Google+ talkinginallcaps@gmail.com

Talking in ALL CAPS

52 Salads

Salad #14 Chicken Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing

by Leave a Comment

My plan for this salad was to make a side dish type salad that used edamame and miso paste in the dressing. I came up with this salad: Chicken Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing

But it was missing something. It was okay. But just okay. So I tried again and added some red pepper and swapped out the apple for golden raisins. (I also tried a different miso dressing but I thought it was kind of awful.) And it was better. But still not awesome. I had some left over chicken in the fridge from the Cafe Rio that I had made the day before, and some lettuce and thought that making it into a main dish instead of a side dish would be awesome. And it was.

Chicken Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing

Chicken Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing

Chicken Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing Recipe

(inspired by La Fuji Mama’s Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing on Endive Leaves)

Print
Salad #14 Chicken Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing
 
Ingredients
  • Salad Ingredients
  • 2 cups edamame
  • 2-3 carrots grated
  • handful of golden raisins
  • enough lettuce to made a salad bed (either ripped or shredded)
  • half to a whole red pepper sliced
  • handful of cashews
  • some left over shredded, diced or grilled chicken
  • Miso Dressing Ingredients
  •  1/4 cup miso paste (I used the kind based on brown rice)
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • dash of siriacha
Instructions
  1. Mix dressing ingredients together well. The miso paste might be a bit thick so you may want to use a whisk or food processor instead of just shaking them together.
  2. Mix together the edamame, red pepper, carrots and golden raisin and toss with the dressing.
  3. Layer the lettuce, then the edamame mixture, then the chicken and top with the cashews. Add more dressing if needed.

Chicken Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing

Chicken Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing

Have you ever had a blah recipe that you’ve managed to turn into a winner?

Salad #13 Salmon Salad with Asparagus and Baby Potatoes

by 1 Comment

When I told my son that I was going to make this salad, he was pumped. He started asking me a million questions – where are we going to get the fish? Are we going to catch it? Do we have a fishing pole? The reality was not quite as exciting, we were just using frozen fillets that were in our freezer, but he was still excited that we were going to eat fish.

He’s always quite liked fish, but I don’t make it that often. When the fish came out of the oven, he couldn’t wait to dig in and grab a piece. He was way less excited about the salad itself, but I loved it. It’s perfect for a starter salad, or a heart healthy light meal. I love to make it when entertaining guests because it looks fancy and impressive but is easy to put together.

Salmon Salad with Asparagus and Baby Potatoes

Salmon Salad with Asparagus and Baby Potatoes

(Adapted from Williams Sonoma’s Salmon, Red Potato and Asparagus Salad) Salmon Salad with Asparagus and Baby Potatoes

Print
Salad #13 Salmon Salad with Asparagus and Baby Potatoes
 
Ingredients
  • Salad Ingredients
  • 1 lb. salmon fillet baked in the oven with lemons, salt and pepper
  • 1 lb baby potatoes (waxy variety) boiled and sliced into rounds
  • 1 bunch asparagus, touch ends snapped off, lightly steamed, and cut into thirds or quarters
  • Sun-dried Tomato Dressing Ingredients
  • 2 TBSP sun-dried tomatoes in oil
  • 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • juice from 1 lemon (put the lemon in the microwave for a few seconds to get more juice out of it)
  • 1 TBSP flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 TBSP fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • ½ tsp salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 8 cups of mixed greens
Instructions
  1. Blend or whisk the dressing ingredients together. The mixture will be pretty thick.
  2. Toss the greens with a some of the dressing. Add a bit at a time, you shouldn't need a ton.
  3. Gently toss the potatoes, asparagus and salmon with the remaining dressing.
  4. Top the greens with the potatoes, asparagus and salmon.
  5. Serve at room temperature.

Variations

  • Use dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes instead of oil packed
  • Use spinach instead of mixed greens
  • Add orange zest and/or chopped green onions on top of the salad

Salmon Salad with Asparagus and Baby Potatoes

Did They Eat It?

