Pesto BLT Salad

I enjoy bacon. On its own it is amazing, but added to almost any savory dish it becomes amazing. A BLT sandwich is one of those ultimate comfort foods. My friend Elissa introduced me to a BLT Salad a few years ago and it was love at first bite. Chop salad - yes please. A club sandwich... yum. Wilted leaf lettuce salad (recipe coming soon) - childhood memories.

A few months ago my husband and I hit up a new bar and grill in town and I had their pesto chicken club sandwich. Until then, I had missed the amazing combination of pesto and bacon. Now I'm on a mission to pair the two wherever I can (within reason so I can keep my waistline in check).

This amazing salad came together today as I cleaned out the odds and ends in my fridge. If this is what I come up with, maybe I should clean it out more often.

6 c. Chopped Greens (I used spinach, but romaine would be good)
2 c. Orzo, cooked
2 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
5 slices of Bacon, fried and chopped
4 T. Pesto
Shredded Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Cook the orzo until al dente and drain. Rinse briefly with cold water to cool it off and keep pesto from soaking into the pasta too quickly. Toss the pasta with the pesto and set aside to cool while completing the salad. Chop your greens and then add the tomato and bacon. I opted to chop the bacon small to get a little bit in every bite.

Fold in the pesto pasta with the salad and stir to coat. Add additional pesto if necessary. Top with freshly shredded cheese. Served slightly warm, this salad was a great combination of crispy, smooth, salty, and a bit sweet. Definitely a summer salad worth repeating.

* Adding a bit of pine nuts or chicken would be a nice addition to the salad as well. I had a bit extra leftover and pit it a tortilla and it made a great filling for a wrap.

Pico De Gallo Pasta

What's a girl to do when you have all the makings for Pico De Gallo and no chips with which to eat them with? No Mexican main course with what to use it with? No means in which to eat it, except a spoon. Pico is a sauce, and topping, not to be eaten straight... well you can if you'd like, but I can't.

So what's a girl to do? Break out the pasta. Pasta is like the neutral color of food that goes well with just about everything.

This was a quick dinner that I'll be definitely repeating. It would also work well for leftover pasta or pico that might be hanging out in the fridge. You could easily add shredded chicken to the dish for a bit of protein.

1 lb Pasta, cooked al dente (wheat or gluten-free varieties work)
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded & diced
1 Jalapeno, seeded & finely diced
1/4 c Cilantro, chopped
1/4 c Onion, chopped (optional)
2 t Minced Garlic
1 T Lime Juice
1 t Salt
3 T Oil (Olive, Sunflower, Canola, etc)

Seed and chop 3 ripe tomatoes and 1 jalapeno. Add the chopped cilantro, onion, lime, and salt to the tomato and pepper and allow the flavors to marinade. Meanwhile, cook the pasta til al dente and set aside.

In a large skillet, add oil and garlic and slowly roast over medium-low heat. Watch carefully so that it doesn't scorch/burn. Add pasta and toss to coat. Remove from heat and toss with pico de gallo mixture. Serve warm or chilled.

Mango Salsa

Here's a lovely sweet and spicy mix that tastes like pure summer. This works great with chips, in a salad, or with chicken.

1 Mango, finely diced
8 Roma Tomatoes, finely diced
2 Jalapenos, finely diced
1/4 t Salt
1/2 Fresh Lime, juiced
1 t Sugar
1 T Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Give this about 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together. But yes, it can be eaten right away if you can't wait and it still tastes good.

Summer Jicama Salad

For those of you not familiar with jicama - it's a white bulb with a fibrous texture, also known as a Mexican Yam. It's fairly plain tasting, but adds crunch and a hint of sweetness, similar to like a carrot. It contains vitamins C, A and B, along with calcium. To eat, peel the exterior and then thinly slice or grate (my preference) the jicama.

A couple of years ago I posted a different recipe for a jicama salad - (Jicama Lime Chicken Salad) which I love, but I was looking for something a little more on the sweet side. This is what I came up with for a family get together over Memorial  Day weekend. You could definitely add chicken to this if you wanted protein in it.

