Fall Coleslaw

Fall is the perfect time to make Coleslaw.  It has all the right vegetables in season -- cabbage, carrots, and radishes.  It keeps for a good long while and most importantly, the tangy-sweet dressing combined with the hardy vegetables is delicious!  You can also add other vegetables to the mix.  For the version pictured, I added one peeled, grated raw beet and one peeled, grated raw turnip.  This is a great way to hide vegetables that you or your loved ones may not like much, because once they're in the vinegar mix you don't even know they're there!

Not only is this salad great as a side dish (or even a main dish), but it's great on top of a pulled pork sandwich, or nestled alongside some BBQ ribs.  It's fantastic with anything rich and meaty, as it cuts the fatty flavor and accents the sweet tangy undertones of the meat.  Yum!


Fall Coleslaw
Recipe adapted from AllRecipes
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage (medium)
2 large carrots
1 onion (I prefer red but you can use yellow or white)
2-3 radishes
1 beet (optional)
1 turnip (optional)
1/2 - 1 cup sugar (if you're using lots of spicier veggies, like the onion, radishes, and turnips, you may need more sugar)
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon prepared mustard

First, finely chop the cabbage and onion.  Peel the carrots, beets and turnip and trim the root ends off the radishes.  Grate carrots, beets, turnip, and radishes on the large holes of a cheese grater.  Toss all vegetables together.  Add sugar and toss to coat.  Let sit while preparing dressing.
In a small saucepan combine vinegars, oil, salt, parsley, and mustard.  Bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit until mostly cool, around 20 minutes.  Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. 
This salad keeps very well for a week, and I believe the flavor improves daily! 

Tomato and Avocado Salad

My tomatoes are ripe!  It's the time I look forward to most during the summer.  Due to the restrictive space of living in a townhouse, as well as all the trees that make the space I do have very shady, last year my husband and I decided to put a garden on our roof.  Luckily our roof is flat, which makes this all possible.  It's been a huge success, and it makes me so happy to see all my little plants creating delicious miracles.

Tomatoes are in full swing at the moment, and I've been picking a handful of cherry tomatoes and one big tomato every other day or so.  Now don't get me wrong, I love them dearly, but you do need to come up with something to do with all this produce when it hits.  I have made my favorite Tomato Basil Tart, and tomato sandwiches, and eaten them fresh with just a sprinkling of salt and pepper.  But otherwise I'm mostly putting my delicious tomatoes in salads.

Of course, I'm out of lettuce at the moment (and the lettuce that is still growing in my garden has gotten bitter and yucky due to the 90-degree weather we've been enjoying), so I had to come up with something else.  I often make a tomato-cucumber salad, but tonight I wanted something a little different.  Fresh, and flavorful, and just a tad creamy.  And ta-da!  This salad was born.

I combined the cherry tomatoes with a regular-sized tomato because I love the contrasting colors, but you could of course use all of one type.  And if you're in a big hurry you can just toss on a little vinegarette dressing and call it good, but I think this is better because it doesn't overwhelm the flavor of the tomatoes.

If you were feeling gutsy, you could also add a little bit of feta, goat cheese, or fresh mozzarella.

This salad was so delicious and light and just perfect on a hot summer day.  Enjoy!

Tomato and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:
1 large tomato
8-10 cherry tomatoes (I used the Sungold variety)
6 large basil leaves
1 avocado
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Toss all ingredients in a bowl.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes to marinate, then serve at room temperature.

Makes 2 side dish servings or one main dish serving.

Roasted Beets with Spinach, Walnut, and Goat Cheese Salad

Beets are the second vegetable my children picked to try this month.  I must admit, I had never tasted a beet.  I'd seen them at salad bars and always steered clear of the jiggly, purple vegetable.  So I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted them.  They're quite good when you cook them yourself, and the texture is not at all jiggly.  They actually taste a bit like broccoli.  They were good on this salad, and soon we'll be using the leftovers to make borscht.  You can also serve the beets on their own, if you'd like.

