Category Archives: SALAD RECIPES

CUCUMBER AND ROMAINE SALAD WITH LEMON DILL VINAIGRETTE

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I hate to throw out perfectly good ingredients just because I didn’t use them in a timely manner. So I am often forced to search for new recipes using ingredients I have on hand that should be used within minutes. These are ingredients that I had planned to use, had every good intention of using, but for whatever reason hadn’t gotten around to adding to the other dishes I actually did prepare. (I’m sure this has happened to you at least once in the years you have been playing around in the kitchen.) Sorry, I’m being facetious here! This happens to everyone regardless of how well we meal plan. Stuff happens. Unexpected dinner invitations. Casual invite and you can’t possibly serve your guests that tuna casserole you had planned for just you and your family. Or, you simply haven’t the strength to cook your evening meal so your wonderful spouse takes you out for dinner. That kind of “stuff”.

And at Chez Carr, it’s beginning to feel like the rule rather than the exception that at least one ingredient (usually a veggie) is going to sit in my refrigerator until it guilt trips me into doing something with it.

In this case, it was two veggies screaming at me from the veggie drawer. Half an English cucumber and 4 lonely radishes. While at the same time, a half container of crumbled feta cheese was also yelling its head off, so I really had my work cut out for me!

But Holly at the Spend with Pennies site saved my sanity with this recipe. (Well her recipe with my minor changes, that is.)

And oh my, did we enjoy this salad last evening! Mr. C. just couldn’t stop telling me how much he loved it. And I could not have agreed more. The salad had a lovely crunch from the cucumber, radishes, and onion. And the salty savory goodness from the feta cheese was just perfect in combination with the delicious salad dressing. The whole mix simply could not have been more delightful.

So next time you want a salad that can be made very quickly, using simple every day ingredients, this is the recipe for you. Cheers to your good health and to the salad days of August.

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

1 T. white vinegar

½ tsp. sugar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. dill weed

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 c. chopped romaine lettuce  

2/3 c. crumbled feta cheese

½ English cucumber, partially peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced

4-6 radishes, halved and thinly sliced

scant ½ c. thinly sliced onion (red, sweet, or yellow)

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, dill weed, salt, and pepper in a covered container. Shake like crazy. Set aside. 

Place the lettuce, feta cheese, cucumber, radishes, and onion in a large bowl.

Drizzle with dressing, toss, and serve immediately.

GREEK SALAD (KINDA SORTA)

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What is there about the combination of Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and fresh tomatoes that for me always evoke happy memories of sunshine, warm water, coastal breezes, and good times? Oh yah – I remember now. It’s the wonderful vacations we have taken along the Mediterranean Ocean and the Adriatic Sea. So for one of our most recent JazzVox pre-concert meals, I decided to serve some dishes from that part of the world. So of course, the meal had to include a Greek salad.

Now the reason I named this salad Greek Salad (Kinda Sorta), is because I included romaine lettuce in the mix. And everyone who is anyone knows that the number one rule when fixing a traditional Greek salad is “thou shall not use lettuce or any other leafy green in the making of this salad”. So up to this point, I had never even considered making this culinary faux pas.

But I’m older now, and frankly I don’t give a flying fig if I break established rules or not. (That is if the rules aren’t illegal, immoral, or irreverent!) So, I decided to add some romaine, not only for the color, but also for the crunch. And in all honesty, I think the romaine added a lot to the salad. It was perfect with the other ingredients, and helped create a freshness that I have often found missing in more traditional Greek salads.

So the moral of this story is to never fear thinking outside the box when you are cooking. Yes you may end up flying in the face of the traditional way a dish is prepared. But who cares? Cooks experimenting with new methods and ingredients is the only reason we have the amazing dining choices we have today. I mean really. Can you even imagine a world without guacamole, lemon curd, or milk chocolate? Gives me hives even thinking about it!

So have fun in your kitchen. Break away from tradition. And try this salad. It really is yummy!

Dressing:

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 T. chopped Italian parsley

1 tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together. Store in the refrigerator until needed.

Salad:

5 c. chopped romaine lettuce

1 c. halved cherry tomatoes

¼ red onion, cut into thin slices

½ English cucumber, partially peeled, cut in half, seeded, and cut into thin half rounds

½ green pepper, diced

18 Kalamata olives, halved, or more to taste

½ c. crumbled feta cheese, or more to taste

Place the lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, green pepper, and olives in a salad bowl. Dress with salad dressing. Gently toss in the feta cheese. Serve immediately.

