Old Fashioned Potato Salad

This is my most favorite potato salad recipe, and I've tried lots. For one, it is very simple and easy to remember (I can make it easily from memory). If you want to snazz it up and add more, though, it takes well to any addition (sometimes I add fresh dill, or pickles, or whatever fresh gardeny goodness I have lying around). I love to cut the potato in big, rustic chunks - I think a big part of it is the texture. Plus you really get the flavor of the potato, which is, rightfully, the star.

The thing that really makes this potato salad recipe FANTASTIC is tossing the hot potato chunks with the vinegar before assembling any more of the salad - the tart, sour vinegar really gets inside the potatoes, which brightens up the dish and contrasts nicely with that creamy dressing.

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

(adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook, 2004)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boiling potatoes (I like Yukon Golds for this, they hold up well to boiling)

3 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 tsp. salt

3/4 c. chopped celery

1/2 c. chopped white onion

3 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped

1 c. mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Combine potatoes with well salted cold water to cover by 2 inches in a 3-qt. saucepan, and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are just tender, 15-25 minutes, depending on size. Drain and cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar and salt in a large bowl until the salt is dissolved.

When potatoes are just cool enough to handle (still quite warm), cut into large 1-in. chunks, adding to vinegar mixture as you cut them, tossing gently with a large spoon or spatula. Cool to room temperature.

Add all remaining ingredients and stir gently to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Saffron Orzo with Shrimp

This dish seems a bit decedent, given the sheer amount of saffron in it. But: I had a small container of the stuff that was getting a bit long in the tooth, so using it up all at once wasn't an issue. It sounded so good, and I was on an orzo kick, so it was a perfect choice for a weekday meal.



My orzo was thick, for some reason the liquid I boiled the orzo in boiled down quickly, so that when the actual orzo was cooked there was a risotto-like texture to it. I loved the way it came out, though.

To me, the taste of saffron is one that is hard to describe; instead I'll try to just say how this overall dish came out: thick and creamy, slightly tart, fresh-tasting from the parsley, with a very heavy essence of saffron. Helpful, yeah. How would you describe that saffron flavor, anyway? Almost like licorice, sorta like rosewater, but musky. Maybe I should just say it tastes like the 70s, but in a good way ;) At any rate, this is a great little dish. Give it a shot.


Saffron Orzo with Shrimp
(from Everyday Pasta, 2007)





Ingredients:
4 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. saffron threads
1 lb. orzo
6 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, bringing the broth to a simmer. Add the saffron, stir, and simmer until the saffron has bloomed, about 5 minutes.

Return the heat to medium and bring the stock to a boil, then add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the orzo and transfer to a large bowl. Add 3 Tbsp. olive oil, the parsley, half the lemon juice, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper. Combine thoroughly.

In a bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, and the remaining lemon juice. Heat the 3 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook until the shrimp are just turning pink, about 2 minutes per side. Add the shrimp to the bowl with the orzo. Toss to combine and serve.

Chopped Salad Verde with Sweet Pea Vinaigrette

My Hubs is a beer nerd, it's true. He is one of those guys who, when his pint of microbrewed-fancy-schmancy-oddly-named beer is placed in front of him, he will hold it up to the light to look at the color and stuff. Then he carefully puts the glass back down on the table and smells it for awhile. Then he sips it, and tilts the glass to ogle the lacing. Then he scribbles furiously in his pocket beer journal. Oh, yes. He is one of those weirdos. And yet I married him anyway.

Due to this affliction of his, I am guaranteed a meal his favorite restaurant/brewery in town at least twice a month. And I'm not complaining, really - Free State Brewing Company has not only great beer, but awesome food as well. More often than not, I go for my most favoritest thing on their menu: the chopped salad verde.

I'm a chopped salad nut. This one is like my other favorite chopped salad, with lots of veggies and pasta, but this version also has this a great tangy-yet-slightly sweet vinaigrette along with huge chunks of avocado and a lovely Vella Jack cheese. Mmm, what a good salad. So imagine my delight when, the last time I ordered this salad, our waitress casually mentioned the recipe had been printed. Printed! Awesome! That means I can make it at home!

Make it at home I do, and will continue to do. A lot. It costs less than $10 that way, you see. ;) Plus, you'll have tons of leftovers with this recipe (well, if you usually cook for two; it'll serve 4-6). That is not a problem: this salad is even better the next day, after the flavors meld.

