Category Archives: Salad

Kale and Quinoa Salad – Summer Salad Perfection

Posted on June 27, 2012 | 3 comments

I love Quinoa and I love Kale. I saw this recipe on Dana Slatkin’s Beverly Hills Farm Girl site,  it is a delicious healthy recipe which I highly recommend . I made a few changes in some of the ingredients I added. You can add or substitute to your heart’s content. I used her recipe for salad dressing, as I am always looking for new ways to re-invent the “wheel”. This dressing is very tasty and I highly recommend but any of the vinaigrettes that I have posted on here will do just fine. It is the summer , time to kick back and enjoy life. Part of enjoying life is eating, and eating well. I made this for dinner last night and even Joel took a taste, which is shocking. I don’t think it’s his favorite but it certainly is one of mine. It’s worth the effort and I plan on eating the leftovers today for lunch. So healthy! try it. Thanks Dana .

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

1 bunch kale, chopped in food processor ( see picture) remove stems and I remove the ribs and just use the leaves. I used 2 bunches because I had 2 in the house. It was a lot of kale and increased the size of the salad by a lot.

chopped kale for salad

1 cucumber , I scoop out the seeds and dice it. You can use Kirby cukes  or Persians which have very few seeds.

1/2 container of Grape Tomatoes , cut up

1/2 – 1 cup Shaved Parmesan, if you don’t have shaved , grated will do just fine

1/2 cup toasted Pine Nuts , place in oven at 350 degrees for about 3 – 4 minutes.

1/2 – 1 cup dried cranberries, or dried cherries ( which I had and used) or just plain old raisins, I just like the color of the cranberries and cherries

2 cups Quinoa. While preparing Quinoa use equal amounts quinoa and water. I disregard box directions. I used 2 cups liquid ( water or broth) to 2 cups quinoa. It comes out dryer and not mushy at all.

Champgne Vinaigrette ( from the Beverly Hills Farmgirl)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon whole grain mustard

1/3 cup Champagne Vinegar

1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

1 teaspoon Honey

3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt ( app. 1/4 teaspoon) taste for salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, a few grinds to taste

I used a blender and threw all ingredients in and streamed the olive oil in until dressing was emulsified. Taste for Salt and Pepper.

In a large salad bowl toss the kale, quinoa, cheese, tomatoes , cukes, pine nuts and dried fruit of your choice. I made a few hours before serving, and used 1/2 of the vinaigrette and dressed at the table for those who preferred more or less dressing. Can definitley be made a few hours before serving, and I left it out at room temperature for about 2 hours.

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Asparagus with Arugula and Parmesan – Done Simply Raw

Posted on June 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

As you know, I am slightly in love with asparagus. Before the asparagus season ends, I highly recommend this salad. Once the early season goes, you can grill it, you can roast it,  you can douse it in dressings. But in this salad it’s used raw which is really ideal when the asparagus is sweet and fresh. Check out your local green market, and ask where the asparagus is from. I was able to obtain this asparagus at a local market which carried Long Island asparagus, and it was delicious.  Through most of the winter, asparagus comes from Peru; and there’s a lot of early spring asparagus from Mexico and Southern California. The green markets will have regional produce and it’s worth the trip. Just saying… If you don’t buy it at the market, that’s alright too–all asparagus is pretty decent now.  Enjoy this recipe. It couldn’t be simpler.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. medium or large asparagus

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

nice sized bunch of arugula ( 6 – 8 oz) use as much or as little as you like

Chunk of parmesan cheese for shaving (with a vegetable peeler)

Directions:

Snap off and discard the tough ends of the asparagus. If you have a mandolin, a sharp vegetable peeler or thin bladed knife, use one of those tools to slice the asparagus as thinly as possible, like paper-thin ribbons. If you prefer, you can slice diagonally; just try to get the pieces as thin as possible, because you are not cooking them. So it’s all about thin slices. I used a vegetable peeler.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil to make a dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the asparagus ribbons in a shallow salad bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper and coat with some of the dressing. Add the arugula, tossing gently to distribute the asparagus. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

With a vegetable peeler, shave thin curls of Parmesan over the salad.

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Tomato Feta Salad

Posted on May 27, 2012 | 3 comments

I call this “summer salad” but it’s really a wonderful salad any time of year. I love the salty taste of feta with tomatoes, and a wonderful combination of Middle Eastern spices called Zahtar .DSCN3272

Try and find this wonderful blend of spices–it will add wonderful flavor to a very simple meal. I like this salad with avocado because I like everything with avocado. It’s optional, as are the olives. This is a beautiful salad served all year but there is something about it that shouts summer, BBQ, and warm nights. The tomatoes are so beautiful right now, especially the heirlooms in all those beautiful colors go and grab some from your local farmers market or road stand. Excuse the picture, it’s fuzzy but you get the picture. It’s a greek salad without the lettuce. A perfect side dish salad to go with any meal. Beautiful with a piece of grilled fish. Enjoy!

