Paleo Chicken Caesar Salad

We have always loved a good Caesar salad and my recipe for dressings have varied over the years.  I love this particular recipe for both the flavor and the creaminess.  I also replaced the croutons with some crunchy bacon pieces.  I love to grill a chicken breast and serve it warm on the salad.  There is nothing like the cool crunch of the lettuce with the warm chicken.  I did add some Parmesan cheese shavings which are not allowed on the Paleo diet.  We are eating mostly Paleo, but I do allow a few little tweaks here and there.

Chicken Caesar Salad

For the dressing:
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic
2 whole Anchovy fillets
1 teaspoon black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup Extra Virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor or blender.  Once everything is well blended, slowly drizzle in olive oil with motor running to emulsify.  Set dressing aside and prepare salad.

For the salad:
Romaine Lettuce, chopped
 Grilled chicken
Bacon, cooked till crisp and crumbled
Parmesan cheese shavings, if desired

Place lettuce in a large bowl, and toss with enough Caesar dressing to coat lettuce.  Place salad on plate, top with desired amount of chicken and garnish with bacon crumbles and cheese, if desired.

Note:  leftover dressing can be stored in refrigerator for about 1 week.


Slightly adapted from Primal Plate

Our rating:

Seared Tuna with Chinese Salad

This has been a family favorite for quite a few years now and often requested for birthday celebrations.  The key to this recipe is using impeccably fresh tuna (just one bite of fishy tasting tuna can spoil this salad).  This recipe seems long and quite complicated but it really is simple to make.

Sear Tuna with Chinese Salad
Makes 2 servings

Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
1 lime, juiced
splash rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
4 teaspoons hot Chinese mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup Grapeseed oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
1/2 head Chinese cabbage, such as napa or savoy, shredded
 1 bunch watercress, hand-torn
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 hothouse cucumber, sliced thin
2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal, white and green parts
2 radishes, sliced thinly in circles
1/4 cup radish sprouts, optional
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup canned mandarin orange segments drained
1 sushi-quality tuna steak, such as Ahi (8-12 ounces)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon Grapeseed oil

To make the vinaigrette:
Whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, ginger, mustard, and honey.  Gradually drizzle in both oils, as you constantly whisk, until the dressing thickens and comes together.  Add a few twists of freshly ground black pepper to give the vinaigrette bite.

Combine the cabbage, watercress, cilantro, cucumber, green onions, radishes and carrot in a bowl.  Use your hands to toss the salad.  Then add the radish sprouts, almonds and mardarin oranges and lightly toss again.  Don't dress the salad yet because it will get soggy.  Cover it and put it in the refrigerator while you deal with the tuna; the contrast of the chilled salad and warm tuna is fantastic.

Rub both sides of the tuna steak with 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil, salt and pepper.  Spread the sesame seeds out on a plate and lightly press each side of the tuna steaks into the seeds.  Heat the grapeseed oil and remaining tablespoon of sesame oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Lay the steaks in the hot pan.  Sear the tuna for about 3 minutes until the sesame seeds form a crust.  Flip the tuna steaks over and cook the other side 3 to 4 minutes longer for rare.  Slice the tuna on a slight angle into 1-inch thick slices.

Toss the salad with half the vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper.  Divide the salad between two plates, lay the tuna slices on top, and then drizzle with the remaining dressing.  Elegant presentation.


Slightly adapted from Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen Cookbook

Our rating:

 

Cilantro Citrus Vinaigrette

Since we love to have salads at lunch, I'm always on the lookout for a way to change up our usual vinaigrette.  There is an endless variety of ways to change up a vinaigrette and I found this one to be quite good.  I started with lime, lemon and freshly squeezed orange juice, added rice vinegar, sea salt, and honey in the blender.  I drizzled in grapeseed oil and finally added some chopped cilantro. 

A delicious way to change up a salad.

Cilantro-Citrus Vinaigrette
Makes about 1 1/2 cups 

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed

In the jar of your blender, combine citrus juices, vinegar, garlic, salt and honey.  Blend until ingredients are complete combined.  With the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream.  Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture.  Serve with greens, on any type of salad or use as a marinade.


Slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

My rating:

Simple Crab Salad

Happy Mother's Day!  This recipe made a nice lunch for my mother's day celebration.  Crab is a relatively recent food love for me.  I used to love to order crab cakes when out at restaurants but only if I knew someone who recommended them from that particular establishment, until I figured out the best places to buy packaged fresh lump crabmeat.  Now I love all things crab.  I love this particular recipe because you start with a luscious ingredient and simply toss it with a few other ingredients to create a wonderfully satisfying lunch.  Beautiful ingredients simply treated make some of the best meals.

Simple Crab Salad
Makes 2 servings

8 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat (I got mine at Costco)
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 cups mixed baby salad greens
Extra virgin olive oil
Halved grape tomatoes
1 small avocado, cubed
Lemon wedges

Pick through the crabmeat in a bowl making sure there are no bits of shell.   Add red peppers, scallions, mayonnaise and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice.  Mix everything to combine, add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.  Toss salad greens with remaining lemon juice and drizzle with olive oil just to moisten the lettuce.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide salad between two plates top with crabmeat and garnish with tomatoes and avocado cubes.  Serve with lemon wedges.


Slightly adapted from Nom Nom Paleo

My rating:

Asian Shrimp Salad

When the weather is warm outside, there is nothing more satisfying than a nice big salad for lunch.  The ways to change up a salad are infinite, but today I took an Asian twist by making a vinaigrette using rice vinegar, coconut aminos (instead of soy sauce), olive oil and a little toasted sesame oil.  I quickly stir-fried some snow peas to add to the salad to add a warm component.  For crunch I used red pepper strips.  For a little onion twist, I added sliced scallions.  Just because I really like them, I added halved grape tomatoes and cubed avocado.  I then sprinkled the salad with toasted sesame seeds.  It turned out to be a delightful salad.

Asian Shrimp Salad
Makes 2 servings

Baby greens (I used baby romaines)
1/3 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 scallions, sliced
handful of snow peas, stir-fried in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small avocado, cubed
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Make dressing:
Combine rice vinegar, coconut aminos, olive oil and toasted sesame oil in either a small bowl and whisk, or place in a jar with a tight lid and shake.  Season as desired with salt and pepper.

Place washed greens in bowl with sliced red pepper and scallions.  Toss with enough dressing to just moisten the greens.  Divide salad between two plates.  Top with the cooked shrimp, halved tomatoes, and avocado cubes.  Drizzle with a spoonful of dressing and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.


Our rating:

Asian Chicken Salad

Since the weather has started to warm up here in Texas, I decided to go with a salad for dinner.  This meal was the last of our soy testing meals so there was edamame in the salad and I marinated the chicken breasts in a marinade including soy sauce.  The salad was delicious even if it does look a little too green.

Asian Chicken Salad
Makes 2 servings

4 cups cabbage and romaine mix
8 ounces chicken breast
4 ounces steamed snow peas
1 cup edamame
2 or 3 diced green onions
2 tablespoons, toasted slivered almonds

For the marinade:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Stevia (or sugar) to taste

Combine ingredients for marinade in a bowl or zip-lock bag, add chicken and marinade for a couple of hours (or as long as 8 hours).  Remove chicken and grill over medium high heat until cooked through.  Allow chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Combine all ingredients for the dressing and toss half of it with the salad, edamame and diced green onions.  Divide the salad between two plates and top with the sliced chicken, steamed snow peas and slivered almonds.  Drizzle with the remaining dressing.


Slightly adapted from The Virgin Diet

Our rating:

Tuna Salad

I'm sure you are wondering about the title of this post....doesn't everyone make tuna salad with mayonnaise and whatever little crunchy bits you like to toss in?  I decided to try a more Mediterranean twist with it by adding some kalamata olives, capers, a little red onion and tossing it with a lemony vinaigrette.  I served it in a tomato cup on a bed of baby lettuces and added some cubed avocado.  This was a delightful twist on an old favorite.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Makes 2 servings

1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

6 ounce can wild-caught light tuna (I used skipjack)
Kalamata olives, halved
2 teaspoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
2 cups mixed baby greens
1/2 avocado, cubed

Prepare vinaigrette by combining lemon juice, white wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper.  Whisk everything together or place everything in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well.  Set aside.