SALAD
1 head of Romaine, chopped (or two hearts)
2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped ( I remove the seeds/juice and use just the flesh)
1 c Sweet Corn
1 c Carrots, shredded
1 c Jicama, shredded & drained*
Optional Crunch Factor (I wish I had added something like wonton strips, tortilla strips, or chow mein noodles for a bit of salt & crunch to the salad)

* The longer shredded jicama sits, the more the moisture comes out. I just squeeze the liquid out with my hands. You could use a towel or press into a strainer.

DRESSING
-- Wisk ingredients together or shake in a sealed container. Add a little bit at a time, depending on how much lettuce you use, you may not need the whole amount.
1/4 c Lime Juice
1/4 c Oil (I used sunflower oil)
1/4 c White Sugar
1/2 t Cinnamon
2 t Sesame Seeds
1 t Sesame Oil (optional)

Cucumber Cranberry Salad

This salad is definitely a new favorite. It has great texture. There are crisp veggies, smooth creamy cheese, and crunch from the sunflower seeds. The medley of salt and sweet leaves you wanting more. A double batch of this salad would work great for a brunch, picnic, shower/party, or family gathering.

2  Cucumbers, seeded & finely diced
1  Apple, cored & finely diced
1/4 c  Celery, finely diced
1/4 c  Crumbled Feta Cheese (optional
1/4 c  Dried Fruit (cranberries, cherries, raisins, etc)
1/4 c  Sunflower Seeds (or chopped nuts)
1/4 c  Poppy Seed Dressing (Start out mixing in 1 T at a time)

Finely dice the cucumbers, apple, and celery – then toss together with the other ingredients. Add the salad dressing just before serving so that it doesn’t get soggy.

This cool cucumber salad is a great pair for your summer time meals, picnics, brunch or parties.

Bok Choy Slaw

I had a huge, mature bok choy from my CSA box last week. The flavor when they get that large tends to get a bit large, so it needs some stronger flavors to go with it. I didn't use the dark tops of the bok choy because it was rather tough and very strong, but I finally diced diced the base and mid portions.

4-6 c Bok choy, finely chopped
1 c Carrots, shredded or finely chopped
3 T Oil (I used sunflower)
2 T Vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
3 t Sugar
1 t Sesame seeds
1/2 t Poppy seeds
1/2 t Sesame oil
squeeze of lime

Toss the bok choy and carrots together. Whisk or shake together the remaining ingredients and add to vegetables. Serve immediately or allow the slaw to set and flavors to mesh together.

It's a fairly nice change from traditional cole slaw, but similar enough to the original.

Veggie Experimentation

Our family joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm this summer. We bought a share of an organic farm. Each week we get an assortment of vegetables, several that I've never tried before. It really forces me to experiment and broaden our vegetable horizons.

Some experiments have been successful. Others - not so much. I have learned that I really don't like radishes, in pretty much any form. HOWEVER, if I dice them up small they made a good replacement for onions in salsa. Their sharp taste offered a nice kick to sweet tomatoes.

Kohlrabi is one of the oddest looking veggies you've ever seen. I had no clue what to do with the thing.I did want to make my Jicama Lime Salad, but jicama is really expense in North Dakota and they come this of my child's head. I can't bring myself to spend that much money on a root veggie. So I replaced it with diced kohlrabi and it did quite well. I did miss a bit of the sweetness, but I added a touch more sugar to the dressing and it was wonderful. Next time I'll shred it rather than dice.

I have NEVER like peas. However, I have never had fresh peas from the pod. The smaller ones were so sweet that it was like popping candy. I couldn't get enough of them. I'm a believer now.

I managed to eat a different salad everyday last week with the most amazing lettuces. I didn't realize that when you cut into fresh lettuce that there is a milky substance that comes from the veins. Obviously I've never had really fresh mature lettuce before.

I've got a wealth of cucumbers and zucchini waiting to be tackled next. I have some great new ideas to try out and hope they taste as good as they sound.

The Unused Celery

There are just certain habits you pick up from tradition, from the modeling of whoever taught you how to cook. You do those things simply because that's the way things "aught" to be.  I have them and so you do. However, it's difficult to pinpoint them because they come so naturally.

