Grilled Watermelon Salad

Sounds strange doesnt it? Well, it is strange but cool and refreshing. This isnt something Ill have on a regular basis because its well....odd...but it was interesting enough to make for company and it provoked discussion and interest. In the future I would let the watermelon cool a little bit before placing it over the arugula but thats my preference. One of my guests said she liked it warm because it melted the feta a bit. I lighly dressed this salad with extra virgin olive oil and a splah of balsamic vinegar. It doesnt need much. You make want to make the balasamic reduction, I made it but didnt like it, so I didnt serve it. Whatever you decide is fine with me just give it a try and youll be sure to get some ooohs and aaahs.


Grilled Watermelon Salad
Courtesy of Claire Robinson

Ingredients:

1/2 (5-pound) seedless watermelon
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt (specialty salt is great here, if on hand)
2 cups fresh baby arugula, washed and dried
1 cup goat cheese, crumbled, preferably a French Chevre
Fresh finely cracked black pepper

Directions:

Stand the watermelon half cut side down on a cutting board and slice away the rind, leaving a solid block of melon. Turn the block on its side and cut it into 8 squares, roughly 3 by 3 inches and 1-inch thick.

Pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to a thick syrup consistency. Set aside.

Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle just enough olive oil over watermelon slices to thinly coat and place on hot grill pan. Grill each side about 2 minutes until grill marks appear; transfer to a plate and season with salt.

To assemble the salads, put about 1/4 cup of baby arugula on a serving plate, followed by a grilled slice of watermelon in the center, and top with a tablespoon of crumbled cheese and another 1/4 cup arugula. Add another watermelon slice and another tablespoon of cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Finish each salad with a very light drizzle of olive oil and balsamic syrup. Dust with black pepper and serve immediately.

Read More..

Sufferin Succotash Salad

Ive been looking for a tasty way to show off this ultra-fast and easy barbecue sauce vinaigrette idea, and this almost raw succotash salad proved to be a perfect vehicle. And to think, I almost ruined it by doing it the right way.

Originally, I was going to grill the corn first, and then slice the cooked kernels into the salad. As I started to prep, I took a little nibble off the end of the ear, and it was so sweet and juicy that I decided to change the plan, and go au natural.

Thanks to the sweet, starchy crunch of the raw corn, the combination of tastes and textures in this salad is outstanding. Sure, you could certainly add more than the four ingredients called for here, but Im wondering if that would really make this any more perfect.

This succotash salad is great for those occasions when you need to bring a side dish to the company picnic, or family reunion, and want to arrive with something that looks like you put in a lot more effort into it than you actually did.

As youll see in the clip, the dressing could not be simpler, but will rely on a quality barbecue sauce to bring everything together. I used my wife Micheles famous SFQ sauce, but your favorite barbecue sauce should work out as well (assuming its deeply-flavored, complex, and kind of spicy).

Anyway, this may not be the most exciting, or visually thrilling thing weve made around here, but what it lacks in aesthetic charm, it more than makes up for in everything else. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 ears fresh sweet corn

1 large red bell pepper, small dice

4 green onions, chopped fine

1 can white beans, rinsed, drained

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Dressing:

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

View the complete recipe

Read More..

Raw Kale Salad – Mmmm…Tough and Bitter

I realized after watching the finished video for this raw kale salad that I used the words “tough” and “bitter” about a dozen times. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. I used those words because kale is tough and bitter, but when properly prepared, those are valuable assets, not liabilities.

If you slice it thin, and toss it with other tasty treats, the kale mellows out, and serves as a perfect foil for other vegetation. The sweet, wet crunch of raw apple counters the bitterness, and the texture of the leaves elevated from opposite directions by juicy orange and crunchy nuts. It’s quite a scene.

I’m going to do a video for the orange cumin vinaigrette, but in the meantime, the ingredients are listed below. Feel free to copy my salad formula, but this is more of an idea video than an actual recipe. You know what you like, so whatever that is, add it to some raw kale, and see what happens. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 big or 4 small Raw Kale Salads:

1 head green kale

1 persimmon, sliced

1 apple, sliced thin or matchstick cut

2 seedless oranges, cut into segments aka “supremes” (click here for video)

handful of chopped nuts

For the dressing:

1 rounded teaspoon Dijon mustard           

1 rounded teaspoon orange zest

1 tsp cumin, or to taste

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 tbsp orange juice

1/4 cup rice vinegar (or white wine or sherry vinegar)

1/3 cup olive oil, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Read More..

