Asparagus Ribbon Salad

I found this little gem on the Net a few years ago, and it was such a foreign, yet intriguing

idea to me that I simply had to try it. I'm really glad I did, because it is so good that

it has pretty much become a staple in my arsenal of go-to dishes.

Ingredients:

· 1 bunch fresh asparagus
· 1/4 cup lemon juice
· 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
· Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
· 2-3 oz shaved parmesan cheese
· 1/4 cup sliced almonds - toasted

Preparation:

Lay one asparagus stalk on cutting board, hold by the base and using a vegetable peeler make thin ribbons by "peeling" from base to tip. When half-way through, turn stalk over and do the other half. Discard the base end and center if too thick . 

Shave parmesan using an ordinary cheese grater.

Place the almonds in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Toss them frequently and do not leave unattended as you want the almonds toasted, not charred

Blend lemon juice and olive oil; pour over asparagus in bowl. Add salt & pepper, toss and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Arrange salad on plate. Add shaved parmesan and then top off with toasted almonds.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Squash... 'n' Stuff

Today's dish is brought to you courtesy of The Splendid Table. Interesting flavors for those who enjoy citrus and acidic, but next time I make this I think I'll opt for using it as a party salad. Next day leftovers were really good cold :-)

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash (3 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeds removed 

• 6 slices turkey bacon 

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt 

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted 

Preparation:
Looking like a large, pale yellow football with rounded ends, spaghetti squash has a unique texture. When cooked, the pulp comes out in strands as thick and long as spaghetti noodles. Cut in half, the squash can be oven-baked in less than an hour or microwaved in a rapid 15-20 minutes. The long threads of vegetable goodness can then be forked out, topped, garnished, herbed, buttered, or tossed with cheese, nuts, or other vegetables in simple, exorbitant, conservative, or outrageous splendor. Here bacon, pine nuts, and a touch of lemon juice and vinegar produce an ambrosial warm salad.

If oven-baking, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place the squash, cut sides down, on a baking sheet or microwave-safe dish. Cover and cook until collapsing and soft all the way through, about an hour in the oven, 15-20 minutes in the microwave. Place the bacon alongside the squash on the baking sheet for the last 20 to 25 minutes, or place the slices between 2 paper towels and microwave until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. (Or just fry up the bacon while toasting the pine nuts) Remove and let cool enough to handle.

Scoop the squash out of its shell and place the strands on a platter. In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour over the squash. Sprinkle the pine nuts and crumble the bacon over the top and toss gently to mix. 

Serve right away or at room temperature. If using the dish as an app, toss everything gently and serve 1/2 - 3/4 cup per person.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Cucumber & Tomato Salad

 Sometimes I forget to buy stuff... I know... I know... :-)

Well... guess what... I'm not perfect. When I do run into such a predicament I let out a few self deprecating curses and do my best to salvage the meal.

One day I I reached in the fridge for lettuce, only to find none. I had tomatoes, cucumbers and other assorted salad goodies, but no lettuce. The dinner unfortunately did not lend itself to my German Cucumber Salad or my Italian Tomato Salad, so I had to punt. 

And so the Cucumber & Tomato Salad was born featuring our standard house dressing.

Ingredients:

• tomatoes - cut up
• cucumbers - cut up
• homemade dressing

Preparation:

Cut up enough tomatoes and cucumbers you think will be enough for the meal. The dressing is really a personal flavor thing, but the base for two people we use is 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp good quality olive oil. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, dry basil and oregano, sometimes thyme, to taste. Play with it until you get a simple dressing you can call your own, thereby staying away from all the junk that's in store-bought dressings. Enjoy!

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Asian Cucumber Salad

 Adapted from a recipe on Love Bakes Good Cakes to be more diabetic friendly.

Here's another tasty option for cucumbers. It makes for a great side salad to accompany Asian dishes, or if you want a stand-alone meal, consider adding cooked shrimp as a protein. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• Monk Fruit sweetener to taste (1 packet should do)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped

Preparation:

In a large bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes until well combined.

Add cucumbers and red onion. Mix well. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Chickpea Salad with Cucumber & Cabbage

This lovely summertime salad  was adapted from a recipe found on SheLikesFood.

For us diabetics... it simply does not get healthier or better tasting than this awesome dish.

Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

• 2 thin English cucumbers – peeled & cubed
• 1/3 – 1/2 green cabbage - shredded on a mandolin
• 1/2 large red onion - diced
• 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tomatoes - seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup mint - chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley - chopped
• 1/2 cup roasted and salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• Juice of one lemon or 2-3 tbsp
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:

First, roast the pepitas in a dry pan over medium heat, tossing frequently. As they just start browning, add a spritz of olive oil cooking spray and salt to your liking.

