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Salad

Salad #40 – Carrot and Raisin Salad (Danish Gulerodsalat)

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Carrot Salad

My dad is from Denmark so I thought I would see if I could find a Danish salad for my 52 Salads challenge. Denmark is not particularly known for their salads. The only one I could remember was Agurkesalat which is a pickled cucumber salad. I came across this shredded carrot salad that I don’t specifically remember having but seems very familiar.

It’s a very simple salad and a snap to put together especially if you have a food processor to do the shredding for you. You can make it with or without the apple – the apple adds some nice sweetness but it may also turn a bit brown if you aren’t eating it immediately. I used yellow carrots for this, but they taste exactly the same as the orange ones so just use whatever is handy.

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Salad #40 – Carrot and Raisin Salad
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Danish
 
Adapted from http://mydanishkitchen.com/2010/06/07/carrot-salad-gulerodsalat/
Ingredients
  • 3-5 Large carrots
  • 1-2 apples
  • 1 lemon
  • handful of raisins
  • 1-2 tsp sugar
Instructions
  1. Shred carrots and apples.
  2. Juice the lemon.
  3. Mix all of the ingredients together and let sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

 

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 Carrot Salad

Did They Eat It?

Nicky (almost 2): wouldn’t eat it

Gordie (4.5 years): I loved it!

Deb: nice gentle little salad

Dana: I really enjoyed this salad. It was even better when it had a bit longer to sit in the fridge.

Carrot Salad

 

Salad #39 – California Roll Rice Salad

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california roll salad

Some of you (including my mom) may dispute me calling this a salad. If it makes you feel better, go ahead and call it a rice bowl. No matter what you call it – it is delicious. One of the things that is great about doing it as a salad is that you can customize it for your family. My kids both love California Rolls but Gordie always pops out the avocado and cucumbers (even though he will eat them both by themselves). This is also way easier than making actual california rolls and requires no special technique or even special rice. You can use sticky rice if you want, but you can use your family’s favorite kind of rice and it will still work perfectly.

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Salad #39 – California Roll Rice Salad
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Japanese
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups cooked rice (I used brown basmati)
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 red pepper diced
  • ½ cucumber or 2 small cucumbers diced
  • 1 package imitation crab (or if you are feeling fancy you can use real crab)
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Dressing
  • 1 tsp mayo
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
  1. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
  2. Mix rice, red pepper, cucumber and imitation crab.
  3. Top with avocado, sesame seeds and dressing.

 

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 Did They Eat It?

Nicky: Loved it. Yelled “hey!” when I took the bowl out of her hand.

Stephen: Good.

Dana: I thought it was great. I love California Rolls and this is a much easier and cheaper way to get a similar flavor.

14-DSC_3558

 

Salad #38 – Tossed Greek Salad

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Tossed Greek Salad

This salad was inspired by one of my cousin’s favorite salads that she has made with me a couple of times. I usually make it without croutons but she would like you to know that it is much better with them. It’s simple to put together and really satisfying. It makes a great light lunch and can also be a perfect starter salad. Writing this one up is making me wish I had some lettuce so I could make it right now.

Tossed Greek Salad

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Salad #38 – Tossed Greek Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Greek
 
Ingredients
  • Feta
  • Tomatoes
  • cucumber
  • peppers
  • Greens
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • croutons (optional)
Instructions
  1. Chop the cucumber and peppers into bite sized pieces. If the tomatoes are small cut them in half - if you are using larger tomatoes chop them into bite sized pieces as well.
  2. Place a bed of greens on each plate and top with the vegetables and feta cheese.
  3. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and olive oil on top of each salad.

 

Tossed Greek Salad

Did They Eat It?

Dana: Get your own salad, this one is mine. [It is possible I did not actually make this salad for anyone but me…]

Tossed Greek Salad

Salad #37 – Butternut Squash Salad

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Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Over the last year, I’ve discovered how awesome salads with roasted veggies and fresh greens can be. I’ve made a few different variations for my 52 Salads Challenge but this is one of my favorites. As always, roasting the butternut squash does take a bit of time, but it’s very low maintenance – I’ve found you don’t even need to stir the squash for it to turn out great. This salad provides a nice texture variation and the saltiness of the dressing complements the sweetness of the roasted butternut squash perfectly. You can also top the salad with toasted pita or croutons to help it feel more like a full meal.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

