Category Archives: Salad

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Posted on July 17, 2011 | 1 comment

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Your first reaction to this combo is probably: Ew?!?! Why, oh why would anyone do this?!?! However, it is a delicious, cool, sweet and savory summer salad with real bite. I have to admit that when I put it out, my husband, Joel, first thought it was tomatoes, but I had to fess up before he would touch it (he is very, very picky). The feta got him (he’ll eat almost anything with feta on it). Well, low and behold, he liked it; and even helped himself to seconds. This is just a wonderful, different approach to summer salads. I hope you enjoy it and let me know how it goes for you.

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs. watermelon, cut into small cubes (pits and rind removed)

6 oz crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup toasted pecans or pignoli, whatever you like (toast nuts for about 5 minutes in oven at 400 degrees)

VINAIGRETTE:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (please use real limes)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

Approx. 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (This is optional because some people hate cilantro. It won’t make a big difference if you don’t use it.)

Directions:

Place the melon pieces in a large bowl. In another small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over melon. Toss gently to coat. Add the feta, nuts, and cilantro (if you’re using) and toss to blend. I usually let it sit for at least an hour to blend flavors together in fridge. Take out half an hour or so before so that the cheese is room temperature.

Serves approx. 6 as a side

Of course, this would be delish with some heirloom tomatoes or some seedless Kirby cukes added. Take out a little watermelon if you’re including cukes and tomatoes (take watermelon down to 2 lbs. and substitute for 1 lb. of tomatoes and cukes.) You can use chopped up mint leaves instead of cilantro and you can substitute the nuts for peanuts, cashews, pignoli or pecans. I like pecans and pignolis best. You can also choose to leave the nuts out entirely.

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Posted in Salad

Quinoa Salad with Red Wine Vinegar Dressing ( so good for you)

Posted on July 6, 2011 | 2 comments

 

I always hesitate to use the word ‘healthy’. It seems that while some people are attracted to it, the rest of us tend to move past it to the next thing on the menu. So, I will not use the word ‘healthy’; I will instead just say that this is a most yummy grain, and while using the quinoa, you can also use that corn on the cob from the other night, the leftover roasted peppers and those cherry tomatoes on the verge of going bad. Now, don’t you feel so much better about making this salad already?

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. quinoa (I often buy the organic red quinoa in a bag), follow directions on package for prep.

1 red pepper, preferably roasted already (I use the pepper that I grilled previously from the fridge but you can use roasted red peppers from the jar and just eyeball the amount. I have also used yellow and orange, just never green.)

Approx. 1 cup red cherry tomatoes (any small tomatoes will do)

1 cup Kalamata pitted olives, chopped (optional)

1 cup garbanzo beans, drained ( i use organic canned)

1 cup corn kernels (I use the corn from the night before that I grilled. You can use fresh or frozen.)

1/4 cup scallions, chopped

* Crumbled feta cheese (adjust amount to your liking)

* tonite when I made this I added fresh cilantro ( which I love) and 1/2 a jalapeno pepper chopped up, you can also add chunks of avocado (which I like in all salads) and olives as I’ve said are optional.

I also used almost all of the dressing for this salad. That is a matter of taste, and I did add about 1/2 tsp. of kosher salt when the salad was all said and done. And a bit more black pepper

You can use my lemon vinaigrette dressing but I also use this nice Mediterranean vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I am very generous with this. I like a strong mustard taste.)

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Oregano to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Prepare the quinoa according to directions on the package. Let it cool.

  2. Prepare the vinaigrette. I always use the food processor and put all ingredients except for the olive oil and pulse a few times before slowly streaming in the olive oil.

  3. Salt and pepper to taste.

  4. In a bowl, toss all ingredients except the feta. Add the dressing to your desired taste and check for seasonings (you will probably need a touch more salt and pepper.)

  5. *Add feta. You can leave out the feta and have a vegan salad.

  6. Serve and enjoy!

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Posted in Salad, vegetables, vegetarian

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Kerri’s Krunchy Delicious Salad

Posted on June 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

Our daughter, Kerri, came out to visit us in Colorado and made this delicious salad. It is fresh, tasty, crunchy, and best of all, it’s all veggie! It’s worth the chopping and the effort. It’s not an exact science, though, so add, subtract, or substitute to your liking. This salad makes a beautiful presentation because it is colorful–so keep that in mind when choosing ingredients. 

