Google+ talkinginallcaps@gmail.com

Talking in ALL CAPS

Recipes

Salad #22 – Grilled Vegetable Salad

by 2 Comments

Grilled Vegetable Salad

Barbecue season is upon us, or at least there is no longer snow on the ground. On of the few days it hasn’t been raining, I threw together this roasted vegetable salad. Getting the timing right on the roasting can be a little tricky – I started out with a lot more asparagus than I ended up with. Aside from that, the salad is quite simple and very delicious. You can use any number of good roasting vegetables in addition or instead of the ones I used including carrots, eggplant, fennel or squash.

Grilled Vegetable Salad

Grilled Vegetable Salad

(adapted from Grill This Not That’s – Grilled Vegetable Salad)

Print
Salad #22 - Grilled Vegetable Salad
 
Ingredients
  • Salad Ingredients
  • 3 peppers (different colors are pretty)
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 yellow onion
  • handful of asparagus (more if you are prone to burning things)
  • olive oil
  • Dressing Ingredients
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • garlic (I used garlic powder but if you like more of a bite a couple grated garlic cloves would work too)
  • red wine vinegar (or sherry vinegar)
  • coarse salt
Instructions
  1. Snap the woody ends of the asparagus. Cut the onion in half across the middle. Cut the zucchini in half. Cover all the vegetables lightly in olive oil.
  2. Turn your grill on to medium heat and lay the vegetables on it.
  3. Your vegetables will be done in 5-20 minutes. My reference says that asparagus should be done in 10 minutes on high heat but most of it was burnt beyond saving after 5 so check to see if anything might need turning after a couple of minutes. After that check and turn your vegetables every 5 minutes. You want your vegetables to be tender but retain a little bite. Your peppers (or eggplant if you're using that) should be covered in char when they are done.
  4. Stick the peppers (and eggplant) in a plastic bag for 5 minutes and then peel off the skin.
  5. Slice all the vegetables into bite sized strips or chunks.
  6. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and salt.

Grilled Vegetable Salad

Did They Eat It?

Gordie (4 year old): refused to try it.

Richard: Quite enjoyed that even though I had just finished a big bowl of ice cream.

Bronwen: Great. Well grilled – the vegetables retained their texture and flavor but were still very soft.

Anne: Delicious. Really really good. I like the flavor of barbecue vegetables. I even ate the onions even though I usually don’t.

Stephen: Really tasty.

Dana: I can’t wait to experiment with different kinds of vegetables. I will definitely be making this again.


Grilled Vegetable Salad

What’s your favorite thing to grill on the barbecue? Do you like grill vegetables?

Salad #21 – Strawberry Avocado Salad with Maple Dressing

by Leave a Comment

Strawberry Avocado Salad with Maple Dressing

This salad marks the halfway point of my 52 Salads Challenge.  I’ve found inspiration for the salads from pinterest, cookbooks, food blogs and increasingly I’m getting suggestions from friends for salads they love. This salad was recommended to me by my friend Catherine (who writes a funny blog at http://www.catherinedabels.com/). Her nutritionist recommended it to her and it’s easy to see why. It contains healthy fats from the avocado, protein from the  almonds and a flavorful dressing that isn’t high in fat or sugar. This salad would be perfect for a light lunch or dinner.

Strawberry Avocado Salad with Maple Dressing

Strawberry Avocado Salad with a Maple Dressing

Print
Salad #21 - Strawberry Avocado Salad with Maple Dressing
 
Ingredients
  • Salad Ingredients
  • 1 avocado
  • 10 strawberries
  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • 1 romaine heart
  •  Dressing Ingredients
  • 1 TBSP maple syrup
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 TBSP cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Chop or rip the lettuce into bite sized chunks. If you are chopping, using a non-metalic knife will prevent it from browning.
  2. Cut the strawberries into quarters.
  3. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Pop out the pit and score the flesh of the avocado into squares. Use a spoon to scoop them out.
  4. Mix the dressing ingredients together by either shaking well in a small container with a lid or whisking them in a small bowl until well combined.
  5. Layer the salad with the lettuce on the bottom, then the avocado and strawberries and top with the almonds. Drizzle some dressing over the salad.

Strawberry Avocado Salad with Maple Dressing

Did They Eat It?