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Salad #37 – Butternut Squash Salad
Recipe type: Salad
 
Ingredients
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • salt + pepper to taste
  • 1 romaine heart
  • ⅓ c. tahini
  • ⅓ c. water
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 can chick peas rinsed and drained
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Toss the butternut square cubes with 1 TBSP of oil, salt and pepper in a large ziplock or large bowl. (If you use a large ziplock even your tiniest kitchen helper can help you toss the cubes).
  3. Lay the butternut squash on the baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes. I find it turns out best if you do not stir the butternut squash while baking. You can peak under to make sure they are not burning but otherwise leave them alone.
  4. Mix the tahini, water, lemon juice, 1 TBSP olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl with a whisk or by shaking well in a small container with a lid.
  5. Serve by putting the butternut squash on a bed of lettuce with the dressing on top or on the side.

 

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Did They Eat It?

Anne: Very tasty. A different combination of foods that I wouldn’t expect to go together. I really like the dressing.

Nicky: Loved the dressing and the beans

Gordie: Loved the beans all by themselves.

Dana: I would make this again for sure.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

 

Salad #5 Deviled Egg Potato Salad

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

Devilled Egg Potato Salad

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

 

Devilled Egg Potato Salad

Did they eat it?

Stephen: Good.

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

Nicole (11 months): Loved it.

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

Salad #4 Brussels Sprouts Coleslaw with Candied Nuts

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I was browsing through my favorite food blog – Dinner with Julie for some salad inspiration when I came across her recipe for Brussels sprouts slaw.  I don’t have a bad relationship with Brussels sprouts. Both my parents hated them as kids, so the first time I had tried one was as an adult. I’m always trying to find ways to serve them that even Brussels Sprout skeptics will enjoy. Brussels Sprouts are readily available in the winter so it seemed like a perfect candidate for Salad #4.

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Salad #4 Brussels Sprouts Coleslaw with Candied Nuts
Recipe type: Salad
 
Ingredients
  • Coleslaw:
  • 1½ lbs of Brussels sprouts (it doesn't really matter how much - big bunch)

  • Dressing:
  • ¼ cup grainy mustard
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or plain white, or white wine)
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • Candied Almonds:
  • ½ cup chopped nuts (I used sliced almonds)
  • ⅓ cup sugar
Instructions
  1. Boil the Brussels sprouts in salted water for 5 minutes. (I was a little skeptical that these would be good, but they are really more blanched than boiled. Honestly they were great straight out of the pot. Be careful not too over cook them.)
  2. Drain the water and run the Brussels sprouts under cold water to stop them from cooking.
  3. If you have a food processor, you can use that to slice them up or you can cut them thinly by hand like I did. If they have a stalky bottom you may want to trim that off first.
  4. Whisk or shake the dressing ingredients together and toss over the slaw to coat. You only need a light coating, but you can use as much as you like.

  6. Candied Almonds Instructions:
  7. Heat frying pan to medium heat.
  8. Add nuts and sugar and stir for 3-7 minutes. You want to keep constantly stirring so your nuts don't burn. When the sugar caramelizes and your nuts are toasted you are done.
  9. Pour them onto tin foil to cool.
Notes
(adapted from http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2009/11/15/brussels-sprout-slaw-maple-pecans/)

Candied Sliced Almonds

Alternatives:

This salad would also be good topped with maple pecans like Julie did or bits of bacon.

Did they eat it?

Stephen – Surprising taste from Brussels sprouts.

Anne – This is delicious. I like them even better like this than cooked.

Deb – Not bad… for Brussels sprouts.

Gordie (3.5 years) – refused to try it

Dana – I thought this was great. I had used a Dijon mustard which I had in my fridge and I didn’t really like that in the dressing. But I don’t ever like Dijon mustard so that was no surprise. (but I used it anyway because?? and bought it in the first place because??) The slaw itself though was really good. I couldn’t believe how good the Brussels Sprouts were when they were blanched. I would definitely make this again, but I’d try it with bits of bacon instead.

Brussels Sprout Coleslaw with Candied Nuts

Salad #3 Blood Orange, Yellow Beet and Pomegranate Salad

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I’m still trying to convince Gordie that salads are not something he should automatically reject. He loves fruit salad, so I thought maybe a salad that was heavy on the fruit might be a promising avenue.

