Purple Cabbage Salad with Edamame, Golden Raisins, and Smoked Almonds

Photo by Rachel's Bite, Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 US licensed. 

This is a really unique salad! Packed with all sorts of good veggies, it's the sauce made of mint, lime juice, honey and chile-garlic sauce that makes this stand out. It's both refreshing and comforting at the same time. The almonds adds a bit of crunch which is nice for a dynamic texture.

Notice all the beautiful colors? It's very impressive because of both the color and the flavors. This was a great find from Vegetarian Times.

Purple Cabbage Salad with Edamame, Golden Raisins, and Smoked Almonds Serves 6 1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage 1 orange bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced 1 cup finely diced pineapple 1/4 cup golden raisins 16 smoked almonds 1/4 cup choppped fresh mint 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice 2 Tbsp. honey 1/4 tsp. chile-garlic sauce

Bring small pot of water to a boil. Add frozen edamame, and cook 10 minutes. Drain, and refresh under cold water. Transfer to large bowl; add cabbage, bell pepper, pineapple, raisins, almonds, mint, lime juice, honey, and chile-garlic sauce. Toss well, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Nutritional information provided in magazine:
Per 1-cup serving: 127 CAL; 5 G PROT; 4 G TOTAL FAT (<1 G SAT FAT); 22 G CARB; 0 MG CHOL; 33 MG SOD; 4 G FIBER; 15 G SUGARS.

Love is all around you... Enjoy!

- Rachel

Twitter: @RachelRubin
Connect with me on Facebook
Visit me on Google+
Network on LinkedIn
Watch me (or my pets) on YouTube
Eat with me on Yelp

Celery, Grilled Grape and Mushroom Salad

Okay, I better fess up that this salad cost over $40 to make! But that is probably because I bought all organic at Whole Foods. And also since the recipe was from the June, 2011 issue of Food and Wine magazine I should have known it would be a bit more on the pricy side. It was SUPER yummy though and is a great addition to a buffet. I made this for 4th of July and we had it with some steaks, grilled vegetables and other traditional salads (potato salad, coleslaw, etc.). It was a really classy addition to our dinner.

Also, this lasts surprisingly well as leftovers. Maybe I got lucky, but since there isn't too much lettuce there wasn't really anything to get soggy from the dressing.

I think the most fun part is that we grilled grapes. I know I've had grilled pineapple and peaches before, but grapes are novel. We just put them on the fire in a veggie basket and they cooked up great! ("We" really equals the guys who did the grilling and thought I was nuts.)

Celery, Grilled Grape and Mushroom Salad 6 servings 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice ½ tsp. celery seeds ¼ tsp. Dijon mustard 2 small garlic cloves, minced ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing ¼ cup roasted almond oil Salt and freshly ground pepper ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves ½ cup tender celery leaves (from one head) ¼ cup salted roasted almonds, chopped 1 pound king oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise ¼-inch thick 2 cups green grapes (12 ounces) 2 heads butter lettuce, leaves separated 2 cups very thinly sliced celery

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar with the lemon juice, celery seeds, mustard and half of the garlic. Gradually whisk in ¼ cup of the olive oil and the almond oil until emulsified. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

In a mini food processor, combine the remaining garlic with the parsley,c elery leaves and almonds nad pulse until finely chopped. Add another ¼ cup of the olive oil and puree to a chunky paste. Season the pesto with salt and pepper.

Light a grill. Brush the mushrooms with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat, turning once, until tender and browned, about 5 minutes. In a bowl, toss the grapes with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat until the skins begin to blacken in spots, about 3 minutes; line the grill with perforated foil if the grapes will fall through. Transfer the grapes and mushrooms to a large bowl and toss with the pesto.

Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter and drizzle with half of the dressing. Spoon the mushroom-and-grape salad onto the lettuce. Toss the celery with the remaining dressing, spoon it on top and serve.

Apple Slaw

This recipe is a fresh twist on coleslaw, it includes two kinds of apples! This isn't a creamy coleslaw, so be prepared for vinegary flavors. It's REALLY important to let this sit. When I first ate it I didn't think it had much flavor, but when I had a few bites a few hours later it was really great. So I suggest letting this sit even longer then their recommended thirty minutes.

