We’ve been eating so much tabbouleh this summer for breakfast, and while we both really enjoy it, we wanted something a little different this week. So I quickly threw together this 8-layer salad for us this morning, and not only was it incredibly refreshing and delicious, but it was also very fast and easy to ... [read more]]]> We’ve been eating so much tabbouleh this summer for breakfast, and while we both really enjoy it, we wanted something a little different this week. So I quickly threw together this 8-layer salad for us this morning, and not only was it incredibly refreshing and delicious, but it was also very fast and easy to make. Here’s what it looked like before we devoured it.

It sure did hit the spot!

Kemal said he felt the like prosciutto could have been left out. I agree. I think meatless would have been the way to go, but I felt throwing some in at the time I was making it. Bacon would have been ideal, but I didn’t have any.

What kind of salads have you been enjoying lately?

8-Layer Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

Recipe Adapted from: Sneakers and Snacks who adapted the recipe from Tasty Kitchen (recipe submitted by Cathy B. at brightbakes)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 Vidalia onion, diced
• 8 baby carrots, chopped
• 4 oz. goat mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 slice Prosciutto, chopped
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp. homemade dry Ranch seasoning mix

Instructions:

• Place two eggs in a small pot.
• Add enough water to cover the eggs.
• Turn the heat on high, and when the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium high and cook for 10 minutes.
• Run cold water over the hot eggs and then peel and slice them; refrigerate until needed.
• Find a large platter/plate for the salad.
• Wash and chop the romaine lettuce hearts; shake out any excess water, and then scatter the lettuce on the large serving plate.
• Wash the radishes, and then cut off the ends.
• Slice the radishes thinly, and then place the radish slices in a circle around the lettuce. If you have more radish slices like I did, make one or two more radish circles on top of the lettuce.
• Wash and dice the tomato, and then scatter the diced tomatoes on top of the salad.
• Peel and dice the onion, and then scatter the diced onion on top of the salad.
• Chop the baby carrots and then scatter them on top of the salad.
• Chop the Prosciutto into small pieces, and then scatter the pieces on top of the salad.
• Shred the cheese and scatter it on top of the salad.
• Place the chilled hard boiled egg slices on top of the salad.
• Mix together the seasonings needed for the ranch dressing. Click here for the seasonings you’ll need.
• After you’ve mixed together the seasonings, stir 1 tbsp. of the seasoning mix into 1 cup of Greek yogurt.
• Place the yogurt mixture on top of the salad.
• Enjoy!

Last week while craving a bulgar salad, I found myself with no tomatoes, cucumbers, or peppers in my fridge. Luckily I had fresh mint and parsley. So I tried something ... [read more]]]>

Last week while craving a bulgar salad, I found myself with no tomatoes, cucumbers, or peppers in my fridge. Luckily I had fresh mint and parsley. So I tried something different. Since I love the sweetness of tomatoes in my salad but didn’t have any, I thought maybe strawberries would be a good substitute. Turns out I was right. It was fabulous!

I also added some ajvar and pomegranate molasses.

This salad was the perfect way to begin my morning. It gave me a lot of energy, and the fresh parsley and mint revitalized me.

Is there a food or a meal (other than coffee) that seems to revitalize you in the morning?

Strawberry Bulgar Salad

Adapted from: “The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking by Ghillie Basan”, (page 77 Bulgar Salad); published by Hermes House, an imprint of Anness Publishing Ltd.

You can use any kind of pasta you want. I’d ... [read more]]]>

You can use any kind of pasta you want. I’d probably use fettuccine noodles  if I didn’t have any ho fan.

Anyway, Kemal and I will be making this pasta salad a lot this summer. We loved it so much and were disappointed when we finished the leftovers on the second day. I could have easily eaten it four or five days in a row.

Oh by the way, this sesame pasta salad goes great with Sapporo beer. This Japanese beer is so smooth and has such a wonderful flavor that it’s our favorite beer. We also love Heineken Dark, and Goose Island India Pale Ale.