Drain tuna and break into chunks in a bowl.  Add as many halved kalamata olives as desired, along with capers and onion.  Add enough of the dressing to moisten the tuna and mix all ingredients gently.

For the tomatoes:  Remove the stem from the tomato and then place it stem side down.  Cut through tomato stopping about 1/2 from the bottom.  Make another cut again almost through the bottom (so now it will look like you would have 4 wedges if you had cut all the way through).  Make two more cuts, rotating tomato until you have what would be 8 wedges if they were separated.  Gently spread tomato open to form a cup for the salad.  Sprinkle tomato with salt and pepper.

Dress the greens with some of the vinaigrette.

To assemble the salad:
Place the dressed greens on the serving plate.  Place the tomato flower/cup on the greens and divide the tuna mixture between the two tomatoes.  Scatter the cubed avocado around the greens.


Our rating:

Roasted Pear Salad with Port Vinaigrette

Pears, Port and Blue Cheese....yum!  I knew this salad would be spectacular with just those three ingredients and then came the greens, the pears were roasted with shallots and a healthy dose of walnuts added the perfect crunch.  This salad turned out to be everything I thought it would be.

Roasted Pear Salad with Port Vinaigrette
Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 Bosc pears, halved, cored, sliced in eighths
8 shallots, peeled and halved
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup port wine
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup bitter salad greens
4 cups baby greens
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons toasted walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare the pears and shallots.  Toss them in oil, transfer to a large roasting pan, and roast in lower half of oven 15 minutes.

Meanwhile for the vinaigrette, combine vinegar, honey, port ginger, and rosemary.  Pour this syrup over the roasting pears, and return the pan to the oven; roast for 10 more minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer pears and shallots to a bowl; pour syrup into a measuring cup.  whisk in enough oil to make 1 1/4 cups vinaigrette, season and set aside.

Combine greens and use just enough dressing to moisten the greens (maybe 1/2 of the dressing).  Toss well and divide greens among 4 plates.  Top with pears and shallots, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon or so more vinaigrette.  Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts.

From Cuisine at Home, October 2001

Our rating:

Salmon Salad with Blueberries

I do love a good salad on occasion, especially for lunch and I almost skipped over this recipe since it had such a variety of ingredients that I couldn't believe would blend together.  Every bite of this salad turned out to be a flavor explosion with the omega filled salmon, mixed greens, tomato pieces, the sweet bite of the blueberries, the salty bit of feta cheese, the nutty crunch of walnuts, and the creaminess of the cannellini beans.  It was all topped with a simple white wine vinaigrette which did nothing to hide the individual flavors of all the ingredients.

I will definitely be making this salad again and again.

Salmon Salad with Blueberries
Makes 2 servings

6 ounces wild-caught salmon fillet
4 cups mixed greens (I used baby mixed)
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup blueberries
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup cannellini beans, no-salt added, rinsed and dried
1/4 cup red onion, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices and separated into rings
2 tablespoons vinaigrette, made with white wine vinegar

Heat pan over medium heat.  Add salmon fillet, skin side down.  Cook approximately 5-7 minutes. flip and cook another minute or so, until fish is a light pink color.

Meanwhile mix all salad ingredients in a bowl and toss with vinaigrette.  Add salmon to salad and serve immediately.


Slightly adapted from Jillian Michaels

Our rating:

Caesar Salad

I love the creaminess and saltiness of a good Caesar salad dressing.  The richness and creaminess come from the egg, especially the yolk and the saltiness from anchovies.  Years ago I used to mash my anchovies with a little salt and oil and add it to a beaten egg along with garlic and lemon juice.  I whisked oil in to make a beautiful emulsion and then left the dressing on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours to let the flavors meld.  Its a wonder to me now that we ate it quite frequently and never got sick.  I would never take that chance with a raw egg these days.

I have been using this Ellie Krieger recipe for a few years now and it has all the elements of what I love in the dressing but it starts with a pasteurized egg product making it perfectly safe.  There are no kitchen appliances needed; just a bowl and a whisk.  It also comes together very quickly.

