German Cucumber Salad

When I was growing up in Germany, this salad was a family favorite. It was traditionally made with sour cream, but I have been making it for years now using low-fat yogurt and have tweaked it to what I think is a good, healthier substitute. You be the judge... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 English cucumber peeled and sliced very thin
• 1/4 onion sliced to same thickness (work off 1/2 onion for safety)
• 3/4 cup low fat yogurt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Preparation:

Blend all ingredients except cucumber and onion in a suitable mixing bowl. Set your mandolin thin enough so that slices will just about bend under their own weight.

Slice the cucumber into the bowl being very careful toward the end as blood is definitely not part of the recipe. Use a glove or the guide that comes with the tool.

Working with half an onion so you have a "handle", slice 1/4 of the onion into the bowl.

Blend well and serve.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Chef Michael R's Spinach Salad

Fun, vibrant and healthy is how I describe this salad that pairs well with many proteins. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 lge handfuls baby leaf spinach - big stems removed
• 1/2 cup sliced baby portobello mushrooms
• 1 lge tomato - cut up to your idea of bite size
• 1/2 cup chickpeas
• 2 tbsp roasted pepitas
• Luscious Lemon Vinaigrette - click for recipe

Preparation:

Place the pepitas in a small skillet with medium heat. Toss frequently until they get to a nice toasty brown. Remove from hot pan into cool bowl and set aside to cool.

Once pepitas are cooled, mix all ingredients in large salad bowl and add vinaigrette.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

 

Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad

Credit for this salad goes to Brittany Mullins at Eating Bird Food

The actual origins of this salad are a bit blurry, but stories surrounding Jennifer Aniston have simply made it hers. Whether you're a fan of Ms. Aniston or not, I can assure you that this salad will delight your senses and make you smile. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup quinoa or bulgur wheat, uncooked
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup cucumber - chopped
• ½ cup parsley - chopped
• ½ cup mint-  chopped
• ⅓ cup red onion - chopped
• ½ cup roasted and salted pistachios - chopped
• 1 15 ounce can chickpeas - drained and rinsed
• 2 lemons - juiced (about 5-6 Tablespoons)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation: 

Rinse and drain quinoa. Add quinoa and water to a small pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool for 5-10 minutes. 

In a medium bowl, stir together cooked quinoa, cucumber, parsley, mint, red onion, pistachios, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and feta.

Optionally you can leave chickpeas, pistachios and/or feta on the side so each diner can create their own blend. Another option is to roast the chickpeas for an extra crunch.

Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge a couple hours before serving.

Store salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Greek Style Chick Pea Salad with Tuna and Feta cheese

 Full credit for this lovely summertime salad goes to Greek Cooking Made Easy

If you are looking for a meal that will fill you and will boost your energy, this salad is all that! Because firstly, I don’t think I need to tell you what a superfood chickpeas are, especially if you've read my Weekend Ramble titled: Science Backed Benefits of Chickpeas.
A super nutritious and very easy to prepare meal if you just use canned chickpeas. Add tuna, corn, some Greek crumbled feta and green olives and of course our beautiful Ladolemono sauce, and you will get a salad with a touch of Greek taste!
Definitely a worth trying this memorable, summery salad that is an excellent choice year-round.

Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 215 gr / 7.6 oz canned chickpeas - drained
• 100 gr / 3.5 oz tuna, canned in oil or water, weighed drained
• 60 gr/ 2 oz or 1/2 cup canned corn - drained
• 2 fresh spring onions, finely chopped
• 60 gr / 2 oz feta cheese - finely crumbled in food processor
• 5 cherry or mini tomatoes, halved
• 8 green olives, pitted
• 2 tbsp. fresh dill - finely chopped
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• Optional: half green pepper - diced

For the Ladolemono sauce:

• 45 ml / 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 25 ml / less than 2 tbsp fresh fresh squeezed lemon juice
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• half lemon for garnishing

Preparation:

A. Prepare first the easy Ladolemono (i.e. EVOO and lemon) sauce:            

1. In a small bowl with the olive oil, add the fresh lemon juice.
2. Season with ground salt and Pepper, to taste.
3. Whisk all ingredients until they turn into a thick sauce.
4. Store the sauce, covered, in the fridge if you prepare it earlier on the day.