  

BLACK BEAN AND GRILLED CORN SALAD

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I am always looking for summer salads that don’t contain mayonnaise. Now don’t get me wrong. I am a true believer in the power of mayonnaise. And if truth be told, I like almost any dish that contains this magic ingredient. But when it comes to serving a salad that might possibly be on a picnic or summer gathering table for a couple three hours in the summer time, I get a bit nervous. So when I found this recipe on the foolproof living site I knew I had found a dish that would suit my needs. Of course I had to add my own touches here and there, but basically I took to this recipe like a duck to water.

And I must say, it is truly a lovely combination of ingredients. The use of pickled jalapeño is true genius. I love using fresh jalapeño, but it can be a bit too spicy for some. So using the tamer version in the form of pickled pepper is a wonderful compromise. And yes I always have pickled peppers in my pantry (bet you can’t say that real fast) because I always use them when I make Guacamole (recipe on site).   

So if you are looking for an easy, make ahead salad that is perfect for a summer get-together, give this recipe a try. Or just make the salad for yourself and don’t share it with anyone else! It will taste just as delicious on day 4 as it does on day 2. If it lasts that long, that is! Happy August every one. And stay cool!

8-9 ears of yellow corn or 5 cups of frozen yellow corn stir-fried in a bit of butter  

vegetable oil

6 T. fresh lime juice

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. pickled jalapeño juice, or more to taste

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 orange bell pepper, diced

2 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1½ c. finely diced celery

½ c. finely chopped red onion

¼ c. chopped pickled jalapeño slices

2 (15 oz.) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed or 3-4 cups cooked black beans

Using a small basting brush, coat the shucked ears of corn lightly with vegetable oil. Place on a medium-hot grill and turn as needed until all sides are lightly browned. Remove from grill and allow to cool completely. When cool, cut off the kernels and set aside. Note: The corn kernels do not have to be cooked through. In fact, they taste even better if a bit undercooked.

Meanwhile, whisk or shake together the lime juice, minced garlic, olive oil, pickled jalapeño juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside. (Can be prepared well ahead.)

To make the salad: Place the corn kernels, bell pepper, halved tomatoes, celery, red onion, pickled jalapeño, and black beans in a salad bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss gently. Adjust seasoning. Cover and place in your refrigerator. Best if made a day ahead. Give the salad a gentle stir before serving, adjust seasoning again, and serve either cold or at room temperature.

Note: Great for picnics or summer gatherings.

MARINATED FRESH VEGGIE SALAD

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I absolutely love a salad that can be made ahead of time. So a salad that is both delicious and actually requires some quality time in the refrigerator will always rate a five star review from me! So in my estimation, this slightly modified Iowa Girl Eats food site recipe definitely merits the full five stars. If not more!

(Huh, if there can be an A+ given for academic over-achievement, perhaps there should be a 5 star+ category also for exceptional recipes. I ponder this conundrum only because to my thinking, this is a 5 star+, bomb (excuse the slang) of a recipe!)

Plus it couldn’t be easier to prepare. And beautiful? Oh my yes! Gorgeous colors. And, it’s crunchy. (You know – crunchy – that all too elusive “something” missing from way too many American dinner tables.)  

So next time you need a make-ahead salad for your family or invited guests, give this dish a try. You will not be disappointed. And neither will those you choose to bless with your culinary efforts. After all, the salad is gluten free, vegetarian, sugar free, low in fat, high in fiber, not too high in salt – making it therefore eligible to all, except of course for those few poor souls adhering to a vegan diet. (They can’t have Dijon mustard.) But for the remaining 99.5% of us, this dish is about as healthy, while still being totally edible as it gets. Need I say more? Nope!!

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c. red wine vinegar

2 T. minced shallots

1 T. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

freshly ground black pepper

2 c. cauliflower florets

1 basket cherry or grape tomatoes  

2 small carrots, chopped  

1 c. sliced celery

1 English cucumber, semi peeled, seeded then chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded then chopped

kosher salt

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, shallots, mustard, Italian seasoning, garlic, and pepper together. (May be made ahead.) In a large covered glass container, pour ¾ of the dressing over the cut veggies and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving toss with remaining dressing and salt to taste.

GRAPE AND PECAN SALAD

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This recipe is a spin off combination from a salad our dear friends Mark and Vicki introduced us to. And also from a simple brown sugar and sour cream sauce I make to top fresh strawberries. So keeping both dishes in mind, I whipped up this delicious salad to serve yesterday for a family dinner.