I worked at a greenhouse a couple of summers ago and LOVED the herb selection there. As the season moved on the selection diminished and most the usual suspects were sold out (oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, etc). One that there was plenty left of was Celery Leaf. I watered them but didn't pay much attention.

One day a customer questioned me about the taste and use of the herb. I claimed ignorance, but offer to taste the herb and give my opinion. To my surprise, it had a pleasant taste, that of celery. Imagine that.  I would come to realize later that it was the same taste as that leafy top of the celery that I had been chopping off and throwing in the compost.

I started to imagine what I would use it for. Soups was as far as I made it. I had heard of people using the leaves of celery in that. Life moved on and I really had not thought much of celery leaf until this weekend when I was trimming up celery and preparing to dump those greens down the disposal (man I miss my compost pile). It seemed like such a waste.

Upon remembering my adventure at the greenhouse I decided to take a walk on the wild side and use those greens. I chopped them up and added them along with the lettuce of my salad and I LOVED IT. It's a mild taste (using from the celery heart) but added a light taste. Much of the small diced leaves fell to the bottom of the plate along with actual celery heart, chopped carrots, and pine nuts - all coated in a light layer of Caesar dressing. It tasted wonderful. Next time I might skip the lettuce all together and just go toppings only. I'm kind of crazy with salads that way.

Yes, I know I need to get out more often.

Now I'm on a quest to discover other traditions that have made me miss out on good stuff. Do you have one?

Dilled Chicken Salad

I've never been a fan of chicken salad. More accurately, I've always hated chicken salad. I'm a texture eater and chicken salad usually falls in the slimy category. With a gallon of mayo and gobs of watery grapes, I've not been able to see past the texture to even get close enough to taste.

That was until my friend Sheila at FM Cheapskate introduced me to her version of chicken salad. This has it all - creamy + crunchy, salty + sweet, easy + stylish. This one will likely be finding it's way into my lunches for work. However, this likely won't fall into the kids category any time soon.

Now Sheila makes this like I would, all by eye and taste. There were no measuring utensils out, but I tried to eye ball the measurements. Tweak this to any amount that fits your fancy.

2 Chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
1/2 c Mayonnaise
3 T Craisins
2 T Sunflower seeds
1 t Dill weed (more if yours isn't very fresh)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients to taste. Serve on sandwiches or on its own.

Thanks Sheila.

Apple Carrot Slaw

I made this for dinner tonight. I really enjoyed it, my husband and kids - not so much. None of them are much of salad fans though.

It was a nice light side dish and I'll make it again. I might play with the recipe a bit. Next time I might try adding some coconut or almonds. I also might swap apple cider for the lemon juice.

3 Carrots, grated
2 Apple, peeled cored and grated
1 1/2 T Olive oil
1 T Lemon juice
2 t Sugar or agave
Salt to taste
2 T sunflower seeds
1 t Sesame seeds

Toss together carrots, apple, and seeds in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together olive oil, sugar and lemon juice. Add salt to taste. Drizzle dressing over carrot and apple and toss to combine well. Allow to marinade for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Quinoa Apple Salad

I've head a lot about quinoa (KEEN-wah) lately. The newly marketed superfood that the Incas survived on. If you aren't familiar with it (which I wasn't until this summer), it's actually a seed, not a grain. It's high in protein, has a bit of a chewy texture and nutty flavor. It's mild enough to be really versatile for a salad and side dish.

I found an intriguing recipe for it in Family Fun magazine and adapted it to my own tastes.

1 c Quinoa, rinsed
2 c Apple juice (or water)
1 T Honey*
2 t Sugar
1/4 lemon juice
1/2 t salt
2 T Olive oil
1 c Apples, peeled & finely diced
2/3 c Celery, finely diced
1 T Fresh Parsley, chopped
1/2 Almonds, toasted and chopped

* I'm not a fan of the flavor of honey and for me it was a bit overwhelming. Next time I'll probably replace this with agave or sugar.

