Tarragon Green Bean Salad

Green beans – get ‘em while they’re hot!  Or cold.  They’re in season now, so green beans are cheap and plentiful.  My husband likes them best splashed with olive oil and roasted in the oven, but sometimes you don’t want to heat up the house.  For a yummy, summery green bean dish that’s delicious warm or cold, try this Tarragon Green Bean Salad!

Fresh herbs are a joy, and this recipe uses parsley, tarragon, and green onions.  Technically this may be a green goddess salad dressing, and it IS wonderful on a salad with fresh tomatoes.  You will have enough dressing left over to do just that!  Make the dressing while the beans are cooking and this recipe is ready in a snap.  Let’s go!

Tarragon Green Bean Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh green beans
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1-inch squeeze of anchovy paste or one small anchovy fillet (you can sub soy sauce if you must)
• 1 fist full of parsley
• 1 fist full of tarragon leaves
• 2 green onions
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons yogurt (or sub sour cream)
• juice of 1 lemon (or sub tarragon vinegar, if you’re fancy!)

Directions:

1. Prep the green beans:  cut off tops and tails and cut the beans into 1-inch pieces.  Put the beans in a covered dish with some water and cover.  Microwave for about six minutes.  You want the beans tender-crisp.
2. While the beans are steaming, make the dressing:  Blend all the rest of the ingredients in a food processor.  It doesn’t have to be homogeneously smooth, but you don’t want to bite down on a big chunk of garlic!
3. To serve:  Toss the beans in half of the dressing.  Serve warm, or refrigerate until ready to serve.  It’s great cold too, especially with grilled meats.  Serve the leftover dressing with salad and tomatoes, or use it as a dip for carrots and peppers.

Grilled Caesar Salad

Before we go any further:  Yes, you grill the lettuce.  Say what?!  I first encountered this recipe at an Italian restaurant in our neighborhood a few years back.  It was a revelation—you can grill lettuce! And  instead of making it nasty and squishy, just a tiny bit of char adds so much flavor and texture as to change the whole dish!  Then I saw the idea again in a magazine last week and, that was it, I had to try it at home.  (Okay – I made my husband do the actual grilling.  But I supervised, I promise!)

The dressing comes together in a snap in the food processor (or you can do it old-school in a wooden salad bowl with a fork, but I find it is hard on my forearms!)  The only ingredient you may not have is anchovy paste.  It’s pretty cheap and lasts forever in your fridge, and it adds that “umami” flavor you can’t get anywhere else.  It’s also great in spaghetti sauce, if you’re worried you won’t make a lot of Caesar salad.  This dressing also calls for a raw egg yolk.  I would highly recommend buying the highest quality eggs you can find – check your local farmer’s market – or at least getting organic, free-range, or both.  (If you are immunosuppressed you could substitute a spoonful of store-bought mayonnaise, but it’s just not the same.)  Also, you’ll notice there are no croutons on my plate.  We almost never eat bread, but if croutons are your thing, go ahead and pile them on!

This salad was a side dish to a dinner of grilled steaks and grilled veggies.  Feel free to chop up some grilled chicken and make it a whole meal!  For a side dish, plan on one half of a head of lettuce per person.  If you are making it the main dish, serve a whole head of lettuce per person.  Curious?  Let’s go!

Grilled Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
• juice of one lemon
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• croutons and grated parmesan cheese to serve

Directions:

1. Prepare the dressing:  In a food processor, blend together the garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, egg yolk, anchovy paste,  and lemon juice.  Blend in 1/4 cup of oil.  Taste to see if you like the consistency.  If you want it more diluted, add more oil.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Prepare the lettuce:  Slice it vertically down through the core.  You have two long halves now.  Wipe with a dry paper towel.  The lettuce needs to be completely dry or else it will stick and wilt.  No washing it, no oiling it!  Place the lettuce on the grill, cut side down, for 2 minutes without moving it.  With tongs, take it off the grill and lay it grilled-side up on a plate.  Don’t cover it or it will get soggy.  Drizzle with dressing, and add croutons or grated cheese to serve.  Eat it now!

