasta salad and serve.

This is a great recipe to make ahead for lunches during the week. Just pack the lettuce and pasta salad separately so the lettuce doesn’t wilt. Pack a little extra vinaigrette on the side, just in case you need it.

Incredibly Good Salad Dressing

I am vice president of High Hopes in High Heels, a professional women's group that gets together for networking and charitable giving. We attended a cooking class last week where we made some delicious dishes and learned some great tips, which I'll share in a separate post. This post is dedicated to an incredibly good, as the name suggests, and incredibly easy salad dressing. I have already whipped up a batch for myself. All the ladies at the cooking class were raving about this one.

1 Tablespoon garlic paste (this was one of her great tips) or a clove of garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons honey (I love honey with all my heart, tastebuds and stomach)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (use a good one, people)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

In a small jar, put garlic, honey, vinegar and a dash of fresh black pepper and Kosher salt. Shake well to combine. Add olive oil and continue to shake until well mixed.

Pesto Pasta Salad

I am going to make this pasta salad all the time. I am so glad I found it. It's perfect for barbecues, family gatherings, picnics, and even brunch. Recipe is courtesy of Cuisine at Home.

Cook:
1 lb. dry penner pasta
2 cups frozen green peas

Whisk:
1/2 cup purchased refrigerated pesto (I used Buitoni basil pesto)
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Stir in:
4 cups fresh baby spinach (could also use arugula for a little peppery bite)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Toast pine nuts in a stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Stir and toss until pine nuts are golden brown and fragrant. Set aside.

Cook penne in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; add peas during the last three minutes. Transfer penne and peas to a bowl of ice water; drain well.

Whisk together pesto, lemon juice, olive oil, zest and garlic in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Stir in penne, peas, spinach, Parmesan, pine nuts; season with salt and pepper.

Steak and Potato Salad with Horseradish Dressing

I found this recipe at EatingWell.com. It immediately caught my eye because I love horseradish. Leftovers the next day are equally good cold.

What You'll Need:
1 pound baby potatoes, scrubbed
12 ounces green beans (about 3 cups), trimmed
1/2 cup sliced fresh chives or scallion greens
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar or red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sirloin steak or strip steak (1-1 1/4 inches thick), trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ears corn, husked (optional, if it isn't season)

How to make it:
Preheat grill to medium.

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add potatoes, cover and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to cool. Add beans to the steamer basket, cover and cook until bright green and just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Rinse in a colander with cold water until cool. Drain thoroughly and transfer to a large bowl. Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters and add to the bowl with the beans. Stir in chives (or scallion greens).

Meanwhile, combine sour cream, vinegar, horseradish, Worcestershire and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in oil.

Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Oil a grill pan. Grill the steak about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, 6 minutes per side for medium. Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until marked and tender, 8 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board; let the steak rest for 5 minutes. When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels from the cob (see Tips). Thinly slice the steak crosswise. Add the steak and any accumulated juice and the corn kernels to the bowl with the potatoes and beans; toss with the horseradish dressing.

Citrus Grilled Chicken Over Mixed Field Greens

Here is a very healthy, fresh and flavorful meal. Great for summertime!

Ingredients:
2 lemons, zest and juice, divided
1 lime, zest and juice
1 garlic clove, passed through a garlic press
olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 chicken breasts, split in half into cutlets
mixed organic greens
roasted sunflower seeds
goat cheese

In a medium bowl, zest one of the lemons and the lime. Add the juice from both and the garlic. Whisk in some olive oil, about 1/3-1/2 cup. Place the chicken in the bowl and coat well. Let marinate for 10 minutes.

Heat a nonstick grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes per side, until cooked through. Remove to a pan and let rest for a minute, slice.

For the dressing, whisk the juice from the other lemon with the mustard. Slowly add in a little olive oil, about 1/3 cup. Place some field greens on each plate, crumble a little goat cheese and sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Add some of the dressing and top with the chicken.

You could also use an orange along with the lime and lemon if you wanted.