4 large tomatoes , try and go for those beautiful heirloom tomatoes or just some beautiful local ones. (about 1 1/4 lb.)

Za'atar Spice

Za’atar Spice

1/2 red onion

4 ounces (give or take) feta cheese (try to get as good a cheese as possible. I just crumble it up over the salad, but if you prefer cubes you can go that way)

Extra virgin olive oil

freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon should do it)

1 tablespoon Zahtar

slices of cucumber (I love the seedless persian ones but any kind will do)

1 avocado, sliced

fresh basil

black olives, pitted

Slice the tomatoes as thinly as you can and arrange on a large round serving platter in overlapping circles.

Put cheese over the tomatoes (this is why I crumble it or use a grater). I then drizzle olive oil over tomatoes generously but not too generously–probably about 1/2 tablespoon. I then place the avocado and cucumbers around the platter and add the black olives. Just make sure you get a drop of olive oil on all the tomatoes. Now, sprinkle the 1/2 lemon juice all over the salad. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dust the tablespoon of Zahtar over the salad. You’re good to go. Have a wonderful weekend.

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Couscous Salad, Real Mediterranean Style

Posted on May 2, 2012 | 3 comments

It’s springtime so I am thinking of lighter food, and of course salads come to my mind. I make this recipe with couscous or quinoa. I have another recipe for quinoa on my website so I figured that I would make one with couscous this time, but feel free to use either one. The dressing has a definite Greek flavor. This dish is perfectly tasty and served with grilled fish or chicken you have a perfect meal. As far as salads go, this one is perfection. This is not an exact science; if you like a lot of tomatoes, add more. If there is another item here that you don’t like, feel free to substitute, and I’d love to hear what you did. I love to hear variations on my recipes. This is so quick and easy to assemble. Can definitely be made ahead of time.

Ingredients: 

Vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 /2 teaspoon dried oregano (if you like to use fresh, use 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh oregano)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste – I started with a 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher Salt and a few grinds of the peppermill.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (use a good one)

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk in the olive oil slowly. Adjust the salt and pepper and set aside.

Ingredients for Couscous:

Prepare 1  box (usually 10 – 12 ounces) couscous (or quinoa) according to the directions but use 1/4 less water than it calls for. For example, the Near East Couscous calls for 2 cups of water or broth so I would reduce by 1/2 cup. After cooking, allow to cool for a bit then stick in the fridge for about an hour. I usually cook my couscous in either chicken broth or vegetable broth for extra added flavor.

1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half (I like a lot of tomatoes, so use more if you do too) I tend to like my tomatoes cut into smaller pieces but cut however you like just don’t leave whole

1 cup pitted black or Kalamata olives (I prefer Kalamata because they are saltier)

1 roasted red or orange pepper (you can use from jar) I just eyeballed from the jar, use as much as you’d like

1 cup garbanzo beans (drained from the can are fine)

6 ounces cubed feta cheese

1/4 cup sliced green onions or chopped red onion would work quite well here as well

* chopped cucumbers would be a nice addition as well, I didn’t use this time

In a large bowl, gently toss the couscous, tomato, pepper, olives, beans and feta. Add the dressing, transfer to a lovely serving bowl and there you go. This is so delicious and light, it’s a perfect side dish and a beautiful salad .

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Posted in Healthy Cooking with Candi, Raw, Salad, salad dressing, vegetables, vegetarian

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Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Tomatoes – Bruschetta (With or Without Chicken)

Posted on April 30, 2012 | 2 comments

I love this Bruschetta. It’s delicious as an appetizer over toast, but I also love it with chicken. I usually make it ahead of time, put it in the fridge and let the flavors marinate. Then, I either use it on toasted baguette slices or on top of a simple, grilled piece of chicken or fish. It’s similar to my Salmon Done Simply in Foil recipe. This has  a delicious, fresh taste and will last at least a few days (probably three) in the fridge. Now that the weather is getting warmer, this is such a wonderful, light dish using tomatoes, which I love.This evening I used a grill pan on the stove with a little olive oil in pan, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on paper thin chicken breasts and just grilled a few minutes on each side and they were perfect with tomatoes on top.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 pints grape tomatoes (I like to mix yellow and red ) and of course you can use heirloom when they’re in season or any fresh tomatoes. I cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise, or just into small pieces )I actually was able to obtain cherry heirloom tomatoes, and I cut them into small pieces.

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

fresh basil (about 16 leaves), cut up in chiffonade style (just roll basil and take a kitchen scissor and cut it up; you can also just chop it up) * I actually forgot to buy the basil this time but usually I do put it in, it adds a great deal of flavor.

