Raw Kale, Grapefruit, and Toasted Hazelnut Salad

I had some kale and grapefruit that I received in my Salem Delights box last week. I knew that I needed to make some sort of salad, but I didn't have a recipe and am not creative enough to whip this up myself. This was SO healthy and delicious. The dressing is simple and pairs perfectly with the sharpness of the kale and the tartness of the grapefruit. The red onion was perfect too. If you don't like red onion, you could always substitute green onion. I did not have hazelnuts, so I substituted pine nuts, and they were great. The biggest tip I will give is to use your food processor to get the kale into small enough pieces that it's not too tough. If you've never tried kale, this is a great way to start, and if you have this is a yummy new recipe to try.
PS - no, I did not make this for my children...I made it to take to a friend's house for a dinner/playdate :)

Recipe from Health.com.

Ingredients:
2 pink grapefruit
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 oz lacinato kale, very thinly sliced, or baby kale leaves
1 oz toasted hazelnuts, chopped (1/3 cup)

Method:
Complete recipe from Health.com found HERE.

Happy Cooking!

Greek Grilled Chicken Salad with Pitas

I have made this with the grilled chicken, and it makes a beautiful salad. Last night, I opted for the time saving option of using a rotisserie chicken from Lowe's Foods. The dressing could not be simpler. It is absolutely delicious over this salad. You may note that there is no added salt/pepper in the dressing. It does not need it with this salad. The olives and Feta cheese are salty enough for the whole dish, and the red onion gives it a good bite. My husband and I LOVE this salad...the kids all eat parts of it...one eats tomatoes, one eats olives, one eats pretty much all of it. They all eat the chicken.




Ingredients:
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg pita bread
1 lemon, juiced and zested
3 T red wine vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
1 T fresh oregano, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 head Romaine lettuce
1/2 c Kalamata olives, pitted & chopped
8 oz Feta cheese
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/2 c flat leaf parsley, chopped

Method:
Make dressing with lemon zest & juice, vinegar, olive oil, oregano, and garlic. (Combine all in a jar and shake). Pour half of the dressing over the chicken, turn to coat. At this point, chicken can be covered and refrigerated as long as overnight. When ready to serve, wrap pita bread in foil and warm in moderate oven for 5-10 minutes. Grill chicken 4-5 minutes per side until done. Placed grilled chicken on cutting board and cover tightly with foil for 10 minutes or so. In the meantime, place salad ingredients in large bowl. Toss with remaining dressing. Slice chicken breasts in thin slices, leaving one edge attached so that they can be fanned out attractively on top of salad. Served with warmed pita bread.

Happy Cooking!

Lobster Club Salad

I totally cheated and bought frozen, pre-cooked lobster tails. The brand I used was Pier 33, and they were REALLY good. I used duck bacon as the recipe suggests, and it was delicious. I had never tried duck bacon before, but it tastes very similar to pork bacon but doesn't get quite as crispy. I found all of the ingredients for this salad at the regular grocery store which I couldn't believe! This is definitely more of a summer salad, but it was special and worthy of a fancy occasion, so I decided to try it for our New Year's Eve's first course. It was perfect!

Adaptation of Gwyneth Paltrow's recipe:

Ingredients:
8 slices duck bacon
2 hearts romaine lettuce
1 avocado, pitted and sliced
2 cups cooked lobster meat, chopped
1 cup small grape tomatoes, halved
Vinaigrette:
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
2 T white wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2T extra-virgin olive oil
2 T finely chopped chives
Salt & pepper

Method:
Recipe found on babble.com, HERE.

Happy Cooking!

Pan Roasted Chicken Squash & Chard Salad w/ Bacon Vinaigrette

This recipe combines many of my favorite Fall ingredients...butternut squash, apples, pumpkin seeds (I subbed these for the walnuts), and bacon...okay, that's not a "Fall ingredient," but it's BACON! This meal was a little time consuming to make because of all of the steps and ingredients, BUT I was thinking that this salad would be fabulous to do with left over turkey & turkey drippings after Thanksgiving. If you did that, the longest part of this would be chopping the apples & butternut squash...you can always get Lowes Foods to do the porep for you through their lovely "Pick & Prep" department. This service is available in the store or when you order online through Lowes Foods to Go. Either way, try it sometime soon. It's worth the work.

Ingredients:

Chicken:
2 bone-in chicken breast halves
2 chicken leg quarters
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp canola oil

Salad
1 2/3 cups sliced Fuji apple
1 T fresh lemon juice
8 oz Swiss chard leaves, thinly sliced
1 T butter
4 1/4 cubed peeled butternut squash
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 T maple syrup
3 T toasted walnuts, chopped

Vinaigrette:
2 bacon slices cut into 1/2 in pieces
8 oz wild mushrooms, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 T apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup chicken broth

Method:
Complete recipe from Cooking Light found on myrecipes.com,  HERE.

Happy Cooking!

Winter Salad

My sister and I made this yummy salad for my brother's birthday. We served it with pork tenderloin, and it was a fantastic, satisfying winter meal that wasn't too heavy but that was filling and comforting. You can substitute any dried fruit for the dried cranberries, any kinds of seeds or nuts for the pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and many kinds of cheese for the burrata (Parmesan, goat cheese, mozzarella, etc). Try it! I think you'll like it!!

Ingredients:
1 box Isreali (pearlized) couscous (cooked according to package directions)
1/2 butternut squash cubed and roasted (about 40 min at 350 tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pepitas
I round of burrata cheese, cubed (this is similar to fresh mozzarella)
1 cup arugula
Stetson Salad Dressing

Method:
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and drizzle dressing over top.

Happy Cooking!

Berry Salad with Balsamic Dressing

This is pretty much my go-to salad whether it's for a main course topped with Grilled Chicken (see THIS post) or as a side salad. The dressing is super delicious...I always opt for homemade dressing rather than bottled if I have the time to make it as I know exactly what goes into it. 

Berry Salad with Balsamic Dressing:

For the salad:
1 head romaine, chopped
1/2 cup sliced strawberries or blueberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 oz fresh goat cheese (I buy the log, not the crumbles, cheaper & tastier)

Homemade Balsamic Dressing:recipe from CovCom Cooks!
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1 c vegetable oil

Arrange lettuce on platter and top with strawberries, pecans, and goat cheese.  Mix all dressing ingredients together in an air tight container and shake vigorously.  DO NOT over mix, however, as it will turn into syrup.

Happy Cooking!