To turn this into a meal we at it with some fresh bratwurst straight from Milwaukee. And with my leftover I sliced it up and mixed it in with the slaw. What a great lunch. And the next night I broiled some tilapia and used this slaw to make fish tacos. The flavors of the slaw were a bit strong by then but it went great with the fish tacos! In fact I may use this recipe for fish tacos from now on.

Apple Slaw Serves 4 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1 1/2 small cabbages, shredded (7 cups) 3 large carrots, shredded (1 cup) 1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled and cut into thin strips 1 Braeburn apple, unpeeled and cut into thin strips 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped 2 tbsp unsalted walnuts, chopped (optional)

In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, Dijon, oil, salt and pepper.

In a large salad bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, apples and parsley; toss with dressing to coat. Top with walnuts, if desired. Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Serve immediately after chilling.

Nutritional information per 1 1/4 cup serving as provided in magazine:
Calories: 129, Total Fat: 4g, Sat. Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Carbs: 22g, Fiber: 5g, Sugars 13g, Protein: 3g, Sodium: 247 mg, Cholesterol: 0mg

Fall Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Stilton

There's nothing like a salad to throw together the best food of the season! I found this recipe for a Fall Salad with Apples, Walnuts and Stilton in the October, 2010 issue of Cooking Light magazine and it's really tasty. I like the use of three different lettuces in this salad. I did have to do a few substitutions though. I used watercress instead of arugula and Danish Blue instead of Stilton. It came out fabulous anyways!

The dressing is tangy and flavorful. But I'd suggest to watch how much dressing you actually put on the salad. I followed all the instructions and them tossed the full amount of dressing in with all the lettuces and apples (we added the prosciutto and cheese after it was plated) and I think it ended up being too much. We were kind of tilting our plates to let the sauce run off.

Fall Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Stilton Makes 4 Servings 1 tablespoon minced shallot 1 1/2 champagne or white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 dried apricot, finely chopped 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 cups torn green leaf lettuce leaves 2 cups thinly sliced Belgian endive (about 2 heads) 1/4 cup (1 ounce) Stilton cheese, thinly sliced 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped 1 (5-ounce) package baby arugula 1 ounce very thin slices prosciutto, torn 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced

Combine first 6 ingredients in a blender. With blender on, slowly add oil; process until well combines. Stir in salt and pepper.

Combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; add apricot mixture, tossing gently to coat.

Nutritional information provided with magazine article:
CALORIES 294; FAT 18.4g(sat 3.6g, mono 8.9g, poly 5g); PROTEIN 9.2g; CARB 28g; FIBER 10.8g; CHOL 9.5mg; IRON 3.7mg; SODIUM 429mg; CALC 254mg

Greek Salad with Sardines

I've never been a fan of sardines, but honestly, it's because I made my judgement based on how it looked in a tin - ick! I have never eaten them as part of a recipe before. But for the past year or so I've been hearing about how sardines are a healthy way to get omega-3-fatty acids. That and they are cheap. So I am on a quest to try, and learn to like, sardines.

This recipe for Greek Salad with Sardines which I found in the May/June 2010 issue of Eating Well magazine seemed like a good place to start. Greek salads themselves being one of my favorites, topping them with this fish seemed like a good idea. I used sardines packed in water which I purchased from Whole Foods. They looked really fresh when I opened the tin so I was kind of exicted to give them a try.

The dressing is super simple and healthy which was great. And the whole salad was made by things I already had in the house (except the sardines). I halved this recipe because I was eating by myself and didn't think the salad would preserve well for leftovers. It ended up being a super filling lunch! And I didn't really even notice the sardines too much - they added kind of a richness and nice balance. I will definitely make this one again.

Greek Salad with Sardines Makes 4 servings, about 2 cups each 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 3 medium tomatoes, cut into large chunks 1 large English cucumber, cut into large chunks 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion 2 tablespoons sliced kalamata olives 2 4-ounce cans sardines with bones, packed in olive oil or water, drained

Whisk lemon juice, oil, garlic, oregano and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Add tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, feta, onion and olives; gently toss to combine. Divide the salad among 4 plates and top with sardines.