Crunchy Chopped Salad

I think this was originally a recipe from a South Beach Diet cookbook.  But I started making it so long ago, and have added and deleted ingredients over the years…so that I am not sure it’s the same one in the book.  That’s okay – it’s not about exact ingredients.  You can add or subtract as you like.  It’s about CRUNCH!  And that’s what you get in this Crunchy Chopped Salad!

I know that chips aren’t great for me.  I usually don’t crave them, and I make sure I don’t keep them in the house (because as a stay-at-home mom, you DO eat whatever is in the pantry!)  But sometimes you just get that urge for something kind of salty and crunchy.  I make this salad instead.  Is it the same?  Of course not!  (Otherwise I’d call it Doritos Salad!)  But this satisfying, fun-to-eat dish  scratches that itch for me, and maybe it will for you too.

If you need a break from lettuce, try this.  If you have lots of singleton vegetables in your crisper drawer, try this.  If you want something fresh and different for your next cookout, try this!

Crunchy Chopped Salad

(Serves four as a side dish)

Ingredients:

• 6 baby carrots
• 1 bunch radishes, trimmed
• 3 stalks celery, trimmed
• 2 Persian cucumbers, or one large cucumber
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper
• 2 green onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• juice of 1 lemon or lime
• 2 or 3 drops of honey
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 avocados

Directions:

1. Wash and trim all your veggies.  Cut them all into medium-small pieces.  This is up to you, but for example, I cut the peppers into 1/2″ square pieces.  The radishes, cucumbers, carrots, and celery all get sliced vertically, then cut into 1/4″ slices.  If you dice everything too small, you won’t get the crunchiness.  If you cut everything too large, you’ll only get one or two veggies on your spoon at a time.  Experiment and see what size you like best.  If you are using a large cucumber, you may want to peel off the waxy skin and scoop out the seeds.  I like Persians because they are thin-skinned and have very little squishy gel around the seeds.  Pile all your chopped veggies into a big bowl and toss.  Beautiful, right?
2. In a little food processor, blend up your garlic, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper, and 1/4 cup olive oil.  Taste and dilute with more oil if you like.
3. To serve, dish the salad into a bowl and drizzle liberally with dressing.  For each serving, dice half of an avocado and place it on top (otherwise it gets smushed.)  Eat this salad with a big soup spoon so you get a little of each vegetable in every bite!

If you have leftovers, you can mix in a can of tuna the next day.  It’s wonderful!

Tzatziki Wrap

What a fun word to say:  Tzatziki!  With spring in full swing now, I am in love with using fresh herbs in as many ways possible.  This recipe for my Tzatziki Wrap uses a small handful of dill. Dill is a lovely thing to grow in a windowbox, if you can, or in your garden, because it goes with so many other flavors and cuisines.  If you have leftover dill after making the tzatziki, use it on fresh or smoked salmon.

Tzatziki is just a fancy way to say “yogurt dip.”   It is found in Greek and Mediterranean dishes, and goes well with all grilled meats—chicken, beef, lamb, salmon—as well as vegetarian dishes like falafel.  Blend this up in your food processor in five minutes, and enjoy for lunch or a light dinner tonight!

Tzatziki Wrap 

(Makes two wraps)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (Greek yogurt or regular.  Avoid nonfat as the texture is too runny)
• 1 big handful dill sprigs, any tough parts trimmed away
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 large cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1 cup baby spinach, or a few leaves of romaine lettuce
• 1 cooked chicken breast
• tortillas or pita bread for wrapping

Directions:

1. Make the tzatziki:  In a food processor or blender, blend the yogurt, dill, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic together.  Cut the half a cucumber in half again, and add one half to the blender and combine.  (You should now have one-quarter of a cucumber left.  Math!)  Refrigerate the tzatziki until ready to use.
2. Slice the peppers and cucumber into very fine strips.  If you are using romaine lettuce, wash and dry the leaves and stack them on a cutting board.  Cut the leaves into fine strips.  Mix the peppers, cucumber, and lettuce in a large bowl and toss to combine.
3. Very thinly slice the chicken breast.  Prepare your tortilla or pita bread for filling.  (I always warm up tortillas in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel, so they’re pliable and won’t break.)  Fill tortilla with chicken breast slices, vegetables, and a big drizzle of tzatziki.  Roll up and eat, with more tzatziki if you like.
Cutting carbs, or do you have leftover wrap filling?  Toss with tzatziki and eat it like a salad!  It also goes great as a dip—try with carrots.

