Category Archives: Salads

Mango and chicken quinoa salad

By now we all know how healthy quinoa is – here’s a quick recap: it’s a seed, not a grain, and it comes from South America. It is gluten-free, and high in protein, magnesium, iron and fiber. The only downside is that on its own it tastes like bird food and needs quite a bit of assistance from other, more fun and exciting ingredients to really shine. I had previously shared this information along with a Quinoa Garden Salad w/ Feta Cheese recipe in a post last year.

Chicken and mango quinoa salad

Mangoes are currently on my list of favorite foods. And although it seems that this sweet, tropical fruit really belongs in a blender with tequila or in a fruit salad, it actually makes a fantastic addition to savory dishes, like this Malaysian mango chicken, for instance. And turns out, it is also the perfect thing to liven up the lackluster stuff that is quinoa.

Chicken and mango quinoa salad

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 c red or white quinoa

1 mango, peeled and cubed

3 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 lb cooked, shredded chicken* (preferably roasted)

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt + pepper

*To keep this dish vegan, swap out the chicken for chick peas.

Procedure: Cook quinoa according to package directions and let come to room temperature. Then combine with remaining ingredients in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Chicken and mango quinoa salad

Quinoa garden salad

These grain-like seeds of South American origin known as quinoa are a super food by all means. “Keen-wah” is high in protein and fiber, while low in carbs, and it is gluten-free. Health nuts and foodies have been indulging themselves in its the benefits for several years now but I acquired my first box of it only a few weeks ago… I guess I wasn’t curious enough. What I discovered is that it looks and tastes like bird food.

The first time I cooked it, I meant to combine it with roasted eggplant, and serve it warm, drizzled with homemade garlic aioli. But, it turned out to be a complete disaster. I forgot to salt the water when boiling the damn stuff and the aioli turned out bitter (read this informative article to learn why). I was very disappointed and almost swore off quinoa for good.

Thankfully, I decided to give it another chance. Turns out, when handled properly, quinoa can actually be quite lovely.

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 c quinoa, dry

1 avocado, diced

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 vine tomato, diced

2 israeli-style cucumbers, partially peeled, chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp sunflower oil

Salt + freshly ground black pepper

2 oz crumbled feta cheese

Procedure: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of water with quinoa and ¾ tsp salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-12 min more, until water is absorbed. Turn heat off and cool completely. Then, in a small bowl combine lemon juice and avocado (to slow down oxidation process), and let stand for a minute. In a large bowl, combine quinoa with all remaining ingredients including avocado. Taste and re-season if necessary. Serve at room temp. or cold. Garnish with more feta and/or a lemon wedge, if desired.

If you know any cool quinoa recipes, please share!

Homemade blue cheese dressing

I never buy bottled salad dressing. Ever. The ingredient labels tend to have a whole list of words that I can’t pronounce and that makes me cringe. Of course the same goes for many of the foods I eat everyday but I think what sets salad dressing apart is that it will eventually grace my romaine leaves, broccoli flourets and avocado cubes, which are meant to be super nutritious. But what good will that nutrition do if I drench in what I feel is most easily described as plastic?

The base of this dressing is buttermilk, which only has 120 calories per cup and a whole 9 g’s of protein. And although the cheese is high in fat, it also has 6 g’s of protein per serving.

(Yield: About 1 c of dressing)

Ingredients:

1/2 c crumbled blue cheese

1/3 c buttermilk

1 tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp mayo

1 tbsp white vinegar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedure: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to one week.

What’s your favorite dressing recipe?

Pan-fried goat cheese

This awesome recipe idea came from my e-friends, Declan and Erica (who are engaged to be married this fall!) I love, love, love goat cheese but often find myself at a loss of what to do with it. Until now, I had exactly one recipe for goat cheese, which was goat cheese and caramelized onion crostini, that I only make for Thanksgiving.

This fried cheese turns out soft and sort of pasty on the inside, and crispy on the outside. The flavor intensifies in the cooking process so this recipe is sure to satisfy any lover of stinky cheese.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

4 oz goat cheese

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

3/4 tsp dried thyme

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

Salad greens of your choice

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Procedure: Mix bread crumbs and thyme in a shallow dish. Set aside. Place goat cheese in freezer for about ten min (this will help it keep its form). Remove, unwrap and slice into 1/2″-thick pieces – it may crumble a bit, in which case just reshape it with your hands. Place a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom. Dip the goat cheese pieces first into the egg, followed by the breadcrumbs. Place on skillet and cook 3-4 per side, until golden brown (Flip with caution – these things are fragile). Drain on paper towels.

In the meantime, whisk together vinegar and EVOO. Put greens into serving dish, or four separate plates, drizzle with vinaigrette, and top with warm goat cheese.

The best chicken salad ever.

I happen to love chicken salad. I usually make it with apples, pineapple and/or dried cranberries or cherries. This time I wanted to jazz things up so I decided to add one of my favorite things – yellow curry powder. I thoroughly enjoyed the result and I’m pretty sure I’ll never make chicken salad without it again.