Mixed Wholegrain and Berry Salad

I love when I set out to make something healthy and it ends up tasting super yummy! For this one I headed to the bulk isle at Whole Foods to find the various grains. It was fun for me because I haven't ever tried most of these before so I didn't know what to expect. These grains are so good! Chewy and nutty. I did make a few changes... not sure what dinosaur kale is so I used regular kale. And I already had some dried cranberries so I used those instead of trying to find dried blueberries - but I bet the dried blueberries would be really great.

I ate this as a meal itself (and packed a few containers to take for lunch), but there is a note in the cookbook that "this makes an amazing side dish for roasted poultry during the autumn or holidays". The author also suggested substituting cracked wheat for the wheat berries or brown rice instead of kamut.

Mixed Wholegrain and Berry Salad Serves 4 1 cup wheat berries ½ cup kamut grains ¼ cup millet grains ¼ cup farro grains 1 head dinosaur kale (black cabbage), coarsely shredded ½ cup toasted sliced almonds 2 Tbsp. chopped candied ginger 4 Tbsp. dried blueberries or cranberries 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar ½ tsp. ground cinnamon Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the wheat berries and all the brains in a pan of boiling water until just tender but still nutty, 15-20 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Tip into a large salad bowl.

Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to boil, add the dinosaur kale, and blanch for 1 minute. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Add to the grains with the almonds, ginger, and berries.

Whisk the oil, vinegar, and cinnamon together. Pour over the salad and toss gently. Season to taste and toss again. Serve at room temperature.

Pineapple-Fennel Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing

The combination of radishes, pineapple and fennel drew me to this salad. The avocado sealed the deal.

I have made a few recipes with fennel and I'm always looking for something to pair it with - other than oranges (which seems like the most common combo). This is a nice and light salad that would probably go with anything. I served it with the Roasted Vegetable Linguine with Torn Fresh Basil and some steaks.

Both the salad and linguine were both featured in the February, 2010 issues of Vegetarian Times magazine as part of a Valentine's feast article. Almost every ingredient in the salad had some "love potion" quality which is kind of fun.

Pineapple-Fennel Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing Serves 6 Dressing 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. honey 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger 1 Tbsp. sesame oil 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds or black sesame seeds Salad 1 medium fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced (1 cup) 1 cup diced fresh pineapple 1 cup sliced radishes 2 green onions, thinly sliced (¼ cup) 1 cup diced avocado 3 cups watercress or arugula

To make Dressing: Whisk together lemon juice, honey, and ginger in small bowl. Whisk in oil, then sesame seeds. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

To make Salad: Toss fennel, pineapple, radishes, and green onions with Dressing in large bowl. (Salad can be made ahead to this point, and refrigerated overnight.) Stir in avocado, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Divide watercress or arugula among serving plates. Top with pineapple mixture.

Warm Beet & Spinach Salad

Beets are an ingredient I hardly every use but I have been inspired to make something with beets ever since I had an amazing beet salad at C-House last week. Red and yellow beets were the highlight of this regular item on the menu. I don't see beet salads to often on any menu so I was interested that Marcus Samuelsson chose to feature this as one of only two salads on the lunch menu.

This salad highlights beets as well, but the beets get warmed and then are placed on a bed of fresh spinach. The sweetness of the beets acts in place of a dressing. Kalamata olives and balsamic vinegar add an interesting contract. It only took me about 10 minutes to throw this all together. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Warm Beet & Spinach Salad Makes 4 servings, about 2 cups each 8 cups baby spinach 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup thinly sliced red onion 2 plum tomatoes, chopped 2 tablespoons sliced Kalamata olives 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 clove garlic, minced 2 cups steamed beet wedges or slices, 1/2-1 inch thick (see Tip) 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place spinach in a large bowl.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, parsley and garlic and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 3 minutes. Add beets, vinegar, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the beets are heated through, about 1 minute more. Add the beet mixture to the spinach and toss to combine. Serve warm.

Kale-and-Avocado Salad

I never know what to do with kale. Last year I kept getting it my farmer's basket and always ended up throwing it out or giving it to my bird. I KNOW it's super healthy and I should incorporate into my diet, but I just haven't got there yet. Well, until this salad.