Variations:
Lime juice, diced Mango, Cilantro, Jicama, Water (replace apple juice)
Apple juice, diced Pear, Cashews, Parsley
Lemon juice, Basil, Walnut, Water (replace apple juice)
Coconut, cilantro, lime, coconut milk (replace juice)

Famous Dave's Coleslaw Copycat

I'm not a big fan of coleslaw, but after eating at Famous Dave's restaurant I knew I had to try to recreate it at home. I found several recipes online and tweaked it to what I had on hand. It's not exactly the same, but still tastes pretty good, and I don't have to splurge on Famous Dave's to get it. Great for a party/picnic dish.

10 c Cabbage, chopped (finely diced rather than shredded)
1/3 c Carrot, grated
2 c Mayo (or veganaisse)
1/2 c Sugar
1 T Mustard
1/2 t Pepper
1/2 t Salt
1/4 t Garlic powder
1/4 t Celery seed
2 t Horseradish (optional)

Steak Salads

We made a great London Broil the other night and had lots left over. We had a meal of leftovers and I still had two lunches out of it. Not bad for $7 piece of meat I found in the "use quickly" clearance section.

Here are a couple steak salad options that work great for leftovers and would be even better with fresh steak. A great way to stretch a small cut of steak for a family.

OPTION #1 - Spinach Steak Salad with Feta

OPTION #2 - American Steak Salad

OPTION #1 - Spinach Steak Salad with Feta
Toss together: (amounts to your liking)
Baby Spinach
Chopped Carrots
Chopped Tomatoes
Feta

In a skillet -
Heat 1 T of Olive Oil - Add peppers (about 1/2 c) and saute
Add leftover steak (1/4 c per person) to peppers until heated through

Drizzle with Balsamic Vinaigrette
_________

OPTION #2 - American Steak Salad

Toss together: (amounts to your liking)
Chopped lettuce - romaine, iceberg, or mix together
Chopped Carrots
Chopped Tomatoes
Corn (cut off leftovers from corn on the cob)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Reheat steak, add to salad, and drizzle with Ranch Dressing

Feta Corn Salad

Another great salad offering for the week.

My international friend Debby introduced me to the tasty combination of corn and feta in salads. I do admit that I stared at her salad for a bit before trying it, but fell in love at first taste. So here's my version of that combination.


Baby Spinach
Fresh Corn (left over corn on the cob)
Feta Crumbles
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Diced Tomato (optional - wish I had some that night)

Toss and eat.

Raspberry Spinach Salad

I love salads in the summer and here is a lovely fruit based salad that I savored every bite of. Raspberries are a special treat for me because they are so expensive. I found these berries on sale for $1.50 for the pack, so I jumped at the deal. I savored them in everything from salad, topping ice cream, and straight from the box. My mouth is watering at the memory. The good news is a little bit of these berries go a long way.

Someday I'll have my own to pick straight from my yard... someday.



Fresh Raspberries
Baby Spinach
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Sesame Seeds (sprinkle just a few on)
Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is tough one to make - toss it together and eat. This would be nice with a bit of grilled chicken for a meal.

Leftover Lasagna Salad

Often when making lasagna or lasagna rolls, I'll have a noodle or two left over. If my husband doesn't eat them first, here's another leftover salad. If you haven't noticed by now, one of my favorite use of leftovers is to make a salad out of them.


2 Lasagna noodles, cut up**
1 c Asparagus, chopped
1/2 c Tomato, diced
1 lg Carrot, shredded
2 T Sesame seeds
2 T Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large pan, heat olive oil. Saute the asparagus until tender crisp. Add noodle pieces, carrots, and sesame seed to the pan and stir frequently until heated through. Stir in tomato and season to taste. Serve warm.

** To make the noodles workable, I took a pizza cutter and cut them in half length-wise and then in the other direction into small pieces.

Mexican Pork Salad

I love when I can take a bunch of leftover bits of nothing and turn them into something wonderful. This one was so good, I may have to conjure up a bunch of leftovers, just so I can make it again.