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

*chopped red onion ( app. 1/2 cup) I didn’t use this time out but it adds a little crunch and another flavor

Directions:

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and lightly stir it around for a minute or so. Don’t brown the garlic–just warm it up to a golden color, what I actually do is heat the olive oil and when it’s hot remove from stove then put the chopped garlic in and let it turn a golden color off the heat. Pour into a bowl and allow it to cool down. Add the tomatoes, balsamic, salt and pepper (to taste). Be careful not to over-salt–just put a little in and stir it; you’ll be able to check salt and pepper again later. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Obviously the longer it sits, the better it will taste.

When you take the mixture out of the fridge, stir the tomatoes and now taste again for salt and pepper. Spoon bruschetta over the sliced bread, and serve on a large platter. This is a perfect substitution for a salad. If you’re serving over chicken or fish it’s just simply divine. I simply put a little olive oil on chicken cutlets sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and use a grill pan on stove or throw on the grill outside.

If I am serving over bread, I slice the baguette on the diagonal. Take a little softened butter ( melted butter) and brush on top of bread, then put in oven on a baking sheet to toast until golden and then repeat on the other side. You can also brush with a little olive oil (you just don’t want the toast too dry). If you’d like, you can also put toast on outdoor grill to get grill marks.

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Posted in appetizers, Salad, sides, vegetables, vegetarian

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Greek Salad

Posted on April 12, 2012 | 1 comment

I originally posted this way back and figured what a perfect day to re-post. This has become my go to Greek Salad and Salad Dressing when I want to make it at home. I of course love anchovies and feel free to put in there. I didn’t have any whole garlic cloves so I used garlic powder and you know what? it worked out just right. If you’d prefer to use chopped fresh garlic go right ahead. I am going to give you ingredients from tonite’s dressing because it tasted just right. This is salad , so please feel free to substitute and leave out whatever you don’t like and add in whatever you like. Joel only eats the lettuce and cheese, I ate all of the other ingredients.  I like to chop up a grilled piece of chicken and add in or a piece of salmon if you’re looking to make this more of a meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 head of iceberg and 1 whole head of romaine (you can use less lettuce and you’ll just have a little more dressing left over depending on how you like it) you can also use all iceberg or all romaine, I like the combo.

grape tomatoes cut in 1/2 ( about 1/2 the package that it comes in )

1 small cucumber diced up, I take the seeds out first and then slice it up with skin on, do it however you like

red onion diced, use as much or as little as you like

1/4 cup Kalamata Olives cut up without pits

3/4 cup of cubed Feta Cheese – I like it cubed for some wierd reason in this salad, again use whatever you prefer

Dressing:

In a small mixing bowl using a small whisk

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of oregano, I love oregano so I used a heaping amount, if you don’t use less

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix spices and red wine vinegar and then slowly whisk in the olive oil, when you’re ready to serve pour over salad and mix. Add as much as you’d like. This dressing should dress the whole salad depending on how light or heavy you like your salad dressed.

Enjoy! this is a perfect meal with fish or chicken or any protein you like. I put it on top of chicken and it was really good. Sort of a spin on Chicken Milanese Greek Style.

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After the Scampi

Posted on December 31, 2011 | Leave a comment

Cold Shrimp after Scampi

Salad with Cold Shrimp Sherry Lemon Vinaigrette

The day after the Scampi, Joel and I went skiing. After ski, I wasn’t in the mood to go out so we stayed in . We had actually cooked up some of the remainder of the 5 lbs. of shrimp we had taken out to cook the scampi. It was in the fridge cold. Joel was happy eating that with cocktail sauce, and I was happy eating that cold shrimp in a salad. I used the Sherry Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing that I already had made. It was delicious, light, and just what we were in the mood for, no fuss no muss, and sometimes you just need to eat lightly, forgo some of those calories. Even with working out all the time, skiing, and hiking the amount of calories can be daunting , it just helps us to indulge a little more frequently.  The thing with cold shrimp is you can’t keep it for too long in the fridge, so we had to eat it within 2 – 3 days of cooking it.

Here is my cocktail sauce, which I’m sure you know by now that we like it with a lot of kick. Just alter ingredients to your liking.

Heinz Chili Sauce ( available next to Heinz Ketchup)

White Horseradish

Heinz Ketchup

Just mix up about a cup of Heinz Chili Sauce, a cup of Ketchup and put in by the tablespoon the white horseradish till you get the consistency you like, and the flavor you like, I know by now how it should look, but you’ll have to taste. Be careful with the horseradish, but you can always add more ketchup to tone it down. These are just the 3 ingredients I use, Use as much or as little as you’ll need. It beats those store bought brands by a mile.