This recipe was on the same page in Food & Wine Magazine as the recipe for Strawberry-Almond Smoothie, which I had torn out. One day when I was flipping through all the recipes I had torn out of magazines, I read this one out of curiosity of what to do with kale. I was intrigued at the instruction to "knead the kale with salt" so I decided to try it.

So it ends up that I do like kale! Especially when it is smothered in avocado like in this salad. And I didn't realize it until I was preparing the salad, there really isn't any dressing. The avocado and lime juice serve as it, even though it is all mushed together. The end result is kind of like guacamole with an Asian twist (due to the sesame seeds).

Kale-and-Avocado Salad 1 serving 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 1 cup packed chopped kale leaves 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 Hass avocado, quartered 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1/2 cup packed arugula leaves 1 small tomato, coarsely chopped 1 radish, diced 2 large pitted green olives, diced 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

In a skillet, toast the sesame seeds over moderate heat. Transfer to a plate.

In a bowl, knead the kale with salt until it begins to wilt. Add the avocado and lime juice and mash until chunky. Add the arugula, tomato, radish, olives, cilantro and sesame seeds, toss gently and serve.

Grilled Kielbasa with Warm Potato Salad

I know this calls for a grill, but I used a grill pan instead of venturing out in the snow. Also, I substituted red fingerling potatoes which worked out perfectly. This recipe for Grilled Kielbasa with Warm Potato Salad comes from the June, 2008 issue of Gourmet magazine.

I strongly suggest you taste the "vinaigrette" before tossing in the potatoes because I didn't think it had nearly enough cider vinegar for that German potato salad taste. But this recipe does a good job of melding familiar German flavors in a different and easy way.

Grilled Kielbasa with Warm Potato Salad Serves 4 (Main Course) 2 lb. small red boiling potatoes, halved or quartered if large 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion 3 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp cider vinegar 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 lb. smoked kielbasa Accompaniment: grainy mustard

Generously cover potatoes with water in a large saucepan and add 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, whisk together onion, oil, vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large bowl.

Add hot potatoes and parsley to vinaigrette and toss.

Prepare grill for direct-head cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas). NOTE: Kielbasa can be grilled in a hot lightly oiled large (2-burner) ridged grill pan over medium-high heat.

Cut kielbasa crosswise into 4 sections, then halve each section lengthwise.

Oil grill rack, then grill kielbasa, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, until sizzling and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes total.

Serve kielbasa with potato salad (warm or at room temperature).

Moroccan Pesto Chicken with Tomato Chickpea Salad

This is my year to learn how to grill. I picked up the Grill Every Day cookbook at a few weeks ago. I made a few thing out of this book for dinner: Cumin-Rubbed Chicken Breasts with Moroccan Pesto and Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad. The chicken was great and even the my family was cautious of "ruining" the chicken breasts with pesto, they did go ahead and try it and gave it two thumbs up. The lemon and garlic in the pesto made it really zesty which is unique for pesto. I sliced the chicken breasts and served them all on a platter so that the four chicken breasts would go further (and look like more food) because an extra person showed up for dinner.

The chickpea salad didn't get as good of a review. I found out that my family members like pure vegetable salads and are not wile about chickpeas. I love them though so I had lots of good leftovers. I thought the salad was really fresh and the feta cheese made it very rich as well. The only thing I was not happy with was that the recipe calls for canned olives. I'm not sure if I bought the wrong kind of olives or something, but I got the only kind of green olives that came in a can. They had NO FLAVOR! I suggest you regular Spanish olives that come in a jar to ensure that the olive taste comes through in the salad. If I ever make this again I will probably use kalmata olives because I think that flavor would go really well with the rest of the ingredients.

Cumin-Rubbed Chicken Breasts with Moroccan Pesto 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 2 tsp. ground cumin 1 1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt 1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup Moroccan Pesto

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill on medium-high.

Remove any pieces of fat clinging to the chicken breasts and place the breasts in a shallow baking dish or bowl. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, salt, and pepper. Rub the chicken breasts on both sides with olive oil and then rub them with the spice rub. Set aside until the grill is ready.

Oil the grill grate. Place the chicken breasts directly over the medium-hot fire and sear on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and sear on the other side until the juices run clear when the thickest part of a breast is pierced with a knife, or an instant-read thermometer registers to 165 degrees, about 4 minutes longer.