Roasted Beets with Spinach, Walnut, and Goat Cheese Salad
Beet recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated
Salad recipe by Holly Beal

Ingredients:
2 medium beets (about 1/2 lb)
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 cups baby spinach, washed
1/4 cup walnuts
2 T herbed goat cheese
1/4 cup mixed salad sprouts (such as alfalfa, broccoli, radish, etc.)

Preheat oven to 400F.  Trim all but 1 inch of the stems from the beets.  Wash beats well and remove dangling roots.  Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and place in a shallow roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet.  Roast until a skewer inserted into a beet comes out easily, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove beets from oven and carefully open aluminum foil.  Allow to cool until cool enough to handle.  With paper towels in hand, rub the skin from the beets.  Slice 1/4-inch thick.  Toss beets with oil and salt and pepper.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

For the salad, combine spinach, walnuts, sprouts, and goat cheese.  Arrange sliced beets on top of salad.  Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Winter Pomegranate, Orange, and Avocado Salad

Winter is a time full of heavy meats and rich stews, warm breads and plentiful sweets.  And in the midst of all of that, sometimes you just want a salad!  This one utilizes the fruits that are at their peak in the winter months, and is a great addition to any holiday meal.

Winter Pomegranate, Orange, and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:
6-8 cups mixed salad greens or baby spinach (or a combination of both)
1 cup pomegranate seeds*
2 Clementine oranges, peeled, and segments separated and cut in half
1 large pear, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 avocado, peeled, deseeded, and cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup water
1 cup walnuts or pecans
2 T sugar
Poppy Seed Dressing

In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook sugar without stirring until melting and light brown in color.  Quickly toss in nuts and stir until evenly coated in sugar.  Pour onto waxed paper or parchment paper and place in freezer for 10 minutes.  When cooled, transfer nuts to cutting board and roughly chop.

In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice and water.  Dip pear cubes into water to prevent browning. Discard water, and set pears aside.

In a large serving bowl or salad bowl combine salad greens, oranges, onions and pears.  Top with avocados, pomegranate seeds, and chopped sugared nuts.  Serve with poppy seed dressing.

Serves 6 as a side dish.

*For tips on getting the pomegranate seeds out of the pomegranate, watch this helpful video by Martha Stewart. It's definitely my preferred method!

Peach and Basil Salad

My sister told me about this salad, which a friend had made for her, and I decided I had to try it.  It's so simple and delicious, and the flavor combinations are unique and beautiful.  This is a great way to showcase the peaches that are in season right now.  If you'd like, you can drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar on top just before serving, but it's plenty delicious without it.

Peach and Basil Salad
Recipe by Rachel Morrissey

Ingredients:
5 peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 large basil leaves, thinly sliced into long strips
2 T goat cheese or feta

In a medium serving bowl toss together the peaches and basil.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 6.  Just before serving, remove peaches from refrigerator and crumble cheese on top.

Makes 4-6 side dish servings.

Moroccan Cucumber Salad

This is a very basic and easy salad, but with the addition of the Moroccan spices it turns into a tasty and healthy side dish for Moroccan food.

Moroccan Cucumber Salad
Recipe by Norma Bergaust

Ingredients:
2-3 cucumbers, diced
4-5 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 medium red onion, minced
Juice of one lemon
2 T olive oil
Small bunch of cilantro, chopped
Small bunch of parsley, chopped
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp cumin

Combine all in a serving bowl and toss well.  Serve immediately.

Makes 6 side-dish servings.

Pear and Pecan Salad

With all the spring weather I've been making a lot of salads lately.  Also, I am growing my own baby lettuce mix this year for the first time, and it's so delicious I just keep eating it!  This salad was easy to throw together and was fantastic!  You can make a larger batch of the caramelized pecans and store them in an airtight container for a few weeks if you'd like.  That way you can throw them into any salad that comes your way.  Or munch on them in the dead of night.  Either way.