Nicole (13 months): Loved the salmon and potatoes.

Gordie (4 years): Could not get enough of the salmon and liked the potatoes, but didn’t want anything to do with it as a salad.

Stephen:  Good. I liked it. Looks impressive.

Dana: This salad is perfect for early spring when the asparagus and fresh spring greens are plentiful. It’s flavorful and filling. Sometimes fish can be bland, but this combination is definitely not.

Salad #12 Avocado, Grapefruit and Mango Spring Salad

by 1 Comment

Avocado, Grapefruit and Mango Spring Salad

With the beginning of Spring I wanted to come up with a salad that matched that feeling of freshness and renewal. (Alright, so I can still see snow in some places and the grass is still solidly brown, but  I’m sure Spring will be here any day now.) This salad definitely fits the bill.

Avocado, Grapefruit and Mango Spring Salad with grapefruit balsamic dressing

Avocado, Grapefruit and Mango Spring Salad

Print
Salad #12 Avocado, Grapefruit and Mango Spring Salad
 
Ingredients
  • bag of spring mix lettuce
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 grapefruit
  • 1-2 alphonso mangoes (other varieties are fine, the small yellow alphonos are just my favorite and are in season right now)
  • sliced almonds
  • Dressing Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp grapefruit juice (or you can use extra vinegar)
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Put all the dressing ingredients in a small container with a lid and shake until blended. (or you can use a bowl and whisk).
  2. Put the lettuce in a large bowl (or multiple smaller bowls) and drizzle with a bit of dressing. You won't need a lot because the other salad ingredients are moist and flavorful.
  3. Cut the mangoes, grapefruit and avocado into chunks. If you haven't cut a mango before it is worth looking up how.
  4. Put the chunks of mangoes, grapefruit and avocado on top of the lettuce and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Variation

  • swap the lettuce for spinach

Avocado, Grapefruit and Mango Spring Salad

 Did They Eat It?

Nicole (12 months): Loved the avocado and mangoes.

Gordie (4 years old): Ate the avocado and mango while we were making the salad but not as part of the salad. Found the grapefruit too sour.

Bronwen: Very springlike salad – nice mixture of flavors and texture

Stephen: Sweet and Tangy

Dana: This salad looks fancy but it simple to put together. It would be great for an Easter salad. Also, it’s delicious.

Avocado, Grapefruit and Mango Spring Salad

 

Salad #11 Southwestern Bean Salad

by 3 Comments

Southwestern Bean Salad

I’ve been planning on doing a bean salad for a while. It’s hard to beat the healthiness of a bean salad, but some can make you really really notice that you are eating something healthy. This salad on the other hand is really fantastic. I’ve used parsley in place of cilantro, because I’m not a big fan of cilantro, but it would be great in this salad if you are.

Southwestern Bean Salad with a Slightly Spicy Dressing

(Adapted from Southwestern Bean Salad with Black Beans, Black-Eyed Peas, Peppers, and Cilantro by Kalyn’s Kitchen) 

Southwestern Bean Salad

Print
Salad #11 Southwestern Bean Salad
 
Ingredients
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 can white beans (navy beans or white kidney beans)
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped small
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped small
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • Dressing Ingredients
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. ground chipotle chile powder
  • Juice of 1 lime (stick it in the microwave for a few seconds to get more juice of it)
  • 2 T white wine vinegar
  • 6 T extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Rinse and drain beans and pour into a large bowl. Add parsley and peppers and mix.
  2. Pour dressing ingredients into a small container with a lid and shake until well mixed.
  3. Add the dressing slowly to the salad - you probably won't need it all. (I did find adding a bit of extra dressing the next day to be helpful)

 

Variations

  • Use black eyed peas instead of the white beans
  • swap the chipotle chili powder for regular chili powder or ancho chili powder
  • swap the white wine vinegar for white or regular balsamic vinegar
  • Use cilantro instead of parsley for a more authentic flavor

Southwestern Bean Salad

Did They Eat it?