Gordie (4 years): Acted like I was trying to feed him live grasshoppers. He refused to try it.

Nicky (15 months): enjoyed the strawberries and avocado

Stephen: It was good.

Dana: I really loved this salad. It was refreshing and sweet. Stephen didn’t finish his half, so I finished it for him.

Salad #20 – Watermelon Salad with a Sesame Ginger Dressing

by 1 Comment

Watermelon Salad with a Sesame Ginger Dressing

My husband has been suggesting that I make a watermelon salad for a couple months. I don’t recall ever having one before but I thought I would give it a try now that watermelons are in season.  It turned out even better than I expected. This would make a nice fresh salad for a BBQ. If you doubled the recipe, it would be great for a crowd too.

Watermelon Salad with a Sesame Ginger Dressing

Watermelon Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

(Adapted from Hola Jalapeno’s Watermelon and Apricot Salad)

Print
Salad #20 - Watermelon Salad with a Sesame Ginger Dressing
 
Ingredients
  • Salad Ingredients
  • 2 lbs seedless watermelon cut into bite sized chunks (about ½ a small watermelon)
  • 10 or so large strawberries sliced
  • 2 medium sized red peppers chopped into chunks
  • leaves from a few sprigs of basil and cilantro, chopped
  • Dressing Ingredients
  • 2 TBSP honey
  • 3 TBSP white wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 6 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
  1. Add together dressing ingredients and shake well in a small container with a lid or a whisk in a small bowl until well mixed. If you are worried about the sharpness of the ginger you can saute it in a bit of oil before adding it to the dressing.
  2. In a large bowl mix the salad ingredients together and toss with the dressing.

Variations

  • try mint instead of cilantro
  • swap the red pepper for cucumber or tomatoes
  • swap the strawberries for apricots or other juicy fruit.

Watermelon Salad with a Sesame Ginger Dressing

Watermelon Salad with a Sesame Ginger Dressing
Did They Eat It?

Gordie (4 years old): Tried a couple pieces with dressing and proclaimed it terrible. (But he did try it….)

 Nicky (15 months) : Thought it was great.

Anne: Delicious! Totally great.

Bronwen: I’d never put these ingredients together. What a perfect salad.

Stephen: Good. tasty.

Rob: Really good. Random things but it really works together. You don’t think of fruit and vegetables together.

Dana: This has been one of my favorite salads. I would absolutely make it again.


 Watermelon Salad with a Sesame Ginger Dressing

What’s your favorite salad that mixes fruits and vegetables?  

 

The Canadian Food Experience Project – Slumgullion

by 13 Comments

My First Authentic Canadian Food Experience

When I first heard about The Canadian Food Experience Project I thought it was a really cool idea and I signed up to be a part of it. And then I immediately had regrets. It is really hard to identify Canadian foods, and it is even harder to find Canadian foods that I identify with. Beaver Tails may be a great example of Canadian food, but I’ve never had one. That’s one of the things that this project hopes to accomplish – a greater clarity of what Canadian food is.

The topic of the first challenge was our first Authentic Canadian Food Experience. I have definitely had some unquestionably Canadian foods – ginger beef, tourtiere, butter tarts, nanaimo bars, maple syrup. I also had quite a bit of game meat growing up, which is pretty Canadian too. But I was at a loss for what my first experience would have been.I didn’t grow up immersed in what I would call Authentic Canadian food. My Dad is from Denmark, so there was a definite Danish influence, and we also relied on a fair bit of simple meals and convenience food. My Mom had 3 kids under 3, one of which had special needs – she did not have time for daily gourmet meals.

I thought back to some of those simple meals I had growing up, and one of them stood out. It’s so simple it’s barely a recipe, and there wasn’t a time it wasn’t part of my food experience. My Mom called it Slumgullion and it was a recipe her Mom made when she was a kid too. Slumgullion basically means a cheap stew. The origins of the term are a little vague, but appear to originate in the United States. My mother’s family has a long history in Alberta, but my grandmother’s father was from Iowa so I thought maybe that’s where the term came from. When I asked her though, she said she thought the kids made it up. So who knows.

Prairie Slumgullion

Like any dish that is basically cheap ingredients thrown together, (stews, hash, chilli) the recipe is going to vary regionally based on what’s readily available and economical. In Alberta, wheat, inexpensive cuts of beef and canned vegetables are a pretty good bet.

