Warm Skirt Steak Salad

ingredients:

1 pound skirt steak or flank steak
12-15 cherry tomatoes
12-15 sweet yellow tomatoes
1 bunch asparagus, cut in half
2 shallot, finely chopped & divided
3-4 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese

a Bag of you favorite salad mix

directions:

Preheat the oven to broil. 

Place the steak on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the tomatoes, asparagus, shallot and garlic.  Cover everything with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Place the steak and veggies on the top rack of your oven.  

 

After about 7 minutes, flip the steak over and continue to cook for another 5-7, depending on how you like your steak cooked.  

Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes or so.  You want it to cool slightly more than a normal "resting" time, so the lettuce doesn't completely wilt.  

While that is resting, fill a serving bowl with the bag of salad.  Dress with your favorite oil and vinegar or other salad dressing.  I used a balsamic vinegar and the other shallot, along with some salt and pepper. 

Slice the steak against the grain, and place on top of the salad.  Add tomatoes and other veggies.  Top with the blue cheese/gorgonzola.  

ENJOY!!

adapted from a recipe I saw on pinterest, cheeky kitchen

I'm calling this one Salad Pasta...

...instead of Pasta Salad :) Pretty Clever, huh?

A few months ago, a friend of mine made a pasta salad from a recipe on the back of a (gasp!) Simply Pasta box... That gasp! is tongue in cheek - who am I to judge where someone gets a recipe, as long as it is good! And it was. Good, that is.

I've tried to find that recipe a few different times. And when all else failed, I just made up my own. So here is my version of that recipe,

Salad Pasta

4 oz Gemelli Pasta, cooked and cooled

a couple of handfuls of Romaine lettuce (I used half of a bag of salad)

1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

4 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed

1 small can of black olives or Kalamata olives, sliced

your favorite dressing - i used a Kraft sun-dried tomato vinaigrette (one of our favorites for pasta salad), my friend used a jar of basil pesto and it was delicious!!

I also sauteed some chicken breasts in olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper and a few splashes of balsamic vinegar. Then sliced them and served alongside the salad pasta.

Memorial Day Menu

here have we been?! I feel like I haven't posted forever! Sorry about that. You really don't want to know what I have been eating, because it is very boring and comes in all shades of green. Lettuce! Lots and lots of lettuce....
We are having a BBQ for Memorial Day Weekend, and here is what is on the menu:

Neely's Surf and Turf ~ This sounds like a great, affordable way to serve Surf and Turf!  It's grilled Strip Steaks (you can use whatever steaks you love) topped with a Shrimp Scampi style Butter! After reading the recipe and the reviews, I am making some changes.. I will use a pound of shrimp to feed 6 adults, and I will use 1 1/2 sticks of butter. The recipe calls for 2 sticks for 4 steaks, to 1/2 pound of shrimp. The shrimp to butter ratio seems off to me, I want more shrimp than butter; and I dont want to send anyone to their Cardiologist.

Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula ~ Yum.

and for Dessert:
Strawberry Whipped Sensation ~ Fresh and light. Beware- it takes 6 hours to set up and freeze, so make it the night before!

I hope you have a very fun and safe Memorial Day Weekend with the ones you love! Bring on Summer!!

Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula

It's getting warm outside!!  Time to hose off the grill and light er' up!
I love this salad. It is a perfect side dish to just about any grilled meat, or a roasted chicken, fish..
Or, if you're like me, just a fork.
I double the dressing. I like my pasta salad to have plenty of it. Also, since there is just the three of us, it sits overnight and the pasta soaks up the dressing. It can leave it a bit dry. The creamy goat cheese, peppery Arugula.. yum!

Serves 4

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 pound gemelli or other short pasta
• 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (3 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 bunch arugula (8 ounces), torn
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water. In a large bowl, toss pasta with beans and goat cheese.
2. Make dressing: In a bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and mustard and season with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate pasta mixture and dressing separately, up to 1 day.) To serve, toss pasta mixture with dressing, arugula, and onion.

Recipe and Photo,  Martha, Everyday Food, June 09

Chopped Salsa

Some friends of ours make this 'salsa' at most of their BBQ's. I stole it and made it my own!
I believe they said they got it from Sunset Magazine -- and I searched for it, but couldn't find the official name for it. I try to give credit where credit is due, in this case, I just can't!