Divide the chicken breasts among warm plates and drizzle with the pesto. Serve immediately.

Moroccan Pesto 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 large cloves garlic 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper and process until the herbs and garlic are finely chopped. With the machine running, pour the lemon juice and olive oil through the feed tube and process until the sauce is combined. Use immediately, or transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad Dressing: 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 large clove garlic, minced 1 tsp. kosher or sea salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 can (6 ounces drained weight) pitted ripe olives, halved 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, olives, tomatoes, parsley, and feta. Add the dressing and toss gently to combine. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or for up to 2 days. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Salmon, Cucumber and Tomato Snack

Tonight was a lazy dinner. Actually it was a snack. But a snack with some of my favorite things: smoked salmon, cucumber, tomato and sea salt. That's it. I cut up a large English cucumber and used it as the "cracker". I salted those well with my good sea salt. I used an entire 4 oz. package of smoked salmon and broke up the pieces to layer on top. Then I sliced up a tomato. Since it was round it wouldn't sit on top and I just placed the tomato pieces around the plate. It actually ended up more like a salad than anything else because I cut the salmon and cucumber pieces in half and ate it with a fork. Oh well, it was easy and I'm still full a few hours later so it was the perfect dinner after getting home late from work.

Pan-Seared Tuna with Avocado, Soy, Ginger and Lime

I got some fresh fish over the internet! Yup, fish over the internet. The sucker was caught on Monday or Tuesday and at my house on Thursday. How cool is that? I'm a big fan of tuna so when I heard about Kona Kampachi from Kona Blue I knew I wanted to try it. Within a few days I had the most amazing sushi-grade Hawaiian yellowtail sitting right in my fridge. Now, what to do with it . . .

I sliced a few pieces and made up a dipping sauce. MMMmmmmm, good. But I had three pounds of the sucker so I also decided to make Pan-Seared Tuna with Avocado, Soy, Ginger and Lime. I found this Tyler Florence recipe online at Food Network. Pan-searing is a perfect way to cook this high quality fish because it just gets seared for a bit on the outside and the inside is still pretty raw. I doubled the recipe since it is only for a single serving. We served it over a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach. The avocado and the yellowtail played off of each other so well. It was a really simple and tasty meal. And very healthy too!

The recipe was really good but it was the fish that stood out. I wish I had some more time this week so that I could play around with some sushi rolls. I'll have to order some more and try that next time.

Buckwheat and Broccoli Salad in Tangy Miso Dressing

I had NO IDEAS what buckwheat groats were. I know buckwheat is a good grain for you though and the picture for this recipe in The New Whole Grains Cookbook looked so tasty. So I thought I'd give it a try.

buckwheat groats = unroasted buckwheat groats = raw buckwheat groats = whole white buckwheat groats.

Notes: These are buckwheat kernels that are stripped of their inedible outer coating and then crushed into smaller pieces. Unprocessed white groats are slightly bitter, so before you cook them it's a good idea to toast them in oil for several minutes until they're rust-colored. This removes the bitterness and brings out a pleasant, nutty flavor. If you don't want to do this yourself, you can buy already roasted groats, called kasha.

Substitutes: kasha (similar texture, nuttier flavor) OR millet OR amaranth OR quinoa

I made this recipe over a few days. One day I prepared the buckwheat. A different day I prepared the veggies. On a third day I finally put everything together and ate it. It lasted for three or four days more in the fridge. The salad was okay. Somehow I added too many onions and by letting it sit the taste just permeating through the entire salad. Overall, I want to say it was almost "clean" tasting. I felt fresh and healthy eating it. I forgot the cashews though and I think it would have added a nice additional crunch.

Buckwheat and Broccoli Salad in Tangy Miso Dressing Serves 5 1 cup buckwheat groats 1 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons red miso 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil 1 tablespoon grated ginger 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon honey 2 cups broccoli florets, blanched 1/2 cup julienned carrot 2 scallions, minced 1/2 cup cashews, toasted

In a small, heavy saucepan, heat the buckwheat groats over medium-high heat. Swirl the groats in the pan, toasting them until they are crackling, hot to the touch, and fragrant, about 5 minutes. In a wire-mesh strainer, wash the hot buckwheat quickly and drain thoroughly. Put the 1 1/2 cups water in the pan and bring to a boil. Add the buckwheat, return to a boil, cover tightly, and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook for about 20 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. Take the pan off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer the cooked grain to a bowl, cover, and let cool to room temperature.