Italian Tuna Wraps

I love it when a plan comes together!  I was hungry at lunchtime yesterday, so I opened my pantry.  I stared at the shelf for a good minute…eyes glazing over.  ”There’s got to be something here, some combination of flavors that will fill and delight me” I thought.  And bingo!  Inspiration struck and I made these Italian Tuna Wraps.

Okay, this is pretty much just tuna salad in a lettuce wrap.  But the addition of white beans makes it filling, contributes a creamy texture, and ups the fiber.  A handful of chopped parsley adds freshness.  This recipe serves two for lunch.  Or just do what I did, and put it in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch.  It will still taste great the next day!

Italian Tuna Wraps

Ingredients:

• 1 can of tuna
• 1 can of white beans
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper
• pinch of garlic powder
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley
• Boston lettuce leaves (or other lettuce leaves of choice) for wrapping

Directions:

1. Drain the can of tuna and put it in a large bowl.  Drain the beans, rinse them in a strainer and then add them to the tuna.
2. Toss the tuna mixture with the lemon juice and olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder; toss again.  Add parsley and toss.
3. To serve, wash and shake dry the lettuce leaves, and place a large spoonful of tuna in the lettuce.  Wrap and eat.  Couldn’t be easier!

Brussels Sprout and Kale Salad

Now you all know I love a good salad.  I will eat a salad for breakfast – in fact, I’m finishing this big bowl of Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad right now, with my morning coffee!  Raw Brussels sprouts—for breakfast?!  Yes indeed!

I found this recipe on the Bon Appetit website, which I tweaked to my liking.  The best thing about this salad, aside from the fact that it tastes good, is that it is so hearty.  I made it last night, had some for dinner, and it’s still good this morning!  But because it’s so sturdy, you’ll want to keep the nuts, fruit, and cheese separate until you’re ready to eat it.  You can sub any dried fruit you like for the cranberries:  cherries, blueberries, golden raisins, and diced dried apricot would be delicious too.  And if you don’t have toasted almonds, substitute pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts.  Check it out, and report back with your chosen combination of flavors!

Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Tuscan kale (also called dinosaur or lacinato kale)
• 1/2 pound large Brussels sprouts
• 1 shallot (or 1/4 red onion)
• juice of one large lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• to serve:  almonds, dried cranberries, and Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare kale:  Strip the leaf off the thick stem, then soak the leaves in cold water to remove any dirt.
2. While the kale is soaking, prepare the Brussels sprouts:  cut off the stem end and any brown or wilted leaves.  Slice in half lengthwise, and lay down flat on the cut side.  Thinly slice each sprout half to create shreds.  Place shredded sprouts in a very large bowl.
3. Dry the kale.  Grab a handful and sort of wad it up, then run your knife through the kale to shred it.  Add to the sprouts in the  bowl.
4. In a small food processor, blend together the shallot, lemon juice, olive oil, and honey.
5. Pour over the kale and mix with your hands.  I mean get in there!  Massage the dressing into the kale, squeezing it to soften everything up and get the dressing into all the sprouts and kale.
6. To serve:  Dish salad into a bowl.  Take a handful of almonds and crush with a knife or in a mortar and pestle – just crack them lightly, you don’t need to pulverize them.  Add the cracked nuts and cranberries to the salad, then shred some Parmesan to go on top.  I shaved the block of Parmesan with my vegetable peeler, but you don’t have to do that if you don’t want.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Cabbage and Pineapple Slaw

Don’t let the monochromatic appearance fool you – this salad packs a tasty punch!  Winter veggies come together with fruit, nuts, and a light yogurt dressing in this recipe for Cabbage and Pineapple Slaw.