 Gordie (4 years): Refused to eat it.

Nicole (12 months): Thought it was good. But not as good as blueberries.

Anne: Tasty even for people who don’t like spicy foods. It was just the right amount of tang.

Stephen: Way better when Dana put the extra dressing on. A little bland before. (Stephen had it the next day). Made bean salad like something you want to eat, rather than something your Grandma is making you eat.

Richard: Liked it.

Erik: I didn’t like it. But I don’t like bean salads as a rule.

Deb: I love a bean and corn salad.

Grandma Mary: I liked it. But I like beans anyway.

Dana: I love this salad. The dressing really makes it. It’s flavorful but not overwhelming.

Salad #10 Bacon Roasted Potato Salad with Kale and Tahini Dressing

by 2 Comments

This is my absolute favorite potato salad of all time. It’s very unlike traditional potato salad. I tried it when I had some kale in the fridge and have made it again and again ever since.

Bacon Roasted Potato Salad with Kale and Tahini Dressing

(adapted from Dinner with Julie’s Garlicky Roasted Potato Salad with Wilted Kale and Tahini Dressing)

Bacon, Kale and Roasted Potato Salad with Tahini Dressing

Print
Salad #10 Bacon Roasted Potato Salad with Kale and Tahini Dressing
 
Ingredients
  • 4-6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (save a little bacon grease)
  • 2 lbs of baby potatoes cut into quarters
  • 1 bunch of kale (remove the stems and cut the leaves into small pieces)
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 2-4 tbsp of water (if needed)
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • couple pinches of salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450F
  2. Toss the potatoes in the bacon fat. (You can use olive oil if you'd rather)
  3. Lay the potatoes out on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, add half the garlic and cook for 15 more minutes, until potatoes are starting to get crispy and golden. Stir occasionally.
  5. While the potatoes cook, mix the water, lemon juice, tahini, half the garlic and the salt in a blender or small food processor until smooth.
  6. Put the potatoes into a large bowl, and add kale while the potatoes are still hot, tahini dressing and bacon.

Variations

  • Skip the bacon and the bacon fat and use olive oil instead for a lighter salad.
  • Add grated parmesan to the potatoes half way through cooking
  • Use spinach or swiss chard in place of the kale

Bacon, Kale and Roasted Potato Salad with Tahini Dressing

Did They Eat It?

Gordie (4 years) – enjoyed the potatoes and bacon before I put any dressing on it

Nicole (12 months) -loved it.

Stephen – Good. Tangy. Feels like I’m eating the top of a baked potato.

Dana – I cannot get enough of this salad. The leftovers are good right out of the fridge but it’s best served right away.

Salad #9 Fennel and Orange Salad

by Leave a Comment

Blood Orange Fennel Salad

 

 

Fennel has a licorice-like flavor which seems like an odd pairing with oranges, but it’s basically like tiger ice cream. Except in salad form, and without all the sugar and dairy. Okay, so very little like tiger ice cream. Regardless, it’s a great pairing and absolutely delicious.

Fennel and Orange Salad

(adapted from about.com’s Tuscan Orange and Fennel Country Salad)

Blood Orange Fennel Salad

Print
Salad #9 Fennel and Orange Salad
 
Ingredients
  • 6 oranges (way more if you are making with salad with mooching children) - we used a mixture of pink naval and blood oranges
  • 1 medium-sized fennel bulb
  • white wine vinegar
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Chop oranges into segments, slices or wedges are both fine.
  2. Cut off the top of the fennel and any the outer pieces if they look kind of rough. Chop or slice.
  3. Mix the vinegar and olive oil about 2:1.
  4. Add salt and pepper too (we left the pepper out).
  5. Mix everything together and serve.

Variations

  • Use balsamic vinegar instead of white wine vinegar
  • Add in some sliced red onion

Blood Orange Fennel Salad

 

Did they eat it?