Two of my favorite fruits that are great in the winter are oranges and pomegranates and went searching for salad ideas. I found one that even included beets (which I still have a lot of). I toned it down a little to try and make it more attractive to little people, so I took out things like the onions and added pepper only for people who wanted it. The original recipe called for pomegranate molasses, which I was planning on substituting for balsamic vinegar. I happened to have pomegranate balsamic vinegar (seriously!) so I used that but any fruit or regular balsamic vinegar would be fine.

Blood Orange, Yellow Beet and Pomegranate Salad

(adapted from Epicurious Pomegranate, Beet and Blood Orange Salad)

Blood Orange, Yellow Beet and Pomegranate Salad

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Salad #3 Blood Orange, Yellow Beet and Pomegranate Salad
Recipe type: Salad
 
Ingredients
  • Seeds from 1 pomegranate
  • 4 sweet oranges (blood oranges are nice)
  • 3-4 medium yellow or red beets (or a mix of both!)

  • Balsamic Dressing

  • 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar (fruit flavored or regular)
  • 1 TBSP honey (or rogers golden syrup)
  • touch of oil
  • sprinkle of freshly ground pepper
Instructions
  1. Roast beets using your favorite method. I like wrapping them in aluminum foil and then sticking them on a cookie sheet for 45-60 minutes, until a knife easily pierces the centre.
  2. Let them cool a bit and then take the skin off with a vegetable peeler.
  3. Cut the beets and oranges up into wedges.
  4. Add the beets, oranges and pomegranate seeds into a big bowl.
  5. Stir together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and then pour over the salad ingredients.

Did they eat it?

Gordie (3.5 years): Loved the pomegrante seeds and oranges while we were making the salad. Was actually willing to try the salad, but bit into a piece of beet, exclaimed “it’s a potato!” and would not try it again.

Nicole (10 months): I’m pretty sure she thinks this was the best thing she had ever eaten. If she saw other people eating it she would demand that they share. Huge hit.

Stephen: “Good. Kinda weird”

Dana: This salad was good but it is not the quickest to throw together. Roasting the beets takes a while as does de-seeding the pomegranate. Gordie really loved helping take the seeds out. So I like that even pretty little kids can be involved in making the salad. It was really good though. It would be a great salad to make for a special meal or if you had company over for dinner.

3 down 51 to go.

Salad #2 Shredded Yellow Beet, Carrot and Apple Salad with Orange Ginger Dressing

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For our second salad I went in search of something to use the yellow beets that I had gotten from Eagle Creek Farm’s Winter CSA. Winter is not the easiest time to create a seasonal salad, but there is still quite a bit you can work with, beets included.

I came across a couple recipes for shredded beet salads. Now I’m no stranger to beets. I grew up on pickled beets and grew and roasted beets when I had my very first garden. But I had absolutely no idea that you could shred beets and eat them raw. At first I had thought this would fall into the category of, you can but would you want to (sort of like raw chicken, yeah, you can eat it raw but…).

But in fact when they are shredded they are very similar to the carrots. And yes, you can also use purple beets.

Shredded Yellow Beet, Carrot and Apple Salad with Ginger Orange Dressing Recipe

(adapted from Simply Recipes Morrocan Beet Salad)

Shredded Yellow Beet, Carrot and Apple Salad with Ginger Orange Dressing

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Salad #2 Shredded Yellow Beet, Carrot and Apple Salad with Orange Ginger Dressing
Recipe type: Salad
 
Ingredients
  • 1 large beet
  • 2 large carrots
  • 1 apple (I like granny smith)

  • Orange Ginger Dressing

  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of cayenne
  • juice of 1 orange
  • 2 tbsp honey
Instructions
  1. Peel and shred the carrots, beets and apples (the apple will also need to be cored). The beet will shred better if you cut it into smaller pieces first, think steak fries. If you have some kind of kitchen gadget to shred things, that would be handy. Put everything you've shredded into a large bowl.
  2. Add the ingredients for your dressing into a small bowl and blend well.
  3. Pour the dressing over your salad ingredients and mix. You will end up with quite a bit of dressing. You can use it all, it doesn't hurt for the salad to marinate in the fridge a little, and it can keep it from drying out or you can just add what you need if you are using it right away.