Caesar Salad
Makes 4 servings

1/4 cup pasteurized egg product (such as Egg Beaters)
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
8 cups coarsely torn romaine lettuce
2 cups Croutons

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg product, garlic, anchovy paste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.  Slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream, whisking the whole time.  Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the dressing with the lettuce until well coated.  Add the croutons and toss to combine.  Divide the salad onto 4 plates shave some Parmesan slices over top.


Slightly adapted from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger


Our rating:

Steak Salad

Gerry loves to concoct a big salad for lunch sometimes so I knew he would enjoy this salad for dinner.  It had a lot of the components of a steak dinner with a salad except for the potato.  There was the grilled and sliced flank steak, roasted asparagus, grilled mushroom, sauteed onions and shallots, baby spinach and radicchio tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette and sliced tomatoes.  The salad was finally topped with a slice of baguette spread with a mixture of blue cheese and butter.  The contrast in color, flavor, texture and temperature made this dish.  Gerry put this meal in one of his top three so far this year, so I was right in my guess that he would enjoy it.  I personally thought it was a little to busy for me.  Since I am leaving today on a cruise I wanted dinner to be something out of the ordinary, but still healthy and this worked perfectly.  I won't post anything on my blog now until Monday, the 11th.

Steak Salad
Makes 2 salads

12 asparagus spears
1 pound flank steak
1 portobello mushroom, stem removed
3 cups spinach
1 cup radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
4 tablespoons vinaigrette dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 each pearl onions and shallots
4 cloves garlic
12 rounds Roma tomatoes
4 slices toasted baguette
4 tablespoons blue cheese
2 tablespoons butter
4 scallion fans

Rub the asparagus spears, steak, and portobello mushroom with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill until done and set aside to rest.  While the steak, asparagus spears and mushroom are grilling, prepare the scallion fans by cutting off the top part of 4 scallions so that a 3 inch piece is left.  Cut 3 to 4 vertical slices from the middle to the cut end and soak in ice water. 

Caramelize the onions, shallots and garlic by cooking in the olive oil over low heat for 20 minutes.  Toss the salad greens in your favorite vinaigrette (I always use a balsamic vinaigrette). 

Slice the steak across the grain into thin slices and cut the grilled mushroom into 1/2-inch pieces. 

Assemble the salad by fanning the steak slices out on the edge of the plate and tuck some asparagus spears under the steak.  Mound the dressed salad greens in the center of the plate.  Arrange the sliced tomatoes and caramelized onion mixture on the plate.  Next fill in the gaps with the grilled portobello. 

Cut the baguette diagonally.  Toast both sides.  Cream together the crumbled blue cheese and butter and spread it on the toasted bread slices.  Grill until the blue cheese mixture is softened.  Arrange two slices on each salad.  Garnish the salad with the scallion fans.

From Cuisine at Home, Mar/Apr, 1997

Gerry's rating:

My rating:

Roasted Beet Salad

I happen to love roasted beets and when combined with a salad with a flavorful honey mustard vinaigrette and topped with goat cheese...what could be better?  The addition of candied walnuts is the perfect crunchy bite to put it over the edge.  We have had this salad a few times in the past month and I devour every bite.  It is the perfect winter salad.

Roasted Beet Salad
Makes 4-6 servings

For the beets:
1 bunch medium beets (about 3)
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Salad:
10 ounces mixed greens (I like a blend of arugula and mixed baby greens)
3 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup candied walnuts, coarsely chopped

For the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

For the beets:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Wipe or scrub beets clean, then trim stems down to one-inch (leave "tails" on).  Place beets on a large piece of foil; drizzle with olive oil, the wrap foil around them to form a neat packet.  Roast directly on rack in middle of oven until tender, about 1 hour.  Test for doneness by piercing the largest beet with a knife.  If it enters easily, it's done.  Unwrap beets and let sit until cool enough to handle.  Use your hands (I like to use rubber gloves) or a paring knife to peel skin, then cut into wedges.  I usually do this right on the aluminum foil but you can also use a stain-proof cutting board or plate.  While the beets are roasting, make vinaigrette.  Add half of dressing to warm beets and set aside.

