Vegetarian

Salad #35 – Roasted Parsnip and Carrot Salad

December 6, 2013 by danawyyc 1 Comment

I had never had parsnips until I was an adult. My mom didn’t like them, so she never made them. We’ve been getting a bunch in our vegetables boxes from Eagle Creek Farms as part of their Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA). Although I don’t have a negative feelings towards parsnips, I don’t really know what to do with them either. I used some of our parsnips in a Moroccan style stew but I still had a ton left over. I thought that perhaps I could make the rest into a salad and this is what I came up with. This would be a great salad for Christmas dinner as you can roast the vegetables ahead of time.

Roasted Parsnip and Carrot Salad

(Inspired by Roasted Carrots, Parsnips and Shallots)

Salad #35 - Roasted Parsnip and Carrot Salad

Ingredients

Ingredients

8-12 carrots and parsnips
3-6 shallots
olive oil
salt and pepper
greens
Dressing Ingredients
2 tbsp grainy mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450F.
Chop parsnips and carrots into bite sized pieces. Cut shallots in half or quarters if they are larger. Toss with oil and salt and pepper.
Spread onto a baking sheet in a single layer. I like to line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Because it is awesome. And then the veggies won't stick to the pan.
Cook for 35 minutes, turning the vegetables once or twice. Keep an eye on the shallots, you may want to take them out early so they don't burn. I took mine out about half way through the cooking time.
Meanwhile whisk up your dressing ingredients in a small bowl until well mixed.
When the vegetables are tender, cooked through and a little bit golden, remove them from the oven and let cool.
Toss the vegetables with the dressing. If you are going to serve the salad later, you can put them in the fridge at this point.
Otherwise, toss the greens with a bit of dressing, and layer the vegetables on top of the greens on each plate.

Did They Eat It?

Gordie (4.5 years): Really hates cooked carrots.

Nicky (1.5 years): Liked the parsnips and carrots.

Deb: That’s the only parsnip I have had in my whole life that I actually liked.

Stephen: Good.

Dana: Roasting the parsnips and carrots really brings out their sweetness. I loved this salad and it was just as good the next day.

Salad #34 – Fruity Winter Salad

December 2, 2013 by danawyyc Leave a Comment

I am not winter’s biggest fan. I am fond of being warm and not inclined to ski. I also really miss the plentiful, seasonal fresh fruit of the summer. Winter is not a total loss though, pomegranates and citrus fruit are at their best in the cooler months. This salad would be lovely to bring to a pot luck, to serve as the first course for Christmas dinner or if you chop the greens it would make a lovely chopped salad side dish.

Fruity Winter Salad

(Adapted from Christmas Tree Salad)

Salad #34 - Fruity Winter Salad

Ingredients

Ingredients
1 bunch of greens (really anything will work. I used a pretentious mix of swiss chard, kale and spinach)
1 pomegranate
1 bunch grapes
2 mandarin oranges, chopped
2 small handfuls sliced almonds
Dressing Ingredients
1 shallot
2 tbsp vinegar (I used a pomegranate flavored balsamic, but a white wine or apple cider would be prettier)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

De-seed the pomegranate. Cut it in half along the equator. Score the skin along the membranes of the fruit. Break sections off and rub off the seeds. Some people find it easier to do this in a bowl of water. I generally find this to be wetter.
Cut the grapes in half. Cut the ends of the oranges and then cut off the rest of the peel. Chop the orange fruit into squares.
Mix the dressing ingredients in a food processor or magic bullet. Alternatively you have chop the shallot finely and whisk to combine. Or mix the shallot with the rest of the salad ingredients.
Toss the greens, fruit and dressing together in a large bowl.

Did They Eat It?

Stephen: Good.

Gordie (4.5 years): thought the pomegranates were too sour.

Nicky (1.5 years): Loved the fruit from the salad

Dana: Lovely salad for the winter. Crunchy, sweet and fresh.

Salad #33 – Mexican Street Corn Inspired Quinoa and Corn Salad

September 22, 2013 by danawyyc 6 Comments

I’ve been seeing recipes for Mexican street corn popping up on pinterest lately. I ended up with some extra roasted corn after making this salad so I decided to try to make a salad version. This recipe probably does not have much in common with the kind of corn you might actually get on the street, but it is super good nonetheless. Even my relatives who are not keen on spicy food liked this recipe although I did try to keep it pretty mild.