May: National Salad Month

May is National Salad Month, which I was unaware of until I came across this article in the St. Petersburg Times. The food editor has developed a list of salads, one for each day of the month. A few of them sounded quite good - such as the salad nicoise, chopped Mediterranean and salmon hash - so I thought I would share the list with you.

Check them out here.

Here are some dressing recipes to accompany the different salads.

I hope you'll try some out and share your thoughts with me. When I try some I'll let you know how I like them.

Super Easy Vinaigrette

This is a really easy and elegant vinaigrette. I made it the other night to dress some mixed greens to accompany fried tilapia my husband made. There is just something about a nice, simple sample with fried food that is so right.

Ingredients:
juice of half a lemon
tsp of dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice and dijon mustard. Then slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Add a little dressing to mixed greens or a prepared salad and toss well. Be careful not to overdress the salad or it gets soggy.

This is a great go-to salad dressing that takes just a couple of minutes to make.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

I love to buffalo-fy things: buffalo turkey burgers, buffalo chicken dip and now buffalo chicken salad. This one though is actually on the healthy side. This recipe is courtesy of Ellie Krieger.

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken strips
2 Tbsp. cayenne pepper hot sauce (I like Crystal)
2 tsp. olive oil
romaine lettuce
celery, thinly sliced
carrots, thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup blue cheese dressing (recipe follows)

Preheat the broiler.

In a large bowl, combine the hot sauce and oil, add the chicken, and toss until well coated. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and broil until it is cooked through, 6-8 minutes, turning once.

In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, celery, carrots, and scallions and toss with the dressing. Divide among four plates, top with the warm chicken, serve with extra hot sauce on the side.

Blue Cheese Dressing
1/4 cup nonfat, plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise (canola oil or olive oil based are healthier)
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, buttermilk and mayonnaise together. Add the vinegar and sugar and continue to whisk until well combined. Stir in the blue cheese and season with Kosher salt and pepper.

Homemade Croutons

If you're anything like me, you'll buy a loaf of Cuban or some other kind of bread to accompany soup one night, but by the next day, the bread is starting to get a little stale. So what do you do with this day old or even a couple days old bread? You don't want to throw it away because that would be a waste of money. The answer... you make homemade croutons! They're so easy to make and much better than the store bought kind.

Simple cut the bread into cubes. Toss in olive oil with a few seasonings like Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Coat well and spread onto a baking sheet in an even layer. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Let cool and store in a sealable plastic bag. Serve on top of soups or salads.

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

As promised, here is the blue cheese dressing recipe I made for husband's birthday and served on a wedge of iceberg. I wanted to test it first because it was something I played with. I am happy to report it was really good. The dressing would be great with buffalo wings or a vegetable platter for your next get together.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (about 1 shallot)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about half a lemon)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled domestic blue cheese
1 head iceberg lettuce, core trimmed, cut lengthwise into quarters
small grape or cherry tomatoes (optional)
crumbled bacon (optional)

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, shallot, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir in blue cheese. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes. Place each wedge of lettuce on an individual plate. Drizzle each wedge with dressing and garnish with tomatoes and bacon, if desired.

Book Club Eats: Apple-Cheddar Salad

I have been wanting to make this salad for awhile, and my book club gathering was the perfect opportunity. This recipe is courtesy of my Cuisine at Home magazine. The only thing I omitted from the salad was the pecans. One of my friends is allergic to nuts, so I didn't want to kill her, she is one of my favorite people. I had meant to prepare the pecans and serve them on the side, but I forgot to even buy them.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup pecan halves or pieces
1 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt

Toast the pecans in the butter, sugar and salt in a small saute pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes; set aside.

For the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh chives
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half & half)

Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl and whisk in the cream.

Salad ingredients:
1 Braeburn apple, cored and sliced
1 bag salad mix
sharp white cheddar, shaved

Toss 1/3 of the dressing with the salad mix, apples and pecans. Garnish with the cheese. Save the remaining dressing for another use.

Antipasto Pasta Salad

I made this dish the other night for my book club. It was a big hit. I made it an advance and served it cold, but you could serve it right after it is prepared. If you decide to serve it cold, the best way is to cook the pasta first and allow to cool in the fridge. Once cold, finish the rest of the preparations.