Now granted, there are many recipes out there for grape salad and they were my inspiration for this recipe. (Thanks to Vicki, that is!) And my recipe is not that different from all the others out there. Except, that I have greatly reduced the amount of sugar used in this dish. I have also used both granulated and brown sugar in the dressing itself.  And frankly, I think the combination of sugars makes for a much tastier flavor than using granulated sugar alone. The granulated sugar gives the salad the sweetness it requires, while the brown sugar gives the dressing an almost caramel richness.

So instead of sprinkling brown sugar on top as a garnish, which seems to be regarded as the proper way to use brown sugar in this salad, I decided to add it in with the other dressing ingredients. (I’ve always been a bit avant-garde when it comes to culinary integrity, so why change now?) Suffice it to say, the salad was well received yesterday and I am happy to share the recipe with you today.

And before I release you to continue browsing the internet or in some way perform a task much more beneficial than reading my ramblings, I must tell you, even though you can quickly glean the information by simply reading the recipe below, this dish is way easy to make. Nuff said!

4 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

½ c. sour cream

1 T. granulated sugar

1 T. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 lb. seedless red grapes (cut in half if really large)

1 lb. seedless green grapes (cut in half if really large)

½ c. toasted roughly chopped pecan pieces

In a medium mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese, sour cream, sugars, and vanilla together until creamy and smooth. Add the grapes and carefully stir until the grapes are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Just before serving stir in ¾ of the pecans and transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining pecan pieces on top for garnish.   

ITALIAN SALAD

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In my humble opinion, there is absolutely nothing yummier than a big old tasty salad. And this modified recipe from Grace Parisi via the Food and Wine magazine is as close to a bowl of healthy heaven as I can get. And this recipe has the added advantage of being easy to build and all components can be prepared or cleaned and chopped ahead of time. So – perfect for a dinner party or large gathering. Of course assembly required at the last minute. But if everything is ready to go, tossing all the ingredients in a bowl is not that big a deal.

Now about the flavor. Oh gosh. It is so very delicious. There is crunch from the romaine, celery, and red onion. The olives and peperoncini give the salad a nice kick without being too hot or spicy. So all and all a delightful burst of goodness with every bite.

So give this salad a try. You will not be disappointed.  

1 garlic clove, finely minced

¼ tsp. kosher salt  

2 T. mayonnaise

2 T. red wine vinegar

½ tsp. dried oregano

freshly ground black pepper

¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lg. romaine heart, chopped

¼ head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 lg. celery stalk, thinly sliced

¼ small red onion, thinly sliced

½ c. halved cherry tomatoes

1/3 c. canned green olive slices  

1/3 c. peperoncini slices   

¾ c. shaved or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Smash the minced garlic and salt together with the flat side of a knife.  Place in a covered container and add the mayonnaise, vinegar, oregano, and pepper. Add the olive oil and either whisk together or shake well to combine. (If you are making ahead, cover container and refrigerate until about half an hour before you plan to use.)

When ready to serve, toss the romaine, iceberg lettuce, celery, red onion, cherry tomatoes, green olives, peperincini, and Parmesan together in a large salad bowl. Pour on enough dressing to make the lettuce leaves shiny, but not so much that the lettuce gets soggy when tossed. (In other words, less dressing is better than too much.) Serve immediately.     

SPINACH SALAD WITH WALNUTS, FETA CHEESE, AND DRIED CRANBERRIES

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If you are the resident cook in your family, and don’t have the luxury of having a cadre of helpers to clean up behind you, have I got the salad recipe for you!

This is a seriously easy salad to prepare. And for the tiny amount of time required to prepare this salad, you will be delighted by the huge amount of flavor packed into this combination of simple ingredients. And on top of the ease of preparation and the tasty result, this salad is actually very nutritious. It’s also lovely to look at. I tell you true; it’s a one bowl wonder!

So do yourself and your family a favor. Prepare this salad for your next meal. It is so delicious and a perfect dish to serve in the winter when fresh fruit and veggies are not in season and therefore more expensive.

And don’t be afraid to improvise. Use pecans instead of walnuts. Dried blueberries instead of dried cranberries. Add apple slices. Mix it up a bit. Just be prepared to love every single bite. Happy munching!