My mom made Slumgullion frequently when I was growing up, and now it is a comfort food for me. I make it when I am low on groceries, time or give a damn but want to serve something I can still feel good about. My mom used elbow macaroni, whole canned tomatoes and ground beef. My grandmother also used ground beef, but my mom remembers she used a lot less to keep the costs down. She also sautéed some onion along with it. Mine has evolved a bit to include whole wheat macaroni and diced tomatoes. I’ve experimented with other kinds of noodles, but nothing is as good as the macaroni, you need the hollow space in the macaroni for the tomato juice to slip into.

Prairie Slumgullion

4.0 from 1 reviews
Print
The Canadian Food Experience Project - Slumgullion
 
Ingredients
  • .5-1 lb ground beef
  • 1 package whole wheat macaroni
  • 1 large can diced tomatoes
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Cook macaroni according to package instructions.
  2. Meanwhile cook and drain the ground beef. (I usually have some that I have previously cooked and frozen so I can just throw it into this dish or pasta sauce.)
  3. Mix together the ground beef, macaroni, canned tomatoes (undrained) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Best served fresh at room temperature.

Prairie Slumgullion

Salad #19 – Thai Inspired Tropical Fruit Salad with Red Beans

by Leave a Comment

Thai Inspired Fruit Salad with Red Beans

I’ve been generally trying to make delicious, but interesting salads each week, so I thought my Dad, who is living in Thailand, might have some ideas for salads that are different from what I would typically encounter or think of. He told me that for the most part, he has found their salads to be super spicy, so he suggested this fruit salad instead. Or something like this fruit salad.

Although the inspiration came direct from Thailand, I am not going to pretend that this salad is anything like authentic. He told me they use whatever fruit they have on hand, add red kidney beans and serve it over yogurt. And swore that he did not just make it up to mess with me. So I picked up whatever Thai fruit that I could find at the grocery store, added some kidney beans and served it with a honey lime dressing. It was really different but surprisingly good.

Thai Inspired Tropical Fruit Salad with Red Beans

Thai Inspired Tropical Fruit Salad with Red Beans Recipe

Print
Salad #19 - Thai Inspired Tropical Fruit Salad with Red Beans
 
Ingredients
  • Handful of kidney beans
  • small papaya
  • 2 mangos
  • 2 dragon fruit
  • 2 bananas
  • ½ pineapple
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • juice of 1 lime (adding the zest would be nice too)
Instructions
  1. Chop the fruit into bite sized pieces and put them in a large bowl.
  2. Drain and rinse your kidney beans and add them to the bowl.
  3. Mix the honey and lime juice together and pour over the bowl of fruit.
  4. Mix everything well. Serve over yogurt or eat it straight up.

Variations

  • Use whatever fruit you like – try strawberries, kiwi, grapes, cantaloup, watermellon
  • Swap the lime juice for lemon juice
  • Add some poppy seeds for a bit of crunch

Thai Inspired Tropical Fruit Salad with Red Beans

Did They Eat It?

Gordie: Thought the fruit would be better without the dressing, but tried a bit of it anyway. Decided he now likes pineapple and the kidney beans were great.

Nicky: Did not like the beans or dragon fruit but LOVED everything else.

Anne: The beans are a surprise but the salad’s good.

Stephen: Tasty. Really different fruit salad.

Dana: I wasn’t too sure about this salad, but I ended up liking it. I’m not a huge fan of dragon fruit or papaya, but mixed in with the rest of the fruit, I didn’t mind them at all. I liked the crunch of the dragon fruit seeds. If I was making it would them I would probably add poppy seeds to mimic it.

Thai Inspired Tropical Fruit Salad with Red Beans

 

Have you ever had a fruit salad with beans? What did you think? 

Salad #18 – Raw Asparagus, Tomato and Basil Salad with a Grainy Mustard Dressing

by Leave a Comment

I made this salad for our BBQ on mother’s day, along with my Broccoli, Grape and Bacon Salad and my Southwestern Bean Salad. My mother-in-law was really taken with the raw asparagus that I had used in my Green Chopped Salad so I wanted to try another salad that used it that I could send home for her since we wasn’t able to make it to the BBQ. I haven’t heard what she thought yet, but it was a surprise favorite of my father-in-law.  It’s also a really pretty looking salad, and spring is a great time for asparagus and basil. The basil is pretty prominent in this salad, so you can dial it back or try a different herb if you aren’t a huge fan – cilantro would be an interesting alternative.