What about you? What’s your favorite beer?

Easy Sesame Pasta Salad

Recipe Adapted from: eat me, delicious who adapted her recipe from Aggie’s Kitchen via Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. ho fan (vermicelli noodles)
• 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, diced
• 16 baby carrots, finely grated
• 5 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. minced ginger
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinaigrette
• 1 tbsp. mushroom soy sauce
• black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Step One:  Make the Pasta

• On high heat, boil about 3 quarts of water in a large pot.
• When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium high, and then add the pasta, 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. olive oil, stirring occasionally.
• Cook the pasta until it’s tender but firm.
• Drain the hot water off the pasta.
• Run cold water over the pasta to cool it off; drain the water again.

Step Two:  Wash and Cut the Vegetables

• While the pasta is cooking, peel and dice the garlic.
• Then wash the green onions, zucchini, and red bell pepper.
• Dice the green onions, and then thinly slice the zucchini and pepper.
• Finely grate the carrots.

Step Three:  Make the Dressing

• Mix together the sesame oil, sesame seeds, red wine vinaigrette, soy sauce, red chili flakes, and the minced ginger.
• Set aside on the counter until needed.

Step Four:  Assemble the Pasta Salad

• Put the drained pasta in a large bowl.
• Add the vegetables.
• Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies and stir until all the noodles and vegetables are coated.
• Sprinkle with a little bit of black pepper.
• Serve.

There are times in the summer we just don’t feel like cooking but we still want something to eat that’s big on flavor and nutrition. Pasta salads usually fit the bill. They’re easy to throw together, they’re light, and they’re also quite tasty.

And somehow, mango and mint not only complement each other in terms of ... [read more]]]> There are times in the summer we just don’t feel like cooking but we still want something to eat that’s big on flavor and nutrition. Pasta salads usually fit the bill. They’re easy to throw together, they’re light, and they’re also quite tasty.

And somehow, mango and mint not only complement each other in terms of taste, but the combination is also quite refreshing.

Another perk is you don’t really need to follow a recipe. You just make some pasta, run cold water over it so it can chill down, wash and dice everything else, and then toss it all together with your favorite dressing.

The dressing I made took me about 2 minutes to makes, and it sure did taste great! It’s an Italian dressing called Aunt Trish’s Salad Dressing (from The Pioneer Woman). If you haven’t tried Aunt Trish’s dressing, I strongly urge you to do so. It’s wonderful!

Anyway, here’s the list of ingredients I put in my salad. There’s really no need to measure anything. Don’t you just love recipes where there’s no measuring required! I know I do.

Mango Mint Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• cooked pasta
• fresh mangoes, cut
• fresh mint, finely chopped
• onions, diced
• tomatoes, diced
• red bell pepper, diced
• fresh spinach, diced
• zucchini, diced
• garlic cloves, diced
• Aunt Trish’s Salad Dressing (from The Pioneer Woman)

I adore Mediterranean food and cooking, and Kemal, who’s from the Mediterranean, naturally loves it as well.  We don’t follow any particular diet in that we eat whatever we want; however, our eating patterns and lifestyle basically follows the Mediterranean diet pyramid.

Most of our meals are centered around vegetables, beans, bread, fruits, and whole grains. ... [read more]]]> I adore Mediterranean food and cooking, and Kemal, who’s from the Mediterranean, naturally loves it as well.  We don’t follow any particular diet in that we eat whatever we want; however, our eating patterns and lifestyle basically follows the Mediterranean diet pyramid.

Most of our meals are centered around vegetables, beans, bread, fruits, and whole grains. Legumes, nuts, spices, and olive oil, as dairy products centering around cheese, yogurt, and eggs, are also an integral part of our meals.

Fish and meat make up the smallest part of our diet, and that suits us fine because we both prefer more plant-based foods versus animal-based.

Neither one of us can get enough veggies. We both constantly crave them and enjoy preparing (and of course eating!) meals centered around vegetables.