Gordie (almost 4): Tried 2 pieces of fennel and 2 pieces of oranges. Ate tons and tons of oranges while we made the salad.

Nicky (12 months): loved the oranges (and also ate a ton while we were making it) but had trouble chewing the fennel

Stephen: Weird but tasty.

Anne: Interesting combination that goes together really well.

Bronwen: The fennel is really good. Thirst quenching.

Dana: This salad is easy to put together and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. One of the things I really liked about it, is how fresh it is for a winter salad.

Blood Orange Fennel Salad

Salad #8 – Green Chopped Salad with Healthy Green Goddess Dressing

by 2 Comments

Green Chopped Salad with Healthy Green Goddess Dressing

Green Chopped Salad with Healthy Green Goddess Dressing - St. Patrick's Day Salad

Although this salad would be great any time of year, it’s also perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. Pick all your families favorite green vegetables and chop them up to make the salad – lettuce and other leafy greens would also be great, as would broccoli or avocado. I found some fenugreek at  the grocery store which reminded me a little of clover so I sprinkled it on top for garnish.

Print
Salad #8 - Green Chopped Salad with Healthy Green Goddess Dressing
 
(adapted from Oh She Glow's Green Goddess Dressing)
Ingredients
  • Green Chopped Salad with Healthy Green Goddess Dressing
  • green pepper
  • cucumber
  • asparagus
  • celery
  • fenugreek (I used it only for decoration)
  • No oil, Non-dairy Green Goddess Dressing
  • ½ cup dill (packed)
  • ½ cup parsley (packed)
  • 1 cup hummus
  • 5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • salt
  • ¼ cup green onion
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • water if necessary
  • This dressing is pretty tart, so you may want to cut back on the lemon or vinegar.
Instructions
  1. Chop all veggies and mix together.
  2. Mix all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until there are no more lumps.

 

Variations:

  • add or substitute any green vegetable 
  • add fresh herbs to the salad itself
  • substitute tahini or avocado for the hummus (if you do you may want to add garlic and additional lemon juice)
  • substitute other green herbs such as basil for the parsley or dill

 

Salad #7 Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

by 2 Comments

I’m trying to make a different interesting, seasonal salad each week so I’m paying attention to ingredients that I normally wouldn’t. I saw the fenugreek by the herbs when I was picking up some parsley and bought it home to figure out how I could make a salad out of it. 

I thought it would replace parsley nicely in a Tabbouleh like Salad so this is what I came up with. But if you don’t have Fenugreek, just use the more traditional parsley.

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

Quinoa Tabouleh Salad

Print
Salad #7 Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Quinoa
  • 2 small or 1 large tomato
  • 1 bunch of fenugreek leaves (or parsley)
  • half a cucumber (or two baby cucumbers)
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Cook Quinoa according to package instructions and let cool.
  2. Mix with chopped tomato, cucumber and fenugreek.
  3. Mix the remaining ingredients together either in a small bowl and whisk or in a small container with a lid and then shake until the dressing looks uniform and creamy.
  4. Add the dressing to the Quinoa mixture.

Variations

  • Use rice, barley or bulger instead of the Quinoa
  • Use parsley or a mixture of green herbs (dill, basil etc) instead of the fenugreek

 Did they eat it?

Nicole (12 months): liked it but had a hard time picking it up

Gordie (3.5 years): I bribed him to try two pieces of Quinoa. Said it was good but wouldn’t try any more.

Deb: Nice and fresh.

Stephen: Good. The fenugreek flavor isn’t too over powering.

Dana: This salad felt nice and light. It was a nice break from some heavier winter salads. The fenugreek has a bit of a bitter taste but you can counteract that with a bit of salt.

 

Salad #6 Kohlrabi and Carrot Salad with Asian Dressing

by 1 Comment

Our Winter CSA has finished but I found myself in possession of two very large kohlrabies. Kohlrabi wasn’t something I was very familiar with before, it has a kind of mild turnip-like flavor. I had asked around about what to do with them and the most popular answers were, slice it up and serve it with a little salt or to add it to stir fries. I tried it sliced with a bit of salt and it was surprisingly good. I figured that there must be someway to make a salad out of it and found an awesome looking recipe for kolhrabi salad by the Wednesday Chef.