Pear and Pecan Salad

Ingredients:
2 T sugar
1/2 cup pecans
Mixed lettuce greens
1 pear, firm but ripe
1 small can mandarin oranges, or 1 clementine, peeled, sliced in half horizontally, and sectioned
1 avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 T Craisins
2 T frozen or fresh blueberries
2 T goat cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp lemon juice


Lay out a sheet of parchment or wax paper.  In a medium-sized nonstick skillet melt the sugar over medium-low heat.  For a few minutes it will look like it's not doing anything, then all the sudden it will turn liquid, then will start to brown.  Just as it's become liquid but before it's brown, toss the pecans into the melted sugar.  Using a spatula, stir until the pecans are coated in the brown carmelly sugar.  Pour out onto the wax or parchment paper and let cool for about 15 minutes (you can put it in the fridge to speed it up). Then either break it into pieces or chop it roughly (you don't want them finely chopped!).

In a small bowl combine the water and lemon juice.  Cut the pear into 16 slices, then cut each slice in half crosswise.  Dip the cut pears briefly into the lemon water.  This will prevent the pear turning brown and mushy for a few hours. 

In a large bowl combine the lettuce greens, pears, oranges, avocado, Craisins, and nuts.  Toss lightly, then top with the cheese and blueberries.  Serve with poppy seed or a vinaigrette dressing.

Serves 4 as a main dish, or 6 as a side.

Summer Chickpea Salad

Sorry for the terrible picture--this was all that was left when I remembered to take one!

I love this salad.  It's so different from an average salad (read: no lettuce!), and is light and flavorful and perfect for a summer day.  Or a day where you're wishing it felt like summer!  The addition of fresh herbs is not completely mandatory, but it really does make a difference in the flavor, and appearance, of the salad, so I highly recommend using the real (fresh) thing. 

Summer Chickpea Salad
Recipe by Jamie Oliver

Ingredients:
1 small red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno or other chili pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 large tomato, roughly chopped
1 lemon, juiced
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 14-oz jar of chickpeas, drained
1 T fresh mint, chopped
2 T fresh basil, finely ripped or cut
7 oz feta or goat cheese (chevre)

In a large bowl combine red onion, jalapeno, and tomatoes.  Measure the lemon juice, then add it to the bowl. Add three times as much olive oil as you had lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add in most of the chickpeas, reserving about 10 percent.  Mash up the 10 percent, then add them to the bowl as well.  Stir everything together, and you can let it sit in the bowl at room temperature for awhile if you'd like. 

Just before serving, add in the mint and basil, then top with the cheese.  Serve at room temperature.

Makes 6 side dish servings.

Cucumber and Vinegar Salad

My mother-in-law serves this salad with a lot of Asian dishes. It's tangy and juicy and cool and refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day.  It's a nice compliment to meats, anything spicy, or just on its own. 

Cucumber and Vinegar Salad
Recipe by Ruth Beal

Ingredients:
2 cucumbers, sliced paper thin (I recommend using a Mandolin or similar device)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 T water
2 tsp salt
1 T sugar
A dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir well.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Makes 6 side dish servings.

Spring Salad, aka Baby Greens with Strawberries, Oranges, and Carmelized Pecans

I hate naming salads.  It seems like you either have to come up with a snappy name (like "Spring Salad") or put every ingredient in the name (like "Baby Greens with Strawberries, Oranges, and Carmelized Pecans).  So I went with both.  Go figure.  Anyway, this week in the Washington DC area we've been having Spring.  It's been lovely.  65-70 degrees every day, strong March winds, and lots of daffodils and crocuses and hyacinths blooming in the lawns and borders of everyone's gardens.  It's been lovely.  Which is why I threw the dinner plan out the window to make something more fitting for the weather.  Sometimes you just have to do that.  It felt wonderful!  So I went to the store and picked up a rotisserie chicken and some strawberries and salad greens, and baked a loaf of artisan bread.  It was delicious.  This is what Spring tastes like.  Winter, consider yourself banished.