Curry fun fact? It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. And, studies show that it may aid in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 boiled chicken breast, diced

1/2 c finely diced apple (like Gala or Pink Lady)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp finely diced white onion

3/4 tsp yellow curry powder

3 tbsp mayo

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Salt + freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. In a larger bowl, combine chicken, onion, curry, mayo and apples. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with cilantro.

I like chicken salad with toast but this can be served in a sandwich, wrap, with a side dish or by itself.

Is that guilt in there? Mm… Delicious!

I hate vegetables. I only satisfactorily keep them down if they are masqueraded as something other than themselves.

There I was, making a mixed salad for dinner and dreading it. I started with some lettuce, which I quickly decided to dress in hooker-heels in hopes of eradicating its intended propriety.

(Yield: 4 provocative servings)

Ingredients:

About 2 c fresh greens of your choosing

3 strips bacon, cooked until crisp according to package directions, chopped

1/2 c chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 c feta cheese crumbles

1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Layer greens in a serving platter. Top with bacon pieces and tomatoes. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil. Pour dressing over salad and top with cheese.

Enjoy your “salad.”

Thai coleslaw

The idea for this salad came from a wrap I ordered for lunch one day – a bad wrap. It consisted of poorly seasoned grilled chicken pieces and a medley of vegetables with a peanut dressing on the side. The wrap was overstuffed with vegetables and when I tried to pick it up and eat it, it fell apart. I gave up on its false identity as a wrap and consumed it with a knife and fork like a salad. Although the wrap was technically a failure, I loved how those vegetables tasted with that dressing.

I decided to recreate that wrap, as a salad, without chicken. The salad was not a failure.

(Yield: 6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 c shredded purple cabbage

1 c shredded green cabbage

1 medium carrot, diagonally sliced

1 cucumber, partially peeled, diced

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Procedure: Combine all ingredients in bowl.

Dressing:*

(Adapted from this)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup sesame oil

1/3 cup honey

½ cup pineapple juice

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/3 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt + 1/3 tsp black pepper

Procedure: Whisk together all ingredients. It may take a while to emulsify but it will happen. Stir in half of dressing into salad. Refrigerate the rest.

*This dressing may be used in all types of salads, or as a dipping sauce for chicken or spring rolls.

Grilled Vegetable Salad With Yogurt Dressing

Hello all : )

I’m not sure how the idea for this salad was born but I’m glad that it was. What I love most about this dish is the contrast of the warm vegetables and the cold dressing.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

About 3 c mesclun greens

1 large purple onion, sliced

1/3 c balsamic vinegar

4 plum tomatoes, quartered

Olive oil

Salt/Pepper

 

Dressing:

3 tbsp plain yogurt

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped dill

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/3 tsp salt

1/3 tsp black pepper

 

Toss the onion in balsamic vinegar and ½ tsp black pepper. Marinade for 20 min.

Lightly grease a grill pan with olive oil and heat on medium heat. Place onions on half of the pan in a single layer. After three minutes, stir onions, and place tomatoes, flesh-side down, on the other half of the pan. Grill 3 minutes on each side, until tomatoes are warmed through and grill marks have appeared. Stir onions as well.

Place greens on a large serving platter. Then layer onions on top. Then tomatoes. Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a separate bowl and pour over salad. Enjoy immediately.

P.S: I hope you, my fellow food bloggers, are as excited for fall cooking as I am. Soups, stews, roasts, oh my!

Panzanella Salad

Panzanella salad has been on my “To Make” list for quite some time and today I finally got around to checking it off the list. Panzanella is an Italian dish, traditionally prepared with day-old Tuscan bread, tomatoes, basil, olive oil and vinegar. This is the version I came up with and it’s delicious. Light, fresh and perfect for the summer.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

Olive oil for drizzling

4 oz day-old white bread, sliced 1” thick

2 medium vine-ripe tomatoes

2 cucumbers

1 bell pepper

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Dressing:

1 tsp deli-style mustard

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp salt + pepper

Drizzle the bread slices lightly with olive oil and place oil side down on a grill pan on medium-high heat. Drizzle the other side. Grill 3-4 minutes on each side, until grill marks appear and the bread is crispy. Set aside and let cool.

Chop the vegetables and cilantro and place into a bowl. Chop the cooled bread into 1” cubes and add to bowl. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and pour dressing over salad. Toss and serve.

Purple cabbage salad

Cabbage is packed with all types of vitamins and minerals and dark purple/dark blue foods are generally high is antioxidants so it’s definitely down on my list of “power foods.” I had a head of purple cabbage in my fridge and didn’t really know what to do with it and hey, when in doubt, add bacon.

I had no idea what this salad would taste like and was a bit cautious when taking the first bite but I was very pleasantly surprised. All the ingredients turned out to make for a wonderful marriage of textures and flavors. It’s also a good-looking and sophisticated enough dish to serve to guests.

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

½ a head of a medium purple cabbage, shredded

½ red onion, sliced

2 strips of bacon, cooked, chopped

3 tbsp dried cranberries

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ tbsp white vinegar

Combine all the ingredients and let sit 30 minutes before serving.