One such meal is a Greek dish called dolmades which are grape leaves stuffed with rice, veggies, fruit, and nuts. The dolmades I made were were stuffed with arborio rice, fresh mint, fresh parsley, raisins, sunflower seeds, onions, and spices.

Dolmades are extremely easy to make, but they do take just a bit of time to stuff and roll all the grape leaves. Then after they’re rolled and stuffed, they’re simmered in a pan with either vegetable or chicken broth for about 45 minutes. Then they’re chilled and eaten cold.

They’re great both plain or dipped in tzatziki sauce. I also enjoy eating them served on top of a Greek salad. They’re excellent that way!

If you’ve never tried them before, I highly encourage you to make them sometime and see for yourself just how wonderful they are. They can be eaten as an appetizer or for the main course.

There are many recipes out there on the web, but I found mine in a cookbook I have here at home called “Tastes of the Mediterranean“; the recipe for Dolmades is on page 37.

Making a Greek salad is also very easy. Just toss together some spring mix, sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced green olives, crumbled feta cheese, crumbled goat cheese, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and some salted sunflowers. I also sometimes toss in some raisins, diced green onions, and fresh mint.

My mom found a recipe online for a Greek salad dressing that’s out-of-this-world delicious. It’s so easy to make, and to learn how to make it, just go to allrecipes.com (recipe submitted by Danielle M.

Instead of using Dijon mustard which is called for in the Greek salad dressing, I just used my mortar and pestle to grind up some mustard seeds to make mustard powder. Worked great!

Anyway, after you make the salad and drizzle on the dressing, just place some dolmades on top of the salad, and there ya go!

Couldn’t be easier!

I love all kinds of salads, especially when the weather warms up. I find them refreshing, love the pretty colors, and most importantly, love how delicious they are.

I also like how easy they are to make and that I don’t have to measure anything or follow a recipe. I like not knowing exactly what’s gonna ... [read more]]]> I love all kinds of salads, especially when the weather warms up. I find them refreshing, love the pretty colors, and most importantly, love how delicious they are.

I also like how easy they are to make and that I don’t have to measure anything or follow a recipe. I like not knowing exactly what’s gonna be in my salad and surprising myself when it’s all said and done.

I can just get in the kitchen, start chopping and dicing, as well as throw in a little of this and a little of that to see what I end up with. It’s fun! Are you the same way when it comes to making salads?

Anyway, here a couple of the salads I made recently. Both are quite tasty, and you can enjoy them either as a meal or they can be made to accompany a main dish.

Pasta Salad with Mango Cucumber Dressing

Instructions:

• pasta (I used tri-color fusilli)
• water
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• cherry tomatoes
• 1 green onion
• feta cheese
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Greek seasoning
• mango cucumber dressing (I just used some of the cold mango cucumber soup that I had leftover. Click here for the recipe.)
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: Add some diced cucumber and mango to the salad. I wanted to, but I didn’t have any cucumbers or mangoes in the fridge.)

Instructions:

• On high heat, boil about 3 quarts of water in a large pot.
• When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium high, and then add the pasta, 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. olive oil, stirring occasionally.
• Cook the pasta until it’s tender but firm.
• Drain the water off the pasta.
• Run cold water on the pasta to chill it down, and then let the water drain off it.
• Wash the green onion and cherry tomatoes, then dice them up.
• Grate the Parmesan cheese.
• Toss together the chilled pasta, diced tomatoes and onions, Parmesan cheese, and some crumbled feta cheese.
• Stir in some mango cucumber dressing so it coats all the noodles.
• Sprinkle with Greek seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Toss, cover, and chill until ready to serve.
• Optional: Add a little more freshly grated Parmesan cheese when you’re ready to serve it.

Broccoli Salad

Inspired by: a post I saw somewhere on the web. It was a broccoli salad with cabbage, and I can’t remember what else was in it. I’ve looked and looked but can’t find it so I can link to it.

