GFGF: Spinach

Yesterday was Spinach Salad Day. Needless to say, I didn’t quite make it. So what else is new, right?

This was Peggy’s ingredient pick. And since I hadn’t made this salad in a while I decided to make it super simple and go with what I know.

Ingredients: baby spinach, boiled eggs, raw mushrooms, bacon, shredded cheddar, and ranch dressing.

That’s it! Just cut up the eggs, shrooms, and bacon. Toss it with the spinach and cheese and add in some dressing.

See, I told you. SUPER simple.

With the store bottled ranch it is not KETO. But if you make your own….So Good!

More salads?

Kayte

Nancy

Peggy

Ulrike

Donna

Ellen

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GFGF: Fruit

This week the choice for Good Food Good Friends is FRUIT. My choice. Because the Farmers Markets are full of fresh fruits and veggies. I used some fresh and some canned. Not ALL fruits are available fresh. This fruit salad is based on an Ambrosia my grandmother used to make. For Thanksgiving. For Christmas. For Easter. It was one of my favorite sides.

I’ve taken her Ambrosia and kicked it up a notch. (BAM!) There are not measurements just add in the fruit you really like. Anything, really. I used mangoes, bananas, cherries, satsumas, and strawberries. I added coconut and then mixed it well into some Hibiscus Passionfruit whipped cream. PERFECT!!

See, no recipe. I found the Hibiscus Passionfruit flavoring and thought it would add a little extra to the whole mix. 1 cup whipped cream + 2 TBL flavoring.

More Fruit?

Kayte

Ellen

Donna

Peggy

Ulrike

Our next fresh ingredient for salad is Spinach. Peggy’s choice.

 

GFGF: Cucumbers

A Cucumber is such a versatile veggie. It is very good for you. You can put slices in ice water for a refreshing drink. You can put slices on your eyes to reduce puffiness. They contain lots of antioxidants, nutrients, aids in weight loss, may lower blood sugar. You can even mix cucumber juice and yogurt for a facepack.

AND they also taste good.

Even better if mixed with ponzu sauce. This is a KANI salad. While this doesn’t look like cucumbers it is. Shredded and mixed with some fake crab (and sliced avacado if you like it) and ponzu sauce it is a sweet/tart salad.

Shred a cucumber. Add some shredded fake crab, and toasted sesame seeds. Pour over some ponzu sauce and you have a quick tasty salad.

Ponzu Sauce:

• ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Mix all ingredients. Cover and chill.

You can use a lot or a little sauce on your salad.

More cucumber salads:

Ulrike

I’s still trying to catch up. Still have asparagus salad, and herb salad to go.

My choice next time (7/2) – FRUIT!!

 

Whole 30 Thursdays: Fruity Salad

Not just any Fruity Salad but Fruity Chicken Chopped Salad.  Yes, ANOTHER chicken salad but what can you expect when it is a 1000 degrees outside and you want need something cool to eat. And this one was perfect.  Well, almost.

A wonderful mix of greens, roasted chicken, and oranges with an oj  vinaigrette.  The recipe also called for pomegranate arials but they were not available.  I would have liked that little pop of flavor.  I did add some W30 compliant dried cranberries and they were tasty in the salad.

The reason I say almost perfect is because I didn’t care much for the  vinaigrette.  It didn’t have much flavor.  I will figure out how to fix it because I really did enjoy the salad.

The recipe is from Fast and Easy  (page 26) which is the latest W30 cookbook.  Kayte will get to it eventually – this is Fair Week in Indy.

While we will not be posting the actual recipes from the book (we encourage you to honor the author and to buy the book so that you can own the recipes yourselves), we will share our photos and  ingredients and comments on each. If you would like to join in, just leave the link to your post so we can come and read all about it.  Even if you aren’t eating Whole 30ish, the recipes and food are wonderful and fit into any meal plan.

 

{CC#11} Orzo Salad with Fragrant Sesame Dressing

How about a noodle salad with an Asian Flair? That is what I found in The Frog Commissary Cookbook for lunch the other day.