Their original recipe called for matchsticks of carrots and kohlrabi. Which I tried to do, but I’m lacking a) a mandolin  b) a kitchen tool that creates matchsticks or c) good knife skills. So I ended up making something a little bit more like… too large, irregularly shaped, rectangular vegetables. So I tried it again and shredded it instead and found it to be much improved.

Kohlrabi and Carrot Salad with Asian Dressing

Shredded Carrot and Kohlrabi Salad with Asian Dressing

(adapted from Kohlrabi Salad by the Wednesday Chef)

Shredded Carrot and Kohlrabi Salad

Print
Salad #6 Kohlrabi and Carrot Salad with Asian Dressing
 
Ingredients
  • about 4 cups of peeled and shredded kohlrabi (2 medium, half a large cabbage sized one)
  • 2-3 large carrots shredded
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seed or ½ teaspoon ground fennel
  • 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • salt (I like to grind sea salt) and fresh ground pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
  • squirt of Sriacha sauce
Instructions
  1. If you are using whole fennel seeds, I really recommend toasting them for a few minutes and then smooshing them up a bit. Putting them in a pile and using the back of a spoon will be fine if you don't have a mortar and pestle. I've tried doing it without and it really does make a difference.
  2. Mix the shredded carrots and kohlrabi together in a large bowl.
  3. Mix the remaining ingredients together either in a small bowl and whisk  or in a small container with a lid and then shake until the dressing looks uniform and creamy.
  4. Add the dressing to the vegetables and mix well.

Variations:

  • Add some honey for a bit of sweetness
  • Add some grated apple
  • Add some powdered or minced garlic to the dressing

Did they eat it?

Stephen: Good. Subtly spicy. Could maybe use a bit of sweetness.
Deb: Really good. I like the Asian flavor.
Nicky (12 months): Loved chewing on the irregularly shaped vegetables and eating the shredded ones.
Gordie (almost 4): tried a tiny bit – it’s a little bit sour
Geoff (my special needs brother): really liked it
Dana: I thought this salad was great. It was quick and easy to put together and makes great use of the kohlrabi.

Salad #5 Deviled Egg Potato Salad

by 2 Comments

Another thing I’ve ended up having an abundance of through Eagle Creek Farm’s CSA is potatoes. This week I had a lovely mix of 3 or 4 different kinds of waxy potatoes, the kind that are perfect for potato salad (but not good for mashed potatoes). I figured that 52 weeks of salads wouldn’t be complete without an awesome potato salad so I took inspiration from a potato salad my aunt used to make as well as my deviled egg recipe to come up with this one.

Devilled Egg Potato Salad

5.0 from 1 reviews
Print
Salad #5 Deviled Egg Potato Salad
Recipe type: Salad
 
Ingredients
  • small bag of potatoes cubed (1-1.5 lbs)
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 TBSP vinegar
  • 1 TBSP mustard
  • 4-6 hard boiled eggs, peeled
  • 2 stalks celery
  • squirt of Sriracha (or other kind of hot sauce)
  • paprika
  • green onions (I didn't have any so I skipped them)
Instructions
  1. Cook potatoes until easily pierced by a fork
  2. Add remaining ingredients and mix to coat. (You can leave out the paprika and sprinkle it on top for a better presentation).

 

Devilled Egg Potato Salad

Did they eat it?

Stephen: Good.

Gordie (3 years old): Refused to try it but did think eggs would be a good idea for dinner. Different eggs.

Nicole (11 months): Loved it.

Dana: If you tend to like potato salad, you’ll like this one. I found it a bit bland without the dash of hot sauce, but I didn’t have any onions in the house so that would make a difference. But the extra eggs really make it feel gourmet. If you brought this to a BBQ you would not be turned away.