1 T. raspberry vinegar

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 (5-oz.) container pre-washed baby spinach leaves (or about 4-5 cups)

1/3 c. chopped toasted walnuts

1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese

3-4 T. dried cranberries

Whisk the vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and olive oil together in a salad bowl. When ready to serve, toss the spinach, walnuts, feta cheese, and cranberries in with the salad dressing.

Note: If you make the salad dressing ahead, refrigerate until about 30 minutes before needed.

    

KALE AND ROMAINE SALAD WITH BASIL VINAIGRETTE

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Sometimes salad is the last dish I feel like preparing. Maybe that’s because cleaning the veggies and making the same old dressings are not very adventurous. And at my age, I need all the adventure I can get that doesn’t involve doing something illegal, immoral, or hurting myself or those around me.

So last evening when contemplating what to fix for our dinner salad, I decided I needed to change things up a bit. Also two things had to happen. I needed to use a bit of the kale growing in my backyard half wine barrel, and some of the basil overflowing a pot sitting on the counter of my outdoor kitchen. So I decided the kale should be one of the greens for our salad, and the basil should go into the salad dressing.

And if you are going to have greens and basil, it’s almost required that you have some tomato action going on. (Luckily I had some ripe cherry tomatoes in another half wine barrel just waiting to be plucked.) Then a forlorn shallot called out to me, and the rest is history.

The dressing recipe I found on the food and wine site. I changed their recipe just a tiny bit, but I have to say, this recipe is basically perfect. Easy to prepare and fantastically delicious.

You could also use this dressing simply drizzled over sliced tomatoes, in place of the olive oil and chopped basil in a caprese salad, or over any type of green salad. It would also be perfect as the dressing for a pasta salad. The possibilities are endless.   

So before summer is over and basil, tomatoes, kale, and romaine are only available at your local grocery store, treat yourself to this salad. Remember, these are our salad days. (OK, for some of us our salad days were technically over several decades ago. But we can still feel young at heart and enthusiastic about life, especially if we continue watching what we put in our mouth. And this salad just happens to be the epitome of healthy and pleasurable eating. Not only good for us, but delectable. And that my friends doesn’t happen that often!)

Enjoy!

  • 1 small garlic clove, rough chopped
  •  ¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 T. Champagne vinegar
  • pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 c. packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 heart of romaine, chopped
  • 1 c. chopped kale, messaged (see below)
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 Campari or Roma tomatoes, sliced, de-seeded, and cut into bit sized pieces or about ¾ of a cup of halved cherry or grape tomatoes (really – just whatever tomatoes you happen to have on hand will do)

In a food processor, pulse the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper until smooth.  Add the basil and pulse until the basil is finely chopped. Set aside.

Place the cut romaine, massaged kale, sliced shallot, and tomato pieces (and whatever else strikes your fancy) in a salad bowl. Pour on the dressing and toss lightly. (You want all the veggies covered in the dressing, but you don’t want the tomatoes beat up!) Serve immediately.

Massaged Kale

Remove the fibrous ribs, wash, dry, and chop the kale into small pieces. Rub the kale pieces together with your fingers for about 2 minutes or until the leaves turn a darker color as the tough cellulose structure breaks down. Massaging kale actually eliminates the bitter taste making it a perfect green for almost any salad.

 

 

LEFTOVER SALMON, GARLIC, AND BASIL PASTA

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When friends gave me some leftover cooked salmon to take home after a picnic get-together, I couldn’t wait to see what I could come up with to serve the following evening. I could have made Salmon Cakes or Salmon, Bacon, and Corn Chowder, both on this site, and mighty delicious I might add, but I decided to go on line for inspiration. (Plus I was really in the mood for pasta!)

There were an amazing amount of pasta with salmon recipes on the internet. So I took a suggestion or two from other recipes, then settled on this modified version of a recipe on The Cooking Jar site. Farah’s original recipe somehow resonated with me immediately. The first thing that caught my eye was the short number of ingredients. Good grief! I hadn’t made anything for dinner as simple and quick to prepare as this dish appeared to be in a very long time. Plus, I had all the ingredients on hand. Always a plus. And no cream, tons of butter, or other ingredients that would have laid their typical guilt trip on me. (OK, I felt slightly remorseful about the pasta part, but not enough to make me change my mind.) So the changes I made were simply amounts, the addition of peas, and the assembly of the dish.

And the result? Really, really tasty. I didn’t miss a creamy sauce in the least. Neither did Mr. C. We both just loved the heck out of it.