Dressing:

1 teaspoon salt
3⁄4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1⁄2 cup rice vinegar or 1⁄2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1⁄2 teaspoon orange rind, grated
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1⁄2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced

Salad:

1 (16 ounce) box orzo pasta
1 cup carrot, shredded
1⁄4 cup raisins dried cranberries
1⁄4 cup pine nuts sunflower seed kernels, lightly toasted

Cook orzo according to directions on box. Drain and run under cold water. Let set to finish draining.
Mix the sauce ingredients and blend well. Mix into the pasta and chill.
Add raisins dried cranberries, shredded carrots, and pine nuts sunflower kernels , and mix gently.
Note, this can be made 1 day ahead of when you plan to serve it, just don’t add the carrots or sunflower kernels until just before serving so they will remain crunchy.

Since I am not a fan of raisins I subbed in some dried cranberries. I really liked the counter point of the tart dressing with the sweet fruit. Definitely a repeat.

The full recipe serves 8. I made 1/2 and it was more than enough for 4 as a side.
IF you want to add some other veggies or some chicken it would make a nice meal. The dressing alone would be good cooked with some diced chicken.

Recipe is on page 67 of The Frog Commissary Cookbook.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown 11 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{EwE} Corn and Quinoa Salad with Sausage

Who says a salad has to be made with leafy greans? Or pasta? Why not try one with quinoa instead? Like this one from Ellie Krieger.

Mixing some cooked quinoa with chicken sausage, corn, zucchini, and lots of spices is a great way to make salad. It is full of flavor, good ingredients, and, as always with Elie’s recipes, good for you.

I could have just eaten all the vegetables by themselves before adding the sausage and quinoa.  Doesn’t it look wonderful?

I couldn’t find a salad I was really in the mood for my cookbooks so I went on line and this one caught my eye immediately.   After I made it I realized we had originally made a similar recipe in Ellie’s Weeknight Wonders  {Corn and Quinoa with Sausage}   but it wasn’t listed as a salad. It is basically the same ingredients but with different flavors (Cumin and parsley) and the zucchini thrown in. Bingo!!

One small change I made – the recipe called for adding the diced red pepper at the end.  I assumed she meant raw and I don’t like raw pepper so I threw the diced red pepper in with the onions to cook.   And I think next time I will add a little more cumin.

And it was great.  Definitely one to enjoy regularly.

You can find the recipe on Ellie’s website.  

Find out what Gaye made for her salad by clicking on over to Eating with Ellie.  I’m sure it will be good.

 

{CEinMB} Asian Noodle Bowl (and Wheatberry Salad)

Thursdays are easy nights for supper. I don’t have to decide what to cook. Why? Because Thursday is Craving Ellie in My Belly night. Except this week, it was my pick. But since I chose this 5 weeks ago it was still an easy night.

Asian Noodle Bowl

I have to tell you that I am very fond of several different types of cuisine. Mexican. Italian. Greek. German. And Asian. I just love the diversity of all the different flavors. So when it comes my turn to pick for one of the cooking groups I will usually chose from one of those if available – or Seafood. Thise time it was Asian. This was a basic stir fry of brocalli, baby corn, shitake mushrooms, peppers (which I didn’t have) and chicken. The difference between this stir-fry type dish and others is that instead of rice, Ellie tossed the veggie mix with noodles. You could use Udon or speghetti. I had some brown rice udon so that is what I used.

I have to admit that it wasn’t one of my favorites. It was just a little bland for me. It was disappointing because I usually really like Ellie’s recipes. Ah, well. Won’t stop me from making it again and maybe playing around with it a little. Maybe with shrimp??

You can find the recipe in So Easy or HERE!

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As you know, if you read my last blog entry, I was internet-less last week. So this week there is also a CEinMB Two-Fer.

And I had to make this one because my Good Buddy and WWF partner, Leslie, picked it.

Wheat Berry Salad

I had NEVER had wheat berries before. I didn’t really know what they were and could not find them anywhere. Luckily, my Daughter lives in a Real City and found them for me at their local WF. Different. It’s not a berry, in case you haven’t had them either.

This salad called for cooked wheat berries, celery, walnuts, dried cherries, scallions, and parsley. I didn’t have everything Ellie called for so I played around a little. I used walnuts and pecans (never have too many nuts) as well as mandarin oranges and dried cranberries. I did add the parsley and the scallions but not the celery. Tossed the whole mixture with lemon juice and carefully piled it on a fresh bed of lettuce. Not bad. I do wish I had not added the scallions. They were somewhat bitter when paired with the fruit. I will make this again, but without the scallions.