So here's what you need:
1 can black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 avocado, diced (but since avocado's turn brown, try not to cut yours up until you are ready to serve!)
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 jicama ( i love jicama!! if you don't know what it is, click here)
2 ears of corn, shaved -or- 1/2 bag frozen corn, thawed

Dressing Ingredients:
a handful of cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 large lime or 2 small limes
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup evoo
cumin, toasted (heat a small skillet, pour a couple of teaspoonfuls of cumin and let it heat up... getting it nice and fragrant)
1 T honey
1 tsp garlic salt
-and if you like it to have a little kick, add a couple of drops of cayenne sauce)

Place all veggies on a platter, separated. Then, with a spoon, pour dressing over the top... use as little or as much as you want! (we also use the dressing for a marinade - it is especially good with chicken and shrimp.)

You can pretty much used any 'salsa' ingredient. If you like cotija cheese, I imagine it sprinkled on top is pretty good!

Serve with tortilla chips, in a salad, over steaks, chicken, etc... It's a really easy recipe and looks amazing all laid out of the platter.

Summer Salad with Garlic-Chili Shrimp

Okay, well I know it's not summer anymore, but the thermostat is still reaching 70+ here in California, we still have beautiful produce, and I'm always looking for a complete meal worthy salad. This is what I made for dinner lastnight, along with Pioneer Womans Easy Seseme Noodles. Delicious!!

Shrimp:

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce *I couldnt find this sauce, so I used 1 ts. Sriracha Chili Sauce, mixed with 2 minced garlic cloves and a few dashes of white rice vinegar and I wouldnt change it, it was yummy*

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon
2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Salad:
2 ears of corn, husked
3 small tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1/3 English hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
1 large avocado, halved, peeled, pitted, cut into thin slices

4 cups (loosely packed) mixed baby greens
Dressing:
3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (such as Asian)
2 tbs. olive oil
*I added a dash of ground ginger and 1 small minced garlic clove*

Toasted sesame seeds for garnish *I would also add some almonds or chow mein noodles or raw ramen noodles for a crunch, it was lacking texture* Add to the salad.

For Shrimp:  Mix chili-garlic sauce, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. * I did this an hour 40 min prior to marinate*

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over med-high heat until hot. Add half of shrimp and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, transfer shrimp to plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to same skillet. Add remaining shrimp and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to plate and cool.

Cut corn from husks. In same pan used to cook the shrimp, saute the corn until brown. Add to salad.

Dressing:  Whisk 2 tablespoons oil, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper and sesame oil in medium bowl.

Top the salad with the shrimp, and dressing and toss, serve. Made 4 servings.
Bon Apetite

Diane's Corn Salad

This is soooooooooo good. It required 2 posts on one day. Can you tell what I have been doing this weekend? oink oink
I got this from Pioneer Woman's new cooking community, Tasty Kitchen. My new favorite recipe website. I found this recipe here. I adapted this recipe a bit, specifically- I cut it in half since there is just 3 of us. I used about a ts of sugar instead of a tbs. And the best thing I did was took 2 fresh ears of corn and grilled them drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper. It gave the corn a delicious smokey flavor, which I would definitely suggest you do if you can. I also used about 15-20 cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters that I got at the farmers market. I added avocado to my husbands (because he is allergic to onions) and kept the avocado out of mine, onions in (because I'm allergic to avocado). Overall, it was fantastic. I served it with grilled Rib eye and garlic bread.

4 cups Fresh Cooked Corn, Cooked Frozen, Or Canned Corn
2 cups Ripe Tomato, Seeded And Chopped
½ cups Minced Onion, Any Variety, Including Green Onion
½ cups Minced Green Bell Pepper, Or Any Color
4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vinegar
Dash Of Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper To Taste
Preparation Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a tight fitting lid. Mix well, cover and chill until time to serve. Keeps up to a week in the fridge. Enjoy!

chickpeas

We love chickpeas... in any form. Did you know they are considered one of the healthiest foods you can eat? They are so very good for you. I am always looking for new ways to eat them.. and I found a really yummy one. Marinated. Just dump a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas in a bowl and marinate in some good balsamic vinegar. I marinated mine for about 4 hours. YUM. My intention was to add them to an Italian salad that I made with spring mix, tomatoes, onions, roasted red peppers and goat cheese. Although I did add them, and they were fantastic.. most of them were gone by the time I made the salad. My 2 year old even ate them by the handful!! Try it.. it's a very healthy snack, and try sprinkling them on top of your favorite salad!

Bruscetta Pasta Salad

I was craving Bruscetta today.. and since I am trying to get bikini fabulous, I didn't want to eat the bread. So I ate pasta instead. I don't really know how to justify the pasta being better than the bread.. but in my pea brain, it was. is. isn't, but whatever...