Crabstick and Corn Salad 蟹肉棒玉米沙拉

This is a remake of a dish that I shared sometime back.



I love adding Tobiko (fish roe) as it gives the salad the extra crunch. I will use Ebiko (shrimp roe) if I cant get Tobibo. For those who are totally unable to get Tobiko or Ebiko, may like to try Cavier. Its a lot more saltier than Tobiko and Ebiko. So it might want to use it sparingly. Otherwise, just leave that out.



Im going to list, as a guide, on the quantity of ingredients used here. You are free to adjust accordingly to your liking.

Ingredients:

• 5 Crab Stick or Imitation Snow Crab Legs, shredded


• 1/2 Japanese Cucumber, seeds removed, julienne and soak in cold water for 2 mins


• 4 tablespoon Whole Kernel Corn, steamed and cooled


• 1 1/2 tablespoon Tobiko or Ebiko


• Japanese Mayonnaise

How to do it:

1. Drain cucumber and corn.


2. Place all ingredients in a bowl, mine is in the order of cucumber, snow crab legs, corn and tobiko.


3. Drizzle some mayonnaise and serve.

Read More..

BBQ Chicken Salad with Homemade BBQ Sauce

   This is my favorite salad. Ever. The flavors going on in this salad were just meant to be. Chicken, Barbeque Sauce, Zesty Ranch dressing, Corn, Black Beans, Green Onions, Cilantro........ are you with me? This was my first attempt at homemade barbeque sauce and we loved it! I found the recipe from the Neelys on the Food Network. It was super simple to make. I bet you have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now. I did! I love it when I find a recipe I want to make and I already have all the ingredients. No need to go to the store!

   One thing I will note on the sauce, when its simmering on your stovetop you will have kind of a vinegary aroma floating through your house. PLEASE dont let that worry you, like it did me. I stressed I would have this really strong vinegar tasting barbeque sauce but that was not the case at all! The end result was simply amazing and now after having it, I know I will make it often  : )

BBQ Chicken Salad

Serves 4-6

3 cups cooked, cubed Chicken

2 cups Barbeque Sauce (recipe below)

3 Romaine Lettuce Hearts, cleaned and chopped

1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1 small bag Frozen Corn, cooked

1 cup Colby Jack Cheese, shredded

2 Green Onions, chopped

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

Ranch Dressing

Tortilla Strips

DIRECTIONS:  In a medium bowl, add the cooked, cubed chicken and barbeque sauce. Stir to coat chicken with sauce. Set aside. 

In a large bowl add the romaine lettuce, black beans, corn, cheese, green onion and cilantro. Toss together. Divide the salad evenly among plates. Top each salad serving with desired amount of barbeque chicken. Serve with tortilla strips and dressing. Enjoy!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Yields 3 1/2 cups

2 cups Ketchup

1 cup Water

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

5 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

5 Tablespoons Sugar

1/2 Tablespoon fresh Ground Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Onion Powder

1/2 Tablespoon Ground Mustard

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

DIRECTIONS:  In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cook, uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, stirring often.

Recipe Source: Food Network (Neelys BBQ Sauce)

Read More..

Pickled beetroot and beetroot salad

Pickled red beets (beetroots) can be served as a side dish with all kinds of meats, and also in salads, such as herring salad and the salad I have included a recipe for below. This is a slightly different variety from the one I posted earlier.

1 kilo red beets
600 ml white vinegar
150 g sugar
1/2 tbs caraway seeds
a few mustard seeds

Cook the beets with the skins on, in boiling water or bake in the oven, until al dente but not watery. Peel and cut into slices, about 1/2 cm thick. Commercially pickled beets are usually cut into waffled slices, but if you dont have a waffle slicer just cut them with a knife.

Layer into a sterilised jar and sprinkle caraway seeds between the layers.

Heat the sugar in the vinegar until melted, bring to the boil and pour over the beet slices. Sprinkle some mustard seeds on top and close the jars.

Allow to ripen for at least a couple of weeks. Should keep for several months if kept cool.


Beetroot salad:

2 green apples, peeled, cored and diced (1-2 cm)
250 g pickled red beets, diced (1-2 cm)
250 ml whipping cream

Pat the beet slices dry before dicing. Whip the cream to soft peaks and add the apple and beets. Chill.

Best if made a few hours before serving. Great with smoked meats, e.g. hangikjöt.