Cold Shrimp the next day

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Chiffonade of Greens with Avocado and Red Onion in a Lemon Sherry Vinaigrette

Posted on December 21, 2011 | 5 comments

Sherry Lemon Vinaigrette ingredients

This salad is also from my cooking class with Karen Lee. I loved this salad. It was so delicious. Of course you probably have to love avocados and red onion but if you do, this is just an awesome delicious salad. Very easy, very few ingredients, and very few moving parts. Enjoy!

Feel free to add any protein into this salad. Chicken,  shrimp, tofu, or even some chopped eggs. Recently I have been seeing a lot of  poached or fried egg on top of salad. Yum! this one would be perfect with a fried egg atop! Give it a try.

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 bunch arugula (try to use organic if available; if you don’t have arugula, you can use escarole, endive, frisee or chicory)

1 bunch romaine or red leafy lettuce (you can throw in a little radicchio as well)

*use any combo of your favorite greens

1/2 cup diced red onion (optional)

1 ripe (not too ripe) avocado, diced

*any protein you like

Sherry Lemon Vinaigrette:

6 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. aged sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

2 tbsp. lemon juice (or lime)

pinch cayenne powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

Make the dressing by dissolving the salt in the lemon juice and vinegar. Then add the cayenne and whisk in the olive oil.

Directions:

Clean lettuces and dry. I wrap lettuce in a dry kitchen towel and set aside. However, you can clean and dry lettuce however you want; it is fine. You can even buy pre-washed lettuces .  Peel and dice red onion.* Combine the lettuce, onion and diced avocado in a bowl. Toss with most of the dressing, taste, and then add more dressing, if desired. This is a lovely salad and you can keep it very simple. I ate it with Roast Chicken the other night, and they went together perfectly. I only used arugula but use whatever lettuce you like.

* The only suggestion I have is that if it is the winter and the red onion is particularly strong, you can soak it in a small bowl of water with a little lemon juice and drain and dry, thus removing the very strong oniony flavor. This is usually not an issue in the summer. Or just let it be strong, and just dice it and add it.


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Posted in Raw, Salad, salad dressing, vegan, vegetarian

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Lobster Cobb Salad and Honey Lime Vinaigrette

Posted on November 16, 2011 | 1 comment

This is a delicious, tart salad dressing.  The flavors are perfect together and I will be making this delicious salad this Sunday for my Mother’s Day Brunch!  Just the perfect combination of tart and sweet. I served this lobster salad with baby greens, beets, lobster, corn, chopped eggs, tomatoes,  bacon (on the side) and, of course, avocado.  I bought the lobster (already cooked) You can purchase at your local fish store and specialty stores like Graces Marketplace. I cooked and  cut up beets, made some hard-boiled eggs and cut up tomatoes along with other ingredients. When I make it this Sunday I will put all the other ingredients in little bowls and let everyone choose what they like . I set up a make your own salad bar. So those who are vegetarian pick their ingredients and everyone is happy.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (1 small lime)

1/2 cup olive oil

kosher salt (approx. 1/4 teaspoon, maybe a bit more)

freshly ground black pepper

*you may want to double for large crowd. This will make approx. 1/2 cup salad dressing

Directions:

Whisk the vinegar, honey and lime juice together in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Salad:

You can feel free to add and subtract ingredients:

I use any type of greens –usually Romaine and a dark green mixture of greens

I used corn, beets, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocados, and bacon. Sometimes I use shredded cheese or blue cheese (even though I really don’t like blue cheese at all) and black or green olives cut up are delicious in here as well. And feel free to substitute chicken for the lobster and add and subtract whatever you’d like.

When I serve for brunch I put all the ingredients in separate little bowls and let everyone choose their favorite ingredients. Dressing on the side–of course.

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Chickpea, Feta and Tomato Salad (with cukes) Raw and Vegetarian

Posted on September 6, 2011 | 1 comment

Chickpea, Feta, and Tomato ( with cukes) Salad

I served this salad with my Easiest Chicken Ever, it is fresh tasting , and crunchy. very easy and can be made throughout the year. it is very good using heirloom tomatoes, which I couldn’t find this time out.  It’s also perfect with small, grape tomatoes, which can be found everywhere, at any time. Enjoy! pretty low in calories as well. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained (try and buy the organic ones)

1 pint cherry, grape or heirloom (if in season) tomatoes. (If you are using the little ones, cut them in 1/2. If you are using the larger ones, slice.)

2 oz (approx. 1/3 cup or to your liking) feta, crumbled or cubed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approx. 1 average lemon)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

dried oregano gives it a real mediterranean flavor use as little or as much as you’d like

DIRECTIONS:

Combine everything in a bowl and season with salt and pepper and oregano to taste, flavors will come together nicely , I let it sit out for app. 1/2 hour before serving, give it a mix from the bottom before serving. Taste for seasoning.

*Should serve approx. 4

*Very low in calories (yeah!)

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