1/2 lb Pork, cooked & shredded (left over Herbed Pork Roast)
1/2 c Water
2 c White rice, cooked and cooled (left over from stir fry)
1/2 c Bell Peppers, chopped & grilled (left over from kabobs)
1/4 c Tomato, diced
2 c Lettuce, chopped
1/2 c Salsa
1/2 c Sour Cream (or tofu sour cream)
2 T + 1 tsp Taco seasoning, divided

In a saute pan, add pork, water and 2 T of taco seasoning. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally until most of the water has evaporated. Stir in rice and peppers and heat thoroughly.

In a small bowl, wisk together salsa, sour cream, and 1 tsp of seasoning. Toss together all ingredients and serve. It makes for a great zesty salad.

Jicama Lime Chicken Salad

It just tastes like summer or an island treat. Lime and cilantro - what's not to love about that? A college friend of mine passed along a recipe for a creamy jicama chicken taco that I adapted into this salad. I waited until my manly meat eaters left the house on day and celebrated my solitude with this salad. Someday my my boys will appreciate it. If not, more for me.

2 Romaine hearts or 1 leaf lettuce, chopped
1-2 T oil
1 Lime
1/4 t Salt
1 t Ground cumin
1/4 t Chili powder
1/4 t Garlic powder
1/4 t Pepper
2 Chicken breasts
1/2 sm Jicama*, shredded
1/4 c Cilantro, chopped
1 sm Mango, chopped (optional)
1/4 c Tomatoes, chopped (optional)
1 avocado, peeled and sliced (optional)
2 T Almonds, toasted - your pick of sliver/sliced/chopped (optional)

Chop and rinse lettuce and set aside. Mix together salt, cumin, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder. Rub chicken with oil and sprinkle seasoning on top. Allow to sit/marinade 20-30 minutes. Grill or fry the chicken until done. Squeeze lime juice over chicken and allow to rest a few minutes before slicing/chopping up to keep juices from running out.

Meanwhile shred the jicama (I used my box cheese grater) and chop cilantro. Toss together with lettuce and top with chicken and desired toppings like mango, tomato, almonds, and/or avocado. I used the Lime Vinaigrette for a cool and refreshing summer salad.

* NOTE: I had no idea what a jicama (pronounced HICK-a-mah) was. It's a root vegetable from Mexico (a.k.a. Mexican turnip or yam). It's round, white and has a crunchy and mildly fiberous texture and a hint of sweetness. Becomes a bit wet while shredding, not so much when chopped, much like a carrot would. New users I would recommend shredding into small pieces to introduce yourself and move on to small pieces.

Lime Vinaigrette

I'll be posting soon the DELICIOUS summer Jicama Lime Chicken Salad I made to go with this dressing. It has to be almost as good as it gets for summer flavors.

1/4 c Lime juice, fresh squeezed if you can
1/4 c Canola oil
1 T White wine vinegar
1 T Sesame Seeds
1/2 t Ginger, freshly grated
1 T White sugar (adjust to taste or use agave nectar)
dash of salt

Wisk all the ingredients together until well mixed. Serve over your favorite salad, or use as a marinade for chicken or shrimp. I'm thinking about adapting this sauce for a rice or quinoa dish. More to come on this later.

Sauteed Pasta Salad

This is one of those throw together salads with whatever odds and ends you have on hand in the house.

1 lb Pasta*, cooked
4 c fresh veggies*, chopped small
1 T Sesame seeds
3 T Olive oil, divided
2 t Salt
1/2 t Pepper
4 slices bacon, diced and cooked (optional)

Cook pasta and set aside to cool slightly while cooking veggies. Heat 1 T of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add veggies and lightly saute, you want them to be slightly underdone. Add pasta, seasoning, oil, and bacon and cook 1-2 more minutes.

Best served warm. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired

Total Cost: $3.25 - $6.25
Pasta $1.25 (Cashwise)
Veggies $1.00 - $4.00 (Cashwise or garden)
Bacon $1.00 (Sunmart)

VARIATIONS:
*Favorite - asparagus, carrot, red pepper, bacon with cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta
Carrot, celery, and garlic
Peppers, tomato, basil