Ingredients:

• broccoli
• baby carrots
• cherry tomatoes
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Wash the broccoli, and then cut it up into very tiny pieces.
• Wash and dice the tomatoes.
• Chop the carrots into small pieces.
• Mix all the vegetables together, and then drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice (however much you like).
• Stir, and then add salt and pepper to taste.

What I am sure about is that every single bite is heavenly! We had ours with tequila limed rubbed tilapia, spinach pkhali, and lepinje, and it matched perfectly with everything.

But even though it made a ... [read more]]]>

What I am sure about is that every single bite is heavenly! We had ours with tequila limed rubbed tilapia, spinach pkhali, and lepinje, and it matched perfectly with everything.

But even though it made a wonderful accompaniment, I could eat this by itself for breakfast, lunch, or dessert!

Give it a try, and get ready to fall in love with the fabulous flavors of summer!!

Pomegranate Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

• 5 oz. pomegranate seeds (anvils)
• 1 mango, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 green onion, diced
• 1/4 of a bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• lime juice to taste
• salt to taste

Instructions:

• Wash the tomatoes, green onion, and parsley.
• Then dice the tomatoes and green onion, and finely chop the parsley.
• Remove the anvils from a pomegranate(s). (I’m not sure exactly how many pomegranates you’ll need to get 5 oz. of anvils because I was unable to find any pomegranates at the store. I was, however, able to find some fresh anvils for sale so I bought 5 oz.)
• Peel and dice the mango.
• Mix all the fruits and vegetables together.
• Add salt and lime juice to taste
• Serve chilled.

It’s fresh, healthy, and it looks pretty too.

It’s also really quick and easy to make, and it keeps the hunger at bay for quite some time.

Give it a try one day and see for yourself.

Vegan Quinoa Citrus and Snow Pea Salad

Ingredients:

Chicken salads are okay. I like them, but I’ve gotten tired of them.

I prefer blackened fish salads. Basically you make a coleslaw and serve the fish on top of it.

I don’t worry too much about measuring the salad ingredients but rather just slice, dice, and sprinkle the ingredients in a big bowl.

The vinaigrette, however, I ... [read more]]]> Chicken salads are okay. I like them, but I’ve gotten tired of them.

I prefer blackened fish salads. Basically you make a coleslaw and serve the fish on top of it.

I don’t worry too much about measuring the salad ingredients but rather just slice, dice, and sprinkle the ingredients in a big bowl.

The vinaigrette, however, I do measure because I don’t like too much vinegar. But as far as the vegetables, nuts, and fruits, use however much you want and whatever you have on-hand.

If you don’t like the dressing I used, then change it up. Use some orange juice to make an orange vinaigrette. And then you can swap out the apples for some fresh orange slices.

If you’re not into fruit and nuts in your coleslaw, leave it out and make a more traditional slaw/cabbage salad.

However you make your blackened fish salad, I’m sure you’ll find it a refreshing change from the usual chicken salads. Give it a try and see for yourself.

Blackened Fish Salad with Fruit and Walnuts and Raspberry-Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• shredded cabbage
• shredded baby carrots
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 apple, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 apple, unpeeled and sliced
• 1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• poppy seeds
• dried cranberries
• dried blueberries
• dried cherries
• 3 tbsp. lime juice
• 5 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. raspberry vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh fish (we used catfish, but you can use any kind you like)
• blackening seasoning (make your own or buy some a mix. We used a tequila lime blackening mix that we bought in Whole Foods.)

Step One:  Bake the Fish

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease your baking pan with about 2 tbsp. olive oil.
• Sprinkle blackening seasoning on the fish.
• Place the fish blackened side up on the baking pan.
• Bake uncovered until the fish is done on the inside (150 degrees Fahrenheit).

Step Two:  Make the Salad

• Wash the vegetables.
• Shred the cabbage and carrots, and then add it to a large salad bowl.
• Finely chop the walnuts (or you can crush them if you prefer), adding them to the salad bowl when you’re done.
• Slice two green onions, and add that to the salad bowl.
• Peel, core, and finely chop 1 apple, and it to the salad bowl.
• Sprinkle some poppy seeds dried fruit into the salad (I used dried cranberries, dried blueberries, and dried cherries).
• Drizzle with 1 tbsp. of lime juice and stir well.
• Refrigerate until the fish is done.