In a large measuring cup, whisk the miso, canola oil, and vinegar until smooth. Whisk in the sesame oil, ginger, garlic, pepper flakes, and honey. Pour the dressing over the cooled buckwheat and toss to coat.

To serve, spread the buckwheat on a platter, and top with the broccoli, carrot, and scallions. Sprinkle the cashews over the salad and serve. Alternatively, mix the veggies in the grain and chill.

Baby Arugula, Orange and Fennel Salad with Grilled Shrimp and White Balsamic Vinaigrette

I'm not a big fennel person, but this recipe for Baby Arugula, Orange & Fennel Salad with Grilled Shrimp and White Balsamic Vinaigrette sounded so good I overlooked the heavy use of fennel ingredients. I'm glad I did too because all of the orange flavors really balanced the fennel out and the fennel tasted amazing! And there are so many different uses of fennel in this recipe I decided to use it as my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging. The main fennel bulb is sliced up and used in a salad. I thought it was interesting that the recipe advised chilling the fennel in a bowl of ice water to crisp it up before adding it to the salad. Fennel fronds (I had to look up online) are the grassy parts at the top of the fennel stalk and they are used in the marinade and the vinaigrette. Toasting the fennel seeds in a pan on the stove smelled really great too. I didn't really grind them up before I added them to the vinaigrette. I just pounded them a bit with a wooden meat mallet. But I think it released some of the flavors and it added a bit of a crunch to the salad.

Overall, this recipe was amazing. I like dinners where I prepare on part the night before and then marinade overnight as I did with the shrimp. There is quite a bit of chopping both for the marinade and the vinaigrette so if I were to make this again I'd make the marinade and the vinaigrette at the same time. The vinaigrette can be stored for up to two weeks. So if I did all that prep work the night ahead all I would have to do is grill the shrimp and chop the veggies for the salad. I didn't grill the shrimp on a grill, I used a grill pan on the stove and cooked it in batches.

I have to admit that I only made half of the veggies for the salad but I made all the shrimp. So I had salad for 3-4 servings and shrimp for 6-8 servings. There were only two of us and we ate almost all of the shrimp because it was so good!

Baby Arugula, Orange & Fennel Salad with Grilled Shrimp and White Balsamic Vinaigrette Makes 6 to 8 servings Shrimp 1 tablespoon undiluted orange juice concentrate Pinch of red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons minced orange zest 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons minced shallots 1/2 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons minced fennel fronds 1 tablespoon fennel seed, toasted and crushed 2 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 pounds large raw shrimp (32 to 40) Salad 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed 6 oranges or tangerines 6 cups baby arugula 2 heads baby frisee, torn, rinsed, and spun dry White Balsamic Vinaigrette (see below)

To marinate the shrimp, whisk all the ingredients, except the shrimp, in a large bowl. Peel, devein, and remove tails, then add the shrimp to marinade and toss to coat. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 1 hour to overnight.

To prepare the salad, finely shave the fennel bulbs with a sharp knife or a mandoline and crisp in ice water for 10 minutes. Spin dry before using. Cut the peel off the oranges, trim away all the white pith, then cut the fruit into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Flick out any seeds. (If prepared ahead, refrigerate the fennel and orange slices separately, for up to 2 hours.)

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to high. Grill the shrimp until just pink and done, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, toss the arugula, frisee, fennel, and oranges with enough of the vinaigrette to coat nicely - taste for flavor, adding more dressing if needed.

Server the salad on a large platter or divide among individual plates, arrange the shrimp on top, and drizzle with a little extra dressing if desired.

White Balsamic Vinaigrette Makes 2 cups 1/2 cup while balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoon minced shallots 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/4 cup undiluted orange juice concentrate Pinch of red pepper flakes, or 1 tablespoon harissa paste 2 teaspoons kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon fennel seed, toasted and ground 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds

In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, shallots, mustard, and juice concentrate. Whisk in the pepper flakes, salt, pepper to taste, and fennel seed. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly to emulsify. Stir in the fennel fronds. If made ahead, refrigerate until shortly before needed, then re-whisk before using. The vinaigrette keeps, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.