Thanks, Leslie, for broadening my horizons – again!!

You can find the recipe in Ellie’s So Easy or HERE!

Visit the other members of CEinMB and see how they liked these two dishes.

 

{CEinMB} beef taco salad w/ chunky tomato dressing

Taco salad was all the rage at work about 20 years ago. We would make it all the time for a quick lunch. And then I didn’t make it for years and years. Now I am sorry I stopped putting this little salad together. Maybe Ellie decided it was time to bring it back. Glad she did.

Such a tasty salad to be so simple. Lettuce, chilli-spiced beef, cheese, crushed tortillas. So simple!!!

Ellie serves hers with a chunky tomato dressing. Now, y’all know how I feel about fresh tomatoes. Do not like them at all. Like everything else tomato but not fresh. I am just weird that way. So I gave the Fam the chunky dressing and I stuck with my spicy tomato-ey dressing.

Thanks Peggy for reminding me of this great little salad (which can definitely be a meal!!).

You can find the recipe HERE or on page 77 of Ellie’s So Easy!

And if you want to cook with a small group of great foodies you should join in with us at Craving Ellie in My Belly!!

 

{CEinMB}WW Pasta Salad w/ Walnuts and Feta Cheese

Okay. I looked at this salad when it was first posted and my first thought was, “EWWWW!!” How could Kayte think this was good? Feta cheese!! Mustard!! Yuck!! Sorry, Kayte!! So I put off making it and put off making it, but I knew I HAD to make it eventually. After all, Kayte is one of my best blogger/twitter buddies. So I bit the bullet and put the salad together.

Wow!! Have I changed my tune. “Thanks, Kayte, this was good!!!” I have to admit I am still not a big fan of Feta cheese or mustard, but crumbled small the Feta cheese merely adds flavor. I used a garlic/herb Feta for extra flavor. I didn’t have any Dijon mustard, but I did have some Honing Mosterd that another great blogger/twitter buddy, Marthe, sent me from The Netherlands. It doesn’t as strong a mustard flavor as DiJon so it was perfect for the dressing for this salad which also called for Red Wine Vinegar, Olive Oil, and minced garlic. Just right!!

The salad itself is a simple mix of pasta, Feta, Chopped (or chiffonade) baby spinach, red onion, and walnuts. I used a tricolor pasta for color. The walnuts added a surprise little crunch in each bite.

And I have to say I really enjoyed this pasta salad and will definitely fix it often. Thanks, Kayte, again, for adding a new taste to my food horizons.

I wonder how the other CEinMB members liked it. Guess I (and you) will just have to visit and see.

If you want to try this delicious salad you can find ithe recipe on FoodTVor in Ellie’s The Food You Crave on page 137.

 

{CEinMB} Pesto Potato Salad

Fresh is Best. That is true of most anything (except that young boy I dated when I was 16). Fresh air. Fresh vegetables. Fresh water. Fresh herbs. Fresh ideas. There is nothing better. Nothing. Except when you mix a number of fresh items together. As in this Pesto Potato Salad from Ellie’s The Food You Crave.

Fresh potatoes.
Fresh basil.
Fresh bell peppers.
Four simple ingredients.
Four fresh ingredients.

I was fortunate to have a fresh Red Bell Pepper from the garden (in fact the only one) to add to this potato salad. I had wanted to make my own Pesto, but unfortunately my basil plant went to that great Herb Garden in the sky so I had to use ‘store-bought’ which Ellie says is okay. It was a good pesto.

I liked this. I made 1/3 recipe which was enough for two servings. Two servings for me as I am the only one who really likes pesto. One change I would make. I think tossing the potatoes with the pesto while the potatoes are still quite warm would incorporate the flavors more.

The potatoes were steamed first rather than boiled. I don’t have a steamer, so I communed with my inner AB and made one.

Worked out quite nicely.

Liz of The Not So Skinny Kitchen thought we would like this recipe this week and you can find it on her website.

Craving Ellie in Your Belly is reorganizing. If you want to meet the members, or maybe join our now small group, please visit.

{By the way. The top photo was taken last night way after dark. No touch up was done in any way. But it was photographed under some new lights we found – Day light by Bright Effects. They are WONDERFUL because they do not emit the usual yellow light. If you are having trouble with photographing food in the winter, this just might be the solution to the problem. Just thought I would pass that along.}