Cabbage is not a glamorous vegetable.  In fact you can probably buy a giant head of it today for less than a dollar.  Nutritionally it’s a powerhouse, though, and you probably could stand to eat more of what it’s offering!  Sliced very fine (or grated if you prefer), it’s a perfect foil for crunchy apples, chewy raisins, and whatever nuts you like.  I used sunflower seeds, but try almonds, hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts.  I think walnuts would make it taste even more like a healthier version of Waldorf Salad (a childhood favorite of mine.)  The star of the show, and what lifts this recipe above other coleslaws, is pineapple.  Fresh pineapple, minced, would be glorious, but I used a half a can of crushed pineapple and it was delicious.  Save the rest of the pineapple for smoothies, or to dress up cottage cheese.

Since we’re still knee-deep in winter, and Soup Month is going strong, try this salad paired with a spicy soup.  I think it would be great with Chinese Hot and Sour Soup, or any chili recipe, to quell the heat.  Let me know how you like it!

Cabbage and Pineapple Slaw

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head green cabbage, sliced very fine or grated
• 1 small apple, diced
• 1 green onion, minced
• about 1 cup crushed or minced pineapple
• 1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit (cranberries or cherries would be yummy!)
• 1/2 cup nuts or sunflower seeds
• 1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
• 2 heaping tablespoons plain yogurt
• juice of 1 lemon
• juice of 1 clementine orange
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Directions:

1. In a very large mixing bowl (or a very large Tupperware container with a lid, my preferred method), mix together the cabbage, apple, onion, pineapple, raisins, and nuts.
2. In a small container with a lid, shake together the mayo, yogurt, lemon and orange juices, and salt.  Taste to see if you want any more salt or lemon.
3. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and shake or toss to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Did you know that January is National Soup Month?  Sounds perfect to me - a big bowl of soup and a salad makes one of the best lunches imaginable.  One of my favorite salads is Chinese Chicken Salad!

This is perfect for winter, because all of the ingredients are in season now.  Instead of canned mandarin oranges, you can probably find fresh ones now – I’ve got Clementines and Satsumas left and right at my grocery store.  Red cabbage and carrots are always around, as are green onions.  For the base, I used Napa cabbage, but if you don’t have that, you can use any kind of lettuce you like, or really finely chopped green cabbage.  I cooked some extra chicken breasts last night so I could chop them up cold and throw them over the salad, but you can use whatever chicken you like – roasted, store-bought rotisserie, or even breaded chicken nuggets!

This recipe serves two as part of a lunch or dinner menu.  Try this salad with any soup you like, or paired up with a sandwich, wrap, or pasta dish.  Filling, nutritious and delicious – and it won’t break any of your New Year’s resolutions!

Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 small head Napa cabbage, or romaine lettuce
• 1/2 head small red cabbage
• 2 carrots
• 2 or 3 green onions
• 2 mandarin oranges
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, or 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Chop the Napa cabbage into inch-wide strips.  Finely slice the red cabbage.  Place both in a salad spinner and rinse under cold water, then spin dry.
2. Cut the carrots into matchsticks.  Finely slice the green onions.  Peel the oranges and remove as much of the white pith as possible.  Separate into segments.  Dice or thinly slice the chicken breasts.
3. To assemble:  In two very large bowls, mix together the cabbages, carrots, and onions.  Arrange the oranges and chicken breasts on top.  Drizzle each salad with one tablespoon each of sesame oil and rice vinegar, and sprinkle the sesame seeds, salt, and pepper on top.

Pa Muchim - Korean Green Onion Salad

Korean Green Onion Salad, or Pa Muchim (pronounced “pah moo cheem”) is a staple at Korean BBQ restaurants and homes alike.  It is frequently paired with pork belly or other fatty meats, as a counterbalance to all the rich flavors and textures.  I find it spicy and weirdly refreshing!

Yes, this salad has a lot of green onion in it.  So much so that you should probably share it with whoever you’re going to be hanging out with that day.  I wouldn’t eat a big plate of this and then go out on a first date!  Cutting the green onions into long strips can be a little tricky.  If it’s not working out for you or you get frustrated, you can just turn the onion on a bias and cut long diagonal slices – they don’t have to be strips cut lengthwise.  Red leaf lettuce is most commonly used, but you can try green leaf or romaine too.  As for the dried red pepper, just use one of those little packets of crushed red pepper that always comes with a pizza delivery!

Next time you grill or fry something rich and delicious, pair it with this spicy and cleansing salad.  (And for more motivation, check out how healthy green onions are for you!)