For the vinaigrette:
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, shallots, , salt and pepper.  Whisking constantly, slowly add the oil in a steady stream.  (Alternatively, add all your ingredients to a jar, cover with lid, and shake vigorously to blend.)  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

For the salad:
Place the greens in a large bowl, drizzle with some of the vinaigrette and toss to combine.  Add as much of the remaining vinaigrette as desired and toss again.  Divide greens onto plates, then sprinkle with beets, walnuts and goat cheese  (The reason you don't just mix it all together in a salad bowl is that the beets would cause the whole salad to turn pink.)  Serve immediately.

 Our rating:

Salade Nicoise

I have continued my trend in serving a salad everyday since our week at the beach where I made a different salad every day for lunch.  I made a classic Nicoise Salad for dinner tonight with Boston lettuce, boiled potatoes, green beans, canned tuna packed in oil, tomatoes, Nicoise olives and capers all dressed with a simple homemade vinaigrette.  It turned out to be a perfect dinner salad.  I have not ever used tuna packed in oil and was stunned to find the difference it made in this salad.  If you have never made a Nicoise salad, this is a classic one to start with.

Salade Nicoise
Makes 2 servings

4-6 small potatoes such as fingerlings or baby Yukon Golds, scrubbed
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed
2 hard-boiled eggs
2-3 handfuls Boston lettuce, rinsed and dried
1/2 shallot, finely chopped, rinsed and patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Everyday Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1 5-6 ounce can tuna packed in oil, drained
2 tomatoes, cut into chunks, or about 10 grape tomatoes, halved
About 10 Nicoise olives, pitted or not
1 tablespoon capers, drained and patted dry

Everyday Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon wine vinegar (red or white)
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar, cover and shake vigorously until blended.  Set aside.

To make the salad:
Put the potatoes in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil.  Cook until the potatoes are tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife, 10 to 20 minutes (maybe even a little longer), depending on the size and age of your potatoes.  Scoop the potatoes out of the pot with a slotted spoon and put them in a bowl to cool.

Toss the green beans into the pot and cook them until tender, or crisp-tender - start checking them after 4 minutes.  Drain the beans and run them under cold water, or dunk them into a bowl of cold water and ice, to cool them and set their color.  Drain, then pat dry.

When you're ready to serve, depending on their size, halve, or quarter the potatoes.  Peel the eggs and cut them in half.  Choose a large platter (or bowl) and put the greens on it.  Sprinkle over the chopped shallot, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over a spoonful or so of the vinaigrette; toss.

If you chose the platter you can now compose the salad; otherwise divide the dressed greens between two plates and compose the salad any way you wish.  I chose a somewhat symmetrical patter by laying the potatoes and beans in a row.  I then added the tuna to a corner of the dish and then the  tomatoes and eggs.  I scattered over the Nicoise olives and capers and drizzled everything with a little more vinaigrette. 

Slightly adapted from Around my French Table


My rating:

Bacon and Eggs and Asparagus Salad

This past week has been very busy between the 10 of us vacationing together at the beach for a week at the same time the summer Olympics were happening.  It's really tough to divide your time time between 8 adults at the beach with two grandchildren learning about sand and waves and wanting to play board games at night AND not wanting to miss too much of the Olympics.  I will be the first to admit that I am an Olympics junkie usually taping everything that has Olympics in the title, so this past week was a challenge to find the balance of watching and naturally wanting to spend time with my family.  I am glad to see that my family won out and so it was a wonderful week.

We went back to the same beach house we had rented last year which was fabulous since we knew the layout of the kitchen and what they basically had which enabled us to create a menu and cook almost all our meals at home.  I knew I wanted to serve a different salad every day at lunch and made several different salad dressings and garnishes which came with us to facilitate lunch time.  We had a salad every day with either a sandwich or a combination of different left overs which worked out fabulously.

We kept dinners very simple with things like hamburgers and hotdogs with potato salad one night, Fajitas another night, Creamy Orzo with grilled vegetables, Barbecue Meatballs with Egg Noodles, and Kung Pao Chicken.  This was the first time that we actually took turns making dinners and I must say it was an absolute pleasure to watch the kids take their turn at making a delicious meal to serve all of us.  I am a huge fan of this new plan.