Chopped Salad Verde with Sweet Pea Vinaigrette

(from The Free State Brewing Company, printed in Shape magazine May 2008)

Ingredients:

For the dressing:
1/2 c. fresh or frozen sweet peas
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
1 clove roasted garlic
2 sprigs fresh parsley
2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c. white wine vinegar
1/3 c. canola oil
1/4 c. water

For the salad:
1 c. dry pasta (baby shells or elbows)
2 ripe avocado chopped
4 oz. (about 4 c.) fresh spinach, chopped
2 oz. grated Vella Dry Jack Cheese (or a mild hard cheese)
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 small carrots, julienne cut

Make the dressing:
Place all of the dressing ingredients except oil and water in a food processor and blend until well combined. (Alternatively, place the ingredients in a large, deep bowl and use an immersion blender.)

While pulsing the processor, slowly add oil to emulsify. Thin with water as needed to salad dressing consistency.

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta cooks, place all remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. When pasta is cooked, drain, run under cold water to chill, and drain again. Add cooked chilled pasta and all of the vinaigrette to the bowl and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Nemmie’s Cold Summer Salad

I will admit to the occasional “cooking taboo”. We all love something or another that we’d be embarrassed to admit, no? Aside from baked bean sandwiches and cold green beans (out of the can, with lots of salt), I must admit to an undying love for a certain boxed quick-salad. I am talking, of course, about Suddenly Salad.

But not just any Suddenly Salad! I never buy them, I swear, except for the Bacon Ranch flavor. If you’ve never had it, you don’t know what you’re missing. I used to love to make it as a meal – add chopped veggies and some canned tuna, and you’ve got a great summer salad on your hands. However, I still felt the guilt of buying a boxed quick-make-thing, and those freeze-dried carrots/peas in the mixture were something I tried not to think about too hard.

Finally I admitted my addiction to a group of friends. One of them, Julie, recommended I try to make it from scratch – she had done so and it was much better. Genius! That way, too, I can control the salt and fat and have all fresh veggies… What I would do without my girlies, I can’t tell you.

Anyhoo – here is my “healthier” version of that beloved box of Suddenly Salad. I like it because I’ll use more sour cream if I want to be healthier, or the low-fat dressing mix. Plus this recipe makes tons, a lot more than the wimpy Suddenly Salad box, so there are leftovers galore for many days! Which is perfect, because now I can enjoy this salad guilt-free : )

Nemmie’s Cold Summer Salad
(A big thanks to Julie)

Ingredients:
1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
1/4 c. of mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
4-5 slices bacon, browned and broken into pieces
A handful of nuts or seeds (I like sunflower seeds), optional
1 lb. of pasta of choice (rotini, penne, bow ties, shells, whatever you like)
1 c. frozen peas
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
3-4 tomatoes, diced and drained on paper towels
1 cucumber, diced and drained on paper towels
2 cans tuna in water, drained and flaked

In a large bowl, mix the ranch dressing mix with mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in bacon pieces and nuts or seeds (if using). Set aside.

Boil pasta in water, as directed. When the pasta has 2-3 minutes left to cook, throw peas in pasta pot. When done cooking, drain and run pasta/peas under cold water, to stop the cooking and cool it off to be added to the salad.

Add pasta to ranch mixture. Stir in carrots, tomatoes, and cucumber and mix well. Finally, add tuna and mix gently. Put in the refrigerator to cool, at least 1 hour.

Panzanella (Bread Salad)

This is a perfect recipe for the 4th of July holiday - a fabulous salad that comes together quickly, uses the smallest amount of stovetop time (just enough to dip your tomatoes), and the longer it sits at room temperature, the better it tastes. You can toss it together well ahead of lunch or dinnertime, and forget about it.


I love a good bread salad. This one has lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and capers, along with a nice thick country bread; all soaked in a tart vinaigrette until the flavors meld together. The bread is stale and therefore doesn't get mushy but instead has a nice soft texture. I love to make this in the summer for a side dish, and it always goes quickly.

Panzanella

(adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis' Everyday Italian, 2005)

Ingredients:

1/4 c. drained capers

2 Tbsp. + 1/4 c. red wine vinegar

12 oz. ciabatta or other country-style white bread, 2 to3 days old

8 ripe tomatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds total), cored and scored on the bottom

2 Tbsp. + 2/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. + 1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

1 c. diced cucumber chunks (salted and drained on paper towel)

1/4 c. pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise

Soak the capers in 2 Tbsp. of vinegar in a small bowl for 10 minutes. Drain.