Here is another variety

Read More..

Ottolenghis cucumber and poppy seed salad

Although the best tasting cucumbers will be available in July/August, then the cucumbers on sale at the moment arent really so bad. So when I was looking for dishes to serve at our Easter Brunch table, this vivid green salad in Ottolenghis book immediately caught my eye. The Ottoleghi guys recommend you make this with small cucumbers (sometimes called Lebanese cucumbers in British recipes), but those wont be available until mid-summer. Until then, nice thin long ones will work as well.

I loved the colour, the piquancy of the dressing and the crunchiness of the poppy seeds. Again - suitable for gluten-free and lactose-free and vegan and vegetarian diets.

Cucumber and poppy seed salad
(Krõmpsuv kurgisalat krõmpsuvate mooniseemnetega)
Recipe from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook (slightly adapted)
Serves 6 to 8 as part of a buffet

500 g fresh cucumber (about 2-3 long green cucumbers, choose slim ones with small seeds)
1 mild red chilli pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
3 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
4 Tbsp white wine vinegar or rice vinegar (I used Prosecco vinegar)
5 Tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
2 Tbsp caster sugar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Wash the cucumbers, cut off the ends and discard. Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, then cut into 1 cm slices at a slight angle. Place into a large bowl.
Add coriander leaves, vinegar, oil, poppy seeds and sugar, then season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to massage the flavours into the cucumbers. Taste for seasoning - youre aiming for a sweet and sharp taste sensation.
Serve immediately.

Read More..

A great starter recipe Shrimp and cucumber salad with mint vinaigrette

Photo by Juta Kübarsepp for the May 2013 issue of Kodu ja Aed ("Home and Garden", an Estonian monthly)

Back in early April, when I was trying to decide what starter would suit my Mothers Day menu spread in the next magazine, a FB-friend mentioned Jamie Olivers shrimp and cucumber salad in a totally different context. Im not a huge fan of shrimps - although Im getting there, slowly - and I never figured out which Jamies recipe my FB-friend was talking about. However, I came across this shrimp and cucumber salad recipe by Ellie Krieger, which sounded pretty good. After some minor tweaking I settled for this extremely light and healthy - and beautifully elegant, dont you think? - salad that works brilliantly as a starter.

Highly recommended. And let me warn you - Ive witnessed people with impecable table manners drinking the minty-cucumber-shrimp "juice"from the bottom of the glass - its so good :)

Shrimp salad with cucumber and mint
(Kurgi-krevetisalat mündiga)
Serves 4 to 6 as a starter
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

   Photo by Juta Kübarsepp for the May 2013 issue of Kodu ja Aed ("Home and Garden", an Estonian monthly)

400 g cooked shrimps (peeled weight)
1 long cucumber
a large handful of fresh mint
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Drain the shrimps thoroughly. (If using frozen shrimps/prawns, then defrost them slowly overnight in the fridge).
Rinse the cucumber, then peel and cut into small cubes. If the seeds are rather large, then scoop the soft seeded part out first.
Chop the fresh mint leaves finely.
In a bowl, mix the shrimps, cucumber and mint. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle with lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Toss everything gently together.
Serve at once or macerate in the fridge for a few hours.

Similar recipes:
Kalyn added Sriracha sauce to Ellies version and got Spicy shrimp and cucumber salad with lemon, mint and cumin
Burmese shrimp and cucumber salad @ Girl Cooks World
Shrimp salad on cucumber slices @ Ginas Skinny Recipes
Shrimp and cucumber salad with dill vinaigrette @ Epicurious
Shrimp and cucumber salad with horseradish mayonnaise @ Bon Appetit
Seared shrimp with cucumber salad @ Martha Stewart

Read More..

Georgian recipes cucumber and tomato salad with cilantro coriander

How do you like your tomato salad?

The most popular version here in Estonia is sliced and quartered cucumbers and tomatoes, simply mixed with some sour cream, dill or green onions/scallions and seasoned. However, this summer weve been experimenting with alternatives and this Georgian-style fresh salad has proved to be very delicious and well received. The key ingredient (in addition to flavoursome tomatoes and cucumbers, of course) is fresh cilantro/coriander. Not something I would have thrown into a simple tomato and cucumber salad a year ago, but love now!