Spring Salad

Ingredients:
3/4 cup pecans
2 T sugar
8 cups baby greens or spring mix lettuces
4 large or 8 medium strawberries, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 mandarin or clementine oranges, peeled, cut in half horizontally, and sectioned (you should have half-sections when you're done)
A small handful of Craisins
2 T herbed chevre (goat cheese), crumbled
Poppy seed dressing
Leftover grilled or Rotisserie Chicken (optional)

Lay out a sheet of parchment or wax paper.  In a small nonstick skillet melt the sugar over medium-low heat.  For a few minutes it will look like it's not doing anything, then all the sudden it will turn liquid, then will start to brown.  Just as it's become liquid but before it's brown, toss the pecans into the melted sugar.  Using a spatula, stir until the pecans are coated in the brown carmelly sugar.  Pour out onto the wax or parchment paper and let cool for about 15 minutes (you can put it in the fridge to speed it up).
Meanwhile, toss the greens in a serving bowl.  Add the strawberries, oranges, chicken (if using), craisins, and chevre.  Break up the cooled carmelized pecans and sprinkle on top.  Serve with poppy seed dressing.

Serves 4 as a dinner salad, 6-8 as a side salad.

Flank Steak Salad

I was sure I'd already posted this recipe since it's one of my old stand-bys, but I don't see it anywhere.  I make this all the time in the summer, and whenever the weather is nice enough to grill during the rest of the year.  You can alter the salad ingredients to whatever you have on hand.  I usually serve with a loaf of homemade wheat bread.  As a note, flank steak shrinks a lot when cooking.  Just something to keep in mind when purchasing.

Flank Steak Salad

Ingredients:
1 flank steak (can also use skirt steak if you can't find flank steak)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salad greens (I use a mix of baby spinach and baby romaine or a spring mix)
2 tomatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cucumber, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, sliced into 1/2" cubes
1/2 a small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 a red bell pepper, thinly sliced
Your favorite salad dressing (my recommendation is either Ranch or Poppy Seed)

For the steak:
In a small bowl combine cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic salt, ginger, and cayenne pepper.  Rub over both sides of flank steak.  Heat grill or broiler.  Cook on high or medium-high for 3 minutes each side.  Reduce heat to medium-low and grill an additional 3 minutes per side.  Let rest at least 5 minutes. After meat has rested, slice in 1/4"-thin slices crosswise to the grain.  Then if desired you can cross-cut the slices to form bite-sized pieces.

For the salad:
Combine all ingredients except dressing and toss lightly.  Add the steak and dressing on top. 
Serves 4-6 as a main dish.

Spicy Honey Chicken Salad

Apparently this is one of the most popular recipes on the Our Best Bites blog.  I can see why.  The chicken itself is to-die-for.  It's the perfect combination of savory, sweet, and spicy.  The salad sets it off nicely by adding tartness, creaminess, and a little bite.  It's amazing.  Seriously.

Spicy Honey Chicken Salad with Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Chicken Ingredients:
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (don't use breasts!)
Cooking spray
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder (I skipped this and didn't miss it)
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (you could substitute 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper)
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbs cider vinegar


Dressing Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp grated red onion
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
3 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs honey
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil


Salad Ingredients:
1 bag baby greens salad mix
1 ripe mango, chilled
2-3 ripe avocados
1/2 small red onion, sliced