Cut the crust off of the bread. If it is not quite “stale” enough: Cut into 2-inch slices and toast in a 350 F oven for about 20-30 minutes. Once toasted, cut or tear bread into 1 inch cubes and set aside.

Submerge the tomatoes into a large saucepan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl of ice water to cool slightly. Using a small sharp paring knife, peel off the tomato skins. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into 1-inch cubes and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk 2/3 c. of oil, 1/4 c. of vinegar, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the bread cubes, tomatoes, and basil; toss to combine.

Transfer half of the bread mixture to a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish. Arrange half of the cucumbers, drained capers, and olives over the bread mixture. Repeat layering with the remaining bread mixture, then the remaining roasted peppers, capers, and olives.

Cover the salad and let stand at room temperature for flavors to blend, at least 1 hour (and up to 8 hours).

Coconut Cashew Basmati Rice Salad

Food Network has gotten out of hand in the past few years, I will admit. Sometimes there's more flash and showboating than actual quality cooking going on. But every once in awhile, there's still a gem of a recipe to be had. This one I picked up from Boy Meets Grill 3-4 years ago, and it's practically a staple in our house in the warmer months. This exotic little rice dish has a great mix of flavors and best of all - is good hot, warm, or room temperature. It really goes well with a lot of dishes, and is great paired with grilled food.

The textures going on in this salad are insane - creamy rice (thanks to that warm, almost sweet coconut milk) with crunchy cashews and green onions, and coconut bits to round everything out. The flavors are brilliant, a dish that hints at sweetness but is also so nutty and fresh-tasting. This is another one of those dishes that I find people raving over, and I never have leftovers. Try it next time you throw some fish or meat on the grill and you'll see why.

Coconut Cashew Basmati Rice Salad
(from Bobby Flay)





Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. peanut oil + 1 Tbsp. for the cashews (I like to use coconut oil)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 c. basmati rice, rinsed several times in cold water and drained well
Salt and freshly ground pepper (it is important to properly salt this dish! It's rather bland otherwise)
1/4 c. raw cashews, halved
2 c. unsweetened coconut milk
2 c. water
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onion
1/4 c. grated fresh coconut (optional)
1/4 c. chopped cilantro (optional)

Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook until soft. Add the drained rice, salt and pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the cashews and cook until lightly golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Place coconut milk and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the hot liquid to the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. When the rice is cooked, remove from the oven and fold in the green onion, and cilantro/coconut (if using). Spoon the rice onto a platter and garnish with the toasted cashews.

Crunchy Pea Salad

Here is how it usually goes down when I make this salad: I toss it together, usually in the summertime when we are grilling out. When it's time to eat, Hubs and I take a conservative portions of our fresh-off-the-grill chicken or fish and grilled vegetable (or green salad). Then we take a gigantic heaping scoop of this pea salad. After dinner, I pack up the leftover pea salad (notice that I show incredible self-control by packing it up, rather than scarfing it down). Then, at some point later that evening, the container of leftover pea salad magically appears in front of us and we together polish it off. End of story. I don't really know why I bother packing the leftover salad into Tupperware.

This is really good, and really addictive. I hate pea salads with gloppy old mayonnaise, and this one (sour cream-based) makes it not only healthier but lighter, still tangy but not so overpowering like mayonnaise can sometimes be. I like the mix of textures, and of course bacon on anything is just plain good.

Because we tend to pig out on it, I am careful to only make small batches of this salad. I also try to make it more healthy, by swapping out the cashews for sunflower seeds and the bacon (sometimes) for turkey bacon. I imagine that if you don't want to do the nuts, you could also throw some chopped water chestnuts in there, which would still give the nutty flavor. Believe me, it's possible to make this more healthy. And take it from me: there still won't be leftovers.

Crunchy Pea Salad
(Adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
8 slices bacon
1 (10 oz.) package frozen green peas, thawed and drained
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 c. finely chopped red onion (or use green onions)
2/3 c. low-fat sour cream
1 c. chopped cashews or sunflower seeds
Salt and pepper to taste

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine peas, celery, onion, and sour cream. Toss gently to mix.
Just before serving, stir nuts and bacon into salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grapefruit Salad with Apples

Last time I went home for a visit, my parents surprised me with a copy of 1080 Recipes by Simone and Inés Ortega. And what an awesome little cookbook it is! (Ha ha! Okay, large, 5-lb-ish, is more like it.) Spain's version of the Joy of Cooking, it immediately went to the best seller list when published, and has been in print for over 30 years. Phaidon (an art-heavy publisher) took on the task of translating and printing the tome, and I'm so very glad they did.