We got back late yesterday and I couldn't wait to try some new recipes from a new cookbook that I had received right before vacation.  Our lunch today came from this cookbook as well as our appetizer and entree for dinner tonight and all of them were superbly fabulous.

For lunch today I settled on this Bacon and Eggs and Asparagus Salad since I have been intrigued with many different options both at restaurants and recipes that have an egg with a soft yolk that creates another dimension of dressing on salads.  I was also curious about the combination of egg and asparagus since I know how good asparagus with a Hollandaise sauce is.  In addition to the creaminess that the egg yolk add to this salad, the cooked egg white with the asparagus was a surprisingly wonderful combination.  This salad was a very nice play on asparagus with Hollandaise but quite a bit healthier.  I would definitely make this again as well as not hesitate to serve it to guests since it was that good.

Bacon and Eggs and Asparagus Salad
Makes 2 servings

For the vinaigrette:
1/8 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons walnut oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the salad:
2 cold extremely fresh large eggs
10 asparagus spears, preferably thick, trimmed and peeled
3 strips bacon
1 1/2 handfuls mixed salad greens, rinsed and dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted walnuts, chopped (I forgot to add these in my photo)

To make the vinaigrette:
Put all the ingredients in a small jar, cover, and shake to blend; or use a small bowl and a whisk.  Set aside and shake (or whisk) again before using.  (You can make the vinaigrette up to a week in advance and keep it in the fridge.)

To make the salad:
Bring a medium saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil.  One by one, put the cold eggs on a spoon and slowly and gently lower them into the water (saying a little don't-let-my-egg-break prayer on the way down).  Allow the eggs to boil for exactly 6 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat, lift the eggs into a strainer, and run then under old water to cool them quickly.  Fill the pan with cold water and leave the eggs in the water until needed.

Bring a large skillet of salted water to a boil.  Slip the asparagus spears into the pan and cook for 4 minutes, or until you can pierce the spears with the tip of a paring knife.  The asparagus should be cooked through but not at all mushy.  Carefully transfer the spears to a plate lined with a double thickness of paper towels and pat them dry.

Pour out the salted water, rinse the skillet to cool it, dry it, and lay the strips of bacon in the pan.  Cook over medium-low heat, turning as  needed, until the bacon is golden and crisp on both sides  Remove the strips and put them between a double thickness of paper towels; when the bacon is cool, cut into narrow strips of chop it into bits.  Leave 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the skillet - you'll use it for the eggs.

When you're ready to serve, very carefully shell the eggs.  It's a fussy job, because the eggs are so soft, and you might not get the shells off cleanly, but unles you break in the yolks, it will be fine.  Rinse the eggs to remove any bits of shell and pat them dry.  Warm the bacon fat over medium heat.

While the bacon fat is heating, assemble the salad.  You can put it together on a platter or arrange it on individual plates.  Either way, season the salad greens and arrange in the center of the platter or your plates.  Toss the asparagus with the remaining vinaigrette (I did this with my fingers) and lay the spears over the greens.

Now return to the skillet.  When the fat is warm, gingerly slip the eggs into the skillet and roll them around in the fat for a minute or two, just to coat the with fat, heat them slightly, and color them a little.

Lift the eggs out of the skillet and place them on top of the asparagus.  Scatter the bacon and toasted nuts over the salad and serve immediately.

Adapted from Around my French Table

My rating:

Hummus Dressed Salad

The salad I made for lunch today was so good and quick to prepare, I decided that's what I needed to blog about today.  I love to make hummus and often I don't quite finish it all.  This recipe is a great way to use up some of that hummus without using it as a dip or a spread on a sandwich.  Are you intrigued?  I simply thinned some of it out with water and used it as a salad dressing.  I don't know why I never thought of doing this.

We enjoyed a wonderful salad and I felt we were being quite healthy.

Hummus Dressed Salad
Makes 1 serving

2 tablespoons of your favorite hummus (I used homemade)
1/2 tablespoon water
2-3 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup sliced cucumber
1 plum tomato, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese
1/4 red apple, chopped

In a small bowl, whisk together the hummus and water until well-combined.

Arrange the greens and salad toppings in a salad bowl.  Pour the hummus dressing over, toss and enjoy.