Korean Green Onion Salad (Pa Muchim)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch green onions (anywhere from 4 to 8 onions)
• 1 head red leaf lettuce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar (or you can substitute apple cider vinegar)
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, but try it if you have them!)
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Slice onions lengthwise into thin strips, or you can cut them on a very severe bias into long ovals.  Put the onions into a bowl of ice water and let soak for fifteen minutes.  This crisps them, and also removes some of the sliminess from the insides.
2. While the onions are soaking, wash the lettuce and cut it into bite-sized strips.  If your lettuce is a little limp, soak it in ice water too!
3. Make the dressing:  combine soy sauce, sugar and rice vinegar in a small Tupperware cup with a lid.  Shake well to combine.  Add sesame oil and red pepper flakes and shake again.
4. Drain the lettuce and onions, dry them if you can:  Either roll up in a dish towel, or spin in a salad spinner.  Combine lettuce and onions in a large bowl, toss with dressing, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Serve immediately.

Broccoli Bacon Salad

Bacon!  Do I have your attention?  Make sure everyone eats their greens by combining them with bacon!  My Mom made this for nearly every summer barbecue, and I'm sure it will quickly become a favorite for your family too.  Make it your own and change out the raisins for dried cherries or cranberries, or sub almonds or cashews for the sunflower seeds.  Many happy returns, at GCH!

Sesame Kale Salad

If you follow me on Facebook, you know by now that I am in love with kale.  I talk about it all the time! I finally got up the nerve to try raw kale again (after my first experience with raw kale salad, which was, shall we say, uninspiring).  And boy am I glad I did!  I bought a package of pre-washed kale with shredded red cabbage and carrots, and made the simple vinaigrette recipe listed on the back.  Fantastic!  But I love to tinker, and I made what I think is a perfect intro to raw kale salad for those who've never had it.

If you can find it, pre-washed and prepared, packaged kale is a great way to go.  Trader Joe's always has it, as does Whole Foods, and probably other health food grocery stores.  If not, buy one large bunch of kale, or two if they are small.  To prepare it, fold each leaf in half and tear the leaf off the tough stem.  (You can eat the stems, but they are very fibrous and will give your jaw a workout!)  Wash well, once or twice, especially if it's curly kale - dirty kale is yucky!  You can use a veggie peeler on the carrots to get thin slivers and a knife to chop the cabbage finely, or just use a food processor, if you have one.  You don't want to shred them like in coleslaw, though - this is a chewy, satisfying salad.

The secret to the dressing is tahini.  Tahini is a paste made of sesame seeds, and is key in making your own hummus.  It's a nice thing to have around, and keeps in the fridge for a long time.  Otherwise, you probably have everything else you need.  Ready for raw kale salad?  This recipe will make you a believer!

Sesame Kale Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 bag prepared kale, or 2 small bunches kale, washed and torn into small pieces
• 2 large carrots, or ten baby carrots, peeled and shredded or sliced very thinly
• 1/2 small head red cabbage, sliced very thinly
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 heaping tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar, honey, or other sweetener
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. In a very large bowl, or preferably a very very large Tupperware container with a lid, mix together the kale, carrots, cabbage and sesame seeds.
2. In a small Tupperware container with a lid, mix together the remaining ingredients.  Shake it up!  Then pour over the salad.  If you are using a container with a lid, shake to combine.  Really move it around!  If you don't have a lid, toss well for a few minutes, or use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale.  The dressing will help soften up the kale.  Let the salad sit at room temperature or in the fridge for half an hour before serving.

This salad is so sturdy, it's good the next day - even TWO days later!  Try putting a dressed lettuce salad in the fridge and eating it a day later.  You won't like it.  This one is better the next day because the dressing penetrates the veggies and makes them chewy and delicious.

Also, try adding in some raisins or a chopped apple.  My husband likes chopped green onion mixed in too.

Greek Salad

I don't know about you, but I made a New Year's resolution to eat better, and so far, I'm doing a pretty good job of keeping it.  (I'm patting myself on the back right now!)  A big part of that is to eat more veggies and less refined carbohydrates.  This Greek Salad recipe is a wonderful place to start if your resolution is the same as mine.  Lots of fresh vegetables, different textures, and a light, bright vinaigrette keeps things interesting.  Want to give it a try?  I'm blogging today at Girlfriends Coffee Hour.  Follow me there for the recipe!