Mexican Street Corn Inspired Quinoa and Corn Salad Recipe

(inspired by this Mexican Street Corn recipe and this Mexican Corn and Quinoa salad recipe)

Salad #33 - Mexican Street Corn Inspired Quinoa and Corn Salad

Ingredients

2 cups cooked red or white quinoa
2 ears grilled corn cut from the cob (or you could just use frozen kernel corn or roast the corn in the oven)
squirt of sriracha sauce (or other hot sauce)
1 lime, juiced (optional)
1-2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
chili powder to taste
1 TBSP of mayo
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 handful cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Mix up the mayo, olive oil, chili powder, salt and pepper (and lime if using).
Mix the dressing with the quinoa, corn, a squirt of sriracha sauce (and the feta and cilantro if using).
Adjust the heat as you like with the chili powder and sriracha sauce.
Best served at room temperature, but generally just delicious.

Did They Eat It?

Stephen: Really good. Mint might be good in it too.

Richard – I liked that and I’m not into spicy foods. Enough to liven it up.

Deb – Nice side dish. Healthy and spicy.

Nicky (1.5 years) – liked the salad and didn’t mind the heat.

Gordie (4.5 years) – refused to try it. Was upset that the corn looked burnt so wouldn’t try that either.

Dana – This was even better than I had expected.

Salad #31 – Kale Salad with Grilled Corn

September 15, 2013 by danawyyc 1 Comment

I’ve always been a little intimidated to buy corn still in the husk. At the grocery store by my house, there is a huge garbage can by the corn for the discarded leaves that collect by people examining the corn. I had no idea what I should be looking for but it seemed pretty clear that I should be looking for something. I decided this summer to just bite the bullet and buy some corn. When I brought the corn home and started husking it became pretty obvious what I should have been looking for. To spare you from feeling like an idiot at the grocery store, here are some tips for picking corn at the grocery store.

How to Pick Corn at the Grocery Store

Peel back the husk so you can see the kernels. You may end up losing a few leaves so you can do this which is fine. Some stores will even have a bin for you to discard them.
Look at the kernels on the end. You want them to look plump and firm.
Discard them if the kernels on the end are squashed and broken, or there is a lot of small undeveloped kernels. A few undeveloped kernels on the end is fine, but a lot of them means that the corn was picked before it was fully ripe. You’ll also want to look out for discoloration or mold indicating that the corn is past it’s prime.

I decided to grill the corn for this salad. I’d never tried that before and wasn’t sure it was going to be worth the effort. It turned out to be amazing – I highly recommend giving it a try. Alternatively, you can roast it in the oven which will give similar results. Steaming, boiling or microwaving the corn will still make a great salad but it may lose a little of the awesomeness.

Kale Salad with Grilled Corn Recipe

(adapted from http://www.heatherchristo.com/)

Salad #31 - Kale Salad with Grilled Corn

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients
1 bunch kale, stems removed, cut into small strips
2 ears grilled corn cut off the cob (I used these instructions or baked in tin foil)
Feta cheese crumbled (optional)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
Dressing Ingredients
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
salt and black pepper

Instructions

Mix vegetables a large bowl.
Shake the dressing ingredients in a small container with a lid until well mixed. Or you can whisk them together in a medium sized bowl.
Add the dressing to the vegetables a little at a time and mix until the salad is well covered.
Serve and top with the feta cheese if desired.

Did They Eat it?

Stephen: The salad was good. The corn’s what kills it. [In a good way]

Anne: This is good! My new favorite salad.

Nicky (17 months): loved the corn and tomatoes.

Gordie (4 years old): Loved the corn before it went into the salad.

Dana: This is one of my favorite salads so far. It’s really very simple but it makes a big impact. I will make this salad again for sure.

Salad #32 – Roasted Yellow Beet Salad with Feta

September 13, 2013 by danawyyc Leave a Comment

We got a number of beets this year from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). The yellow beets are my favorite. They taste pretty much the same as the more common purple beets, but they are way less messy. This is a pretty classic salad – it’s simple, but surprisingly delicious.