 B. Make the Salad:

5. Place drained tuna in a small bowl. If you prefer to have smaller tuna chunks in the salad (like me), then with a small fork, pull apart its thick chunks.
6. Scatter the drained chick peas into an oblong, not very deep salad bowl.
7. Add the tuna chunks and blend together with the chick peas.

8. Next, add the corn and chopped spring onions (and pepper in cubes, if using).
9. Add also the chopped dill and crumbled feta cheese.
10. With a large spoon, toss to blend all ingredients well.
11. Season with a bit of Salt (since we are using feta cheese which is salty) and ground Pepper. Mix ingredients once more.

12. To decorate the salad, place the halved mini tomatoes around the plate and the green olives on top.
13. To garnish the salad, place the half lemon on one side.

14. Finish the Salad by pouring the sauce on top!
15. Toss with your spoon once more to incorporate the sauce in the salad.
16. Your Chick Pea Salad is now ready!
17. The Salad now needs some time for the ingredients to be merged together, and to chill before serving, so store it in the fridge, with plastic wrap, for 1-2 hours max!

Be sure to visit Greek Cooking Made Easy to see more of their wonderful food!

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Asian Coleslaw

Adapted from a recipe originally posted on allrecipes.com

This is a different take on traditional coleslaw. I was introduced to this dish at a family gathering years ago and instantly fell in love with the flavor pallet. The Asian flavors really make this coleslaw pop... Enjoy!

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 6 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
• 3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic.

In a large bowl, mix the green cabbage, red cabbage, red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and parsley. Toss with the peanut butter mixture just before serving.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Greek Orzo Salad with Feta

Adapted from a recipe found on Skinnytaste.com.

This Greek Orzo Salad is perfect for any outdoor gathering this summer. Your friends and family will delight in the subtle Mediterranean flavors that make this salad bright and fresh. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt
• 16 oz orzo pasta - whole wheat preferred
• 1/2 cup pitted & halved kalamata olives - plus 2 tbsp brine
• 1/3 cup red onion - diced small
• 3 cups English cucumber - diced small
• 2 cups halved grape tomatoes
• 1 orange bell pepper - diced
• 1/2 cup feta cheese - cubed
• fresh oregano (optional garnish)

Preparation:

Cook the orzo in salted water according to Pkg directions, adding 0ne minute beyond al dente for perfect salad pasta. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Also run the pot under cold water. Let the pasta drip dry in the colander for about a minute and then transfer to the cooled pot . Blend in a little olive oil to prevent sticking. 

In a large bowl, combine the dressing ingredients. Add the olives, red onion and brine from the olives and mix to combine. 

Stir in the pasta with the cucumber, tomatoes and bell pepper and toss well. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.

Add the cheese just before ready to serve.

Variations:

For added protein and still vegetarian, add chickpeas. Beef strips, shredded chicken or even shrimp will work well also.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

 

Zucchini, Feta & Pine Nut Salad

Here's another great salad from Diabetes Australia.

This refreshing zucchini, feta and pine nut salad is perfect for a summer barbeque or weekend family gathering. Drizzle with olive oil, garnish with rocket and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5 medium zucchinis
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 50g crumbled feta cheese
• Sprinkle of chives
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups rocket (arugula)
• 6 Kalamata olives quartered (optional)

Preparation:

Shave zucchini into thin strips using a vegetable peeler and lightly grill. Cook for about a minute on each side and set aside to cool.

In a non-stick fry pan, toast the pine nuts until lightly golden.

Toss shaved zucchini, chives, pine nuts, cheese, olives, salt and pepper together.

Drizzle olive oil, garnish with rocket and enjoy!