Ingredients:
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Antipasto Salad:
1 pound fusilli pasta (or any short, spiral shaped pasta)
1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup smoked turkey, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese (Parmesan or Romano works as well)
1/4 cup green olives, halved and pitted
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, cut into strips
1/4 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette: In a blender or food processor, add the basil, vinegar, lemon zest and juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta. In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve.

This vinaigrette is great; you could use it on a variety of salads.

101 Simple Salads

My awesome boss and fellow foodie sent me this link to a New York Times article offering 101 ideas for simple salads. I wanted to share it with all of you. For my low-carb seekers, maybe there are some ideas in here for you.

Have fun! http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/dining/22mlist.html?em

Old Bay Shrimp Pasta Salad

Here is a great Summer pasta salad courtesy of Old Bay seasoning. It has colorful veggies, shrimp and a zesty dressing. This will definitely be a hit at your next cookout. Feel free to swap out different vegetables. I added cherry tomatoes. And don't forget about the upcoming contest to win a gift bag from Old Bay. Keep checking back for details.

Ingredients:
1 lb. cooked shrimp
2 cups small shell pasta, uncooked
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 package cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup Italian dressing, whatever is your favorite
2 tsps. Old Bay seasoning

Cook pasta in boiling salted water as directed on the package. Drain, rinse under cold water.

In a large bowl, toss pasta in with shrimp, celery, green and red pepper, onion and tomatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk the mayo, dressing and OLD BAY together. Pour over the pasta mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for two hours. Before serving, sprinkle with additional OLD BAY, if desired.

4th of July Side Dish: Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Salad

This is a great side dish for barbecues since there is no mayonaise it can sit out for awhile and it's not a big deal. It's delicious, healthy, fresh and little fancier than other pasta salads.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsps. red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
Half a bag of baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 (15-ounce) can of artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (I love cheese so I just usually eyeball the amount)
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 lb. box penne pasta, cooked, well-drained and cooled (I usually cook the pasta in advance and refrigerate it until cool)
Coarse salt and black pepper

Combine the oil, vinegar and lemon juice in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I like to make this a couple of hours prior to serving, so it all marinates together and the flavors are enhanced. It also tastes great as leftovers.

Vegetable Lasagna

I had my BF over for dinner tonight. She needed a little entertainment while her husband is out of town. I made us vegetable lasagna and served it with a little salad and homemade garlic bread. This is a great vegetarian meal, but hearty enough for all the meatlovers out there. Feel free to make changes to the lasagna and substitute with your favorite veggies. Eggplant would be great.

Italian Salad
1 sack of Italian salad mix
artichoke hearts
kalamata olives
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese (however much you like, a teaspoon or two)

Combine the first three ingredients into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl (or if you have an awesome emulsifier like me) combine the last four ingredients and whisk well. Pour about half of the dressing on the salad and toss. Save the rest of the dressing for another night.

Vegetable Lasagna
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 zucchinis, sliced thin
1 (8-10 ounce) package of sliced mushrooms (I like to use baby bellas)
1 (15 ounce) container part skim milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 (10 ounce) boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture
6 cups store-bought or homemade tomato sauce (2 jars of store-bought sauce)
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
8 ounces fontina cheese, shredded

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-medium high heat, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and let cook for 1 minute. Then add the mushrooms and zucchini to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Sautee until the vegetables are tender, but still have some bite, about 7 minutes, toss frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool while you prepare the rest.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, egg and salt and pepper to taste. Add the spinach and stir well to combine.

Spread a small bit of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles (four sheets) on top, overlapping a bit is okay. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by 1/3 of the mushroom/zucchini mixture, followed by 1/3 of the remaining sauce; sprinkle with 1/3 of the grated Fontina cheese. Repeat to make two more layers, ending with cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. This allows the lasagna to set, so when you cut into it all the sauce and juice doesn't pour out.