From Thefitcook.net

My rating:

Salad with Fresh Peaches, Drunken Craisins, Gorgonzola and Roasted Sweet Pistachios

There is nothing as refreshing as a salad for lunch on a hot summer day (and we have plenty of hot summer days in Texas).  I chose this particular salad because it had all the things that my husband loves in a salad, crispy greens, a little fresh and dried fruit, red onion, blue cheese and nuts.  This salad is a positive winner with a nice light vinaigrette to dress it up.

Salad with Fresh Peaches, Drunken Craisins, Gorgonzola, Sweet Roasted Pistachios with Fig and White Balsamic Vinaigrette

For the Salad:
6 cups salad greens, whatever looks freshest at the market
Fig and White Balsamic Vinaigrette, recipe follows
2 medium ripe peaches
1/2 cup Drunken Cranberries, recipe follows
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
Roasted Sweet Pistachios, recipe follows

For the Vinaigrette:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fig preserves
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the cranberries:
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon white wine, red wine, Limoncello, or rum

For the Pistachios:
1 cup shelled pistachio nuts
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

To make the Roasted Sweet Pistachios:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place all ingredients in a cake pan or similar size pan.  Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes.  Turn out onto foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking.  Cool, nuts will become crunchy as they cool.

To Make Drunken Cranberries:
Place dried cranberries in a measuring cup.  Add a tablespoon of white or red wine, Limoncello or rum.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 30 seconds.  Let sit for a few minutes to cool.  These will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator, just warm in microwave for 20 seconds before using the next time.

To make the Vinaigrette:
Mix all ingredients in a glass jar.  Shake well.

To assemble the salad:
Arrange salad greens, fresh peaches, cranberries and onions on plates.  Drizzle with vinaigrette.  Sprinkle salads with crumbled blue cheese and pistachios.  Pass extra dressing at the table.


Slightly adapted from The Cafe Sucre Farine

My rating:

BLT Pasta Salad

I love a Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich on perfectly toasted white bread, slathered with mayonnaise and layered with crunchy lettuce, crisply cooked bacon and beautifully ripe tomatoes (who doesn't?), so when I came across this salad, I knew I had to make it.  It combined all the components of the sandwich but substituted pasta for the bread and turned out to be everything I love.  This is definitely an updated macaroni salad which will appear frequently on my summer menu.

I served the salad with a grilled pork chop drizzled with a garlic lime sauce which was also wonderfully delicious.

BLT Pasta Salad with Creamy Bacon Dressing
Makes 10 servings (about 7 1/2 cups)

1/2 pound dry pasta (I used penne rigate)
1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon, diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups halved grape tomatoes

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to package directions.  Transfer pasta to a bowl of ice water; drain well.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate.  Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons drippings; set aside to cool.  (To keep the dressing from curdling, be sure to cool the bacon drippings to room temperature before adding to the mayonnaise.)

Whisk together mayonnaise, reserved drippings, shallots, basil, vinegar, and sugar in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Stir in pasta, romaine, tomatoes and bacon; toss to coat.  Season salad with salt and pepper.

Adapted from Cuisine at Home Issue No. 94, July/August 2012


Note:  Even though this recipe sounds decadent it comes in at 243 calories for a 3/4 cup serving.


My rating:

Mixed Salad with Strawberries, Mango and Edamame

From my second trip of strawberry picking, I decided to try some different recipes after making more jams. I found a strawberry scone recipe (which was wonderful and I will post that recipe soon) and this beautiful salad. I used a 50/50 mixed baby lettuce and spinach as the base and added sliced strawberries, mango, cucumber and edamame. It was dressed with a honey-lime vinaigrette and garnished with sunflower seeds. In addition to being visually pleasing, this salad was delicious. I know that we will be enjoying this salad frequently through the summer. On another note, I did make this salad on a Vegan Thursday and totally did not pay attention to the honey in the dressing. I knew when I started this process of a vegan day every week, there would be some slip-ups and this was one of them.