Each recipe is categorized and referred to by its given number rather than by page number, and there are tons of lovely pastel drawings throughout (the variety meats section has the most interesting by far!). Also tucked in each section is a group of smaller-sized, glossy imagess of some of the dishes found in each section. Maybe because I work in publishing and notice these little touches, but still I really gotta say: this is one of the most charming cookbooks I've ever laid eyes on.

I really dig this book not only for it's peculiarities, but also because most of the recipes are very simple and short - handful of ingredients, half a page for most recipes, and yet so interesting and different. It's a book I can dig into when needing a last-minute inspiration, and certainly come up with something cool. I will say that you need to go with your gut on most recipes - cook those onions at a higher heat if you think it works, or simmer your stew longer to get more tender meat. There's a wee bit lost in translation, but all in all it's a great cookbook.

I'm breaking this cookbook out into my blog with a nice little salad. This salad is very interesting - tart apples, and bitter/sweet grapefruit in a tangy, sharp dressing. Simple yet complex, and I find myself craving it often. Makes a great meal with a blackened chicken/fish and rice (or grapefruit roast chicken, which I hope to blog about in the near future...).

#385, Grapefruit Salad with Apples

(Ensalada de Pomelo co Manzana)

Ingredients:

1 pink grapefruit

1 apple (I used McIntosh)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 heads endive (I used a spring mix)

3 1/2 oz. Roquefort cheese

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp. plain yogurt

Fresh mint leaves

Salt and pepper

Peel the grapefruit, removing all traces of pith. Cut out the segments from the membranes and cut them into pieces. Peel, core, and slice the apple and toss with half a lemon's worth of juice. Put the grapefruit, apple, and endive into a salad bowl and mix well.

Prepare the dressing by mashing the cheese with oil in a small bowl. Stir in lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Slowly stir in yogurt, a little at a time. Add the dressing to the salad and chill well before serving, garnished with mint leaves.

Chicago Dog Salad

Chicago, my most favorite city. Seriously, I would take it over NYC, San Fran, SoCal, anything. The city is known for so many things: architecture, deep dish pizza, Al Capone, the Magnificent Mile, the Cubbies... However, I like to remember it for its dogs. Chicago dogs, that is.

For the uninitiated, the Chicago dog is hotdog on a poppy-seed bun, topped with mustard, onion, relish, pickles, tomatoes, sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt. Perfection. And my absolute favorite treat when visiting the city. When I found a recipe for a Chicago Dog Salad, well, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

This recipe is compliments of Spaz (I love ya Rach, I really do, you just need to drink less coffee, seriously). I adore this recipe because it's a "healthy" version of the original: no bun, and turkey hot dogs. For me it means "no guilt" because yay I'm eating a salad!

And it tastes, amazingly, like a real Chicago dog. I am not kidding, it's just fabulous. I added a few missing ingredients to her recipe (couldn't find a way to work in that relish though). I've made this one 3 times in the past week so for real: I recommend giving this one a try.

Chicago Dog Salad

Ingredients:
1/4 c. yellow mustard
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 rounded tsp. granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
16 oz. shredded cabbage
1 heart of romaine lettuce, shredded
2 vine-ripe tomatoes, diced

Sliced jalapenos or sport peppers (optional)
3 large garlic pickles, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 turkey hot dogs, cut into 1-inch slices on an angle

Celery salt

In a large bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar, sugar and 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos (optional), and pickles. Toss well. Season the salad with pepper and a pinch of salt (more to come at the end, so go easy on it). Taste, adjust the seasonings and put aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, then arrange the sliced dogs in a single layer. Sear them for a couple of minutes on each side, turning with tongs.

Mound the salad on plates and top with the seared dogs. Sprinkle with celery salt. Serve.

Crab Cakes on Salad Greens with a Lime Vinaigrette

Every once in awhile, a girl craves a nice juicy crab cake. You know, the type you can get in the Baltimore Inner Harbor restaurants, with the big chunks of juicy crab meat? And hardly enough binder to hold it together, therefore it's like noshing on a big fat crab without the fuss of shelling it?

Yeah, I know: dream on. I live in the Midwest. No seafood for hundreds of miles, besides the crab cakes are more like breaded hockey pucks around here. However, recently I came across a crab cake recipe that actually caught my attention. While I knew I wouldn't be able to make an authentic Baltimore crab cake, this one was interesting in that (1) it's healthy and (2) it has all sorts of yummies like corn and onion and herbs rather than just breadcrumbs for binder. Had to give it a try. Perfect with a simple green salad, I thought.