You may freeze this lasagna to use later. Just cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Before baking, defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

Yield: 8 servings

Homemade Garlic Bread
1 loaf of fresh Italian bread from the bakery
4 cloves of garlic
handful of Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 a stick of butter, at room temperature

Place the butter in a bowl and allow to soften at room temperature. Add the garlic and parsley, mix well. Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Spread each half with the butter mixture. Place on a baking sheet, butter side up. When you take the lasagna out of the oven, put in the bread and bake for 10 minutes. (While the lasagna rests.)

Bon Apetito!

Health Kick is Back On

After eating like total crap the past week, my husband and I are back on a healthy kick. I think my husband lived off of fried food last week while in Biloxi and I hardly had time to eat. I went to the grocery store after work today and stocked up on fruit and vegetables.

Tonight I made salmon that I seasoned with a McCormick no salt lemon and pepper seasoning. I then sauteed it in a pan with a little olive oil over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes per side.

My side salad consisted of a spinach/romaine combination, blue cheese crumbles, tomato, craisans and a little balsamic vinaigrette. Toasted pecans or walnuts would make a great addition.

For dessert I think I'll make a fruit smoothie. I have been really into these lately and have tried a few different combinations. My favorite so far is to take about 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 banana, 3 spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt, a little skim milk - maybe 1/2 cup, and a teaspoon of honey. Place in a blender and let 'er rip until desired consistency. No need for ice since the strawberries are frozen. The honey adds a little sweetness without having to use sugar. Sooo good. Great for breakfast or dessert.

And trust me, this is healthier than running to a smoothie joint. A lot of those smoothies are actually very high in calories, sugar and sometimes fat. I'll let you know of any other promising combinations I develop, and if you have any favorites, please feel free to share in the comments section.

1905 Salad - Shower Recipe 5

The Columbia Restaurant is an institution in Tampa; it's legendary. There are several locations, but the original is in historic Ybor City. Their 1905 salad is incredibly popular and several other area restaurants have their knock-off versions. I have made this salad for several parties and it is always a hit. The dressing is a great recipe in itself. I urge you to make extra to keep on hand, but I'll warn you - it is garlicy. But I think that is what makes it so yummy.

Here is the link to the recipe: http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/recipe.asp?FeaturedItemID=2.

Enjoy!

Broccoli Slaw and Raman Noodle Salad - Shower Recipe 2

This recipe has been kind of passed along over the years. I think originally it was my sister's mother-in-law's recipe. She made it for my sister's bridal shower like 10 years ago. I've made it for other friends' showers and so on. It is really easy.

Ingredients:
2 Raman noodle packages (Any flavor you like. I usually use chicken.)
1 package of broccoli slaw ( You can find this in the produce section, usually by the packaged broccoli florets. What it is, is broccoli that has been shredded into a slaw like cabbage.)
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup cashews
1 can of mandarin oranges, optional (I don't use, but if you like mandarin oranges, knock yourself out.)
4 green onions, chopped, optional
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
both seasoning packets from the Raman
1 cup oil (vegetable or olive)

Break up the Raman noodles and place in a large mixing bowl. You DO NOT cook the noodles. The dressing will soften them. Add the broccoli slaw, sunflower seeds, cashews, oranges and onions to the bowl, mix.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the sugar, vinegar and seasoning from the packets. Add the oil and whisk well.

This can be put together the night before. However, do not dress until morning of your party. I like to dress it a few hours before so the noodles have a chance to soften.

*Note: You probably only need to use 3/4 of the dressing. Add a little at a time and judge for yourself. But, I never use all of it. It gets too soggy.

A Big Salad for Dinner

I have gone two nights in a row without cooking. (Woo-hoo!) Last night I had a meeting after work and didn't get home until after 7:00, so my hubby cooked. (Double Woo-hoo!) He made a big Greek salad of romaine lettuce, feta cheese, kalamata olives, garbanzo beans, artichoke hearts, banana peppers, chicken and a great Greek dressing I bought at Land and Sea or my produce stand. I don't remember which one I got it from, but I know they both carry it. I will post the brand later. (I'm not home right now.) Anyway, my husband marinated the chicken in some mojo, olive oil and seasonings. It was delicious and totally satisfying. Sometimes all you need is a big salad with lots of yummy ingredients. It's as easy is that.