Mixed Salad with Strawberries, Mango and Edamame (Serves 2)

For the dressing:
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the salad:
4 cups mixed greens
handful of cilantro sprigs
1/4 medium English (seedless) cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise, then sliced on a long angle
1/2 medium mango, cut in bite-sized pieces
6 medium strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup edamame
1 1/2 tablespoons roasted, salted sunflower seed kernels

Place all salad dressing ingredients in a medium size glass jar and shake well to combine all ingredients. Store in refrigerator. Keeps for several weeks.

For the salad, combine greens and cilantro sprigs on two plates. Arrange strawberries, cucumbers, mango and edamame decoratively, drizzle with dressing and scatter with sunflower seeds.

Adapted from The Cafe Sucre Farine

Our rating:

Cranberry-Avocado Salad with Sweet White Balsamic Vinaigrette

I think Gerry's favorite thing to have for lunch is a nice big salad and now that the weather is getting warmer, I find myself looking forward to a salad as well. I can't get myself to eat a salad as a meal in winter simply because it makes me too cold. I don't know if anyone else is affected this way, but I know this to be true for me. I do love a good salad when the weather permits it however.

I chose this one to kick off the warm weather salad lunches simply because it is a very simple salad consisting of baby spinach, fresh parsley leaves, dried cranberries, sliced avocado, and some Candied Spiced Almonds. The dressing had a far number of ingredients and used white balsamic vinegar which was the one ingredient I had to go out and buy.

This salad was fabulous and I highly recommend it when you are tired of your usual salad and want to try something new.



Cranberry-Avocado Salad with Sweet White Balsamic Vinaigrette
(6 entree salads or 8 side salads)

For the Dressing:
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried mustard
1 tablespoon sweet onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Salad:
12 ounces baby spinach
1 small bunch parsley, washed and dried, leaves removed whole from stems
2 medium avocados, peeled and halved
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup Candied Spiced Almonds (Recipe follows)

For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a pint sized glass jar and shake well to dissolve sugar.

For the salad, place greens and parsley leaves in a large bowl. Add avocado and dried cranberries and about 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss gently. Scatter candied almonds over salad and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pass extra dressing at the table.



Candied Spiced Almonds

2 1/2 cups sliced almonds (1/2 pound)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter (or butter substitute)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
sea salt, for finishing

Place a large sheet of foil on a work surface. spray with cooking spray or rub a teaspoon of oil over foil with a paper towel.

Place sugar in a large non-stick saute pan and heat over medium heat, occasionally tipping and swirling the sugar until it is all melted into a pale golden syrup.

Lower heat immediately and add butter, cinnamon, smoked paprika and vanilla. Stir until well combined and all the butter is incorporated into the sugar syrup.

Add the nuts and stir gently to coat. Don't worry if you have some clumps of caramelized sugar - they will melt as you continue to saute the almonds. Cover and continue to cook on low, stirring every minute or so, until almonds are a delicious golden brown. Watch very carefully as they can go from beautiful to burned very quickly! Turn out onto prepared foil and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Spread on foil to cool.


Adapted from The Cafe Sucre Farine Blog

My rating:

Taco Salad

Elizabeth requested this Taco Salad for our Tuesday night dinner with her friends and I gladly obliged her since this recipe is easy, inexpensive, really serves a crowd and is delicious. I knew I couldn't go wrong. I started by browning a pound of ground sirloin and then adding some of my homemade taco seasoning and water and allowing this to cook down. I made a dressing by combining some low-fat sour cream with bottled salsa and set it aside.

I shredded lots of iceberg lettuce and chopped a couple of fresh tomatoes. I shredded some cheddar cheese and drained and rinsed a can of black beans. I slightly crushed some tortilla chips and finally I combined everything. Dinner was ready. I also served the rest of the Mocha Icebox Cake from Saturday night. It turned out to be a very nice dinner.



Taco Salad (Serves 10)
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 pound ground sirloin
1 (1.25-ounce package) taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 cup bottled salsa
8 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
4 cups (4 ounces) lightly crushed tortilla chips (or bite-sized tortilla chips)
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 (15-ounce) can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sliced ripe black olives (optional)

Cook the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine sour cream and salsa in a small bowl.

Combine the beef mixture, iceberg lettuce, tortilla chips, tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese and beans in a large bowl. Drizzle the sour cream mixture over the salad, and toss gently. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and black olives (if desired). Serve immediately.


My rating:
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