Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry quinoa

1/3 cup red onion, chopped

1 orange, peeled and segments chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup pomegranate arils (about 1 pomegranate worth)

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

salt & pepper

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:

2 lemons, juiced (need 1/4 cup juice)

2 garlic cloves, microplaned or finely minced

dash of sweetener (agave nectar, stevia or white sugar)

salt & pepper

6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside to cool.

2. For the Lemon Vinaigrette: combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid, and shake to combine. Or, add lemon juice, garlic, sweetener, salt and pepper into a small bowl and whisk in oil.

3. Combine cooled quinoa with red onion, orange segments, avocado, beans, pomegranate arils, corn, cilantro, salt and pepper. Pour Lemon Vinaigrette over the salad and stir to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Serve with grilled chicken or sautéed shrimp.

the delicious salad dressing you get at japanese restaurants has always intrigued me. now i’m gonna make it!! i’m pumped that i even have all the ingredients at home already!

for the dressing you need:

1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh ginger

2 tablespoons sweet white miso

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil

1/4 cup grapeseed or another neutral oil

2 tablespoons water

and the salad:

1 small/medium head of lettuce (I used Bibb) or mixed greens of your choice

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1 avocado, quartered

source: smittenkitchen.com

cobb salad rules and it’s totally worth all the prep that goes into it. check out the recipe from smitten kitchen here.

Another goody from my new obsession with Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. i can do no wrong when cooking from this book! today we ate this salad with his deeeeeelicious pot roast meatloaf and some roasted crispy brussel sprouts. i outdid myself this evening if i do say so myself ;)

Ingredients:

• 4 scallions
• 1/2 cucumber
• Handful of fresh basil leaves
• 2 small avocados , just ripe
• 1 head butterhead lettuce
• Large handfuls sprouted cress or alfalfa
• 2 ounces Cheddar cheese , optional (i vote no on this one)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• English mustard (dijon works fine)
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Get yourself a big chopping board and a large sharp knife. It’s best to start by chopping the harder, crunchier veggies first, so trim and chop your scallions and slice your cucumber. Slice your basil. Bring it all into the center of the board and continue chopping and mixing together. Halve your avocados around the big pit. Carefully remove the pit and peel the skin off. Add the avocado flesh, lettuce leaves and cress or alfalfa to the board. Crumble over the cheese, if using, and continue chopping. When everything is well chopped, you’ll have a big mound of salad on the board. Make a well in the middle and drizzle in 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Add a teaspoon of English mustard and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix up so everything gets well coated and serve on the board or in a bowl. 

found a recipe for a delicious salad that i’m going to make to bring to a brunch tomorrow. aside from kale, you’ll need:

• Cucumber
• Grape tomatoes
• Red onion
• Raisins & goji berries 
• Walnuts 
• Hemp Seeds 
• Carrot 
• Avocado
• Red Pepper

The recipe calls for a tahini-lemon dressing:

greek salad pizza.

isn’t this pretty? i haven’t made it, but i’m curious. click the pic for a link to the recipe.

i had the BEST salad dressing this weekend. so good in fact, that i returned to same restaurant to get take out TWICE just to have it again.

now i’m going to admit something a bit shameful….

i didn’t use up all of it so i saved the remnants in the little container and…get ready for it….drank it the next day. yup.

now before we all get too excited, i have to tell you that i only have a list of the ingredients in the this dressing, but not the proportions. so maybe we can all work together to perfect it?

GREEN DRESSING OF SHEER AND UTTER AWESOMENESS

- ginger

- garlic

- cilantro

- agave nectar

- rice vinegar

- sunflower oil

wanna know what i’ll be eating this week??

THISSSSSSS……..

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale (black kale is especially good), stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 mango, diced small (about 1 cup)
• Small handful toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), about 2 rounded tablespoons

Directions

In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stream in the 1/4 cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.

Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the mango and pepitas. Toss and serve.

i want this. click pic for the recipe.

nothing says summer like this salad….i had it at a party a few weeks ago and it was delicious as well as memorable. easy and pretty!

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups seedless watermelon, cubed and chilled
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 7 oz arugula
• 1/4 small red onion, sliced very thin
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and fresh pepper

• 4 medium beets - scrubbed, trimmed and cut in half
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 (10 ounce) package mixed baby salad greens
• 1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces goat cheese

1. Place beets into a saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool, then cut in to cubes. **
2. While the beets are cooking***, place the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat. Heat until warm and starting to toast, then stir in the maple syrup. Cook and stir until evenly coated, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice concentrate, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to make the dressing.
4. Place a large helping of baby greens onto each of four salad plates, divide candied walnuts equally and sprinkle over the greens. Place equal amounts of beets over the greens, and top with dabs of goat cheese. Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing.

** i bought a jar of pre-roasted beets from Greaves to make this whole process even easier

*** if i didn’t have the ready-to-go beets, i would for sure roast them with oil, salt and pepper rather than boil them

so i go to the grocery store today and i randomly pick up a fennel bulb and a bag of blood oranges. and then i find this recipe! yessssssssssssssss. i love when all of the ingredients are just kicking around….

For the vinaigrette
1 small shallot – finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (use microplane grater)
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (use microplane grater)
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped kalamata olives
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds – crushed in a mortar
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the salad 
1 small fennel bulb
1 blood orange – peeled, halved and cut crosswise in 1/4” slices
1 clementine – peeled, halved and cut crosswise in 1/4” slices
2 large handfuls baby arugula – rinsed and spun dry
Parmesan shavings as garnish (use a potato hand peeler)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fennel greens

Step 1: Place the chopped shallot, vinegar, zests, juice, olives, fennel seeds, salt and pepper to taste, and oil in small bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.
Step 2: Trim the stalks from the fennel bulb. Snip the greens from the stalks and save them for the salad below. Cut the fennel bulb in half. Using a mandoline, cut the fennel in paper-thin slices. Set aside in a bowl.
Cook’s note: If you do not have a mandoline, you can use a potato hand-peeler. Cut the fennel bulb in quarters and shave the bulb starting right across the top and working your way down.
Step 3: In a large bowl gently mix the arugula with the fennel. Divide equally in the center of four large plates. Garnish each salad with a few orange and clementine slices. Drizzle with the olive vinaigrette. Top each salad with some Parmesan shavings. Sprinkle with the chopped fennel greens and freshly ground pepper and serve immediately.

… using broccoli slaw! love this idea and i happen to have a bag of it in my fridge. the only thing here that kinda sketches me out is “shrimp paste” *shudders* … i think i’ll leave it out.

Thai-Style Broccoli Slaw Salad

Salad Ingredients:

3 cups broccoli slaw mix
3 green scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh Thai basil coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 large or 2 small tomatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, coarsely, chopped

Dressing:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 red Thai chili peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons shrimp paste
1-2 tablespoons palm or granulated sugar
Juice of 2 fresh limes
2-3 tablespoons fish sauce

Directions:

Combine the garlic and chilis together in a bowl and crush with a pestle or the back of a spoon to release the flavors.  Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and whisk until the sugar and shrimp paste are dissolved.  Adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Toss the dressing with all of the salad ingredients, except the peanuts, in a large bowl.  Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired.

Top with chopped peanuts.

i roasted a whack of them tonight…a combo of the red and golden varieties. i’m going to add them to some greens with candied pecans and goat cheese. a simple vinaigrette of olive oil, balsamic and honey to finish. you’re jealous…i know.