2 cups uncooked pasta

2 small(er) tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 small cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 medium basil leaves, chopped

1 small can marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

2 tbs finely chopped onion

4 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbs (ish) red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese, about a hand full.

*If I would have had goat cheese on hand, I would have crumbed some up and added to the salad as well. Just a thought.

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until just under al dente.. the pasta will continue to cook as well as plump up with the dressing. In a medium-large bowl mix the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and dump the warm pasta into your bowl and dressing. Coat pasta. Add remaining ingredients and chill. Or eat it right there. Whatever makes you happy.

Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Ina Garten does this fried goat cheese.. and its delicious. So I took her recipe and added my own salad ingredients.. it turned out awesome! I served this with grilled chicken breast. I only did 4 fried goat cheese cubes, so you'll have to adjust the recipe to your family size.

Fried Goat Cheese:
Seasoned dry bread crumbs. I use a mixture of dry seasoned bread crumbs and panko bread crumbs. I like the texture this creates.
1 egg, beaten
sliced goat cheese, about 1/2 inch thick, well refrigerated.
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. butter
Dip the sliced cheese in the egg. Remove and roll in bread crumbs. Put on a rack and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet to medium-medium high, until just under smoking. Add the goat cheese and cook each one quickly, until browned on outside, but not melted on inside. Remove and drain.
For the salad I grilled red peppers, onions and asparagus. I arranged the salad using baby spinach, but mixed greens would be better I think. I made a dressing using olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper. This was very easy and very good for our hot, California summer nights!

chicken salad

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

2 tbs. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good mayonnaise

1 tbs. whole grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 cup small-diced celery (2 stalks)
1 cup green grapes, cut in 1/2

1/2 cup toasted, sliced almonds

*and a note: If my husband wasn't allergic to onions, I would have thrown in a green onion or two..

It is so easy to make this salad using either regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or canned chicken. I'll tell ya though.. the roasted chicken adds a whole world of flavor.. you will never get that from canned or boneless/skinless chicken. It's well worth it, I promise.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until cool.
When the chicken is cool, remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into a 3/4-inch dice. Place the chicken in a bowl; add the mayonnaise, Dijon, tarragon leaves, celery, grapes, almonds, 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and toss well.

adapted recipe from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, Food Network

warm dijon potato salad with green beans

I regret that I don't have a picture of this really, really great potato salad. We made it for Memorial Day weekend to go with ribs. I couldn't get my camera out fast enough... but try it, its delicious.. and its great cold too. Thanks again and again and again Aubrey.. I wonder why I gain weight when I visit you...

3 pounds Yukon or baby white potatoes
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
1 shallot minced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
30 grinds black pepper
1/3 cup packed finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by at least a couple inches. Salt the water generously, bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Bring another pot of salted water to a boil and throw the beans in just for a minute or two until they turn bright green. Strain them and run them under cold water to stop the beans from cooking.
In a mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then into roughly 1 inch chunks. Cut beans in half. Toss the potato chunks in the dressing and then toss in the green beans and the parsley.
recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman, Food Network

pasta salad

yesterday i was inspired by the brown butter ravioli dinner that nancy posted. i love browned butter - i think it's the salt lover in me! - and even love it cold. so as nancy and i were instant messaging about how much we love brown butter, this pasta salad recipe started forming in my head! i know, right?
(i should tell you that all of these ingredients i had on hand. next time, i would probably choose a different pasta, just for the fun of it! i used whatever half full/empty box i had. also, if you have it, try some bell pepper - or goat cheese - or fresh mozzarella - or left over chicken! use up the stuff you have in your fridge or pantry - save some money!)
this recipe made 2 servings (or 1 big eater!) - i made it pretty much for myself today and tomorrow. so double it if your making it for more than yourself + a friend or spouse.
try it hot, too.
let me know how you like it!

here's the rough ingredients:
butter! (i used 3 T, +1 T for the onions and garlic)
1 large or 2 small cloves of minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped red onion

a couple of handfuls of pasta - i used fettuccine noodles that i broke into bite size pieces

half a large tomato, chopped
half a jar of drained atrichoke hearts, chopped
8-10 kalamata olives, chopped
a few slices of pepperoni, chopped

1 T balsamic vinegar
s & p to taste
top with parmesan cheese

first, get your water boiling and start cooking that pasta!

then, i started out by sauteing the 1 T butter, garlic and red onion on low heat, stirring occasionally. while that was cooking, i chopped my vegetables, then started the brown butter process. i warmed the pan on medium heat, then added the butter. let it foam and recede - about 3-4 minutes. once the butter starts turning brown, add the garlic and onion mixture. add the balsamic vinegar. set aside to cool.
drain your pasta.
combine the brown butter mixture and pasta.
let it cool for a few minutes. then add the vegetables and pepperoni.

refrigerate for at least an hour - longer if you have it!

top with parmesan cheese before serving.

i was saving this much for lunch the next day. but my youngest found it and ate it all!

