Showing posts with label Salads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salads. Show all posts
I don't know about you, but for myself, with these Spring days that are warming up and the gorgeous sunshine we have been enjoying of late, I find myself craving salads.
I adore salads. They are one of my absolute favorite things to make and to eat, and this is the time of year that I drag my salad spinner out from my kitchen store cupboard and blow the dust off of it!
Honestly, I could eat salad any time of the year, but in the winter months I tend to gravitate more towards ready made salad kits. Probably because there is a general lack of fresh local produce to choose from.
We are not quite enjoying much in fresh local produce yet, except for the tomatoes and cucumbers which are grown in a local greenhouse, but it won't be long, so I thought it would be fun to share some of my absolute all-time-favorite salads today!
Yes, I am whetting my whistle for summer salads!
Before I actually start sharing any recipes, let me say that you can build a salad out of just about anything.
Most people don't really need a recipe to make a salad . . . salads are generally quite easy to throw together. What we do need though are ideas on how to put salads together. Salads can be very boring, or they can be fabulous. The choice is up to you really!I shared a really great tutorial here, on HOW TO BUILD A BETTER SALAD. Do be sure to check it out for all of my hints, tips and ideas!
One of my favorite main meal salads is this one that I made several years back. It is considered to be a composed salad. This simply means that that it is a salad which has been put together with a variety of ingredients and then served with a simple, yet delicious dressing.
In this case it is a delicious fresh Tarragon, Chervil and Chive Dressing. On the plate there is a delicious mixture of crispy tender vegetables (peas, tender stem broccoli, and baby carrots). I have also added some crisp salad leaves, boiled new potatoes and leftover cooked chicken. Nobody complained.
CHICKEN TACO SALAD - This is a real favorite salad. I love taco salads of any kind, but they can often be loaded with fat and calories. This is a low fat version composed of plenty of tasty coated chicken pieces, loads of vegetables, crisp lettuce, baked tortilla crisps and a zesty Tex Mex spicy dressing to drizzle over top.
GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD - This has always been my favorite of all salads. Far too often I have ordered one in a restaurant only to be disappointed when it arrives, with limp lettuce which has seen better days, chicken you have to hunt for and a less than flavor-filled dressing.
This homemade salad will not disappoint! Lovely seasoned and grilled chicken, crisp romaine lettuce, pieces of crispy bacon, homemade crispy croutons and a tangy flavor filled Caesar dressing!
TURKEY, SOUR CHERRY & ALMOND PASTA SALAD - With its delicious sweet and sour poppyseed dressing, this salad is a really winning combination of cooked shredded turkey, tangy sour cherries, farfalle (bowtie) pasta, and blue cheese crumbles. Serve on a bed of shredded ice berg lettuce which adds an additional layer of crispness.
BACON AND EGG SALAD - Another main dish salad. Here you have crisp hearts of romaine lettuce, topped with rich quartered boiled egg, crispy bacon, grilled tomatoes and crisp homemade buttery croutons. With its fabulous creamy dressing, you can have your bacon and eat it too!
MOM'S POTATO SALAD - My mother always made the best potato salad. Everyone always asks me for this recipe and it is a salad that I am often asked to bring to Pot Lucks. It is the perfect balance of potato, crunch, dressing and of course topped with slices of perfectly boiled eggs.
CLASSIC COBB SALAD - A delicious salad which comes from the days of the Brown Derby Restaurant in Hollywood. Chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, boiled egg, cheese and avocado, delicately placed in a delicious manner and drizzled with a lush sherry vinaigrette dressing.
TUNA NICOISE SALAD - Another classic salad. Individual ingredients are dressed and then arranged on a plate. Crispy tender haricots vert (thin string beans), boiled new potatoes, chunked albacore tuna, boiled egg, sliced tomato. Great quality ingredients, simple, simple dressing. All composed together into a really delicious salad.
BISTRO POTATO SALAD - You will picture yourself sunning yourself on the French Riviera when you sit down in front of this delicious version of potato salad. Perfectly cooked potato, chives, egg, radish, all on a bed of mixed salad greens and dressed with a lush and light vinaigrette dressing.