Alternatives:

  • If you are keeping it for a while you may want to use raisins instead of the apple, it’ll still taste fine, but the color goes a bit off over time.
  • You could also make the dressing as simply recipes did with lemon juice instead of orange juice and cinnamon instead of ginger
  • If you have a baby under 12 months you may want to substitute the honey for corn syrup, rogers golden syrup or maple syrup (I forgot so didn’t give it to Nicky).

Did they eat it?

Gordie (3.5 years): Tried some of the shredded vegetables before I put the dressing on it and made it into a salad.

Stephen: “Good. Cool and refreshing.”

Dana: I liked this salad. It was a real surprise as I didn’t expect much. It was pretty heavy on the ginger, I might reduce it if I was going to make it again. 2 down 51 to go.

Salad #1 – Roasted Sweet Potato and Cranberry Salad Recipe – 52 Salads

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I’ve decided to embark on a challenge to make 52 different salads over the next 52 weeks. I was inspired by my friend Misty’s 52 cakes challenge and my friend Jenny’s 52 cookies challenge. They sounded like so much fun I decided to do one of my own. But 52 weeks of cookies and cakes was not going to help me with my fitness goals for this year, so I’m going to do 52 salads instead.

I love salads, but I often find myself too lazy and disorganized to actually make them. I’m going to use this challenge to help me get in the habit of making salads and getting my family to eat more vegetables.

Additionally, my three year old son Gordie turns his nose up at anything labeled a salad so I’m going to try to see if I can win him over and
get him to try some salads.

For this challenge I am going to try to:

  • Make really different salads rather than subtle variations
  • Use a variety of sources for inspiration
  • Use seasonally available ingredients
  • Focus on salads with lots of vegetables that would work as a snack or side dish and will keep a few days in the fridge.

At least for the time being I’ll also be choosing salads that are dairy free as Nicky is sensitive to dairy products.

I’m taking suggestions so if you have a favorite salad that I should try please let me know!

Now onto our first salad:

This salad was inspired by one that they make at Sunterra Market. They use green peppers which is quite pretty but the ones at the store when I went were all squishy. That’s one of the things that’s so great about making salads, a recipe is really only a guideline.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Cranberry Salad

Roasted Sweet Potato and Cranberry Salad

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Salad #1 – Roasted Sweet Potato and Cranberry Salad Recipe – 52 Salads
Recipe type: Salad
 
Ingredients
  • 1 large sweet potato cubed and roasted
  • 1-2 red or green peppers chopped
  • 1-2 green onion sliced
  • handful of dried cranberries
  • handful of pumpkin seeds
  • Maple Dijon Dressing
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp white wine vinegar (or red wine or just white vinegar)
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Mix the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk, blend of shake the dressing ingredients together until they are well mixed. Use your hands to cover the salad with the dressing. You will probably have a bit more than you really need.
  2. Note: When you are roasting the sweet potatoes test them often, you want them to be cooked but not mushy or they will just fall apart in the salad.

Did they eat it?

Gordie (3.5 years): Did not try it because it is a salad even though I presented him with just a piece of sweet potato

Nicky (10 months): Loved it, sweet potato and red peppers were a huge hit

Stephen: “Good. Doesn’t really seem like a salad though.”

Dana: I adore this salad. I would absolutely make it again. Aside from having to roast the sweet potatoes it’s super easy to throw together too.

So there you have it – 1 down 51 to go.

Avocado, Grapefruit and Spinach Salad

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I threw this salad together from things I happened to have in the fridge. It turned out so well and looks so pretty I now pull it out when I want an impressive looking salad that’s quick to put together when I’m entertaining. Although most of the time I make it just for myself.

Avocado, Grapefruit and Spinach Salad

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Avocado, Grapefruit and Spinach Salad
Recipe type: Salad
 
Ingredients
  • 1 bag of baby spinach leaves
  • 1 grapefruit segmented (or a grapefruit fruit cup which are awesome)
  • 1 avocado
  • almonds (sliced for sprinkling)
  • ⅛ cup grapefruit juice
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper (freshly ground is nice)
Instructions
  1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients: grapefruit juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
  2. Cube the avocado (and slice the grapefruit if necessary).
  3. Put the spinach in a large salad bowl and toss with the dressing. You will probably have made more than you need so go easy.
  4. Top with the avocado, grapefruit and almonds and serve.

Avocado, Grapefruit and Spinach Salad Recipe