Raw Asparagus, Tomato and Basil Salad with a Grainy Mustard Dressing

Raw Asparagus, Tomato and Basil Salad with a Grainy Mustard Dressing Recipe

(adapted from myrecipes.com – Cherry Tomato and Asparagus Salad)

Print
Salad #18 - Raw Asparagus, Tomato and Basil Salad with a Grainy Mustard Dressing
 
Ingredients
  • Ingredients
  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • 1 pint of small tomatoes (two different sizes or colors are nice)
  • 1 bunch of basil
  • 1 yellow pepper chopped
  • Grainy Mustard Dressing Ingredient
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Snap the woody end off the asparagus. Chop the asparagus and yellow pepper into bite sized pieces, and slice the tomatoes in half. Chop the basil into small pieces.
  2. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small container with a lid and shake well or in a small bowl and whisk.
  3. Add the dressing to the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Start with about half the dressing. You want the vegetables to be well covered but not sopping.

Variations

  • Add chopped avocado or a cheese like fresh mozzarella, feta or Gorgonzola.
  • Try dijon mustard instead of grainy mustard
  • Try white wine vinegar instead of lemon juice

Raw Asparagus, Tomato and Basil Salad with a Grainy Mustard Dressing

Did They Eat It?

Gordie (4 years old): Refused to try it.

Nicky (14 months old): loved it.

Stephen: Bold tasting salad. Maybe missing something – cheese maybe?

Deb: Way better when I knew it was basil instead of cilantro.

Richard: Really liked it.

Erik: I enjoyed it. I’m not used to eating raw asparagus and it is okay.

Dana: I found it almost got better the more I ate it. I’d make this one again for sure.
Raw Asparagus, Tomato and Basil Salad with a Grainy Mustard Dressing

 

 

Salad #17 – Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Bacon

by Leave a Comment

My friends all seem to be making Julie Van Rosendaal’s Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad and giving it rave reviews. I have to say, I was a little skeptical about a salad with raw kale and Brussels Sprouts. I’m not a huge fan of raw broccoli either. But the dressing softens some of the harshness that the raw greens might otherwise have. I had it as a side dish the first night and then topped it with a runny egg the next two days for lunch. It turns out that my friends were right. The salad is awesome.


Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Slaw with BaconRaw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Bacon Recipe

(adapted from my favorite food blogger Julie’s Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad)

Print
Salad #17 - Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Bacon
 
Ingredients
  • Ingredients
  • 10 large Brussels Sprouts
  • 1 bunch of kale
  • 2 green onions
  • ⅓ cup almonds (I used raw whole almonds, but roasted, salted almonds would be awesome too)
  • 3 slices of bacon cooked and chopped into small pieces
  • Grainy Mustard Dressing Ingredients
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. grainy mustard
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Discard the stems from the kale and cut it into thin strips.
  2. Cut the Brussels Sprouts in half and then slice into thin strips - discard the end.
  3. Chop the almonds into small pieces and slice the green onions.
  4. Mix the dressing ingredients into a container with a lid and shake well or into a small bowl and whisk.
  5. Combine the greens, almonds and bacon in a large bowl and toss with the dressing.

Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Bacon

Variations

  • Swap the green onions for shallots or red onions
  • Skip the bacon and add some cheese like Parmesan or Pecorino (or it would be great with both)

Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Bacon

Did They Eat It?

Gordie (4 years old): asked to try a piece of the kale. Said he liked it but wouldn’t eat any more

Nicky (14 months old): Not a huge fan but she liked the bacon.

Stephen: Good.

Dana: Really good. perfect side to a less than virtuous main dish. I tried it topped with an over easy egg and it made a delicious lunch.

 

Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Bacon

 

 

Salad #16 – Bacon, Grape and Broccoli Salad with a Grainy Mustard Dressing

by 4 Comments

Broccoli Grape Salad

 

I had been looking to make a great tasting broccoli and grape salad. This salad is actually my second run. I made one earlier but without adding a little mayo (which most broccoli and grape salads have about a cup of) it just seemed to be missing something. This one definitely isn’t. I love this salad. It is my favorite one by far. I’ve already made it again for our Mother’s Day BBQ. You will not regret trying this one out.