Cucumber and tomato salad, Georgian style

tomatoes, quartered
cucumbers, peeled and thickly sliced or cut into batons
(red) onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
fresh coriander/cilantro (leaves only)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
some apple cider vinegar

Put the prepared tomatoes, cucumbers and onions into a bowl. Add the coriander/cilantro leaves, season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of vinegar. Combine gently and serve.

Read More..

Chicken Bow Tie Pasta Salad

   This salad is a popular one, always served at baby and bridal showers I have been to. Its really simple, yet delicious, containing bow tie pasta noodles, grilled seasoned chicken, chopped romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

  When I serve this at parties I like to have lots of different dressings on the table, so your guests can choose whichever kind they like! My favorite is ranch dressing or creamy poppyseed. Talk about yum! I also like to have seperate bowls of croutons, and shredded parmesan cheese next to it, so they can pile on as much or as little as they want.

   Have some warm breadsticks to enjoy with this salad, and its the perfect party meal!



Chicken Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Serves about: 8-10

3-4 heads Romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped
2 pounds Chicken breasts
salt, pepper, lemon pepper seasoning
1 pound Bow Tie pasta noodles
1-2 cups cherry tomatoes, rinsed

Toppings:
Seasoned Croutons
Shredded parmesan cheese
Assorted dressings: Ranch, Creamy Poppyseed, Caesar, Raspberry Vinaigrette


Directions: Rinse the romaine lettuce in water, then  pat dry with paper towels. Chop. Place chopped lettuce in a large serving bowl, cover and place in fridge to chill.

Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and lemon-pepper seasoning. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil on a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Set cooked chicken on a platter. Cover with foil and let rest a few minutes before slicing into bite-size pieces.

*While chicken is cooking, boil the bow tie pasta noodles in a large pot of water; according to package directions. Drain water, then rinse pasta with cold water to stop cooking process, and to cool.

Assemble salad:  Add the cooked chicken pieces, cooled pasta and cherry tomatoes to the bowl of romaine lettuce. Toss with salad tongs. Serve salad with assorted dressings, croutons and parmesan cheese. Enjoy ♥

*Note: Whenever I make this salad, I like to cook the bow tie noodles in advance, so theyre cold in the salad. I just boil the noodles in the morning. Drain the water, then rinse in cold water. I shake all the excess water off and then place the noodles in a large ziplock bag. I place the bag in my fridge until Im ready to put them in the salad.

Read More..

Chickpea and Tuna Salad

My maternal grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday yesterday with a large party. All her 5 children, most of her 11 grand-children (I say most, as some of my 11 cousins are scattered around the world - one in India, one in Cyprus and one in Costa Rica; they didnt make it to the party), 8 of her 9 great-grandchildren (one lives on Cyprus) gathered around the large table and feasted on the food. One of my aunties is a trained chef, so she prepared most of the food for the party. However, I was asked to bring " an interesting salad" along :) I thought about it long and hard, and decided to make a tuna and chickpea salad (or tuna and garbanzo salad :)) that Ive made couple of times before.

The original recipe is from a British foodblogger, Pertelote (unfortunately she no longer blogs), though Ive adapted it over the years. Its a great mix of colours and textures and flavours.


Chickpea and Tuna Salad
(Tuunikala-kikerhernesalat)
Serves 10-12



500 g dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans
water
one jar of roasted peppers in oil
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
2 large red onions
1 tsp cumin seeds
0.5 tsp fennel seeds
0.5 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp pimentón dulce (Spanish smoked mild paprika powder)
2 cans of tuna chunks in oil
1 onion
1 lemon, juiced
a bunch of (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped
salt
black pepper

Soak the chickpeas overnight in cold water.
Next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place in a large saucepan with fresh cold water, season generously with salt. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 to 1,5 hours, until the chickpeas/garbanzos are soft, but not mushy. Drain.
Dress the hot chickpeas with olive oil and sherry vinegar.
Cut the roasted peppers into smaller slices, add to the chickpeas.
Peel the onions, cut into quarters. Fry gently in some oil for 5-7 minutes, until they start to soften.
Crush cumin and fennel seeds slightly in the pestle and mortar. Add the spices (cumin, fennel, chilli ja pimentón) to the onions and fry for a minute or two (do not burn!). Add the onions to the chickpeas.
(This can be done until 24 hours in advance).
Drain the tuna chunks, cut into smaller pieces with a fork. Chop parsley finely. Stir into the chickpea salad.
Season generously with lemon juice, and with some salt and pepper.
Serve.

Read More..