Combine cucumbers, red onion and shredded cabbage in a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, herbs and pepitas and mix.

Add all dressing ingredients to a 2-cup measuring cup and whisk until fully blended and somewhat creamy.  Pour dressing over the salad and mix until everything is combined.

 Chill for at least an hour, mix again and serve, or refrigerate for a few days and nibble along the way… 😊

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Sesame Cucumber Salad

 Adapted from Andy’s East Coast Kitchen

This fun and flavorful salad has an interesting flavor pallet that just says YAY SUMMER. I find it to be a really nice standalone snack. As for pairings... we were all over the place here at my house. LOL Try it and let me know what YOU like to pair it with... ENJOY!

Ingredients:

1.5 – 2 English cucumbers - sliced

table salt to taste

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 cup scallions – chopped

1/2 - 1 tsp sriracha chili sauce

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Preparation:

Peel stripes on the cucumbers, slice into a large bowl and toss with some table salt.

Mix vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, sriracha and scallions in a separate bowl and add to cucumbers. Toss until cukes are evenly coated and finally add toasted sesame seeds.

Store in refrigerator for an hour or more, toss one more time and serve.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

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!

Quinoa Lentil Salad & Lemon Vinaigrette

 Credit for this bright & tasty salad goes to The Sweet Pea Chef.

Lacey Baier, aka The Sweet Pea Chef, put this recipe together after sampling a similar salad on a California family vacation. She describes her delicious version as follows:

"Quinoa is an amazingly healthy addition to this salad because it is packed full of yummy goodness, like protein, fiber, vitamins, and all nine essential amino acids, which most other grains lack. Combined with leafy greens and iron-and-magnesium-rich lentils, this quinoa lentil salad is seriously one of my favorite things to eat right now.  It's so tasty, filling, and good for you."

Ingredients:

For the Quinoa Lentil Salad:

• ½ cup cooked quinoa
• ½ cup cooked lentils
• ¼ cup kale, packed
• ¼ cup cooked garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup cucumber, peeled and diced
• ¼ cup carrot, ½ carrot, diced
• ¼ cup grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tablespoon red onion, finely diced
• ½ tablespoon raw sunflower seeds

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:

• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon raw honey
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation: 

If cooking the quinoa and lentils, prepare well ahead and cool.

To prep the kale, remove the leaves from the spine and then break the kale into bite size pieces. Toss the kale with a little olive oil and rub all over the kale, massaging it until the kale reduces in volume and becomes less stiff. (This makes a huge difference in the texture of the kale.)

To make the lemon vinaigrette, combine the freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, raw honey, dijon mustard, sea salt, ground black pepper, and olive oil in a small mixing bowl, and whisk together until well combined.

To assemble the salad, combine the cooked quinoa, cooked lentils, kale, garbanzo beans, diced cucumber, diced carrot, quartered grape tomatoes, finely diced red onion, and raw sunflower seeds in a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine.

Drizzle over a few tablespoons of the lemon vinaigrette, and toss once more.

For garnish, sprinkle a few more sunflower seeds over the top.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Healthy Tuna Lunch for One

This lunch has become such a favorite of mine... so much so that I sometimes eat it several times a week! The possibilities are pretty much endless, and the dish is packed with protein, antioxidants and zero carbs in the version you see here. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1  5 oz can solid white Albacore tuna in water - drained
• 1/2 tomato - diced
• 1/4 yellow onion - other varieties work well, too
• 3" piece cucumber - quartered and sliced
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 scallion - cut up for garnish or mixed in 

Preparation:

I just use one of my soup bowls for prep and eating so there's one less thing to wash. :-)

Break up the tuna with a fork and add mayo, oil, salt & pepper and mix.

Fold in onion, tomato, cucumber and cut up scallion. Add more olive oil if so desired.  Done! :-)

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

White Bean Salad - Signature Collection

This fresh and bright white bean salad is another example of a restaurant cook not willing to share a recipe back in 2013. After finishing the bacon wrapped scallops that included this tasty treat I could not stop thinking about it all through dinner. Instead of dessert I ordered a second appetizer and we deconstructed right there at the table.

What follows is my version of a white bean salad inspired by the chef at S&P Oyster Company in Mystic Seaport, CT. I hope you enjoy this as much as Carolyn and I do. :-)

I never did write up the recipe back then, but 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. And finally, here is the ingredient list I can call my own... Enjoy!

Salad Ingredients:

• +/-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 Ingredients:

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

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Asian Coleslaw

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!