Broccoli Grape Salad

Grape, Bacon and Broccoli Salad with a Grainy Mustard Dressing Recipe

(adapted from Jaimie Oliver‘s Broccoli Salad from Jaime’s America Cookbook)

 

Print
Salad #16 - Bacon, Grape and Broccoli Salad with a Grainy Mustard Dressing
 
Ingredients
  • Ingredients
  • 2 heads of broccoli
  • 8 slices of thick cut bacon cooked and cut into small pieces (I often have some in the freezer that I take out and cut up)
  • 1 large bunch of grapes
  • a bunch of fresh chives
  • Grainy Mustard Dressing Ingredients
  • ½ clove of garlic grated finely
  • 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Cut the broccoli into small bit sized pieces. Cut the larger florets into 2 or 3 pieces. Blanch broccoli in boiling water for 1 minute. You want it to have just turned bright green. Drain the broccoli and let it cool and dry between some tea towels or paper towel. Transfer the broccoli to a serving dish or large bowl when it is completely cool.
  2. Slice the grapes in half and chop the chives into small pieces. Add the grapes, chives and bacon to the broccoli.
  3. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small container with a lid and shake well or in a small bowl and whisk. Add the dressing to the salad ingredients and toss to make sure it is well covered. Add about half to start. You want it well covered but there's no need to soak it.

Variations

  • swap the grapes for cherry tomatoes
  • Use green onions or chopped red onions instead of the chives
  • try dijon mustard instead of grainy mustard

Broccoli Grape Salad

Did They Eat it?

Gordie (4 years old): tried some of the bacon out of the salad after protesting a little

Nicky (14 months): Loved it.

Stephen: Weird but good.

Anne: Really good!

Bronwen: Ooh bacon. It was really good.

Richard: Liked it.

Erik: Unexpected. I liked it. I didn’t think the ingredients would go together so well. I would have it again.

Deb: So fun. Grapes and bacon in a salad.

Grandma Mary: Different. Really good.

Papa John: Excellent.

Broccoli Grape Salad

 

Salad #15 Rice Salad with Roasted Red Pepper and Herbs

by 3 Comments

Rice Salad With Herbs and Roasted Peppers

This would be another great salad to make for a big group or a pot luck. It makes quite a bit. The first time I made it I accidentally used 1 1/4 cups of cooked rice. Which does not make a whole bunch, and kind of confused me until I figured out where I went wrong. This salad tastes best at room temperature so try to let it warm up a bit if you are serving it out of the fridge.

Rice Salad with Roasted Red Pepper and Herbs Recipe

(adapted from Jaimie Oliver‘s Rice Salad from Jaime’s Food Revolution Cookbook)

 

Print
Salad #15 Rice Salad with Roasted Red Pepper and Herbs
 
Ingredients
  • Salad Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups uncooked rice (I used a mix of wild rice and brown basmati rice)
  • 2-3 springs of fresh basil, mint and italian parsley
  • 4-6 large roasted red, orange or yellow peppers or more if they are small
  • a few squirts of siriacha
  • sea salt and fresh ground pepper
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • Lemon Dressing Ingredients
  • 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon (stick it in the microwave for a few seconds to get more juice out of it
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • Directions
Instructions
  1. Cook the rice and let cool. It's okay for the rice to be a little bit chewy.
  2. Finely chop the herbs and peppers
  3. Add the herbs and peppers to the rice and mix well.
  4. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small container and shake until well mixed.
  5. Add about ¼ cup of the dressing to the rice salad and a squirt of siriacha sauce.
  6. Mix everything well, add more salt and pepper if needed and top with lemon zest.

Variations

  • swap the roasted red peppers for sun-dried tomatoes
  • try out some different herbs
  • instead of rice try barley, farro or quinoa


 Rice Salad With Herbs and Roasted Peppers

Did They Eat It?

Gordie (4 years old) – refused to try it

Nicky (13 months) – thought it was interesting

Anne – really tasty!

Bronwen – it’s delicious!

Geoff: asked for more

Stephen: It’s good.

Dana: It was good and makes a lot for little effort

Rice Salad With Herbs and Roasted Peppers

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?