Google+ talkinginallcaps@gmail.com

Talking in ALL CAPS

Vegan

Salad #28 – Orzo Salad

by Leave a Comment

My friend Erin recommended this salad to me, in her words she blogs about “recipes (that don’t kill my husband) and crocheting!” over at Mrs Brits. She raved about how good it was and after making it myself I would have to agree. I used frozen peas and frozen corn, but it would be great with garden peas, snow peas, snap peas or corn kernels cut from the cob.  The flavors are simple and will complement almost any meal. I love how it is so much lighter than your typical pasta salad.

Orzo Salad

Orzo Summer Vegetable Salad Recipe

(adapted from Healthy Alberta’s Orzo Summer Vegetable Recipe)

Print
Salad #28 - Orzo Salad
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups orzo
  • 1 red pepper chopped
  • ½ cucumber or two mini cucumbers
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 1-2 tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ cup red or spanish onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 lemon (zest and juice)
  • handful of parsley chopped (or mint or cilantro - I used parsley with a bit of mint which was quite nice)
  • Olive oil
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Cook the orzo according to the package instructions.
  2. Drain, mix with a little olive oil and let cool in a large bowl. If you are using frozen corn and peas, it doesn't have to get right down to room temperature.
  3. Mix the remaining ingredients with the orzo.
  4. Serve cold or at room temperature. Keeps well for a couple days.

Orzo Salad

Did They Eat It?

Deb – nice and light compared to a lot of pasta salads

Grandma Mary – I liked it, but not as well as the one with the beets. [review to come]

Richard – very good.

Bronwen – Delicious. Perfect starch complement to the steak.

Nicky (17 months) – Liked the veggies from the salad but left the orzo alone.

Geoff (my special needs brother) – Loved it. Asked for more. Yay!

Anne – Really nice change for the starch.

Dana – This is a nice simple salad, but don’t underestimate it. It’s easy to put together and switch out the ingredients to whatever you have on hand. The orzo works really well – it didn’t get mushy even with a couple of days in the fridge. Perfect to make for a crowd.

Salad #27 – Potato Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

by Leave a Comment

I’m going to be honest. I am not a fan of cilantro. I don’t hate it as much as I used to, but I still generally substitute parsley or something whenever a recipe calls for cilantro. I had heard that when cilantro is all minced up, it is more palatable (for people who don’t already like it) so I thought I would give it a try. Surprisingly, the dressing was really good. I even had a couple other cilantro skeptics try it and they liked it too.

Potato Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Potato Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients

  • Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (recipe below) 
  • Potatoes cut into bite sized cubes.

Directions

  1. Boil potatoes until cooked through.
  2. Drain the potato water and lay the cooked potatoes out on a tea towel to dry. If you rinse the potatoes or put the dressing on before the potatoes dry it makes it hard for the dressing to stick. It will be less of an issue if you are serving it immediately.
  3. Put the potatoes in a large bowl and pour the dressing over the potatoes. Mix well.

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

(adapted from Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette)

Print
Salad #27 - Potato Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
 
Ingredients
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 3 Tbsp. Fresh Chopped Cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1 garlic scape, or ½ Clove minced
  • Pinch of Sea Salt
Instructions
  1. All ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Potato Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

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?  

 

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 #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 #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.