BIG FAT GREEK SALAD - With plenty of fresh garden vegetables . . . ripe tomatoes, cucumbers . . . red peppers. Add some lovely salted Greek Olives, plenty of salty crumbled Feta and a beautifully herby Greek Salad vinaigrette dressing. This always goes down a real treat. It is the perfect combination of crunchy, salty, creamy and tangy! It goes wonderfully along side any kind of grilled meat, fish or poultry!
And there you have it, some of my salad favorites to fill your salad cravings for these early days of Spring!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Sorry if you came here expecting cake this morning. You will be disappointed if you did, but maybe not because what I am sharing is just as delicious as cake, except in a different way.
My sister Cindy has a blog called Flat Belly Files (Real Food for Real People) which I really wish that she would keep up. A proponent of healthy eating, it is filled with loads of great nutritional facts, recipes and ideas. She hasn't updated it in a while unfortunately.
.JPG "Lemony Lentil Tabouleh")
This is a tasty and delicious recipe that I got from my sister. She has it on her blog. Its really tasty and whilst it might look complicated, it really isn't. I know its not really pretty, but don't let that put you off!
Its one of the tastiest salads going and it is filled with loads of fiber and protein. You can make up a batch of this and keep it in the refrigerator and you are good for lunch for a few days. The original recipe makes four to five servings. I down-sized it to make only two to three servings.
.JPG "Lemony Lentil Tabouleh")
It is filled with plenty of crisp fresh vegetables and meaty flavor-filled lentils. There is plenty of bulgur in this which is traditional to Tabouleh as well, plus lots of herbs and a fresh lemony dressing.
Everything is natural. There is nothing so far out of the ordinary as to be unobtainable, plus it is quite simply healthy, tasty good nutritious eating.
It also makes a perfectly portable delicious lunch for those of you who are on the go!
.JPG "Lemony Lentil Tabouleh")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE LEMONY LENTIL TABOULEH
Simple fresh and store cupboard ingredients. It looks like a lot, but that is because there are three main components to the recipe as well as a dressing.
For the bulgur:
- 1/2 cup (95g) bulgur
- 1/2 cup (120ml boiling water
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the lentils:
- 1/2 cup (95g) dried green lentils
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
- 2 small bay leaves, broken
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) water
You will also need:
- 1/2 stalk celery, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1/4 green pepper, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1/4 red pepper, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1/4 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (small handful) finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 TBS chopped fresh mint
- 2 TBS chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 cup (60g) crumbled feta cheese
For the dressing:
- 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- the juice of half a lemon
- salt and black pepper to taste
.JPG "Lemony Lentil Tabouleh")
Bulgur wheat is a low calorie whole grain that provides various nutrients and is an especially good source of manganese, magnesium, iron, protein, and fiber. For some reason it is not that easy to procure here where I live. I found mine on Amazon.
I use Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Red Bulgur. Its non GMO. I also used President's Choice Organic Green Lentils, which I am able to purchase at our local SuperStore.
Everything else is pretty self explanatory.
.JPG "Lemony Lentil Tabouleh")
HOW TO MAKE LEMONY LENTIL TABOULEH
There are a few simple components to this dish. Cooking the lentils, cooking the bulgur, chopping the vegetables, making the dressing and tossing everything together.
You can use canned already cooked lentils if you with, but for this smaller batch I highly recommend that you cook your own. Its not hard to do. In fact I recommend you cook your own for the full batch also. There is really no comparison. Home cooked are just tastier.
.JPG "Lemony Lentil Tabouleh")
First cook the lentils. Put them into a saucepan with the water, garlic and bay leaves. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes. They should be soft but still holding their shape. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Discard the garlic and the bay leaves. Set aside.
For the bulgur measure it into a bowl. Add the salt and the boiling water. Stir, cover and then leave to sit for about 1/2 hour. At the end of that time all of the liquid should have been absorbed.
Prepare all of your vegetables and place them into a bowl. Add the drained lentils and the soaked bulgur. Toss together well to combine.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients until blended and thick. Pour over the salad in the bowl. Mix everything well together. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
Cover tightly and chill for an hour or two prior to serving.
.JPG "Lemony Lentil Tabouleh")
This really is delicious. So easy to make as well. Once you have all of the components ready, it goes together in a flash. The hardest part is waiting the two hours for the flavors to meld together!
I served mine with some sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. You can also halve some cherry tomatoes and add them to the salad if you wish.
