Salads

Tossed Salad

Posted by on Jul 17, 2012 in Fashionably Organic, Salads, Side Dishes | 1 comment

My husbands family is moving out of the country and over the weekend we had a going away party for them.  I was in charge of making a salad.  I was so busy with work and house work, that I barely had time to make a salad, but I wanted to put my best foot forward.  I didn’t want to buy a bag of mixed greens, throw it in one of my pretty bowls with dressing and call it a day.  Instead, I wanted to make a hearty and tasty salad.  Sometimes making a recipe from inspiration in the grocery store is the best.  You can make salads in so many different ways: Caesar, Southwest, Cobb, etc.  With each salad it brings its own individuality with different cheeses, vegetables, meats, etc.  I was in the grocery store and I decided to pick some of my favorite vegetables and salad add-ins.  Food needs to look good and be colorful and the best way is to include different vegetables, cheeses and meats.  I love cherry tomatoes, they’re sweetness burst in your mouth. Colby jack cheese is marbled and adds a beautiful yellow spark to the salad.  Mushrooms act as sponges and absorb the flavors of the dressing.  Carrots add a beautiful orange color, as well as the pretty “trees”, as I called broccoli as a kid.

Ingredients:
8oz of Rotini
8oz of Baby Carrots
3 Broccoli Heads
10.5oz Cherry Tomatoes
8oz of Sliced Portobello Mushrooms
4oz of Colby Jack Cheese
8oz of Spring Salad Mix
8oz of salami
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon of no slat organic seasoning (my fave is purchased at Costco)

Recipe:
In a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.  Add the Rotini and cook for 8 minutes until al dente. While the pasta is cooking throw the spring mix of greens in a large bowl.  Dice the carrots, broccoli, portobello mushrooms and Colby jack cheese and add to the salad.  Add the cherry tomatoes.  Once the pasta has finished cooking, strain and let it come to room temperature.  Once the pasta has cooled add 1 tablespoon of seasoning and fresh diced rosemary to the pasta and toss, making sure each noddle is coated.  Add 8oz of diced salami to the salad.  Add the pasta to the salad and toss.  Serve with your favorite healthy dressing!

 

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Spinach Summer Salad

Posted by on Aug 2, 2011 in Fashionably Organic, Salads | 0 comments

Many you have heard “eat your spinach” growing up, right?  Well, I love spinach and I have no problem eating a lot of it!  One of my favorite ways to eat spinach, is to make a salad with it.  I think salads in the summer are perfect, because it’s really hot outside and you don’t want to eat anything heavy, nor do you want to eat anything warm.  Salads are light and refreshing, especially when topped with summer vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.   What about you, what is your favorite lettuce to use?  As you have probably concluded my favorite lettuce is spinach.  Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K which contributes greatly to a healthy nervous system and brain function.  The high amount of vitamin A in spinach also promotes healthy skin by allowing for proper moisture retention in the epidermis, thus fighting psoriasis, acne and even wrinkles.  One cup of spinach has nearly 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, curbs overeating and helps maintain low blood sugar.  I even like to add spinach to my chocolate protein shakes (it is a great way to hide your greens, but also receive the awesome health benefits).

This is a simple summer salad I made with spinach, yellow and red cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and mushrooms.  For the dressing, I used balsamic vinegar, my favorite.

HEALTH TIP: Balsamic Vinegar is a great substitute for dressing – it is low in calories and  balsamic vinegar is a great source of calcium, iron, manganese and potassium, which improve the body’s functioning and weight loss abilities.

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Corn, Mango and Black Bean Salad with Basil-Lime Vinaigrette

Posted by on Jul 5, 2011 in Appetizers, Fashionably Organic, Salads | 0 comments



Ingredients:
Salad-
1 can of corn (no slat, packed in water) or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can organic Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 mango’s, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Vinaigrette-
2 limes, zested and juiced ( I only had key limes, either will do)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Recipe:

For the salad: In a medium bowl, mix together the corn, black beans, northern beans, bell pepper, and mango.

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, basil, and cumin. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well. Refrigerate for 1 hour, and toss again, before serving.

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Curried Couscous Salad

Posted by on Jan 11, 2011 in Fashionably Organic, Salads | 2 comments

I made this delicious curry couscous salad, adapted from my favorite chef, Giada De Laurentiis.  Most of Giada’s recipes are influenced by her native culture, Italy, but on an episode of Giada at Home, she made this tantalizing side dish that I couldn’t wait to try. I had never made nor had a salad like she made, but I was ready for the challenge. I love both couscous and curry individually, but I was very excited to pair them up in a recipe. Couscous is fabulous and curry is a spice that many of us eat, but don’t realize curry is the spice we’re tasting.

Curry is a wonderful spice used in many Indian and South Asian dishes. Curry’s popularity in recent decades has spread outward from the Indian and Asian continents and has moved into international cuisine.  Consequently, each culture has adopted spices in its aboriginal cooking to suit its own unique tastes and cultural sensibilities.  As for couscous, it is a North African dish that has become popular in recent years.  Couscous is made from two different sizes of the husked and crushed, but unground, semolina of hard wheat using water to bind them.  Similar to risotto, the key to preparing an authentic couscous is patience and care.

Cauliflower:
Olive oil cooking spray
1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup organic extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
2 cups organic low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons mild curry powder (recommended: Simply Organic’s Curry Powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (10-ounce box or bag) couscous
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, roasted cashews
1 (4-inch) piece cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large lemon, zested

Dressing:
1/3 cup organic Greek yogurt
1/4 cup organic extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons mild curry powder (recommended: Simply Organic’s Curry Powder)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cauliflower: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet liberally with olive oil cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss the cauliflower and organic olive oil together until coated. Put in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast until golden and tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Salad: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth, organic curry powder and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and allow the couscous to absorb the liquid, about 5 to 7 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and transfer it to a large serving bowl. Stir in the cooked cauliflower, cranberries, cashews, cucumber, parsley, and lemon zest. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the organic Greek yogurt, organic olive oil and organic curry powder until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Just before serving, add the dressing to the salad and toss well to coat.

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