The crab cake recipe is from Cooking Light. The lime vinaigrette, I am proud to say, I made on my own from what was in the fridge (specifically, some chutney and limes I wanted to use up). And it's very very good, in fact one I've used for several salad recipes since I came up with the thing.

Anyhoo, back to the crab cakes: The mint was a surprise but really good in this recipe, and the curry was very mild (for those afraid of the stuff). I ended up using less breadcrumbs than recommended, and it made for a very moist crab cake. Good stuff! It came together surprisingly quick, too, so this is a good one for a healthy and quick dinner option. And it's sure took care of those crab cake cravings!

Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

5 tsp. canola oil, divided

1 c. corn kernels (about 2 ears)

1/4 c. finely chopped onion

1/2 tsp. curry powder

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lb. lump crabmeat, shells removed ***

1/3 c. reduced-fat mayonnaise

2 large egg whites

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint

1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste

1 c. plain dry breadcrumbs, divided

Lime wedges

Preheat oven to 450 F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn, onion, curry powder and garlic; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and let cool completely. Stir in crabmeat.

Whisk mayonnaise, egg whites, lime juice, cilantro, mint and salt in a small bowl. Fold into the crab mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. Using about 1/3 cup per patty, form the mixture into eight 3/4-inch-thick patties. Dredge the patties in the remaining breadcrumbs.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 4 crab cakes and cook until the undersides are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a wide spatula, turn cakes over onto the prepared baking sheet. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the skillet and repeat with the remaining 4 crab cakes.

Bake the crab cakes until golden on the second side and heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Salad Greens with Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1/3 c. fresh lime juice

Hot sauce, to taste

1 Tbsp. mango chutney

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. canola oil

Salad greens of choice (about 12 oz.)

Whisk together lime juice, a few dashes of hot sauce, chutney, and sugar in a bowl. Slowly add canola oil while whisking, until emulsified. Add greens to bowl and toss well.

To plate: place greens on a plate. Top with a crab cake or two, and a lime wedge for that extra citrus punch. Enjoy!

*** I used pasteurized crab meat from the grocery store (in a tub-type of dish), but I think that if you are lucky enough to find fresh, you should totally use it! And beware the canned crab - fell for that joke once, and once is enough. It's like eating straw. Ew.

Bridal Shower Wild Rice Salad

My sister Aimbot got married in the summer of 2006, in gorgeous southern California. Her friend Cat threw her a bridal shower a few days before (so everyone flying in could attend). Just the sweetest little shower I've ever attended: much giggling and chatting and glasses of champagne, no games or other such things. Good conversation and good food, what could be better?

The lunch included yummy little sandwiches and sides and an awesome strawberry tiramisu, but it was the wild rice salad that really did me in. I didn't want to be a total pig, so I took a very ladylike portion, but seriously I could've eaten an entire vat of the stuff. It was fruity and nutty and yet savory. Quite good. And Cat was gracious enough to share the recipe, that lovely woman. I'm forever indebted.

I have dubbed this Bridal Shower Wild Rice Salad because that's my fond memory of it, plus it is something that's perfect for just such an occasion: dainty and healthy, with a charming mix of ingredients. Blueberries and nuts with onion and celery to round out the flavors. Probably more of a summery salad, but I love to make this one year-round.

Bridal Shower Wild Rice Salad



Ingredients:
2 c. water
1 tsp. salt
1 c. wild rice (about 6 oz)
1/2 c. dried blueberries
1/3 c. chopped toasted pecans (About 1 ½ oz)
1/3 c. chopped unsalted cashews (About 1 ½ oz)
1/4 c. chopped green onion tops
2 Tbsp. finely chopped celery
2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
1/3 c. oil (I use a vegetable and olive oil mix)

Combine water and salt and bring to boil. Add rice, reduce heat to medium low and cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Drain well and cool.

Transfer rice to large bowl. Add next 6 ingredients. Can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Mix next 5 ingredients in blender. With blender running gradually add oils. Pour dressing over rice and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Harvest Rice Salad

I make this rice dish fairly often, it's a combination of a few different recipes I've seen. Aside from coming together easily, it is also filling and a great mix of flavors and textures. The rice gives the dish a nutty base. The onions and cranberries sweeten it up. The bell pepper and almonds give it a nice crunch, and the lemon zest seems to brighten up all the flavors in the dish.

I like to serve this with salmon or grilled chicken, and I think it's perfect for a cool autumn evening.