Ginger salad dressing

Do you have a favorite Japanese restaurant? I do.. or, I did until they tore it down and shipped the building back to Japan where it came from, or so I hear.. Who's big idea was that anyway?? I'd like to know. Gasho House of Japan. mmmmmmmm. Just thinking about it makes me happy. Okay back to the subject. I dunno about you, but I am madly, deeply, desperately in love with the salad dressing. I mean, I'd give my left pinky for the actual recipe. Well.. no one wants it, so here is one that I think is the closest I have ever gotten to the actual gold mine. Yumm-y

Now, this is the recipe as I tried it. However, if you are using your blender.. hello?? No need to mince the veggies. Just cut er' up and throw er' in. It turns out fine.
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons celery, minced
2 tablespoons ketchup (ketchup, really? did the Japanese use ketchup?! maybe next I'll try it with a slice or two of tomato, I'm embarassed.)
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender.
Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until all of the ginger is well pureed.

Recipe from Recipezaar.com

Tuscan Salad

I love cannellini beans. They are mild, creamy and packed with protein. They are easy to find, but most of the time they are labeled "White Kidney Beans" and say "Cannellini" in very teeny print underneath. I often eat this salad as a meal and several times a week.

8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 head Romaine lettuce, torn
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup pitted black olives - I use Kalamata olives
1/2 red onion, cut into slivers - cut them thin!
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce shaved Parmesan (about 1/2 cup)

Directions
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until beans are slightly tender. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 3 minutes. Drain the green beans.
In a large bowl, combine the green beans with the lettuce, cannellini beans, olives, and red onion. Toss to combine. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Top with shaved Parmesan and serve.

Giada DeLaurentiis

ITALIAN CHICKEN SALAD IN LETTUCE CUPS

10 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (from about 3 purchased roasted whole chickens)
2 cups roasted red and yellow bell peppers, drained, patted dry, and coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups paper-thin slices red onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup drained capers
1 1/2 cups (about) Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 butter lettuce leaves (from about 3 large heads)
1 (4-ounce) piece Parmesan, shaved with vegetable peeler
Directions
Toss the chicken, bell peppers, onion, parsley, almonds, and capers in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Season the chicken salad with salt and pepper, to taste.
Arrange 1 large lettuce cup and 1 small lettuce cup on each plate, overlapping slightly. Spoon the chicken salad into the lettuce cups. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the salads. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.
Do-Ahead Tip: The chicken salad can be prepared 4 hours ahead and refrigerated. Just before serving, spoon the salad into the lettuce cups.
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil
Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until emulsified.
Yield: 1 3/4 cups
SERVES 12
Giada DeLaurentis, the Food Network

GRAPE AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD WITH CHICKEN

2 small heads Boston lettuce, torn into pieces
4 stalks celery, sliced on the diagonal
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 cups (about 1/2 pound) green grapes, halved
small blue cheese wedge, sliced thin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced thin

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, celery, onion, grapes, and blue cheese.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Divide the salad and chicken among individual plates. Serve with the vinaigrette.

adapted from a recipe by:
Kate Merker
Real Simple, AUGUST 2007

JAMIE'S CRANBERRY SPINACH SALAD

I make this salad all the time. Its really, really good. I cut the sugar in the recipe by 1/2. I also add a tbs or so of cranberry juice in the dressing if I have it. I also do not use the butter, but buy already toasted almonds. I use baby spinach in the bag..
This is a dish I always bring or make for Thanksgiving.

1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons minced onion
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds and cranberries.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving.



allrecipes.com

RED LEAF SALAD WITH ORANGES

2 oranges
1 head of red leaf lettuce, coarsely chopped
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Using small sharp knife, cut off peel and white pith from oranges. Cut oranges crosswise into round slices, then cut slices in half. Toss red leaf lettuce, orange slices, and red onion slices in large bowl. Add oil and vinegar and toss to coat; season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

bon appetit march 2008 amy finley