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 sweet peppers, chopped into small bite-sized pieces (Use different colors! Orange looks the prettiest, if you can find it and then add a yellow or red. No green.)

1 bunch radishes, chopped into small bite-sized pieces (we were able to get multi-colored, beautiful, local ones; but if red is all you can get, that’s fine too)

1/2 large hothouse cucumber, peeled and chopped into small bite-sized pieces (You can also use two small Persians. Seedless is ideal but not necessary.)

2 regular-sized carrots, chopped 

1/2 red onion, diced

 1 avocado, cubed

6 oz feta cheese, cubed (French is awesome but if it’s unavailable, any of the aged ones are good.)

Basil (about seven leaves), shredded

1 lemon (to squeeze all over salad)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Kosher sale to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Layer all the ingredients, leaving the avocado, cheese and basil for last. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top and then the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss well. Salt and pepper to taste. The feta is salty so be careful to not over salt. 

Kalamata olives or other black pitted olives would be great in this as well. Make it your own. This salad is really a great summer salad. 

Serves 6-8 as a side salad. 


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Posted in Salad

Kale Salad

Posted on May 27, 2011 | 4 comments

Prep for Kale Salad

INGREDIENTS:

3 bunches of organic kale

small container crumbled feta or goat cheese

pignolli nuts ( roast in oven for app. 4 minutes at 350) they burn quickly so watch them. Once you smell them they’re usually burnt, depends on oven so be careful

dried fruit ( I love dried cherries in this) but raisins will do

When I make the kale, I take out the rib in the center and just use leaves. You can wash it first before taking the rib out–it’s easier that way. 

Dry the kale and chop in large food processor. After it’s all chopped, put in large bowl.

Mix all ingredients in with the kale, add my mustard vinaigrette. Do this little by little and keep mixing. The beauty of kale is that you can put it in the fridge and let it soak in for hours. I usually make this the same afternoon or evening that I’m using it. I take it out of the fridge at least an hour before I’m using, mix it and add more dressing depending on how you like it. It is perfect at room temperature. 
 
*mustard vinaigrette under it’s own title on cookingwithcandi.com

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The basics: salad dressing- Mustard Vinaigrette and Caesar

Posted on May 26, 2011 | 6 comments

Salad Dressing in the Cuisinart

Salad Dressings

While there are some amazingly delicious salad dressings out there these days I prefer to make my own. Sometimes you have to cave and go store bought but if you have a little extra time these are well worth a little extra effort.  It is so easy to make these salad dressings and the taste is so delicious and fresh. They will keep for a few days to a week in the fridge (Ball Jar or Good Seasons Cruet Jar; sold in almost every supermarket.)

For all of the dressing, I throw all the ingredients in a mini food processor, whole garlic and all

This one is my most favorite go-to dressing: 

 My Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing 

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar

about 1/2 teaspoon of fresh minced garlic (about two small cloves)

1 egg yolk (unless you’re spooked about raw egg, in which case you can omit and substitute with about a tablespoon of mayo. I always use egg.)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black ground pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

First, I put the garlic in the processor, then add everything but the olive oil. Give it a good whirl, mixing all ingredients together. Then add olive oil slowly; it will emulsify and you can taste and add salt and pepper to taste and adjust the dijon to your liking. You may start with less and add. An option is to squeeze in a little lemon juice. I am pretty true to this recipe and it always rewards.

This is awesome over almost any greens.

Keep excess in fridge for about 3 or 4 days.

Caesar Salad Dressing 

Again I put all ingredients in mini or regular processor

2 cloves garlic

1 egg yolk

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

4-5 anchovies (I like it salty and use 5)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tablespoon (heaping) I like a lot Dijon Mustard

grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is always best)

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

First, I chop garlic then add anchovies to the processor, and mix together. Then add lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and egg yolk. I mix all together, and then slowly add olive oil in, mix together and taste for salt, because the anchovies and mustard give it a lot of salt and kick. You can always add more salt, but you can’t take it away. Add pepper.

For the Salad:

Pour dressing on about two heads of romaine. I’ve stretched it to 3 and I know they sell 3 heads in a bag–it’s a bit skimpy, but doable. Mix together and right before serving, add cheese; or let everyone do their own with a hand grater!

I buy Organic Romaine heads (3 in a package). I prefer organic.

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