Roasted Yellow Beet Salad with Feta Recipe

(Adapted from The Curvy Carrot’s Roasted Balsamic Beet Salad)

Salad #32 - Roasted Yellow Beet Salad with Feta

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients
yellow beets (red or purple will also work just fine)
romaine lettuce (or other greens)
feta cheese, crumbled
sliced almonds
Dressing Ingredients
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

Roast (or you can grill instead) the beets until they are cooked through.
Mix dressing ingredients together in a small bowl with a whisk or shake well in a container with a lid.
Layer salad green, beets, feta and dressing on each plate.

Did They Eat It?

Stephen: Traditional but good.

Richard: Very nice. I enjoyed it.

Deb: I don’t like roasted beets or goat cheese.

Gordie: Refused to try any of the salad or the beets.

Nicky: Refused to try it.

Dana: I really loved this salad. After the beets were cooked it was easy to throw together too.

Salad #29 – Grilled Vegetable Salad with Greens and Mustard Dressing

September 7, 2013 by danawyyc 1 Comment

Summer is nearly over, but there is probably a few weeks of great grilling weather left. This salad is a perfect if it’s too hot to cook inside but you have some vegetables that you’d like to roast. If the weather is a bit cooler and the thought of turning on your oven doesn’t make you want to cry, the vegetables can also be roasted in the oven instead. Below, I’ve written down the vegetables that I used for my salad, but you could use any grilled vegetables you have on hand including zucchini or asparagus.

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Greens and Mustard Dressing

(Adapted from Cook With What You Have)

Salad #29 - Grilled Vegetable Salad with Greens and Mustard Dressing

Ingredients

2 medium onions
1 turnip
4 carrots
6 small beets red and yellow
2 large roasted red peppers (from a jar)
lettuce
parsley
2-3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Chop Vegetables into large pieces and coat with olive oil.
Mix the oil, lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until well mixed.
Heat your grill to about 400F. I found this to be about medium low on my grill.
Place your vegetables on your grill and cook until cooked through. Turning occassionally. If you are using more tender vegetables this may only take a few minutes, larger root vegetables may take up to 20 minutes.
Take the vegetables off the grill and chop into bite sized pieces. If you are using fresh peppers instead of jarred, place the pepper in a plastic bag for a few minutes to make it easier to take off the skin.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, roasted chopped vegetables and dressing.
Serve and enjoy.

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Greens and Mustard Dressing

Did they Eat It?

Bronwen – Neat touch with the roasted greens

Anne – really liked it. Surprise to have roasted vegetables in a salad

Grandma Mary – I really liked the one with the beets. Those beets were so good.

Richard – very good. It seemed like there was something with a bit of kick in it too.

John – I filled up on the roasted vegetable salad. Very good. Never had it before.

Dana – This salad was delicious. I would absolutely make this again. One of my favorites so far.

Salad #28 – Orzo Salad

September 6, 2013 by danawyyc 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 Summer Vegetable Salad Recipe

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

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

Cook the orzo according to the package instructions.
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.
Mix the remaining ingredients with the orzo.
Serve cold or at room temperature. Keeps well for a couple days.

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

August 15, 2013 by danawyyc 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

Ingredients

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

Directions

Boil potatoes until cooked through.
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.
Put the potatoes in a large bowl and pour the dressing over the potatoes. Mix well.

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

(adapted from Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette)

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

All ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

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.

« Previous Page

Vegetarian

Roasted Parsnip and Carrot Salad

Did They Eat It?

Fruity Winter Salad

Did They Eat It?

Mexican Street Corn Inspired Quinoa and Corn Salad Recipe

Did They Eat It?

Kale Salad with Grilled Corn Recipe

Did They Eat it?

Roasted Yellow Beet Salad with Feta Recipe

Did They Eat It?

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Greens and Mustard Dressing

Did they Eat It?

Orzo Summer Vegetable Salad Recipe

Did They Eat It?

Potato Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Directions

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Grilled Vegetable Salad

Did They Eat It?

Strawberry Avocado Salad with a Maple Dressing

Did They Eat It?

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