For the chicken:
Spray chicken pieces with cooking spray on both sides.  Combine garlic, chili powder, onion powder, coriander, salt, cumin, and chipotle chili powder in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture over all sides of the chicken.  In a separate small bowl, warm honey in the microwave for 15 seconds.  Stir in cider vinegar.  Reserve 2 T of honey mixture in a separate bowl; the rest will be used for glazing the chicken during the cooking process.
Over a medium-high grill or under a broiler, grill or broil rubbed chicken for 2 minutes per side, then brush honey glaze over each side and grill an additional 2-3 minutes per side, reapplying glaze between flips.  When chicken is cooked through, remove from grill and drizzle reserved glaze on top.  Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

For the salad:
Combine dressing ingredients with a whisk in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
Peel mango and slice into 1" cubes.  Slice avocados into 1/2" cubes.  Combine in large serving bowl with salad greens.  After chicken has rested for at least 5 minutes, slice into 1/2" cubes and add to salad.  Serve immediately with Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette.
Serves 4-6.

Poppy Seed Dressing

This is practically the only dressing I use. I love love love it. It's good on ANYTHING! Once you try it, you won't be able to give it up. Recipe originally from The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook.

Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 T grated or very finely chopped onion
1 T poppy seeds
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients. Process until smooth and thick. Transfer to a bowl or jar; cover and refrigerate. Makes about 2 cups. Keeps refrigerated for 1-2 months.

Celebration Salad

I don't really have a name for this salad, but it's the one I make whenever we're having people over to celebrate anything. So I decided to call it Celebration Salad! Of course, being a salad, you can add to or subtract ingredients at will and it will probably still be delicious. That's the great thing about salads. The key to making this fantastic is the dressing--once you taste it you won't be able to live without it!

Celebration Salad

Ingredients:
6 cups mixed greens
1 medium cucumber, quartered, and then cut cross-wise into 1/4"-thick triangles
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
6 large strawberries, quartered
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, don't thaw first--they'll be easier to toss into the salad frozen)
1 avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
2 T feta cheese, crumbled
1-2 T craisins
2 T sugared sliced almonds (I buy the "Almond Accents" brand, Butter Toffee flavor)
Poppy Seed dressing

Combine all in a large bowl. Serve with dressing on the side. Serves 8-10 as a side salad or 4 as a main dish.

Cobb Salad

Cobb Salad is one of my all-time favorite salads.  This recipe is originally from America's Test Kitchen, with only a few changes by me.  It is a little more time-consuming to make than your average throw-it-all-together salad, but it doesn't take much longer than making an average cooked dinner.  And since its so delicious and covers your basic dinner needs (i.e., protein and veggies), you can eat it as a meal in and of itself.  Which is what I did tonight.  Since it's a salad, you can leave out an ingredient or two and it won't horribly change the overall flavor.  It also keeps pretty well for an extra day, so you can have the leftovers for lunch.

Cobb Salad

Chicken Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T salt
1/2 cup sugar

Dissolve salt and sugar in 1 qt cool water in a large Ziplock bag.  Submerge the chicken and let brine in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Adjust oven rack so it is 6 inches from the broiler element.  Remove chicken from the brine solution and dry with paper towels.  Place on a greased broiler pan and broil 3 1/2 to 4 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and cooked throughout.
Slice chicken on the bias into 1/4-inch-thick pieces; set aside.

Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 t Dijon mustard
1 t lemon juice
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 small clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 t)
2 T red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 t sugar
1/4 t salt
pinch ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.  Set aside.

Salad Ingredients:
8 cups salad greens (romaine, Boston, iceberg, endive, watercress, arugula, etc.  I usually buy the Organics mix)
2 hard-boiled eggs, each sliced into 8 slices
2 avocados, sliced into 1/2" wide slices
2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4" wedges
6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
1 T minced fresh chives
2 oz blue or feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

Toss the salad greens with 1/3 cup of the dressing in a large salad bowl.  Arrange chicken slices and wedges of hard-boiled egg on top of greens and drizzle with 2 T of the dressing.  Toss the avocados and tomatoes in the remaining dressing, then arrange over the salad.  Sprinkle bacon, chives, and cheese over the salad.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6 as a main course.