Low glycemic. High in nutrients. Good for your heart and your digestion, this healthy salad is destined to become a real favorite, I guarantee! Thanks sis!
.JPG "Lemony Lentil Tabouleh")
I don't always eat things which are not that healthy. I often indulge in healthy and delicious foods. Here is a small sampling of what I enjoy:
CHICKEN AND GREEN BEANS - A fabulous stir fry of cubed chicken breast meat and crispy tender green beans in a lovely slightly spicy light sauce. Quick, easy and delicious!
ALMOND CRUMBED COD - Low carb, delicious and easy to make. Tender, perfectly cooked cod loins coated lightly in a whole grain and almond crumb. This is one of my favorite ways to eat fish!
Yield: 2 - 3
Lemony Lentil Tabouleh
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 45 M
A fabulously tasty salad that is filled with loads of fiber and nutrition! Trust me when I say it is very easy to make. This is a downsized recipe from one which my sister uses. You can make this and keep it in the fridge for several days. It makes a great lunch!
Ingredients
For the bulgur
- 1/2 cup (95g) bulgur
- 1/2 cup (120ml boiling water
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the lentils:
- 1/2 cup (95g) dried green lentils
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
- 2 small bay leaves, broken
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) water
You will also need:
- 1/2 stalk celery, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1/4 green pepper, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1/4 red pepper, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1/4 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (small handful) finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 TBS chopped fresh mint
- 2 TBS chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 cup (60g) crumbled feta cheese
For the dressing:
- 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- the juice of half a lemon
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- First cook the lentils. Put them into a saucepan with the water, garlic and bay leaves. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes. They should be soft but still holding their shape. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Discard the garlic and the bay leaves. Set aside.
- For the bulgur measure it into a bowl. Add the salt and the boiling water. Stir, cover and then leave to sit for about 1/2 hour. At the end of that time all of the liquid should have been absorbed.
- Prepare all of your vegetables and place them into a bowl. Add the drained lentils and the soaked bulgur. Toss together well to combine.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients until blended and thick. Pour over the salad in the bowl. Mix everything well together. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
- Cover tightly and chill for an hour or two prior to serving.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I know it may not look like it, but salad is one of my favorite things to eat. I could quite happily fill up on a salad and nothing else.
Fresh and crisp, filled with lots of different colors, tastes and textures, and with a punchy tangy vinaigrette dressing, Italian Chopped Salad is one of my favorite ways to go when it comes to salad!
.JPG "Italian Dinner Salad for One")
Not only are salads like this great to enjoy as a meal all on their own, with perhaps some crackers, bread sticks or crusty bread, but they make great portable lunches.
I suggest if you are bringing it for lunch however, that you store the dressing separately in a tightly closed container and dress your salad just prior to eating.
If you were to dress it too far ahead of time you run the risk of a soggy salad. The leaves would wilt for sure.
.JPG "Italian Dinner Salad for One")
Truth be told however; a few wilted leaves have never stopped me from enjoying a salad. I could eat it like a pickle. Yes, I do love salads that much!
I was really craving a salad today so I asked my sister when we were out and about to stop at the Super Store so that I could get some salad fixings. Now all I have to do is make sure that I get them all used up.
When you live on your own that is a problem sometimes, getting everything used up before it goes off. I hate waste.
.JPG "Italian Dinner Salad for One")
I love these shopping jaunts I go on with my sister. We started off at the French Bakery in Kingston called Marie et Guy's. I could not resist a sour dough baguette, a lemon brioche bun and some delicious little Bretonne cookies. Oh boy. Just like shortbreads but with jam in the middle.
And then we hit Pierces' farm market in Aylesford. They have the most amazing selection of squashes and pumpkins. I picked up a few different squashes.
Next was Walmart and finally the Super Store. The best part of course is getting to do all of this with my sister. This is the first time we have lived this close to each other in about 45 years. Its just wonderful.
.JPG "Italian Dinner Salad for One")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD FOR ONE
This is the bare bones basic list. You can of course add to it or take away from it. Replace things you don't like with things that you do enjoy.