Spinach Banchan and Cucumber Salad Banchan -- Korean Basics

Last week I posted my recipe for Dubu Buchim at GCH.  Then I had requests:  "Can we have some recipes for things to eat with it?"  Of course!  Banchans for everyone!

This week's post at GCH is for two of my favorite banchans:  spinach banchan, and a cucumber salad.  The spinach banchan is a recipe you'll want to learn and memorize, since it is a component in many other Korean recipes, like Japchae, Kimbap, and Bibimbap.  The cucumber banchan is spicy-sweet and very refreshing when paired with hot rice and kimchee.  Ready for the link?  Here it is!  Girlfriend's Coffee Hour:  What's on Your Plate?  -- Korean Banchans!

Happy Thanksgiving! Leftover Turkey Salad

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  I posted a recipe at Girlfriends Coffee Hour today.  It's for my favorite salad, and is a great way to use up turkey leftovers.  I always think of that scene in "A Christmas Story", when the narrator talks about all his favorite ways to eat leftover turkey - and none of them sound very light or healthy.  Try this one, with a fresh Mexican twist, for a great dose of veggies.  Enjoy, and God Bless!

Warm Arugula and Mushroom Salad

I don't think it's possible to overstate how much I love a green salad.  I'm always on the lookout for new recipes, new flavor combinations, and new ways to eat healthy.

Once again, Trader Joe's comes to the rescue.  Printed on the back of their bagged, washed and prepared arugula is this simple but fantastic recipe.  If you wanted to make it a dinner salad, add some shredded grilled chicken.  Otherwise, follow the recipe for a side salad that will serve - and delight - four people.

Warm Arugula and Mushroom Salad
(recipe adapted from the Trader Joe's Arugula package)

Ingredients:

• 1 bag Trader Joe's arugula, or about 7 ounces, washed and dried 
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced, (preferably baby creminis, but buttons are fine)
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts (I usually omit these because they are expensive, but they are quite nice if you have them)
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. In a saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and onion.  Stir and cook for a few minutes, until they start to get translucent, then add the mushrooms.  Stir and cook until everything is soft and fragrant.
2. In a large bowl, crumble the goat cheese.  Pour the onions, mushrooms and pan juices into the bowl and fold to combine the goat cheese.  Add the arugula, balsamic vinegar, and pine nuts and gently toss.  Serve warm.

We had this with roast chicken, warm bread, and a nice Pinot Noir. 

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Corn is only around during the summer, which means the clock is ticking if you want to make recipes that benefit from fresh corn, as opposed to canned or frozen.  This is one salad that really needs the bought it, chopped it, ate it kind of corn!

I love how colorful this salad is - the festive colors even LOOK like summer!  And this is a great dish for a potluck or barbecue, because it can be out of the fridge and still taste great (and, uh, not make anyone sick.)  This comes together in a flash - try it this weekend with whatever you decide to grill!

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans
• 2 ears corn
• 2 bell peppers (I used one red and one yellow), diced
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse the beans and place in a large bowl.
2. Prepare the dressing:  mix the ground cumin with the juice of half a lemon.  Add the oil and shake, then pour over the beans.
3. Slice the corn off the cob, and add it to the beans.
4. Add the peppers, cilantro, and onion and stir thoroughly to combine.  You may want to add a little salt.

Put it in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat.  You can also add chopped avocado to this.  It's delicious and adds a creamy counterbalance to the crunchy peppers.  Just keep in mind that, while this salad is terrific the next day, avocados are not, so eat them all before you put the leftovers away.

Superfoods Salad! Warm Kale and Oven-Dried Tomato Salad

The term "superfood" is in the news a lot lately, and for good reason.  Science is proving that some foods are just better for you than others.  These superfoods are high in nutritional value and have been shown to prevent a host of diseases, from diabetes to cancer to heart disease.  Why wouldn't you eat these dietary power-houses every day?