And yesterday for lunch, we enjoyed the dish right out of the refrigerator. It made a killer pasta salad. Still lots of flavor without the fuss of gently warming it in the microwave. Of course you can warm your leftovers (if there are any), but that’s strictly a personal decision.

So if you ever find yourself with leftover salmon, let me recommend this recipe. It’s truly delightful.

  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • zest of one good sized lemon
  • 2-3 T. fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 T. drained capers
  • 1/3-½ c. chopped fresh basil
  • 8 oz. hollow pasta such as cavatappi, rigatoni, or penne – cooked al dente and drained
  • ½ c. room temperature frozen petite peas (don’t cook the peas, just bring them to room temp.)
  • ½ lb. cooked* salmon, cut or flaked into bite sized pieces and gently warmed
  • ½ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese

Whisk the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice together in a serving bowl. Add the salt, pepper, capers, and basil. Toss in the freshly cooked and drained pasta, room temperature, un-cooked peas, and warmed leftover salmon pieces. Adjust seasoning. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold. Your choice. Pass the Parmesan at table. 

*If you don’t happen to have any leftover salmon, you can always bake some prior to making this dish. The following recipe for Oven-Roasted Salmon would work perfectly.

OVEN ROASTED SALMON (from American Test Kitchen)

  • ½ lb. thickest possible salmon fillet, skin on one side
  • 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • freshly ground sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Cut off any whitish, fatty portion along the edges of the salmon. Pull out any bones. (I use a pair of tweezers for this purpose.) Cut the salmon fillet into two pieces of equal size.

Make four or five shallow slashes along the skin side of each piece of fish, being careful not to cut into the flesh.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place a small rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees.

Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Rub the top of each fillet evenly with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees and remove baking sheet. Carefully and quickly place salmon skin-side down on the baking sheet. Place in oven and roast until centers of thickest part of fillets register 125 degrees when inserted with an instant-read thermometer, about 9 to 13 minutes. (Check after 7 minutes if the salmon pieces are thin.)

 

 

 

 

 

ASIAN SALAD WITH GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN SLICES

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As promised, this is another recipe to help you feature leftover pork tenderloin. In this case, the pork tenderloin I used was from my recipe for Grilled Soy Sauce Marinated Pork Tenderloin on this site. And it all came together beautifully.

First of all I should tell you once again that I love main course dinner salads. And if the meat or protein is already cooked, all the better! One less step for me. Of course the hacking and slashing of the veggies (my friend Vicki’s term for cutting vegetables) still has to occur, and the dressing still has to be prepared, but what the heck, there’s still one less step to construct. (I’ll take all the help I can get on this one, because I do get tired of chopping veggies and building salad dressings!) But I love salads, so I guess it’s a small price to pay to eat a dish that’s healthy from all the veggies and dressed with a vinaigrette that’s not only tasty, but doesn’t contain ingredients I can’t pronounce! Like I said, all the better.

So next time you have leftover meat of any kind, use it in a salad. Have leftover roasted veggies, they are wonderful in salad too. Dried fruit, nuts, and seeds can also add a wonderful touch to an otherwise boring combination of lettuce and dressing. Let your imagination be your guide.

And please do make your own salad dressings. Homemade dressings save money, and help insure that only quality ingredients reach the lips of the ones you love. Of course, the shelf life on homemade dressing is very short in comparison to that bottle of dressing you purchased how many months ago? I rest my case!

  • 2 T. vegetable oil
  • 2 T. sesame oil
  • 1 T. finely minced fresh ginger
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 2 T. white vinegar (not white wine vinegar; the old fashioned inexpensive vinegar)
  • 1 T. fresh lemon juice
  • ½ tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 c. chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 c. thinly sliced red cabbage
  • ½ c. finely diced celery
  • ½ c. sliced green onions
  • 1 med. carrot, grated
  • ½ c. frozen edamame, thawed
  • 2 T. toasted sesame seeds
  • ½ c. toasted slivered almonds
  • thinly sliced grilled pork tenderloin (I use leftover Grilled Soy Sauce Marinated Pork Tenderloin on this site.)

Whisk or shake together the vegetable oil, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Combine the romaine, cabbage, celery, green onions, carrot, edamame, sesame seeds, and almonds in a salad bowl. Pour on enough salad dressing to moisten. Avoid adding too much dressing or the salad will taste heavy or over-dressed. (It is meant to be a light and refreshing salad and just perfect for a warm summer evening.)

Scoop salad onto individual plates and top with pork.