I love winter food. Short ribs and mashed potatoes. Pastas and soups. My dutch oven works overtime putting out delicious comfort foods. But despite a temperature today of -21 (I am sadly not exaggerating about that one), I just craved salad. But it had to be a hearty one. One with a tangy dressing. A salad like Roasted Pear and Apple Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette.…
The exploding popularity of traditional and ancient grains in recent years has brought with it an abundance of new options for delicious (and hearty!) salads. I love adding barley or quinoa to just about anything and recently discovered the fantastic nuttiness of farro. Once a mainstay of health food stores, this ancient relative of wheat is now widely available in grocery stores (I love Bob’s Red Mill) and is a fun addition to soups, stews, or salads. I’ve really been loving it lately in salads, and this Farro Salad with Arugula in particular.
Adapted from a recipe by Chef Ryan Hardy and the Charlie Bird Restaurant in New York, this salad is easy to make and full of great flavor. I love it for a hearty lunch but it is even great for a light dinner. The farro is best when made a little ahead and chilled and then mixed with fresh arugula, tomatoes, salty shaved parmesan, radishes and vinaigrette. It is studded with pistachios for a great little crunch. If you keep the arugula and dressing out until you’re ready to serve, the recipe is a perfect prepare ahead lunch option for the whole week!
It is possible some of you are going to say I took too many liberties with this Chipotle Caesar Salad, and maybe that is true. If you are looking for a very traditional version of a caesar salad-well, you may have to keep looking. This salad isn’t your mother’s caesar salad after all. This salad features a lighter Caesar dressing, a hint of spicy chipotle and best of all bacon. And if this doesn’t intrigue you, well maybe we weren’t meant to be friends after all……
Are you looking for a good summer salad? Roasted Beet and Orange Salad is the salad for you! As many of you know, I am a huge lover of beets. I often find myself with leftover roasted beets in my refrigerator, and this salad is a fabulous use for them. Not only is this salad colorful, it is also packed with nutrition! …
Chipotle peppers are one of my favorite ingredients (if you haven’t noticed). On our recent girls trip we had planned a red potato salad to serve with our Chipotle Pulled Pork Sliders. However, when it came time to start making said potato salad, we realized we really hadn’t brought a recipe. Or thought about what we wanted in our potato salad. Or really had any plan at all. Interesting how sometimes the best things can be born out of complete blank space-like this Chipotle Adobo Potato Salad!…
Salad, salad, salad. Salad seems to be all that is on my mind lately. It’s finally warm outside. Everything is finally blooming. Gardens have been planted. Community supported agriculture programs are in full swing. Vegetables are plentiful and flavorful. This Mediterranean Couscous Salad is a great way to use up all of these beautiful farmer’s market finds. …
Southwest Salad with Cilantro Chipotle Dressing, the perfect summer salad! A little bit spicy, a little bit tangy, creamy and cool, this dressing is the perfect foil to this flavorful southwestern salad!
A weekend at the cabin never fails to reinvigorate me. It’s always nice to spend time with those I love the most without the constant interruption of all of our busy schedules. A part of that reinvigoration is always finding ways to nourish my soul…and my body. So with that said, I was really in the mood for some fresh food this weekend. Southwest Salad with Cilantro Chipotle Dressing fit that bill nicely!…
Fresh, creamy Street Corn Salad will be an instant hit at your next gathering.
It is true, I’ve had a thing for corn lately. And yes, I know that Cinco de Mayo was yesterday. But is anyone truly against celebrating a little bit longer? Like all summer? Yep, seems like a great idea to me! I have recently discovered elotes–Mexican Street Corn– and all I can say, is if you haven’t discovered them yet, you are missing out. Admittedly, though, elotes are messy-and there are times when messy just won’t work (think first dates and work parties). This is where Street Corn Salad comes in. All of the same flavors as elotes, hold the napkins….
After a long weekend of holiday eating, I have decided to go with something lighter today, Lemony White Bean Salad-in-a-Jar. Yes, another salad. After all it’s spring, and all of the sudden the greens are plentiful and I actually crave them. And this particular salad, Lemony White Bean Salad-in-a-Jar, has some bonus features. This salad is portable AND is able to be made ahead of time. That means it is great for work, great for bringing to a dinner party, great to bring on a picnic (yep -I hold out great hope that picnic weather is coming soon!)….
Greek Chicken and Barley Salad is an absolute staple in our house from spring until the early fall. An easy, crowd pleasing recipe, it is filled with fresh, colorful veggies and topped with tangy feta and salty kalamata olives. Shredded chicken rounds out the salad and really makes it a perfect one dish meal. The best part? It can be put together in about 40 minutes when using one or two quick short cuts and is perfect for toting along to work or school or even bringing to a neighborhood gathering. In the summer, all of the ingredients (with the exception of the barley, which I buy in bulk and keep on hand in the pantry) can be found at my local farmer’s market or in my herb garden, which makes it even more fun to make. Even my somewhat vegetable averse husband loves it and usually requests I make it at least once a week in the summer. I consider that a major win….