Step Three: Make the Vinaigrette

• Mix together 3 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. raspberry vinegar, and 1 tbsp. lime juice.
• Stir well.
• Refrigerate until needed.

Step Four:  Assemble the Salad

• Stir the vinaigrette, and then drizzle it over the salad, stirring well so the fruits and vegetables are coated evenly.
• Mix in a little salt and pepper (however much you like).
• Place the salad on a large serving dish and/or plate.
• Core and slice 1 apple (Don’t peel it.)
• Place 1 tbsp. of lime juice into a small bowl.
• Dip each slice of apple into the lime juice, making sure both sides are coated with juice.
• Place the apple slices around the outside of the salad, and then sprinkle the apples with some salt.
• Place the cooked, blackened fish on top of the salad.
• Serve immediately.

That’s what I did today.

These lettuce wraps are…

Cute. Delicious. Healthy.

Colorful. Delightful. Wholesome.

They taste fantastic, and they’ll pick you up and give you energy without making your blood sugar crash later.

This ... [read more]]]>

That’s what I did today.

These lettuce wraps are…

Cute. Delicious. Healthy.

Colorful. Delightful. Wholesome.

They taste fantastic, and they’ll pick you up and give you energy without making your blood sugar crash later.

This recipe is also very versatile. You can use fresh berries instead of dried. You can use bell peppers or tomatoes instead of Peppadews. And if you don’t like lime juice as a dressing, use anything else instead.

Have fun! Make some lettuce wraps and get picked up!

Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa, Fruit and Veggie Salad

Ingredients:

• 6 Bibb lettuce leaves
• 2 tbsp. red quinoa
• 1/2 qt. water
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup carrots, shredded
• 1/3 cup Peppadew sweet piquante peppers, diced
• 1 small apple, shredded
• 1/8 cup fresh peas (from snow pea pods)
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. dried blueberries
• 1 bunch green onions/scallions

Step One:  Make the Quinoa

• Bring 1/2 qt. of water to a boil on high heat in a small pot.
• Add the quinoa and olive oil.
• Reduce the heat to medium high, and cook the quinoa, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft but firm.
• Drain the water off the quinoa, and then rinse it with cold water.
• Place the cooked quinoa in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Step Two:  Make the Quinoa Fruit and Veggie Salad

• Wash and shred the carrots and apple. Add them to the bowl with the quinoa.
• Remove the peas from the pods and then add them to the bowl with quinoa.
• Dice the Peppadew peppers, and then add them to the bowl with the quinoa.
• Stir in the blueberries and lime juice, mixing it into the quinoa salad.

Step Three:  Assembling the Lettuce Wraps

• Remove the leaves from the head of Bibb lettuce.
• Wash them and pat them dry with a paper towel.
• Place 2 tbsp. of the quinoa fruit and veggie salad onto each of the lettuce leaves, making sure not to put the salad mixture on the edges of the leaves.
• Wash the green onions/scallions, and then cut the green part of the onions off the bunch, making sure you cut them so they’re long enough to tie your wraps.

Note: The idea to make lettuce wraps and to tie the wraps with scallions came from a magazine I picked up at the grocery store. The magazine is called “Chinese Favorites,” and it’s Vol. 8, No. 22, February 8, 2011 issue of Favorite Brand Name Recipes. The publisher is 2010 Publications International, Ltd. The recipe was on page 4 (Asian Lettuce Wraps). While the ingredients I used are totally different, I just want to give credit to where I got the idea to make a lettuce wrap with my salad.

• Use the green part of the scallions to tie your wraps. To do so, just place the scallion under the wrap and then tie it into a knot. Here’s a picture that will show you how I did mine.

• Place the lettuce wraps on a plate or serving dish and enjoy.