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Afghan Salata

A big thank you goes to my friend Sharon Giffin for finding this lovely salad on Diabetes UK. This salad is also known as Salata. This refreshing and colorful tomato, carrot and onion salad is light and crunchy. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 large tomatoes, finely chopped (260g)
• 50g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 20g fresh mint, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, juice and finely grated zest
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• good pinch pepper
• 1 large red onion, finely diced (180g)
• half cucumber, finely diced (160g)
• 2 large carrots, grated (250g)

Preparation:

Add the tomatoes to a bowl with the cilantro (or basil), mint, lemon juice, olive oil and pepper and mix well.

Add the red onion, cucumber and carrot. Mix well and serve.

Recipe tips:

Try with different herbs such as parsley, basil or dill.

Serve with grilled meat, fish, poultry or tofu.

Great as part of a buffet or for a packed lunch.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Mediterranean Eggplant Salad

This dish is an absolute summer delight and pairs really well with just about anything barbecued. 

The recipe was adapted from the original found at A Cedar Spoon by Julia. Julia features many wonderful recipes on her site... Be sure to check them out!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 eggplant - about 3 lbs
• olive oil
• salt & pepper – for eggplant
• 3 cups tomatoes - diced
• 1 orange bell pepper - chopped
• 1 cup scallions - green parts chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint - chopped
• 1 cup fresh parsley - chopped
• 1 lemon - juiced
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper

Preparation:

Slice the eggplant into rounds about 1/2 - 5/8" thick. Rub salt on each side of the eggplant and lay on a baking sheet for an hour. Use a paper towel to pat the eggplant dry and then brush each side of the eggplant generously with olive oil. Sprinkle each side of the eggplant with salt & pepper.

Heat the grill to medium heat. Place the eggplant on the grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip eggplant and grill until browned on bottom and soft. Let the eggplant cool and then chop into bite sized pieces.

In a large bowl mix the eggplant with the remaining ingredients and toss lightly to combine. Add more olive oil if needed to create a consistency you like.

Shown here as a side with Quick & Easy Calamari and a traditional tomato salad.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Lemon Pepper Halibut & White Bean Salad

This is another recipe that was inspired by a restaurant chef who refused to share way back in 2013... The appetizer of bacon wrapped grilled scallops served over a white bean salad topped with micro-greens was so incredibly good that we had to order a second portion for deconstruction... something I absolutely love to do. :-) So here's what I started with:

Fantastic appetizer... really... and back then I was all about the bacon! LOL What follows is a mystery to me a decade later, as I found a bunch of pics I took of recreating the dish at home ten years ago, but no recipe. Fortunately I was smart enough to take a group shot of the ingredients I used, so that gave me a place to start.

After studying the old pic it was time to get to work cutting up the ingredients using sizes best I could see in the decade old images and guessing at quantities.

This looked like a pretty good balance so I just put it all together, taking really bad notes along the way. LOL Hey... creativity is not always pretty! :-)

Now that I had my salad it was time to create a proper dressing. I could see from the old picture that lime juice was included, so I immediately went to my Luscious Lemon Vinaigrette recipe for guidance. Trial and error came up with this mix.

My mix really brought it all together to create a fresh, vibrant, flavorful salad than can actually stand alone. Fish lover that I am, though, I was itching to try the halibut bites I had recently received as part of a fish order. Seasoned with my favorite lemon pepper blend from FreshJax Organic Spices and a little olive oil, they were given a quick fry and then added on top of the white bean salad.

You didn't think this was just a story, did you? *smirks* The process is pretty obvious above, but here is the ingredient list. Enjoy!

Fish:

• 12 oz cubed halibut - any other white fish or scallops will work well, also.
• olive oil
• 1+ tbsp FreshJax lemon pepper blend

Salad:

• +/-3 cups baby spinach - should yield 1.5 cups chopped
• 2 15oz cans white beans - drained and rinsed
• 1 orange bell pepper - diced
• 1 shallot - minced
• 2 medium tomatoes - seeded and then diced
• 1/2 English cucumber - peeled, quartered, seeded and diced - should yield 1 cup

Dressing:

• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/8 black pepper

Enjoy!

Blessed be... and happy cooking!