Checkout the Weekend Herb Blogging roundup hosted by Vani from Batasari sometime next week.

Spiced Egg Salad

Oh man, this is ANOTHER really surprising recipe. I don't eat egg salad. And I surely don't make it. But I just cracked open The Soul of a New Cuisine by Marcus Samuelsson and this recipe for Spiced Egg Salad jumped out at me. This cookbook is filled with recipes for African cuisine. I am still very unfamiliar the spices, cooking techniques and even common foods. I think I have only tried African food one time and I let the waiter suggest something. It seemed like a perfect starting place for me because it is full of ingredients that I am familiar with (except for the bird's eye pepper, but I just used a jalapeno). There are no special sauces or spice mixtures I needed to make.

This is not your typical egg salad! No yellow creamy and tangy sauce. This is made with fresh global ingredients. The tomatoes make it refreshing. The eggs make it fulfilling. Peanuts add crunch and the spices add flavor. The cilantro and lime add the perfect finish. I hard-boiled the eggs the night before to save some time, but it is pretty quick to put together (buying fresh tomatoes and onions already diced would make it even faster). I love that it is served a room temperature. I think it's going to taste even better when I bring it for lunch tomorrow because the flavors will have been melding together a bit more.

I'm sure you can make a sandwich out of this, but I just ate it plain. I didn't want the bread to dull any of the flavoring. But I think it would go really, really well with a whole-wheat pita.

Since my first recipe turned out so well, I'm really excited for this book. Yesterday they announced that The Soul of a New Cuisine has been nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award in the International category (I wrote an article listing all the nominees at PaperPalate.net).

Spiced Egg Salad (4 servings) 1/4 cup olive oil, divided 1/4 cup unsalted blanched dry-roasted peanuts 1 bird's eye chili, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped 2 small red onions, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder 5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro 1 tablespoon soy sauce Juice of 1 lime 1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saute pan over low heat. Add the peanuts and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chilies, onions, and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, ginger, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl.

Gently fold in the eggs, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce, lime juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the salt. Serve at room temperature.

Thai Pink Grapefruit Salad

This salad has one of the most unique flavor combinations I have ever tasted. And I probably would not have even tried it if I wasn't looking for salads for Weekend Cookbook Challenge #14: Salads. I am not a big salad person but I like grapefruit, coconut and mint so I thought I'd try the Pink Grapefruit Salad with Toasted Coconut and Fresh Mint from Quick & Easy Thai by Nancie McDermott.

This salad is naturally tart and acidic since grapefruit is the main ingredient. But it is also salty from the soy sauce and dried shrimp, hot from the Thai chili peppers, sweet from the coconut and sugar, and fresh tasting from all of the mint. It is so amazing. I was so impressed with myself that I made this. It seems like it should be too complicated to make something with such complex flavors. But it was simple! The hardest part was peeling the grapefruit.

Look for the round up of this month's Weekend Cookbook Challenge hosted this month by Tami from Running with Tweezers.

Pink Grapefruit Salad with Toasted Coconut and Fresh Mint yum some-oh Ingredients: 3 tablespoons shredded coconut 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 2 cups bite-sized chunks peeled, sectioned pomelo or grapefruit 2 tablespoons dried shrimp, coarsely chopped, or 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped roasted, salted peanuts (optional) 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped shallots 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh hot green chilies or dried red chili flakes 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint or cilantro leaves of boston lettuce or bibb lettuce for accompaniment

Instructions:
Toast the shredded coconut in a small, dry skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing often, until most of it turns a rich, soft brown. Turn out onto a saucer to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar and stir well to dissolve sugar and a form a smooth sauce. Add the pomelo, toasted coconut, dried shrimp (if using), shallots, chilies, and mint, and toss gently to combine everything well. Transfer to a serving platter with lettuce leaves on the side, and serve at room temperature.

blueberry chicken salad

My sister received The Marshall Fields Cookbook as a free gift when she was buying Macy's gift certificates this year. (Macy's purchased Marshall Fields and took over all of their stores effective fall of 2006. It is a touchy subject in Chicago). She wouldn't let me have it, but I flipped through it and found some good recipes. Their recipe for Blueberry Chicken Salad seemed similar to a salad that i used to love from their Marketplace. It was made with roasted turkey and grapes. I'm not sure what else was in it but since I like that, I decided to write down the recipe for the Blueberry Chicken Salad. Even though the thought of blueberries with chicken seemed kind of strange.

