Salads

Salad #24 – Fresh and Easy Pasta Salad

July 18, 2013 by danawyyc 1 Comment

Typical store bought pasta salads are loaded with mayonnaise or some other kind of creamy dressing and not much else. This one, on the other hand, is loaded with vegetables. Perfect for for a pot luck salad or as a main dish, you’ll feel great feeding this to your family.

My cousin made a salad similar to this one when I was at her house one day and I’ve been making it with a few variations ever since. Salsa is a perfect dressing for pasta salad and it couldn’t be easier. If you want it more gourmet, you can always make your own salsa but I prefer the ease of using pre-made salsa.

Fresh and Easy Pasta Salad

Salad #24 - Fresh and Easy Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 box whole wheat pasta (macaroni, corkscrew or penne all work well)
1 cup frozen peas
1 red pepper chopped
1 orange pepper chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped
½ cucumber chopped
1 jar prepared salsa (I like Tostitos Medium)
package of Canadian bacon, chopped

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Run under cold water to cool.
Transfer pasta to a large bowl and add chopped veggies (peas can go in frozen) and the Canadian bacon.
Pour salsa over the pasta mixture and mix well.
I find leftovers benefit from some extra salsa before serving.

Variations

swap out the vegetables for whatever you have on hand
swap out the Canadian bacon for another kind of protein – ham, imitation crab, chicken feta cheese or monterey jack cheese are all good options

Did They Eat It?

Gordie (4 years old): Loved everything about it. (this is one of the only salads Gordie has liked)

Nicky (15 months): Devoured the pasta and peas but left the peppers.

Stephen: Good.

Dana: This is one of my favorite easy supper meals. It makes quite a lot and so we usually even have leftovers for the next day.

Salad #22 – Grilled Vegetable Salad

June 20, 2013 by danawyyc 2 Comments

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

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

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

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.
Turn your grill on to medium heat and lay the vegetables on it.
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.
Stick the peppers (and eggplant) in a plastic bag for 5 minutes and then peel off the skin.
Slice all the vegetables into bite sized strips or chunks.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and salt.

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.

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

Salad #21 – Strawberry Avocado Salad with Maple Dressing

June 18, 2013 by danawyyc Leave a Comment

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 a Maple Dressing

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

Chop or rip the lettuce into bite sized chunks. If you are chopping, using a non-metalic knife will prevent it from browning.
Cut the strawberries into quarters.
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.
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.
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.

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

June 16, 2013 by danawyyc 1 Comment

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 Sesame Ginger Dressing

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

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

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.
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.

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.

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

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

May 31, 2013 by danawyyc Leave a Comment

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 Recipe

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

Chop the fruit into bite sized pieces and put them in a large bowl.
Drain and rinse your kidney beans and add them to the bowl.
Mix the honey and lime juice together and pour over the bowl of fruit.
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

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.

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

May 27, 2013 by danawyyc 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 Recipe

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

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

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.
Combine 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 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

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.

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

May 23, 2013 by danawyyc 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 Bacon Recipe

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

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

Discard the stems from the kale and cut it into thin strips.
Cut the Brussels Sprouts in half and then slice into thin strips - discard the end.
Chop the almonds into small pieces and slice the green onions.
Mix the dressing ingredients into a container with a lid and shake well or into a small bowl and whisk.
Combine the greens, almonds and bacon in a large bowl and toss with the dressing.

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)

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.

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

May 14, 2013 by danawyyc 4 Comments

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.

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

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

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

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.
Slice the grapes in half and chop the chives into small pieces. Add the grapes, chives and bacon to the broccoli.
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

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.

Salad #15 Rice Salad with Roasted Red Pepper and Herbs

May 4, 2013 by danawyyc 3 Comments

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)

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

Cook the rice and let cool. It's okay for the rice to be a little bit chewy.
Finely chop the herbs and peppers
Add the herbs and peppers to the rice and mix well.
Mix the dressing ingredients in a small container and shake until well mixed.
Add about ¼ cup of the dressing to the rice salad and a squirt of siriacha sauce.
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

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

Salad #14 Chicken Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing

May 2, 2013 by danawyyc 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:

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 Recipe

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

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

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.
Mix together the edamame, red pepper, carrots and golden raisin and toss with the dressing.
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

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

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Salads

Fresh and Easy Pasta Salad

Variations

Did They Eat It?

Grilled Vegetable Salad

Did They Eat It?

Strawberry Avocado Salad with a Maple Dressing

Did They Eat It?

Watermelon Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

Variations

Did They Eat It?

Thai Inspired Tropical Fruit Salad with Red Beans Recipe

Variations

Did They Eat It?

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

Variations

Did They Eat It?

Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Bacon Recipe

Variations

Did They Eat It?

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

Variations

Did They Eat it?

Rice Salad with Roasted Red Pepper and Herbs Recipe

Variations

Did They Eat It?

Chicken Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing Recipe

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