Well, aside from berries and nuts, some of these super-foods aren't very "fun".  Broccoli?  Mustard greens?  Lentils?  We know they are good for us, but sometimes it sounds more appetizing to eat french fries than flax seeds.  The trick, as with most things, is preparation and presentation.

Tiny spokesmodel, or giant bag?

I found a 10-ounce bag of pre-sliced kale at Trader Joe's for $2.00.  That's a great deal!  Now to dress it up visually, jazz it up taste-wise, and add even more superfoods to the mix.  Voila!  Superfood Salad!  Serve this warm with any lean protein and get a big dose of vitamins, fiber, and cancer-fighting antioxidants.  Healthy and delicious = super!


Warm Kale and Oven-Dried Tomato Salad


Ingredients:

• 1 10-ounce bag of kale, or three large bunches of kale, tough stems removed
• 3/4 cup broth or water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup Oven-Dried Tomatoes packed in oil, with 2 tablespoons of the oil, or prepared sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
• 1/2 cup almonds, lightly cracked
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• squeeze of lemon or lime
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash kale and remove tough stems.  If using bunches of whole kale instead of a bag of prepared kale, tear into bite-sized pieces.  
2. Heat sauté pan on medium heat and add olive oil.  When hot, add kale and broth and cover, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
3. Remove lid and add oven-dried tomatoes and tomato oil.  Stir to combine and lower heat, cooking until the broth has evaporated.
4. To serve:  pile kale on plate, add cracked almonds and cheese.  Squeeze a lemon over it and season with salt and pepper.

Serves two.  I ate this for lunch yesterday.  And then again for snack.  It's that good.

Fajitas Salad with Chipotle Dressing

Just as a painter needs to spend time in nature for inspiration, so must the Frugal Girlmet eat at a restaurant every once in a while, to taste new foods and get new ideas.  Sunday we took the family to Disney's California Adventure and had lunch at Cocina Cucamonga.  I ordered the Fajitas Ensalada.  I wasn't expecting much:  I mean, amusement park food doesn't have the greatest reputation.  But I was very pleasantly surprised!  

The salad was romaine and baby lettuces, topped with grilled chicken, and grilled onions, peppers, and zucchini.  But the best part by far was the chipotle dressing:  creamy, smoky, spicy and piquant.  I ate every last bite, and immediately began plotting how to make it at home.

It was so easy!  Buy a can of chipotles in adobo sauce (they're $1.69, so no big investment required!) and whole cumin seeds, and make this tonight!  (Note:  the veggies and chicken would be even tastier grilled, as they were in the original, but even with sautéed veggies and leftover chicken, this salad was amazing!)  Vegetarian?  Omit the chicken!  This sauce is so awesome, it would be great over grilled veggies - something to keep in mind for your BBQ plans this weekend...

Fajitas Ensalada (a la Frugal Girlmet)

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 large chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 large (or two small) cloves of garlic
• 1/2 bunch cilantro (use the upper stems too!)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced into pieces the same size as the bell peppers
• 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Salad greens - spring mix, romaine, whatever you like

Directions:

1. Toast the cumin seeds over medium heat for a few minutes until they get a little darker and start smelling delicious.  When toasted, grind in food processor or pulverize in mortar and pestle.  (You could use pre-ground cumin, but please don't.  Seriously, that stuff has no odor or flavor.  Buy the whole seeds!)
2. With cumin in the food processor, add chipotle and a little adobo sauce, garlic, cilantro, mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, salt and sugar.  Buzz to combine.  Taste for seasoning - too spicy?  Add more mayo.  Too tart?  Add a pinch more sugar.  Put the dressing in the refrigerator while you cook the veggies.
3. Add a little oil or butter to a large pan.  Add the sliced onions and sauté until golden, then add the peppers and zucchini.  Cook until hot and tasty (not for too long, don't let them get mushy!)
4. To serve:  Lettuce on the bottom, top with hot veggies and shredded chicken, and dress liberally with the chipotle dressing.  Scatter some avocado over the top and dig in!

(The salad was also served with some tortilla chips over the top.  It was nice and crunchy, but I didn't need the extra carbs.  If you want, go crazy with them, but we skipped them and didn't miss them.)