- 1 cup diced lettuce (romaine or iceberg)
- 2 TBS diced green pepper
- 2 TBS chopped red onion
- 6 grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 TBS Kalamata Olives (mine were tiny)
- 1 TBS hot pepper rings
- 6 slices of pepperoni, thinly cut into shreds
- 2 TBS chopped mild hard Genoa salami
- 2 TBS diced provolone or Swiss cheese
.JPG "Italian Dinner Salad for One")
I didn't like the look of the Romaine lettuce today, so I bought Iceberg. I think Iceberg is a lettuce that gets an undeservedly bad rap. It may not be as green as some other lettuces, but I love its crisp crunch and if you get a really good one, it has lots of flavor.
I bought the salami at the deli-counter. I think the girl was a bit rude actually. She didn't like having to cut my piece of salami an inch thick. She said it was difficult, more difficult than thin slices.
Sorry but that's your job and if the piece you are working with is not thick enough to do that safely, then open a fresh log. Simple. It's not rocket science.
.JPG "Italian Dinner Salad for One")
I bought a small punnet of grape tomatoes. I am so pleased with them. They are sweet, sweet, sweet. I could eat them like candy.
I already had some Kalamata olives here at home. I always keep them in the house. This latest bunch I bought on Amazon. Dry brined. You can find them here. They are tiny and I think just the right size.
.JPG "Italian Dinner Salad for One")
Everything else I already had in my fridge/larder. I always buy the Pizza Delight dry cured Pepperoni and keep it in the refrigerator to make pizzas with.
I also usually have Swiss cheese in the fridge. You can also use Provolone. I had a jar of pickled hot banana peppers in the fridge as well. I find them come in handy for making sandwiches also.
.JPG "Italian Dinner Salad for One")
I also always have the ingredients for the dressing in the house. It makes enough for about six salads, but that's okay. You can keep it in the refrigerator and use it as and when you want a quick and delicious dressing.
You can easily make your own Italian seasoning if you don't have any.
Make Your Own Italian Seasoning: Mix together 3 TBS dried basil, 3 TBS dried oregano, 3 TBS dried parsley, 1 TBS garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
It comes in very handy for all sorts.
.JPG "Italian Dinner Salad for One")
Of course, you can just use a good bottled Italian Dressing if you don't want to make your own from scratch. I just like to make my own. It's not difficult and makes a much more manageable amount for me. I am sick of throwing salad dressing away because it's gone out of date.
Sometimes I haven't even opened it and I need to throw it away. I would just much rather make my own from scratch. No waste there.
.JPG "Italian Dinner Salad for One")
Of course, making this salad is easy, easy, easy. Just lay the lettuce in a bowl and top with your toppings. Then drizzle with the dressing and toss. Easy peasy, and oh so delicious!
This is great to enjoy at home for a hearty lunch, or a light supper, or to take to work or school. I think it is one of the tastier salads that I make actually! Sorry, I don't mean to brag.
.JPG "Italian Dinner Salad for One")
If you love salad as much as I do for lunch or supper, you might also enjoy one of these:
CHICKEN TACO SALAD - The dressing is the real star here. You can make it as spicy or not as you desire. It's easy to keep this low fat as well if you stick to low fat ingredients!
CLASSIC COBB SALAD - A deliciously interesting way to get in some of your five a day! Based on the classic from the original signature dish of the Hollywood Brown Derby. It boasts a delicious vinaigrette dressing.
Italian Dinner Salad for one
Yield: 1
Prep time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min
A quick and easy combination of fresh vegetables, cheese and cured meats. Loaded with plenty of flavor, this makes a fabulous lunch or light supper. The dressing makes enough for about 6 salads, but will keep well in the refrigerator to use another time. Just bring to room temperature prior to using.
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced lettuce (romaine or iceberg)
- 2 TBS diced green pepper
- 2 TBS chopped red onion
- 6 grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 TBS Kalamata Olives (mine were tiny)
- 1 TBS hot pepper rings
- 6 slices of pepperoni, thinly cut into shreds
- 2 TBS chopped mild hard Genoa salami
- 2 TBS diced provolone or Swiss cheese
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 TBS good balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp each, salt and black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 TBS grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- I like to lay all of the salad ingredients out attractively in a single serving pasta bowl. I place the lettuce on the bottom of the bowl and then lay out the other ingredients like spokes on a wheel.
- To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together until well combined. Alternately you can place them into a jar and give them a good shake.
- Drizzle about 1 TBS over your salad and then toss everything together to coat.
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