I did have a bit of a shopping nightmare trying to get all the ingredients together. I was attracted to this recipe because it uses roasted chicken. I picked one up while I was at the grocery store and tried to remember all the other ingredients. I got most of them but ended up having to go back to the store for a second trip. I couldn't find hazelnuts! And blueberries are way expensive right now, and not very ripe. I went to a different store and found that they did have hazelnuts.

The toasting and peeling of the hazelnuts did not happen as described in the recipe below. In fact, it didn't even happen at all. I put them in the oven and cooled them off and the skins were not budging. So, I gave some to my bird to play with and threw out the rest. I used chopped pecans instead which I got at the store when I couldn't find the hazelnuts.

I somehow managed to not buy any blue cheese. I was not going back to the store for a fourth time so I used some crumbled feta I had instead.

The salad came out wonderful. It is very simple to put together once you get the chicken pulled, which I did the night before. The dressing is rich and flavorful. I might cut back on the shallots next time, but maybe if I had used pungent blue cheese it would have balanced out the flavors better. I was a happy girl eating my chicken salad for lunch today and I have plenty left over. The recipe says that it will keep for two days.

I will be making this one again!

note* each serving is 9 Weight Watchers points.

Blueberry Chicken Salad (6 servings) 2 tsp. Dijon Mustard 2 Tbsp. minced shallot 2 Tbsp. honey 3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil 1 roasted chicken, meat torn into bite-size pieces (about 3 cups) 1 large granny smith apple, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 1/2 cup green grapes 1 1/2 cup blueberries, picked over 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and coarsly chopped 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, shallot, honey, lime juice, salt, pepper and rosemary. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, apples, grapes, blueberries, hazelnuts, and blue cheese and toss well.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss wekk to coat thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Toasting and Skinning Hazelnuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake, shaking the pan once or twice, for 10 minutes, until the nuts are lightly browned and fragrant. Wrap the nuts in a clean dish towel and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Rub the nuts in the towel to remove their papery skins.

tula's country-style greek salad

i made tula's country-style greek salad from i like you: hospitality under the influence by amy sedaris. when i received two joy of cooking cookbooks for christmas, i exchanged one for this "unique" cookbook. i read most of it on the plane ride home from chicago. she is a comedian, but the book itself is just strange (more on that later). i think because it's so random. the recipes look great though. amy sedaris mentions that she knows greek cooking very well so i was attracted to a few of her greek recipes. i love cucumbers, tomatoes and feta cheese so this salad seemed like a great place to start.

And it was . . . this salad is super refreshing. the kalmata and feta give it some substance and the salad by itself is quite filling. it is very simple to just chop up some veggies and whisk together a quick dressing. i like it with lots of fresh ground sea salt sprinkled on top. And to my surprise, the salad lasted. i actually made it last night but forgot to add the olives and pine nuts. it is a very large salad so i barely finished half of it. i just left it in the bowl and covered it with tinfoil. there was some extra juice tonight, probably due to the tomatoes, but nothing got soggy. the feta is firm enough not to soak everything up. so i just added in the olives and pine nuts and was good to go. there was so much left that i ate it as the majority of my meal with a little bit of leftover soup.

Tula's Country Style Greek Salad 3 medium tomatoes 1 large cucumber 1 small red onion 5 oz crumbled feta a handful of kalamata olives a handful of pine nuts salt, fresh ground pepper and oregano to taste 1/4 cup olive oil 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar (i used balsamic)

Instructions (serves 6)
slice tomatoes and onion. peel and slice cucumber. arrange tomato, cucumber and onions in bowl. top with feta and olives and sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano to taste. toss in pine nuts.

mix olive oil and red wine vinegar. add salt and pepper to taste. beat olive oil and vinegar mixture and pour over vegetables.

note* if you make this with fat-free feta it will only be 4 weight watchers points.