Homemade Ranch Dressing

I know you love it. I do too. There's no shame in it: ranch dressing is awesome. But have you ever read the ingredients on the bottle? It starts off okay, with water, oil, onion, maybe some spices, and then it veers off into chemistry lab. Xanthan gum, disodium inosinate, modified food starch, MSG - do you really want to eat these things? Do you want your kids to eat them? There IS a better way!

Make your own tonight. Seriously, read the ingredients in this recipe, find them in your fridge and pantry, because I guarantee you have 90% of them right now, and figure out a work-around for the one or two ingredients you don't have. It will taste just as good as the stuff from the bottle, without that weird plasticky feeling on your tongue. Eat it on salad, dip your veggies in it, go crazy. What are you waiting for?

Homemade Ranch Dressing

(Recipe courtesy Mark's Daily Apple)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup full fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 heaping teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon tamari
• 1/8 teaspoon granulated onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 small clove garlic, finely minced
• optional: 1 or 2 teaspoons mayonnaise

Directions:

1. Whisk everything together or process in the food processor. That's it! The flavors meld and get better if you let it chill for a while, so consider making this the night before you want to eat it.

Note: I never have buttermilk in the house. It's one of those ingredients that goes bad before I can use it all. A good substitute is the same quantity of milk with a teaspoon or two of lemon juice mixed in. Try making this as-is, and then the next time you can fool around with the ingredients to make it more to your liking. My dressing looks sort of greenish because I used more fresh dill and green onion (instead of chives) than called for, but that's how I like it.

Experiments With New Foods: Bulgur

Let me clarify: I've had bulgur before, because I LOVE tabbouleh. I've just never cooked with it myself. For whatever reason, I've always shied away from buying it and have made tabbouleh at home with couscous. But the bulgur called to me, yesterday in Whole Foods from the bulk bins, and I decided now was as good a time as any to try my hand with it.

Bulgur is minimally processed wheat, so it counts as a whole grain, and is in fact more nutritious than brown rice. It is high in fiber, has six grams of protein per cup, and is really easy to prepare (to my relief.) While I found several different suggestions for how to cook it, I chose what I would call the "steaming" method. I added half a cup of uncooked bulgur to 1 cup of water and a little salt in a pan and brought it to a boil. As soon as it boiled, I turned off the heat, put the lid on the pan, and let the water steam and absorb into the bulgur, for 20 minutes. I drained off what little water remained (maybe 2 tablespoons) and it was ready to go into my tabbouleh.

Tabbouleh is one of the healthiest, tastiest salads you can make, and it comes together in a snap. By the time your bulgur is ready and has cooled off, all your other ingredients can be prepared. And what to do with leftover bulgur? I made it for breakfast for my daughter and I. I added a little milk, some raisins, and cinnamon and microwaved until warm. It was delicious, like a cross in flavor between oatmeal and Cream of Wheat. A nutritious ingredient (and pretty cheap, at $2.69 a pound) that makes a terrific meal at dinner AND breakfast? I'm sold!

Tabbouleh

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup uncooked bulgur
• 1 large or 2 small bunches parsley
• 2 green onions
• 2 small Persian cucumbers or 1/2 large hothouse cucumber (you can use regular cucumbers, but remove skin and seeds if you do)
• 1 roma tomato (or more, I'm not a fan of raw tomatoes)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large lemon
• 3tbs - 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Follow the instructions above to cook the bulgur, or if you have another method, feel free to use that. Let the bulgur cool, so it is warm or at room temperature.
2. While the bulgur is cooking, chop the parsley. Use the leaves and the stems. I pulsed mine in the food processor and it came out great, but you can easily do this by hand. Finely slice the green onions, and dice the cucumber and tomato into 1/4-inch pieces.
3. In a large bowl, add the parley. Stir in the onion, cucumber and tomato. Pour about 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the salad - you want everything coated, but you don't want a pool of oil in the bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a small bowl, juice the lemon, making sure to remove all the seeds. You can add the zest too (I did, just because I love it!) Stir into the salad and taste - if it's too acidic, add more oil.
5. When bulgur is cool, mix into the salad. Let this marinate for an hour for the flavors to develop. This goes great with hummus and pita!