Harvest Rice Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 c. slivered almonds
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. uncooked brown rice
1/2 c. uncooked wild rice
3 Tbsp. butter
3 onions, sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. green bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste

Place almonds on an ungreased baking sheet. Toast at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 5 to 8 minutes.

Mix broth, brown rice, and wild rice in a medium saucepan, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 50 minutes, until rice is tender and broth is absorbed.

In medium skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and brown sugar. Saute until butter is absorbed and onions are translucent and soft. Reduce heat, and cook onions for another 20 minutes, until they are caramelized.

Stir cranberries and green pepper into the skillet. Cover, and cook 10 minutes or until berries start to swell. Stir in almonds and lemon zest, then fold the mixture into the cooked rice. Salt and pepper to taste.

Ten Restaurant's Signature Chopped Salad

The Hubs and I were married one year ago today. One of the awesome parts of our wedding reception (there were many, but this was a good one) was the fact that the hotel's Ten Restaurant catered the meal. To me the most important thing on that wedding menu, with no argument from the husband-type man, was to serve their signature chopped salad for our first course. I am a sucker for a chopped salad anyway, but this one is truly amazing! It's like a beefed up BLT, in salad form: lots of juicy tomatoes and bacon and blue cheese, plus chicken and green onions and the biggest surprise of all, pasta. And nothing is more appropriate as a dressing as the mustard vinaigrette it's tossed in - it's flavorful but doesn't take away from the ingredients in the least.

I love love love this salad. It is and always has been my most favorite thing on the restaurant's menu. I love it so much, in fact, that I weaseled the recipe out of a friend years ago. I make it frequently for dinner and can attest to the fact that even in leftovers form, wilted greens and all, it's absolutely delicious

And now, in celebration of this fine occasion, I spread the love along to my dear readers. Give this one a try, you will not be disappointed.

Ten Restaurant's Signature Chopped Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, rinsed and drained
2 romaine hearts, rinsed and drained
2 baked chicken breasts (approx. 2 cups cubed chicken breast meat)
6 bacon strips, fried and crumbled
1 c. diced tomatoes
1 c. cooked ditalini*
1/2 c. green onions, chopped
4 oz. blue cheese crumbles

For the mustard vinaigrette:
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. water
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 to 2 Tbsp. sugar, to taste
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 c. salad oil
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch of coarsely crushed black pepper

Chop the iceberg lettuce and romaine hearts and place them in a large salad bowl. Add the cubed chicken, crumbled bacon, tomato, ditalini, green onions and blue cheese crumbles.

For the mustard vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the vinegars, water, garlic, dry mustard, sugar and salt and whisk until blended. Pour in the oils slowly, whisking constantly until the mixture is emulsified. Whisk in the oregano, red pepper flakes and black pepper.

Pour as much of the Mustard Vinaigrette as desired over the salad. Toss to coat. Makes 4 main course salad meals, or 8 side salads.

*ditalini = very small, short tubes of macaroni. You can find it with other died pastas at the grocery store. If I'm out (which I happened to be the last time I made this salad, as witnessed in the pics) I will just use any tube-shaped pasta I have on hand. Just give it a rough chop before tossing into the salad.

Cornbread Panzanella

I got this recipe out of Giada DeLaurentiis' "Everyday Pasta" cookbook (thank you Beah!). This recipe was sooo quick, very easy to pull together, and delicious.

This is a very versatile recipe. I added a few things, namely diced cooked chicken (we ate this as dinner rather than a side dish) and some mustard and vinegar to the dressing. I also made the cornbread the same day (thank you, cheap box of Jiffy cornbread mix), so to give it the necessary stale quality, I toasted cubes of cornbread in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 F.

This recipe is definitely a keeper and this, coming from a person who isn't too fond of cornbread. The cornmeal in the bread gives the salad a grainy texture, and the cucumber gives a good crunch. All the flavors melt perfectly, sweet cornbread with smooth cheese and fresh veggies, plus a lemony vinaigrette. Mmmm.

Cornbread Panzanella

Ingredients:

8 oz. cornbread, cut into cubes (about 2 cups)

1/2 c. halved cherry tomatoes

1/2 c. cubed fontina cheese

1/2 c. cubed cucumber

1/4 c. chopped fresh basil leaves

1/2 c. diced cooked chicken

Dressing:

1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1/2 tsp. dijon mustard

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Combine the cornbread, tomatoes, cheese, cucumber, basil, and chicken in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients. Whisk together and pour over the salad. Toss gently to combine. Place in a serving bowl and serve.